Watch, Watched, Watching: We Need This!

[Ramsay B.]

I’ve been in the mood for comedies lately for obvious reasons. I watched What We Do In the Shadows and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I don’t think I could get sick of either of those. So good. 

I also watched The Shadow of Violence with Barry Keoghan. It’s a decent movie, nothing mind-blowing.

[Zorral]

Comedy too -- Still watching Lucifer, deep in season 3, after which the network canceled it.  Netflix picked it up for seasons 4 and 5, and I guess there's a season 6 coming too, eventually.

Season 3 is bonkers in so many ways that Buffy was bonkers, except it isn't Buffy.  It such a quirky show, though almost all the quirks we eventually recognize as borrowings from earlier, successful series that have somewhat more or less supernatural - fantasy elements.  Even Lost Girl's Bo's petite street urchin but fierce and lethal sidekick, Kenzi, seems the inspiration for Ella the forensics detective.  This season seem all about identity shifts.  One character who arrived in season 2 as Lucifer and Amenadiel's mother, took up residence in the body of a fierce lawyer named Charlotte.  Mum's gone to another dimension now, but Charlotte remains, now as Charlotte herself, who doesn't quite remember her Before as Mum, but now, instead of being a killer for the defense of Bad People, because she's trying to be good, has stepped from the very lucrative work of defending criminals to work for low pay in the prosecuting D.A.'s office.

The latest episode I watched got me laughing out loud -- twice.  It was intentional on the show's part.

[HoodedCrow]

Has everyone seen Deadwood? You have to have a high tolerance for cursing, but it is great. It’s funny and well done. Not for children!!

[briantw]

The third season of AP Bio has been fantastic so far.  The third episode is amazing.

"I didn't wanna kill him because he's a student."
"I wish more of our teachers had your restraint."

[Zorral]

Ah -- on today's Deadline site, re Lucifer as a neo Buffy:

https://deadline.com/2020/09/lucifer-season-6-queen-season-5-musical-episode-1234575851/

An all musical, all dancing interlude, even.  As far as I can recall, Xena was the first to do this, then Buffy.

Though the Lucifer character does fancy hinself as a stage performer on the order of, and generally of the era of a Sinatra. He performs quite a lot, including a Big Shew on a Las Vegas stage with Vegas showgirls as backup singers, and dancers,.

~~~~~~~~~~

If I've seen Deadwood, it's more than likely everyone who posts here has. because most people have watched a whole lot more than I have >!<-- and I often do not like what most people who post here do like.  That's what I mean -- totally not making fun of you not having seen it, rather more envious that you're seeing it for the first time.

[Ramsay B.]

39 minutes ago, HoodedCrow said:

Has everyone seen Deadwood? You have to have a high tolerance for cursing, but it is great. It’s funny and well done. Not for children!!

Yes, it’s a prerequisite to post here... cocksucker.

[Corvinus85]

2 hours ago, Zorral said:

Comedy too -- Still watching Lucifer, deep in season 3, after which the network canceled it.  Netflix picked it up for seasons 4 and 5, and I guess there's a season 6 coming too, eventually.

Season 3 is bonkers in so many ways that Buffy was bonkers, except it isn't Buffy.  It such a quirky show, though almost all the quirks we eventually recognize as borrowings from earlier, successful series that have somewhat more or less supernatural - fantasy elements.  Even Lost Girl's Bo's petite street urchin but fierce and lethal sidekick, Kenzi, seems the inspiration for Ella the forensics detective.  This season seem all about identity shifts.  One character who arrived in season 2 as Lucifer and Amenadiel's mother, took up residence in the body of a fierce lawyer named Charlotte.  Mum's gone to another dimension now, but Charlotte remains, now as Charlotte herself, who doesn't quite remember her Before as Mum, but now, instead of being a killer for the defense of Bad People, because she's trying to be good, has stepped from the very lucrative work of defending criminals to work for low pay in the prosecuting D.A.'s office.

The latest episode I watched got me laughing out loud -- twice.  It was intentional on the show's part.

I binge-watched the show in May, and watched the new episodes, half of season 5, in August. I felt season 2 was the highlight of the show so far, with a slow decline in season 3 and on. Season 3 has a strong main arc, but at 26 episodes, it's full of filler episodes. I almost stopped watching when I got to its end

Spoiler

because of a ridiculous episode that was placed after what it was the actual finale. Still, for the most part it remains silly fun.

 

[Zorral]

2 hours ago, Corvinus85 said:

for the most part it remains silly fun.

Perhaps due to mine own background, like Luci, I quite enjoy seeing god made fun of. 

[RedEyedGhost]

Watched Young Wallander the past few nights.  Really enjoyed that. 

Have also been rewatching episodes of Travelers here and there, am now on episode 7 of the first season.

[Derfel Cadarn]

I’ve still to watch from season 3 oneards of Lucifer.

Supernatural indirectly mention it when Lucifer tells thr Winchesters that if they release him from Hell, he’ll go to LA and solve crime.

They also apparently had a brief DC Arrowverse/Lucifer crossover during Crisis on Infinite Earths (or whatever its called) where Constantine meets show-Lucifer, that show taking place on Earth 666.

Still cstching up on Arrowverse (:”starting Arrow season 7) and Supernatural (almost finished season 12).

And watching Titans, The Mandalorian, Altered Carbon, The Last Kingdom. 
Working from home has finally let me catch up on TV.

[Astromech]

I finally watched Jo Jo Rabbit. Good film. The first 20 minutes or so were hilarious.

14 hours ago, Ramsay B. said:

I’ve been in the mood for comedies lately for obvious reasons. I watched What We Do In the Shadows and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I don’t think I could get sick of either of those. So good. 

I also watched The Shadow of Violence with Barry Keoghan. It’s a decent movie, nothing mind-blowing.

I saw Say It Isn't So was on one of the in-demand channels. I was so tempted to watch that film instead of Jo Jo Rabbit. I loaned my dvd copy of Say It Isn't So about 10 years ago and never got it back. That fucker! That film is hilarious.

[Heartofice]

Rewatched Gravity last night. Hadn’t seen it since I saw it in theatres. I recalled at the time thinking it was a pretty exhilarating experience, tense and enjoyable.

It loses a lot on rewatch, especially on the small screen. My biggest takeaway was just ‘hollywood’ it felt, mainly due to Bullock and the script itself. I felt there was a sense they wanted to turn her character into someone who felt real, but by giving her a trite backstory about her daughter it just meant I saw her as less of a person and more a set of story tropes, cynically collected. Bullock does ok in the role but she adds a sense of glamour and Hollywood to the performance that stopped me getting lost in the story. Clooney I guess had the same problem so it was a decision made early on, but I think it didn’t help the movie.

Also watched the sequel to The Babysitter.  Well I saw some of it. It was a bit of a rehash and not a good one.

[Rippounet]

I continued watching Raised by wolves (5 episodes in so far).

It's possibly the weirdest show I've watched. Predictably, it is far less gripping after the first episode, once the novelty of the setting and aesthetics wears off.
I'm usually not a fan of these shows that are bigger on aesthetics and atmosphere than plot, but I'm still watching. The story/plot iself is unconvincing and could be summed up in just a few lines, but the show manages to keep a sense of mystery, and the symbolisms (or references) are powerful. The gloomy atmosphere alone is enough to evoke that of a dying species, which we may well become soon enough.

The huge problem I see coming is that the show tries to do too much. Instead of sticking to a tight plot (with or without the mystery), it tries to touch on too many metaphysical questions: the meaning of life (and death), religion & faith, the nature of humanity (and feelings/emotions)... or even education or vegetarianism... Similarly it uses a lot of the usual science-fiction elements: the colonization of a new planet (and everything it entails), androids, VR... etc. In sum, it touches on so much stuff that there's no way it will be able to deliver a satisfying ending. A bit of mystery is fine, but I fear the writers are over-using it to avoid committing to a specific type of story. 5 episodes in, and I'm still not sure what the show is trying to do or say exactly. Because there isn't really a plot worthy of the name (much of the "action" is in the past already), the show runs the risk of being increasingly boring or annoying. Unless the pace picks up fairly quickly it's going to be hard to keep watching. There's only so much metaphysics, mystery, and gloom that makes a show good, at some point there needs to be something else: action, hope, humor...

Ideally, there should be a massive plot twist or revelation in the next couple of episodes so that the end of the season remains entertaining. Conversely, if the show does not add anything new soon, it'll have been a waste of time for everyone involved.

[Cas Stark]

2 hours ago, Heartofice said:

Rewatched Gravity last night. Hadn’t seen it since I saw it in theatres. I recalled at the time thinking it was a pretty exhilarating experience, tense and enjoyable.

It loses a lot on rewatch, especially on the small screen. My biggest takeaway was just ‘hollywood’ it felt, mainly due to Bullock and the script itself. I felt there was a sense they wanted to turn her character into someone who felt real, but by giving her a trite backstory about her daughter it just meant I saw her as less of a person and more a set of story tropes, cynically collected. Bullock does ok in the role but she adds a sense of glamour and Hollywood to the performance that stopped me getting lost in the story. Clooney I guess had the same problem so it was a decision made early on, but I think it didn’t help the movie.

Also watched the sequel to The Babysitter.  Well I saw some of it. It was a bit of a rehash and not a good one.

I didn't see it in the theater, but it is brutally overrated.  It was okay, maybe hitting the center of 'good' does not approach great except maybe some of the effects.  I have no idea how or why it got 10 Oscar nominations other than it being more evidence of the overall decline in film quality.

[Heartofice]

15 minutes ago, Cas Stark said:

I didn't see it in the theater, but it is brutally overrated.  It was okay, maybe hitting the center of 'good' does not approach great except maybe some of the effects.  I have no idea how or why it got 10 Oscar nominations other than it being more evidence of the overall decline in film quality.

The reasons it got so many Oscars are the same reasons I probably didn’t enjoy it second time round. In a cinema it’s a feast for the eyes and it can be quite captivating, you go for the experience.

On a tv you pay attention to the story and characters a lot more, and it really feels incredibly manufactured when given scrutiny. Given that the movie is going for a realistic portrayal of space and wants you to think this is what would happen in reality, it doesn’t help that characters don’t act or look like real people. Bullock looks like a Hollywood superstar, no matter how crap her hair. Clooney is bloody clooney. 
 

But those factors are the sort of thing that get you Oscars, and sell tickets. 

[DireWolfSpirit]

Am watching the new Netflix series AWAY.

Hillary Swank is giving a forceful performance as the Commander of a International crew on the first mission to Mars.

Through the first few shows it's very enjoyable, complete with usual high stakes space travel suspense. 

[Cas Stark]

50 minutes ago, Heartofice said:

The reasons it got so many Oscars are the same reasons I probably didn’t enjoy it second time round. In a cinema it’s a feast for the eyes and it can be quite captivating, you go for the experience.

On a tv you pay attention to the story and characters a lot more, and it really feels incredibly manufactured when given scrutiny. Given that the movie is going for a realistic portrayal of space and wants you to think this is what would happen in reality, it doesn’t help that characters don’t act or look like real people. Bullock looks like a Hollywood superstar, no matter how crap her hair. Clooney is bloody clooney. 
 

But those factors are the sort of thing that get you Oscars, and sell tickets. 

I remember being very irritated that of all the 'space' movies of all time, this generic film was getting so many accolades, like it was the second coming of Space Odyssey.  Speaking of Kubrick, I watched The Shining for the 6,000 time last night and it was as good as it always is. 

[SpaceChampion]

53 minutes ago, DireWolfSpirit said:

Am watching the new Netflix series AWAY.

Hillary Swank is giving a forceful performance as the Commander of a International crew on the first mission to Mars.

Through the first few shows it's very enjoyable, complete with usual high stakes space travel suspense. 

The performances is the highlight of the show.  I've enjoy many scenes.  But they do inexplicable dumb things with the physics of space

Spoiler

-- having realtime conversations by cell phone when far beyond Moon orbit is the biggest, and then suddenly they cross an imaginary barrier where it doesn't work anymore.  Okay, fine.  I take that as just speeding up the narrative.  In the finale however I don't know how that the whole collecting bags of ice thing was suppose to make sense.   The ice didn't melt or turn into ions, so how was a static charge suppose to affect it?  Solid ice doesn't have a charge.  Also, once your astronaut suit discharges, then what?  And why do they have to turn the stream towards the airlock?  I had thought the idea was to direct the stream into the airlock so anything they didn't catch with the bag would still be "onboard" and could be collected later.  But Ram was outside of the lock.  Or why not put the bag right up against the hole streaming ice from it?

I hope a second season has better physics consultants.  Hire the former astronaut working on for For All Mankind.  Often they'll have better dramatic moments with real physics than the fake physics you come up with.

[polishgenius]

1 hour ago, Heartofice said:

The reasons it got so many Oscars are the same reasons I probably didn’t enjoy it second time round. In a cinema it’s a feast for the eyes and it can be quite captivating, you go for the experience.

On a tv you pay attention to the story and characters a lot more, and it really feels incredibly manufactured when given scrutiny. Given that the movie is going for a realistic portrayal of space and wants you to think this is what would happen in reality, it doesn’t help that characters don’t act or look like real people. Bullock looks like a Hollywood superstar, no matter how crap her hair. Clooney is bloody clooney. 
 

But those factors are the sort of thing that get you Oscars, and sell tickets. 

I only ever watched Gravity at home and, honestly, it must be almost entirely an experience movie because I thought it was pretty dreadful. Really dumb- and despite the pretence of realism even I, who am not much of an expert on orbital mechanics, could tell the science was nonsense, but my biggest problem with it was that for an isolation movie it just wouldn't shut the fuck up. Not just an obnoxiously intrusive score and constant shakeups and explosions, but they couldn't even handle the idea of no dialogue for so long they introduced a figment of the imagination to have a conversation with (who then imparted relevant information, a pet hate of mine).

 

I saw it not long after All is Lost, a similar sort of isolation story except Robert Redford is on a yacht in the ocean and not in space, and it's so much better in large part because it has the confidence to just shut up. Almost no soundtrack, no dialogue, just the natural sounds of the situation. It just feels isolated in a way Gravity, thanks to all the hubbub, never does.

[Heartofice]

5 minutes ago, polishgenius said:

I only ever watched Gravity at home and, honestly, it must be almost entirely an experience movie because I thought it was pretty dreadful. Really dumb- and despite the pretence of realism even I, who am not much of an expert on orbital mechanics, could tell the science was nonsense, but my biggest problem with it was that for an isolation movie it just wouldn't shut the fuck up. Not just an obnoxiously intrusive score and constant shakeups and explosions, but they couldn't even handle the idea of no dialogue for so long they introduced a figment of the imagination to have a conversation with (who then imparted relevant information, a pet hate of mine).

 

I saw it not long after All is Lost, a similar sort of isolation story except Robert Redford is on a yacht in the ocean and not in space, and it's so much better in large part because it has the confidence to just shut up. Almost no soundtrack, no dialogue, just the natural sounds of the situation. It just feels isolated in a way Gravity, thanks to all the hubbub, never does.

I was thinking about All is lost most of the way through in fact, and how superior it is. For those very reasons