REVIEW: Morbius (2022) - Starring Jared Leto & Matt Smith

Morbius is the latest superhero film from Marvel, and based on the character from the comic books.

Now before this movie I had never actually heard of Morbius so I am coming to this as a total noob with no expectations or knowledge on the character at all.

Morbius is the third film in the Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU), which basically means you will eventually get cross over of characters from various films with the Spider-man films being the centre point that connects everything else. With that said there is no Spider-man in this film before you get too excited, and other than the end credits scene, this does play as a stand-alone film, which is perfect for me.

Directed by Daniel Espinosa and written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, it stars Jared Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius, alongside Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, and Tyrese Gibson.

The film starts off with Morbius landing in Costa Rica and going to a cave full of Vampire Bats, before you know it the story quickly shifts back to a children's hospital in Greece, a young 10-year-old boy called Michael Morbius meets a young boy called Lucien, he gives him the name Milo, (which means apple in Greek) they share a blood illness which instantly bonds them, as well as a wish to be healthy.

Full Review at 

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/05/review-morbius-2022-starring-jared-leto.html

REVIEW: Infinite Storm (2022) - Starring Naomi Watts & Billy Howle

Infinite Storm is based on the very real story of Pam Bales.

Pam Bales (Naomi Watts) is a search and rescue volunteer, one morning she goes on a hike up Mount Washington, almost without warning a storm sets in. After a few stumbles, and a fall, she gets on her way but then sees footprints in the snow, the footprints are from basic trainers, so she realises that someone unprepared is nearby.

She sees a man in the snow, almost frozen, and dressed completely inappropriately for mountain hiking, she realises he is alive, and quickly gets to work to warm him up, and redress him in better clothes. He isn't very friendly, and doesn't seem to want to volunteer much information about himself, Pam decides to call him John. John is played by Billy Howle.

What follows is a trek to safety down the mountain, and the various obstacles they need to overcome.

Full Review and Trailer at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/05/review-infinite-storm-2022-starring.html

REVIEW: Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising on PC

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is an action RPG set in the same world as Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. This game acts as a prequel / companion game.

The main goal of Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is to rebuild the town of New Neveah that was decimated by an earthquake. During that disaster several ruins we uncovered, each full of treasure.

You play as CJ a scavenger; you will speak to various characters and collect materials they need to rebuild. Once you have the requested materials, new buildings appear, and soon the town will transform from a destroyed mess to a new beautiful town.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/05/review-eiyuden-chronicle-rising-on-pc.html

REVIEW: The Northman (2022) - Stars Alexander Skarsgård, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy & Nicole Kidman

Another day, another review, this time The Northman an epic historical fiction film directed by Robert Eggers and starring Alexander Skarsgård and based on the legend of Amleth.

The basic plot sees Amleth, (Alexander Skarsgård) a Viking prince who sets out on a quest to avenge the murder of his father.

Set in the year AD895, the film starts with King Aurvandill War-Raven (Ethan Hawke), returning from battle to his Kingdom on the Island of Hrafnsey. He reunites with Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman) and his young son Prince Amleth.

The King wants to prepare his son to one day become King, so they take part in a spiritual ceremony, which involves a lot of crawling about and howling like wolves. The next day Aurvandill's brother Fjölnir (Claes Bang), and some masked men, ambush and murder the King, and take Queen Gudrún, Prince Amleth escapes, and swears to avenge his fathers death, save his mother, and kill his uncle.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/05/review-northman-2022-stars-alexander.html

Interview with Joe Alwyn - Conversations With Friends

Frances (Alison Oliver) is observant, cerebral and sharp. Her ex-girlfriend, now best friend, Bobbi (Sasha Lane) is self-assured, outspoken and compelling. Though they broke up three years ago, Frances and Bobbi are virtually inseparable and perform spoken-word poetry together in Dublin. It's at one of their shows that they meet Melissa (Jemima Kirke), an older writer, who is fascinated by the pair.

Bobbi and Frances start to spend time with Melissa and her husband, Nick (Joe Alwyn), a handsome but reserved actor. While Melissa and Bobbi flirt with each other openly, Nick and Frances embark on an intense, secret affair that is surprising to them both. Soon the affair begins to test the bond between Frances and Bobbi, forcing Frances to reconsider her sense of self, and the friendship she holds so dear.

Joe Alwyn - plays Nick

Why did you want to be involved in Conversations With Friends?

I was a big fan of Sally Rooney's writing beforehand, I read Normal People and Conversations With Friends after being recommended them by friends. I got through them very quickly. I've also been a big fan of Lenny Abrahamson for a long time, I love his films and everything he's made - what he did with Normal People was extraordinary and so the opportunity to marry the minds of Sally and Lenny - and be part of that - was very exciting.

What would you say are some of the key themes in the series?

Conversations With Friends is full of all different themes, but at the heart of it it's about love, intimacy, desire and relationships. It's about how we are able to love and find happiness both within social constructs that we're more used to - whether that be within friendships, families or relationships - but also outside of those things, and how we're able to find other ways of loving and growing outside of more conventional constructs.

Full Interview at

http://www.jonn.co.uk/2022/05/interview-with-joe-alwyn-conversations.html

REVIEW: The Lost City (2022) Stars Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum and Daniel Radcliffe

Sandra Bullock plays Loretta Sage a middle-aged romance novelist, she writes books about a fictional hero called Dash McMahon, he is portrayed on the book covers by model Alan Caprison played by Channing Tatum.

Loretta's publicist Beth Hatten played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, insists that Loretta needs to go on a book tour with Alan to help promote the newest book release.

The book launch starts badly and gets worse, Alan loses his wonderous long blonde wig, and falls off the stage, after the event Loretta is kidnapped by billionaire Abigail Fairfax played by Daniel Radcliffe. He has figured out that Loretta has based her books on a real historical event, and includes research she did with her late husband who was an archaeologist, and that she has been able to decrypt an ancient language, with this knowledge he hopes to find the location of a Lost City, and specifically the "Crown of Fire", Loretta is being forced to help him.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/05/review-lost-city-2022-stars-sandra.html

REVIEW: Aaero on Nintendo Switch

Aaero is a futuristic music based, on rails, rhythm shooter.

You control a spacecraft, and you need to follow ribbons of light, if you trace the line of the ribbon, you get a higher score, all the while you need to evade obstacles, shoot enemies, and fight against giant bosses.

My first thought when playing Aaero, was that it reminded me of AVICII Invector, there are similar elements to the gameplay, you need to follow a certain course to get more points, but where Invector relied solely on your abilty to press certain buttons at the right time, Aaero takes a slightly different approach, in that you have to shoot enemies, as well, which brings in a whole new gameplay element to what is in essence a rhythm game.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/01/review-aaero-on-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: 2000 Mules - A documentary film by Dinesh D’Souza

I am a skeptic, I am a critical thinker, I am a journalist with 2 decades of experience investigating fraud. When the 2020 election happened, my skeptical senses went off, something was clearly wrong here.

Like Trump or hate Trump, he increased his vote numbers by 10 million, no second term President ever gets more votes the second time round, Obama for example when first elected in 2008 got 69,498,516, a historic election, the first black President, in 2012 he got 65,915,795. He got less votes, and still won the second term.

So straight away Trump getting 10 million more votes and not winning seemed fishy.

Then you consider that he was packing out 50,000 seat arenas, and Biden barely campaigned at all.

Trump won the so called bellweather States, States that historically give a good prediction of who will win the election. Then there was the 3am "dumps" and we all know what happened next.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/05/review-2000-mules-documentary-film-by.html

REVIEW: Alien Sniperess (2022) - Starring Olivia Okoro, Sean Laguna and Douglas Savage

Since my last few reviews were all big Hollywood type films with huge budgets, I thought I should get back to what I know and love, that being low budget Independent films. And the latest in that genre is Alien Sniperess.

Who even knew that there was a feminine version of the word Sniper, in Sniperess. Totally unnecessary, but alas that is what we have, so lets not complain too much.

In a totally original, and never seen before plot point, the film starts with a meteor shower, and of course there are some kind of alien creatures within the rocks, that in turn infect humans, turning them into alien hosts. A bit Zombie like, but they can fire guns.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/05/review-alien-sniperess-2022-starring.html

REVIEW: All the Old Knives (2022) Starring Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton

You know what 2022 needs? A good old fashioned American spy thriller, well luckily for you we have one in All the Old Knives, based on Olen Steinhauer's 2015 novel of the same name it stars Chris Pine as Henry Pelham and Thandiwe Newton as Celia Harrison-Favreau. Throw in Laurence Fishburne as Vick Wallinger, Jonathan Pryce as Bill Compton and David Dawson as Owen Lassiter and you have a pretty decent recognisable cast.

The film starts in early 2020 as CIA Officer Henry Pelham is told by his boss Vick Wallinger, that the CIA has reopened the case of a 2012 terrorist plane hijack, the Turkish Alliance 127 which ended in tragedy. It is believed that there was a leak from Vienna Station, where Henry Pelham and Vick Wallinger work. Pelham is sent to meet with a former colleague and lover in Celia Harrison-Favreau. They meet at a restaurant and discuss the events of 2012.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/05/review-all-old-knives-2022-starring.html

REWIEW: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

As this is a big release, worth noting that this review does contain mild spoilers.

Benedict Cumberbatch is back as Dr. Stephen Strange, his mission this time is to protect America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez)

In the film, Strange travels into the multiverse to protect America Chavez, a teenager who is capable of travelling between universes, from Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen)

I will say that this film is cameo heavy, and to really get the most out of it, it helps if you are a big Marvel fan and have seen a lot of the various films and TV shows, if not, you might find yourself wondering who the hell someone is, or googling every ten minutes trying to figure it out.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/05/rewiew-doctor-strange-in-multiverse-of.html

REVIEW: Trek to Yomi (PS5)

Trek to Yomi is advertised as an ultra-stylised cinematic action-adventure, and the first thing you will notice when playing is the monochrome graphics, basically black and white.

The game is set in Japan, in the Edo period, you play as a young Samurai Warrior called Hiroki who after making a vow to his dying Sensei, goes on an epic journey to confront the people responsible for destroying his village.

This side scrolling game is very much a one player journey, Hiroki must face wave after wave of enemies, and avenge his Sensei.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/05/review-trek-to-yomi-ps5.html

REVIEW: Sokobos on PC (Steam)

Sokobos is based on the classic Japanese brain-twisting puzzle game of Sokoban, which I am sure all puzzle fans have heard of or played a variation of.

The basic idea of Sokoban is to push crates or boxes around, and into the final spots, the hard part being the limited amount of space you have to work in.

Sokobos takes on this format with a story inspired by ancient Greek tragedies, and as a Greek I am always happy to see anything that uses my culture for inspiration.

First the story

"Aeschylus took an oath to the Greek gods. He is granted inhuman strength and is tasked with building a temple worthy of the great Zeus, however he must do this by himself. If he succeeds, his father's town will prosper and outshine even Athens. However, Sokobos' story is a Greek tragedy, not everything will go according to the plan."

Full Review

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/05/review-sokobos-on-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: Boon (2022) - Starring Neal McDonough, Tommy Flanagan and Christiane Seidel

Neal McDonough is one of those actors who seems to pop up a lot, but never as the lead. You will instantly recognise him from Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and The Flash as well as Yellowstone and countless other TV shows.

Here though Neal McDonough stars as Nick Boon, a hitman with a heart trying to atone for previous evils. Yes, I know, it is a story that has been told countless times.

Boon previously worked as a hitman/mercenary for a crime syndicate, but he is on the run, and hiding out in a remote area of the Pacific Northwest. Straight away he finds himself being targeted, so ends up in a fire fight with someone sent to kill him, while killing the assailent, Boon is shot, he wakes up in a cabin after being found by a widowed pastor, Catherine, played by Christiane Seidel and her son.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/05/review-boon-2022-starring-neal.html

REVIEW: Radon Break on PC (Steam)

Radon Break or is that Radon Blast? It seems that the developers of this game can't seem to make their minds up on the name of the game, all the promotional material sent out says Radon Blast, but then start the game and it is Radon Break. Not a good start.

Radon Break is a game that is clearly modelled after the famous Arkanoid brick breaking game. Control a paddle, ball falls, bounce it on to bricks, bricks disappear, destroy all the bricks, level finished.

There are your usual power ups, speed, clone the ball, and extend the size of the paddle. There are also gun powers, a wall and a super ball that just destroys.

40 levels. Beat them all, try and get the best high score.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/05/review-radon-break-on-pc-steam.html

PREVIEW: Turbo Golf Racing on PC (Steam)

I was asked to join the Beta playtest of Turbo Golf Racing on PC and give my thoughts. Although the game is still in Beta testing, it is very polished.

Now I am sure you have heard of Rocket League, the game where you basically play football with cars and a giant ball. Well Turbo Golf Racing is that but with golf. The comparisons are inevitable, and Turbo Golf Racing has a lot to live up to if it wants to be spoken about in the same breath as that other game. (which I wont mention again).

For people new to the genre, take the quiet, thoughtful, slow game of golf, add a massive ball, and Turbo Powered cars and you have something very interesting and a lot of fun.

Full preview at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/04/preview-turbo-golf-racing-on-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: Madelines (2022) - Starring Brea Grant, Parry Shen and Richard Riehle

With a short run time of less than 80 minutes, I was pleased to see that there was no messing about at the start of the film, no stupid set ups, no long character development, just straight into what you came to see. Madeline (Brea Grant) and Owen (Parry Shen) have found a way to invent Time Travel. They conduct experiments in their garage funded by private investor, Rory Devonshire (Richard Riehle) who hopes to one day make a fortune from Time Travel. They manage at first to successfully send an orange into the future, just a short distance, enough that they can watch the orange disappear, wait a minute, and it re-appears, after a failure with a small pet, and an argument with Owen, Madeline figures things out and puts herself in the machine. So far so good.

Madeline travels to the future, and after an hour re-appears in the garden. The problems begin the next day when Owen is attacked by Madeline, he accidentally kills her, but wait, Madeline walks out of the house. They soon realise that there was a mistake in the code, and 3600 Madelines will appear in the garden, one per day, for the next 9+ years.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/05/review-madelines-2022-starring-brea.html

REVIEW: Fortress: Sniper’s Eye - Stars Bruce Willis, Chad Michael Murray and Jesse Metcalfe

It wasn't that long ago that I reviewed Fortress. And when I saw this new release, I thought it was the same film, just with a slightly different name for a new market, but then I realised it is actually the sequel! Yes the sequel that no one asked for, but we have it, so thought I would take a look.

In the past I have been quite harsh on Bruce Willis for churning out an endless stream of straight to digital, low budget films, that he hardly appears in, but with his diagnosis of aphasia, (brain issues), I now can understand why he did these films, which for him meant little time actually filming, but also making a living. In fact I already have another Bruce Willis film queued up to watch and review, and I believe after that there is still another 6 Bruce Willis films ready to be released!

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/04/review-fortress-snipers-eye-stars-bruce.html

REVIEW: Lumote: The Mastermote Chronicles on Xbox

Lumote: The Mastermote Chronicles is a 3D puzzle platformer from Luminawesome Games and published by the great people at Wired Productions.

Now I am a fan of puzzle platform games, so I was excited to try this game out.

You play as Lumote, a kind of bioluminescent blob character, and you find yourself on a quest to overthrow the Mastermote.

You can move your character, jump (and double jump), and possess. As you start the game you find yourself in an area, the red areas are controlled by the evil Mastermote, (is he/it evil? I don't know, but for the sake of this review I am calling him/it evil!) and the blue areas are controlled by you, to progress to the next area, you need to turn everything blue, and unlock the door (a big flower thing).

You can possess Motes (creatures that inhabit this weird world), which will help to allow you to turn areas blue, when you are in control of them, they help you, when you are not in control of them, they can hinder your progress.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/04/review-lumote-mastermote-chronicles-on.html

Paul Hollywood Eats Mexico coming to Channel 4 in the UK

Mexico is one of the most visited countries on the planet, but few people realise that it is also one of the world's best gastronomic destinations. Paul Hollywood is off to explore the national obsession with a grand tour of Mexican cuisine – and its many, many surprises – in a brand-new series from North One, Paul Hollywood Eats Mexico. 

Burritos, nachos, and fajitas, oh my! They were not invented in Mexico, but in the United States. The true Mexican gastronomic experience is far more diverse, surprising, and fascinating. This is the nation that invented chocolate, where people still consume ancient recipes, and where the world's most deadly fruit is grown. And, fortunately for Paul Hollywood, Mexicans also enjoy a pastry, particularly Pan Dulce (literal translation: sweet breads), a type of baking that Paul has never encountered. Mexico is the right destination for Britain's favourite baker to embark on a culinary adventure and take on some really difficult local challenges.

Over three episodes, Paul learns about the country's culture, character and history through its cuisine. His adventure begins in the capital, Mexico City, as he samples the simple yet delicious Taco Al Pastor with a tour guide known as the 'Taco Hunter'. His CDMX (Ciudad de México) journey also includes a trip to the Central de Abasto market where he tries a variety of unusual fruits and at San Juan Market, café owner Felipe Reyes introduces Paul to some of the exotic delicacies on offer – from grilled cockroaches to crocodile tacos. Will he accept the offer of a baked tarantula?

Keen to explore the parts of Mexico other foods shows don't reach, Paul visits Tijuana, where he walks along the infamous wall that runs along the US border and joins restaurant owner Claudette Zepeda on a food tour of Sonoran, Sinaloan, Jaliscan and Guadalajaran eateries. Paul also meets up with a cactus restaurant owner who shows him how to take cactus from plant to plate, before he samples another local delight – insects. Mexico is the world's biggest consumers of insects, so it's only fair that Paul indulges in a tasting menu in Oaxaca.

It wouldn't be a proper foodie road trip for Paul without a bit of baking and Elena Reygardes, one of the best chefs and bakers in Latin America, teaches Paul how to make Concha, Mexico's most popular Pan Dulce. He also gets roped into judging a pasty competition in a small town with a very unexpected connection to Cornwall and finds himself armed with a piping bag in an exclusive bakery helping to prepare an exquisitely decorated four-tier Quinceanera cake for a fifteenth birthday party – the Mexican equivalent of sweet sixteen, so the pressure is on.

In Cancun, Paul works his way through a six-course banquet of ancient Mayan inspired cuisine, spends a raucous evening sampling beer in a cantina, and is schooled in all things Tequila and Mezcal. He's also subjected to a chilli-themed restaurant challenge, complete with chilli-infused drinks and discovers the ultimate Mexican hangover cure – which may well come in handy after this part of the trip!  

Paul Hollywood said: "Mexico is an amazing country, with amazing people and amazing food. The surprises never stopped coming. For example, I never thought I would be judging a Cornish Pasty competition in a Mexican town square, backed by a full mariachi band. Which, for the avoidance of doubt, I did."

Paul Hollywood Eats Mexico will air on Channel 4 later in 2022.

REVIEW: LIT: Bend the Light - Xbox One

LIT: Bend the Light is a simple puzzle game, set in a time before electricity had been harnessed, and the world was taken forward by great inventors, you find yourself moving mirrors, prisms and glass shapes to reflect light from point a to point b.

Each level has multiple ways to be completed, and with relaxing music, this is a game that should satisfy your average puzzle fan.

There are only about 30 odd levels, and you will complete the lot in about 2 hours, they have tried to counter this by awarding achievements for solving the levels in different ways, but still the game is very short and doesn't offer much more than a few hours of chill out music, and basic puzzle play.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/04/review-lit-bend-light-xbox-one.html

REVIEW: Uncharted (2022) - Starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle & Antonio Banderas

As the big Hollywood blockbusters are coming thick and fast, the latest one is Uncharted, based on the Uncharted video games made by Naughty Dog.

I have played a few of the games, so was interested to see if the film matched up.

Tom Holland stars as Nathan Drake, the lead character from the video games. Mark Wahlberg plays Victor Sullivan, with Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, and Antonio Banderas in supporting roles

The film starts with Brothers Sam and Nathan "Nate" Drake as they are caught by museum security trying to steal the first map made after the Magellan expedition. Sam is kicked out of their shared orphanage,  but before he leaves, Sam promises to return to Nate, and gives him a ring with the inscription "Sic Parvis Magna".

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/04/review-uncharted-2022-starring-tom.html

REVIEW: Ganryu 2 on Nintendo Switch

Ganryu 2 is a retro style, 2D arcade platform game, instantly reminded me of Shinobi.

Let's take a look at the storyline.

"After his victory against Kojiro, Musashi decided to meditate and try his hand at art, in the north of Japan, in the province of Hokkaido. During one of his meditations, a spirit contacted him : "Miyamoto Musashi, our fight is not over, I am waiting for you to finish our fight once and for all! All of Japan will pay for your insult! I'm waiting for you Miyamoto Musashi!"

There is no doubt for Musashi that the voice was the Sasaki Kojirō's one. His body was defeated, but his spirit remains, and his intentions were destructive. Miyamoto Musashi then understood that he would have to travel across Japan from north to south and go to the island of Ganryû-jima, where he firstly defeated Sasaki Kojirō, to fight again and liberate the spirit of Kojiro forever."

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/04/review-ganryu-2-on-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: Chernobylite on PS4

I have played a few Survival games recently, with mixed results, I still feel that I have not found a truly great survival game yet, so I come to Chernobylite with an open mind.

Chernobylite is a science fiction survival horror game. It somewhat mixes the classic survival type games with something more akin to a first-person RPG/Adventure game.

The game features a somewhat nonlinear story, although the start of the game is very linear until you get to the missions.

You play as a physicist Igor, an ex-employee of the famous Chernobyl Power Plant. You have lost your beloved Tatiana, and want to find them, hopefully alive. Although you play for yourself, you do have AI team mates, who you can send on missions, but you also need to make sure they stay healthy, have food, medicine, weapons and so on.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/04/review-chernobylite-on-ps4.html

Horror Channel celebrates history of genre cinema with THE VINTAGE VAULT

Starting in May, Horror Channel journeys into the history of genre cinema with THE VINTAGE VAULT, which will present double-bills of classic sci-fi and horror films every Sunday night.

The season premieres on Sunday May 1st with THE INVISIBLE MAN, in which Claude Rains delivers a remarkable performance in his screen debut. This is paired with BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, the celebrated sequel to the 1931 classic with Boris Karloff reprising his role as the monster. Then on Sunday May 8th, we have Christy Cabanne's frightening chiller masterpiece THE MUMMY'S HAND, followed by FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN, featuring the original Wolfman, Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein's monster.

On Sunday May 15th the heart-pounding Alien invasion classic IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, hits our screens, followed by pulp-horror favourite TARANTULA. Sunday May 22nd brings us REVENGE OF THE CREATURE, the sequel to Universal's fabulously successful The Creature from the Black Lagoon, twinned with mutant octopus-rampaging IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA. Finally, on Sunday May 29th, Fred F. Sears' saucer-invading caper EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS, crash lands on the channel, followed by the subterranean monster thriller THE MOLE PEOPLE, ,

Full Details at

http://www.mastersofhorror.co.uk/2022/04/horror-channel-celebrates-history-of.html

REVIEW: The Contractor (2022) - Starring Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, J. D. Pardo, Florian Munteanu, and Kiefer Sutherland

I am not quite sure how they managed this, but they took a film with a decent sized budget, paid some big name actors to appear, and then made a film that comes across as if it was a low budget Bruce Willis or Mel Gibson film.

Chris Pine stars as James Harper, he finds himself involuntarily discharged from the United States Army Special Forces due to his use of narcotics to treat a nasty knee injury. With no income after losing his pension and a dodgy knee, Harper contacts his friend Mike (played by Ben Foster) who works with a private military company run by fellow veteran Rusty Jennings (played by the always entertaining Kiefer Sutherland). Now it is worth noting for Kiefer fans, that he isn't in the film much, which is such a shame, because when Kiefer has good writers behind him, he has shown consistency in putting in awesome performances, sadly in The Contractor he is given something of a side role.

Anyway, Rusty runs clandestine operations for the US Department of Defence and Harper signs on for a mission in Germany. Rusty gives an advance of $50,00 to Harper, so he can pay off his debts, and off Harper goes to Germany.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/04/review-contractor-2022-starring-chris.html

REVIEW: Agent Game (2022) - Stars Dermot Mulroney, Adan Canto, Katie Cassidy, Jason Isaacs, Mel Gibson, Barkhad Abdi, Rhys Coiro, Annie Ilonzeh, and Matt Riedy

With Bruce Willis having to take a back seat due to his health, Mel Gibson seems to be the man to step up and take his seat in the "Low Budget, hardly in the film" chair.

The basic synopsis of Agent Game is as follows

"A CIA officer finds himself the target of a rendition operation after being scapegoated for the death of an interrogation subject."

The film starts off with Mel Gibson sat on a bench in the middle of the day, on a quiet street. He sees something, which has him reach for his gun and start shooting at an unknown target. This is also the very final scene of the film, but with added context.

The film does seem to jump between multiple timelines, which adds to the confusion.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/04/review-agent-game-2022-stars-dermot.html

REVIEW: The First Tree on Nintendo Switch

From the mind of David Wehle comes The First Tree. A 3rd person exploration / walking (galloping??) sim, that has you playing the part of a fox trying to find her missing cubs, which itself is part of a retelling of a dream that the narrator is talking to his wife about, but that also becomes a story of a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska.

That might sound slightly complicated, but it isn't really. You play as the fox, but as you progress through the game, you will hear the conversation of the narrator. The story he tells of reconnecting to his father, becomes a parallel story to that of a fox trying to find their missing cubs.

As this is an exploration game /walking sim, this is more about the story, than the gameplay itself, you will explore areas, collect artifacts, dig up things that expand the story being told. And if you play with commentators' mode on, you can also find audio clips that further tell the story from the game makers perspective, and give insight into how the game was made, the thought processes and so on. I would highly recommend playing with the commentator's mode turned on.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2021/12/review-first-tree-on-nintendo-switch.html

Embarrassing Bodies Doctor New line-up revealed

Dr Jane Leonard, Dr Anand Patel, and Dr Tosin Ajayi-Sotubo, who will be on hand to inspect, explain, and ideally find treatment answers for the patients' medical riddles, all while working to destigmatise many common ailments that frequently go overlooked or untreated.

The Embarrassing Bodies doctors will also focus on key health and sexual health issues, with the support of some well-known celebrity voices, in a new addition to the programme. These celebrities will participate in a series of stunts with the goal of encouraging the British public to discuss about these critical issues.

Away from the consultation room, there will be pop-up 'confessional clinics' in cities around the UK, providing patients with a safe space to ask our doctors the questions they've been too afraid to ask, or seek advice on the embarrassing conditions they may have hidden away.

Embarrassing Bodies is coming soon to E4 soon.

REVIEW: Road 96 on PlayStation 5

You know what gamers have been clamouring for? A political game! Yay. (Said no one ever.)

Road 96 has you playing as a teenage trying to cross the border in the summer of 1996, playing in a similar way to the Telltale Games, adventure/point and click narrative driven adventure that is told from a first-person perspective etc, you need to basically take a journey, a road trip, as you make the journey you encounter various characters along the way, each character has a set of problems you need to follow their story, you have a completion percentage, so repeat plays will allow you to experience all parts of their story to reach 100%.

The game takes play in Petria, (which you are trying to escape) an authoritarian regime on the brink of real political change, and decisions you make will affect the outcome of the game, and with your ultimate aim to reach the border, your decisions will affect how or if you get there.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/04/review-road-96-playstation-5.html