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Facehuggers are back and I'm officially creeped out again.
I don't know about y'all but an alien attaching itself to my face, sticking an appendage down my throat and delivering a weird monstrosity that will then burst violently out of my chest? That gives me the extra-large heebie-jeebies. And there's a ton of the little critters running around in the new sci-fi horror flick "Alien: Romulus," the latest in the longtime franchise. That's what we're talking about this week, plus John Cena sharing some of his favorite things for his action comedy "Jackpot!" and a rundown of something many folks in Watch Party Land might be pondering: streaming bundles.
Now on to the good stuff:
I'm not the only one unnerved to the core by Facehuggers: "Romulus" director Fede Alvarez agrees with me that a Facehugger would be "the biggest agony one can have. I'd rather find a Xenomorph that will give me a quick death." We talked about other things, too, like how the new movie pays homage to the first two films but also could be someone's first "Alien," especially this new generation of horror kids: “I want to make sure that there's no moment where the young audience goes: ‘OK, I'm lost. I don't understand what you're doing.’ ”
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And as someone whose dad let him watch that original "Alien" when I was way too young to be doing so, I'm happy to report that R-rated "Romulus" is an enjoyably nasty piece of work that throws back to the classics yet finds a way to carve out its own place in the mythos. (Peep my ★★★ review.) It also ranks high on my definitive ranking of all the "Alien" movies.
Nobody melds action moves and goofball humor quite like John Cena, and I chatted with the wrestling thespian for the latest in our Essentials series. The former "Doctor of Thuganomics" shared his hip-hop influences, ideal coffee order, favorite chicken dish and more, plus talked about how 2025 marks his final run rocking the signature T-shirt, jorts and ball cap ensemble in a WWE ring. "It never gets old. It's always exciting," he says.
The cartoonishly violent new comedy "Jackpot!" pairs Cena with Awkwafina, and it's one of several new movies ready to stream tonight if you're feeling the itch. Our guide also includes "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" on Max, "Tarot" and "The Union" on Netflix, and "The Bikeriders" and "Abigail" on Peacock.
Java and rap make Cena's essentials list while a few streaming services would likely be on mine. Netflix? Gotta have that. Disney+? Marvel and "Star Wars," baby! Peacock? That's the place where I can watch old "Macho Man" Randy Savage and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin matches, natch.
TV critic Kelly Lawler put together a great series on the newest trend of streaming bundles, including an explainer about what they are and how they compare to subscribing to individual services, as well as a rundown about costs and a guide to "streamflation." (In other words, everything's getting more expensive.)
Got thoughts, questions, ideas, concerns, compliments or maybe even some recs for me? Email [email protected] and follow me on the socials: I'm @briantruitt on Twitter (not calling it X!), Instagram and Threads.