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Every era has their Hollywood good guys and their Hollywood bad guys. Back in the early days, we had Nazis to pit against our heroes. When they didn't quite fit the bill, we had the Japanese. For much of the Cold War, we had great Russian villains to test the mettle of our heroes. Terrorists fit the bill a lot today, but perhaps the only group hated by large segments of American audiences more are the 1%ers. Anyone who makes an obscene amount of money must have cheated to get there. It doesn't hurt that financial power companies have been immersed in the last couple of economic disasters. Michael Douglas taught us that greed is good, and while every single one of us wants to be at the top, it's not quite the politically correct thing to express ... at least out loud. Billions gives us the kind of power broker who is just too much fun to hate. It's the classic struggle of good guys versus bad guys. Of white hats versus black hats. But nothing is that simple in Billions, and if you haven't yet spent some time with the likes of Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis as Chuck Rhoades and Bobby "Axe" Axelrod, you're missing one of the more compelling dramas on television right now. Get yourself caught up and join us for Billions: The Complete Fifth Season out now on DVD from CBS Home Entertainment.

Meet Chuck Rhoades, played brilliantly by Paul Giamatti. When we first met Chuck, he was the US Attorney for the southern district of New York State. In that position he loved to take down the arrogant, rich power brokers who scoffed at the laws and made their fortunes any way they could. His white whale has been Bobby Axelrod, played by Damien Lewis. He runs one of the most powerful firms in the world and makes deals of hundreds of millions of dollars like he was ordering a Whopper from Burger King. For the first three years of the series we watched this cat-and-mouse game unfold. The obsession of these two men toward hurting each other drove the drama. Stuck in the middle of all of this contempt has been Chuck's wife, Wendy, played by Sons Of Anarchy veteran Maggie Siff. She's a therapist who complicates the whole thing, because she works for Axelrod as his sales team inspirational coach and his own father confessor. She's known Axelrod longer than her husband, and she's being forced into the middle of this brewing confrontation. I have to say, I never liked Siff in Sons Of Anarchy. I always thought she was a weak character. This time I found she provides a crucial voice here that allows the show to move so effortlessly between these two worlds. This is the kind of role I wish I had seen in Sons. It's been rather delightful watching these two powerhouses fight until it nearly destroyed them both. But now things are different.

This appears to be the time of Resident Evil, it would seem. Fresh on the heels of a live-action reboot to the franchise (Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City) comes the home media release of this CGI miniseries based on the popular Capcom video game. If you want to be technical, the miniseries preceded the reboot, as it was originally released on Netflix back in July of 2021. Set between the events of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, the miniseries follows Leon S. Kennedy as he attempts to uncover a conspiracy that reaches all the way up to the White House. Now, in reference to that time period, I should mention that it is the video game continuity, not the film’s, that is an important distinction, as Milla Jovovich was only loosely based on the source material. While the story does take some time to develop, by the final episode, I was fully vested in its outcome.

True to the game’s format, the story is twofold, as it follows two protagonists: Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield. As previously mentioned, Kennedy finds himself entangled in a conspiracy after he is called to the White House to investigate a mysterious hacking incident, which quickly erupts into a targeted zombie attack on the institution. Recruited to investigate it, he is partnered with the enigmatic Shen May and an elite commando, Jason, who is hailed as a war hero following a mission in Penamstan. With hints pointing towards China being responsible for the attack, the team is dispatched for a covert mission. Before leaving, Leon runs into Claire, who attempts to impart a discovery to him but does not get the chance.

This film was a new experience for me. As you all know, movies like this afford me the opportunity to share my passion for film with my daughter. However, as I put the movie on, she turns to me and says, “Daddy, you know what’s funny? I’ve already seen this.” I found that to be a confusing statement, as I was operating under the impression that this was a newly released title. However, as it turns out, though it is a new release for home media, the film was actually released on Netflix back in April 2021. At this point, I expected that she would attempt to excuse herself and occupy herself with one of her many new Christmas acquisitions. But no, she didn’t do that. Instead, she sat back and prepared herself to watch it again. That’s when I knew it had to be good, because my daughter doesn’t usually do repeats. Lo and behold, it was far better than good. I dare say that The Mitchells vs. The Machines was the best animated film that I saw all year.

The film follows a family of outcasts (that would be the Mitchells), which is comprised of father, Rick (Danny McBride), who is a bit of a survivalist albeit an accident prone one. Then there is the mother, Linda (Maya Randolph), a first-grade teacher who radiates positivity and acts as the family’s moral compass. Younger brother, Aaron (Mike Rianda) is socially awkward and obsessed with dinosaurs. Which leads us to Katie (Abbi Jacobson), the film’s focal point and the self-proclaimed outcast in this family of outcasts. All her life, she felt as though she didn’t fit in anywhere. Choosing to express herself through art, namely filmmaking, she feels misunderstood, particularly by her father, who never seems to have time for her.

"In February 2021 Eric Clapton's live shows at The Royal Albert Hall are cancelled due to the global pandemic. Determined to play, he brings his band together in the English countryside. In the absence of a live audience, he decides to record the performances. This film is the culmination of their sessions together."

You've heard the old expression that when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. That's what Eric Clapton did when he was unable to give a few concerts he was ready to do. If you're a performer, you know what it's like to get all ready to go. There's just no letting off that energy any other way than to do what you came here to do. Clapton brought the fellas to historic Cowdray House in West Sussex, England. They took over a room in the mansion and set up the gear. That's how this release begins. We watch the mostly masked technicians, do we still call them roadies? They set up for the audience-less show.

While I enjoyed the first couple seasons of Rick and Morty, I wasn’t all that sure about the show’s staying power with Adult Swim. I’d talk about the show with some friends, but for the most part this seems to be a show that finds its fan base more in their late teens. It’s fair to say it’s been more than a few years since I was a teenager, so perhaps it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that I was a little hesitant with this season (feel free to check out my review of Season 1). When Season 3 came out, the show blew up in a big way, gaining numerous fans, and even managed to make “Pickle Rick” a part of everyday pop culture and make Szechuan sauce at McDonalds a thing. The show, for those who may be unfamiliar, is something of a blend between Back to the Future and more than a sprinkle of Futurama. If that sounds like a fun ride, well, then this may be the animated series for you.

I was a little disappointed with Season 4, and I was a little hesitant in delving into Season 5, but I decided that I’d give this season a shot, and if it failed to impress, I’d just pass the next season on to another writer. Well, I’m glad I gave it a shot, because Season 5 was about as good as the show has ever been, and there are a few episodes that definitely are not only rewatchable, but ones I can see myself returning to again and again for the quick laughs and the fun story. What is also a little surprising is that this season seems to have a little more emotion, and by the end of the season, I was surprised by how much the show evolved with the characters and gave us some growth in their relationships. Basically, it became more than just a cartoon to entertain stoners, and I mean that in the best way.