This Week in Macabre & Mysterious Media: May 11 – 17, 2015

Availability status updated Aug. 3rd, 2015

~YOUR MUSICAL INTERLUDE~

Nostra Morte | Perséfone

Thanks to Joanna Wagner, who brought this to my attention.

This week, I think I’m most excited about:

~THE MOVIES~

NEW ON NETFLIX & IN REDBOX:

Granite Flats (2013, 2014, 2015) TV series from BYUtv(!)

Not Available on DVD from Netflix.
Available streaming on Netflix.
Not Available from Redbox.
This blurb caught my eye: “It’s the 1960s. The height of the Cold War. The rural town of Granite Flats, Colorado, suddenly becomes a hotbed for mystery and intrigue.” (IMDb) A little more research reveals that this is an original, scripted drama from the folks at Brigham Young University TV. That’s interesting in its own right. Apparently the show has been on for BYUtv for the last three season, but now they have partnered up with Netflix to screen the whole show. To be honest, the few trailers I can find feel a little “after school special” to me, but I want to give it a fair shake because I love this era.
On IMDb here.

Extraterrestrial (2014) NR

Available on DVD from Netflix.
Available streaming on Netflix.
Not Available from Redbox.
This looks fairly average, but I do love anything with Michael Ironside in it.
On IMDb here.

(NO LONGER) IN THEATERS:

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) R

Not yet Available on DVD from Netflix.
Not yet Available streaming on Netflix.
Available from Redbox.
Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
[UPDATE] I had my doubts for the first 15-20 minutes, but in the end I came out stoked about this movie. The visuals are stunning. (I can close my eyes and “see” the sandstorm sequence.) The tone is much closer to Mad Max and The Road Warrior than to Beyond Thunderdome. The story is fine, but it’s the spectacle that will impress you. Don’t wait for it to come to DVD — this is one that deserves to be seen on the big screen.
On IMDb here.

Every Secret Thing (2015) R

Available on DVD from Netflix.
Not yet Available streaming on Netflix.
Available from Redbox.
Diane Lane, Elizabeth Banks, Dakota Fanning
I’ve not seen any previews for this on TV or in the theaters, which surprises me a bit, considering it opens Friday. Looks suspenseful. And I love what I see of the cast.

A detective looks to unravel a mystery surrounding missing children and the prime suspects: two young women who, seven years ago, were put away for an infant’s death. (From IMDb.)
On IMDb here.

~ON TV~

Wayward Pines | FOX | Thursdays | 9/8c | Starts this week, May 14th.

10 episodes

Available on DVD from Netflix.
Not yet Available streaming on Netflix.
Not Available from Redbox.
From the homepage:
“Imagine the perfect American town, beautiful homes, manicured lawns, children playing safely in the streets…Now imagine never being able to leave. You have no communication with the outside world. You think you’re going insane. You must be in Wayward Pines.”

“Based on Blake Crouch’s bestselling series of books and brought to life by M. Night Shyamalan. An “intense psychological thriller evocative of the classic hit Twin Peaks.””
UPDATE #1: I’m giving this orange status for now, based on one episode. I realized as I watched that I don’t really trust M. Night Shyamalan anymore. I adored The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, but somewhere along the line, I realized that everythinghe’s done since is a trope, and there aren’t a lot of genuine twists to enjoy. I fear this is going to be like The Village, which was pretty and creepy, but essentially flat in the end.

UPDATE #2: I’m several episodes in now, and I think I hate it. I am willing to continue for a while longer, because I’m hoping things will become clear and/or something will happen to make it not so frustratingly bland. (A turn-around … I need a good turn-around.)
On IMDb here.

~***~

And that’s pretty much it for this week. I’m just coming off a four-day stint at the Paranormal Hotel, so I’m a bit worn out, but I hope to finish and post the next installment of Investigating a Haunting: Carlos Avery WMA, MN on Friday or Saturday. I also promised a little story to go along with a snapshot of an empty hotel room that I tweeted/facebooked a couple of days ago. (If everything goes just right, you might see that on Wednesday.) Right now, though, I have to catch-up to my word count goal for my novel project. Have a great week, Folks.

~***~

RECENTLY FEATURED ON MACABRE & MYSTERIOUS MEDIA

The color of the title is keyed as follows:
Black = Have not yet experienced. I’m interested … or I think you’ll be interested.
Red = Have experienced. Not recommended. Worse than the reviews or buzz indicated.
Orange = Have experienced. Recommended, with reservations or cautions.
Green = Have experienced. Recommended. A good movie that lives up to its reputation.

Updated 2016.06.03

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