Watch, Watched, Watching: Anybody but Superman

[Ran]

3 hours ago, Veltigar said:

I finished watching FX's Shogun yesterday.

Re: Ran and Shogun, the latter's use of distinctive colors for the various clans and leaders of said clans really seemed like a borrowing of Kurosawa's similar use of color in his film, but there the colors were inspired by the elements (vivid blues, whites, reds, and greens) whereas in Shogun it was a little more scattershot (though, apparently, they settled on brown for Toranaga as a nod to the fact Toshiro Mifune, who played Toranaga in the  old American miniseries, had been George Lucas's first choice for brown-robe-wearing Obi-wan Kenobi).

Edited April 29 by Ran

[Isis]

21 hours ago, Ran said:

Watched Jonathan Glazer's second film, Birth, for the first time. What a fascinating film! Anchored by the performance of Nicole Kidman as Anna, a woman from New York City money who after ten years of mourning the death of her first husband finally prepares to marry again... only to have a ten-year-old boy (played by an eerie, wide-eyed Cameron Bright) appear who needs to talk to her. The unraveling of her life ensues. 

There's a magnificent 3 minute close-up of Kidman, sitting in the audience during Wagner's The Valkyrie, and on her face you can see conflicting emotions and thoughts all mirrored in her eyes and expression, until resolve comes. 

The film has a number of controversies to its name, which I wont' reveal due to spoilers, but Lauren Bacall (who plays Kidman's mother) apparently got testy at an interview in a press conference asking what it was like to perform with "another screen legend" like Kidman, snapping that Kidman was just a beginner and it'd be years yet before she could be called a legend. Danny Huston and the late Anne Heche also feature.

The only issue I have with the casting is that Peter Stormare, a Swedish actor well-known for playing various "foreign" characters with heavy accents, was cast to play Clifford, brother of Anna's late husband, who sounds like a completely normal WASPy type while Stormare... uh, does not not. I was very confused by this, because even if if he wasn't his brother and instead was his best friend, like, what non-Anglo European has a name like Clifford? It makes no sense.

Ohhhh. Is it THAT film? I remember the kerfuffle about the press conference. But I couldn't have even toild you what film thatw as for. But this film was mentioned a couple of times recently - I guess after the Glazer speech thing/backlash post Zone of Interest. It is on my list now. 

[Ran]

2 hours ago, Isis said:

Ohhhh. Is it THAT film? I remember the kerfuffle about the press conference. But I couldn't have even toild you what film thatw as for. But this film was mentioned a couple of times recently - I guess after the Glazer speech thing/backlash post Zone of Interest. It is on my list now. 

Possibly it's that film, but the year before Kidman and Bacall also made Lars von Trier's Dogville together, and that had its own controversies including a press conference incident (Kidman lit up a cigarette and Von Trier admonished her saying she'd promised she wouldn't, only for her to proceed smoking -- not entirely clear if it was an awkard joke or not, but the press made a lot of hay out of it). The controversies about Birth are, in retrospect, somewhat overblown.

 

[dbunting]

I watched Ruthless this weekend on HULU. Kinda bored and not tired enough to sleep yet. Basics, a man whose daughter is raped/killed is also a wrestling coach, has a female wrestler, she has issues and disappears. That's the gist of the plot.

The acting, writing, editing and action/fighting are not even worthy of an 80's after school special. If you are someone who will watch something just because it's bad, this is for you. I was laughing at some scenes and couldn't get myself to shut it off. 

[Arakasi]

Some video on my feed popped up reviewing Stathams Beekeeper. Went and looked at it in wiki and the plot is out of this world bonkers. Maybe catch in on streaming for the lulz someday.

[Mexal]

32 minutes ago, Arakasi said:

Some video on my feed popped up reviewing Stathams Beekeeper. Went and looked at it in wiki and the plot is out of this world bonkers. Maybe catch in on streaming for the lulz someday.

The fact it’s so bonkers makes it fantastic. Highly recommended for how stupid it gets.

[williamjm]

16 minutes ago, Mexal said:

The fact it’s so bonkers makes it fantastic. Highly recommended for how stupid it gets.

They were really committed to the bee metaphors. I think half Jason Statham's dialogue is talking about bees.

[Arakasi]

2 hours ago, Mexal said:

The fact it’s so bonkers makes it fantastic. Highly recommended for how stupid it gets.

Started watching. Definitely stupid bonkers but quite enjoyable.

[BigFatCoward]

The beekeeper is one of the best/worst trailers I've ever seen, it makes the Meg seem plausible (he really has identified his position in the industry hasn't he). 

[Zorral]

Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, starts today on Netflix. Pre-partition Lahore, in the Punjab (now Pakistan) in the early 1900’s, among the director’s romantic re-imagining of the courtesan sector of one of the Mughal empire’s greatest centers of art and learning. Director was attacked violently over his previous film, Padmaavat (it's available streaming on amazon)-- parts of which I liked a lot.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/01/world/asia/netflix-heeramandi-bhansali.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/04/30/heeramandi-release-date-cast-trailer-watch/73471291007/

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/20/world/asia/padmaavat-india-rajput.html?

And tomorrow, Shardlake! 

ETA -- Shardlake is up now on Hulu. 

Edited May 1 by Zorral

[Argonath Diver]

20 hours ago, Arakasi said:

Some video on my feed popped up reviewing Stathams Beekeeper. Went and looked at it in wiki and the plot is out of this world bonkers. Maybe catch in on streaming for the lulz someday.

Bring a 6 pack and take a drink every time someone makes a reference to bees. Two every time someone says "beekeeper".

Actually get a 12 pack. 

I watched it and laughed the entire time. But man the actors sure seem to be taking it very seriously. One of the corniest movies I've seen in years but they played it oddly straight. It's a great time unless you're hoping to stay sober.

Edited May 1 by Argonath Diver

[Zorral]

The reviewers come up with analogies of tv or movies to the latest Kate Moss outing, The Veil (Hulu, went up yesterday), such as Thelma and Louise.  But for some reason they are vewy quiet about the real, and obvious, predecessor, Killing Eve.  Which is why I have reluctance to bother with it.   I've already watched Killing Eve.

They are all adoring Kate Moss, though I'm not sure about those who have declared The Veil the worst thing ever!

As for Shardlake, one wonders whether the producers are hoping for the next Wolf Hall success?  Considering Shardlake's source material is excellent too, even if not written by a recognized 'literary' author (Mantel herself would find the entire idea of superior or not superior silly), so is the cast, so the chances are good!  

[HexMachina]

1 hour ago, Zorral said:

The reviewers come up with analogies of tv or movies to the latest Kate Moss outing, The Veil (Hulu, went up yesterday), such as Thelma and Louise.  But for some reason they are vewy quiet about the real, and obvious, predecessor, Killing Eve.  Which is why I have reluctance to bother with it.   I've already watched Killing Eve.

They are all adoring Kate Moss, though I'm not sure about those who have declared The Veil the worst thing ever!

As for Shardlake, one wonders whether the producers are hoping for the next Wolf Hall success?  Considering Shardlake's source material is excellent too, even if not written by a recognized 'literary' author (Mantel herself would find the entire idea of superior or not superior silly), so is the cast, so the chances are good!  

Related, sad note, but C J Sansom passed away recently  

edit: Nevermind, i see the appropriate thread in literature

Edited May 1 by HexMachina

[williamjm]

5 hours ago, Argonath Diver said:

Bring a 6 pack and take a drink every time someone makes a reference to bees. Two every time someone says "beekeeper".

Actually get a 12 pack.

You would need even more if you drank every time someone mentioned 'The Hive'.

[Heartofice]

Baby Reindeer has been a massive success on Netflix, but is also creating quite a controversy as online snoops try and piece together who the real life counterparts to the characters in the show are. This has led to people being sent abuse and wrongly being identified as abusers themselves.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/28/baby-reindeer-sleuths-real-life-drama-netflix-debate-identities

It is quite amazing that this was allowed to happen. It seems a bit misjudged by Netflix to allow the show to do things like cast an actress who looks basically identical to the real life character she was portraying, and not doing enough to disguise people's identities. 

Having said that, I think the show is very good. If you watch it all the way through, Richard Gadd, who plays himself, takes a lot of the blame for the situation on himself and it's quite self reflective. This isn't about turning someone into a monster and about shaming them. If you watched the first couple of episodes you might get that impression but as it goes on you see much of it is about him. It can be pretty sympathetic to the Martha character, despite her terrifying behaviour.

[BigFatCoward]

13 minutes ago, Heartofice said:

Baby Reindeer has been a massive success on Netflix, but is also creating quite a controversy as online snoops try and piece together who the real life counterparts to the characters in the show are. This has led to people being sent abuse and wrongly being identified as abusers themselves.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/28/baby-reindeer-sleuths-real-life-drama-netflix-debate-identities

It is quite amazing that this was allowed to happen. It seems a bit misjudged by Netflix to allow the show to do things like cast an actress who looks basically identical to the real life character she was portraying, and not doing enough to disguise people's identities. 

Having said that, I think the show is very good. If you watch it all the way through, Richard Gadd, who plays himself, takes a lot of the blame for the situation on himself and it's quite self reflective. This isn't about turning someone into a monster and about shaming them. If you watched the first couple of episodes you might get that impression but as it goes on you see much of it is about him. It can be pretty sympathetic to the Martha character, despite her terrifying behaviour.

My wife is desperate to watch it, as someone who once had to call the police on a housemate (that's embarrassing) after i woke up with her watching me sleep, and then making cat noises outside my door after i kicked her out, its doesn't sound fun. 

[Heartofice]

Just now, BigFatCoward said:

My wife is desperate to watch it, as someone who once had to call the police on a housemate (that's embarrassing) after i woke up with her watching me sleep, and then making cat noises outside my door after i kicked her out, its doesn't sound fun. 

I have to admit, halfway through the show I was going to just stop. It was at times really not a fun watch. It's quite upsetting at points. If you get through that, I think by the end it makes it all worth it, and Gadd actually creates a pretty thoughtful piece that is much better than what looked like a standard scary stalker tale. 

[Darryk]

I watched the Beekeeper and thought it was a blast. Typical campy Jason Statham film.

[Isis]

On 5/1/2024 at 7:29 PM, Argonath Diver said:

Bring a 6 pack and take a drink every time someone makes a reference to bees. Two every time someone says "beekeeper".

Actually get a 12 pack. 

I watched it and laughed the entire time. But man the actors sure seem to be taking it very seriously. One of the corniest movies I've seen in years but they played it oddly straight. It's a great time unless you're hoping to stay sober.

This sounds like a Friday Night Special. *checks* Hang on, it's not on Prime, Netflix or Paramount so it looks like I can't watch it.   Extra sad because I really need a so bad its good film to watch tonight after a nightmare week.

In other news I watched the end of Leatherjackets S2 last night. This has taken me ages to get through even though I like it a lot, not a reflection on the show just on my chronically overemplyed life. Absolutely love Juliet Lewis - which is part of the reason I wanted to watch this in the first place. Also love Elijah Wood and Christina Ricci. In fairness, lots of good performances but especially enjoyed those.    

 

 

[IlyaP]

Watched The Fall Guy tonight with the wife, and we both enjoyed the hell out of it. So many little sight gags, movie history references, clever photography, and only two scenes that I'd have tweaked in the whole movie to improve the pacing a touch, otherwise a very good fusion of comedy, action, and a tinge of romance, and with some bangin' needle drops on top of it all.