Watch, Watched, Watching: That last thread... forget about it completely. It doesn't matter.

[Mexal]

On 9/15/2018 at 6:05 AM, Werthead said:

Season 2 of American Vandal is much better than the first, if you can get through the sheer amount of poo on screen (especially in the first two episodes; it dies away after that). The last two episodes are off the charts, a really clever resolution to the mystery (and we do get the resolution, it's not left semi-ambiguous like Season 1) and some really serious, clever takes on social media and the impact it has on people's lives, especially teenagers. The actor playing DeMarcus is fantastic as well. One review said that Vandal does all the problems of being a teenager far more realistically and less histrionically (and less dangerously, frankly) than the overrated 13 Reasons Why, which I think is quite correct.

It does make you wonder where they're going to go for Season 3 though. I wonder if the guy wanting them to investigate a real murder becomes a recurring gag and then further down the road they actually do it (given the show seems to be getting more dramatic and less outright-funny every year, although Season 2 is still pretty funny).

I agree with everything you said here except that S2 was much better than S1. I don't think that's true. I think it was deeper with more things to say but I think S1 did a better job balancing the comedy with the seriousness and had a better balanced season overall.

That being said, still one of the best shows on TV right now. Just incredibly well done all around. 

[red snow]

48 minutes ago, SpaceForce Tywin et al. said:

I do, just didn't know which site owned the rights to it if one did at all. 

I do try to avoid it. It’s so unhealthy for the economy. One day we’ll all be shopping at Amazon’s McWalmart.

You're a stronger person than I am but admire the stance. The writing is already on the wall with them testing whether prime videos are willing to pay extra for certain shows/films which is something I don't think they'd have tried with less market share.

And high Street stores need to evolve fast to try and survive Amazon's customer grip. Bookstores seem to be managing it eg Waterstones and forbidden planet by focusing on the experience of a physical shop (peppered with some deals).

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

39 minutes ago, red snow said:

You're a stronger person than I am but admire the stance. The writing is already on the wall with them testing whether prime videos are willing to pay extra for certain shows/films which is something I don't think they'd have tried with less market share.

And high Street stores need to evolve fast to try and survive Amazon's customer grip. Bookstores seem to be managing it eg Waterstones and forbidden planet by focusing on the experience of a physical shop (peppered with some deals).

The thing is they’ll never be able to come close to matching the combination of ease, efficiency and cost reduction, so consumers will have to make an active to choice to accept more barriers and higher costs to not let the economy spiral out, which they won’t, because let’s face it, humans are largely dumb and lazy.  I read about a factory in China a few weeks back that’s the size of seven American football fields and it only has a dozen employees. That’s the future. Capitalism, automation and human nature are about to crash into one another in an ugly way and I’m not optimistic about what the result will look like.

But that’s a topic for another thread, so let’s get back to discussing the mindless entertainment we love to distract us from the horrible world we’re creating.

 

ETA:

Case in point:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/3/17532188/amazon-go-seattle-new-store-location-fall-2018

[red snow]

Forgot to report on "the Predator". It wasn't as bad as many have claimed but it's still pretty shit. It felt like the Director really wanted to make a film about the antics of the "lunatics" and I suspect it would have been a much better film and worthy follow up to "the nice guys". But someone said "it still needs to have predators in it". Separated out both aspects may have worked but together it was a bit of a mess with entertaining banter.

I won't even get started on the weird biology and ideas of evolution presented in the film. But the pedantic discussion on the naming of predators was a highlight.

I also finally watched "Punch drunk love" and found it one of the director's easiest films to engage with an enjoy. Has Adam Sandler ever discussed the film? It felt like he made this one movie where we know he can act just to show he doesn't bother in everything else. If it was the fact the film bombed financially that caused him to turn his back on taking chances, then that's a real shame.

[Kalbear]

Holy crap Bojack Horseman is awesome this season. I mean, it has been every season, but this season it's especially great.

[Werthead]

The Dragon Prince was excellent, not quite on the Avatar: The Last Airbender level but damn, pretty close. The biggest weakness was that it was far too short: 9 episodes only really got the story into its initial stages. Brilliant characters though, and a great mix of humour and drama. The idea to make the villains actual just human beings with genuine warmth for one another and a sense of humour and convinced they're doing the right thing was particularly brilliant (assuming they continue being villains, of course). The deaf general was also badass.

Also:

Spoiler

They soul-changed the king into the bird, right? I'm pretty sure he isn't dead.

 

[briantw]

My pup just got spayed yesterday, so I've been binging TV like there's no tomorrow since I can't take her anywhere and don't wanna leave her alone for long.  

Burnt through the first five episodes of Bodyguard and holy shit is this show good.  It hooked me in right from the start with that awesome, tense as hell train scene.  I think it did a much better job of hitting the ground running than Jack Ryan, which I still need to go back and finish.  Can't wait for the finale on Sunday.  I've seen several people recommend it here and you guys were spot fucking on.

Also, I wouldn't have recognized Robb Stark if I didn't already know it was him.  

[Isis]

I watched Taxi Driver yesterday for the first time. Hmm. I kind of feel like it was pointless watching it now. I should have seen or two decades ago or not at all. I think my first husband modelled himself on Travis Bickle in some ways. Urghhhhhhhhhhhhh. I'm sure you're meant to feel some level of sympathy for the character but all I feel is angry and fucking exasperated. 

[Martini Sigil]

We've been watching The First, with Sean Penn and Natasha McElhone... it's about the first manned (privately funded) trip to Mars... except it's actually more about a family drama ... its unbearably slow, and the story is not compelling enough to keep us interested... two episodes to go, so we'll finish... but they managed to make space travel boring...

Also... S2 of Snatch broke this week... which is really good fun... Crackle has a couple of really good shows

[dbunting]

19 hours ago, red snow said:

Forgot to report on "the Predator". It wasn't as bad as many have claimed but it's still pretty shit. It felt like the Director really wanted to make a film about the antics of the "lunatics" and I suspect it would have been a much better film and worthy follow up to "the nice guys". But someone said "it still needs to have predators in it". Separated out both aspects may have worked but together it was a bit of a mess with entertaining banter.

I won't even get started on the weird biology and ideas of evolution presented in the film. But the pedantic discussion on the naming of predators was a highlight.

 

So I was pretty accurate when I said enjoy the team talking with each other and then deal with the rest of the crap? 

[Corvinus85]

19 hours ago, red snow said:

I won't even get started on the weird biology and ideas of evolution presented in the film. But the pedantic discussion on the naming of predators was a highlight.

Really? I thought that was stupid, and another part that wasted time. They decide to be accurate or maybe PC on that, because someone didn't like that the films were called Predator, so they say how the alien is a sports hunter, only then to reveal that these aliens take and incorporate DNA from the best specimens they find, thus making them predators.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Woot! Amazon Prime login was secured via my f*** buddy and I finally got to see The Lost City of Z. It was everything I expected and more. Go see this film if you have not already!!!!!

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

3 hours ago, Isis said:

I watched Taxi Driver yesterday for the first time. Hmm. I kind of feel like it was pointless watching it now. I should have seen or two decades ago or not at all. I think my first husband modelled himself on Travis Bickle in some ways. Urghhhhhhhhhhhhh. I'm sure you're meant to feel some level of sympathy for the character but all I feel is angry and fucking exasperated. 

Yeah, that’s not a film that ages well. I loved it when I saw it in a film class in college a decade or so ago, but when I watched last year all I could do was cringe.

[Nictarion]

49 minutes ago, SpaceForce Tywin et al. said:

Yeah, that’s not a film that ages well. I loved it when I saw it in a film class in college a decade or so ago, but when I watched last year all I could do was cringe.

It’s aged fine. A character study about mental health is every bit as relevant today as it was in the 70’s. 

[Cas Stark]

2 hours ago, Nictarion said:

It’s aged fine. A character study about mental health is every bit as relevant today as it was in the 70’s. 

Yeah, I feel like the story of someone who is troubled and alienated, and then is troubled by the changes he perceives in the society around him, and thus, becomes progressively more and more unhinged is as relevant as it was in the 70s.

[red snow]

4 hours ago, dbunting said:

So I was pretty accurate when I said enjoy the team talking with each other and then deal with the rest of the crap? 

On the ball, I'd say 

4 hours ago, Corvinus said:

Really? I thought that was stupid, and another part that wasted time. They decide to be accurate or maybe PC on that, because someone didn't like that the films were called Predator, so they say how the alien is a sports hunter, only then to reveal that these aliens take and incorporate DNA from the best specimens they find, thus making them predators.

I thought it was fun especially when one of them said "predator" sounds better irrespective.

Just watched "searching". If you can look past some rather big contrivances it's actually a pretty good use of computers/social media to tell a story, particularly the typed but not sent messages as in insight into a character's mind. I found myself enjoying the twists and turns and been genuinely concerned about the missing kid's fate. John Cho did a great job considering most of the film was us watching him watch stuff. Worth seeing just for the storytelling approach which will probably be mimicked a lot in TV and film.

[Theda Baratheon]

8 hours ago, Isis said:

I watched Taxi Driver yesterday for the first time. Hmm. I kind of feel like it was pointless watching it now. I should have seen or two decades ago or not at all. I think my first husband modelled himself on Travis Bickle in some ways. Urghhhhhhhhhhhhh. I'm sure you're meant to feel some level of sympathy for the character but all I feel is angry and fucking exasperated. 

Yeah I think it’s pretty boring lol and I’m a movie fan 

[Astromech]

Making my way through season 2 of Ozark. On par with season 1 so far, but they haven't let the tension simmer too much this season. The Byrd's are hurdling obstacles rather quickly.

[Isis]

14 hours ago, Theda Baratheon said:

Yeah I think it’s pretty boring lol and I’m a movie fan 

Whilst watching the opening credits and the following couple of minutes I did have a bit of a backwash of fatigue along the lines of: 'oh, get lost, Scorsese - NYC is a grimy and violent, yeah? Neon and flashy lights? Honking? Yawn.' I think this is a result of watching Mean Streets recently (earlier in the year). I just feel like I've reached saturation point and I don't feel engaged by it any more. It's just me, I guess. It's a bit of an anticlimax after all of this time.

And yes, I think I feel personally irritated and bothered by the protagonist because it provokes a decade's worth of bad memories for me. So whilst I get that I am meant to feel... something for him I am just unable to.

On a totally different note, I watched a bit (one and half episodes) of Afflicted on Netflix. It wasn't my choice, but a colleague who I work at my friend's bar with asked me to watch it and give her my thoughts. It's about people suffering from chronic health conditions which medicine is unable to resolve. There are a variety of 'diagnoses' including: mold allergy, oversensitivity to electromagnetism, and good old chronic fatigue. We see them trying to live with their symptoms and how it affects those around them. It's quite difficult to watch - largely because people are suffering. My colleague asked me to watch because my professional work (i.e. when I'm not pouring beers) has some overlap - I have to talk to patients suffering from delusional parasitosis (a mental health issue) and that's deeply sad (it can also be traumatic). I also see unethical people/groups taking advantage of people suffering (e.g. people with suspected Lyme disease) by offering tests which do not provide what they claim to. It's something I get quite cross about. But it's a complicated issue. I guess I need to keep watching.

[red snow]

53 minutes ago, Isis said:

Whilst watching the opening credits and the following couple of minutes I did have a bit of a backwash of fatigue along the lines of: 'oh, get lost, Scorsese - NYC is a grimy and violent, yeah? Neon and flashy lights? Honking? Yawn.' I think this is a result of watching Mean Streets recently (earlier in the year). I just feel like I've reached saturation point and I don't feel engaged by it any more. It's just me, I guess. It's a bit of an anticlimax after all of this time.

And yes, I think I feel personally irritated and bothered by the protagonist because it provokes a decade's worth of bad memories for me. So whilst I get that I am meant to feel... something for him I am just unable to.

On a totally different note, I watched a bit (one and half episodes) of Afflicted on Netflix. It wasn't my choice, but a colleague who I work at my friend's bar with asked me to watch it and give her my thoughts. It's about people suffering from chronic health conditions which medicine is unable to resolve. There are a variety of 'diagnoses' including: mold allergy, oversensitivity to electromagnetism, and good old chronic fatigue. We see them trying to live with their symptoms and how it affects those around them. It's quite difficult to watch - largely because people are suffering. My colleague asked me to watch because my professional work (i.e. when I'm not pouring beers) has some overlap - I have to talk to patients suffering from delusional parasitosis (a mental health issue) and that's deeply sad (it can also be traumatic). I also see unethical people/groups taking advantage of people suffering (e.g. people with suspected Lyme disease) by offering tests which do not provide what they claim to. It's something I get quite cross about. But it's a complicated issue. I guess I need to keep watching.

Is the documentary about "alternative medicine" or is it about trying to get to the bottom of such ailments? The latter I have time for as medical research is trying to improve upon lacking current medicine/practicioners, the former would just infuriate me as it just promotes people not trying to get to the underlying issues and just hand their money to people.