The Blogboard Jungle

Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Polar (2019) is almost like a John Wick story, but with an older version of the character. Mads Mikkelsen plays the protagonist, Duncan Visla in this film, who is an assassin known as "The Black Kaiser". Visla is fourteen days from retiring as a high-level assassin who works for a corporation known as Damocles. Their retirement plan allows those that work for them to match their pension contributions, allowing to retire with a lot of money. The catch is, Damocles kills their retirees so that they do not have to pay them, which is the main plot of the film. The action is decent and some, or maybe a lot of it is over the top but what do you expect from a film based on a graphic novel? Some critics are attacking the film for that reason but there are some great visuals too that are worth watching. Netflix films can give you a break from binge-watching something and this film is a nice escape from that. If you are looking f...

Cargo (2017)  is a film released on Netflix that stars Martin Freeman as a father looking to help his baby survive a zombie apocalypse in Australia. What is unique about this film is that the protagonist is already done for as he has been infected with the virus and knows he only has 48 hours to find someone to take care of his daughter before he turns. As you would expect, when any form of an apocalypse comes the good and bad come out of people and he encounters both in this tale of self-sacrifice and survival.  Cargo is based on a short film of the same name that was made independently and circulated through film festivals that got this full-length feature made. If you are looking to take a break from binge-watching TV shows on Netflix this is worth watching. Indie filmmakers should take now that if you get enough eyes o your project your film can get the same treatment. Something to keep in mind as the next NJ Horror-con and Film Festival approaches. ...

Altered Carbon on  +Netflix  is yet another binge-worthy show on the streaming network. It has a heavy Blade Runner look to it with a deep story and even deeper characters. The sci-fi detective thriller takes place in a time where technology exists that transfers people's consciousness to other bodies when they physically expire from death or disease. Takeshi Kovacs, played by Joel Kinnaman is a trained soldier known as an envoy with a unique ability to operate on a subconscious level and adapt to new bodies quickly. Kovacs is brought out of a 250-year storage to solve the murder of a very rich and powerful person, because of the technology the victim is the one that hires Kovacs to solve the murder. Sounds trippy, right? It is a unique mix of great TV with elements of action mixed in with sci-fi and crime noir you have to watch it to truly understand how the premise just mentioned can actually take place. The show is ten episodes long and each runs abou...

Poster 1922 (2017) The  +Netflix  original 1922 is yet another work based on one of Stephen King's stories. It is the tale of a man who is penning a letter pretty much confessing the murder of his wife in 1922. However, the story is not so much about the crime, but the cost of committing one and thinking he got away with it. Thomas Jane plays Wilfred James the man telling the viewer of his story years after committing the crime. Not all of King's work is about horror in the way fans view it, some of it is about very real things in the cycle of human emotion like in The Shawshank Redemption . James writes about the aftermath of covering up his wife's murder and the cost of living with the guilt of such a big secret. Granted, there are some creepy scenes in which his guilt of handling his wife's dead body has him hallucinate some things worthy of a horror film but, murder is horrific after all. 1922 is definitely worth a sit through if you are a Stephen K...

Theatrical Poster Chucky returns to home video with Cult of Chucky (2017). This direct to video release brings back everyone's favorite murderous doll just in time for Halloween. Brad Dourif returns to voice the character and his daughter, Fiona Dourif returns to play Nica Pierce, the invalid heroine from Curse of Chucky (2013) . The film takes place mostly in a mental hospital where Pierce has found herself after the events of the previous film. She has to navigate through the hospital's residence and staff to survive the doll's pursuit of her. A nice surprise at the very beginning will be the return of Andy, played by Alex Vincent, Chucky's original target to insert his soul into. What is there to say about a "Chucky" film on Halloween? You need a list of horror films to get you through the season and this is a new one based on an old classic streaming on Netflix. It's as good as it can be, but without spoiling the plot pay close attention to ...

Be warned, this latest trailer for Marvel's The Punisher that is coming to Netflix soon will make you very, very impatient and possibly cause some headbangers to headbang. Check it out.

As if the binge watching fans of all things Marvel and Netflix haven't been patient enough the Official Punisher Twitter handle posted a cryptic new teaser video that hints a little more about the upcoming Punisher Netflix series and when it could be coming out. The video blocks out the month and date part of the series premiere but it does say "2017". Which means we could be getting it sooner than later considering there are only four months left this year. Our prediction is; November. Check out the video here: How deep does the cover up go? pic.twitter.com/q6HIt1G0Ou — The Punisher (@ThePunisher) September 12, 2017 Notice any familiar names in it?

How soon? Well, that part they are kind of leaving out but "soon" better be sooner than later. The most recent trailer shows some of cast appearing in the upcoming Netflix series and it looks like the cross over duties are still in full effect. Check it out: Friends. Enemies. Frank Castle. "Marvel's @ThePunisher " is coming soon. pic.twitter.com/ayuGR3H5RX — Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) August 28, 2017

Black Mirror looks like it will be returning to  +Netflix  soon with the new teaser trailer that just came out. If you have yet to experience this horror anthology series you should check out the other seasons already on the streaming service. The show's take a nice Rod Serling-esque look at sci-fi/horror type stories that always have a nice twist involving a lot of today's trending technologies. Check out the trailer here:

ABC Studios/Marvel television Finally, fans get the Marvel  +Netflix  mash-up they have been waiting for. The Defenders premiered this weekend on the streaming service and bringing together all these New York based characters for a season of super-hero action is something that is sure to inspire cosplayers for all the upcoming conventions this fall . The eight-episode series unites the crew to face what has been building behind the scenes in each characters respective series. It may seem a little short, but this should be a good enough binge to hold us off while we wait for the solo follow-up seasons to kick off. The action is good, the story suffers a little while trying to address smaller subplots for other shows. Iron Fist is a big part of what moves the story, as is the involvement of The Hand and the mythos of Kun-lun. But it isn't a big deal if you weren't a fan of that show, they do a good enough job explaining things in this series. Again, the stories conn...

Who remembers The Dark Crystal (1982) ? If you do, you grew up in a really good time to be a kid. Well,  +Netflix  seems to know their demographics well with shows like Stranger Things , and Voltron getting multiple seasons they are looking to cash in on the nostalgia with The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.  Anyone miss the days of puppet work and animatronics in films? There was a time when it was considered cutting edge and films like John Carpenter's: The Thing (1982) won academy awards for those types of effects. The same year, a pretty awesome film from the mind of the late Jim Henson created The Dark Crystal.  A sci-fi fantasy film that was a great escape for kids in the 80s and had its share of merchandising. This classic does not come up in conversation enough but if you mention, it is one fan's remember. Check out the trailer below that features Henson talking about his excitement for the film and the concept art of the villainous speci...

Image:Netflix Ozark on Netflix is an 'R' rated crime drama and a dark comedy all rolled into one. Jason Bateman stars in this series about a financial planner that launders money for a Mexican drug cartel and when his partner tries to steal from them things go bad. It's not just the business that goes south, Bateman's character Marty has his marriage going bad even before the business with the cartel does. The solution to his problems lies in the title of the show, the Ozarks. The mountainous area of Missouri seems to be the perfect place to launder the drug cartel's money. But not every place is as it seems and crime seems to be everywhere, not matter how backwoods it seems. The show has some comedic elements but if this is meant to be a comedy, it's a dark one. Bateman has been great in comedic roles so viewers may have a hard time letting his performance sink in. Betrayal is a big theme in the show both in criminal activities and personal relationshi...

The trailer for what  +Netflix US & Canada  has been working on with Daredevil , Jessica Jones , Luke Cage and Iron Fist is out, and fans can't wait any sooner to see this mash-up. Check it out below:

Before +Netflix US & Canada  even released the latest in their Marvel binge library, Iron Fist folks were on the fence or flat out bashing the show. It is best to watch and form your own opinion on anything but after watch the first four episodes, it's a bit understandable why folks aren't exactly happy with it. The biggest thing we can comment on that stands out to us is, Iron Fist aka Danny Rand gets beat up a little too much. For the best martial artist, or at least one of the best on Marvel's roster. He gets beat up by regular people way too much. Never mind other martial artists that are not super powered people. He gets handled by regular old orderlies in a hospital. But, he's able to get past a corporate security team in the first episode and later a hallway filled with axe-wielding triads. Secondly, this is supposed be a show about Iron Fist.  So why are they blowing up Colleen Wing so much? Four episodes in and you may see her do more martial ...

"The final defender arrives", and it looks like he's coming soon. March 17 to be exact, check out the latest trailer for Iron Fist on  +Netflix US & Canada   here: This should be good. The fact they mention "Defenders" in the trailer means that collaboration is not far behind.

Photo: Netflix The GOAT of binge worthy shows is bringing another original to  +Netflix US & Canada  . Santa Clarita Diet is the latest Netflix show that seems to be a horror/comedy being distributed on the streaming service. It stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as suburban couple that gets hit with some sort of zombie like virus that leads them to resorting to cannibalism. The show is set to debut on February 7 so we will have full review for you soon. Horror and comedy can work well together as most good horrors know not to take themselves too seriously, but can fail when it feels forced. Not all genres work well together and few can match the wit of The Evil Dead or Shaun of the Dead. Be on the lookout for Santa Clarita Diet next month and we will give it a review once we get through it.

Netflix Release Poster Netflix does more good stuff than bad. There are a few in-betweeners but otherwise if you see a review here it is either because we like it, or want to warn you about it. The OA is a little of both if you have the patience to get through it. Not sure where to begin, the show will interest you in the beginning but in its attempt to go deeper it may lose you. Comparisons to Stranger Things have been made on other reviews and frankly, we don't see it. The story starts off well but it is a hard thing to watch and keep your interest once you start wondering where they want to go with it. A girl who was missing for seven years, once blind now returns with the ability to see and do other things. She's a little annoying, whether that is on purpose or not might be best answered by Brit Marling who plays the title character Prairie AKA The OA. It's a little annoying that she introduces herself as "The OA" and no one thinks to ask her wh...

Black Mirror season three was released last week on  +Netflix US & Canada  and is a modern day Twilight Zone for today's technology reliant audience. Topics like social media and the need for acceptance it creates, perception of others based on environment and outside influences and some really creepy VR gaming that makes you want to stick to whatever current gen console you have now. The underlying commentary about today's society and ever changing beliefs still exists in every episode. Whether you agree with them or not is up to you but stories like these are made to make people think and reflect on what is being shown to you and where we could possibly be heading with technology and culture. Check out Black Mirror if you haven't yet.

Are Comic-cons even about comic anymore? Lately they are great ways to announce bringing characters off the pages of books onto the screen. No one really minds if the final product is done well and Netflix has been handling its Marvel related characters very well. Last weekend's New York Comic-Con showed fans yet another Iron Fist trailer and it looks like they are no pulling any punches on this one's production value. Check it out:

One of the best modern anthology series on TV is putting its third season on  +Netflix US & Canada  on 10/21. That is one of our favorite genres here at  +The Blogboard Jungle  so you could imagine our excitement about six more new episodes to binge watch on. Check out the trailer below: