Watch, Watched, Watching: Start another thread already

[TheLastWolf]

Oooo

Just got to the 4th, Meadowland

[dbunting]

Watched The Adam Project on Netflix.  Time travel movie w Ryan Reynolds. It wasn't bad, had some big names in it for a Netflix movie, Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana and Jennifer Garner.  It was just ok. It wasn't bad at all and had some good moments but will largely be forgotten.

[Ramsay B.]

I record when I rewatch my favorite tv shows on my phone for some reason. It’s been over 4 years since I watched The Sopranos so I guess I’m due. 

Luis Brasi sleeps with the fishes!

 

[TheLastWolf]

2 hours ago, Ramsay B. said:

Luis Brasi sleeps with the fishes!

Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in lmao

[Cas Stark]

I tried again to get through Del Toro's cabinet of curiousities.  This is another instance where I can't exactly put my finger on what is wrong with the show.  It looks so gorgeous, the sest design is incredible, and  must have cost barrels of money, but the episodes are meh.  Oh and when did Del Toro morph into Orson Welles?  Yikes. 

[Heartofice]

Just now, Cas Stark said:

I tried again to get through Del Toro's cabinet of curiousities.  This is another instance where I can't exactly put my finger on what is wrong with the show.  It looks so gorgeous, the sest design is incredible, and  must have cost barrels of money, but the episodes are meh.  Oh and when did Del Toro morph into Orson Welles?  Yikes. 

That does sound incredibly on brand for Del Toro then 

[Padraig]

I continued with movies into the 1960s.  I did watch Psycho, which still holds up very well (except for the odd thing).

After watching movies from the 1930s onwards, the Hustler from 1961 felt like the first modern movie.  Grim, full of corruption and despair.  Paul Newman at his finest.  It made pool so cool.  Top marks.

And then a different sort of epic movie with Lawrence of Arabia.  Still an amazing movie all these years later, anchored in Peter O'Toole's performance but surrounded by several other acting greats.  Although, I did wonder whether I would get to the finale without one woman showing up in the whole movie. 

While epic movies were not a new thing, I don't think any had such a tormented hero before.  Another sign of a new age.

And a different sort of epic movie with the Leopard.  There is this amazing section showing the Battle of Palermo but its mainly a more intimate family drama, with "big things" happening in the background.  Almost a hagiography of the old regime but the film gets away with it because the old is represented by Burt Lancaster.  And it is not remotely sympathetic towards the new regime.  In some ways, the grandfather of the Godfather.

And I know I was supposed to like Dr Strangelove.  A fascinating and clever movie.  You can see why cineastes would love it.  And it has some great moments but like most Kubrick movies, quite cold.

[Mindwalker]

OK, Deadloch viewers: What on earth are nangs?

PS: One episode in, I kinda hope our hero's wife will be the next victim...

Edited June 10, 2023 by Mindwalker

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

6 hours ago, Padraig said:

And I know I was supposed to like Dr Strangelove.  A fascinating and clever movie.  You can see why cineastes would love it.  And it has some great moments but like most Kubrick movies, quite cold.

Kubrick films, for me, often walk the line between being on the one hand amazingly innovative and on the other somewhat overrated. The Shining is one of my favorite films. 2001, Dr. Strangelove and A Clockwork Orange are interesting and technically well made. Full Metal Jack is half amazing and half eh. Lolita was again, well made, but I'd never watch it again. I haven't seen everything he's made (really need to watch Spartacus and The Killing), but overall I couldn't come close to calling him the best director of all time. And I also just don't like bosses who are complete assholes, which among great directors Kubrick might be the worst. 

[DireWolfSpirit]

^^^Did you just say Full Metal Jacket was half meh?

[Heartofice]

34 minutes ago, DireWolfSpirit said:

^^^Did you just say Full Metal Jacket was half meh?

That’s not an uncommon opinion though. I’ve always felt the first half is incredible and second half it’s kind boring.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

1 hour ago, DireWolfSpirit said:

^^^Did you just say Full Metal Jacket was half meh?

 

34 minutes ago, Heartofice said:

That’s not an uncommon opinion though. I’ve always felt the first half is incredible and second half it’s kind boring.

Pretty much. I don't even watch the second half a lot of the time. It's not bad, just nothing special.

[Padraig]

14 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

 I haven't seen everything he's made (really need to watch Spartacus and The Killing), but overall I couldn't come close to calling him the best director of all time. 

I must watch Spartacus again.  I really loved it when I first watched it.  But that was a long time ago.  It is the only Kubrick film I have fond memories of, so i'd be curious to see what I make of it now.  Although I need to give the Shining a try too.

[Veltigar]

I came back from Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse and I am not happy about it. In terms of the animation, it is a triumph and even better than the first one. There were also some jokes that landed, but that is about as far as the positives go.

Let me warn everyone here that you are going to see an unfinished story. It ends very abruptly and you'll have to wait for the sequel next year to get any resolution whatsoever. This despite the fact that it is the longest animated film (from the US at least) ever made.

Seriously, your butt will be fast asleep by the end of this. The story takes ages to get started and only really kicks into gear from 

Spoiler

the scenes with Indian Spiderman onwards

I really do hate it when that happens. Is it so bad to warn people by putting a part 1 in the title? That would have made for some far more honest advertising.

Aside from that, there is also an unending stream of bullshit teenage drama that I did not appreciate. I couldn't give a crap about Miles' relationship with his parents and yet we keep on returning to that dry well. 

The plot twists are quite predictable

Spoiler

Yes, he was on Earth 42 instead of his home world... big surprise

And obviously Miguel O'Hara is the real bad guy. He's not there yet, but I'm willing to bet that he's going to be killing uncle Ben's and Commissioner Stacey equivalents left and right in the next one (or at least he's going to make one attempt).

I hope they'll be able to salvage things with the next film, because the quality of animation deserves to be paired with a higher quality of story.

6 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

 

Pretty much. I don't even watch the second half a lot of the time. It's not bad, just nothing special.

I as well don't like much of Kubrick's output. Even his greatest movies usually lack the emotional weight needed to enrapture me. They are quite cold like @Padraig mentions.

The exceptions to that rule are the first half of FMJ (but only the first half, so you can't really call that a great film) and Paths of Glory.

Not sure if you have seen that one, but Kirk Douglas is really brilliant in it and I feel like there he does manage to strike a chord emotionally.

Edited June 11, 2023 by Veltigar

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

24 minutes ago, Padraig said:

I must watch Spartacus again.  I really loved it when I first watched it.  But that was a long time ago.  It is the only Kubrick film I have fond memories of, so i'd be curious to see what I make of it now.  Although I need to give the Shining a try too.

It's an incredible film visually and the acting is great. You only have a few characters in a single space for the most part and it's very slow, but the tension builds in an incredible way. 

11 minutes ago, Veltigar said:

The exceptions to that rule are the first half of FMJ (but only the first half, so you can't really call that a great film) and Paths of Glory.

Not sure if you have seen that one, but Kirk Douglas is really brilliant in it and I feel like there he does manage to strike a chord emotionally.

I need to check this one out as well.

[Zorral]

23 hours ago, Padraig said:

I did wonder whether I would get to the finale without one woman showing up in the whole movie. 

And you did!  I'm not sure about it, but at the time LoA was released, nobody particularly noticed there were no women ... I think I read somewhere.  Wasn't it Bible for films particularly back then that there HAD to be a love interest even if mostly off screen?    I suppose difficult to pull off with LoA, not that films ever were particularly interested in facts.  But he did hang out with Gertrude Bell -- not romantically, of course.  They did include T.E.in the film about her, Queen of the Desert -- which was quite ahistorical in many ways, though not in this instance.

~~~~~~~~~~~

As claustrophobic and clumsy as it is sometimes, Love/Hate is more like The Sopranos (I don't share the opinion of So Many as to this series, particularly the first season -- and I couldn't watch Breaking Bad at all), unlike the level of either The Wire, Gomorrah, or Narcos's consistent quality, It is compelling and pacey.  Much of this is due to the actors, one thinks. Aiden Gillen's John Boy's descent into pure evil is particularly so. The seasons are short, and episodes feel short too -- that's how pacey it is.  Liking it very much.

 

 

[Padraig]

2 hours ago, Veltigar said:

Not sure if you have seen that one, but Kirk Douglas is really brilliant in it and I feel like there he does manage to strike a chord emotionally.

Interesting call.  While people can criticise Hollywood, I could imagine that his early Hollywood movies are much more accessible.  I should watch that too.  But i'm a little inundated at the moment.

42 minutes ago, Zorral said:

And you did!  I'm not sure about it, but at the time LoA was released, nobody particularly noticed there were no women ... I think I read somewhere.

A couple of female nurses turn up during the last minute of the film.  In the background.  Not that they say anything.   

And Love/Hate.  I didn't expect that!  Probably the most well  receieved series ever here.  Not sure how it would work outside this island!

[Ran]

I love Kubrick, personally. In fact, just finished a re-watch of 2001 -- in the 4k restoration from 2018 that I'd never seen before -- and it was just gloriously jaw-dropping to me. The sound and production design, the attention to detail, the score, the long silent takes... masterful. Barry Lyndon is another favorite of mine, with its use of natural lighting, and its precise and magestrial adaptation of the Thackeray novel. Will second the Paths of Glory recommendation, which pairs very well with Dr. Strangelove.

Also just finished Air, the Affleck-Damon reunion film about Nike signing Michael Jordan. Have to say, it's a bit of entertainment rather than great art, but the script is really entertaining -- great, snappy banter -- and the cast performs it very well. 

Also watched the premiere of The Idol this past Monday. That show came in with heavy negative buzz with gossip and attacks against it, claims that it was Sam Levinson writing out his pornographic fantasies, etc., but I have to say the controversy seemed overblown. I'm not sure it's good -- the first twenty minutes or so, which seemed like a pitch black satire of the music industry and entertainment reporting, actually was good, but the rest went into some weird territory... and I fear The Weeknd (co-creator, exec producer, and co-lead actor) is going to prove a problem as a performer -- but it was engaging enough, and I rather liked Lily-Rose Depp. 

 

[Zorral]

4 hours ago, Padraig said:

Probably the most well  receieved series ever here. 

This doesn't surprise, considering the years it was made.  Britbox has put up the 5 seasons here all at once, which is a treasure, you know, for the Best Watching.   

So far I'm particularly appreciating the female characters. Or the actors, which is both then, right?

[RumHam]

Started The Great's third season. Can someone remind me

Spoiler

Why did she imprison Mirial? She wasn't part of the planned coup was she? I remember she told Catherine about her mother's fate and married a child, but I can't think of any reason she'd be arrested and given the bear or the bullet?