Anna Daniels
CS Recommends: Snowpiercer, Plus Books, Comedy & More!
Stuck inside? Don’t know what to watch/read/play/listen to? ComingSoon.net has got you covered. In this week’s CS Recommends our staff gives you solid tips on the best media to consume during your downtime, including Snowpiercer & more. Check out our picks below!
RELATED: CS Review: TNT’s Snowpiercer Is a Bumpy, Worthwhile Adaptation
MAX EVRY’S RECOMMEND: Myq Kaplan – A.K.A.
Stand up comedy is a bit of a lost art in these times. I really miss being able to go out to a New York club and see talented people being snarky and vulnerable for yuks on stage. When I would go out to see comedy, one of my favs in the city was Myq Kaplan, the motormouthed prince of puns with truly dazzling delivery. If you just told a Myq joke to your friend it wouldn’t be the same. It has to come from Myq’s mouth, preferably through a mic.
“I am like the Kombucha of comedy, if you will,” says Kaplan on his new album. “I’m very good for you, but a lot of people are like, ‘Is this what it’s supposed to be like?’ Yes, I’m a bit of an acquired taste to some, but I can also never go bad. If you leave me out I’ll only get more powerful. Also more full of alcohol.”
Kaplan is an amazing headliner, having made several specials for Comedy Central and Netflix, and was a contestant on Last Comic Standing and America’s Got Talent. FULL DISCLOSURE: I actually know Myq a little bit, as he was my friend’s guitar-playing RA when I attended Boston University exactly one billion years ago. At the time (along with Baron Vaughn, another BU alum from back in the day) he was maybe the most naturally occurring funny thing I’d ever seen, just in regular conversation. I hope he’s doing well right now, and I hope his new album A.K.A. (currently #1 on iTunes comedy charts) can make you smile the way it made me smile.
Be forewarned, though, there are a lot of jokes about gnocchi.
KYLIE HEMMERT’S RECOMMEND: Snowpiercer
With the TNT series adaptation just around the corner, now is the perfect time to watch (or rewatch) Bong Joon Ho’s 2013 post-apocalyptic drama Snowpiercer, directed by the Oscar-winning filmmaker who co-wrote the script with Kelly Masterson. The movie is based on the 1982 French graphic novels Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, and Jean-Marc Rochette, later translated into English and released in two initial volumes in 2014, followed by the third volume in 2016 (you can pre-order a copy of the new boxset here!)
Chris Evans impressively leads the movie as Curtis, a man who exists at the tail section hiding a few heavy, shocking secrets who is willing to risk everything to lead a revolt for the control of the engine of the Snowpiercer, a globe-spanning super train containing humanity’s last survivors following a post-apocalyptic ice age. The film is a dark look at survival, desperation, politics, and disturbing social class systems that some believe are required for the balance of those still alive as others suffer unimaginable horrors in the name of the Sacred Engine. Also starring Song Kang Ho, Ko Asung, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Octavia Spencer, Ed Harris, and Tilda Swinton in her most brilliantly bonkers role ever, Snowpiercer is a fast-paced, emotionally haunting movie layered in symbolism carefully crafted with Bong’s masterful touch, offering plenty of jaw-dropping scenes, unforgettable dialogue, and innovative action sequences that will make you wonder why you waited this long to watch.
GRANT HERMANNS’ RECOMMENDATION: What the Hell Did I Just Read: A Novel of Cosmic Horror by David Wong
The time has come yet again for us here at ComingSoon.net to recommend ways to keep yourself entertained while trapped at home and I’m here to recommend you continue from my previous two suggestions and dive into the third novel in David Wong’s surreal and hilarious sci-fi horror John Dies at the End series. The latest journey in the supernatural hunting slackers’ lives sees the duo come up against what starts as a simple doppelgänger case that quickly transitions into one of the twisties and most mind-bending of their unofficial career. Much like the previous two novels, Wong finds a way to balance its edgier humor with compelling storytelling and unique eldritch horrors that are sure to have some readers squirming while picturing them.
MAGGIE DELA PAZ’S RECOMMEND: Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (South Korean Drama Series)
Click here to stream the series!
Directed by Lee Hyung-Min from a screenplay by Baek Mi-Kyung, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon revolves around a 20-something woman who has inherited superhuman strength that was passed along to only the women in her family. Despite having an incredible gift, Bong-Soon can’t always use it to her advantage as her strength will disappear if she ever uses it to cheat or to hurt an innocent person. That’s why, she can’t seem to find the perfect job that could accommodate her skills. However, luck was on her side as Ah Min-Hyuk, a young CEO of a gaming company, offers Bong Soon to become his bodyguard against a stalker who has been sending him threats and blackmails. From then on, she will get involved in a love triangle with Min-Hyuk and her long-time childhood crush In Guk-Doo while also trying to solve a series of kidnapping cases in her neighborhood involving a psychopathic culprit who targets women.
Strong Woman Do Bong Soon is a 16-episode romantic action-comedy which aired in 2017. Due to its positive reviews and popularity, it has become one of the highest rated drama in the history of Korean cable television. The series is a highly-enjoyable drama which offers a unique take on romantic tropes. Even though some cutesy parts between the lead pair might seem too cringey to other people, it shouldn’t be considered a hindrance to the series’ overall quality as it features a well-crafted storyline that will definitely get you hooked through every scene.
What I like the most about the series is that it not only focuses on the romance part, but it also deals with serious issues that were smartly integrated to its fun and vibrant premise. This drama also proves that titular lead Park Bo-Young is indeed a force to be reckoned with as her charming and strong performance as Bong-Soon will instantly make you root for her.
So, if you’re a fan of romantic comedies with a twist or shows with strong female leads, I highly recommend you to check out Strong Woman Do Bong Soon.
JEFF AMES’ RECOMMEND: Alien Anthology
Has there ever been a more frustrating franchise than the Alien anthology? What started with two perfect, classic films in Ridley Scott’s Alien and James Cameron’s Aliens, in which Sigourney Weaver’s bad ass Ellen Ripley takes on various forms of the deadly, acid-spewing xenomorph, quickly gave way to David Fincher/Fox Co.’s disappointing Alien 3 and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s bizarre Alien: Resurrection, in which Ripley shaves her head, kills herself, comes back and has sex with an Alien queen.
Still, the misfires are just as enthralling as the classics, at least in terms of behind-the-scenes production issues, and the Alien Anthology box set doesn’t mince words. Whether its detailing James Cameron’s intense working style, which led to walk offs, layoffs, and killer smack offs (including one with composer James Horner), or chronicling the on-set turmoil of Alien 3 in which poor David Fincher is tossed around by Fox brass like a chew toy, and Weaver’s endless demands led to a ridiculous amount of last-second script changes, this terrific package has it all. At the very least you will grow more appreciative of the filmmaking process and have a greater understanding as to why so many bad films get made each year.
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Written by: CS
