The Cultured Curator #2
Movie Marathons and new streaming gems
The past few weeks I had planned to crank out at least 1 newsletter per week, but then something happened: I became part of a Clubhouse Horror Fam and got catapulted into doing daily talks, reviews, working for new clients, writing a book, doing a podcast, and daily movie watch parties. And I love all of it.
I’ve started on a long-awaited update on Letterboxd of things I’ve seen, want to see, and want to discover. However, this surge in my media consumption has resulted in me simply not having the time to write. That is changing this week. I thrive on sharing my lists and thoughts so I definitely want to keep making time for it.
That is also the reason I made this edition a little more beefy in the recommendations part than regularly planned. And I hope to get your feedback on what you want to read more on from me.
I won’t stop my presence on CH, nor stop watching movies daily, but it is a matter of respecting your own energy and implementing time management. Meanwhile, I am super thankful to everyone who has had the patience for this edition to go live.
I will be back Tuesday, May 18 with #3.
Enjoy!
Movies
(You can find my reviews and scores for the movies I recommend on my Letterboxd page, follow me there to see what I watch)
Online
Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway (Arrow) Trust me, just watch it.
Kisapmata, restored copy from the 80s Philippines, super anxiety-inducing film
Memories, anime anthology with pieces from the makers of Akira (Tubi)
Dead Dicks (VOD) A dude dies but keeps getting reborn from a vagina in his wall
Spree, a socially awkward streamer goes to extreme lengths to increase his view count (Hulu)
PG: Psycho Goreman (Shudder or VOD) 80s-feel practical effect Alien monster fest with kids involved. Must watch!
Fried Barry, South African alien possession movie which is equal parts hilarious and shocking.
Skull: The Mask, more practical effect monsters in a supernatural setting (Shudder)
Theatres/Online
A Quiet Place 2, May 28
Oxygen, May 12 Netflix
Profile, May 14
Spiral: From the Book of Saw, May 14
Army of the Dead, May 21 Netflix
Money Explained, May 11 Netlfix
TV
Yasuke, anime about a real-life African Samurai in Feudal Japan (Netflix)
Shadow & Bone, series based on the Grisha-verse Fantasy books (Netflix)
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, K-drama thriller about mental health and dysfunctional families (Netlfix)
Pose Final Season, POC LGBTQIA+ in the 80s in New York, it’s all about chosen family (depending on your country, different platform)
Castlevania Season 4, the long-awaited confrontation between the vampires, monster armies, and the hunters (Netflix)
The Way of the Househusband, anime about a Yakuza boss turned Housefather (Netlfix)
Solos (Amazon Prime)
Love, Death, & Robots Volume 2 (Netflix)
Books, Comics & Brain Food
The Batman who Laughs - Is the evil counterpart and alternate version of Batman within the multiverse. He is depicted as a hybrid of both Batman (Bruce Wayne) and Batman's arch enemy Joker and is a member of the Dark Knights.
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho - A reluctant medium discovers the ties that bind can unleash a dangerous power in this compelling Malaysian-set contemporary fantasy.
Offscreen Magazine - An independent print magazine that explores critical perspectives on technology through earnest conversations. As a slow, thoughtful counterbalance to the fast-paced, buzzword-heavy tech coverage online, our publication examines how we shape technology and how technology shapes us.
Apps & Sites
Big Tech Detective - Big Tech Detective is a browser extension for Chrome that lets you track and avoid tech giants as you browse the web.
Arrow (streaming) - My newest favorite streaming service with a lot of Cult and Genre titles from all over the world that you can’t find anywhere else.
Brave Browser - Brave is built by a team of privacy-focused, performance-oriented pioneers of the web. Help us fix browsing together.
Stuff from the web
The New Sinophobia and the Japanese American Incarceration
Some Sense Mag - Freewheeling conversations with creators, changemakers and everyday characters about finding meaning and shaping culture.