• PROJECT HAIL MARY
• Starring:  Ryan Gosling, Sandra Huller and James Ortiz
• Directed by:  Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
• Rated:  PG 13
• Running time:  2 hrs 36 mins
• Amazon Studios/MGM

Our score:  5 out of 5

There’s a great line in “The Hunt for Red October” where Jack Ryan, after having given a briefing to the powers that be, mumbles to himself “next time Jack, write a G.D. memo.”  I’m guessing high school teacher Ryland Grace (Gosling) never saw that film.

Beautifully shot, with a true stand-alone performance from Gosling, “Project Hail Mary” tells the story of the possible threat to Earth from an unknown subject and the mission to prevent it from happening.  Grace is a one-time, and disgraced, former NASA employee, whose name is well known in the scientific world, just not for anything good.  Now teaching high school science, Grace is approached by a former colleague to discuss the current situation and ask for his assistance.  Grace looks forward to the day when everyone involved is trained and he can just walk away.  But, as often happens, fate steps in and soon Grace finds himself with a new, but unusual, friend.

Leave it to the team behind the amazing “The Lego Movie” to create a film as exciting as “Star Wars” and as beautiful as “2001.”  The film is buoyed by an award-worthy performance from Gosling who, with the exception of some flashback scenes, pretty much carries the film.  I was going to say “carries the film alone,” but Dr. Grace makes a friend with the oddly shaped alien he names “Rocky.”  As voiced by Mr. Ortiz, Rocky is a friendly type who has been trying to get back to his family for years.  Creating a device to let both understand each other, Grace and Rocky seem resigned to their fate as they both work to solve their mutual problems.

Visually the film is stunning, with the filmmakers using the opportunity to show places in the galaxy never before portrayed on screen and using their imagination to make them extraordinarily wonderful.  The script, by Oscar nominee Drew Goddard (“The Martian””) and the book’s author, Andy Weir, is both dramatic and funny, with nary a false note on either side.  The musical score, by Best Song Oscar nominee Daniel Pemberton, is the perfect accompaniment for the on-screen adventure.

I know the year is young but I’m sure by year’s end “Project Hail Mary” will still be considered one of the year’s best.

On a scale of zero to five, “Project Hail Mary” receives ★★★★★ 

Warner Archive Collection brings us Broadway on the Big Screen Collection, which includes six musical favorites that weren’t featured in previous sets. We get 1954’s Brigadoon, 1955’s Guys and Dolls, 1957’s The Pajama Game, 1958’s Damn Yankees, 1962’s Gypsy, and 1971’s The Boyfriend. This is a pretty solid collection of musicals spanning over the years and includes all the great including Cyd Charisse, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly.

Synopsis: 6 big stage musical favorites are brought together for this dazzling collection of musical favorites. Frank Loesser’s GUYS AND DOLLS starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood star in GYPSY, the dynamic choreography of Bob Fosse adds zing to Doris Day in THE PAJAMA GAME and Gwen Verdon in DAMN YANKEES, Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse shine in Lerner and Loewe’s BRIGADOON, and Ken Russell’s wild imagination creates an homage to the genre as Twiggy stars in THE BOY FRIEND.

The technical specs vary on each of these releases but generally I would give them a pretty solid 4/5 score. The 1080p transfer are crisp and captures the musicals colors very well. It would have been nice to have seen a bump in the audio tracks but we are still given a decent DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track for each film. In terms of special features, there is some but not much included from previous releases of these films.

Brigadoon includes some deleted scenes and trailer included. Guys and Dolls features a bit more including a few featurettes including, From Stage to Screen and focused individual Musical Performances. The Pajama Game goes back to deleted scene and trailer. Damn Yankees includes two trailers. Gypsy includes two deleted scenes and trailer and The Boyfriend features a Vintage Featurette called All Talking . . . All Singing . . . All Dancing.

Resident Alien, based on the Dark Horse Comics property of the same name created by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse, arrive on Blu-ray. All 44 episodes are included in this ten-disc set that includes the four previously issued complete season releases. This show started on Syfy and ended on USA Network for season four only.

The series follows fan-favorite actor Allen Tudyk (‘Firefly’) as an extra-terrestrial living among humans in the town of Patience, Colorado as he works to complete an “evolving” mission. Along the way he finds love, learns to be a parent, builds friendships, and discovers what it means to be human.

Through the seasons, the series would feature a variety of guest stars include: Linda Hamilton (The Terminator), Clancy Brown (Highlander), Stephen Root (The Man in the High Castle), Star Trek alums George Takei and Nana Visitor, fellow Firefly vets Nathan Fillion and Jewel Staite, and Brent Stait (Rev Bem) from Andromeda.

The 1080p transfers look great for the show and it’s format. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track also is good for the show. The technical specs for this release are impressive…but that doesn’t say the same for the special features. There is only an assorted collection of deleted scenes on seasons 2 and 3…and that’s about it. Very disappointed in this release not giving us anything new at all from previous releases.

Cobra Kai was one of the rare IP revivals that actually was a success. They continued the timeline of iconic movie trilogy on the small screen. This show had great success from the start when it started out on YouTube Red/Premium but later moved up to Netflix. During the shows six-season run that began in 2018 and wrapped up in 2025. It is a rare show that actually holds up through the seasons and stays good from beginning to end. A long with a bunch of new faces, Cobra Kai reintroduced us to Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), John Kreese (Martin Kove). It was interesting to see where their paths have gone since the movie trilogy.

Official premise: Bitter enemies. Warring dojos. New blood. Daniel and Johnny reignite old West Valley rivalries in this follow-up series to the Karate Kid films. Created for Television by: Josh Heald & Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg. Based on the Characters Created by: Robert Mark Kamen. Cast: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, Peyton List, Jacob Bertrand, Gianni, DeCenzo, Dallas Dupree Young, Vanessa Rubio, Thomas Ian Griffith, with Martin Kove as John Kreese

The shows 65 episodes are spread out over 13 discs. Season One (Discs 1-2), Season Two (Discs 3-4), Season Three (Discs 5-6), Season Four (Discs 7-8), Season Five (Discs 9-10) and finally Season Six (Discs 11-13). Even though we all are a bit disappointed that we had no 4K UHD release, this time around, they still delivered solid 1080p transfers in the original aspect ratio: 1.78:1. Same goes for the audio, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks sound just as good as one would hope.

The special features are good but honestly could have been a little more amped for this 65 episode series. Season one brought us commentary track only on the pilot episodes. There are some brief deleted scenes and featurettes on the music. Season two-five features deleted and extended scenes, blooper reels, Easter eggs, and two featurettes on the characters and fight choreography. Wrapping it up with season six, there is one more commentary track on the series finale and about 25 minutes in deleted and extended scenes.

Oded Fehr is known for his role of Ardeth Bay in “The Mummy” franchise. He has a new creature feature called “Grizzly Night”. The film is a dramatization of the 1967 “Night of the Grizzlies” attacks in Glacier National Park. Media Mikes had a chance to chat about the film with Oded and also get a sneak peak at “The Mummy 4”.

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Huller and James Ortiz
Directed by: Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 156 minutes
Amazon MGM

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

Sometimes you need a pick-me-up. My 2026 has begun with several funerals and a smattering of other bad news. I won’t bog you down with the details, but as I walked into “Project Hail Mary,” I expected something entertaining from Phil Lord and Chris Miller. What I didn’t expect was a film that would not only let me forget my personal hurdles, as well as the chaotic world outside the theater, but also give me something I haven’t felt in a while: genuine hope.

“Project Hail Mary,” based on the novel by Andy Weir (who also wrote “The Martian), follows science teacher turned humanity’s last hope Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling). When we first meet Ryland, he wakes up aboard a spaceship called the Hail Mary with no memory of how he got there or why he’s millions of lightyears from Earth. Worse yet, his crew hasn’t survived the journey, leaving him alone to slowly piece together both his mission and whether he’s even capable of completing it. Through flashbacks we learn the stakes: a mysterious microbe is consuming stars across the galaxy and our sun is next on the menu.

Dystopia and science fiction usually go together like spaghetti and meatballs or Tommy Wiseau and cinematic disaster. That’s what makes “Project Hail Mary” feel refreshing. Even when it leans into familiar tropes, including the introduction of an alien that channels shades of Spielberg and “WALL-E,” or an AI system that’s sometimes more annoying than helpful, the film focuses on themes that feel surprisingly sincere.

At its core, the story explores chosen family and unlikely connection. On Earth, Ryland is portrayed as an introverted loner. In space, he becomes the only human for tens of millions of miles. When he encounters an alien trying to solve the same cosmic mystery, the film pivots toward something warmer: a partnership built on curiosity, communication and survival. Their friendship becomes the emotional engine of the story and a reminder (one that feels especially relevant right now) that collaboration with those we don’t understand often beats going it alone.

Those ideas fit neatly into the wheelhouse of Lord and Miller, whose past projects like “The LEGO Movie,” “21 Jump Street” and “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” balance comedy with surprising emotional depth. Here they bring that same lightness to what is technically an end-of-the-world scenario. The humor eases the tension while quietly setting up the emotional stakes that pay off in a third act full of action, twists and genuine heart.

“Project Hail Mary” has the scale of a big, bombastic sci-fi film, but its true strength is how intimate it feels. Like Ryland, we’re awed by the vastness of space, but the real spectacle isn’t the universe. It’s watching an unlikely hero overcome isolation, fear and self-doubt through curiosity and connection.

In the end, “Project Hail Mary” offers more than visual wonder. It delivers a surprisingly personal science-fiction story about cooperation, empathy and resilience. Ryland Grace may be flawed, but his curiosity and willingness to reach out lead to peaceful cosmic dialogue, a deeper understanding of existence and (as these things tend to go in movies like this) saving the world.

• CRIME 101
• Starring:  Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Halle Berry        
• Directed by:  Bart Layton
• Rated:  R
• Running time:  2 hrs 20 mins
• Amazon Studios/MGM

Our score:  4 out of 5

First off, even though this film features Thor, the Hulk and Storm, “Crime 101” is not the latest entry into the MCU world.  What it is is a tightly made, action packed crime thriller bolstered by fine performances and great action scenes.

Davis (Hemsworth) is living the good life.  A beautiful house on the beach, wonderful cars and, when he needs money, the ability to pull of high stakes robberies with very little trouble.  His trademark: no violence.  However, when his benefactor gives what should have been his last job to the wrong person, Davis must use all of his skills to not only save himself but others close to him.

The story starts out with three main chapters that eventually come together.  There’s Hemsworth’s Davis, calm and, as the late Stuart Scott would say, “cooler then the other side of the pillow.”  Balance him against a rumpled Mark Ruffalo, who plays a police detective that has been on the hunt for Hemsworth for years, failing to convince his superiors that he is the one person responsible for the string of burglaries  that have plagued the area.  With his hair askew and choice of clothing, Ruffalo reminds one of the popular Lieutenant Columbo from the 1970s, played to perfection by Peter Falk.  Berry is an insurance broker, worried about her career path and the possibility of being replaced by a younger version of herself.  Once everyone’s paths cross, the action begins to ramp up to a fever pace.

Credit the films’ director and co-writer, Mr. Layton, for keeping the film moving and finding inventive ways to make what could have been a standard Hollywood car chase a true rollercoaster ride for the audience.  Lots of practical effects here and they are greatly appreciated when achieved.  Action fans will not be disappointed.

On a scale of zero to five, “Crime 101” receives ★★★★

Humphrey Bogart is one of the greats. This Warner Archive Collection includes four of Bogart’s classic films including “They Drive by Night” / “Passage to Marseille” / “Conflict 1945” / and “Chain Lightning”. The four films released from 1940-1950 are solid and are still a joy to watch. Just seeing Bogart in Blu-ray transfers is a trip in its own. I love seeing classic films getting a new life.

Official Premise: There was only one BOGART. Perhaps Warner Bros.’ most famous leading man during Hollywood’s golden age, Humphrey Bogart’s star shines bright in four classic dramas from the 1940s. Bogie shares the screen with George Raft, Ann Sheridan and Ida Lupino in THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT, while Bogie takes on the Nazis under the direction of Michael Curtiz in PASSAGE TO MARSEILLE. In the suspense thriller CONFLICT, he takes on a more off-beat role co-starring with Sydney Greenstreet and Alexis Smith, and he’s a former WWII flier playing opposite the lovely Eleanor Parker in the exciting CHAIN LIGHTNING.

The 1080p transfers for these old films are really sharp. The 1.37:1 aspect ratios with side mattes display the black and white films extremely well. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 also are fantastic – 4/5. There are no special features included for these films, which is not shocking but could’ve had a historian record a audio commentary track for the bonus footage.

Wally Gator was always a favorite cartoon of mine growing up. Hannah Barbera always delivered the goods for me. Wally Gator, voiced by Daws Butler, is a character that doesn’t get enough love. That is why I am in love with Warner Archive for keeping this show alive with this release. Including Wally Gator, there are also shorts from Touché Turtle, and Lippy the Lion. Classic HB characters.

Official Premise: A true people-person alligator, Wally is driven by his excessive curiosity and his bon vivant inclinations to seek out new experiences beyond the city zoo where he hangs his porkpie hat. Donning a variety of hilarious disguises, Wally escapes the care of dedicated zookeeper Twiddle only to end up crying Oh, fuddle-dee-doo! as he lands himself in a series of ever more ridiculous (and dangerous!) jams!

Similar to other cartoon’s out of the 60’s, the show packs a tight five-minute running time throughout its 52 episodes. And delivers the goods. The shows look and sound fantastic for its age. The DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio tracks deliver. The original source materials for Wally Gator, Touché Turtle, and Lippy the Lion were from 16mm original camera positives rather than 35mm. Sadly there are no extras included in this set but for the price is a must own for Hannah Barbera fans.

Never really got into the hype for “Falling Skies”. I love me a good alien show but this one never really locked me down, after being well through the second season. The main draw for this box set is to upgrade from previously released DVD sets to Blu-ray transfers. So if you are a fan of the show it is likely a no brainer to pick these up based on price and amount of shelf space.

Official Premise: Noah Wyle (“ER”) stars in this compelling series set in the wake of a devastating alien invasion of Earth, portraying a Boston-area professor who leads a ragtag band of survivors in an effort to rescue human society. As he and the members of his improvised army of resistance fight to overcome their losses, the extraterrestrials regroup for more attacks-mysteriously targeting children as part of their hidden plans of conquest. Moon Bloodgood, Drew Roy co-star.

Audio and video are solid enough with the 1080p transfer in 1.78:1 aspect ratio packed with soundtrack of Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Looks good sounds good – 4/5. There are 52 episodes are spread out on 15 discs. Special Features are plentiful. There is literally over 11 Hours of bonus content. A few highlights include a bunch of audio commentaries, various behind-the-scenes and production featurettes, a few Q&A panels with cast and crew members and “minisode” episode prequels.

Shameless features a star-studded cast, includes William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Ethan Cutkosky, Shanola Hampton, Steve Howey, Emma Kenney, Cameron Monaghan and Jeremy Allen White. The talent in this show is extraordinary. There is no shock why this show last 11 seasons, because its a powerhouse.

Official Premise: Eleven seasons. Six children. But there’s only one Frank Gallagher, the proud, working-class patriarch of the independent Gallagher family, who without him would be…perhaps better off. When Frank’s not at the bar spending what little money they have, he’s passed out, leaving his kids to fend for themselves.

Audio and video are typical for a TV series, I would say 4/5 stars. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks work well and the 1080p transfers in 1.78:1 aspect ratio looks solid.  This comes packaged with a slip box enclosing two bigger cases. The first one comes with seasons 1 through 7, while the second offers seasons 8 through 11. Each case has flip trays with hinges.

The special features aren’t terrible. The earlier seasons have a varied number of 2-4 featurettes circling the production as well as deleted scenes and commentaries. The later seasons feature deleted scenes primarily. There are also some unaired scenes included and a music video.

After twenty-five years, the wait is almost over. You can finally be part of one of the most sought-after lost films in horror history All American Massacre, starring Miquel Nunez (Return of the Living Dead) & Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) NOW crowdfunding on Cinebacker.com

In the wake of the groundbreaking success of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and its cult-classic sequel, director Tobe Hooper, his son William Tony Hooper, and horror icon Bill Moseley came together to explore a new nightmare rooted in the Texas mythos. The result was All American Massacre, a micro-budget fan-driven project conceived as an experimental extension of the world established by the original films.

All American Massacre was never intended for commercial release. It was created as an early fan film one of the first of its kind developed outside the traditional studio system and made primarily as a creative exercise rather than a market-driven production.

That was twenty-five years ago.

The resulting footage was believed lost, spoken of only in whispers among horror fans and collectors, with repeated promises of release that never materialized.

Until now.

When DRagon Studios lawfully acquired the raw All American Massacre footage from a private seller, our first priority was the professional restoration of the material and a full assessment of how it could be completed and presented to modern audiences within a documentary.

During this process, the project evolved beyond a standalone film. All American Massacre is now being developed as a central component of a feature-length documentary that explores its troubled production history, cultural significance, and long-standing place within The Texas Chainsaw Massacre mythology.

The documentary will also incorporate carefully staged reconstruction scenes inspired by key moments from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986). These reconstructions are designed to visually connect the original films with All American Massacre widely regarded by fans as the unofficial third chapter framing the project as a “trilogy of nightmares” that begins with the first two films and is followed by the long-lost spin-off.

Our objective is to assemble All American Massacre in the most complete and respectful form possible, finally allowing audiences to see this footage for the first time, presented alongside a documentary that fully contextualises its creation, legacy, and relationship to the wider franchise.

The result will be:

A feature-length documentary examining the film’s history, legacy, and cultural impact

Reconstruction sequences linking The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1 & 2) with a recreated version of All American Massacre, designed specifically as a companion experience for fans.

All American Massacre presented as a companion film, forming part of an expanded Texas Chainsaw Massacre mythology.

Mediamikes has teamed with their friends at Amazon/MGM to give (25) readers and a guest the chance to be among the first to see the new film, “Crime 101” in Kansas City.

The film will be screened on Tuesday, February 10th at the Screenland Armor Theatre in North Kansas City, Missouri.  The screening will start at 7:00 p.m.

To receive your pass, click HERE.  The first (25) readers to do so will receive a pass for (2) to attend the screening.  This is a first come-first serve giveaway.  Once the allotted passes have been claimed, the giveaway is ended.

“Crime 101” opens nationally on Friday, February 13th.

Good Luck!!

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson and Michael Pena
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Rated: R
Running Time: 133 minutes
Briarcliff Entertainment

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Imagine you’re sitting in a diner when a crazed man (unwashed for years but recently trimmed beard), wrapped in plastic with tubes dangling from his pants, storms in screaming, “I am from the future.” Thumb over a glowing button, ready to obliterate himself and everyone else, he announces that AI is about to rat-fuck the world and he needs a handful of strangers to help fix the future. You wouldn’t go. Right? “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” asks what happens when half a dozen people in that LA diner go, “Sure.”

Since it’s Gore Verbinski directing and Sam Rockwell playing the lunatic, of course the man is from the future. What starts as a bleakly funny “Black Mirror” sketch slowly expands into a string of “Black Mirror” episodes, both past and present, explaining why these people join him and just how unhinged their mission becomes. The absurdist comedy is strong, and while the film is technically anti-AI, it’s not in the usual “technology run amok” way. Instead, it holds up a mirror to the ways we’ve voluntarily outsourced societal functions to technology because dealing with real issues would require effort, empathy, and other things we’ve collectively misplaced.

Without spoiling the future-gone-sideways gags, Verbinski’s thesis is blunt: for every problem, there’s a technological solution. But instead of ocean-cleaning robots or cancer-curing models, the solution here is to further normalize school shootings. It comes complete with tiered pricing and the ad-supported version for those who can’t afford dignity. It’s bleak, but it’s also very funny in that “we deserve this future” way.

Rockwell’s manic energy works in short bursts, so Juno Temple, Michael Peña, Haley Lu Richardson and others carry the emotional stakes as the volunteers on this bizarro adventure that may (or may not) involve killing a child who may (or may not) be one keyboard stroke removed from becoming an “Akira” creature. Describing it without sounding like a monster is hard; the dystopia is constantly undercut by zany dry wit.

A film like this keeps escalating, so sticking the landing matters. The finale half-sticks it as both a bit of a cop-out and an earned payoff. Social satire + time travel rarely behaves in the third act, but even when it wobbles, the ride is worth it. It’s the rare AI comedy that feels original in both messaging and execution, and while the flaws are visible, the ideas linger. I suspect a second viewing will reveal more.

“Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” is profound and silly at the same time. It’s an AI film arriving before a wave of bad “AI-gone-wrong” movies (looking at you “Mercy”) floods theaters. It’s unique, funny, and uncomfortably close to the world we’re already building, if not already living and breathing in.