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Watch, Watched, Watching: I missed the last thread?


RedEyedGhost

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58 minutes ago, Veltigar said:

Saw Lovecraft Country episode 3. Better than the second outing but it's still not great. The background season plot is boring and the CGI in this show is absolutely god awful. 

It was so brutal. The first time a ghost made an appearance was laughable. This episode was an improvement but I still find my mind wandering a lot. Not a good sign.

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Finally finished ZeroZeroZero despite still being in the middle of The Expanse S2 and starting Cobra Kai S1. Solid show and the only reason I delayed on the final episode was because I needed more lighter fare. Brutal ending (though not as dark and heavy as Gomorrah), great cast and characters (particularly Dane DeHaan and Andrea Riseborough) and good storylines. Loved the global take on the drug trade and the use of foreign languages throughout depending on which country the scene took place in. Feel like there should be more critical acclaim for it. Hope it gets renewed for a 2nd season but can never tell how well Amazon Prime shows are received (outside of the Boys).

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33 minutes ago, WarGalley said:

Feel like there should be more critical acclaim for it.

Coke dealers as the protags one is supposed to pull for do not get critical acclaim from over here, even if they supposedly live in New Orleans and are white, are orphans and have disability.

 

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Started a re-watch of Stargate Universe. Spurred on after reading Rendevous with Rama. There was an event that happened in Rama which immediately reminded me of a similar event in an episode of SGU (can't elucidate any further as it's a major spoiler for both the book and the episode). The idea seems to originate from as far back as Ray Bradbury. It was pretty cool when I read it in Rama, and it's well done in SGU.

Forgot how good this series is. Can't believe its been 10yrs already, this show deserves more love. One thing SGU has which Rama didn't excel at, is a palette of interesting characters. Dr Rush, Eli, Col.Young, Camile, Telford, Scott, Chloe, Johanson, and of course Master Sgt. Ronald Greer! The balance struck between the character set and the novel fascination of lost ancient technology is what made SGU so appealing.  

 

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13 hours ago, ithanos said:

Started a re-watch of Stargate Universe. Spurred on after reading Rendevous with Rama. There was an event that happened in Rama which immediately reminded me of a similar event in an episode of SGU (can't elucidate any further as it's a major spoiler for both the book and the episode). The idea seems to originate from as far back as Ray Bradbury. It was pretty cool when I read it in Rama, and it's well done in SGU.

Forgot how good this series is. Can't believe its been 10yrs already, this show deserves more love. One thing SGU has which Rama didn't excel at, is a palette of interesting characters. Dr Rush, Eli, Col.Young, Camile, Telford, Scott, Chloe, Johanson, and of course Master Sgt. Ronald Greer! The balance struck between the character set and the novel fascination of lost ancient technology is what made SGU so appealing.  

 

Ah, another SGU fan. No other show cancellation made me more depressed than SGU's.

I haven't, and likely won't read the book. What event in SGU do you associate with what you've read?

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Ha, I couldn't find the old SGU series thread and was going to revive a related thread you had created.

I'd highly recommend reading Rendevous with Rama.  It's a fairly short read too, written in a time before door stoppers became the norm.  It's ripe for adaptation - I think Morgan Freeman had the movie rights at one time.

But if that itch needs scratching...

Spoiler

 

The fuel scoop. Ep.05: Light

In Rendevous with Rama, the Terran expedition who were exploring Rama abandoned it when it was imminent it was on a collision course with our Sun. I'd like to think Rama had been observing mankind all this time and deemed us unworthy of their contact, and therefore fueled up and bolted out of our solar system.

 

Come to think of it. There are similarities between Rama and Destiny. If SGU had gated onto Rama they would've had the same reaction and trials - holy f*%k this ship is amazing, explore explore explore.

 

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Is anyone going to watch Mulan? I have Disney+, but I have no intention to pay $30 on top of it for this movie, especially when Disney announced it will be available for all subscribers on Dec. 4. And the price tag is even higher than what other movies released direct to streaming have charged.

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28 minutes ago, Corvinus85 said:

Is anyone going to watch Mulan? I have Disney+, but I have no intention to pay $30 on top of it for this movie, especially when Disney announced it will be available for all subscribers on Dec. 4. And the price tag is even higher than what other movies released direct to streaming have charged.

Yeah, I'm waiting as well.

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25 minutes ago, Corvinus85 said:

Is anyone going to watch Mulan? I have Disney+, but I have no intention to pay $30 on top of it for this movie, especially when Disney announced it will be available for all subscribers on Dec. 4. And the price tag is even higher than what other movies released direct to streaming have charged.

We're planning on renting it this weekend (probably tomorrow).  Was planning on seeing it in the theater before the pandemic hit anyway, so the $30 isn't really that big of a deal.

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32 minutes ago, Corvinus85 said:

Is anyone going to watch Mulan? I have Disney+, but I have no intention to pay $30 on top of it for this movie, especially when Disney announced it will be available for all subscribers on Dec. 4. And the price tag is even higher than what other movies released direct to streaming have charged.

In that case I would definitely wait.

We watched all three seasons of The Windsors on Netflix, a fun and funny parody of the British royals.  But it’s jarring that the parody version of Trump is much smarter, more lucid, and less infantile and erratic than the reality; Trump really does challenge comedy writers because where can you go when that’s the reality to start from?  Even Sarah Pailin could be sent up by Tina Fey (and brilliantly).  Also I’ve had zero exposure to Meghan Markle beyond headlines I’ve scrolled past, but her parody character is more likable than I would have expected.  Does English satire just struggle to find a nuance in American figures to really dig into?  It’s like writers cannot look past the most obvious difference from Englishness.

The absolute star of the show is the vowel pronunciation by the royals.  My wife and I have been repeating Wills’ “gypsaayaahs” and Eugenie’s “I knooeuooeuoowwuw” at random points during our day.

And we’re still working our way through The Umbrella Academy S2.  Nearly done now.  It’s very good, and improves on S1.  The variety within the ensemble, the energy, humor, and the music for slow-mo action sequences are all very good.

I’m also watching Netflix comedy stand-up specials in the background while exercising in our home gym.  A few of the ones that really stood out so far: Seth Meyer’s Lobby Baby, Iliza Schlesinger’s Elder Millennial (tighter and better written than the only earlier one of hers that I also watched), and Taylor Tomlinson’s Quarter Life Crisis, which is a surprisingly well crafted set for such a young comic — most comics are still very rough around the edges at age 25.

Edit to add: and Katherine Ryan.  I watched two of her comedy specials and they were both very good.

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On 9/3/2020 at 11:02 AM, hauberk said:

Also finished Cobra Kai.  I really enjoyed it, especially the season 2 road trip.  The season finale was more than a little over the top.  It did generate some nice discussion with my son about who was less in the wrong.  No satisfactory conclusions were reached.  

I think that was the point, to show that both sides are equally being ass hats.

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I've watched the first episode of Raised by Wolves. The first 3 episodes were released at the same time. Ridley Scott directed the first 2 episodes, his son Luke directed the 3rd, or maybe more. Scott's print on the design and feel of the android characters is apparent, reminiscing of the Alien synthetics.

I have mixed feelings, but I am intrigued by the direction it is going. The pacing of the first episode was extreme, not unlike Lovecraft Country, and I think it pretty much covered what the trailers gave us.

One aspect that annoys me

Spoiler

the inconsistency of the technology. Mixed with the amazing looking futuristic technology are mundane things, like regular guns with bullets. 

And why were such advanced androids with all kinds of abilities, and programmed to revive the human race, not given any ability and tech in medical science. The Mother android insists for the kids to learn to care only about science, yet when they get sick, all she can do is sing to them. What?

 

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27 minutes ago, dbunting said:

I think that was the point, to show that both sides are equally being ass hats.

We did manage to conclude that there were definite contenders for most wrong.

One of the things that I find interesting about the show is that parts of it feel like the series really sprung from Barney Stinson's take on Karate Kid in How I Met Your Mother.  

Quote

“It's the story of a hopeful, young karate enthusiast whose dreams and moxie take him all the way to the All Valley Karate Championship,” Barney says to Marshall and Lily. “Of course, sadly, he loses in the final round to that nerd kid. But he learns an important lesson about gracefully accepting defeat.”

 

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16 hours ago, ithanos said:

Started a re-watch of Stargate Universe. Spurred on after reading Rendevous with Rama. There was an event that happened in Rama which immediately reminded me of a similar event in an episode of SGU (can't elucidate any further as it's a major spoiler for both the book and the episode). The idea seems to originate from as far back as Ray Bradbury. It was pretty cool when I read it in Rama, and it's well done in SGU.

Forgot how good this series is. Can't believe its been 10yrs already, this show deserves more love. One thing SGU has which Rama didn't excel at, is a palette of interesting characters. Dr Rush, Eli, Col.Young, Camile, Telford, Scott, Chloe, Johanson, and of course Master Sgt. Ronald Greer! The balance struck between the character set and the novel fascination of lost ancient technology is what made SGU so appealing.  

 

They also introduced me to Janelle Mona. For that alone I remember the show fondly. And yes it was a great show and one I enjoyed.

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On 9/4/2020 at 12:26 AM, Ramsay B. said:

It was so brutal. The first time a ghost made an appearance was laughable. This episode was an improvement but I still find my mind wandering a lot. Not a good sign.

You see @Corvinus85 Ramsay B. agrees with me on the CGI! Based on my sample of two, I say the show has noticeably bad VFX by the standards of the day :P

20 hours ago, Corvinus85 said:

Is anyone going to watch Mulan? I have Disney+, but I have no intention to pay $30 on top of it for this movie, especially when Disney announced it will be available for all subscribers on Dec. 4. And the price tag is even higher than what other movies released direct to streaming have charged.

I'd watch it if Disney payed me $30 

Spoiler

Okay no, I lie, I'd probably let it play while browsing on my phone the entire time to pocket the money. Given what I hear online, you'd be better of setting those 30 bucks on fire. You'll get more enjoyment that way.

 

19 hours ago, hauberk said:

We did manage to conclude that there were definite contenders for most wrong.

One of the things that I find interesting about the show is that parts of it feel like the series really sprung from Barney Stinson's take on Karate Kid in How I Met Your Mother.  

 

I'm almost positive that HIMYM made a large contribution to this being made (the best thing to ever come out of that damn show). That take on the film predates HIMYM, but featuring it so prominently in one of the most (if not the most) popular sitcom must have really launched that idea in the mind of storytellers and executives. 

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21 hours ago, aceluby said:

We're planning on renting it this weekend (probably tomorrow).  Was planning on seeing it in the theater before the pandemic hit anyway, so the $30 isn't really that big of a deal.

Don't give in you fool. These companies are just looking for another excuse to charge people more for their shitty projects. We cut the cord to save $200 a month? Great! Now we get to pay out extra for more junk on streaming services.... 

ETA: Reading and listening to a few reviews this morning, everyone says the film sucks.

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Started the first episode of Raised By Wolves.  Not feeling this thing at all.  Female android is so skinny one fears for actor's life.  The ridiculous costumes of the Mithraics -- Mithras? Really? WTF??  So colorless, so claustrophobic. Besides, every time they show a space craft, a shuttle I believe I'm seeing a 1960's idea of a futuristic battery powered electric shaver.

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US Netflix added Red Dragon. They didn't have it a few months ago when they added Hannibal. It started up and I saw "directed by Brett Ratner" and thought "huh I don't remember this being terrible?" but no it was quite decent. 

Surprisingly the worst thing about it was probably Hopkins' Lecter. A little over the top and not much for him to actually do. The "there's an attractive young FBI agent here to see you" stinger at the end just put a point on that, making it feel like a prequel instead of it's own thing. 

It's weird how at the end he thwarts the killer by berating his own son for wetting his pants. I get what he was going for, but is it wise to enrage a guy who has a shard of mirror to your son's neck? He could have easily just killed the kid and then lunged at Garahm. And then the kid is just bleeding out wondering why daddy just called him a filthy little beast for pissing himself. 

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2 hours ago, RumHam said:

It started up and I saw "directed by Brett Ratner" and thought "huh I don't remember this being terrible?" but no it was quite decent. 

I agree it's pretty solid, although I still prefer Mann's Manhunter as an adaptation.

2 hours ago, RumHam said:

It's weird how at the end he thwarts the killer by berating his own son for wetting his pants. I get what he was going for, but is it wise to enrage a guy who has a shard of mirror to your son's neck?

Yeah that was weird.  I did like how the ending included the Tooth Fairy at Graham's house - that was from the book but not included in Manhunter - but IIRC the berating scene was not present in the book.

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