Everybody loves a good film, TV show, album (or song), or book, right? Well, at Windows Central, we certainly do. This week, we have movies about friendly neighborhood web slingers; a beloved show that's come under fire recently; rock and roll music from the Motorcity; and a literary novel about the Wild West.
We recommend everything featured here, but if our picks missed your mark, hit the link below for many more recommendations from weeks past.
More media recommendations from Windows Central
Movies
Recommended by Daniel Rubino, Executive Editor
Both Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) were greeted by fans with high praise for having heart, being entertaining, and staying true to the feel of the comics. Leading right up to Captain America: Civil War and eventually Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man's adventures have been an outstanding contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.For the next few days, you can pick up both movies for just $10 – that includes 4K/UHD for supported regions. The movies are always Movies Anywhere compatible.
Recommended by Al Sacco, managing editor
The sequel to 2017's "Happy Death Day," this year's follow-up picks up right where the first one left off. Sort of. It actually picks up exactly where the first one picked up … because the whole concept of the films is about the heroine getting stuck in a "Groundhog's Day"-esque loop and having to repeat the same day — in which she happens to be violently murdered — over and over again until she can somehow reverse its course.It's nothing particularly groundbreaking, but it's a horror flick; it's not supposed to be groundbreaking. As somebody who love horror movies in the '80s and '90s but hasn't been a fan of many of them since, this series was a nice change.
Recommended by Jez Corden, senior editor
The Prestige is a mind-warping tale about a bitter rivalry between two warring magicians. Featuring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, the two young magicians become embroiled in a series of espionage and sabotage attempting to learn the secrets behind each other's magical shows. The tricks become increasingly extreme, and increasingly dangerous, as both vie for the spotlight.The Prestige is thrilling from start to end.
TV
Recommended by Dan Thorp-Lancaster, news editor
If you've been anywhere near the internet this week, you've no doubt seen the fallout from the polarizing end to Game of Thrones. The series has nothing if not a passionate base of fans.While the final season may have been a bit touchy for long-time fans like myself, the series was definitely one of the best to ever come out of HBO. If you're not into dragons and a fantasy setting, you may still want to pass it by. But, since you no longer have to worry about waiting on more seasons to drop, now is the perfect time to dive in and binge watch like you've never binged before.
Music
Recommended by Rich Edmonds, staff reviewer
Music based on League of Legends is usually pretty good for video game tracks and Pentakill's Smite and Ignite album is absolutely fantastic. Most of the tracks made for Riot Games's popular MOBA are heavy beats so it's refreshing when a band comes along with some killer metal.Pentakill is even made up of some incredible talent, including former DragonForce member ZP Theart. Even if you're not a fan of League of Legends, it's difficult not to appreciate each track on the album, even if some of the lyrics can be a little on the cheesy side.
Recommended by Al Sacco, managing editor
The Black Keys' new album is not yet available — it's expected to be released on June 28, 2019. But if you preorder it now, you can listen to a few tracks. That's exactly what I did, and I'm digging the songs so far.The band has a very distinct sound — ripping guitar riffs, lots of bass drums, super catchy choruses. And you might say the music sounds repetitive. But if you like it, that's not necessarily a bad thing. "Let's Rock" seems like more of the same, but I like it. So that's not a bad thing. If you're a Black Keys fan, you'll like it too. And that's a good thing.
Books
Recommended by Cale Hunt, staff writer
After reading All the Pretty Horses and The Crossing, the first two books in Cormac McCarthy's Border Trilogy, the only sane thing to do is finish the overarching story with Cities on the Plain. We see the (spoiler alert) main protagonist from each of the first two books join up in New Mexico and -- I assume -- travel back once more across the border with Mexico for some sort of Western adventure. This time, World War II is more than a few years finished, and the American West as they knew it is drawing to a close.After investing a few weeks into these characters, I'm eager to find out how their lives end up, and whether or not certain other secondary characters make a return. If you're at all interested in the history of the time and the lifestyle granted by the now-compromised rolling plains of the American South and Mexican North, I definitely recommend delving into these books.
