Well this is a weird childhood gem of mine. Saban’s Big Bad Beelteborgs and Beetleborgs: Metallix were two shows similar to Power Rangers but somehow stranger. You have kids voicing over grown people in suits, rubber monsters, and giant vehicles that come out of nowhere. Yep, welcome to the 90’s. Beetleborgs is the story of three average kids, Drew, Roland, and Jo as they venture into a haunted house one day. Discovering it’s full of monsters they unexpectedly set off a chain of events that release Flabber, a magic ghost from an old pipe organ, who rewards them by transforming them into there favorite comic book superheroes the Beetleborgs to combat a villian released from the comics as well…wow the 90’s was full of weird shit. In some way, you can call this an obscure Power Rangers clone- both from Saban as a matter of a fact- but it has it’s own unique charm. The monsters of the house are goofy and annoying in that funny kind of way, always chasing our heroes to eat them in some pretty funny scenes and Flabber trying to fight them back makes it all the better. The borgs themselves look fairly cool and a tad less cheesy than the classic Power Rangers. The damn theme music is just as catchy as the Ranger theme in my opinion. The villians aren’t very memorable though. All in all, it’s worth checking out on Netflix and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
1. Mera- It’s very rare in comics and fiction in general where the female lead is as badass if not more so than her male counterpart. Mera is queen of Atlantis and wife to Arthur Curry- Aquaman. I fell in love with her during Blackest Night, she was strong but vulnerable, overcoming her grief to fight back against the Black Lanterns and watching her acquire a red lantern ring was beyond epic. Besides being able to swim fast and breath underwater she is super strong and durable and can control water to varying degrees. I watched her almost dry a man out by mere contact, only stopping before his blood depleted and he almost wasn’t able to breathe, what’s more badass than that?
2. Jon Stewart- Whereas Hal Jordan is the reckless smartass Green Lantern, Guy Gardner is the average joe, and Kyle Raynor os practically a messiah, Stewart stands out because of his quiet demeanor, darker origin as marine corp sniper, and and his construct preference of guns and more practical weapons. Jon Stewart takes no shit on the battlefield but the man has a heart, and that’s what makes him a great character.
3. Deathstroke/ Slade- Whether you knew him as the diabolical Slade in the early 2000’s Teen Titan cartoon or watched in utter amazement the fight between him and Batman in Arkham Origins or hell even got the little tidbit Deadpool is pretty close to this augmented assassin. A master of several forms of hand to hand combat, marksmanship, and master with an insane amount of weapons, this soldier is imbued with enchanced strength, reflexes, agility, and regenerative capability- except for his missing eye. No comment on that. Whether he’s dicking over the Suicide Squad in the comics or declaring vengeance on Oliver Queen on Arrow, Deathstroke is always a good time.
4. Dex Starr- he’s just as adorable as he is dangerous. This tragic red lantern maybe a former house cat but he still will fry you with his rage; closely associated with Atrocitus, leader of the hateful Red Lantern Corp, they share a sad bond over the rage of loss. Big things really do come in small packages.
5. Red Hood/ Arkham Knight – Jason Todd, Batman’s second Robin, was killed horribly by the Joker when he was a teen. Years later Gotham’s criminal underground is getting wrecked by a man wearing a red hood just as Joker did before the fall, and moves like Batman. Against his mentor he’s formidable, retaining his former master’s fighting skills and know how but not the restraint. He kills without remorse because he feels if Batman would, all the chaos and death his villains cause wouldn’t happen, and so the Red Hood exists to prove such a point.
So this year’s IT remake is crushing box office records, and rightfully so. If you grew up anytime between the 80’s and 90’s, chances are you’ve heard the tales of Stephen King. If like me you grew up with parents that liked horror, some of your first nightmares came from a King based movie, so I just wanted to give you all my list of best King adaptations. Granted, these are just my personal favorites, listed from least to greatest.
4. Misery- I second guessed being a writer after this way too real horror story of a writer who finds himself face to face with his batshit insane biggest fan. Someday soon I will be doing a combo review on the book and movie and while I like the book better the movie is pretty damn close. Kathy Bates is amazing as the psychotic Annie Wilkes in a performance I can’t credit enough.
3. Carrie (2002)- A lot of people aren’t even aware this even exists and it’s a damn shame. Everyone knows the original 76 movie and many know of the well publicized 2013 remake, but I adore the 2002 made for TV remake much more. First, I love Angela Bettis as Carrie, being sympathetic, desperate, but showing a delicate inner strength I think fits the character beautifully. The effects are epic and I appreciate how close to the book it stays, straying away for a new ending I liked very much. Harder to find but definitely worth the time.
2. IT (2017)- Quite possibly the best movie I’ve seen all year, this remake took me greatly by surprise. I love the mini series for all it’s whacky shit but the remake is gritty and dark, full of both great child actors and Bill Skarrsgard is amazing as Pennywise, it’s one hell of a ride.
1. Pet Sematary- The movie that introduced me to Stephen King, a movie that still lingers with Michael Myers and a hive of Aliens in the depths of my earliest nightmares comes the story that dares to ask what if the dead didn’t have to stay dead? Roughly 30 years old this movie holds up great with memorable performances, freaky imagery, and a sad second half that will let you know why sometimes dead is better.
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