What to Look Forward to in Isolation April

I like to think of the year in quarters. It is because I was and still am a sports boy. I will also rate the times for each of these. On a 1-5 scale and they usually broke down like this.

January through March - 2 for movies, 3 for TV, 4 for music

April through June - 3 for movies, 4 for TV, 3 for music

July through September - 4 for movies, 3 for TV, 4 for music

October through December - 5 for movies, 2 for TV, 2 for music

As you can see from this scientific research every form of media has their time and some are usually okay. I never feel like music has a true dead period. TV doesn’t much either. Movies are pretty dire early on each year but builds up as the year goes on. This year will be the most unique (terrible) since I’ve been alive. Most releases are postponed or going straight to streaming. I still care a lot about the experience of movies. The lights going down and settling in to see a movie is the most sacred space for myself. I miss it dearly. Seeing a great movie is a rare thing. Seeing one in your living room is even more rare. Here is everything I’m looking forward to in the first month of the 2nd quarter of this year (awful time period). Doing anything past April feels stupid right now. I’m taking it one month at a time. Here’s what is coming to streaming and your TV in April.

MOVIES

APRIL 3rd

Never Rarely Sometimes Always - Written/Directed by Eliza Hittman (Beach Rats) with a relatively unknown cast about teenage girls traveling to New York for medical care after an unintended pregnancy. It was praised highly out of Sundance. Available for $20 online.

The Other Lamb - Written by C.S. McMullen, Directed by Malgortza Szumowska and starring maybe the next Natalie Portman in Raffey Cassidy who is amazing in Tomorrowland, Killing of a Sacred Deer, and Vox Lux. It is about an all female cult led by a man. I’m sure it’s a fun time.

APRIL 10th

Sea Fever - Written/Directed by Neasa Hardiman who is a TV veteran and by all accounts has made a decent creature feature. It will be available to stream digitally.

We Summon the Darkness - Written by Alan Trezza, Directed by Marc Meyers (My Friend Dahmer) and starring Alexandria Daddario with Johnny Knoxville playing a pastor. I don’t know what it’s about but it’s listed as a horror/thriller.

APRIL 14th

Butt Boy - Written/Directed/Starring Tyler Cornack comedy thriller about a specific rectal kink and investigating a child disappearance. (This is real)

APRIL 17th

Bad Therapy - Written by Nancy Doyne adapting her own book, Directed by William Teitler, and starring Alicia Silverstone, Rob Corddry, and Michaela Watkins. Couples counseling gone wrong comedy with a good cast.

The Quarry - Written/Directed by Scott Teems, one of the best directors from Rectify on TV, with Michael Shannon as a cop and Shea Whigham playing THE MAN. It is perfect for me and no way it actually is as good as I want it to be.

Behind You - Written/Directed by Andrew Mecham & Matthew Whedon and featuring a supporting performance by Jan Broberg from the true story Netflix movie Abducted in Plain Sight. It is a horror movie about mirrors and I am a sucker for gimmick horror.

APRIL 20th

Why Don’t You Just Die! - Written/Directed by Kirill Sokolov and about a man wanting to beat his girlfriend’s father’s head in with a hammer and things don’t go well. Russian dark humor thriller. Gimme.

APRIL 24th

The True History of the Kelly Gang - Written by Shaun Grant, Directed by Justin Kurzel (Assassin’s Creed, Snowtown Murders, Macbeth) Starring slightly more famous George MacKay (1917) and soon to be big star Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit, Leave No Trace) with Nicolas Hoult (Beast in more recent X-Men and The Favourite). Heath Ledger & Orlando Bloom were in a solid telling of the Kelly gang back in 2003 called Ned Kelly. Justin Kurzel always has a vision and even when it doesn’t nail it he makes me want to watch what he does next. An Australian western about a real gang is always something I’ll be interested in.

Extraction - Written by Joe Russo, Directed by Sam Hargrave, and starring Chris Hemsworth. The Netflix action film will surely be at least bad, and at best fun.

T V

APRIL 6th

The Big Show Show - Yes, Paul Wight, WWE superstar The Big Show, gets a 90’s style sitcom. I will absolutely click on this.

APRIL 12th

Run - Written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and starring Domhnall Gleeson and Merritt Wever as ex lovers who made a deal if one texted the word RUN to the other they run away together. Sounds wonderful and I’ll be watching every week on HBO.

Killing Eve - It’s Waller-Bridge day and season three of this fun series that fell off after the Fleabag creator and star left, but it’s still good and Jodie Comer is doing incredible work on the show. BBC America.

APRIL 15th

Mrs America - Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth Banks, Uzo Aduba, Rose Byrne, James Marsden, Melanie Lynskey, Margo Martindale, Niecy Nash, Sarah Paulson, John Slattery, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Tracey Ullman star in this show. That’s not even all the knowable actors in it. It’s a true story about conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly in the 70’s. FX on Hulu.

What We Do in the Shadows - The vampire comedy based on the movie continues on with season two and is hilarious. FX

APRIL 19th

The Last Dance - The 10 part Michael Jordan documentary series has moved up its premiere to capitalize on us being stuck at home and I’m pumped to watch it.

APRIL 21st

Middleditch & Schwartz - Netflix specials by two of the best improv comedians in the world dropping for your pleasure.

APRIL 27th

Normal People - from the novel by Sally Rooney about an Irish romance. Hulu

MUSIC

APRIL 3rd

If You’re Dreaming by Anna Burch

It Is What It Is by Thundercat

Migration Stories by M. Ward

APRIL 10th

The New Abnormal by The Strokes

Hollow Paw by Eerie Gaits

Hurts to Laugh EP by Methyl Ethel

APRIL 17th

Take Your Time by Blakk Soul

That’s all I have for now. If you know of anything to be excited about in April let me know.

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The Staying Inside May Media Guide

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The Big Sick