Media Diet Vol 3: Fall 2025

We're back, baby. Its been a minute since I did one of these, but the rules are easy to follow. I rapid-fire cover some things I enjoyed over a period of time. This past summer I did a log like this about every month, but over this Fall (in which I was very busy) I decided to hold off and do one of these over the whole season. I'm now calling these "Media Diet" so I have a name for it and will be doing them until I get bored of it. Let's not tarry.

The Running Man (1884) + (1887) + (2025):

In preparation for the new Running Man film starring Glen Powell and directed by Edgar Wright, I also read the book written by Stephen "Richard Bachman" King and watched the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. The source material is definitely an odd book. I love the dystopian premise and I'm a sucker for a fictionalized death game, but the middle sages a great deal. The beginning and end of the book are where King is doing his best, whereas the tissue in between feels like he's making it up as he goes. That being said, watching Ben Richards bullshit his way through the Running Man game is an untouched exercise in suspense. Every turn of the page I expect him to be ferreted out, but he just keeps going. He's a world class bullshitter and its a privilege to watch him work.

The 1987 movie is basically an adaptation in name only. If this didn't come out a year beforehand, I'd say it took a lot of Inspiration from RoboCop. Something about that coprorate 80's look is kind of homogenous while being niche. Arnold, despite not being able to turn off that action man quality of his, does manage to feel very Ben Richards when he delviers a tacky one-liner after defeating an enemy. Its kinda nice how unlikeable he comes off as, because that's Ben Richards all over. Otherwise, this adds a bunch of elements not in the books (multiple runners, an arena, cartoony hunters) that the next film would lfit. Not a bad movie, but its a predictable action flick that leaves little behind except for some quotables. "Who do we love?!"

Wright's version is more true to the book, and a better movie overall. Let's talk about the man of the hour: Glen Powell was perfectly cast here. In previous roles, he proved he can be an everyman while also being an abrasive shitheel, which is how I'd describe Ben Richards. Powell is in practically every scene in the film and he carries this movie on his back. People still doubting his prowess as a leading man are watching this movie with their ass. Even if you don't like it, this is such a good showing for Powell's capacity to support an action film across all vectors.

And he's so hot, its ridiculous.

To address the "discourse" around this movie, I think many had high expectation since Edgar Wright was attached, but I haven't seen any of this movies before this, so I went in looking for a good time and very much got one. Its the best adaptation we're ever going to get of the book and fans should be happy with it. It takes the things that worked from the '87 one, like the aesthetic, and combines them with Wright's signature tone and the insane plot from the book. Its perfect to me. Yeah, its too long and has a weird tone, but that's The Running Man, baby. That's what I signed up for.

28 Years Later (2025)

I'm cheating a little with a December pick here but, man, 28 Years Later has really stuck with me since I saw it. I enjoyed 28 Days Later, but it didn't have the affect that Years did. Its in a tough spot, since the original film really is special, but so many things have taken inspirational from it since (ahem, The Walking Dead) that it looks kind of quaint in retrospect. I like that Years goes in a totally different direction, taking on a more fantastical, Arthurian atmosphere while still delivering the series' unique brand of decay. Where Cillian Murphy's Jim "goes on a journey" to survive and have his humanity slowly chiseled away from him, Alfie Williams' Spike journeys to discovery his humanity, to become a more rounded person as so many fantasy protagonist do.

I appreciate that while many characters are archetypes, they have a level of specificity to them that makes them more than just a cutout. Aaron Taylor Johnson's character is defined by being a father, as seen in many sweet, tender moments with Spike, but he's not perfect. His love is volatile, which is his strength and weakness. Jodie Comer as Isla, Spiker's mother, turns in a hard to watch performance as her character suffers from an illness that gives her terrible episodes. Her bond with Spike, especially on the road, is quite touching. Ralph Fiennes' as Dr. Kelson, who is very much supposed to be a zombie woods wizard, really surprised me. The "Bone Temple" of it all is also quite touching, lending a tenderness to take the edge off of all the apocalyptic dread. There are other characters worth discussing, as well as moments of crazy gore and terror, so suffice it to say that I recommend this movie if you want something to shock you as much as you want it to move you.

Tron: Uprising (2013) + Tron Ares (2025)

Oh Tron, my stupid chud son.

I kid. My love for Tron really is inexplicable, however. I spent a lot of October immersed in franchise's ouvre so I might write an article about it, but it never came to be. I rewatched Legacy, saw Ares in theaters, and watched for the first time the excellent cartoon show on DisneyXD, Tron: Uprising.

Batman Beyond + Tron = Uprising, and its a perfect match. What this show gets right is that its a Tron story that is, for one, set entirely in the Grid, and for two, actually has Tron in it. Bruce Boxleitner is a beast, and one of the franchise's biggest flaws was not using him more. Using Tron as a mentor to the show's protagonist, Beck, who is voiced by Elijah Wood, was a deft use of the character. Wounded and sequestered into a hideout far from the city, Tron has to help from a distance, only going into the field on scant occasions that really do feel like event episodes. Its hard not to see this as a diet Spider-Man show at times, what with Beck balancing life as a vigilante with life as a simple program with a mechanic job, but that's easy to look past when every episode is engaging, looks amazing, and develops the world of the Grid.

I watched all 26 episodes in about 2 days like a maniac because its that good. There's no show that really looks like it, before or since. It uses 3D animation and the visual style cultivated by Legacy to deliver a cyber-noir world that is absolutely seductive. I tend to stay away from cartoons these days because if their generic style (Sorry, My Adventures with Superman) but Tron: Uprising is truly one of one.

Oh, and I watched Ares.

I'm not gonna spend much time on it, but yeah, its bad. Not awful, but certainly not good. Jared Leto flipped the original Tron 3 plan to now be about him in a some half-assed man vs machine story that can't tell if it wants to be Wolverine or Frankenstein and ends up being nothing. What's worse is that the characters played by Evan Peters and Gillian Anderson (who are supremely wasted, btw) could have been the protagonists, and Ares could have been Succession + Tron, but no. It focusses on Jared Leto's hollow self-insert instead. Just a waste of Tron as a franchise, and with its failure, we'll likely never see it again.

DECIDE by Djo (2022)

The alter ego of Stranger Things star Joe Keery, Djo is an artist I have mixed feeling about at the end of the day. There are some of his that I quite enjoy ("Delete Ya" is one of my favorites of 2025, I must say) but many just bounce right off me, or worse, sound so much like other, better artists. Its easy to identify when Djo is doing an impression. Oh, that's Talking Heads. That's The Police, etc. On DECIDE, however, I found it charming, whereas on The Crux, his debut album, I couldn't look past it.

DECIDE is saved by the fact that so many of the songs are simply that good. They're packed with personality despite their influences, and a general competency regarding melody and instrumentation keeps me coming back after failed listens of The Crux. "Climax," though reminiscent of "Night Call" by Kavinsky, is a favorite, as well as "Gloom," which is very Talking Heads. "Runner" feels very Daft Punk, but fuck it, I love all these acts. "Slither" and "Go For It" feel all Djo, though. At the very least, I can't identify what they remind me of, so I just roll with them. I'll check my bias toward electronic music, but DECIDE is a good time even after coming back to it over and over.

Interview With the Vampire (2022)

There's just no show like it. I returned to Interview with the Vampire after getting Netflix for another item on this list so I could rewatch season 1 and see season 2 for the first time. Its hard to resist the urge to glaze, but this is a really special show. Every episode is dense, packed with little moments and setups for payoffs sometimes a whole season ahead. Every actor is a amazing, delivering awards worthy performances, and by god, the sets and costuming. As a production, IWTV is stellar, but as always, I'm in it for the story.

I watched the first season while it was premiering and I was enthralled (still am, really). The premise will always be dynamite, and the ways in which it adapts the source material after making the choice to project the story 50 years into the future (present), will always be fascinating to me. I'd much rather this approach, with its wild swings and commitment to good storytelling, over slavish dedication to source material, because I do not like the book and the show is far superior. Sorry, Anne Rice, but I'm really not.

Season 2 has some speed bumps, particularly in the first half, but once Louis and Claudia get to Paris, it picks up. I still don't really care for Armand, but I do find him compelling after the finale, and after Daniel's turning. The elephant in the room with season 2 is Bailey Bass leaving the role of Claudia and Delaney Hayes stepping in. Hayes is great, but I really did miss Bass' portrayal. I had no issue believing these were the same character, but the season simply has less time for Claudia, so it felt like something I had to endure rather than enjoy, which is a shame.

Looking to season 3, I'm absolutely psyched. I love Lestat's turn as a rockstar and I'm eagerly anticipating his album. The show pivoting from a sit-down interview to documentary also entices me. Daniel and Lestat interacting on a consistent basis will also be a treat. A show hasn't gotten me into the fanfic and theory weeds like this one has. Still won't get me to read the books, but that's something. I have no doubts The Vampire Lestat will be as good as the previous 2 season, since Sam Reid's performance is the show's nuclear weapon. Come on, AMC. Just give us a date.

Marvel Rivals: Season 5 (2025)

I've been having the most fun with Rivals this season than I have in a long, long time. It helps that lately, they've been adding characters that I rather enjoy, like Daredevil and Gambit (and I've been playing a lot less in general,) It was a long time coming that they add another healer, and Gambit has been tough to master but very fun to play once I got the fundamentals down. Daredevil, too. I've never been a dive player, but I enjoy how DD is also a brawler, all of his abilities giving him either a way out or a way to keep pummeling.

Between seasons 4 and 5, Rivals has really matured and improved. Many of my long-standing issues with the game, like its roster equity, quality of cosmetics, and weird lore won't be solved overnight, but they're making strides in the right direction. Daredevil and Angela have great designs, Gambit is ripped right off the page, and I'm excited to see Rogue in action. The balance changes in season 5 promoted more strategist and tank play, which is what season 4—while a good season overall—lacked.

As always, my prioritizes lie in this game as a Marvel experience, and lately, its felt great. Daredevil's voice is a little much for me, but I enjoy how much Aleks Le took after Charlie Cox's portrayal. Matt here feels very true to his comic book counterpart, and I love how catty he is with the other heroes. Gambit, too, is in rare form. Getting the voice actor from X-Men '97 was a great move, and taking after this comic book portrayal instead of the awful Channing Tatum version has earned NetEase my loyalty. "Gambit never folds!' is much better than whatever shitty, barely audible catchphrase they could have pulled from Deadpool & Wolverine.

The addition of the Times Square mode is also neat. As someone who called for a PvE mode, you might expect me to glaze Marvel Zombies, but honestly, I don't care for it. Times Square is a little more my speed. I missed out on games like Roblox as a kid, so I don't actually have much experience with these digital spaces, but I'm hoping NetEase is encouraged to make more spaces like these where I can just exist as these characters and observe this world. I enjoyed all the little easter eggs, like Van Dyne ads and just a literal Hot Topic in the shopping center (lmao) but I rather liked seeing promo for real comics and Marvel Unlimited. Of course, I don't like be advertised at, but if it gets people to pick up the funny books, I won't complain.

I'm also enjoying the recent trend of comic book inspired cosmetics, you know, actually looking like their source material. The classic skins for Captain America and Magneto last season were peak, but also Adam Warlock's Magus skin as well as Black Widow's first appearance costume are clean as hell. The Iron Spider is ripped right off the page, too. I enjoy when Rivals goes for a new look and nails it, but I'll always maintain that I'm far more willing to spend money on a comic book skin over an original one on principle. The feedback is reaching them and I'm glad.

Its also interesting seeing Rivals' greater cultural effect. Cloak & Dagger and Luna Snow have new comics, so does Jeff, and seeming Sai from peach Momoko's Demon Days is getting one, too. I want to be pedantic about this, but a rising tide lifts all ships, and seeing as how Marvel is losing so badly to DC right now, they need it. (Tandy and Ty, my beloveds).

The Authority (1999)

Once more I've picked up one of DC's Compact Comics editions, this time for Warren Ellis and Brian Hitch's The Authority. Going into this, I only ever knew that this was the epitome of comic book edge. It was crass, violent, and spat in the face of traditional superhero ethics, and after reading it...it really doesn't? Like, at all?

In case you want to pick this up yourself (which I do recommend) be warned that there is some continuity baggage. Having no knowledge about the Wildstorm Universe, I have some passing wisdom regarding Stormwatch, the team the preceded The Authority. This story picks up after the demise of Stormwatch, and since there are still forces threatening the Earth out there, Jenny Sparks puts together her own team that isn't bound by any world government to tackle them. Under Ellis' pen, the team might seem like edgelords on the surface, but they genuinely care for one another and about saving lives. They're superheroes, and just because the book has swearing and violence doesn't mean that they aren't upholding superhero values.

That being said, one particularly plotline is definitely suspect after knowing what we know about Warren Ellis. For those not in the know, Ellis was accused by a myriad of women of grooming them emotionally and sometimes professionally. I don't have all the facts, but none of it seems criminal. Still, his victims offered him a dialogue and he refused, so he sucks in my book. I typically wouldn't pick up a book written by him, but his victims' policy is that they see the work as a separate, and who am I to argue with them?

The plot in question is about a parallel universe of alien-British hybrids coming to our Earth so they can repopulate, meaning they want make it a "rape camp," as the comic book so gracelessly reiterates on end. I believe Ellis was trying to reckon with Britain's imperialist rape culture, and that's interesting, but with only four issues, he doesn't have the time to get into it. They just blow up Evil Alien Britain and then fuck off, not doing the actual work of having to dismantle a culture's deeply rooted values. They just do violence at it and fix the problem, somehow. I'd consider it the only actual "edgy" thing the comic ever does.

A lack of time is the theme for this volume of The Authority. I enjoyed characters like the Engineer, Jack Hawksmoor, and Apollo, but we get so little time with them. I'm not even sure why Swift is even here since she never does anything but fly around sometimes. Jenny Sparks is the real standout character. Nick Fury but a blonde British woman, she has attitude but a heart of gold. She cares. She cares so much that she's willing to sacrifice herself to save the world. Is that not clear because she smokes and is kinda mean sometimes? The reputation of The Authority as apathetic edgelords must come from later writers (looking at you, Mark Millar) because here, I was genuinely touched by their concern for one another and their dedication to saving the world. I only wished there was more time to see them get to know one another, and to see them fight something that isn't the fourth alien invasion or a big plant monster. Its very much a product of its time, but my itch for late-90's, early 2000's comics has been throughly scratched.

Bridgerton Season 2 (2022) + Season 3 (2024)

I've become romance-pilled and its terminal. Taking a romance novel college course will do that to you, and I kid you not, one of my assignments was to watch the first 4 episodes of Bridgerton, and because of the mid-season cliffhanger, I just kept going. I'm joining the chorus when I say that season 2 is a banger. Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley are absolute stars. Their performances bring out an electric chemistry that has become an addiction. I fear I've developed a crush on Jonathan Bailey purely because of how good he is at this. And Simone Ashley is just one of the most beautiful women ever put to film. There are just so many delicious scenes between these two. The bee sting? The confrontation in his office? The pall-mall? Don't start with me.

Season 3, however, is a bit of a flop. I really like Penelope, and the end of last season set her up to go on her own journey, but the main romance with her and Colin being pretty weak, combined with the sheer number of side plots, led to the season being a slog. Colin just doesn't have the juice that Anthony does and he isn't as compelling as Pen. It doesn't help that the show is juggling romance plots for Francesca (snore), Violet (my beloved), and Benedict (my king).

Sure, season 2 was also juggling other couples, but it was with a far more deft hand. The center could hold because Kate and Anthony were so magnetic. Colin and Pen have chemistry, yes, but his flighty temperament made for a wishy-washy leading man when stability was needed. By the end, I wasn't really sure who Colin really was. He's not as adventurous as Benedict but not as burdened as Anthony, so the show tries to split the difference by making him the kind one...I guess. Without Penelope as a scene partner, he's pretty flat. Like how Anthony was frequently paired with Violet last season, Colin and Eloise share a lot of time together, but a lot of the tension of those scenes, as well as the season overall, is lost when he and Pen stop their secret charm school scheme. Eloise also sucks. Its a shame the season falls apart by the end, since I was looking to seeing these two get together.

Nevertheless, I'm very excited for season 4.

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein (2025)

Best movie of 2025 and perhaps my new favorite movie of all time. Frankenstein is so, so important to me, and Guillermo del Toro gave me a chance to fall in love with Mary Shelley's work all over again. I've been going through a lot of changes in my life these past few months, and its corny to say, but this movie made me feel seen in a way I had never really been before. (It helps that me and the big guy have the same name, I'll admit). I wrote about a general feeling of monstrousness in the air over at Halftone, but personally, I think these stories endure because people will always feel alienated. Like outsiders. Monsters. Its important that we have stories about those people finding love, because they deserve it. We deserve it.

As an adaptation, I know many disagree with some of Guillermo's choices, but I for one believe this movie is firmly in the vein of Shelley's original. Sure, I don't really care for the surprise amnesia or the Creature's X-Men healing factor, but they don't actually hinder my enjoyment of the movie. Oscar Isaac's Victor is absolutely alive with mad genius and a whole host of Freudian issues that never fail to fascinate me. Mia Goth turns in another duel role performance (2025: year of the dual role) as his mother and his would-be lover. (There's Freud again.) Christophe Waltz is del Toro's requisite evil military/money man but does his job and does it well, adding in a little homoeroticism between he and Oscar Isaac just for fun.

Oh, and Jacob Elordi.

An Oscar-worthy performance we have on our hands here. The way that Elordi embodies the Creature's many different moods and stages of growth throughout the film is just masterful. He entirely transforms beneath the makeup but is still unmistakably himself. The way he bumbles around like a baby in his early moments, each limb acting on its own, versus the towering behemoth who is master over his own space by the end, is just electric.

Every scene is packed with symbolic detail, whether its Victor's red-handed gloves, Elizabeth keeping the leaf the Creature gave her, or the constant milk drinking. The look of the creature being more accurate to the book is another detail I love. The long hair and his one yellow eye cuts such a fierce silhouette that I believe that del Toro has created the definite modern monster here.

I could go on, but my love for this movie is hard to express. I feel it my very atoms. There's imply something true about it. Self-evident. Just watch it. You won't be the same after.

Looking ahead:

That does it for this Media Diet volume. I'm not sure when the next one will come out but it will likely be before I return to class in January. In the meantime, I intend to do a "Top Whatevers" post for 2025, like I did last year, wrapping up the year with a myriad of lists compiling my thoughts on this years pop culture fare.

Be there, or be square.