Watch, Watched, Watching : Series or Stand Alone? Home or Theater?

[Zorral]

3 hours ago, DireWolfSpirit said:

All of this Westerns chatter, I Luv it !!

 

Really fine film!

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

@DMC,

I'll respond to your post in the politics thread tomorrow. Don't want to get accused of us high jacking things again. 

Let's see if College lives up to the hype.

 

[Annara Snow]

I ended up watching I Care A Lot on Saturday by sheer accident (read: being late for Shang Chi and then choosing between that one and some horror movie called The Room - not that The Room), and... I really don't know what to think about this movie. I'm not sorry I watched it, because it was interesting, it was not boring at any point and it did make me think... about things such as, what were they trying to say with this movie? At moments it seemed like the most cynical movie ever, with the message that all you need for success in modern US capitalist soicety,  "American Dream", is to be a complete sociopath and have no fear but also no compassion, scruples or morality at all.

What I'm not sure about it whether the villain protagonist, played by Rosamund Pike, was meant to be one of these characters you find least somewhat likable or conflicted about... if that was the idea, boy, did the movie fail. She is one of the most horrible people I've ever seen in movies (Amy Dunne from Gone Girl is an angel compared to this character) or on TV and I hated her all the way through and just wanted her to fail. If that was the purpose, to make me engaged in the movie by making me root against the main character throughout, then the movie succeeded.

Spoiler

I'm glad that the ending undercut the message I spelled out above. It's still a very bleak ending, but I won't lie I wasn't happy when she got shot what was coming to her (even though it didn't make anything else better). Because you may be successful if you're a total sociopath, but treating people horribly means you will make a lot of enemies.  

 

[Veltigar]

12 hours ago, DMC said:

I think 10 Things may even be a better movie than Clueless.  There I said it.  Plues it doesn't have the weird step-sibling romance thing going on.  Although Clueless still gets the iconic points.

I'm glad you wrote this, because I actually agree with you here. Didn't want to state it, as it has been a while since I saw 10 Things I Hate About You, so there is always the danger of nostalgia creeping in, but it is a magnificent film. I really need to watch it again.

[Ran]

Will just echo the 10 Things I Hate About You love. Such a fun, well-made Taming of the Shrew in high school story, with Heath Ledger just oozing charm and Julia Stiles finding the perfect role that lets her play a frosty ice queen with hidden vulnerability. It's easily Stiles's best role, and the best movie she's been in besides the Bourne franchise.

 

[RumHam]

Just randomly caught part of an episode of The Six Million Dollar man where William Shatner was ranting about bringing dolphins into space. 

the whole episode seems to be online here and I may have to watch it later. 

[Zorral]

22 hours ago, DireWolfSpirit said:

All of this Westerns chatter, I Luv it !!

With an interest in Westerns, this might be of interest to you too, as the film's about to debut on Netflix, October 6th.

The History of Black Westerns and The Harder They Fall [paywalled]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/15/movies/the-harder-they-fall-black-westerns.html?

Quote

 

The upcoming Netflix western “The Harder They Fall” chronicles a blood feud between the Nat Love Gang and the Rufus Buck Gang. As in many westerns, the dueling outlaws hold deep grudges. They live outside polite society. They shoot first and occasionally get around to asking questions.

They’re also all Black, a fact that goes unmentioned throughout the course of the film. “The Harder They Fall,” directed by Jeymes Samuel and starring an impressive lineup of stars, doesn’t use race as a means of social commentary, as many Black westerns have. Its radical gambit lies in reminding us there were Black outlaws and lawmen, even if they’ve often been given short shrift by the genre. The film makes its point through this brazen matter-of-factness. . . . 

. . . . This historical revision and retribution continued into the ’90s with “Posse” (1993). Mario Van Peebles, son of the Blaxploitation pioneer Melvin Van Peebles, directed and starred in this western about five Buffalo Soldiers in the Spanish-American War who leave Cuba and return to the United States, where they end up defending a Black prairie town from the Ku Klux Klan. The movie begins with a lengthy introduction recited on camera by none other than Woody Strode, who explains that Black Westerners did indeed help settle the land and create the West.

“The Harder They Fall” begins with its own version of Strode’s introduction, taken care of in a few quick strokes with onscreen text: “While the events of this story are fictional … These. People. Existed.”

Indeed, they did. Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) was a real-life outlaw. So was Rufus Buck (Idris Elba). So were Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz), Gertrude “Treacherous Trudy” Smith (Regina King), Cherokee Bill (LaKeith Stanfield), Jim Beckwourth (RJ Cyler) and other characters in the film.

As a western-mad teen in London, Samuel was thrilled to read about these historical figures at the local library.

“All of these people that I had never learned about before,” Samuel said. And whom he never saw on the screen. “I knew all of the words to Doris Day’s ‘Windy City’ from ‘Calamity Jane,’ but I’d never heard about Stagecoach Mary. So to find out about these people was a real treat.” . . . .

. . . . For the most part, the film’s statement is its lack thereof. With a roster of Black outlaws and lawmen, “The Harder They Fall” is a Black western.

And yet …

“It’s a film about a group of people, and, by default, these people are Black,” Samuel said. “But their skin color has nothing to do with the story. Which is what we’ve been waiting for, right?” . . . .

 

 

[Ran]

I watched Netflix' I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson after having it recommended. Hmm, what to say about it? It's a sketch show, a very absurdist sort of humor, and tends to revolve around disturbingly unpleasant characters who make you just wish they would leave. Hence, the title of the show. Though I watched it all, it was not exactly a gut-buster. It was the uniqueness of the premise and the sketches that drew me on, even while it left me a little cold. I can tell that The Kids in the Hall were an influence, though that show was much more to my taste. Its second season does have one pretty clever sketch that stuck out for me, a fake action movie called Crashmore... but it sounds like what a 10-year-old might write if he'd just discovered 80s action films and naughty words. I mean, the titular Detective Crashmore is played by Santa Claus!

Also watched the documentary Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal, and Greed, about the late, famous PBS artist. Very interesting, but sad, story as the business shenanigans around him -- seemingly all driven by his business partners -- have caused a great deal of pain to his loved ones, especially his only child Steve Ross who was betrayed by a family member and ended up not even being able to use his own name on art materials and products because they argued it was too connected to Bob's.

 

[RhaenysBee]

On 9/18/2021 at 9:27 PM, Zorral said:

Particularly in the first novel and really even the second one, the relationships that matter are among the girls, the girls' and particularly Anne's relationships with the Cuthberts, and theirs with her, and even her relationships with other adults in the community, some of whom like her a great deal and others who see her good qualities in spite of themselves.  And -- this incident of the PUFFED SLEEVES for which Anne yearns as only Anne can yearn, but Marilla will only go for the common sense sort of UNFASHIONABLE straight sleeve. Defeating the shyness that has kept Matthew so solitary, he consults a woman friend of Marilla's for advice and assistance to get a dress made of the sort Anne wants so much.  These sorts of interactions are at least as significant in a community as sex and crime, I think.

 

These were and are the best parts of the show as well.  The last couple episodes are truly exhausting. So much fuss with no added value to the story. 

 

All right now. The last episode turned into a fanfiction of itself. I mean.. it was making an attempt to be cute and the effort matters but come on. 

[dbunting]

3 hours ago, Ran said:

 

Also watched the documentary Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal, and Greed, about the late, famous PBS artist. Very interesting, but sad, story as the business shenanigans around him -- seemingly all driven by his business partners -- have caused a great deal of pain to his loved ones, especially his only child Steve Ross who was betrayed by a family member and ended up not even being able to use his own name on art materials and products because they argued it was too connected to Bob's.

 

I watched this as well, my brother was a big fan of his and painted a lot in his style, and of course used his paint. After watching the show I was like damn, he was giving money to Bob's betrayers! I watched quite a few episodes of Bob painting and was hooked. If I came across one and started watching I had to finish it.

[dbunting]

I started Ray Donovan recently, still in the first season and i made a rookie mistake. I watched it on a different tv and when I did i just clicked on the icon. Whoops, it was S4, not S1 and of course I got spoiled on what could be three major things before I figured it out and stopped.

Spoiler

His Dad is still alive. The episode I left off was where his dad killed the FBI agent and the next episode is where he was supposed to get whacked.

I know Abby either has cancer or thinks she does, and she goes blonde.

I know Bunchy has a baby...which means that he doesn't die from what looks like a suicide attempt in the episode i watched today!

Dumbass rookie move!

[WarGalley]

I watched Den of Thieves as I needed an heist film fix. This movie is serious B-grade Heat with some issues in editing. I mean it's so similar to Heat that I was thinking the production crew should pay Michael Mann and team copyright fees. A few different scenes and lines of dialogue are virtual copies, including the opening scene of an armored car robbery. About midway through the movie, the writers start to spin the story in a different way but by borrowing from other heist movies as well. Gerard Butler is a weak point in the movie. I can't tell if it's because of his acting or his character who is the alcoholic self-destructive version of Al Pacino's Vincent Hanna. 

[Mexal]

36 minutes ago, WarGalley said:

I watched Den of Thieves as I needed an heist film fix. This movie is serious B-grade Heat with some issues in editing. I mean it's so similar to Heat that I was thinking the production crew should pay Michael Mann and team copyright fees. A few different scenes and lines of dialogue are virtual copies, including the opening scene of an armored car robbery. About midway through the movie, the writers start to spin the story in a different way but by borrowing from other heist movies as well. Gerard Butler is a weak point in the movie. I can't tell if it's because of his acting or his character who is the alcoholic self-destructive version of Al Pacino's Vincent Hanna. 

Big time guilty pleasure of mine. Bring on more Gerrrrrrry!

[HexMachina]

I finished season 3 of Sex Education. There was a definite drop in quality overall with less laugh out loud comedy and clunkier writing. There was also a lot of repetitiveness with certain storylines, sometimes within the span of a single episode.

Spoiler

It was still enjoyable though and certain characters got much better writing than others. I especially appreciate the NB representation and making the characters actual people who go through highs and lows and have their own inner struggle. I especially thought the conversation between Cal and Jackson was well done where Cal explained they were dealing with enough on their own without having to educate and bring someone else up with them. Also the joyful scene at the end with the binder was wonderful for me to see.

I also liked Eric's trip to Nigeria and eventually realising that hevisnt right with Adam. It was frustrating to watch them cycle through relationship and almost break up every episode, sometimes multiple times, but it was nice to see Eric realise he can't live his life in secret by the end.

Adam also grew a lot as a person this season which was nice t9 see.

 

Everything with the school and new headmistress was awful.

 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

I don't care much about the Emmys, but after looking at the list of nominees and winners, holy shit, were there only five shows people watched this year, if that?

[Annara Snow]

6 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

I don't care much about the Emmys, but after looking at the list of nominees and winners, holy shit, were there only five shows people watched this year, if that?

Bold of you to assume they watched them before nominating them.

[Zorral]

Watched the 5th episode of season 2's My Life Is Murder, featuring Lucy Lawless as the protagonist detective, Alexa Crowe.  Season 2 moved from Melbourne, to Auckland in New Zealand.  Which is, as Alexa's assistant-side kick, Madison, marvels in this episode, "There isn't anywhere in this country that isn't beautiful!"  Considering what one sees on screen this season, there is no disagreement.  Renee O'Connor is still to show up in one the episodes -- each one is a standalone crime that is solved -- and so is ... William Shatner.

Anyway, it's all fairly mild stuff, not grim and grisly, thank goodness, as there's enough of that all around, but it is reliably entertaining and pleasant viewing.  Also, there is a cat.  And of course, Lawless, who is very funny when called to be.

[DMC]

15 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

I don't care much about the Emmys, but after looking at the list of nominees and winners, holy shit, were there only five shows people watched this year, if that?

Yeah this was my reaction when the nominees were announced.  I'm pretty sure some extras on The Crown got nominations.

[Heartofice]

It wasn’t even a very good Crown season, and outside of Prince Phillip I wasn’t a fan of any of the performances 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

1 hour ago, DMC said:

Yeah this was my reaction when the nominees were announced.  I'm pretty sure some extras on The Crown got nominations.

Hamilton got seven acting nominations in the four fields it qualified for, which btw, what's up with that? It's not a movie or a limited series.