The comics-based movie "Bloodshot" began screening at theaters nationwide March 13, and it's remarkable. Not the movie, necessarily, though it might be. What's surprising is the fact that local theaters are screening anything at all.
Yes, I'm talking about COVID-19 and "social distancing." With virtually all sports canceled, lots of restaurants shifting to takeout models, many schools and universities shuttered, local government offices locked up and the list of closed venues and events growing ever longer, there isn't a lot of "new" to talk about.
For example, I'd love to discuss the aforementioned "Bloodshot," based on a popular character at tiny Valiant Comics. But I haven't seen it. There aren't many cases of coronavirus confirmed in my area, but why risk adding to the total for a movie?
I will say that Bloodshot is a pretty cool character, with various series going back to his creation in the early '90s. He's had more than one origin, which actually works for this guy, a machine-man hybrid with lots of false memories implanted by his nefarious handlers. In the early days he believed himself to be low-level gangster Angelo Mortalli (yes, "Angel of Death") before dying and experimented on by black-ops program Project Rising Spirit, who infused his corpse with nanites, microscopic robots that repair any injury, give him superhuman strength and stamina and allow him limited shapeshifting abilities. Most of that is still true, but Bloodshot's current operating theory is that he was Marine Ray Garrison before he died.
Maybe.
"Bloodshot" stars Vin Diesel, the main dude in the popular "Fast and Furious" franchise, who also voices Groot in Marvel movies. I'm not much of a fan � Diesel's acting range seems to go from "cranky tough guy" all the way to "cranky tough guy in a bad mood" _ but he's perfect for Bloodshot, whose perpetual grumpiness is well deserved. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie, at whatever time sitting in a crowded room doesn't feel like attending the Masque of the Red Death.
But couching it isn't exactly painful in the era of peak TV. Streaming services and self-imposed quarantines are a match made in small-screen heaven, and there's a metric ton of A-list material available for the discerning viewer. Here's what's on my binge list:
"Altered Carbon" Season 2 (Netflix): This series is set in a future where consciousness is stored on computer discs (called "stacks") that can be easily transferred from one body to another (called "sleeves"). Obviously, that's a game-changer. Our protagonist, an anti-hero named Takeshi Kovacs, is the last super-soldier, once called "Envoys" (and yes, whenever they say the word I start humming the Warren Zevon song). In the first season, his "sleeve" was the always watchable Joel Kinnaman ("Suicide Squad," "For All Mankind") and I wondered how they could get me to forget him. Well, Season 2 resleeved Kovacs in the equally watchable Anthony Mackie (Falcon in Marvel movies), which did the trick.
"Babylon Berlin" Season 3 (Netflix): If you haven't watched the first two seasons of this high-quality German production, you are missing out. Set in the anything-goes Berlin of 1929, it combines eye-popping period detail, a who's who of German talent and lots of murder, cross-dressing, drugs, orgies and Nazis. It's an immersive experience.
"Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" Season 3 (Netflix): For those who think "Melissa Joan Hart" when Sabrina is mentioned, this is a whole 'nother ball game. Based on an Archie horror comic of the same name, Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) belongs to a coven that worships Satan _ well, initially. Lucifer turns out to be a rotten guy and a bit of a misogynist _ who could have guessed? _ so Sabrina and her family have taken over. We binge-watched the whole thing the first weekend it dropped. It's that good.
"Frozen 2" (Disney+): Actually, no, I'm not going to watch this. But Disney dropped it early so that the kiddies have something to do while school's out. They'll watch it over and over, until the songs drill into your head, driving you into a corner where you weep silent tears and slowly go mad.
"The Kingdom" Season 2 (Netflix): Set in medieval Korea, this production has spared no expense at re-creating the era, while the script delivers a virtual culture shock to us jaded Americans. Bonus: zombies.
"Star Trek: Picard" (CBS All Access): This show has been a slow, powerful build to where we are now, with the latest episodes delivering more surprise plot twists, cinematic-level special effects and better acting than actual "Next Generation" movies. And if you haven't watched "Star Trek: Discovery" yet, now's a good time to start.
"Westworld" Season 3 (HBO): No, I don't have any idea what's going on. But then, I never did. "Westworld" unapologetically teases your brain, while the acting and production values are film quality.
And then there's The CW! I love this quasi-network's comics-based "Arrowverse" lineup, but there are so many shows it's easy to fall behind. So this is a good time to catch up on post-Crisis on Infinite Earths "Batwoman," "Black Lightning," "Flash," "Legends" and "Supergirl." (You can't watch "Arrow" because Oliver Queen is dead. DEAD!) "Riverdale" is also firing on all cylinders these days. Then there's "Katy Keene" _ not my cup of fabulous, but maybe it's yours.
Don't watch them all up too fast, though, or you'll run out. Both "The Flash" and "Riverdale" have stopped production due to coronavirus fears. It probably won't stop there. "Given that this closure seems preventative," says Russ Burlingame at comicbook.com, "and that Berlanti Productions also operate the sets for CW shows like Supergirl and Batwoman, it seems likely that a number of fan-favorite series will be going into hiatus mode for the time being."
And it's not just The CW. Marvel TV shows "Falcon and Winter Soldier," "Loki" and "WandaVision" have all halted production. In the case of "Falcon," they were shooting in the Czech Republic, but cast and crew have returned to the U.S. Not a good sign. "WandaVision" has already held a wrap party, but apparently there was more work to do _ which is currently not being done.
Netflix has hit pause on all productions for two weeks. WarnerMedia has suspended production on "Snowpiercer." Amazon has put "Carnival Row" and "Wheel of Time" on hold.
On the good news front, Deadline.com reports that some shows with pilots planned will instead go straight to series production _ one of which is "Superman & Lois" on The CW. And Marvel shows that are in preproduction will continue work remotely.
Needless to say, movie production has also been affected. "The Batman," "Mission: Impossible 7," "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" and all Disney live-action productions have stopped in their tracks.
As to movies scheduled to screen in the next six weeks or so, I'm afraid there's nothing but bad news. The James Bond film "No Time to Die" has been moved nine months, to Nov. 25. "F9," "Mulan," "The New Mutants" and "A Quiet Place Part II" have all been indefinitely postponed. (That makes the fourth delay for "Mutants" _ let's hope it screens before stars Charlie Heaton, Anya Taylor-Joy and Maisie Williams hit middle age.)
Cross your fingers for "Black Widow" (scheduled for May 1) and "Wonder Woman 1984" (June 5). Those are dates with dangerous women I'm not going to miss, even if I'm the only one in the theater!
