Whatcha Watching?

[Ramsay B.]

Just got to Richard Harrow’s intro in Boardwalk. I was wondering when he came into play, forgot if it was s1 or 2. Most storylines are coming back to me now. 

Anyone watch 30 Coins? Heard it was pretty decent and saw it was obviously on Max. 

Edited November 1, 2023 by Ramsay B.

[TheLastWolf]

Can I seamlessly switch to the manga if I don't have enough time to finish the rest of AOT S4 before Nov 4 when the finale hits?

[Heartofice]

Started to watch the latest Scream movie for Halloween. Apparently it's called Scream VI, but you can't really see that due to the way the cover art on netflix displays, so I assumed it was the original! Was pretty confused when Jenna Ortega appeared, as she would have been.. unborn? at the time the original came out?

Either way, I guess I'm halfway through but it's a pretty weak effort. I feel like the meta commentary is literally just commentary, and nothing actually clever is happening when it comes to the horror genre.. maybe I shouldn't actually expect that but I'd guess there is a lot of material ripe for the picking from the last decade of shitty horror and sequelitis.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

38 minutes ago, Heartofice said:

Started to watch the latest Scream movie for Halloween. Apparently it's called Scream VI, but you can't really see that due to the way the cover art on netflix displays, so I assumed it was the original! Was pretty confused when Jenna Ortega appeared, as she would have been.. unborn? at the time the original came out?

Either way, I guess I'm halfway through but it's a pretty weak effort. I feel like the meta commentary is literally just commentary, and nothing actually clever is happening when it comes to the horror genre.. maybe I shouldn't actually expect that but I'd guess there is a lot of material ripe for the picking from the last decade of shitty horror and sequelitis.

The Scream series has gone off the rails. The first film is a classic and the second is better than some give it credit for, but the rest is not great. Scream 3 had a lot of good ideas, but it wasn't executed all that well. I barely remember 4 and am not that interested in revisiting it. 5 was alright, but again no where near the quality of the original. 6 at least tried something a little different, but again, meh. I never really checked out the TV show (also known as I put on an episode a few times and fell asleep to them which is a bad look for horror). 

Idk why so many of these horror franchises exist if quality is a consideration. There are so many more one off films that are great, but don't get the same budget or publicity. I've found a ton of gems over the last month that most people have probably never heard of. 

[Heartofice]

3 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

There are so many more one off films that are great, but don't get the same budget or publicity. I've found a ton of gems over the last month that most people have probably never heard of. 

When one character started reeling of the names of genuinely good horror movies like Babadook or the Witch it made me want to switch off to go watch those instead. It's almost like the writers displayed their own disdain for the movie they were creating. 

[Nictarion]

I still like the Scream movies. I thought NY made for a fun setting in the latest one.

[Derfel Cadarn]

Watchrd thr Billions finale. Was good.

[RhaenysBee]

Still on a movie streak. 

Einstein and Eddington. No idea what this movie went on about for 90+ minutes, it couldn’t keep my attention for 3 minutes straight. It runs along the theme of science unites and stands above politics. I have no recollection of the plot. Even the great actors couldn’t save it. 

Seven Kings Must Die - Did what it had to to provide closure to the series. The time jump allowed us to get rid of some of the cast who probably perished of natural causes since the series finale. But the show did justice to characters with throwaway lines so we had a vague idea what everybody was up to. Also enjoyed the Valhalla cameos of former characters. The mandatory Uhtred gets exiled plot event doesn’t work in a movie format though because poor dude doesn’t have the time to realistically get out of the situation. Overall I enjoyed it and if there’s anything the Last Kingdom excels at, it’s battle scenes. Much love to this saga and respect for not screwing up and letting the audience down at the very end. 

Erin Brockovich - This was the first time I saw this movie, had my compromised millennial attention span glued to the screen. Amazing acting, amazing storytelling. Loved it. 

Spooky Buddies - I watched this abomination with the dogs, because… well who knows why my mind did this to us. The basic concept is a decent enough idea for a kids movie. Then, someone told the script writer to dumb it down for god knows what target audience. Z rate acting, dumb dog jokes, atrocious kid slang, they did everything to make this movie indigestible for anybody over an IQ score of 65. 

Little Women (1994) I wanted to watch this because I wasn’t that big of a fan of the 2019 version. While I thought this one was an improvement on several fronts I wasn’t a huge fan of this either and my general conclusion is that this story just never quite worked itself into my heart. One thing that struck me is that neither adaptations wanted to tap into the “dark side” of the characters. The book spends a decent time exploring the character flaws of each girl and provides them with often painful and tough lessons that motivate them to work hard and struggle to control and overcome their flaws. Both adaptations gloss over these, especially in Meg’s case. Interesting. 

 

[Zorral]

6 hours ago, RhaenysBee said:

While I thought this one was an improvement on several fronts I wasn’t a huge fan of this either and my general conclusion is that this story just never quite worked itself into my heart.

I am all my life a Louisa May Alcott devotee, and have some of her books essentially memorized, since I began reading them at age 9.

However there has NEVER been any dramatization of any of the books by anybody anywhere that ever got close to the books.  So it's not you.  They screw the pooch.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

8 hours ago, Heartofice said:

When one character started reeling of the names of genuinely good horror movies like Babadook or the Witch it made me want to switch off to go watch those instead. It's almost like the writers displayed their own disdain for the movie they were creating. 

I just don't think there's much more they can explore with the series. Placing it an urban setting much more than they did in the third one was a good idea, but for me it just didn't land.

8 hours ago, Nictarion said:

I still like the Scream movies. I thought NY made for a fun setting in the latest one.

TBF overall the Scream movies are better than most of the horror franchise that have gone on way too long.

[Slurktan]

11 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

Idk why so many of these horror franchises exist if quality is a consideration. There are so many more one off films that are great, but don't get the same budget or publicity. I've found a ton of gems over the last month that most people have probably never heard of. 

They are very cheap to make.

[Veltigar]

I watched The Killer, David Fincher's latest film with Michael Fassbender. I'm going to damn it with faint praise, as I'm going to say it was okay. I will admit that I expected much more from a film that drew Fassbender out of his acting hiatus and that had Fincher as director.

I like both and I do have a soft spot for some of the predecessors of this film (It's clearly inspired by e.g., Le Samourai with Delon), but the story was kind of flat. I think the point behind the film is to show the inherent ridiculousness of these kind of super assassins, using a dry and deadpan delivery throughout.

This hampers the film, as I would have preferred some more cackling insanity to break up the long stretches of nothing much. The incessant voice over, even delivered by a great actor like Fassbender, becomes monotonous quite quickly. I feel that's kind of the point (look at this super assassin, he hates his job just as much as a cubicle slave from office space) and it's a good demonstration of the banality of evil, but it's quite unnecessary. 

If you have time to kill and are a fan of the genre and the director-actor pairing, it's not a waste of time to see it. That being said, it's a Netflix movie and I see no reason to go to the theatre for it.  

 

[TheLastWolf]

@JGP

AOT

My eyes are screaming, finished all the episodes and OVAs, the manga and the fanfic. Awaiting the alternative ending.

Spoiler

WTF HAPPENED?

A big step down in animation, MAPPA from WIT, unsatisfying character arcs, contrived plots lacking enough motivation, lots of holes and that manga ending 139.5 was ugh.

Yet I felt it was great in a lot of aspects too. The how of things nearly made up for the why

Circle

[Isis]

I haven't watched the second and third Ginger Snaps movies. Prime are ruining my life with this, the swines.

I watched a film called Scapegoat on Netflix this week about a guy who bumps into someone who is a dead ringer for him and they swap roles. It's a quiet little period piece really (it's got Andrew Scott in it, for any fans of his). It's fine for a Sunday afternoon, mildly diverting and harmless. It's got a bit of a Poirot/Downton Abbey type vibe.

[JGP]

10 hours ago, TheLastWolf said:

@JGP

AOT

My eyes are screaming, finished all the episodes and OVAs, the manga and the fanfic. Awaiting the alternative ending.

  Hide contents

WTF HAPPENED?

A big step down in animation, MAPPA from WIT, unsatisfying character arcs, contrived plots lacking enough motivation, lots of holes and that manga ending 139.5 was ugh.

Yet I felt it was great in a lot of aspects too. The how of things nearly made up for the why

 

I'm not sure. I bought the entire Manga collection for Llyra and myself  [we've been holding off until series finish] first cause spoilers, second in case the animated series butchered it. Excepting the action sequences, I've never been overly fond of Japanimation's held cel style, so I try not to notice lol  

[Rippounet]

I watched Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron today.

It's an odd movie, in the sense that to me it felt more like Miyazaki's attempt at a magnum opus. And as such, it does not disappoint. It's visually stunning, magnificent as ever in the way it weaves so many themes together and explains so much, and beautiful in its ability to constantly move the viewer, slowly bringing them to a chidlish state of purity and serenity.
Weirdly enough, it felt a bit long a few times, but only because it tries to tie in so many things. And I'll venture to say, it's also a statement linking art and the human experience: it's really about what it means to be human.

I can't say much more, because to explain the story and its symbolisms might be spoiling it a bit. I went in knowing more or less what to expect, having checked whether I could go with my kid, and I somewhat wish I hadn't, because the symbolisms truly make the movie (more so than for any other of his movies, if you can believe it), and I wonder how it would have felt to slowly understand them on my own. I'll thus put more precise comments under a spoiler tag.

Spoiler

What I found truly amazing about this movie is that it would be the perfect last Miyazaki (I'm surprised he seems to have other projects). Because it is part autobiographical, it gives the keys to understand his entire work, and I believe all the themes we've seen through the years are there, linked together as a coherent whole.
I find it hard to believe it was written by Genzaburo Yoshino and not Miyazaki himself, but having read about the original novel, it seems that this movie is really Miyazaki's own version of How do you live?, and that it gives his answer to that question, by presenting the slice of his childhood that gave him that answer. So it's more of a variation of Yoshino's novel than an adaptation in the most literal sense - though some might argue it is in fact the best kind of adaptation.
So yeah, imho, this is Miyazaki presenting his art as an answer to the existential question of what it means to be human.

The journey of Mahito is of course Miyazaki's own journey. The story begins with the loss of his mother, and his adventures are metaphors for coming to terms with grief. But of course, Mahito's journey involves the fantastic, befriending the messenger of death, understanding the cycles of death and rebirth, accepting loss so that life can start again. On that journey, Mahito discovers that knowledge and technology are terrible things, but can also birth entire worlds, and thus gets the possibility of reaching the pinnacle of art, the possibility of having his own world. There is transgression, of course (the time travel itself, but also trying to understand birth and motherhood), the creator brings with him his own demons (like Ashitaka, he slowly lets go of anger), and art (like technology) can be taken over by militarism/nationalism (like the planes, no doubt), though ultimately, militarism/nationalism can create nothing lasting.

There is one passage when it is difficult to know whether the master is the author himself (finding no successor) thus making Mahito the viewer, or whether the author is telling the story of how he found creation/God itself while mourning his mother - though ultimately he decided that he would always be a flawed human - and mortal.
At a glance, the first interpretation seems more likely, I kinda favor the second one, as I think it explains the ending better. At the end, it is said that Mahito will not remember, and that he only has a stone of "little power," but if Mahito is Miyazaki, what he is telling us is that he did "remember," and keep those memories of that summer to fuel his art - the stone symbolizing the power of creation.
In telling us that he became such an artist because creation was his answer to the loss of his mother (his own creator), Miyazaki provides an intensely personal movie that should resonate with most viewers.

Oddly enough, I wouldn't say this is my favorite of his. In fact, I feel it is the most technical and intellectual/symbolical of all his works, and that it lacks the simplicity of other movies. By a twist of chance/fate, my kid wanted to rewatch Nausicaä, Laputa, Ponyo, and Chihiro during his holidays, and I'll probably cave in and let him finally see Mononoke in the next couple of days. I wouldn't rate the Boy and the Heron higher than any of these, but it feels that it is the/a key to better understanding them.

So I think any Miyazaki lover really has to see it, and yet if you don't know Miyazaki's work already, I'd probably recommend starting with another one (Chihiro and Mononoke are imho the top two).
If people watched more Miyazaki, I think the world would be a much better place.
 

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

Killers of the Flower Moon.

Pretty good. Pacing was weird. Strong Oscar contender in more than a few categories I think.

This particular story was one that I was not familiar with, but that whole Osage county oil rush scene was full of characters that don't exactly restore my faith in humanity. Further research indicates that the events in the film are largely true, though it leaves some ambiguity, especially regarding Leo's character. Some of these guys were pure fucking evil.

Edited November 3, 2023 by Deadlines? What Deadlines?

[Corvinus85]

I can't find the thread for it, but episode 1 of season 2 of Invincible dropped. Interesting start.

Spoiler

Not a fan of the usage of the word "dimension" for what are clearly alternate realities.

 

[Slurktan]

55 minutes ago, Deadlines? What Deadlines? said:

Killers of the Flower Moon.

Pretty good. Pacing was weird. Strong Oscar contender in more than a few categories I think.

This particular story was one that I was not familiar with, but that whole Osage county gold rush scene was full of characters that don't exactly restore my faith in humanity. Further research indicates that the events in the film are largely true, though it leaves some ambiguity, especially regarding Leo's character. Some of these guys were pure fucking evil.

I liked it but it was way too long and Scorsese tried to make two movies in one and the back half is way too rushed. It was weird but I guess kind of the point that all the white people aren't good but then gives short shrift to Tom White who actually was.

Also DeNiro was ok but the man he is portraying is supposed to be Leo's age.  Leo was way too old to be Ernest but I guess was ok as the slack jawed yokel of the villains.

Edited November 3, 2023 by Slurktan

[Deadlines? What Deadlines?]

6 minutes ago, Slurktan said:

I liked it but it was way too long and Scorsese tried to make two movies in one and the back half is way too rushed. It was weird but I guess kind of the point that all the white people aren't good but then gives short shrift to Tom White who actually was.

Also DeNiro was ok but the man he is portraying is supposed to be Leo's age.  Leo was way too old to be Ernest but I guess was ok as the slack jawed yokel of the villains.

King Hale would have been in his 50's when the murders started. Deniro is 80. 

Yeah but c'mon, people aged differently back then. What with all the whiskey they brushed with and the ether the were sucking. Shit, smoking cigarettes was healthy for you back then. 

I'm not sure how I felt about:

Spoiler

3.5 hours of cinema and they stop the movie so Jack white can tell us how the story ends? C'mon, Marty.