Watch, Watched, Watching: Looking for the Light

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

On 2/20/2023 at 7:59 PM, Spockydog said:

Yeah, this is great. 

If you've not seen it, I'd highly recommend what is something of a companion piece in Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau.

Absolutely bonkers. 

Just finished this. It's no where near as good as Hearts if Darkness but every bit as insane. 

Brando became one strange dude...

[IFR]

Just watched the latest Pitch Meeting on Ant Man, which I believe is the only way to watch a Marvel movie without immediately wanting to defenstrate oneself off a very high building.

 

 

[Cas Stark]

I'm continuing my binge of trash.  New entries:  Duel in the Sun, 1946.  Holy stereotyping!  Gregory Peck, Joseph Cotton, Lionel Barrymore, Lillian Gish [her only Oscar nod] and Jennifer [I am not a good actress even if I was nominated 5 times for best actress and won 1] Jones.  Melodrama cranked up to 11++, lurid technicolor, lurid plot especially for the times.....not to mention incredible crazy stereotyping of JJ character, the 'half breed' with a white planter father and promiscuious 'native' mother. Yikes.

Next I watched another hilariously terrible middle ages film with Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh in the leads, not even attemping any kind of British accent, though all the secondary roles were filled with old British character actors and Herbert Marshall also doing his best.  Everything about it except Marshall and the secondary actors was terrible. 

Non trash entry:  The Swimmer, Burt Lancaster, 1968.  I can only imagine this strange but enjoyable film was made at the end of the studio era when no one knew anymore what the public wanted to see.  Based on a John Cheever short story.

[grozeng]

On 2/23/2023 at 3:39 AM, RhaenysBee said:

She has rather annoying mannerisms and voice, I agree. What bothers me even more is that she’s fully ready in episode 1. I’m not sure where her character has potential to grow. 

  Reveal hidden contents

All her “flaws” and shortcomings are taking her places or don’t matter when she’s trying to go places or she simply overcomes them when the situation requires more or less successfully. In terms of career, she is as successful as a thirty-something can humanly be and this doesn’t seem to affect her as a person. She has a solid social circle of a contrasting bestie, an admiring minion and a bickering future love interest. I’m like 7-8 episodes in and she doesn’t seem to have any harmful addictions or other self destructive habits, lifestyle choices or detrimental mental or physical health issues. She’s a picture perfect intj with perfect makeup from 9 to 9. 

I have no idea what kind of character story can unfold from all this. Will she won’t she with David Boreanaz and some foster system hardship she has clearly already overcome? There are so many protagonists I can compare her to and they all surpass her in every aspect. I think the last protagonist I’ve known to be so painfully bland was Liz from The Blacklist, but at least she was new on the job when the show started so even she had more of a journey. I don’t remember Cold Case too much, but I do remember that I didn’t dislike Rush. Emma Swan had the foster baggage in Once Upon and Time, she had a delinquent past, wasn’t super successful, she was completely alone in the beginning and had all kinds of self image issues. Gregory House and Sherlock Holmes were difficult people to be around , hurt people close to them, self destructed, had a myriad of psychological issues and House even struggled with his physical impairment. This chick knows no struggle. Maybe I judge too quickly. 

 

I think she is meant to be a less extreme version of Sheldon in Big Bang.  Bones came out first, so it is not a copy of him, but there are some similarities.  She is the socially awkward, smart person that thinks she knows everything and Booth is the down to earth partner that is there to show her she doesn't.  I actually liked the show but I think more for the ensemble cast than for the character of Bones.  And I liked most of the story arcs (that I remember).  The character Bones, is based on a real person and that real person was partly behind the show, so she probably played up her "strengths" and played down her imperfections, so the character we are seeing is probably too perfect on purpose.  But there is some growth by the end of the series.  When the guy from Freaks and Geeks joins the show as a pyschiatrist sent to examine Bones (but then becomes part of the team) is when I seem to remember liking the series the best, but it was a while ago.

 

Overall, I enjoyed the show, but I tend to be less critical of the shows I watch and if they can entertain me for an hour, that is good enough for me.  But I also tend to stay on with shows when I should stop (like the Blacklist now and Fear the Walking Dead) because I have already invested so much time and want to see how the story ends.  But I seem to remember enjoying Bones up until the end.

[RhaenysBee]

2 hours ago, grozeng said:

I think she is meant to be a less extreme version of Sheldon in Big Bang.  Bones came out first, so it is not a copy of him, but there are some similarities.  She is the socially awkward, smart person that thinks she knows everything and Booth is the down to earth partner that is there to show her she doesn't.  I actually liked the show but I think more for the ensemble cast than for the character of Bones.  And I liked most of the story arcs (that I remember).  The character Bones, is based on a real person and that real person was partly behind the show, so she probably played up her "strengths" and played down her imperfections, so the character we are seeing is probably too perfect on purpose.  But there is some growth by the end of the series.  When the guy from Freaks and Geeks joins the show as a pyschiatrist sent to examine Bones (but then becomes part of the team) is when I seem to remember liking the series the best, but it was a while ago.

 

Overall, I enjoyed the show, but I tend to be less critical of the shows I watch and if they can entertain me for an hour, that is good enough for me.  But I also tend to stay on with shows when I should stop (like the Blacklist now and Fear the Walking Dead) because I have already invested so much time and want to see how the story ends.  But I seem to remember enjoying Bones up until the end.

Not Bones the character but the show itself is kinda growing on me. It did prove that I have a problem with Angel the character not David Boreanaz who is quite the cuddly bear in Bones and freakish fun as Angelus. The other members of the team are also growing on me as they slowly become full fledged characters. The Christmas episode in the first season was beautiful and the episode about stopping a death sentence was strong storytelling as well.  Bones herself is not growing on me at all, but never say never. thanks for the insight about the creation of the show! 
 

[Isis]

Endeavour is back on Sunday night.  

Last one ever though. 

[Padraig]

The early 1940s was a very strong period for movies.  The Dictator, Chaplin's opus.  People love the monologue at the end but given what was already happening, it does seem a little naïve.  Still, a very good movie.

Citizen Kane, Orson Welles' opus.  Hard to believe Welles was so young at this time.  You can see why Directors love the movie.

Casablanca, will always be a personal favourite.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.  A very ambitious movie, which I hadn't seen before.  I wasn't sure about it for the first quarter of the movie (its very positive towards all things Britain) but when it becomes about a friendship between a German soldier and a British soldier, it elevated the movie.  Brave thing to do during WW2 (admittedly, the German ends up fleeing from the Nazis but he said himself that he didn't think he, a good German patriot, needed to fear them initially).

And Double Indemnity (a dark, dark movie).

[Cas Stark]

24 minutes ago, Padraig said:

The early 1940s was a very strong period for movies.  The Dictator, Chaplin's opus.  People love the monologue at the end but given what was already happening, it does seem a little naïve.  Still, a very good movie.

Citizen Kane, Orson Welles' opus.  Hard to believe Welles was so young at this time.  You can see why Directors love the movie.

Casablanca, will always be a personal favourite.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.  A very ambitious movie, which I hadn't seen before.  I wasn't sure about it for the first quarter of the movie (its very positive towards all things Britain) but when it becomes about a friendship between a German soldier and a British soldier, it elevated the movie.  Brave thing to do during WW2 (admittedly, the German ends up fleeing from the Nazis but he said himself that he didn't think he, a good German patriot, needed to fear them initially).

And Double Indemnity (a dark, dark movie).

One of my all time favorites and possibly the best film noire ever made.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Plane is not a good movie by any means, but it is pretty fun! Nothing about it is special or particularly well down yet it has its own charm and the ridiculousness of it will make most people smile who like these kinds of films.

[Mexal]

5 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

Plane is not a good movie by any means, but it is pretty fun! Nothing about it is special or particularly well down yet it has its own charm and the ridiculousness of it will make most people smile who like these kinds of films.

Every movie with Gerard Butler is magnificent and I'll hear nothing else (except Geostorm - that movie was garbage, mostly because it made Gerry an architect and then never used any of his architectural skills to solve any problems).

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

23 minutes ago, Mexal said:

Every movie with Gerard Butler is magnificent and I'll hear nothing else (except Geostorm - that movie was garbage, mostly because it made Gerry an architect and then never used any of his architectural skills to solve any problems).

Apologies, but go fuck yourself! Geostorm is a national treasure. Top five Gerry film and I will not hear otherwise!!! 

 

[Mexal]

7 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Apologies, but go fuck yourself! Geostorm is a national treasure. Top five Gerry film and I will not hear otherwise!!! 

 

Absolutely the worst. You cannot make the main character an architect, tell us how needed he is and then NEVER ONCE SHOW HIS SKILLS. Abysmal.

[dog-days]

19 hours ago, Padraig said:

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.  A very ambitious movie, which I hadn't seen before.  I wasn't sure about it for the first quarter of the movie (its very positive towards all things Britain) but when it becomes about a friendship between a German soldier and a British soldier, it elevated the movie.  Brave thing to do during WW2 (admittedly, the German ends up fleeing from the Nazis but he said himself that he didn't think he, a good German patriot, needed to fear them initially).

I watched it in 2019 – easily one of my favourite films ever. Love the gentle Horatian-satire style of it. Plus, it breaks my heart with: 

Spoiler

Well, here is the lake – and I still haven't changed.

So much about life packed into that one line. 

According to rogerebert.com, Powell and Pressburger had to resort to stealing army equipment during filming since Churchill's objections to the Colonel Blimp concept meant they couldn't just borrow it. 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

29 minutes ago, Mexal said:

Absolutely the worst. You cannot make the main character an architect, tell us how needed he is and then NEVER ONCE SHOW HIS SKILLS. Abysmal.

IT'S BECAUSE THE CHARACTER OUTGREW HIS SKILLSET!!! Far more so than he did in Greenland or be a one dimensional character like in the "Whatever" Has Fallen series. Gerry showed growth in Geostorm and it was easily his best performance post Machine Gun Preacher. 

[Mexal]

3 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

IT'S BECAUSE THE CHARACTER OUTGREW HIS SKILLSET!!! Far more so than he did in Greenland or be a one dimensional character like in the "Whatever" Has Fallen series. Gerry showed growth in Geostorm and it was easily his best performance post Machine Gun Preacher. 

OMG. I'm an idiot. It was Greenland that was horrible! Not Geostorm. You are right!

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

6 minutes ago, Mexal said:

OMG. I'm an idiot. It was Greenland that was horrible! Not Geostorm. You are right!

And to think you considered yourself a Gerryhead. For shame my friend. For shame.

Am I bad person for rooting for everyone to fail in Greenland? They all make the worst decisions possible at every opportunity... 

[Mexal]

2 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

And to think you considered yourself a Gerryhead. For shame my friend. For shame.

Am I bad person for rooting for everyone to fail in Greenland? They all make the worst decisions possible at every opportunity... 

Not even a little. Horrible people with no usable skills!

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

1 hour ago, Mexal said:

Not even a little. Horrible people with no usable skills!

I mean, Gerry did go back for his kid's medication (without addressing how he'd get anymore a month later),

 

[Zorral]

Woman King (2022) on Netflix. The film has been shut out from all the awards and their categories – too womanly. All the criticisms that declared it ignored or distorted Dahomey’s slaving of Africa must be from those who don’t know this history. just heard something something from somebody somewhere. This slave or be slaved history is central to the narrative. That criticism seems to be pushing the relentless attitude that Africans remain ahistorical until white historians inform them of their own history.

The people of Dahomey/Ouida and Oyo knew why this condition was in place, and how it happened, and who was benefiting as well as how much Africans of every group were exploited and plundered as entire peoples. Those who benefited were the  Europeans and USians, as well as the Islamized tribes working in concert, such as the Fulani and the jihad of the time against the Oyo Empire, which too, was all about the riches from supplying the European slavers. 

Viola Davis is brilliant, as a commander and warrior who is at the prime of her strength, but whose body is scarred and has aches and pains from so many wounds, whose heart and mind carries just as many scars and pains. Above all, she sees the future, not only of her own Dahomey, but all of Africa, being slaved and enslaved by the Europeans.  She has this vision, but how to change matters so they – and other kingdoms – stop slaving themselves and each other, and instead create wealth and prosperity through other means. Ah, that is very difficult, not only to do, but to even envision, much less convince others to do, such as the 'nobles' and queens of the Dahomean king's palace.  Slaving is embedded throughout the continent as economy, offense and defense, and status.

The milieu of this woman army is a fascinating, welcome contrast with both Wonder Woman’s Greek vase, white statuary fantasy, superhero comic girlhood training, and with the SFnal Afro Futurism sleek urbantechscape of Wakamba. Those superhero comix adaptations are slick, smooth, cheesy and tacky when viewed in company with what we see here, as it reaches to recreate the dust, mud and natural world of historic reality, including how women are physically, who have been trained from youth to be warriors who command armies, fight, kill and be killed or captured. Capturing an Agojie warrior is a true prize indeed.

The Agojie women claim physical space in a way one never sees women do, those who are to be good, traditional women. These women claim, inhabit, physical space in the same matter-of-fact, unconscious way that men do.  They walk differently, sit differently, move and are still, differently from traditional women. They are like men, while – and this is what is so brilliant in the acting -- one would never mistake them for men, ever.  They are fully women like all women, but who have all the masculine entitlements – except to have partners and children. 

The indigenous religion is also depicted in a most matter of fact manner.  This is what we knew in the US as Vodun, as it was imported via slavery to San Domingue/Haiti, Bahia, Brasil, and to the US, via French slave owners who refugeed to Cuba. and, when Spain and France went to war, to New Orleans. The altars, where our personages meditate, and meet, are natural, well-used, places of welcome and normality, not some exotic or frightening Black Africa space.

What follows is me interpolating, because I've not encountered this in any of the books I've read. However, presumably, such effective warriors and commanders must be prevented from having their own children because – in the end – these must be ultimately subservient to at least one male – the king.  A successful, brilliant commander, to whom the army is devoted and loyal, a woman with her own children might well be interested in taking the throne herself, or for her children, instead of merely serving a king's wishes and status. Indeed, the oral histories to do say that at least once Dahomey was ruled by a Woman King commander of the amazon army.

As ultimately there can be no happy ending for the kingdom of Dahomey, despite winning battles, around the 2/3 point, the story pivots to that of a mother and daughter finding each other, in this time when vision tells them both, the world will not get better. Yet, Viola Davis's Nanisca is recognized by the King again, as his chief advisor, no matter what his wives and courtiers want.  She may end her life free, but we can almost sure thing bet her daughter's life is going to be even more difficult than hers, as the French become determined to take out the Dahomey kingdom, and are horrified by the women who go to war.

This film mesmerized me from start to finish, which I can’t say about hardly any film, television series or novel these day
 

[Raja]

Rewatching the Ken Burns The Vietnam War documentary and this thing is honestly a masterpiece. So so good.