Movies, TV, music, and books we're into this week

Summer isn't quite over yet, but in my part of the world, it's starting to feel like fall. And fall makes me think of Halloween. Halloween makes me think of horror flicks. So this week I checked out the new horror movie, Summer of 84. And I loved it.Capitalizing the whole '1980s-are-cool-again' vibe of Netflix hit Stranger Things, the movie has a similar look and feel. And it's also packed with homages to some of the '80s slasher great. It's the story of a pack of kids in an Oregon small town that's fallen victim to a serial killer. They think a neighbor might be the culprit, so they investigate.I went into this movie with low expectations, so I was very pleasantly surprised. It's well done, and well worth a watch if you're in the mood for a scary flick—or just love movies from the '80s.

Laura Linney and Jason Bateman star in this Netflix exclusive about a financial adviser who gets in trouble with a Mexican drug cartel and must launder a half billion dollars in a year to save his and his family's life. Where? In the Missouri Ozarks, a place with a particular culture and beautiful landscape.The first season aired last year right about this time, and I was drawn in for a binge-watch. The second season is now available, and while I've been quite busy this week, I've managed to sneak in the first episode. So far so good; if you like a good thriller, give this one a shot.

For some strange reason, I thought it would be a good idea to watch through the entirety of LOST for a 13th time. Starting with Season 1 this week, all six seasons are available on Amazon which makes it easy to binge out with some fizz and popcorn. If you haven't seen Lost before, it's a thought-provoking TV show that has a number of twists and interesting philosophical elements that keep you wanting more.

If you're into your horrorsynth and darkwave to go alongside synthwave tracks, you should check out The Nightmare by Argentina-based composer and producer Cristian Bergagna. Particularly Phobetor, my favorite track from this album.

Video game soundtracks don't often make for good listening, but DOOM is something different. I finally got around to listening to my vinyl copy this week and it reminded me just how incredible Mick Gordon's work here is. If you like metal, you'll love DOOM's soundtrack and honestly, you'll want every game to sound like this.

I've been on the search for new hip-hop as of late, digging up countless tracks I overlooked in the past year. 's RAF has been one of the top picks, featuring various prolific artists in the genre. Overlooking the single's rather weird backstory, following one member's well-documented admiration of fashion designer Raf Simons, it's catchy collaboration for hip-hop fans.

I'm kind of on a true-crime binge lately, and I've been reading about organized crime in New England, where I live. The Last Good Heist tells the story of a robbery of a facility of safe deposit boxes in the '70s in Providence, R.I., that at the time netted what was by far the large haul in U.S. history. Authorities were never able to accurately estimate the total of valuables stolen … because the facility was a shady business that apparently serviced criminal clientele. And those criminals never stepped up to report their losses, because lots of the stuff that was stolen from them, was already stolen by them.It's a crazy story, because of its ties to the underworld in Providence and in New England, and because the ragtag crew of losers who did it were actually able to pull it off. There's also the implication that the head of the New England mafia at the time orchestrated the robbery to steal from many of his own people ...

This collection of short stories is the first major work by the late Dambudzo Marechera, a Zimbabwean who grew up in then Rhodesia during the time before independence. The main part of the book is made up of the title work, with a bunch of smaller stories covering things like Marechera's own time spent studying at Oxford where he was treated quite poorly.It's a book that is shocking and incredibly well-written. It provides a look at the despair humans feel when they have no chance of aspiring to something greater because of outside forces, and also at the conditions brought on by real physical hunger and poverty.