Spot Reviews 04/25/25
Apr 25 2025
Prey (2022) [+] Predator franchise film on Hulu. Set in the 18th century, Naru (Amber Midthumper) is a Comanche who wants to be a warrior in a tribe where woman are not. She comes to suspect there's a spirit hunting large predators and people. There's also a run-in with a large band of French trappers who are after this spirit. As usual for the series, as Naru witnesses the Predator's attacks the more weaknesses she notes until she is finally ready to face it. Pretty well made movie.
Sweet Home Alabama (2002) [-] New Yorker Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon) returns home to rural Alabama in order to finalize her divorce from Jake Perry (Josh Lucas) who she hasn't seen in seven years. She is now a sophisticated urban dweller but back with old friends and family she starts to revert to her roots and maybe starts to like Jake more… I guess I missed the part where she has a change of heart because it's jarring when she suddenly decides to leave her fiancé (Patrick Dempsey) at the altar. In the end not that interesting a film.
Goat Simulator+ (2022) [-] Apple Arcade version of Goat Simulator and one of the few where the Apple Arcade version has less features (in this case less goat types). You play a goat (third-person view) interacting in a 3D world pushing things down and jumping on them. As is usual for these types of games I got nauseous fairly quickly (controller might help as touch control is a bit fiddly). In any case you get goals (e.g. collect stuff, get elevation, destroy stuff, etc.) and as you do them you get more goals. I never looked at Goat Simulator before since I thought it was more of a sim game but it's more like a standard you do goals game.
Abe Sapien Trade Paperbacks v1 to v9 (2008-2017) [/] Abe Sapien and Lobster Johnson are the only two Hellboy universe characters that have gotten their own series. For Sapien v1 and v2 are compilations of one-shots and limited series. v3 to v8 cover his series which begins with him transformed, having fled from the BPRD, and wandering Hell on Earth America trying to figure out who he actually is. It’s actually a rather dark arc. v9 is stories set in Sapien’s past. Overall somewhat interesting.
Porterhouse, San Mateo [+] Good steak; nice, old-fashioned atmosphere; friendly staff. Kind of expensive though I guess average for a good steak place. They've been in San Mateo a long time and recently moved to 2nd and B Street, in the old bank building — a nice location that has had several upscale restaurants that didn't survive.
Sweet Home Alabama (2002) [-] New Yorker Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon) returns home to rural Alabama in order to finalize her divorce from Jake Perry (Josh Lucas) who she hasn't seen in seven years. She is now a sophisticated urban dweller but back with old friends and family she starts to revert to her roots and maybe starts to like Jake more… I guess I missed the part where she has a change of heart because it's jarring when she suddenly decides to leave her fiancé (Patrick Dempsey) at the altar. In the end not that interesting a film.
Goat Simulator+ (2022) [-] Apple Arcade version of Goat Simulator and one of the few where the Apple Arcade version has less features (in this case less goat types). You play a goat (third-person view) interacting in a 3D world pushing things down and jumping on them. As is usual for these types of games I got nauseous fairly quickly (controller might help as touch control is a bit fiddly). In any case you get goals (e.g. collect stuff, get elevation, destroy stuff, etc.) and as you do them you get more goals. I never looked at Goat Simulator before since I thought it was more of a sim game but it's more like a standard you do goals game.
Abe Sapien Trade Paperbacks v1 to v9 (2008-2017) [/] Abe Sapien and Lobster Johnson are the only two Hellboy universe characters that have gotten their own series. For Sapien v1 and v2 are compilations of one-shots and limited series. v3 to v8 cover his series which begins with him transformed, having fled from the BPRD, and wandering Hell on Earth America trying to figure out who he actually is. It’s actually a rather dark arc. v9 is stories set in Sapien’s past. Overall somewhat interesting.
Porterhouse, San Mateo [+] Good steak; nice, old-fashioned atmosphere; friendly staff. Kind of expensive though I guess average for a good steak place. They've been in San Mateo a long time and recently moved to 2nd and B Street, in the old bank building — a nice location that has had several upscale restaurants that didn't survive.