By The Nerdling
It is a new year and with it comes a whole calendar’s worth of things to be excited for. These are just a few movies, books, and TV shows which had me celebrating the arrival of 2019!
Movies:
There are the obvious: Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: Episode IX, The Lego Movie 2: The Second One, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Hellboy, Shazam, etc… Big name franchises aside there are few other movies hitting theaters worth your hard-earned dollars:
US – March 15th
The newest horror thriller from Jordan Peele looks appropriately grotesque as a family on vacation runs into terrifying doppelganger versions of themselves. I am freaking out with how awesome this looks. Us stars Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, and Elisabeth Moss.
Are You Afraid of the Dark? – October 11th
Nickelodeon was a staple of my TV diet as a kid. Friday Night SNICK was a big deal before I hit my high school years and Are You Afraid of the Dark? was one of my favorite shows. It was like a Twilight Zone or Outer Limits for pre-teens. I’m a little wary as to how a big screen movie adaptation of the horror anthology will turn out, but looking forward to it nonetheless.
The Kitchen – September 20th
Based on the Vertigo comic book of the same name, the Andrea Berloff written and directed drama sees a group of mob wives taking over the family business after their husbands are nabbed by the FBI. The movie stars Elisabeth Moss, Melissa McCarthy, and Tiffany Haddish.
Brightburn – May 24th
A childless couple find a spaceship crashed on earth. Inside is a baby and they take him in as their own. As the child grows, so do his extraordinary powers. Nope, this is not a Superman retread. More like if young Clark Kent went the Lex Luthor route.
Books:
Picking just a few books was difficult for me. The list of what I’m anticipating is way too long, but here are my top few:
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern – November 5th
I LOVED Morgenstern’s debut novel The Night Circus. It was a beautiful, whimsical love story of two magicians locked in a duel set up by their teachers. Her newest book is another fantasy featuring a graduate student discovering a whole new world after finding a strange book in a library.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas – February 5th
Thomas’s debut novel was The Hate U Give, so she has some big expectations for her next book. I have no doubt Thomas will live up to the hype. On the Come Up sees a teen girl following in her father’s footsteps as a famous underground rapper while attempting to rise above the poverty line.
Beard Necessities by Penny Reid – October 7th
Penny Reid is the queen of Romantic Comedy books IMHO. Her characters are brilliant, hilarious, and written with lots of love. The final book in the “Winston Brother” series, which in turn is a spin off of the “Knitting in the City” series, sees the decades long love story between Billy Winston and Clair McClure come to a head. I’m dying to see how it all turns out! If you haven’t read Reid’s books, I highly recommend them.
TV Shows:
The return of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Legion, Preacher, Atlanta, American Gods, The Purge, Killjoys, Cloak & Dagger, True Detective, Krypton, One Day at a Time, and oh-my-god-the-list-of-TV-shows-I-watch-is-way-too-long has my couch-potato self ready with my favorite comfy clothes. But some new series are worthy of adding to the massive list:
Deadly Class (SyFy) – January 16th
Based on the comic book series of the same name sees a homeless teen recruited into a special high school. Set in the 1980’s this school churns out assassins for the worlds top crime families. The highly entertaining pilot episode is available on SyFy on demand.
Good Omens (Amazon) – Spring 2019
The mini series based on the book of the same name by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman sees an angel and demon, who are best friends, looking to stop Armageddon. This is one of my favorite books. Filled with suspense, hilarity, and brilliant self-awareness. The premiere date has not been set yet, but the massive cast includes Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Jon Hamm, Francis McDormand, Miranda Richardson, and Adria Arjona.
Lovecraft Country (HBO) – Sometime in 2019
Another one from Jordan Peele, except this time he is an executive producer along with J.J. Abrams and Misha Green. The series, based on the fantasy-horror novel by Matt Ruff of the same name, sees an African-American man, his girlfriend, and his uncle travel across 1950’s Jim Crow America to find the man’s father. Along the way the deal with racism and Lovecraftian-like spirits. The premium cable series will star Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Courtney B. Vance, Aunjanue Ellis, Elizabeth Debicki, and Michael Kenneth Williams.
I Am The Night (TNT) – January 28th
Chris Pine stars as a reporter looking for answers in the murder case that ruined his career. He must find and protect a young girl who many know the truth about a L.A. doctor and his involvement in the infamous Black Dahlia murders. Based on a true story, the noir limited series comes from Patty Jenkins.
Central Park Five (Netflix) – Late 2019
Ava DuVernay brings the case of the five innocent black teens, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise, who were wrongly convicted of rape to the streaming service. This is not a docuseries, but a dramatization with each episode focusing on one of the young men at a time. Spanning from 1989, when they were first questioned by police, to 2014 when their conviction was finally overturned.
What new books, TV series, or movies have you excited for the new year? Let me know in the comments section.
The Nerdling was born in the majestic land known as Texas and currently resides there after several years of journeying through Middle Earth in a failed attempt to steal the one Ring from that annoying hobbit, serving the Galactic Empire for a time, and then a short stint as a crew member on the Serenity. Since moving back to her homeland, Nerdling flirted with a hero reputation. Saving children from the dangers of adoring domineering, sparkly vampires (champions with souls are the only vampires worth loving) and teaching normals the value of nerdom, all while rooting for her beloved Dallas Stars. Then came the Sokovia Accords and her short spell of saving others came to an end. With Darth Vader’s reputation rightfully returning to badass status, Nerdling is making her way back to the Empire. They do have cookies, you know. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram.
acollectivemind.com 