Watch, Watched, Watching: Hindsight in 2020

[DireWolfSpirit]

Just have no desire to see the Aaron Hernandez picture. Too depressing and tragic to peer in on that window for me.

[SpaceChampion]

On 1/25/2020 at 7:24 AM, Ramsay B. said:

I watched it the other day and liked it also. I was kinda nervous about the runtime but it didn’t feel like the 2.5 hours it was.

Director's cut is 3 hours.  I watched that one. 

No spoilers, but I put in in the spoiler box to avoid making the post too big.  Director's explanation of the director's cut:

Quote

Spoiler

 

I’m really excited that WB let me create this cut, much less release it. They really supported it – to the point that they made sure all of the new material with VFX was fully finished, additional score was composed and orchestrated just for this cut, and we did a full mix as well. They really let us do this right – it’s a finished, complete, fully polished new cut of the movie. Nothing in it is temp.

 

We shot a LOT of material for this movie, and I always knew it wouldn’t all fit. I was reticent to call this a “Director’s Cut” at first, as I absolutely love and stand by the cut I made for our theatrical release. But there was stuff I actively decided to remove from that cut that I missed, and that I would think about even weeks after the fact. I was elated when Warner Bros. expressed interest in preserving that cut for home video.

 

There is new material throughout the whole film. Some of it is brand new stuff that was never included in the theatrical cut, and there’s also a handful of extended (or altered) scenes as well. There was never any intention to release this cut theatrically, we always knew it was too long. But we worked on it alongside the theatrical cut throughout post, and it made it a lot easier to make hard decisions in the edit, knowing that some day this cut might see the light of day.

 

There are some big new scenes, for sure. I don’t want to spoil any of that, but I can say that there is new material throughout (including in the final act at the Overlook). Some of my favorite stuff involved Young Danny and Wendy (there’s some terrific material with Alex Essoe that I’m thrilled is restored here), and will be familiar to fans of the book. There’s also a fair amount of new stuff involving young Abra in the film’s first act, learning about her shine, and how it affects her parents.

 

And there are some surprises I definitely won’t spoil here.

 

All in all, I think this cut is more literary than the theatrical cut. It very much feels like reading a novel… and is even broken into chapters, which gave this cut a very fun structure.

 

I’m very proud of it and so grateful that it’ll be available to fans.

 

 

 

[Astromech]

On 1/24/2020 at 10:08 PM, Triskele said:

Netflix has this new docuseries on the history of the Ottoman Empire narrated by Tywin Lannister.  I hope it's good as I do not know this history very well at all.  Looks like it's like a better History Channel deal where they cut away to legit historians but then do re-enactments with actors.  Production values on that front look far better than History Channel I'm happy to report.  Looks very similar to their Roman Emperors series (forgetting exactly what that one is called).  

ETA:  I wanted to see A Ghost Story which came out a few years ago and appears to have just been added to Netflix.  Gonna check that out.  

I watched the first episode and found it quite interesting. A docudrama similar in style to Netflix's Roman Empire series. Plus, Roger Crowley is one the experts participating. I love his works.

[Zorral]

23 minutes ago, Astromech said:

I watched the first episode and found it quite interesting. A docudrama similar in style to Netflix's Roman Empire series. Plus, Roger Crowley is one the experts participating. I love his works.

I too love Roger Crowley.  Ottoman history matters to me, at least, due to its shaping of so much European history in the 15th, 16th, 17th and even into the 18th centuries.  Their invasions of Italy, and the statement from Istanbul (which it doesn't get re-named to until much much much after 1453) had so much to do with Isabella's expelling Muslim, Jews and Moriscos from Spain, just for starters.  If that hadn't happened -- and they turned seriously to piracy then on the other side of the Med -- a whole lot would have been different -- perhaps! -- even the Napoleonic era.

I started watching this and it isn't working for me.  But I do know the story of the siege and fall of the city so well -- thanks to Crowley for sure, as well as others, as well as the utter feckless carelessness of Europe to even send help -- only the hero of Genoa!  Of course, both Genoa and Venice continued to be forces in the City, even with their own quarters outside, when it became Ottoman.  But Genoa didn't really own it as it did in the days before the fall.

But most of all, I basically detest that format.  I kept wondering if they'd spent all that money on location permissions, props, costumes, and etc., why didn't they just do a scripted drama instead this neither one thing or the other?  I did like the canon.  But the story of the Europeans coming to the Ottomans to provide their expertise is a whole lot more interesting than what was given here.

[HexMachina]

Sex Education season two was fantastic and the last episode had me tearing up and laughing in almost equal measures. Never once did the series feel stale or tired, or that it was playing for time.

This is yet another comedy which has handled sensitive personal and/or social issues with the seriousness they deserve. I actually find comedies are quite often better at handling such matters sensitively these days actually. 

Hopefully we get a season three, if it hasn’t already been renewed.

[Cas Stark]

Watched The Little Stranger, which while I liked it, it is probably only for someone who likes  [very] slow, repressed, British country house costume dramas, although this had a slight but interesting ghost story angle, better explained in the novel.  Also saw on HBO The curse of la llorona, which could have been much better, but was still watchable, but again I have a high tolerance for mediocre ghost stories, LOL.  

[BigFatCoward]

Finished season 14 of it's always sunny, overall it was excellent but the last episode was very weak. This week is all about finishing season 3 of Mrs Maisel and sex education, and getting started on the outsider. 

[red snow]

I watched "the nightingale" last night. Great movie but with some harrowing scenes. The use of the word "boy" throughout is filled with such hate, condescension and venom. Shocking how what should be an affectionate word can be twisted so easily.

[redriver]

I thought Dr Sleep was the worst novel I've ever read.The antagonists were about as scary as an episode of Scooby Doo.

[Ramsay B.]

2 hours ago, red snow said:

I watched "the nightingale" last night. Great movie but with some harrowing scenes. The use of the word "boy" throughout is filled with such hate, condescension and venom. Shocking how what should be an affectionate word can be twisted so easily.

Yeah, the beginning was particularly brutal. I found it dragged some but liked it also.

I watched Source Code for the first time. A good little sci-fi flick that gets a little shaky at the end. Gyllenhaal brings it every time.

[dbunting]

18 hours ago, Isis said:

Is it? Your response read like you were gatekeeping. Also, you can't tell whether a person is interested in or knowledgeable about a particular sport or topic based off whether they choose to post in specific threads about it on this board.

Watched Don't F**k With Cats this weekend. I'm not sure if we're having a particular fascination with true crime stories right now, or just that these are shorter series and that seems less challenging than committing to a show with 15 episodes. Anyway, it's lucky it was only three episodes as it was pretty unpleasant viewing throughout. Maybe if someone had told me explicitly what was involved I might not have watched it at all. Was there a satisfying conclusion? I guess. But I just feel somewhat soiled having seen it, to be honest.

 

As to the first quote, when I read @Tywin et al. original response i genuinely think he was curious and not much more.                 Now onto the Don't F with cats, my wife and daughter watched that one too, I want no part of those types of shows. My wife on the other hand watches all of those. She is in her glory right now with the amount of documentaries that are available.

[Nictarion]

56 minutes ago, redriver said:

I thought Dr Sleep was the worst novel I've ever read.The antagonists were about as scary as an episode of Scooby Doo.

Haven’t read it, but the movie was great. Particularly the villains. The scene where they

killed the baseball kid

was one of the most disturbing I’ve seen in awhile. 

[red snow]

1 hour ago, Nictarion said:

Haven’t read it, but the movie was great. Particularly the villains. The scene where they

  Hide contents

killed the baseball kid

was one of the most disturbing I’ve seen in awhile. 

I enjoyed dr sleep too. Thought it was a good sequel in the sense that it wasn't a rehash but actually built on ideas from the original.

I also like how the recent films and shows seem keen on dropping shared universe moments eg the wheel of time references and the villains in this one felt very dark tower related

[Nictarion]

Watched Roman Polanski’s The Tenant, which is the third film in his unofficial Apartment Trilogy (along with Repulsion and Rosemary’s Baby). Pretty good if you can get past Polanski not being a particularly strong actor. Very creepy, atmospheric, and psychological type horror/thriller. 

[ljkeane]

I started watching Mozart in the Jungle, I can't decide if it's actually good or not but it's certainly entertaining.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

On 1/26/2020 at 12:18 PM, Isis said:

Is it? Your response read like you were gatekeeping. Also, you can't tell whether a person is interested in or knowledgeable about a particular sport or topic based off whether they choose to post in specific threads about it on this board.

Gatekeeping? Just the opposite, but it doesn’t matter. I was just asking what drew you to it because it probably wasn’t the sport.

[Martini Sigil]

I know it came out on 2019, but we're only getting it in the States now on PBS.... Sanditon is an absolute joy.... The only two actors that I've recognized are Theo James, and Anne Reid (Leslie Tiller from Hot Fuzz, she's ever so good).... Rose Williams --who I'd never seen before is fantastic, and her impression of Theo James in ep 4 is hilarious.... I totally recommend this...

[Raja]

I was a late convert, but I am pretty much in love with Old Town Road - This new version has Nas & BTS and it is excellent.

- T

[Isis]

I'm very slowly working my way through S5 of The Affair. I seemed to remember there being a thread here for it but I can't seem to find it now. When I heard there was going to be a fifth season I was doubtful that it was going to be any good and I strongly felt that they should just leave it on a 'high' or at least if not a high then at least on a firm conclusion. But I guess I was wrong because it seems like the show still has things to say. I don't want to spoil anybody so I'll do a spoiler...

Having Noah's book about himself being filmed where he has to watch someone else playing another version of himself, coupled with the unreliable narrator element, makes the show into almost a scifi series. The part where he's stood outside the set (which he's been banned from by the actor playing him) screaming to be let in, saying they've got the wrong re-writes is Kafkaesque. It's brilliant! You wouldn't be surprised if he just woke up at that point and it was all a horrible nightmare. Claes Bang is superb, obviously.

Also wathed The Ted Bundy Tapes on Netflix and it's another solid documentary (only four episodes). Absolutely outrageous on so many levels. It seems so weird that there could be that much 'forensic' evidence available and they couldn't do anything with it because the technology didn't exist. The courtroom stuff was mind-blowing to me. The judge especially could do with having a long hard look at his own moral compass there. I would recommend this series for being possibly the most WTF experience of all the true crime things I've watched lately.

[BigFatCoward]

1 hour ago, Isis said:

 

 

 

Also wathed The Ted Bundy Tapes on Netflix and it's another solid documentary (only four episodes). Absolutely outrageous on so many levels. It seems so weird that there could be that much 'forensic' evidence available and they couldn't do anything with it because the technology didn't exist. The courtroom stuff was mind-blowing to me. The judge especially could do with having a long hard look at his own moral compass there. I would recommend this series for being possibly the most WTF experience of all the true crime things I've watched lately.

There is a great book about the Yorkshire ripper called Wicked Beyond Belief. He would have been caught in minutes with todays tech, just a simple search on a database would have shown him as a person of interest in so many of the incidents. But it was all recorded on paper, relying on humans to make the links. I don't know how we used to catch anyone to be honest (it might be why there used to be so much 'fitting up').