Mike's Media Mix-Up #3: Hard Times In The Hardest State

When the media becomes too much you have to do something about it!

Everyone in Houston can agree that this has been one crazy month. We had a mere tropical storm come in so hard it knocked out power all over town. Around 2 million people spent time in the dark. At my house, it took around 72 hours to come back on and two weeks later some people still don't have any. All we have are destroyed fences and yards full of fallen tree parts. AND the governor of Texas took a sudden trip to Asia for some mysterious reason.

Then former president Trump got shot. People are suddenly peaceful, but we have no idea what will happen next. That meant I had to take time to distract myself from the madness with some film and television to take my mind off the heat we survived and the pain coming our way.

Sigh... Good luck out there.

Track #1: The 2nd Season of "That 90's Show" was way more 90s than the first.

Since I was a big fan of that 70's show, I was excited to come back for its sequel/reboot That 90s Show. I was so happy to see Kitty being an overbearing mommy, and Red threatening to put his foot in people's asses again. I enjoyed seeing some of the old gang too, unfortunately, some of them have done terrible things that The 90s Show was smart not to bring up. The first season felt a little too much like the old show. We had a new gang to have teen problems and go “makeup to break up” with each other. It didn't feel 90s enough. Season 2 was a welcome change from what came before.

Rather than bringing back more old characters, That 90s Show brought back new real-life characters from the 90s instead. When was the last time you've seen Lisa Loeb, Carmen Elektra, and Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne Wayne from A Different World)? They also found time to bring back grown-up versions of characters from the past show. Seth Green was running a Hot Topic. Laura Prepon was back as Leia's mom, and Donna's father bought the house across the street from Red and Kitty. This made Red Foreman more acerbic than he usually is.

Should I watch That 90s Show?

If you have fond memories of That 70s Show, absolutely.

If you're mad about all the BS that happened to Hyde, Kelso, Jackie, Fez, and all his baby sex, you should skip this.

Track #2: "Bionic" a.k.a. "Biônicos:" The Best Brazilian Movie About Cyber Long Jumps

Bionic was pretty wild. It starts with a man breaking his own neck. In the world of Biônicos Paralympic athletes are able to get new body parts that are much stronger and better than whatever God gifted man with. The regular athletes can't compete against them now, so they is a new group to be the best at all sports now.

This movie gets pretty wild after that. I've already done a review on this one on my website, The Dynamoverse. Check it out on Netflix, give this a watch, and then explain that ending to me.

Track #3: Demon Slayer: An anime series that blends heartfelt love, gore, and annoying side characters

One is the hero. One has a bamboo muzzle. One is a stoic warrior. Can you guess who the annoying ones are?

I started watching Demon Slayer at the behest of others. I didn't like it much at first, but after the first few episodes, I kind of went ham with my consumption and couldn’t stop until I finished Season 2.

Demon Slayer is about a boy whose entire family is killed by demons while he's off getting supplies. As soon as he comes home he sees his family’s guts all over the place just before his sister Nojiko tries to kill. They are the last two members of their family left alive… well he’s alive. His sister has become something else. While living through the darkness of trying to kill her older brother, Nojiko’s eyes are filled with tears as she tries to eat him, but against all odds, he's able to calm her down enough that she falls asleep - for 2 years. That’s so dark.

While she recovers and gets more in touch with her demonness, her brother, Tanjiro Kamado gets in touch with his demon slayerness by finding a trainer and running up and down a mountain filled with traps every day. Now he's ready to become a demon hunter. He gets a box to keep his sister in. When she wakes up, she has been outfitted with a bamboo mouthguard and doesn't eat humans anymore. That is something the Hashira, the strongest soldiers in the land, have to test her for after learning she and her brother are traveling and slaying demons together.

Should I watch Demon Slayer?

If you're into heartfelt relationships between brother and sister and are cool with blood and guts, absolutely! If that kind of thing grosses you out or seems stupid you can leave this alone. I'm enjoying it though. The second season actually made me cry. Don't tell anybody though.

Track #4: When I Struggle I Need Something Warm And Safe Like Comfort Cartoons.

Thanks for your cartoon madness.

Everyone knows the shows I mean. When life gets hard like it always is, I need to chill out with my best cartoon friends. I need to see what Peter Griffin, Bob Belcher, or Homer Simpson are up to. When I get sad or if things become too intense, I need to watch some Comfort Cartoons.

There's not much of a point to me saying this. I just want you to know what I need to watch sometimes. Shows like these have infested the television landscape. They are on a lot and I love to find King of the Hill, Black Dynamite, or Bob’s Burgers and laugh until I feel better.

I've also taken up the nostalgia train with Golden Girls and Momma's Family. They aren't cartoons, but they are classics!

You may have died Bea Arthur, but my crush on you never will.

What sort of shows or movies do you turn to when you feel sad or uninspired?

Let me know in the comments.

Track #5: OMG Supacell!

Various internet personalities and people I know in real life told me I needed to check out a show called Supacell. I flippantly told them I'd get around to it.

I wish I'd have gotten around to it sooner,

Supacell is a show that is sitting on a lot of secrets. I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say too much about it. I'll just say these secrets are worth discovering. It is currently on Netflix, filled with "mandem" and "innits" and proper U.K. talk, and Supacell knocked my socks off by the end. It's only July and this is one of the best shows this year. Check this out as soon as you can and learn all about London and those secrets I was on about. You'll love it, bruv.

Media Mix-Up: COMPLETE!

I love to share the cool things I've watched this month. I like to add a little guidance to the gigantic amount of shows on our lists. I hope these Media Mix Up's and the rest of my reviews can help you make great decisions about what to watch next.

Coming up soon is Marvel's big comeback film, Deadpool & Wolverine. I have no choice but to watch this and tell people what I think about it. I wouldn't call Deadpool or Wolverine my favorite superheroes because they both kill way to many people to be heroes in the first place. They’re both great though and this movie will be an event. I'm excited to be a part of that.

You guys can stab each other as much as you want. Neither of you can die.

There is no superhero movie fatigue here. This is a safe space.

So if you love reading positive things about superhero movies, I look forward to seeing you back here. I want all of you who've sent me messages thanking me for giving you an idea of what to check out. That means a lot!

As always, if you like it, share it. If you love it, subscribe. If you can't live without it, put a few dollars on it.