# What Movie Are You Watching?



## Huntn

*Project Power* (2020 Netflix)- 57% RTAS. This movie should be better. A gene altering drug/substance gives people special powers for 5 minutes and is being sold on the street. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jamie Fox.


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						TalkedAbout Forums
					

TalkedAbout has been around for many years and we pride ourselves on offering unbiased, critical discussion among people of all different backgrounds




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## Alli

Huntn said:


> *Project Power* (2020 Netflix)- 57% RTAS. This movie should be better. A gene altering drug/substance gives people special powers for 5 minutes and is being sold on the street. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jamie Fox.




Great cast. What was wrong with it?


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## Huntn

Alli said:


> Great cast. What was wrong with it?



Hard to put my finger on, it seems like it should be good with excellent production values and acting, but it’s missing cohesiveness or a necessary vibe to pull me in. The story starts with a _what the heck_ angle that    eventually explains itself. I suggest watching it if you like super hero type stories, and let me know what you think.


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## JayMysteri0

It's coming.  The question is, are you willing to risk it going to see it?



> The first spoiler-free Tenet reviews are all over the place
> 
> 
> Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster is baffling and enlivening viewers
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.polygon.com


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## DT

Huntn said:


> Hard to put my finger on, it seems like it should be good with excellent production values and acting, but it’s missing cohesiveness or a necessary vibe to pull me in. The story starts with a _what the heck_ angle that    eventually explains itself. I suggest watching it if you like super hero type stories, and let me know what you think.




Same.  Great cast, fun premise (reminded me of Strikeforce: Morituri), some fun bits, but just didn't engage me like it should have.

C+


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## DT

JayMysteri0 said:


> It's coming.  The question is, are you willing to risk it going to see it?




Goddammit, I want to, but won't.  Would've paid $25-30 to watch it at home.


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## DT

I am DIGGING on this ...


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## Renzatic

It has promise. The problem is that after The Dark Knight, every Batman since has shown this overwhelming need to out-edgy-gritty it, and ends up failing because they tried way too hard.


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## Edd

JayMysteri0 said:


> It's coming.  The question is, are you willing to risk it going to see it?



If they made masks mandatory in the theater I might go, but I feel like they won’t.


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## Thomas Veil

D_T said:


> I am DIGGING on this ...



I momentarily posted this, not expecting to see it in a thread about what you _are_ watching.  It has yet to come out.

That said, I had to watch it about three times because it's so _weird_...starting with that sound effect that made me think my stream had screwed up.

There's stuff I definitely like there. That Batmobile. The graphic that ends it. And yes, "I'm vengeance." 

Gonna be a pretty dark movie. In both senses of the word.


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## DT

Renzatic said:


> It has promise. The problem is that after The Dark Knight, every Batman since has shown this overwhelming need to out-edgy-gritty it, and ends up failing because they tried way too hard.




The thing I like about this, is it's not necessarily more dark edgelord grimmtastic (vs. the Nolan trilogy), it's just more "grounded".  Nolan Batman is James Bond, he has transforming Bat-tanks, C130 aircraft, a device that tracks the position / can hear, every human being in a large city - and of course the DC BvS/JL Batman fights cosmic elder gods ...

This is the detective Batman, who modified an old musclecar for his Batmobile.


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## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> I momentarily posted this, not expecting to see it in a thread about what you _are_ watching.  It has yet to come out.




Ha!  Yeah, I was going to make a separate "coming attractions", but they're so few-and-far-between, figured I'd just drop it here.


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## Renzatic

D_T said:


> This is the detective Batman, who modified an old musclecar for his Batmobile.




This is why I think it has promise, but it also has the potential to be edgelordy. I'll keep an eye on it, but I'm gonna wait for the reviews before I commit.


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## Huntn

D_T said:


> Goddammit, I want to, but won't.  Would've paid $25-30 to watch it at home.



Is that what they expect to get for home viewing of new movies? I think the price is unreasonably high and with the theaters out of the picture, represents a windfall. 
Maybe they will get a shock and adjust prices down accordingly. Before the crisis, we typically paid $14 to see a movie at the theater. At home I’m willing to spend about $7 to rent a movie, and $20 to buy it.


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## DT

Huntn said:


> Is that what they expect to get for home viewing of new movies? I think the price is unreasonably high and with the theaters out of the picture, represents a windfall.
> Maybe they will get a shock and adjust prices down accordingly. Before the crisis, we typically paid $14 to see a movie at the theater. At home I’m willing to spend about $7 to rent a movie, and $20 to buy it.





Average ticket price is over $9, and in many places way more (some of that average is low cost 5th - 8th week matinee tickets, senior discounts, etc.).  Plus some gas, pay parking in large cities, and if you want to score even a couple of sodas, and a mid-sized popcorn, you've got a $30-35 evening for two people.

Sure, if you bring your own snacks, only do the 5:30p discount showing it might seem a little pricey, but it scales nicely too, i.e., 3 people watching?  Now it's a decent deal.  4?  Now it's a bargain!

Also, even at that price, you get a period of rental, so 24 or 48 hours, so you can even watch it again, for free.


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## Renzatic

D_T said:


> Average ticket price is over $9, and in many places way more (some of that average is low cost 5th - 8th week matinee tickets, senior discounts, etc.).  Plus some gas, pay parking in large cities, and if you want to score even a couple of sodas, and a mid-sized popcorn, you've got a $30-35 evening for two people.




But that $35 is what you pay for a night the movies. You're out on the town, you're in the theater, you're with a crowd. At that price, they're asking you to pay for the equivalent of an experience you're not getting.

$35 for a rental is just too much.


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## Alli

When you stop to consider you could get Disney+ for a month for $6.99 and then watch Hamilton a bazillion times, anything over that for a single use watch is too much.


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## DT

Renzatic said:


> But that $35 is what you pay for a night the movies. You're out on the town, you're in the theater, you're with a crowd. At that price, they're asking you to pay for the equivalent of an experience you're not getting.
> 
> $35 for a rental is just too much.




$35 is a bit steep, I said, $25-30, but I'm probably capped at around $25.  The experience at home - for us - is actually better, since we're alcoholics ...


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## DT

Alli said:


> When you stop to consider you could get Disney+ for a month for $6.99 and then watch Hamilton a bazillion times, anything over that for a single use watch is too much.





Speaking of ...

Got a text last night from Daughter, "Hey, put on What did I miss? I need to practice my Jefferson entry ..."


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## Renzatic

D_T said:


> $35 is a bit steep, I said, $25-30, but I'm probably capped at around $25.  The experience at home - for us - is actually better, since we're alcoholics ...




You're not alcoholics, you're hobbyists. If you were real alcoholics, you'd have found a way to bring your 2 liter flask of Jack and coke into the theater with you, and still have room for a few packs of Kit Kats. 

Now, to get back on topic, I'd say about $15 for me. I can understand paying more to rent brand new movies, but there comes a point.


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## Thomas Veil

Renzatic said:


> This is why I think it has promise, but it also has the potential to be edgelordy. I'll keep an eye on it, but I'm gonna wait for the reviews before I commit.



I’m fine with the occasional movie where Gotham City/the world/the entire space-time continuum hangs in the balance...but not _every_ movie for crying out loud.

I’m just as happy to see a movie where Batman is simply stalking a killer and we get to see his detective skills.

And that goes for all superhero movies. Not everything has to be cataclysmic.


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## Huntn

D_T said:


> Average ticket price is over $9, and in many places way more (some of that average is low cost 5th - 8th week matinee tickets, senior discounts, etc.).  Plus some gas, pay parking in large cities, and if you want to score even a couple of sodas, and a mid-sized popcorn, you've got a $30-35 evening for two people.
> 
> Sure, if you bring your own snacks, only do the 5:30p discount showing it might seem a little pricey, but it scales nicely too, i.e., 3 people watching?  Now it's a decent deal.  4?  Now it's a bargain!
> 
> Also, even at that price, you get a period of rental, so 24 or 48 hours, so you can even watch it again, for free.



So will the studios be sharing their windfall with the theaters?


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## DT

Huntn said:


> So will the studios be sharing their windfall with the theaters?




Heck no 

However, one interesting thing that occured semi-recently, is the old agreements that prevented movie companies from owning theaters ended.  So we may see some studio chains, or more likely (if it happens at all ...), studios acquiring existing theater chains.  So your local Regal Cinema could become a Universal Cinema, that shows only Universal owned properties.

The reason they did this back when, was actually to prevent the latter, i.e., having exclusives to a studio theater vs. the open  bidding system that's currently used.


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## Huntn

D_T said:


> Heck no
> 
> However, one interesting thing that occured semi-recently, is the old agreements that prevented movie companies from owning theaters ended.  So we may see some studio chains, or more likely (if it happens at all ...), studios acquiring existing theater chains.  So your local Regal Cinema could become a Universal Cinema, that shows only Universal owned properties.
> 
> The reason they did this back when, was actually to prevent the latter, i.e., having exclusives to a studio theater vs. the open  bidding system that's currently used.



Sounds like a terrible move for customers. We have or had a discount theater nearby, I’d unlikely drive farther to view a  movie I want to see. And it does not seem to make sense from a business perspective to limit the studios whose Movies can appear at your theater.


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## DT

Huntn said:


> And it does not seem to make sense from a business perspective to limit the studios whose Movies can appear at your theater.




It makes sense to the studios, if they also own enough theaters where they can get a wide release, that's also exclusive to their chain.  I mean, if Universal suddenly owned AMC theaters, and they released Fast and Furious XX (hahaha, I have no idea what number their on ...) then they'd make huge bank, and it's not like they're going to make money from the next Marvel release.

Yeah, it maybe be a bad end result for consumers, but it's just a lot of speculation at this point.  What we do know, is theaters are in a dire financial situation.


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## DT

This is a terrific podcast:





__





						The Big Picture - The Ringer
					

The Big Picture on The Ringer




					www.theringer.com
				




I listen to a few from The Ringer, but the [usual] hosts Sean/Amanda, I really like, and in the absence of new movies to discuss, there's been quite a bit of talk about "the state of the industry", which includes theatrical releases (how and when), what theaters are doing, how studios are handling it, etc.

They've also been doing some Top N lists, still doing interviews and whatnot.

It's a really good one if you're into film, including the business of movies as well.

This EP from Aug 4th was very focused on the state of theaters:









						Are Movie Theaters Screwed?
					

Amanda and Sean break down AMC Theaters’ deal with Universal and its impact on the future of the theater industry




					www.theringer.com


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Huntn said:


> Is that what they expect to get for home viewing of new movies? I think the price is unreasonably high and with the theaters out of the picture, represents a windfall.
> Maybe they will get a shock and adjust prices down accordingly. Before the crisis, we typically paid $14 to see a movie at the theater. At home I’m willing to spend about $7 to rent a movie, and $20 to buy it.




The big name straight to VOD movies average about $20, rental only.  You can’t buy until later.   Their thought process probably is you could gather a bunch of people to watch it which after about 1.3  people you’d be paying a lot more total at the theater.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Checked this out.






Horror sci-fi in Russian with English subtitles.   Pretty good with some plot twists that keep it from being a copy of other movies in the genre.


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## Thomas Veil

I saw an old movie that I haven't seen since _film class_. It was called "The Incident", with Martin Sheen and Tony Musante as a couple of sadistic young punks who terrorize people on a subway train. _Good_ film.



Spoiler: A lot of relevance to the time it was made, and now.



When it was filmed, Kitty Genovese had recently been killed in a New York alley. The story goes that 38 people watched or heard it from adjacent apartments...and did nothing to help her, not even call the police.* The story became synonymous with the attitude "I don't want to get involved." Much the same thing happens in this movie, on a smaller scale.

It's relevant to _now_ because when the police finally arrive, the first thing they do is slam the only black guy on the train against a wall. 

* It was revealed later that much of this "indifference" was exaggerated or untrue.


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## DT

@Thomas Veil  check out *The Whimper of Whipped Dogs* by Harlan Ellison


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## Thomas Veil

Whoa. That title was instantly familiar to me. I looked it up and it’s the name of both a short story in Ellison’s anthology “Deathbird Stories” and a TV script published in a non-fiction book of his, “The Glass Teat”.  

It’s been ages since I’ve read either. I _know_ I have the latter and I _think_ I still have the former. I’ll have to check, because that’s probably the one you’re referring to.


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## Alli

D_T said:


> @Thomas Veil  check out *The Whimper of Whipped Dogs* by Harlan Ellison




Anything by Ellison is good. My favorites of his is *A Boy and his Dog*. Brilliant.


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## DT

Alli said:


> Anything by Ellison is good. My favorites of his is *A Boy and his Dog*. Brilliant.




Funny you mention this, I was clearing out a few things from my closet this week and stumbled on my A Boy and His Dog movie poster, not it great shape, but not bad, and an original print from 1975.  I should probably just go ahead and frame it, heck, maybe get some kind of distressed looking frame, kind of go with the apocalyptic theme 

I've read quite a bit of Ellison, even still own quite a bit in print, his essays on writing, movie reviews, most of his speculative fiction, followed his various forays into TV, movies, etc.

I remember when Cameron added the additional bit at the end of the [original] Terminator when it went to video acknowledging the works of HSE (he also got a little comp after the fact, it's a pretty fun story), because he lifted two of Ellison's Outer Limits EPs for the concept.


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## jkcerda

does not look that bad





_This and the post below are merged from another thread because the movie is already under discussion here. --Thomas Veil_


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## Eric

jkcerda said:


> does not look that bad



If he glitters in the sun I'm walking out.


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## Thomas Veil

I doubt there'll be much of anything in the sun. Main complaint so far about the trailer is that it's literally too dark.


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## Edd

The new Wonder Woman trailer still looking good. More of Kristen Wigg here.


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## Thomas Veil

D_T said:


> @Thomas Veil  check out *The Whimper of Whipped Dogs* by Harlan Ellison



I found the book (“Deathbird Stories”) and revisited “Whimper”. TBH it was only after I’d read it all the way through that it felt familiar again. I’m thinking my mind sort of pushed it away. It’s pretty unpleasant. 

As are “Bleeding Stones”, “Paingod” and other stories in that collection. The former is particularly sadistic. That Ellison was a real barrel of laughs. At least in this book.


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## Thomas Veil

Edd70 said:


> The new Wonder Woman trailer still looking good. More of Kristen Wigg here.



That looks really good. Can’t wait to see it. 

I just finished “55 Days at Peking”, about a multinational military effort to put down the Boxer rebellion in China. I almost skipped it because of the B-movie title, but it’s got A-list stars and is a rousing good war story.




For those who’ve seen it, you probably know the little Chinese girl runs away with the movie.


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## Edd

Thomas Veil said:


> That looks really good. Can’t wait to see it.
> 
> I just finished “55 Days at Peking”, about a multinational military effort to put down the Boxer rebellion in China. I almost skipped it because of the B-movie title, but it’s got A-list stars and is a rousing good war story.
> 
> View attachment 253​
> For those who’ve seen it, you probably know the little Chinese girl runs away with the movie.



Did you watch this on YouTube?


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## Thomas Veil

Edd70 said:


> Did you watch this on YouTube?



No, TCM. I actually missed the start but it was engaging enough to keep me watching.


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## Edd

Thomas Veil said:


> No, TCM. I actually missed the start but it was engaging enough to keep me watching.




Weird, I’m not getting a hit on searches for it except YT. I am curious to watch it and will check it out.


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## Thomas Veil

You’re right, it is on YouTube. 

One thing to know: it’s definitely got a pro-colonialism bent, which is not PC nowadays. Still a good film though.


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## lizkat

I had thought I might soon finally watch _*The Goldfinch*_, but made the mistake (or else had the good luck?) to read a couple reviews that convinced me maybe I should start with the book sometime instead, and also possibly hope that someone (Amazon again?) eventually makes a miniseries out of it instead of having tried to jam that particular book into a 2.5 hour film.

Reviews suggest the talent was there on both sides of the cameras but more than a few things went wrong somehow anyway.  It would have been simpler just to start watching the film and bail on it if not holding my interest.  Sometimes I should just resist having a peek at reviews.

Too late now to pop into a movie tonight anyway.   Not too late to prowl around for a different idea for later in the week.  Win some, lose some...


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## Thomas Veil

*"North by Northwest" *(TCM this past weekend)





It's a classic, and that's because it's pretty much perfect in every way.

a wonderful cast (Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Martin Landau)
a great score that is alternately edgy, romantic and frenetic (Bernard Herrmann)
a wide-ranging adventure story, with Grant on the run from traitorous spies who have mistaken him for someone named George Kaplan
comedy--some lines are toss-offs, some are cutting wisecracks, and nobody can deliver them as smoothly as Cary Grant
One of the best if not _the_ best of all of Hitchcock's films.

(Watch for the famous blooper where a gun is fired and a little kid extra in the background, anticipating it, plugs his ears a full second or two before the shot.  )


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## lizkat

A bit late to the plate for a traditional summer re-watch...  but hey, it's still warm outside so I downloaded _*Jaws*_ from HBO Max for this evening's film fare.


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## Eric

lizkat said:


> A bit late to the plate for a traditional summer re-watch...  but hey, it's still warm outside so I downloaded _*Jaws*_ from HBO Max for this evening's film fare.



A true classic here that withstands the test of time IMO. I recently watched as well and it's just great story telling and cinematography, back in the days where they had 'flat' vs 'cinemascope' and Spielberg took it very seriously making for some very dramatic shots.


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## Thomas Veil

I picked that up at a bargain DVD bin, precisely because it's great summer fare.


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## Alli

lizkat said:


> A bit late to the plate for a traditional summer re-watch...  but hey, it's still warm outside so I downloaded _*Jaws*_ from HBO Max for this evening's film fare.




I remember when it came out. Rated R. I had just turned 17, my senior year in high school so I could go see it without dragging the parents along. I went with a friend from school who was only 16. I was her accompanying adult. Mind you, she was 8 months pregnant at the time. There were a few points in the movie where she jumped so high I thought we’d be delivering the baby right there in the theater!


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## Eric

niji said:


> i was looking around amazon Prime for SF films and came across this one.
> radius
> probably fits into the category of ultra low budget films, but i liked it.
> View attachment 458
> nijiRating 4****



Did you happen to catch The Last Black Man in San Francisco? It's on Amazon Prime, excellent movie IMO.


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## Mark

ericgtr12 said:


> Did you happen to catch The Last Black Man in San Francisco? It's on Amazon Prime, excellent movie IMO.




hi
i haven't seen that film yet but thanks to yr advice i looked at the trailer.
just from the trailer you can even see how beautiful the cinematography and storyline of it.
have added it to my wish list.
thanks.


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## JayMysteri0

> https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/616345/


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Watched The Devil All the Time that dropped on Netflix today.  Really good but it can be a rough watch, especially if you are Christian.  Without spoiling anything really I'll just say it showcases Christians doing very unChristian things under the guise of Christianity.  It also kind of reminded me of a Tarantino movie in that there are multiple storylines that tie together in the end.   

I wouldn't really say it's a condemnation of Christianity across the board, but more saying their are bad actors in the faith or people taking their faith to extremes.  However, if you did recommend it as just a good movie to a hardcore Christian I could see how they would see it as an attack on them.


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## Thomas Veil

From what I've read, "Tenet"'s lackluster box office may just as well be due to what many saw as a confusing story. I wouldn't count theaters out yet just because one movie underperformed.


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## Alli

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Watched The Devil All the Time that dropped on Netflix today.  Really good but it can be a rough watch, especially if you are Christian.  Without spoiling anything really I'll just say it showcases Christians doing very unChristian things under the guise of Christianity.  It also kind of reminded me of a Tarantino movie in that there are multiple storylines that tie together in the end.
> 
> I wouldn't really say it's a condemnation of Christianity across the board, but more saying their are bad actors in the faith or people taking their faith to extremes.  However, if you did recommend it as just a good movie to a hardcore Christian I could see how they would see it as an attack on them.




Sounds right up my Alli alley. But my favorite movie is Dogma.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> Sounds right up my Alli alley. But my favorite movie is Dogma.




Love Dogma.  This is much darker.  Look forward to hearing your review.


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## Thomas Veil

To help assuage the stress of RBG's passing, I watched something that was purely entertaining: "Spectre", which I hadn't seen before. I'd DVRed it off of FX and it was sitting there just waiting for me in my time of need.




​Good film, too. I'd seen some reviews that made it sound disappointing. It wasn't.

I've never been a person to use come-on lines with woman, but there was one quip in this movie that I know I'll always remember. It's when Dr. Swann, in a slinky skin-tight dress, notices Bond ogling her:

DR. SWANN
You shouldn't stare.

BOND
You shouldn't look like that.​


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Thomas Veil said:


> To help assuage the stress of RBG's passing, I watched something that was purely entertaining: "Spectre", which I hadn't seen before. I'd DVRed it off of FX and it was sitting there just waiting for me in my time of need.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​Good film, too. I'd seen some reviews that made it sound disappointing. It wasn't.
> 
> I've never been a person to use come-on lines with woman, but there was one quip in this movie that I know I'll always remember. It's when Dr. Swann, in a slinky skin-tight dress, notices Bond ogling her:
> 
> DR. SWANN
> You shouldn't stare.
> 
> BOND
> You shouldn't look like that.​





I've tried doing bond movies but I just can't get into them for some reason.  The best I can say is former bond girl Eva Green is all 72 of my virgins I would gladly detonate myself for.


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## Chew Toy McCoy

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> I've tried doing bond movies but I just can't get into them for some reason.  The best I can say is former bond girl Eva Green is all 72 of my virgins I would gladly detonate myself for.




Just gotta back myself up here.


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## lizkat

Thomas Veil said:


> To help assuage the stress of RBG's passing, I watched something that was purely entertaining: "Spectre", which I hadn't seen before. I'd DVRed it off of FX and it was sitting there just waiting for me in my time of need.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​Good film, too. I'd seen some reviews that made it sound disappointing. It wasn't.
> 
> I've never been a person to use come-on lines with woman, but there was one quip in this movie that I know I'll always remember. It's when Dr. Swann, in a slinky skin-tight dress, notices Bond ogling her:
> 
> DR. SWANN
> You shouldn't stare.
> 
> BOND
> You shouldn't look like that.​




I should give that one a try.  A Bond movie finds its way to me when I strongly crave a pure escape but to something with more flair than say a law'n'order rerun. I want something that's going to draw me in enough so it never crosses my mind to wonder if I've seen it before (even if I have).

I don't run any kind of analyzer on the back burner while watching a Bond movie. There's absolutely no "wow I didn't think this director would script a scene like that" and not even any foodie-type observations like "how the hell do you get a salmon to look like that on the plate I wonder."

No.  I'll just be watching the film bring what it brings.  The downside of that though is that I'm a totally unreliable "reviewer" of a Bond flick.  My reaction at the end of any of them has always been pretty much "I have no clue what happened there but I feel ever so much better now."


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## Thomas Veil

Pretty much how I feel. I just needed something to escape into. 

I do note how much this one tried to be a real spy movie. (I liked “Skyfall” for the same reason.) Some Bond flicks are silly, enjoyable larks, but I like the direction they’ve been taking since Daniel Craig assumed the role.


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## lizkat

*Primary Colors*.  1997.  Not a big fan of Travolta but love this movie.   Emma Thompson and Kathy Bates were great in this, also Billy Bob Thornton hilarious as a lecherous ol' campaign operative trying to get over on a young staffer who delivered a flawless public putdown when he flashed his "python" in a hectic campaign office one day and she looked, let a beat pass and then said she'd never seen one that ...old... before.

( If that was actually a spoiler well gee the movie is a 23 years old, go watch it just for Kathy Bates' performance).

Brit actor Adrian Lester rolls out a revealing and believable portrayal of what it's like to try to manage a presidential campaign for the first time when the pals, operatives and worker bees around the candidate are a pretty typical mix of hangers-on, professsionals and novices... with variously naive, cynical, self-interested and idealistic personalities.  Heady brew, volatile ride, funny / angry / challenging scenes plus a few profoundly moving moments.


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## Edd

lizkat said:


> *Primary Colors*.  1997.  Not a big fan of Travolta but love this movie.   Emma Thompson and Kathy Bates were great in this, also Billy Bob Thornton hilarious as a lecherous ol' campaign operative trying to get over on a young staffer who delivered a flawless public putdown when he flashed his "python" in a hectic campaign office one day and she looked, let a beat pass and then said she'd never seen one that ...old... before.
> 
> ( If that was actually a spoiler well gee the movie is a 23 years old, go watch it just for Kathy Bates' performance).
> 
> Brit actor Adrian Lester rolls out a revealing and believable portrayal of what it's like to try to manage a presidential campaign for the first time when the pals, operatives and worker bees around the candidate are a pretty typical mix of hangers-on, professsionals and novices... with variously naive, cynical, self-interested and idealistic personalities.  Heady brew, volatile ride, funny / angry / challenging scenes plus a few profoundly moving moments.



I’ve always thought Primary Colors was underrated. Some nasty political moves that seem quaint now.

Last night we watched The Quake on Hulu. It’s a Norwegian disaster flick. Think of how Titanic has no action until the midpoint; this is like that only it’s more like the final third. Up until that, it’s decent slow burn drama, well acted and shot. Patient viewing is rewarded because the action parts are quite something.


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## Huntn

Edd70 said:


> I’ve always thought Primary Colors was underrated. Some nasty political moves that seem quaint now.
> 
> Last night we watched The Quake on Hulu. It’s a Norwegian disaster flick. Think of how Titanic has no action until the midpoint; this is like that only it’s more like the final third. Up until that, it’s decent slow burn drama, well acted and shot. Patient viewing is rewarded because the action parts are quite something.



Sounds like tradional disaster movie regarding when the action starts, ie the disaster. However, regarding Titanic, I was thoroughly impressed how this movie captured my interest before the ship gets ripped. I credit Director Cameron with this, a modern day research setting  tying a character to the past.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Why?
https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1313963835519238144/
I have no idea.  It provided jobs I guess-


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> To help assuage the stress of RBG's passing, I watched something that was purely entertaining: "Spectre", which I hadn't seen before. I'd DVRed it off of FX and it was sitting there just waiting for me in my time of need.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​Good film, too. I'd seen some reviews that made it sound disappointing. It wasn't.
> 
> I've never been a person to use come-on lines with woman, but there was one quip in this movie that I know I'll always remember. It's when Dr. Swann, in a slinky skin-tight dress, notices Bond ogling her:
> 
> DR. SWANN
> You shouldn't stare.
> 
> BOND
> You shouldn't look like that.​






lizkat said:


> I should give that one a try.  A Bond movie finds its way to me when I strongly crave a pure escape but to something with more flair than say a law'n'order rerun. I want something that's going to draw me in enough so it never crosses my mind to wonder if I've seen it before (even if I have).
> 
> I don't run any kind of analyzer on the back burner while watching a Bond movie. There's absolutely no "wow I didn't think this director would script a scene like that" and not even any foodie-type observations like "how the hell do you get a salmon to look like that on the plate I wonder."
> 
> No.  I'll just be watching the film bring what it brings.  The downside of that though is that I'm a totally unreliable "reviewer" of a Bond flick.  My reaction at the end of any of them has always been pretty much "I have no clue what happened there but I feel ever so much better now."



I was dissapointed in SPECTRE. Although the movie is fading from my memory, I want to say it seemed like they were trying to recreate the original vibe from the 1960s, but today it seemed out of place at least their execution of it.

If you’re going to give Daniel Craig Bond a try, I’d suggest the two movie combo of  *Casino Royale* (2006), followed by *Quantum of Solace* (2008) where Craig is fresh, pumping new life into the franchise. There is disagreement, but I describe them as the best 2 Bond movies ever with directly linked stories.




Sure it’s impossible to beat Sean Connery’s Bond, the ultimate Bond, and the 60’s Bonds were supreme for their time, today they seem nostalgic, but dated.

Daniel Craig is not a handsome guy (imo), but he brings more heart and physical presence to the Bond series than Connery ever did and Quantum of Solace does an incredible job of evoking the epitome of the 1960s Bond Evil Organization, in Quantum which imo, makes SPECTRE look a bit cartoonish.

Now to be fair, I have been known to change my mind, and should rewatch SPECTRE again.


----------



## Eric

Huntn said:


> I was dissapointed in SPECTRE. Although the movie is fading from my memory, I want to say it seemed like they were trying to recreate the original vibe from the 1960s, but today it seemed out of place at least their execution of it.
> 
> If you’re going to give Daniel Craig Bond a try, I’d suggest the two movie combo of  *Casino Royale* (2006), followed by *Quantum of Solace* (2008) and Craig is fresh, pumping new life into the franchise. There is disagreement, but I describe them as the best 2 Bond movies ever with directly linked stories.
> 
> View attachment 695​
> Sure it’s impossible to beat Sean Connery’s Bond, the ultimate Bond, and the 60’s Bonds were supreme for their time, but today they seem nostalgic, but dated. Daniel Craig is not a handsome guy (imo), but he brings more heart and physical presence to the Bond series than Connery ever did and Quantum of Solace does an incredible job of evoking the epitome of the 1960s Bond Evil Organization. in Quantum which imo, makes SPECTRE look a bit cartoonish.
> 
> Now to be fair, I have been known to change my mind, and should rewatch SPECTRE again.



I think my age plays a role here but the Bond movies of the 60s have withstood the test of time. I would encourage anyone to watch them today, much like Hithcock, a great movie is a great movie. They progressively got cheesier with Roger Moore but they were still good campy fun, I did enjoy the Pierce Brosnan years as they struck a good balance IMO. 

I do like Daniel Craig but the movies have gotten really dark and too serious for me, the spirit of Bond is no longer really there but they're still great action flicks.


----------



## Huntn

ericgtr12 said:


> I think my age plays a role here but the Bond movies of the 60s have withstood the test of time. I would encourage anyone to watch them today, much like Hithcock, a great movie is a great movie. They progressively got cheesier with Roger Moore but they were still good campy fun, I did enjoy the Pierce Brosnan years as they struck a good balance IMO.
> 
> I do like Daniel Craig but the movies have gotten really dark and too serious for me, the spirit of Bond is no longer really there but they're still great action flicks.



Those 2 Craig Bond movies I mentioned are the only ones I really like. *Skyfall*, I can leave, and *SPECTRE* does not register.

I‘d describe the best 1960s Bond film as *From Russia With Love* (1963) maybe because it was the first one I saw at about age 14, it’s not over the top, has that great Bond spy intrigue, and an outstanding fist fight on a train, followed by *Thunderball* (1965). I saw both of these together on a  double header at the theater.


----------



## Eric

Huntn said:


> Those 2 Craig Bond movies I mentioned are the only ones I really like. *Skyfall*, I can leave, and *SPECTRE* does not register.
> 
> I‘d describe the best 1960s Bond film as *From Russia With Love* (1963) maybe because it was the first one I saw at about age 14, it’s not over the top, has that great Bond spy intrigue, and an outstanding fist fight on a train, followed by *Thunderball* (1965). I saw both of these together on a double header at the theater.



Agreed on all counts, I would also add Dr No and You Only Live Twice as my top favorites. TBH there wasn't a single one from that era that I didn't like.


----------



## Alli

Frankly, I’d like to see more Mission Impossible movies. You know from the start that you have to suspend your belief in reality despite the seriousness of the plots.


----------



## Huntn

Alli said:


> Frankly, I’d like to see more Mission Impossible movies. You know from the start that you have to suspend your belief in reality despite the seriousness of the plots.



I can only abide by the first Mission Impossible movie, which I think is quite good.  The second one pissed me off so much, I’ve never recovered, having distinct suspension of disbelief issues when I happen to watch one.


----------



## Eric

Alli said:


> Frankly, I’d like to see more Mission Impossible movies. You know from the start that you have to suspend your belief in reality despite the seriousness of the plots.



Huge fan of the movies, but more so of the original show. I often watch reruns of both that and Columbo, of course these were shows of my childhood but it was quality TV.


----------



## DT

JayMysteri0 said:


> Why?
> https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1313963835519238144/
> I have no idea.  It provided jobs I guess-




This is just batshit crazy fantastic!  Walt Goggins means an automatic watch for us 




Huntn said:


> I can only abide by the first Mission Impossible movie, which I think is quite good.  The second one pissed me off so much, I’ve never recovered, having distinct suspension of disbelief issues when I happen to watch one.




IM2 was tonally so different (and way out of the wheelhouse of most American viewers), I can understand the disdain.  As you know, there was this whole idea of every movie having a different writer/director, and kind of giving them a lot of room within the basic plot construct.

With IM3, they wrangled it back in, with JJA / JJA + Kurtzman, Orci (his long time writing partners), it was a good bit more action-y than IM1, and they setup a great sort of backstory / world which led to the next 3 films.

And those, are some of the best action/spy/thriller movies ever made.  Seriously, they're incredibly good, amazing set pieces, and great continuity both in story and style, MI:GP was directed by Brad Bird, and he just completely changed the action film landscape (interestingly, it was his live action feature directorial debut).

The next 2 (and upcoming 7th film) were all written/directed by Christopher McQuarrie with JJA as an EP, so they've maintained the same energy, and tightly cohesive plot across movies.

McQuarrie has worked with Cruise quite a bit, writer for Valkyrie, as well as the superlative sci-fi action film, Edge Of Tomorrow (very highly recommended).


----------



## Alli

ericgtr12 said:


> Huge fan of the movies, but more so of the original show. I often watch reruns of both that and Columbo, of course these were shows of my childhood but it was quality TV.



Did you watch the tv series Leverage too? Very MI like. Great show.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Yesterday afternoon I fired up the DVR and watched "The Invisible Man".




It was one of the scariest movies I've seen in awhile. Although a couple of scenes are gruesome, it's not _particularly_ gory. All the suspense is generated from not knowing where the psycho invisible husband is or what he'll do next. (He's stalking Elizabeth Moss.) It's not just the physical torture this sick **** is putting her though, it's the psychological stuff as well.

The end of the movie features not one but _two_ twists, which is a pretty good trick when you can pull it off.

Also, it's thankfully not special effects laden. There are a couple of wonderfully creepy scenes where (1) Elizabeth Moss is hurled around the room by invisible hands, and (2) the baddie _is_ seen. To tell more would be to ruin it, but in general this is one of those movies where less is more.

It's also one of those where I don't mind changes to the source material. With the exception of its bare-bones underlying concept, it bears _no_ resemblance to the H. G. Wells novel, and that's okay. It's more like an entirely new imagining.

Edited to replace broken image.


----------



## Arkitect

Last night's entertainment:

*The Conjuring*
What is it with people who live in haunted houses? Why do they stay?
Speaking for myself, it'll take just one or two unnatural events — invisible slaps across my face. Apparitions in the mirrors and I'd be packing faster than you could say "poltergeist!"
I probably wouldn't make a good film.

This was very watchable. All the  horror clichés we have come to expect and love.







*The Highwaymen*
Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson





Based on the "true" story of the hunt for Bonnie and Clyde.
Since the Bonnie and Clyde myth is so well known it was good to see them almost as incidental walk ons (drive bys more) and not the main characters.
Two good performances by the leads (neither of them on my list of favourite actors).

The ending was quite poignant actually — even though bloodily realistic — Bonnie and Clyde caught in the car, not even trying to fight back, just knowing that their time had finally come.


----------



## Edd

The Social Dilemma on Netflix. For the first 20 minutes I’m thinking that this documentary isn’t telling me anything I don’t know but it’s worth finishing.
It gives me a glimmer of hope that we’re talking about this, at least.


----------



## lizkat

Edd70 said:


> The Social Dilemma on Netflix. For the first 20 minutes I’m thinking that this documentary isn’t telling me anything I don’t know but it’s worth finishing.
> It gives me a glimmer of hope that we’re talking about this, at least.




I have mixed feelings about that Netflix offering.   The topic of overall (and detailed) impact of social media on us all is extremely important but somehow a kind of reality TV presentation was not what I actually expected and it began to annoy me as it progressed.   Haven't finished watching it.  Trying to make time for it though.


----------



## Huntn

*The Lie* (2018 Prime Movies)- Watch this if you want to get pissed off. A teen kills her friend and the parents cover for her with a twist.


----------



## Alli

Huntn said:


> *The Lie* (2018 Prime Movies)- Watch this if you want to get pissed off. A teen kills her friend and the parents cover for her with a twist.
> 
> View attachment 788​



We’re living in 2020. We have plenty of reasons to be pissed off already. Why would we need another reason?!


----------



## Edd

Trial of the Chicago 7 on Netflix. I liked it, while aware of Sorkin’s flaws. I didn’t notice characters repeating dialogue back and forth which is an improvement. They must have edited that stuff out. 

Many years ago, HBO produced a version of this story in play form, which I watched over and over.


----------



## Huntn

*Captain America: The First Avenger* (2011)- The first movie in The Marvel Infinity Stone Saga. Johan Schmitt head off Hydra locates the Tesseract in a church in Norway. The product of genetic engineering, Captain America fights Hydra the scientific division of Hitler’s Army in WWII.


​


----------



## Eric

We've been watching the Alien movies again, they all go down hill after 1 and 2 but still fun.


----------



## Huntn

ericgtr12 said:


> We've been watching the Alien movies again, they all go down hill after 1 and 2 but still fun.



I can only watch 1,2 & 5. In my book 3,4 & 6 are unworthy.


----------



## Huntn

Since I just read the book, we rewatched *Red Sparrow* (2018) and it’s actually better than the book concerning a primary plot element that they knew would surprise all those who had read the book.  Thumbs up!


One vital aspect of the character is her ability to see most things in swirling colors in her world including the intent and honesty of people which is just fleetingly referenced in the movie.

My critique of the movie is that the story is more compressed and the 2 primary characters don’t feel like they have the same connection as in the book, which is not uncommon.  The Swan episode was richer, not rushed as in the movie.The evil character feels much more evil in the book, and the fight in the book between him and them is correagraphed completely differently, with me preferring the book fight.

​


----------



## Huntn

*Overlord* (2018)- WWII/horror story about a mission to knock out a German radio tower on D-Day and the soldiers on the mission discover a lab experimenting to make super soldiers, but the formula (to make the the soldiers) and the screenplay needs some work. Starts off like a traditional WWII feeling movie, gets very (holy crap) energetic, and then slides into the horror genre. No desire to see this again.

​


----------



## Mark

*1913: Seeds of Conflict (PBS) *


> *"Looks at the moment of transformation when Ottoman rule in Palestine was still strong, the identities of Jerusalemites were fluid, and few could imagine the conflict that would dominate the region for the next century. Until now, scholars have focused on the British Mandate as the matchstick of the Middle East conflict. Breaking new ground, this film focuses on the moment when Arab and Jewish nationalism first made contact, and the seeds of conflict were first sewn."*



*








						1913: Seeds of Conflict | PBS
					

Explore an overlooked moment in pre-WWI Palestine when people's identities overlapped, and Jewish, Muslim, and Christian communities intermingled freely. Few could contemplate the conflict that would engulf their region for the next century.




					www.pbs.org
				



*


----------



## Huntn

​
*Captain Marvel *(2019)- Working my way back though the Marvel Infinity Stone Saga. I designated this as the 2nd movie in this saga.
This movie is so good because of:

The Kree-Skrull conflict.
A Human interest, Skrull interest story of suffering and hope.
The misdirection and discovery in this story
The self discovery of the possession of pure power.
The origins and source of the Avengers name and the Avengers Initiative.
A young Nick Fury and Agent Coulson digitally created.
The creation of the most powerful Avenger, someone so powerful only a being equipped with one or more Infinity Stones could beat her.
*My desire: * To see the showdown between Kree, The Supreme Intelligence and Captain Marvel. It should be no contest.


----------



## Mark

*Vertigo *
1958 (Alfred Hitchcock)
Kim Novak
James Stewart 


Breathtaking architecture and city scape scenes from 1950's San Francisco. Extraordinary low light filming sequences that are true cinematic art. Unexpected plot development. Period furniture and clothing ( of course by Edith Head).


----------



## Thomas Veil

It occurs to me that this time of year I’m normally watching a _lot_ of horror movies, but this year the election and coronavirus seem to have sucked all the air out of the room. I just haven’t had the same interest. 

@niji, I like your “popcorn rating”. We should all do that. Is four boxes your top rating, or five?


----------



## Mark

Thomas Veil said:


> It occurs to me that this time of year I’m normally watching a _lot_ of horror movies, but this year the election and coronavirus seem to have sucked all the air out of the room. I just haven’t had the same interest.
> 
> @niji, I like your “popcorn rating”. We should all do that. Is four boxes your top rating, or five?





hi @Thomas Veil
thanks so much!!!!

my rating system:

1 through 5

 there is no redeeming value to the film. not even the value of seeing a a terrible film and hating it. there is simply *no value at all*


 it was a waste of time. no enjoyment or horror or love or emotion or rejection. *simply a poor film that wastes your time*.


 i found it *mundane*. not something that i would ever want to see again.* i didn't learn or feel anything or much of anything.*


 *a good film that i enjoyed. 


  its nearly perfect. moved me emotionally. made me reflect. made me a wiser person. a keeper. *

in this category of 5 Popcorn Boxes , i put a film such as



The above film is (in English called)
*The Sense of an Ending*
2017 Ritesh Batra (Director)
Charlotte Rampling
Jim Broadbent

This is a film that all married persons over the age of 45 should see.  Its about how we can live with each other but not know each other, and about spousal perseverance - in this case, of the wife.


Spoiler: ending scene



the last scene, wordless, is amazing in its poignancy.



I have long been a great fan of anything Charlotte Rampling is in. She picks her roles very well.


----------



## Huntn

*Thor* (2011)

​

I list this as movie No.3 in sequence of Marvel’s Infinity Stone Saga, but No.1 in story, (if you like this genre), one of the best that mixes modern day New Mexico with half the movie splendidly delving into Norse Mythology. These days CGI is so good, you know it’s not real but it looks real, so then you can wonder how much of it is real?

The town of Puente Antiguo was a set built on a movie ranch. I remember the first time I watched it, wondering how they got away with so much destruction in these people’s town, which in many cases were practical effects.


----------



## Edd

Huntn said:


> *Thor* (2011)
> 
> View attachment 1044​
> 
> I list this as movie No.3 in sequence of Marvel’s Infinity Stone Saga, but No.1 in story, (if you like this genre), one of the best that mixes modern day New Mexico with half the movie splendidly delving into Norse Mythology. These days CGI is so good, you know it’s not real but it looks real, so then you can wonder how much of it is real?
> 
> The town of Puente Antiguo was a set built on a movie ranch. I remember the first time I watched it, wondering how they got away with so much destruction in these people’s town, which in many cases were practical effects.



Wow, you are ranking that very high. Branagh did a great job putting out a film with an inherently boring character. It was better than it deserved to be (and certainly superior to Thor 2) but it’d likely be in the double digits if I’m ranking.


----------



## Huntn

Edd70 said:


> Wow, you are ranking that very high. Branagh did a great job putting out a film with an inherently boring character. It was better than it deserved to be (and certainly superior to Thor 2) but it’d likely be in the double digits if I’m ranking.



You disagreement is registered.  As a gage, how do you feel about super hero movies in general? What do you qualify as top notch In this genre?

My requirements for super hero movies might not mesh with more serious fare, but if it makes any difference, this is both an entertainment rating and a rating within the spectrum of Marvel’s Infinity Stone Saga as I coined it.

I thoroughly and completely enjoy this story and don’t find anything boring about Thor or the supporting characters. My wife loves it too, without having to talk her into it.


----------



## Edd

I love the MCU. What they’ve pulled off is remarkable, especially since I’d consider several of them to be great. The fight for top 3 for me is between 5 of the films (Cap 2, Avengers 1, 3 and 4) and Ragnorok.

They changed Thor as they went. During Thor 1 they sure as shit had no plan to make him funny. They were lucky Waititi came along and Hemsworth has good comedic chops. Ragnorok is kind of a miracle.

Wasn’t trying to be confrontational, I’m obviously interested in the topic.


----------



## Huntn

Edd70 said:


> I love the MCU. What they’ve pulled off is remarkable, especially since I’d consider several of them to be great. The fight for top 3 for me is between 5 of the films (Cap 2, Avengers 1, 3 and 4) and Ragnorok.
> 
> They changed Thor as they went. During Thor 1 they sure as shit had no plan to make him funny. They were lucky Waititi came along and Hemsworth has good comedic chops. Ragnorok is kind of a miracle.
> 
> Wasn’t trying to be confrontational, I’m obviously interested in the topic.



No problem at all. 

If you remember in Thor there was a series of comic events, him being hit by Jane’s van twice, being tased, him being injected in the hospital, and smashing his coffee cup on the ground to demand another and Jane counciling him not to smash, along with Darcy volunteering to give him CPR.

The high points in this movie for myself, was the portrayal of the Ice Giants, Thor gaining perspective after being banned and reduced to mortal, very conflicted Loki, the onscreen power and presence of Antony Hopkins (Odin), Idris Elba (Heimdal)  and especially Natalie Portman who was electric, lighting up every scene she was in. It’s one of the best examples, maybe a crush too , but of where I became suddenly aware of the power of an actor to rule on screen. There is nothing about this movie I can say is boring, but can accept disagreements. 

Off the top of my head,  I can watch them all, but I rank the following MCU films as favorites in no particular order:

Thor
Thor: Ragnarok
Guardians of the Galaxy 1&2
Avengers Infinity War
Spider-Man 1&2
X-Men 1&2


----------



## Huntn

*Thor: The Dark World* (2013)- Infinity Stone movie No.5. I liked Thor/Loki/Jane interaction, but the story was just ok. It did lead to *Thor:Ragnarok*. 

*Captain America: The Winter Soldier* (2014)- Infinity Stone movie No.6 featuring Shield, Hydra, minus the Infinitu Stone, featuring Capt America’s best buddy. Good story!


----------



## Huntn

*Galaxy Quest *(1999)- Love this movie! Includes a PG rated inter-species sex scene with suggestive noises. Gwen Demarco: _Why does it always have to be ducts?!_ 

​


----------



## Eric

Huntn said:


> *Galaxy Quest *(1999)- Love this movie! Includes a PG rated inter-species sex scene with suggestive noises. Gwen Demarco: _Why does it always have to be ducts?!_
> 
> View attachment 1103​



Such a great movie, a lot of fun.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Huntn said:


> Gwen Demarco: _Why does it always have to be ducts?!_



She must have watched _Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea_. They did that gag like every other week.


----------



## Thomas Veil

I'll be surprised if anybody remembers this one.




​It has _absolutely nothing_ to do with James Bond. It's a two hour pilot for a supernatural series from Gene Roddenberry. For its era it was pretty good, I thought. Too bad it never became a series.

Robert Culp, Gig Young, John Hurt
Directed by Clive Donner
YouTube (unofficial)

On the niji scale:   Hardly a work of art, just pleasantly entertaining.


----------



## Mark

Thomas Veil said:


> I'll be surprised if anybody remembers this one.
> 
> View attachment 1109​It has _absolutely nothing_ to do with James Bond. It's a two hour pilot for a supernatural series from Gene Roddenberry. For its era it was pretty good, I thought. Too bad it never became a series.
> 
> Robert Culp, Gig Young, John Hurt
> Directed by Clive Donner
> YouTube (unofficial)
> 
> On the niji scale:   Hardly a work of art, just pleasantly entertaining.




hi @Thomas Veil i will look forward to seeing spectre. thanks!!!


----------



## Huntn

*Pan’s Labyrinth* (2006)- 91% RTAS. I saw this in the theater. What an outstanding story, fantasy mingles with the brutality of the Spanish Civil War with a real human villain. Three Academy Awards. In Spanish with sub-titles.


----------



## Huntn

*Avengers: Age of Ultron *(2015)- 83% RTAS. The Mind Stone, Black Widow, Capt America, Hawkeye, The Hulk, Iron Man, Quick Silver, Scarlet Witch, Thor, and Vision. The best Hulk- Big Iron Man fight.  I liked it.



Spoiler



It’s too bad they made Quick Silver a one movie character.

Where did this AI found in Loki’s sceptre, that he got from Thanos/The Others come from? Now granted it could be that this was much more than Tony Stark realized it could be and it surprised him, but the whole idea of _oh look an alien AI, let’s use it for something, _instead of studying it for 10 years, seemed a bit rushed. Now it can argued, Tony got in over his head, not realizing the abilities of this AI program.



​


----------



## Edd

Watched 4 Weddings and a Funeral last night after not seeing it for many years. I was kind of blown away at how good it was. Performances, dialogue, cinematography, just a really solid film.


----------



## Huntn

*Ant Man *(2015)- Dr Pym, the Pym Particle, Dr Pym used to work for Stark Industries, but he did not want to unleash this dangerous technology on the world.  An excellent story, with humor featuring in passing Howard Stark, Falcon, Shield, and Hydra.

​


----------



## Huntn

*Captain America: Civil War *(2016)- Avengers have to deal with governments who want to put them on a short chain, and by the title you can presume they are not all on the same page, a kick ass Avenger vs Avenger fight. Ant Man, Black Panther, Black Widow, Bucky (Winter Soldier), Captain America, Falcon, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Raven, Rhoady, Spiderman, and Vision. Bucky continues to be manipulated as Captain America seeks to rehabilitate him with the help of Raven, Scarlett Witch, Hawkeye, and Ant Man. Post credit scene:


----------



## Edd

Huntn said:


> *Captain America: Civil War *(2016)- Avengers have to deal with governments who want to put them on a short chain, and by the title you can presume they are not all on the same page, a kick ass Avenger vs Avenger fight. Ant Man, Black Panther, Black Widow, Bucky (Winter Soldier), Captain America, Falcon, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Raven, Rhoady, Spiderman, and Vision. Bucky continues to be manipulated as Captain America seeks to rehabilitate him with the help of Raven, Scarlett Witch, Hawkeye, and Ant Man. Post credit scene:



Probably belongs in the top 5. In a way, it became the best Avengers film until Infinity War. Having the ending be small scale was very smart, particularly after the airport scene. The Russos outdid themselves with each film.

So, you’re watching them all? You may have said that earlier and I missed it.


----------



## Edd

Snowden, on Netflix. It’s a good watch, and restrained for an Oliver Stone film. I’m torn on what to do with Snowden. I’m wondering if Obama addresses him in his new book.


----------



## Huntn

Edd70 said:


> Probably belongs in the top 5. In a way, it became the best Avengers film until Infinity War. Having the ending be small scale was very smart, particularly after the airport scene. The Russos outdid themselves with each film.
> 
> So, you’re watching them all? You may have said that earlier and I missed it.



Yes, we are going down the list. As a matter of fact Just watched  *Dr Strange* (2016) and Benidict Cumberbatch does an excellent job portraying egotistical Dr. Strange as he saves the world. 

Btw, have you seen my thread at the other site:  *The Marvel’s  Avengers Infinity Stone Saga*? Possibly more info than you want to know.  I just updated the description for Dr. Strange.


----------



## Alli

Had some time yesterday, and since HBO added The Dead Don’t Die, I gave it a watch. Interesting movie with an amazing cast. More movies should end that way.


----------



## Joe

Bad Teacher on Netflix.  I crack up every time


----------



## Thomas Veil

Alli said:


> Had some time yesterday, and since HBO added The Dead Don’t Die, I gave it a watch. Interesting movie with an amazing cast. More movies should end that way.



I just got through watching that!

Yeah, great cast...and a _really_ strange, understated sense of humor.


----------



## Huntn

*Guardians of the Galaxy 2-* One of my favorite Marvel, Infinity Stone related stories. Great story, laugh out loud humor, actually emotionally touching, great music, and incredible clean cut CGI visuals. The opening sequence, the choreography that mixes the fight against an inter-dimensional beast for the Sovereign, visuals, music, with little dancing Groot in the middle of it is an impressive sight... if you are into it.  

​


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Huntn said:


> *Pan’s Labyrinth* (2006)- 91% RTAS. I saw this in the theater. What an outstanding story, fantasy mingles with the brutality of the Spanish Civil War with a real human villain. Three Academy Awards. In Spanish with sub-titles.
> 
> View attachment 1187​



Love that movie and am a big del Toro fan.  Seriously bummed Antlers is still delayed because of COVID.

This is a limited edition book signed by del Toro on behind the scenes and making of Crimson Peak I have.


----------



## Huntn

*Thor: Ragnarok *(2017)- In the top 5 Infinity Stone movies. in the top 2 Marvel franchises, imo.

​


----------



## Edd

Huntn said:


> *Guardians of the Galaxy 2-* One of my favorite Marvel, Infinity Stone related stories. Great story, laugh out loud humor, actually emotionally touching, great music, and incredible clean cut CGI visuals. The opening sequence, the choreography that mixes the fight against an inter-dimensional beast for the Sovereign, visuals, music, with little dancing Groot in the middle of it is an impressive sight... if you are into it.
> 
> View attachment 1398​



Like the film. My favorite scene is the funeral with Father and Son playing. Introducing Cat Stevens to young people is a public service.


----------



## Thomas Veil

​"Diabolique", an old classic I've always meant to see and finally did. It was slow-moving by modern standards but nicely suspenseful.



Spoiler: One plot twist I figured out, and one which I never expected...



About the time Christina is awakened by someone prowling around the school at night, I put it together. The mistress had left, leaving Christina alone. And it'd already been established that Christina had a weak constitution. _I'll bet the husband is still alive and this is a plot he's been working on with the mistress to get her money and run off together. _Sure enough...

The one I wasn't expecting was a shabbily-dressed cop who asks a lot of "innocent" questions that make the killer(s) nervous. That (understandably) never appeared in any of the plot descriptions I'd read. But once he showed up I quickly ended up thinking, _that's gotta be where they got the idea for _Columbo. Sure enough...

I don't give myself any real credit for guessing the ending, though. The plot has been copied by everybody from _Scooby-Doo_ to a dozen 1970s _Movie of the Week_ variants. So no great brilliance on my part.


----------



## Huntn

*Treasure Island* (1990)- I love this version with Oliver Reed, Christopher Lee, Charlton Heston and a young Christian Bale. Surprising the latest version of this movie sold was low quality DVD burned from VHS, terrible picture quality, that is until Amazon came up with and rents/sell a high def version for online viewing, acceptable quality for large screen TVs.









						Arrr, Matey!  The Origins of the Pirate Accent
					

Ask people to imitate a pirate, and they instinctually adopt the “pirate accent” immortalized in film and television. This unique brogue is renowned for it’s strong “r&#8221…



					dialectblog.com
				




Bounty II built in 1960, sunk in 2012 Hurricane Sandy.








						Bounty (1960 ship) - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org
				





​


----------



## Mark

*Every Thing Will Be Fine*  (Wim Wenders, Director) 2015
James Franco
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Marie-Josée Croze
Robert Naylor







My take away from this film:
Although we are sometimes by ourselves or with others, we are always alone.
One way to overcome the loneliness is to face your fears and grow to new identities.
NB: Although I give it a 5, you really need to be a Wim Wenders fan to appreciate this film.


----------



## Huntn

*Planes, Trains, and Automobiles* (1987)- Good Thanksgiving comedy.


----------



## Gutwrench

I watched The Notebook yesterday. No nudity or violence but still a pleasant show.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> *Planes, Trains, and Automobiles* (1987)- Good Thanksgiving comedy.




So good, an all time classic.  We've got it on deck to watch today   Really classic Thanksgiving movies are few-and-far-between.

I have one for the horror aficionados:

*Pilgrim 2019*

So a couple of years ago, Hulu, with Blumhouse, started making these monthly horror films as their Into the Dark series, they're themed to the month (i.e., the November release was Thanksgiving)

This one is pretty fantastic.  It's dark, subversive, a bit gory, funny - it's terrifically acted (especially the lead, umm, Pilgrim), has stellar production values, including all the pre-post movie credit production.  I won't give too much away, I'll just use the IMDB synopsis:

*A woman invites re-enactors to produce an authentic first Thanksgiving for her family and friends. However, things take an unexpected turn when the actors refuse to break character.*


----------



## lizkat

Boston Globe columnist published a list of other than "top 10 America!" films to consider...  some off the beaten track stuff, might check one of them out, the ones he picked are on assorted streaming platforms.

I'd put the link but it's paywalled, so...   their loss is yours too.    OK so here it is anyway in case you've a way around. 









						‘The Crown’s Gambit’? ‘The Queen’? Whatever. Watch these 10 recent movies instead - The Boston Globe
					

As I’ve adjusted to this year’s release upheavals, I’ve come across plenty of good films. Here are 10.




					www.bostonglobe.com


----------



## DT

lizkat said:


> Boston Globe columnist published a list of other than "top 10 America!" films to consider...  some off the beaten track stuff, might check one of them out, the ones he picked are on assorted streaming platforms.
> 
> I'd put the link but it's paywalled, so...   their loss is yours too.    OK so here it is anyway in case you've a way around.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ‘The Crown’s Gambit’? ‘The Queen’? Whatever. Watch these 10 recent movies instead - The Boston Globe
> 
> 
> As I’ve adjusted to this year’s release upheavals, I’ve come across plenty of good films. Here are 10.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.bostonglobe.com


----------



## lizkat

^^   a stretch on fair use but hey... _"better you than me"_...


----------



## DT

lizkat said:


> ^^   a stretch on fair use but hey... _"better you than me"_...




Hahaha, yeah, I guess, I mean, it's super easy to do, it only required a built-in browser feature   Heck, NYT and several sources are accessible if you use incognito/private mode.

OK, now I feel bad ... purging.


----------



## lizkat

DT said:


> Hahaha, yeah, I guess, I mean, it's super easy to do, it only required a built-in browser feature   Heck, NYT and several sources are accessible if you use incognito/private mode.
> 
> OK, now I feel bad ... purging.




The funniest thing about that piece was its typical range of subscriber comments on anything today --  from approximately "gee thanks so much gonna check out some of these films" to "seriously the paper bothered to print this list?" I've always wondered how much American online comment in newspapers was focused on the piece itself and how much was "oh yeah?" reaction to the first comment another commenter noticed.  

To your effort, my comment and your retracted PDF file:    I think newspapers and other online sites that do have paywalls should think harder about what they stick behind that paywall.  I realize we're way beyond imagining that papers are in business as a public service,  but surely --and maybe especially during the season of coronavirus constraining our entertainment options-- there's a sweet spot between 0 and 10 free looks where a paper potentially picks up more business than it deters by popping up a wall for registration / subscription.    I mean there's always the chance someone clicks on a well placed ad near some piece about books, movies, live-streamed entertainment etc.  

Anyway to get back to thread,  I must confess that despite best intentions to check out some *movie* off that list,  I ended up watching another episode of the *TV serie*s _Succession_.  

Ironically, the piece I had read in the Boston Globe had started off suggesting skipping latest hype on assorted TV series and getting back to some movie watching, hence its list.

What can I say.  I too have fallen into habit during covid-19 of queuing up a list of TV series to explore rather than films I mean to watch.  Not sure if it's a shortening attention span during the pre-winter-solstice.  Might be that once I find a tolerable series, it's easier to watch part of an episode and skip to next one, than to get 20 minutes into a movie, not care for it and then have to do more than  just "click to next episode" to move on with the evening's screened entertainment. 

So I might be getting as lazy as all the streaming platforms offering up dreadful TV series have hoped I would become.


----------



## Huntn

*Lucy* (2014)- Unlocking the potential of the human brain. Luc Besson takes this premise and runs with it, exciting, creative, visually intriguing and impressive. The only critique I’ve heard is that they could have done more at the end based on Lucy’s abilities, but with a character who is basically omnipotent, it can’t be just a straight up fight, because there would be no fight. It requires a different approach.

​


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> *Lucy* (2014)- Unlocking the potential of the human brain. Luc Besson takes this premise and runs with it, exciting, creative, visually intriguing and impressive. The only critique I’ve heard is that they could have done more at the end based on Lucy’s abilities, but with a character who is basically omnipotent, it can’t be just a straight up fight, because there would be no fight. It requires a different approach.
> 
> View attachment 1588​




I know the basic premise is scientifically refuted (i.e., the "_10 percent of the brain_" myth), but I really like this movie, especially when it gets into the more abstract, when she becomes all things, how she experiences time, place, the idea that as part of the greater whole we're as much Australopithecus as we are some future being that can manipulate matter, move freely through time and space.


----------



## thekev

DT said:


> $35 is a bit steep, I said, $25-30, but I'm probably capped at around $25.  The experience at home - for us - is actually better, since we're alcoholics ...




Just tell people that alcohol fuels your circuits.



DT said:


> I know the basic premise is scientifically refuted (i.e., the "_10 percent of the brain_" myth), but I really like this movie, especially when it gets into the more abstract, when she becomes all things, how she experiences time, place, the idea that as part of the greater whole we're as much Australopithecus as we are some future being that can manipulate matter, move freely through time and space.




The 10% myth has lived far too long.


----------



## User.45

thekev said:


> Just tell people that alcohol fuels your circuits.
> 
> 
> 
> The 10% myth has lived far too long.



I've seen people use 100% of their brain. It's called an epileptic seizure and is generally considered unhealthy.
Jokes aside, yeah it's such a stupid myth. I'd say the brain's networks are way more plastic than even neurologists are trained to believe. There's a concept called hodotopism, which means that even though primary cortex like speech centers (e.g. Broca's area) work like a server park, slow insults allow the server park to be moved (hodos stands for wandering). So yeah, the network is more flexible than what many believe but it doesn't mean it's not used the best way it can be.


----------



## DT

I use 97% of my ass.


----------



## DT

We've already start tapping into Christmas movies, and shows, the latter, we ran a playlist from Hulu, had a bunch of seasonal EPs from Bob's, Seinfeld.

We opened up the season - albeit, slightly early - with Elf


----------



## thekev

DT said:


> I use 97% of my ass.




which is 42% titanium?


----------



## Huntn

*Mad Max Fury Road *(2015)- Basic, but good story which offers the premise for a 70 minute amazingly choreographed visual spectacle of bad ass vehicles and action.

​
Wikepedia quote:
_The film was praised by critics for its screenplay, Miller's direction, action sequences, score, cinematography, editing, costume design, visuals, and the performances of the cast, particularly Hardy and Theron. Considered one of the greatest action films of all time and one of the best of the 2010s, Fury Road won multiple directing and technical achievements, and received ten Academy Award nominations at the 88th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won the most awards of the ceremony with six awards for Costume Design, Production Design, Makeup and Hairstyling,_


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> I know the basic premise is scientifically refuted (i.e., the "_10 percent of the brain_" myth), but I really like this movie, especially when it gets into the more abstract, when she becomes all things, how she experiences time, place, the idea that as part of the greater whole we're as much Australopithecus as we are some future being that can manipulate matter, move freely through time and space.



I really did not know... but I still like this movie too. 





__





						True or False: We Only Use 10% of Our Brains
					

For centuries, psychics, clairvoyants, and other psuedo-scientific charlatans have touted their own extraordinary perceptive powers by saying that ordinary people ...



					www.disorders.org


----------



## User.45

thekev said:


> which is 42% titanium?



I just accidentally rewatched the episode. You were 2% off (40% titanium), I'm no less impressed though. 
It was also an episode on elections and dude it was hilarious.


----------



## thekev

PearsonX said:


> I just accidentally rewatched the episode. You were 2% off (40% titanium), I'm no less impressed though.
> It was also an episode on elections and dude it was hilarious.




I know. It was close enough, aaaannnddd...


----------



## Thomas Veil

I couldn't point out why, but I've been on a Dracula kick lately.

I started with Hammer's "Dracula, Prince of Darkness" ---- and then graduated to not one, not two, but _three_ different versions of the original tale.

The first one is a BBC production, "Count Dracula", with Louis Jourdan in the title role, that first aired in (I think) the 1980s. It was good but technologically primitive.  (YouTube)

​
The second was the Frank Langella film. It's a better, more expansive movie marred only by the fact that it dispenses with the _entire_ beginning of the story involving Jonathan Harker's trip to Transylvania. For me that's the best part of the story.  (DVD)

Last was one made for CBS some years ago by no less than Dan Curtis, in which Jack Palance played a highly menacing Dracula. It too is a great telling of the story. Surprisingly I wasn't put off by the fact that Curtis borrowed some of his motifs from _Dark Shadows, _including Lucy being Dracula's reincarnated love, with her own music box theme even. I had this version on DVD, but it's somewhat muddy. Amazon's edition, however, is magnificently restored, and unlike the TV version this is _wide screen_. It looks freaking gorgeous.  (Amazon Prime)

​
I think I'm drawn to these because despite the holiday, these are dark days, both literally and figuratively, and somber horror seems to fit my mood.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> I couldn't point out why, but I've been on a Dracula kick lately.
> 
> I started with Hammer's "Dracula, Prince of Darkness" ---- and then graduated to not one, not two, but _three_ different versions of the original tale.
> 
> The first one is a BBC production, "Count Dracula", with Louis Jourdan in the title role, that first aired in (I think) the 1980s. It was good but technologically primitive.  (YouTube)
> 
> View attachment 1633​
> The second was the Frank Langella film. It's a better, more expansive movie marred only by the fact that it dispenses with the _entire_ beginning of the story involving Jonathan Harker's trip to Transylvania. For me that's the best part of the story.  (DVD)
> 
> Last was one made for CBS some years ago by no less than Dan Curtis, in which Jack Palance played a highly menacing Dracula. It too is a great telling of the story. Surprisingly I wasn't put off by the fact that Curtis borrowed some of his motifs from _Dark Shadows, _including Lucy being Dracula's reincarnated love, with her own music box theme even. I had this version on DVD, but it's somewhat muddy. Amazon's edition, however, is magnificently restored, and unlike the TV version this is _wide screen_. It looks freaking gorgeous.  (Amazon Prime)
> 
> View attachment 1634​
> I think I'm drawn to these because despite the holiday, these are dark days, both literally and figuratively, and somber horror seems to fit my mood.



I don’t remember seeing a Dracula movie I liked. As a young student, either elementary or junior high, I stumbled across Dracula, the novel and thought it was a great read and I like Salem’s Lot.


----------



## lizkat

JayMysteri0 said:


> It's coming.  The question is, are you willing to risk it going to see it?




In a bricks and mortar theatre?   Uh, no way...

So...  who here has actually seen* Tenet*?   Apparently the digital formats will become available on December 15th in the USA,  but not streaming yet.   That might first be via HBOMax (since AT&T owns Warner which holds the exhibition rights) but not until sometime in early spring of 2021...  unless of course the various digital download price points end up being over the top. 

I don't regard my following comments and couple of quotes about _*Tenet*_ as at all a spoiler, since much has been written about this film by reviewers in traditional and online media.  But quit scrolling down now if you think you'd be put off by even a hint of what anyone has actually seen of this movie.

OF COURSE I have wanted to know what this Nolan film was all about.  So of course I slid 'film review "Tenet"'  into a search engine and lazily picked one from the New York Times because I was probably already logged into that site.

I do very much like Jessica Kiang's writing and her eye for detail in a film review, but nothing particularly leaped out from my scroll through the piece until I hit the bit quoted below. It became clear that Kiang had watched this movie while paying close attention to something besides the action and editing thereof, both of which likely received all due respect.



> “Tenet” operates on a physiological level, in the stomach-pit rumbles of Ludwig Goransson’s score, and the dilated-pupil responses to Hoyte van Hoytema’s cinematography, which delivers the same magnificence whether observing a narratively superfluous catamaran race, or the nap and weave of Jeffrey Kurland’s immaculately creaseless costumes. Seriously, the most mind-boggling aspect of “Tenet” might be the ironing budget.




Wow. An ironing budget.  Who knew?  Modern filmmaking boggles the mind.  

It was while watching credits roll for some blockbuster --in case they were interspersed with amusing outtakes or whatever-- that I first realized there are film production jobs behind scenes that one can routinely do around the house for north of 50 years for zero credit, plenty of exercise and damn paltry pay... exactly the same as at film studios, a friend in the business (a costume fabric buyer) hastened to say, and not in a joking manner.

Anyway, for those having seen _*Tenet*_ so far in a theatre,  given my not being a fan of action flicks in general, will it be worth the watch when it hits the streaming platforms?   

I like spy novels and some thrillers but action-adventure movies usually not so much.  One hopes this is a step up from the run of mill, since at least it seems to have had an ironing budget.  ​
My question is possibly answered by another bit from that review (which I did find well worth the read) but I have read only that one evaluation. Sounds like there might not be enough "there there" for me beneath all the action and adventure.  Kiang's take, short form: 



> “Tenet” dazzles the senses, but it does not move the heart — a criticism common to all of Nolan’s original films. And other widely recognized Nolan blind spots are also in evidence: it’s depressing that as fine an actress as [Elizabeth[ Debicki should be saddled with such a cipher role, given a son in lieu of a character and made responsible for the story’s only bad decisions. Everyone else performs to perfection, especially [John David] Washington’s history-less protagonist who proves that not all superheroes wear capes. Some wear the hell out of suits so dapper that one of the film’s biggest laughs comes when Nolan talisman Michael Caine glances at Washington, looking better, in his dark-blue ensemble, than possibly any human man has ever looked, and sneers Britishly, “Brooks Brothers is not going to cut it.”




Well..  time will tell.  I'm not holding my breath until March or whenever they decide to stream this thing.   I'm going to try some other movie first.   Probably not action-adventure either.

 I may opt next for a glance back at a glance back, etc.    One idea is to watch Joe Wright's 2005 take on Jane Austen's_* Pride and Prejudice,*_ the one with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen (of note as Tom in the series _Succession_)... not least to enjoy the scoring by Dario Marianelli. The other choice might be Kenneth Lonergan’s four-part TV miniseries (2018) adaptation of *Howard's End *which also stars Macfadyen.  

File all under part of "whatever it takes to get to the winter solstice..."


----------



## JayMysteri0

lizkat said:


> In a bricks and mortar theatre?   Uh, no way...
> 
> So...  who here has actually seen* Tenet*?   Apparently the digital formats will become available on December 15th in the USA,  but not streaming yet.   That might first be via HBOMax (since AT&T owns Warner which holds the exhibition rights) but not until sometime in early spring of 2021...  unless of course the various digital download price points end up being over the top.


----------



## lizkat

JayMysteri0 said:


>




And....?


----------



## Huntn

*The 12th Man *(Netflix 2017)- Alternate title: You’ll Never Feel Warm Again.  The true WWII story of the lone Norwegian survivor of a failed saboteur mission to Norway on the run from the Germans trying to escape to Sweden with the help of inspired countrymen and women. Long and painful to watch, but it held my interest. Foreign language, turn the subtitles on.


​


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Watched Mank on Netflix.  Didn‘t know what to expect and I didn’t do much research.  Really enjoyed it.  It tells the story of the almost uncredited writer of Citizen Kane and the inspiration behind it. Cool period piece that bounces between 1930’s and 1940’s Hollywood.


----------



## JayMysteri0

As I avoid discussion of TENET until it's legally available, I'll instead ask...

"So how about that Monster Hunter movie?"  



> ‘Monster Hunter’ Pulled From Chinese Cinemas Over Scene Said to Be Racial Slur
> 
> 
> Chinese regulators are in the midst of censoring the Hollywood title “Monster Hunter” after controversy broke out online on opening day over a ten second-long exchange in the film that patriotic lo…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> variety.com



Variety's take is a bit kind, to put it another way...


> Monster Hunter: Some Thoughts on the Whole Mess
> 
> 
> The movie adaptation of Monster Hunter looked set to do decent, perhaps even very good box office in China… until it got yanked for an allegedly racist
> 
> 
> 
> bleedingcool.com





> Let's be clear: it's not the Chinese government that censored the movie and pulled it from cinemas. It's the distributor after the social media outcry. The Chinese have kept score of every racist insult, every slur, every humiliation that has been dealt them by the West, including the right-wing blaming them for the coronavirus, so if they think you're insulting them again, they won't take it lying down. The producers are cutting out the scene with the bad joke not because the Chinese government is censoring it but because they want to somehow salvage the movie's box office prospects. That ship has probably sailed. Even if they convince the distributor to put it back in the cinemas, the movie is already tainted by having that joke in the first place. Everyone is going to think of it as "that movie with that crappy racist joke, even if they cut it out." The common wisdom now is that _Monster Hunter_ is dead in China.
> 
> There are multiple lessons to be learned from this debacle. One is for movie studios not to put their eggs in the China basket, thinking they can fob off mediocre movies in hopes that a content-hungry audience will support it no matter what. China might offer the potential of massive box office earnings, but tastes can be fickle, and the audience there is canny enough not to accept any old rubbish Hollywood thinks it can foist on them.
> 
> The other lesson is for writers and filmmakers: if you want to make money from China, do not make fun of them. It's bad form to insult your hosts. Better yet, don't make any racially-charged jokes. You'll find it's so much easy NOT to do it. It'll save you a lot of trouble. And possibly make you a lot more money.


----------



## Edd

The Hotel New Hampshire on Prime. I’ve never seen it before and never read the book. This film is wild. I‘ve read Garp and seen that film like 30 times so I wasn’t totally unprepared for the weirdness but dang.


----------



## Huntn

Edd said:


> The Hotel New Hampshire on Prime. I’ve never seen it before and never read the book. This film is wild. I‘ve read Garp and seen that film like 30 times so I wasn’t totally unprepared for the weirdness but dang.



Is wild good? You’ve got me interested.


----------



## Edd

Huntn said:


> Is wild good? You’ve got me interested.



There’s some pretty taboo stuff in there. The characters are very Irving-esque in that they eschew normal social conventions. I mean, everyone is really fucking weird.

If you like World/Garp and Cider House Rules, I’d try it. Hotel/NH is not as good as the other two but definitely looser and weirder. The cast is awesome. Some things to talk about with Jodie Foster’s character but I don’t want to spoil it.


----------



## Thomas Veil

I started watching "Black Christmas" (1974). You know what? Even though I've seen it before, I had to take a break in the middle of it.

It's a good movie, but it's a very _unpleasant_ movie. The pervert in this film, the way he acts and the things he says to those women, they make me _incredibly_ uncomfortable.

It's so bizarre because for all its grossness, I have to acknowledge it's a good film. I don't know who the actor was who played the pervert, but to make such a horrendous impression on the audience..._using only his voice...!_

Margot Kidder is good in this too...almost too good. Her character is such an asshole that you pretty much _want_ the killer to do away with her.

I'm noticing a couple of other things this time around. I see that Bob Clark inverted the typical slasher movie formula in that the (purportedly) virginal girl is the _first_ one to get killed. And as many have noted, this is a completely different kind of movie from Clark's other holiday hit, "A Christmas Story". What I'm noting now is how _totally_ opposite they are from each other. "A Christmas Story" is (to me) almost nauseatingly sugar and sweetness. _This_ movie, more than most I've seen, inspires feelings of unease and disgust, and is very uncomfortable to watch.


----------



## Edd

Thomas Veil said:


> _This_ movie, more than most I've seen, inspires feelings of unease and disgust, and is very uncomfortable to watch.



Never heard of this film. I like the above as a headline for your review.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Really? It’s been remade twice, in 2006 and 2019.

Still, it’s not exactly the sort of feel-good movie TV shows a lot this time of year.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Tell me if this means I've watched too many movies lately.  I'll sometimes use Netlfix's reminders function to notify me when a specific new movie is released.  At least once or twice a month now I'll go to watch that movie and within 5 minutes or less realize I already saw the movie, and most likely it was in the last 2 or 3 months.


----------



## lizkat

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Tell me if this means I've watched too many movies lately.  I'll sometimes use Netlfix's reminders function to notify me when a specific new movie is released.  At least once or twice a month now I'll go to watch that movie and within 5 minutes or less realize I already saw the movie, and most likely it was in the last 2 or 3 months.




Can't be worse than starting to watch some Netflix film and spending 20 minutes just WONDERING if I've already seen it...


----------



## Joe

Uncle Frank on Prime TV....great movie!


----------



## Joe

I watched "RUN" on Hulu last night with Sarah Paulson. It was good. Kind of predictable but worth a watch.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Tell me if this means I've watched too many movies lately.  I'll sometimes use Netlfix's reminders function to notify me when a specific new movie is released.  At least once or twice a month now I'll go to watch that movie and within 5 minutes or less realize I already saw the movie, and most likely it was in the last 2 or 3 months.




You should try watching Hallmark or Lifetime Christmas movies with your wife. Every movie may have a different title, but it’s like “Groundhog Day” over and over again.


----------



## DT

Ugh, even the movie thread at TOP is ruined, it's that fuckwit RP posting over and over and saying the dumbest shit, and a couple of PRSI-ers worthy of a TFG post (who I woundn't engage with socially).

So that being said, my ongoing movie spew will be focused here 

Hahaha, I also noticed Yax moved on to a new group of "friends"


----------



## DT

JagRunner said:


> I watched "RUN" on Hulu last night with Sarah Paulson. It was good. Kind of predictable but worth a watch.




It's pretty solid, really good performances, love Paulson, a few interesting twists and turns (though like you said, not unexpected), but nicely sustained tension.

This is also super interesting: the actor who plays the daughter, who's in a wheelchair, is actually uses a wheelchair!









						Kiera Allen on Headlining ‘Run,’ the First Major Thriller in 70 Years to Star a Wheelchair User
					

You may come into the new thriller “Run” a fan of Sarah Paulson or of filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty, who previously frayed nerves with his film “Searching.” But you will undoubtedly leave a fan of Kier…




					variety.com


----------



## leekohler2

lizkat said:


> In a bricks and mortar theatre?   Uh, no way...
> 
> So...  who here has actually seen* Tenet*?   Apparently the digital formats will become available on December 15th in the USA,  but not streaming yet.   That might first be via HBOMax (since AT&T owns Warner which holds the exhibition rights) but not until sometime in early spring of 2021...  unless of course the various digital download price points end up being over the top.
> 
> I don't regard my following comments and couple of quotes about _*Tenet*_ as at all a spoiler, since much has been written about this film by reviewers in traditional and online media.  But quit scrolling down now if you think you'd be put off by even a hint of what anyone has actually seen of this movie.
> 
> OF COURSE I have wanted to know what this Nolan film was all about.  So of course I slid 'film review "Tenet"'  into a search engine and lazily picked one from the New York Times because I was probably already logged into that site.
> 
> I do very much like Jessica Kiang's writing and her eye for detail in a film review, but nothing particularly leaped out from my scroll through the piece until I hit the bit quoted below. It became clear that Kiang had watched this movie while paying close attention to something besides the action and editing thereof, both of which likely received all due respect.
> 
> 
> 
> Wow. An ironing budget.  Who knew?  Modern filmmaking boggles the mind.
> 
> It was while watching credits roll for some blockbuster --in case they were interspersed with amusing outtakes or whatever-- that I first realized there are film production jobs behind scenes that one can routinely do around the house for north of 50 years for zero credit, plenty of exercise and damn paltry pay... exactly the same as at film studios, a friend in the business (a costume fabric buyer) hastened to say, and not in a joking manner.
> 
> Anyway, for those having seen _*Tenet*_ so far in a theatre,  given my not being a fan of action flicks in general, will it be worth the watch when it hits the streaming platforms?
> 
> I like spy novels and some thrillers but action-adventure movies usually not so much.  One hopes this is a step up from the run of mill, since at least it seems to have had an ironing budget.  ​
> My question is possibly answered by another bit from that review (which I did find well worth the read) but I have read only that one evaluation. Sounds like there might not be enough "there there" for me beneath all the action and adventure.  Kiang's take, short form:
> 
> 
> 
> Well..  time will tell.  I'm not holding my breath until March or whenever they decide to stream this thing.   I'm going to try some other movie first.   Probably not action-adventure either.
> 
> I may opt next for a glance back at a glance back, etc.    One idea is to watch Joe Wright's 2005 take on Jane Austen's_* Pride and Prejudice,*_ the one with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen (of note as Tom in the series _Succession_)... not least to enjoy the scoring by Dario Marianelli. The other choice might be Kenneth Lonergan’s four-part TV miniseries (2018) adaptation of *Howard's End *which also stars Macfadyen.
> 
> File all under part of "whatever it takes to get to the winter solstice..."



I hate to say this because I am a huge Nolan fan, but Tenet sucked ass. I saw it in the theater when it came out and was constantly checking the time. It’s devoid of Nolan’s usual character development like in Interstellar. It’s all style and no substance. It’s such a shame too, because a Nolan film is usually a huge treat. This is by far his worst movie. But that’s ok, he’s allowed. He’s made so many good ones.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Future release.






Hell, yes.


----------



## Huntn

*It’s A Wonderful Life* (1946)- This movie was clearly before my time , but somehow I latched onto it as a teen and it’s one of my favorite stories painting a portrait of the early-mid 20th Century small town America. Great performances, an iconic Jimmy Stewart performance, especially Lionel Barrymore as conservative villIan Mr. Potter.





The Charleston​Bedford Falls = Seneca Falls, New York: https://homeinthefingerlakes.com/george-baileys-its-a-wonderful-life-bridge/









						‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ film secrets you probably haven’t heard
					

There are plenty of reasons why “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which first premiered in 1946, is still considered to be one of the most popular Christmas films of all time.




					www.foxnews.com


----------



## Alli

Christmas Eve. I am, of course, watching Die Hard.


----------



## ronntaylor

Finally watched "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and liked it a great deal. But it is yet another example that it's difficult to turn a great play into an _*equally*_ enjoyable movie. This translation was better than Denzel Washington's directing of FENCES a couple years ago. That gives me hope that future movie versions of August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle plays will get closer and closer to his mastery.


----------



## Huntn

Alli said:


> Christmas Eve. I am, of course, watching Die Hard.



We caught that last night. Merry Christmas!


----------



## lizkat

ronntaylor said:


> Finally watched "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and liked it a great deal. But it is yet another example that it's difficult to turn a great play into an _*equally*_ enjoyable movie. This translation was better than Denzel Washington's directing of FENCES a couple years ago. That gives me hope that future movie versions of August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle plays will get closer and closer to his mastery.




I want to watch that too, it's top of my Netflix list right now.


----------



## Huntn

*A Christmas Carol *(1938)- My favorite version.





Reginald Owen 1938​


----------



## Edd

Galveston on HBO. Kind of a downer film but well done with good performances. Ben Foster, quite an actor, is the lead.

He’s in another Texas based film called Hell Or High Water, one of my favorite films of the last decade. Strongly recommend.


----------



## Mark

it has been a long while since i saw this film - probably somewhere along 1978 or so.
amazon prime has a 2012 restored (!) B&W version that has a hand coloured opening Tarot reading scene.

but in every detail this film is just as relevant for 2021 as 1962 (its original release).
watching an objectivised and profoundly unhappy cleo evolve into her own grounded and satisfied florence is just as striking now as it was originally.
and, the film is non-stop Paris street and cafe life of the '60s for its entirety.


----------



## lizkat

Mark said:


> View attachment 2179
> 
> it has been a long while since i saw this film - probably somewhere along 1978 or so.
> amazon prime has a 2012 restored (!) B&W version that has a hand coloured opening Tarot reading scene.
> 
> but in every detail this film is just as relevant for 2021 than 1962 (its original release).
> watching an objectivised and profoundly unhappy cleo evolve into her own grounded and satisfied florence is just as striking now as it was originally.
> and, the film is non-stop Paris street and cafe life of the '60s for its entirety.




You know what sold me on that film...   a 2012 review by Roger Ebert.



Spoiler:  well maybe a spoiler



https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-cleo-from-5-to-7-1962




[ *For those who haven't seen it *- can't really remember if that review actually has spoilers per se, so "you decide" whether to read the review if you haven't seen any version of the film yet. I was very taken by Ebert's writeup on director Agnes Vargas. ]


----------



## Alli

I watched Soul earlier. Very cute.

I’m finishing up the original version of Pollyanna now. I loved it when it originally came out, and still do.


----------



## leekohler2

I tried to watch Tenet again, but meh. I give up.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Only on iTunes is a Chinese Martial Arts classic randomly given a German sub titling.


----------



## The-Real-Deal82

The NeverEnding Story was on TV earlier and I haven’t seen that since I was a child I don’t think?

I watched The Godfather part one last night too which is my favourite film.


----------



## Huntn

leekohler2 said:


> I tried to watch Tenet again, but meh. I give up.



Interesting, I’m sort of obligated to watch it, when I can at a reasonable price, especially for a movie that is getting some rough reviews,


----------



## ronntaylor

Watched Mulan. Never watched the animated original. So with the previous watch, WW84, that's two movies in a row that left me at "Meh!" Tenet soon.


----------



## Alli

ronntaylor said:


> Watched Mulan. Never watched the animated original. So with the previous watch, WW84, that's two movies in a row that left me at "Meh!" Tenet soon.



I enjoyed Mulan. Much better than WW84.


----------



## DT

leekohler2 said:


> I tried to watch Tenet again, but meh. I give up.




I started it 3 days from now and should finish it up this afternoon ...


----------



## DT

WW'84 was a bit of a disappointment.

*The Good:*

The opening scene on Themyscira
The 45-60 minutes5 or so (including the above), the opening mall heist, though that's tonally way different, the whole 1984 thing became a silly prop gag
Gal Gadot definitely owns the role
Pine is funny/charming
Pascal is excellent, strikes the right tone
Wiig till the last 35-40 minutes
That "Oh, I can do this!" scene towards the end, beautiful (I'll even give it a pass for using, yet again, the amazing Adagio in D Minor)


*The Bad:*

Runtime, needs a good 30-40 minute edit
Gal Gadot when it's just 45 minutes of really nothing, she needs more plot
Wiig in the last 1/4, ugh ...
The major message issue with a movie based on a character about female empowerment, really sitting around because, need man[?]
And one spoiler-y thing, I'll be vague: given the mechanism of how Steve come back, yikes, really?  You're actually kind of ... and it's not really ... WTF.

In general it just lacked the magic of the first film, didn't have the sprawling cosmic plot of the Avengers, lacked any kind of energy and fun (after the opening 45 minutes) in the entire middle hour, even the action sequence in the ME (beyond being extremely tone deaf ...) felt like it was just sandwiched in - some core character concepts seems way off, too long, boring middle section, just not a great movie.

Original I'd give a solid B+, really close to an A- (lost 1/2 a letter grade from the noisy, chaotic ending ... the "No Man's Land" sequence is as good as any scene in any comic book movie).

This one?  Er, probably a C-.


----------



## The-Real-Deal82

I watched the Godfather Part two the night before last and then last night I watched The Departed. Obviously seen these films before but they are classics. 

It’s amazing how the use of mobile phones in modern movies really dates them rather quickly. Does anybody else ever think that?


----------



## Alli

The-Real-Deal82 said:


> It’s amazing how the use of mobile phones in modern movies really dates them rather quickly. Does anybody else ever think that?



Every time I watch a movie.


----------



## DT

Godfather I and II, easily in our Top 10 best films of all time, and a rare time a sequel exceeded the original.  Seriously, we flip past them, we're in, and done for day, we'll talk to you 6 hours later ... 

Has anyone ever seen the recut versions of I and II?  Basically it's edited into a single, chronologically ordered 5+ hour movie, so the opening scenes of two (with Vito in Sicily as a child) open up the movie.


----------



## The-Real-Deal82

DT said:


> Godfather I and II, easily in our Top 10 best films of all time, and a rare time a sequel exceeded the original. Seriously, we flip past them, we're in, and done for day, we'll talk to you 6 hours later ...
> 
> Has anyone ever seen the recut versions of I and II? Basically it's edited into a single, chronologically ordered 5+ hour movie, so the opening scenes of two (with Vito in Sicily as a child) open up the movie.




I’ve never seen that version no but would love to. I hadn’t realised it existed. 

I went to Sicily on my honeymoon and part of the reason for that was my love of the Godfather films. My favourite location is Savoca which is where Michaels wedding to Apollonia takes place. It’s also where he asks her father for her hand in marriage and I sat I the exact same place under the sign which is still there. Loved it. I ate the most amazing ice cream overlooking an amazing view where the roads snake up the mountainside as it’s really high above sea level. There is a shrine to France Ford Coppola in the village square and some of the residents sell tacky souvenirs lol.


----------



## DT

The-Real-Deal82 said:


> I’ve never seen that version no but would love to. I hadn’t realised it existed.
> 
> I went to Sicily on my honeymoon and part of the reason for that was my love of the Godfather films. My favourite location is Savoca which is where Michaels wedding to Apollonia takes place. It’s also where he asks her father for her hand in marriage and I sat I the exact same place under the sign which is still there. Loved it. I ate the most amazing ice cream overlooking an amazing view where the roads snake up the mountainside as it’s really high above sea level. There is a shrine to France Ford Coppola in the village square and some of the residents sell tacky souvenirs lol.




Read your reply to my wife, who's got a good bit of Italian in her, and she was giddy 

Here's some info on that edit, that appears to be called "The Godfather Saga", it was just I and II, not III, though there's the "Complete Epic" that __does__ include III, and also some other, longer edit of I and II, good grief, hahaha, this turned out to be more complicated that I expected, now I'm not even 100% sure what we saw 





__





						The Godfather Saga - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## DT

Oh, also this (FWIW, we often use, "It insists upon itself ..." )


----------



## DT

"It's like they're speaking a different language ..."

Hahahaha ...


----------



## Thomas Veil

There were a couple of movies that had intrigued me for a while, even though I only came in at the end of each of them. Yesterday I got to see them both in their entirety.


​Even before seeing it I always thought of this film as a major camp fest, and it is (it's got Bette Davis and Victor Buono in it, after all), but it's also an exercise in some pretty good Grand Guignol horror. Though the film was made in 1964, the first 15 minutes contain some gruesome shots that would be right at home in 2021. Can't remember the last time a film this old shocked me like that. 

​A more recent movie, but set in the 1960s, "Bad Times at the El Royale" was better than I expected. More than a few people have noticed it has a definite Quentin Tarantino vibe to it, and I'm kind of ambivalent about his films, but I think the characters (well, some of them) were more sympathetic in this one.

Coincidentally, both films revolved upon situations and people who are not what you think they are...which of course led to some interesting surprises.

I have my thoughts about who it was on that reel of blackmail film, and I'll bet your ideas are along the same lines as mine. Despite the appearance of being rather ambiguous, I think they made it fairly clear.


----------



## DT

@Huntn 

BTW, I'd love to have more movie chat here, I'm mostly done with general social interaction at The Other Place, there's just too much encroachment from halfwits, or just despicable fuckwits from PRSI ...


----------



## Thomas Veil

Or for fun we could _all_ go over there and post at length about how we're watching "The Manchurian Candidate", "Seven Days in May", _The Handmaid's Tale_, _Designated Survivor_, etc.


----------



## lizkat

Thomas Veil said:


> Can't remember the last time a film this old shocked me like that.




*Suddenly Last Summer... * was certainly shocking for a late 1950s movie. Taylor should probably have gotten the Oscar, not just a nomination, and Hepburn was impressive as well. As for Montgomery Clift, well he was struggling with his addictions at the time and it shows as much as Mankiewicz was going to permit while not firing the guy but without blowing the film's budget completely out of the water on retakes. In some ways though his impaired performance suited the role he was playing. The film has other flaws for today's audiences in particular, being character-driven and showcasing dialogue as revelation of both plot and personality. But it is a mesmerizing, horrifying, emotionally exhausting experience of taboos set in gothic Southern culture. Considering its veritable raft of hot button issues, it's amazing that this particular Tennessee Williams play --with screenwriter Gore Vidal expanding on it even while mindful of the Production Code constraints of that era-- even ever got made and released without getting totally shredded by Hollywood censors of the day.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Hamilton.

A friend very kindly arranged for me to "piggyback" on his (brief subscription to Disney Plus) so that I could watch it.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Still with Hamilton.

A friend very kindly arranged for me to "piggyback" on his (brief subscription to Disney Plus) so that I could watch it.

The problem is - as (unlike, say, the Civil War era, or 20th century history, where I do know a bit about the material), I keep pausing the movie, to chase down rabbit holes of history to confirm stuff, or to find out more about, certain specific stuff (okay, wikipedia, but Ron Chernow's biography of Hamilton is beside my bed, waiting to be read).

Thus, - and the musical Hamilton is brilliant, absolutely brilliant, - seriously brilliant - but incredibly intense, there is a lot to learn and unpack and think about and mull over - I am a lot less far in the musical than you would think, given that I started watching it hours and hours ago.

So, I shall also be watching Hamilton tomorrow.


----------



## Thomas Veil

“Charade” with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn had been on my list of movies to see someday, and it was on TCM recently.

Described as the best Hitchcock film he never made, I was surprised to see the director was Stanley Donen. The only other film of his I’ve seen was “Saturn 3”, and boy how tonally different they are.

Anyway, the plot is intriguing, suspenseful and...complicated. The McGuffin is a missing quarter of a million dollars, and perhaps I missed something, because while I clearly saw how several _other_ characters figured out where the money went, I never saw how Hepburn figured it out.

Anyway, entertaining enough way to pass a couple of hours.


----------



## ronntaylor

Scepticalscribe said:


> Hamilton.
> 
> A friend very kindly arranged for me to "piggyback" on his (brief subscription to Disney Plus) so that I could watch it.




We're trying to finally watch Sunday or Monday since we have about a week left. Cancelling again as just not enough to justify Disney+ with Netflix, Prime, ATV+ and regular cable.

Looking forward to it as I'm not a fan of Hamilton the historical figure and have read extensively about Miranda's creative mixing of fact and fiction for the musical.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

ronntaylor said:


> We're trying to finally watch Sunday or Monday since we have about a week left. Cancelling again as just not enough to justify Disney+ with Netflix, Prime, ATV+ and regular cable.
> 
> Looking forward to it as I'm not a fan of Hamilton the historical figure and have read extensively about Miranda's creative mixing of fact and fiction for the musical.




Finally finished Hamilton.

Superlative.

Just superlative.

Outstanding.

I watched some (many, most) of the scenes several times.

And so intelligent - this is an extraordinarily intelligent and thoughtful production, and demands much (by way of attention, concentration, focus) from the viewer, audience; blink, and you miss something important.

As politics, music (and musical forms), songs, lyrics - oh, those lyrics - history, costumes, choreography, acting, art, narrative, (yes, race and gender also feature) - philosophy - and not to mention the wonderful subversion of tradition (and traditional story telling) seeing people of colour fully own and inhabit with commanding confidence and gleeful mastery these (revolutionary) roles.   Absolutely outstanding.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Actually, the ultimate test of how good Hamilton is (and "Wolf Hall", and "Bring Up The Bodies" - superb productions by the RSC, based on Hilary Mantel's superlative books of the same name, performed in in the Aldwych - oh, being able to attend a performance, of a play performed, live, in a theatre is something treasured in blessed but distant memory... also passed this particular test), is that my beer was not just not finished by the end of Hamilton, but, was barely touched.


----------



## DT

Well, after all the Hamilton talk, I was excited to see what it looked like on the new TV (it's pretty stunning), but we could not escape, sat down, watched the whole thing again (it had been a while and the upgrade visual presentation made it feel brand new!)

Yes, it's still just fantastic, and we even picked up on a few new things, wow.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

DT said:


> Well, after all the Hamilton talk, I was excited to see what it looked like on the new TV (it's pretty stunning), but we could not escape, sat down, watched the whole thing again (it had been a while and the upgrade visual presentation made it feel brand new!)
> 
> Yes, it's still just fantastic, and we even picked up on a few new things, wow.




I know.

Just wow.

I shall make time to watch it again, before my friend's subscription expires; it was very kind of him to think of me, for he knew that I am "toute seule" these days, on account of Covid regulations.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Well I don't have Disney+, so I had to be content to root around HBO Max where I found an old classic I hadn't seen in years.



​Mind you, this was the John Carpenter original, not the remake. And it was every bit as good as I remembered it. I love the framing of being a scary tale being told to children by an old fisherman around a campfire.


----------



## Huntn

P R E A D A T O R




Starring the former Governor
of Minnesota
*Jesse Ventura*!​
...just had to say that.  Just watched this, sweeeet. Music plays a huge role in an adventure like this. The assault on the rebel camp is awe-some.


----------



## lizkat

The Visitor (2008).  Widowed professor gets a new lease on life just by reluctantly having to show up to a conference to support a paper he stuck his name on...  and so ends up in his old city apartment, which meanwhile has been occupied by a couple of undocumented immigrants.

I initially chose this film partly because I had enjoyed The Station Agent, directed by Tom McCarthy.  McCarthy is also an actor, and played the role of the fabricating journalist in the TV series The Wire.  The Visitor is his second venture as writer and director.  I have liked the acting of Arab Israeli actress Hiam Abbass in various films and in the TV series Succession,  so that was another reason for my choice.  Those who enjoyed the series Six Feet Under will recognize Richard Jenkins who very ably plays the professor.


----------



## DT

I'm going to very, highly, _can't-recommend-this-enough_, recommend a movie, but it needs a bit of setup 

The movie is the filmed version of Derek DelGaudio's one man, Off-Broadway show - *In & Of Itself *- it was scheduled for a 10 week run, and wound up with 560 performances.  It's a "magic show", but not really, the magic is way more than the (granted, spectacular) closeup tricks, it's an exploration into self-perception, it's a spoken autobiography, it's really an amazing, deep and moving experience between artist and audience.  The film does a great job (based on dozens of reviews I've read of people who attended it live) of capturing the __feel__ of the live experience, Frank Oz, who also directed the stage show directed the film, so he has a good sense of moving between the two mediums.

It's only on Hulu at the moment, so if you don't have that service, bookmark this, come back to it, rent it when you can - do as the opening card suggests, turn off your devices, and I'd say, dim the lights, and really immerse yourself.

Currently on RT ...






And some selected review snips from various sources, avoiding any kind of spoiler territory ...




> All of this makes for a wondrous, mesmerizing viewing experience, but “In & Of Itself” doesn’t exactly recreate the experience of attending DelGaudio’s performance; instead, it recreates _all _of them, tapping into the nature of the experience with remarkable ingenuity. Oz, who also directed the stage show, assembles the feature out of footage shot from several of the 500-plus performances, so that every interactive trick leads to a slick montage that shows its endless permutations. In another context, that might amount to little more than an academic exercise in the variability of magic performances in general, but it actually relates to the specific way in which DelGaudio designed each show to lead into the next.







> And over the course of the performance, we get to what really matters, and what makes _In & Of Itself_ one of the most astonishing things I’ve seen in a long time—we see the effect it has on the audience. It doesn’t matter if what we see on the stage can be explained, of course it can. And it doesn’t really even matter if what DelGaudio is saying is actually profound or if it’s just some words dressed up to seem profound. Because just wait, and see the looks on their faces. It’s not simple amazement, it’s something far, far deeper. By the end, DelGaudio makes each person genuinely feel _seen_ as a person. This is an extraordinary gift. And it’s the true magic of _In & Of Itself_.







> DelGaudio’s stories would be engaging enough if told plainly but that’s not what he does. In addition to being a storyteller (the show is described as “a new kind of lyric poem”), he’s also a magician. Again, that might sound cheesy to some, but DelGaudio doesn’t use magic just to amaze or astound his audience (although he does both of those things). Here, it is a very serious storytelling tool. Magic is woven into the very fabric of the show and the way that DelGaudio sucks his audience in and seems to see right into their hearts and minds, as well as his own, feels like such a genuine wonder that it only makes sense to set it against a backdrop of actual magic “tricks.”


----------



## Huntn

*Fried Green Tomatoes* (1991)-  91% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score. One of my favorite movies set in the US South, a cultural story from the 1930’s centered on a murder, the Klan, racial prejudice, the interaction of intermingled black and white society,  told through the eyes of an eighty year old woman who lived it. Cicely Tyson plays the character Sipsey. 


​


----------



## Huntn

​

*Bladerunner 2049*
81% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score. Magnificent Cyberpunk, great characters and portrayals. The search for the child of a replicant (artificial human), something that could break the wall, break the world if this knowledge became widespread; a megalomaniac industrialist, who believes great civilizations are built on the back of a disposable workforce, the master of a new breed of replicant who desires the knowledge of reproducing replicants so he can turn them out faster, he wants the child. A murderous assistant, a replicant bladerunner who hunts his own, but during his search for the child (to keep it quiet) ends up questioning his existence. This is a slow paced story, with bursts of violence and it helps if you are a fan of the original movie. 

Now I want to see *Bladerunner 2051 The Revolution*.


----------



## lizkat

Finally watched Mudbound tonight. Remembered I've had it on my Netflix queue for too long when I bumped into a piece in the NYT about the constant decline in numbers of Black farmers in the USA. The film was as stunning as reviews had suggested it would be.  Will stick in my head a long time. An individual's perception of the scope of relationships across different races --as either a stereotyped expectation of "them" or else about a exception to that due to a highly significant personal experience--  plays out in the film in so many ways.   Makes me sad for how much we lose by ignorant choices.


----------



## DT

Watched a fantastic horror movie last night, end of the world / zombie genre - it maye sound like "been there, done that", however, it's a really fresh take, and this is really beautifully filmed and acted.

French film, *The Night Eats the World* (French: La nuit a dévoré le monde), from 2018, the sparse dialog in actually in English.

I don't want to spoil too much, let's just say there's not much setup, not many characters, it's a character study, a slow burn, large sections with no dialog.  It does have some pretty gruesome moments, but they're few and far between.  There's a payoff, sort of, or maybe not, it doesn't matter, the journey is pretty amazing.

The one thing I will disclose:  the zombies, the walking dead - they make no sound.  No moaning, no snarling, and it is goddam unnerving, just the occasional clicking of teeth.  In fact, the whole movie is very quiet, except when it's not, and then there's lots of drumming - don't ask, watch


----------



## User.45

DT said:


> Watched a fantastic horror movie last night, end of the world / zombie genre - it maye sound like "been there, done that", however, it's a really fresh take, and this is really beautifully filmed and acted.
> 
> French film, *The Night Eats the World* (French: La nuit a dévoré le monde), from 2018, the sparse dialog in actually in English.
> 
> I don't want to spoil too much, let's just say there's not much setup, not many characters, it's a character study, a slow burn, large sections with no dialog.  It does have some pretty gruesome moments, but they're few and far between.  There's a payoff, sort of, or maybe not, it doesn't matter, the journey is pretty amazing.
> 
> The one thing I will disclose:  the zombies, the walking dead - they make no sound. No moaning, no snarling, and it is goddam unnerving, just the occasional clicking of teeth. In fact, the whole movie is very quiet, except when it's not, and then there's lots of drumming - don't ask, watch



It was one of the better/best movies of the genre. Based on my recollection it was a pretty realistic psychological case study.


----------



## DT

P_X said:


> It was one of the better/best movies of the genre. Based on my recollection it was a pretty realistic psychological case study.




Oh yeah, spot on.  I dig on this sort of horror movie, where the horror element is just a mechanism to explore something else about the human condition - I mean, they're very present, but it could be anything, like, I don't know, a pandemic ...


----------



## Thomas Veil

​
“Star Trek”, the JJ Abrams love letter to the original 1960s series.

Now I’m not a huge Star Trek fan, but I found the movie immensely enjoyable, in spite of its unlikely plot points like _yet another_ enemy from the future, or a crew that saves the universe being composed entirely of literal space cadets.

What Abrams got right was the relationships of the characters and the humor as well as the adventure aspects. The Enterprise still _looks_ like the Enterprise. In fact the whole _thing_ looks and feels like the original. And, you get to see all these characters come together for the first time and learn to work with each other. _And_ there’s Michael Giacchino’s moving score. Excellent.

It makes me frustrated that that _other_ 1960s space series, _Lost in Space_, couldn’t get an equally good reboot. If ever a sci-fi series cried out for a chance at a do-over, it’s that one. “Star Trek” the movie just serves as a reminder of everything the Netflix _LIS_ producers got wrong about their remake. If you changed the names of the _LIS_ characters, you probably wouldn’t even recognize it as a reboot of _that_ series.

Anyway, I could go on about the “Star Trek” movie, but this guy’s review basically  nailed it in terms of describing what’s right with it.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> View attachment 3300​
> “Star Trek”, the JJ Abrams love letter to the original 1960s series.
> 
> Now I’m not a huge Star Trek fan, but I found the movie immensely enjoyable, in spite of its unlikely plot points like _yet another_ enemy from the future, or a crew that saves the universe being composed entirely of literal space cadets.
> 
> What Abrams got right was the relationships of the characters and the humor as well as the adventure aspects. The Enterprise still _looks_ like the Enterprise. In fact the whole _thing_ looks and feels like the original. And, you get to see all these characters come together for the first time and learn to work with each other. _And_ there’s Michael Giacchino’s moving score. Excellent.
> 
> It makes me frustrated that that _other_ 1960s space series, _Lost in Space_, couldn’t get an equally good reboot. If ever a sci-fi series cried out for a chance at a do-over, it’s that one. “Star Trek” the movie just serves as a reminder of everything the Netflix _LIS_ producers got wrong about their remake. If you changed the names of the _LIS_ characters, you probably wouldn’t even recognize it as a reboot of _that_ series.
> 
> Anyway, I could go on about the “Star Trek” movie, but this guy’s review basically  nailed it in terms of describing what’s right with it.



I really like the reboot at least the first 2 movies.


----------



## lizkat

Thinking to rewatch the movie *Syriana* (2005) tonight, having read about the passing of Christopher Plummer.   I liked his portrayal of the DC lawyer Dean Whiting in that very complex film, and loved the movie despite some gruesome scenes.






For all its themes and locations,  the movie probably doesn't begin to sketch all the subplots that in real life also run concurrently with corruption and political skullduggery, when it comes to how the oil and gas outfits and their myriad brokers and hangers-on try to one-up each other to stay awash in money.   

When they are not actively seeking to buy parts of each other out or maybe just pre-empt a few deals here and there the hard way with a little hired help, there's always domestic intrigue and the option to rat out someone else's corruption... for a cut of some other piece of pie.

It all makes for an eminently rewatchable experience on film when it becomes clear to viewers that not even the principals can reliably figure out who's on first, in the quest to profit from just the prospect of cornering more of the market in black gold.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

The Sound Of Music.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Any particular reason?


----------



## lizkat

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.    Should have been 5 times as long...


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Thomas Veil said:


> Any particular reason?




Well, yes.

But, I also fancied being able to watch it - without interruption - from start to finish.

An excellent movie, which stands the test of time.

And, that laendler dance scene......


----------



## ronntaylor

lizkat said:


> Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.    Should have been 5 times as long...



Her life story should be a series. While I liked the movie very much, I would love a movie on her actual life.


----------



## Huntn

*The Invitation *(2015)- 69% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Viewed on Netflix, labeled a thriller. A reunion of old friends is not what it seems, especially at the end. The less you know up front the better, crazy California.   Not the best, but good enough.

​


----------



## Huntn

*Hateful 8- *(2015 Extended Version) 76% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score. Basically how to waste 4 hours of your life. I only hung in there because of the name Tarentino, waiting, hoping for a payoff. Hopes dashed, lol. 


​
Best Quality: Photography, it really felt like this was filmed in a blizzard in Wyoming. Nice cinematography for what there was of the outdoors.  I wondered if this was cgi or real snow.
Favorite actor: Walton Goggins, as Sherrif Mannix.
Characters: Almost interesting if they had been connected to a good story.
Story: I guess it could of happened like this, but the role of a story teller is to pull you in, wow you with his/her brilliance. After the first of 4, approx 1 hour episodes, with endless slightly colorful, but droning chit chat,  I was like, get to the point. I hung on because of the name Tarantino.
Acting: Over acted or if you prefer flamboyant acting. I’m sure the director wanted this. In light of the other mentioned factors. these characters were on the edge of being interesting.
Dialog: Labored, lots of almost intriguing interactions.
Violence: Extreme with gallons of blood pouring out of people, a Tarantino tradition, yes?
Sex: Hmm, male nudity, and a depiction of a forced male/male sex act. No points from me. 
As a 2 Hr movie, I think it would have bombed at the theater. Was it at the theater?
Episode 4 is the fill in the blanks episode, I did not care at that point.
Verdict: Spend 4 hours of your life watching something better.


----------



## shadow puppet

Has anyone watched The Dig on Netflix?  If so, thoughts?   It's been recommended.


----------



## Huntn

]
*Thor* (2011)- Thumbs Up!​
Excellent combination of lore and modern story line.





shadow puppet said:


> Has anyone watched The Dig on Netflix?  If so, thoughts?   It's been recommended.



I remenber a game called The Dig, any relationship I wonder, but your image does not look like it.

​


----------



## shadow puppet

Has anyone watched Nomadland yet?  It's also on my list to check out.


----------



## Huntn

shadow puppet said:


> Has anyone watched Nomadland yet?  It's also on my list to check out.



Report back, please...


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Watched "My Boy Jack" last night.


----------



## DT

shadow puppet said:


> Has anyone watched Nomadland yet?  It's also on my list to check out.




Spectacular reviews, dozens of award noms __and__ Frances McDormand, sounds amazing.

The director (and writer and producer), Chloe Zhao, is terrific, I'd highly recommend her previous film, The Rider, I have __not__ seen her debut, Songs My Brothers Taught Me, but it has the same critical raves.

She is also, directing (and again, also writing) the Marvel Eternals movie.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Huntn said:


> *Hateful 8- *(2015 Extended Version) 76% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score. Basically how to waste 4 hours of your life. I only hung in there because of the name Tarentino, waiting, hoping for a payoff. Hopes dashed, lol.
> 
> 
> View attachment 3569​
> Best Quality: Photography, it really felt like this was filmed in a blizzard in Wyoming. Nice cinematography for what there was of the outdoors.  I wondered if this was cgi or real snow.
> Favorite actor: Walton Goggins, as Sherrif Mannix.
> Characters: Almost interesting if they had been connected to a good story.
> Story: I guess it could of happened like this, but the role of a story teller is to pull you in, wow you with his/her brilliance. After the first of 4, approx 1 hour episodes, with endless slightly colorful, but droning chit chat,  I was like, get to the point. I hung on because of the name Tarantino.
> Acting: Over acted or if you prefer flamboyant acting. I’m sure the director wanted this. In light of the other mentioned factors. these characters were on the edge of being interesting.
> Dialog: Labored, lots of almost intriguing interactions.
> Violence: Extreme with gallons of blood pouring out of people, a Tarantino tradition, yes?
> Sex: Hmm, male nudity, and a depiction of a forced male/male sex act. No points from me.
> As a 2 Hr movie, I think it would have bombed at the theater. Was it at the theater?
> Episode 4 is the fill in the blanks episode, I did not care at that point.
> Verdict: Spend 4 hours of your life watching something better.




I don't _hate_ Tarantino movies, but I'm somewhat lukewarm to most of them. The non-extended version of "Hateful 8" I actually liked, to my own surprise. There's an "over-the-top-ness" about his films that I sort of think of as "modern camp". Heck, this one, even the _title_ is camp. 

I have no idea whether the extended version ever made it into theaters. I suspect not.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Thomas Veil said:


> I don't _hate_ Tarantino movies, but I'm somewhat lukewarm to most of them. The non-extended version of "Hateful 8" I actually liked, to my own surprise. There's an "over-the-top-ness" about his films that I sort of think of as "modern camp". Heck, this one, even the _title_ is camp.
> 
> I have no idea whether the extended version ever made it into theaters. I suspect not.




I think that "camp" is an excellent description, and it is a version of "camp" that is akin to the "camp" one also saw in some spaghetti westerns, with their balletic choreography of bottomless Baroque and - almost operatic - violence.

For what it is worth, I liked the work of the early Quentin Tarantino: Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown in particular, Resevoir Dogs, to a lesser extent.  

Those movies had excellent scripts, which allowed for some character devlopment, and thus, gave them a depth and heft and meaning beyond the operatic violence - and, indeed, put the violence in a context, one framed by a story that was driven by the actions (and motivations) of the individuals in that story.


----------



## SuperMatt

I watched “The Giant Mechanical Man” yesterday. I enjoyed it… it stars Jenna Fischer (from The Office).


----------



## DT

SuperMatt said:


> I watched “The Giant Mechanical Man” yesterday. I enjoyed it… it stars Jenna Fischer (from The Office).




Fan of Chris Messina too, he's terrific in the latest season of The Sinner.



Scepticalscribe said:


> I think that "camp" is an excellent description, and it is a version of "camp" that is akin to the "camp" one also saw in some spaghetti westerns, with their balletic choreography of bottomless Baroque and - almost operatic - violence.




Spot on, it's absolutely a love letter to revisionist westerns (The Wild Bunch),  exploitative flavors of the genre (popularized by Sergio Leone), while maintaining the grand, sweeping visual style of old school traditional western (anything by John Ford), I'd roll Django Unchained into this same sort of hybrid western style of QT's.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

DT said:


> Fan of Chris Messina too, he's terrific in the latest season of The Sinner.
> 
> 
> 
> Spot on, it's absolutely a love letter to revisionist westerns (The Wild Bunch),  exploitative flavors of the genre (popularized by Sergio Leone), while maintaining the grand, sweeping visual style of old school traditional western (anything by John Ford), I'd roll Django Unchained into this same sort of hybrid western style of QT's.




Yes, Django Unchained, agreed, would also - to my mind - merit inclusion when considering the "earlier" movie style of Tarantino (the performances of both Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz add immeasurably to the movie).


----------



## Huntn

*Captain Marvel-* (2019) Thumbs up!







Celebrity Skin
Ending Credits​


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> I don't _hate_ Tarantino movies, but I'm somewhat lukewarm to most of them. The non-extended version of "Hateful 8" I actually liked, to my own surprise. There's an "over-the-top-ness" about his films that I sort of think of as "modern camp". Heck, this one, even the _title_ is camp.
> 
> I have no idea whether the extended version ever made it into theaters. I suspect not.



I have no idea how much more extended, the extended version is.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> I have no idea how much more extended, the extended version is.




Regular theatrical release was 168 minutes, the Netflix "mini-series" was 210 minutes (released as 4 chapters), so 42 minutes longer for the latter.  There was also a roadshow version, kind of a special pre-screening, that had an additional 6 minutes, some slightly different edits, an intermission, don't think that's been released through normal channels.


----------



## fooferdoggie

Just watched I care a lot on Netflix it was really good and unexpected.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

fooferdoggie said:


> Just watched I care a lot on Netflix it was really good and unexpected.





I enjoyed it for the most part.  It's as advertised but also goes off the rails in ways you wouldn't expect, but also in ways I thought were completely unrealistic.  That doesn't have to be a bad thing, but I felt the 1/2 of the movie still stayed in the realm of feasible.  Then it just got silly, not the least of which was the police just kind of not investigating anything.  Also, they could have chopped off about 20 minutes.     

Silliest part for me was Peter Dinklage going into the bank with a baseball cap on and pulling it down so his face wouldn't be caught on the security camera.  At the risk of getting canceled, I'm going to say he has other attributes that a baseball cap wouldn't help disguise.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Checked out Mortal on Amazon.  I never heard of it before, but the premise sounded interesting and it was highly rated.  I thought it was good.  I don't want to give away the twist and will just say if you liked Brightburn then you might like Mortal.


----------



## fooferdoggie

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> I enjoyed it for the most part.  It's as advertised but also goes off the rails in ways you wouldn't expect, but also in ways I thought were completely unrealistic.  That doesn't have to be a bad thing, but I felt the 1/2 of the movie still stayed in the realm of feasible.  Then it just got silly, not the least of which was the police just kind of not investigating anything.  Also, they could have chopped off about 20 minutes.
> 
> Silliest part for me was Peter Dinklage going into the bank with a baseball cap on and pulling it down so his face wouldn't be caught on the security camera.  At the risk of getting canceled, I'm going to say he has other attributes that a baseball cap wouldn't help disguise.



I think the cop was one of her employees like the judge and doctor. ya the baseball cap was silly.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

fooferdoggie said:


> I think the cop was one of her employees like the judge and doctor. ya the baseball cap was silly.




I don’t think a known mob associate could go into an assisted living facility and shoot up the place to kidnap a rich woman and the whole police force would just go “Well, that was random.” and call it a day. Just saying they started out with some sense of feasibility to the whole story, and then went off the rails with things like that. In the beginning I thought it was going to be more like The Big Short of elderly guardianship abuse and corruption.


----------



## fooferdoggie

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> I don’t think a known mob associate could go into an assisted living facility and shoot up the place to kidnap a rich woman and the whole police force would just go “Well, that was random.” and call it a day. Just saying they started out with some sense of feasibility to the whole story, and then went off the rails with things like that. In the beginning I thought it was going to be more like The Big Short of elderly guardianship abuse and corruption.



ya for sure.


----------



## DT

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> I enjoyed it for the most part.  It's as advertised but also goes off the rails in ways you wouldn't expect, but also in ways I thought were completely unrealistic.




When Marla started going at people with a baseball bat, it was either eye-rolling-ly silly, or hysterically dark take on the legal system and the predatory nature of lawyers.  My "in head" jury is still out ...




Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Checked out Mortal on Amazon.  I never heard of it before, but the premise sounded interesting and it was highly rated.  I thought it was good.  I don't want to give away the twist and will just say if you liked Brightburn then you might like Mortal.




Excellent, yeah, Mortal is "free" on Prime, with very solid reviews, might watch this tonight.

We never did get to see Brightburn, it just keeps circulating on the couple of services we don't have (I mean, if it's not on Hulu, Netflix, Prime, HBOMax, Epix, SHO, or one of the dozen or so "medium tier" services we get, I give up ...).


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

DT said:


> When Marla started going at people with a baseball bat, it was either eye-rolling-ly silly, or hysterically dark take on the legal system and the predatory nature of lawyers.  My "in head" jury is still out ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Excellent, yeah, Mortal is "free" on Prime, with very solid reviews, might watch this tonight.
> 
> We never did get to see Brightburn, it just keeps circulating on the couple of services we don't have (I mean, if it's not on Hulu, Netflix, Prime, HBOMax, Epix, SHO, or one of the dozen or so "medium tier" services we get, I give up ...).




I really liked Brightburn, but waited well after the hype (mostly bad) died down to see it.  I thought it was a good blend of superhero and horror, leaning more towards the horror angle which is my preference anyway.  I think the poor reviews were from people who expected too much in either direction and didn't get it to their satisfaction.


----------



## JayMysteri0

This is going to make some people freak.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1365163570472701952/


----------



## Huntn

JayMysteri0 said:


> This is going to make some people freak.
> 
> https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1365163570472701952/



I love the original *Starship Trooper*s movie. The book did not grab me. The movie has to be regarded as a R rated parody, it is very Paul Verhoeven, the lead actor, Casper Van Dien is terrible, among actors who are talented, and it is really a good example of what influence the director has over actors when urging certain types of performances. The story Is good, the visuals are stunning, so the film is ripe for a remake. The risk for fans of this movie is that there is a certain vibe that will not survive into a remake and rightfully so, however, will the new product be appealing?


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> I love the original *Starship Trooper*s movie. The book did not grab me. The movie has to be regarded as a R rated parody, it is very Paul Verhoeven, the lead actor, Casper Van Dien is terrible, among actors who are talented, and it is really a good example of what influence the director has over actors when urging certain types of performances. The story Is good, the visuals are stunning, so the film is ripe for a remake. The risk for fans of this movie is that there is a certain vibe that will not survive into a remake and rightfully so, however, will the new product be appealing?




Yep.  Verhoeven's movie, without question, is meant to be satire.  I mean, the original novel you could do a really broad reading and __maybe__ read in some of the same, but given the who/where/when the original novel was written, it's got some pretty, non-ironic fascist ideals.

BTW, when this movie was first released with the trailer above, it did OK, but they re-released a version of the trailer, but the only change being they used *Blur's Song 2*, and the movie has a notable uptick in revenue!


----------



## DT

FWIW, I have a mint copy of the Avalon Hill Starship Troopers board game!


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Yep.  Verhoeven's movie, without question, is meant to be satire.  I mean, the original novel you could do a really broad reading and __maybe__ read in some of the same, but given the who/where/when the original novel was written, it's got some pretty, non-ironic fascist ideals.
> 
> BTW, when this movie was first released with the trailer above, it did OK, but they re-released a version of the trailer, but the only change being they used *Blur's Song 2*, and the movie has a notable uptick in revenue!



That’s good! 

My wife started watching *Titanic 2* on Vudu, boy that looked sucky, a cross between Titanic and Poseidon Adventure. How do movies like this get made?

*The War With Grandpa* (2020)- Besides the fun of seeing Robert Dinero, Christopher Walken, Cheech Marin, and Jane Seymore, playing old geezers, regular people, not much to see here.


​


----------



## Joe

I watched “Ghost” last night on Prime. Haven’t watched it in years!

“Molly! You in danger girl!”


----------



## DT

JagRunner said:


> I watched “Ghost” last night on Prime. Haven’t watched it in years!
> 
> “Molly! You in danger girl!”




Roadhouse makes a good Swayze double feature 

"_Pain don't hurt_."


----------



## Huntn

We just happened to pull up the free movies (with commercials) at *Vudu*, streaming service. We don’t usually watch voluntarily any movie with commercials but this list reinforced that position.  Is this the place were aweful movies come to eek out some revenue via commercials? 

*Boobs* (as in female breasts, close up of 2 breasts in a US flag motif bra).
*Baby Sitters* (with a picture of a female, torso taking her shirt off).
*Dirty Teachers* (A waist down shot of a woman in a dress standing with her legs spread).
*Troll Hunter*
*Ogre*


----------



## DT

Troll Hunter is __fantastic__.  No /s, seriously, it's terrific, very well done "mockumentary".  I don't know about with ads (in general for that matter ...).


----------



## ronntaylor

Finished watching "The Banker" today after starting it last night. It was so-so. Cliched, movie-by-numbers for first half. A bit better for the last hour or so. I originally thought I'd never watch it due to the controversy that scuttled it's premiere at the AFI Fest end of 2019.

Just proves my point that so many "inspired by" or "based on a true story" films are garbage when made up plot lines become the bulk of the story. In this case, "The Banker" was extremely egregious.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Troll Hunter is __fantastic__.  No /s, seriously, it's terrific, very well done "mockumentary".  I don't know about with ads (in general for that matter ...).



After being primed by the first 3 listed, it seemed based on the title image it was just another loser.


----------



## shadow puppet

Spent last night revisiting The Help.  It never gets old.  The cast is beyond excellent.


----------



## Thomas Veil

​
“Dick Tracy” (HBO Max) is an underrated film that is remembered (if it’s remembered at all) for its star-studded cast (in some pretty grotesque makeup) and it’s bright, comic book colors.

How can you not like a film that has Warren Beatty perfectly cast as Tracy, Al Pacino shamelessly overacting as mob boss Big Boy, Dustin Hoffmann as the aptly named Mumbles, and Madonna vamping it up as Breathless Mahoney?

The songs—by Stephen Sondheim, no less—are bright and bouncy, especially “Back in Business”, which plays over a crime montage, and “More”, an ode to piggish greed that actually manages to get funnier each time you hear it, including a hilarious punchline.


----------



## Huntn

*Total Recall *(1990)- 78% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score. I really like the vibe. Another movie based on an excellent Phillip Dick story. No Pyramid Mine in the book though as I recall. 

​


----------



## User.45

Huntn said:


> *Total Recall *(1990)- 78% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score. I really like the vibe. Another movie based on an excellent Phillip Dick story.
> 
> View attachment 3795​



I think besides Blade Runner it was the only great PKD adaptation. I too like the vibe a lot. It's also set in the same universe as BR, you can see the ads for Off World exploration in BR, and the Nexus replicants are designed for the off world. 

I still chuckle when I remember the three boobed alien


----------



## SuperMatt

P_X said:


> I think besides Blade Runner it was the only great PKD adaptation. I too like the vibe a lot. It's also set in the same universe as BR, you can see the ads for Off World exploration in BR, and the Nexus replicants are designed for the off world.
> 
> I still chuckle when I remember the three boobed alien



The faces made by Arnold in that movie…. how does he do it?


----------



## Huntn

SuperMatt said:


> The faces made by Arnold in that movie…. how does he do it?



She was a mutant, one of the non- ugly ones.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Was going to watch the well reviewed Raya and the Last Dragon on Disney+.  Until I clicked on it and you have to pay $30...on top of having a Disney+ subscription.


----------



## Huntn

*The Dig *(2021)- 88% RT Audience score. Decent, but slow story about a significant archaeology find in 1930 UK.

​


----------



## DT

P_X said:


> I think besides Blade Runner it was the only great PKD adaptation. I too like the vibe a lot. It's also set in the same universe as BR, you can see the ads for Off World exploration in BR, and the Nexus replicants are designed for the off world.
> 
> I still chuckle when I remember the three boobed alien




The Minority Report film (2002, Spielberg) is a very solid adaption (never saw any of the TV series).

Also, people may not know that The Man in the High Castle which was an Amazon Prime series is actually based on a PKD work.

There's also a TV series,  Electric Dreams (aka, Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams), anthology series that ran for 10 EPs, British production that's also available on Prime.  Not bad, not great, like the more mediocre-to-decent EPs of Black Mirror, but they used some great stories of his.


----------



## User.45

DT said:


> The Minority Report film (2002, Spielberg) is a very solid adaption (never saw any of the TV series).
> 
> Also, people may not know that The Man in the High Castle which was an Amazon Prime series is actually based on a PKD work.
> 
> There's also a TV series,  Electric Dreams (aka, Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams), anthology series that ran for 10 EPs, British production that's also available on Prime.  Not bad, not great, like the more mediocre-to-decent EPs of Black Mirror, but they used some great stories of his.



Minority Report wasn't bad, but I wish Tom Cruise had an acting double....

Man In High Castle lost me after season 2.5. I don't fall for TV bluffs (except for GoT), and wait out the reviews of the finale if I see too many unexplained elements popping up.

Electric Dreams was super mediocre. Reminded me of the Outter Limits (which I love dearly), every 5th episode is a gem, but you have to push through the other 4... Black Mirror in contrast, is a gem mine. But y'know PKD died long ago, whereas Black Mirror's stories have been written real time. 

One of the biggest disappointments I've had was A Scanner Darkly. My fav PKD book, but the adaptation was meh.


----------



## DT

FWIW, I didn't watch Man In High Castle, just aware of the plot and it being a PKD story.  I'm totally OK with Cruise, I know some people let his craziness sort of seep into his work, which I sort of get, but I find him decently compelling in the right role (he's fantastic in the Mission Impossible films).

1000% agree about Electric Dreams, on average, mediocre, and the few decent / standout EPs are like a 6-ish on 1-10.  Yeah, Black Mirror for me is more like a 6-9 (on 1-10), most a good, many are very good, and a few are just goddam fantastic.  I mean,
San Junipero may be the most touching, emotional hour of sci-fi TV ever written.

NO I DIDN'T, I WAS CUTTING ONIONS ...

I __love__ the original Outer Limits, some great speculative sci-fi  blended with some terrific stories about morality, the human condition, etc., you know, like good sci-fi  should.  Two EPs, Soldier and Demon with a Glass Hand are not only genius, but written by one of my favorite authors, Harlan Ellison.  The Sixth Finger,  The Bellero Shield, Nightmare, The Invisibles, I Robot, all just so fantastic, and they did some amazing things with an F/X budget per show that wouldn't cover the cost of one lunch for most modern shows.


----------



## Alli

Last night I watched “I care a lot.” Holy ballz! What a great movie. I just wish we’d seen more of Diane Wiest, but the cast was exceptional.


----------



## Thomas Veil

DT said:


> ...I __love__ the original Outer Limits, some great speculative sci-fi  blended with some terrific stories about morality, the human condition, etc., you know, like good sci-fi  should.  Two EPs, Soldier and Demon with a Glass Hand are not only genius, but written by one of my favorite authors, Harlan Ellison.  The Sixth Finger,  The Bellero Shield, Nightmare, The Invisibles, I Robot, all just so fantastic, and they did some amazing things with an F/X budget per show that wouldn't cover the cost of one lunch for most modern shows.



You just named one of my favorite old shows, including some of the same episodes. The gothic black and white photography was great. I also liked "The Forms of Things Unknown", which was a backdoor pilot for a spinoff and a really weird story.


​"Cell" didn't get many good reviews, despite the fact that the script was by Stephen King adapting his own novel.

Frankly, I found it imaginative enough. Zombie stories are pretty much all the same at their core--main characters running away from mindless hordes--but this one comes from a cell phone signal whose source is never identified. (That may annoy some, but it's actually not that uncommon in horror stories.) The plot is suspenseful enough and leads to a decent ending.


----------



## shadow puppet

Has anyone here watched this?  Looks interesting.






ETA:  Wait.  It currently costs $19.99 to stream online.    Nevermind.


----------



## Thomas Veil

​
I remember when this came out the commercials never really gave a good idea if this was a kids’ movie, a horror movie, or what.

Turns out it’s very much in the vein of the Harry Potter films, “Goosebumps”, “A Series of Unfortunate Events” and even “The Addams Family”.

I’m not much of a Jack Black fan, but he’s charming in this as a benevolent warlock; the movie’s leavened with humor; and the horror aspect is not _too_ intense. It’s a good movie night film for families with kids, say, 9-14...although I even enjoyed it all by myself.


----------



## Huntn

*X-Men United (X2)* (2003)- Possibly the single best X-Men movie ever made. Of course you should watch *X-Men* (2000) first. 


​*Congo *(1995)- I need to re-read this Michael Crichton novel which I liked a lot. A King Solomon’s Mine story.  The movie is ok, it’s a haphazard, light adventure story loosely based on the book, some might say far fetched situations, and it got hammered by the critics and audience at Rotten Tomatoes 29% probably by readers of the book who did not like said changes. Yet it is very much in tone with *The Mummy* (1999) where the audience gave it a 75% like. Comparing the two, The Mummy is a better composed and executed story.


Congo



The Mummy​


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Checked out the new horror/sci-fi movie The Block Island Sound.  The premise didn't really grab my interest at release but it got good reviews.  It's pretty good, original, and kept my interest.  At the end there isn't so much a twist as a interesting parallel to real life that makes you think.


----------



## Thomas Veil

I checked out the trailer. Looks good. I’ll have to catch it this weekend.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Thomas Veil said:


> I checked out the trailer. Looks good. I’ll have to catch it this weekend.




Cool.  Report back what you thought.


----------



## Thomas Veil

_Very_ mild spoilers below, most of which have been reported in the media.

​
I vowed to temper my enthusiasm for this movie simply because the original "Justice League" set a fairly low bar. I purposely went in thinking I'm not going to be saying that ZSJL is one of the greatest superhero movies ever. I'll be happy if it's just better.

Except now I've seen it.

Wow. I'm impressed.

Zack Snyder's "Justice League" _is_ one of the best superhero movies--if not ever, at least in the DC universe. I'd put it up there with "Watchmen", "V for Vendetta" and "Wonder Woman". It's actually very good in its own right, not just by comparison to the original "Justice League". If anything, ZSJL makes you realize just how lousy the original was.

Rather than being let down, I'm surprised that I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

There isn't any facet of the movie that isn't better, sometimes far better, than Joss Whedon's version. They may both be working from a premise about heroes coming together to fight aliens, but Whedon was making a comic book movie. Snyder is telling us a story about gods and monsters.

As I'm writing this I'm watching the first few minutes of "Justice League", and the problems are obvious. Whedon sets up the "we're going to be invaded" premise within the first few minutes through some perfunctory expository dialogue. Snyder, on the other hand, takes his time laying out the backstory of each hero in a more leisurely fashion, with beautiful photography and music and exquisite directorial timing. You can argue that Snyder's version is too slow, but I'm telling you that after you've seen it, it seems that Whedon's version is paced _too fast_. It's like he's always in a rush to get onto the next scene.

A few notes I made as I watched:

It only takes about ten minutes for you to feel that you are watching a _completely_ different movie. I did not expect to be hooked by those first ten minutes, but I was.
The cinematography, especially in the beginning, is magnificent. Lengthy shots and elegiac music give everything the feeling that you are watching mythology, rather than an action movie.
The 4:3 aspect ration was not nearly as off-putting as I thought it would be.
The underwater effects are sure better than they were in "Aquaman".
It's cool the way the Green Lanterns show up. It's not much, but it's nice to see them.
Ditto Martian Manhunter.
Cyborg's powers are, frankly, creepy. Much is made of how there is nothing on the planet he can't hack into. It's presented as if that's a good thing.
A scene involving Barry, Supes and the mother boxes is a _bit_ muddled (trying not to give any spoilers here), but not nearly enough to ruin the movie.
We really need to stop using Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" in _everything_. I hear it in so many movies it's becoming a cliché.
The dreaded "cliffhanger" is merely a setup for a sequel movie. ZSJL survives well without it. If you feel the so-called cliffhanger would bother you, just stop when the movie says "Epilogue", and you'll have a much more satisfying ending. Seriously.
The end credits contain two really nice bits. One is a solo title card, "For Autumn", that actually made me a little teary-eyed. (I'm a real softie.) The other was a really thoughtful touch. The first item under "Special thanks to..." was "All the fans who made this film possible". That's us, folks.
Overall, the difference between the two movies is that Whedon's film comes across as something directed by talent-for-hire, and Snyder's movie is more like a work of art by someone who truly loves the subject. I'm not gonna whack Whedon completely here, because now that I've seen this, it seems to me that the common thread of the worst DC movies is that they were dictated by the bean counters at Warner Bros. rather than the creative people.

In the end, the true test of this movie is, would I watch it again? And if there were any sequels, would I see them?

Yes. Yes I would.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Thomas Veil said:


> View attachment 4070​
> I vowed to temper my enthusiasm for this movie simply because the original "Justice League" set a fairly low bar. I purposely went in thinking I'm not going to be saying that ZSJL is one of the greatest superhero movies ever. I'll be happy if it's just better.
> 
> Except now I've seen it.
> 
> Wow. I'm impressed.
> 
> Zack Snyder's "Justice League" _is_ one of the best superhero movies--if not ever, at least in the DC universe. I'd put it up there with "Watchmen", "V for Vendetta" and "Wonder Woman". It's actually very good in its own right, not just by comparison to the original "Justice League". If anything, ZSJL makes you realize just how lousy the original was.
> 
> Rather than being let down, I'm surprised that I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.
> 
> There isn't any facet of the movie that isn't better, sometimes far better, than Joss Whedon's version. They may both be working from a premise about heroes coming together to fight aliens, but Whedon was making a comic book movie. Snyder is telling us a story about gods and monsters.
> 
> As I'm writing this I'm watching the first few minutes of "Justice League", and the problems are obvious. Whedon sets up the "we're going to be invaded" premise within the first few minutes through some perfunctory expository dialogue. Snyder, on the other hand, takes his time laying out the backstory of each hero in a more leisurely fashion, with beautiful photography and music and exquisite directorial timing. You can argue that Snyder's version is too slow, but I'm telling you that after you've seen it, it seems that Whedon's version is paced _too fast_. It's like he's always in a rush to get onto the next scene.
> 
> A few notes I made as I watched:
> 
> It only takes about ten minutes for you to feel that you are watching a _completely_ different movie. I did not expect to be hooked by those first ten minutes, but I was.
> The cinematography, especially in the beginning, is magnificent. Lengthy shots and elegiac music give everything the feeling that you are watching mythology, rather than an action movie.
> The 4:3 aspect ration was not nearly as off-putting as I thought it would be.
> The underwater effects are sure better than they were in "Aquaman".
> It's cool the way the Green Lanterns show up. It's not much, but it's nice to see them.
> Ditto Martian Manhunter.
> Cyborg's powers are, frankly, creepy. Much is made of how there is nothing on the planet he can't hack into. It's presented as if that's a good thing.
> A concluding scene involving Barry, Supes and the mother boxes is a _bit_ muddled (trying not to give any spoilers here), but not nearly enough to ruin the movie.
> We really need to stop using Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" in _everything_. I hear it in so many movies it's becoming a cliché.
> The dreaded "cliffhanger" is merely a setup for a sequel movie. ZSJL survives well without it. If you feel the so-called cliffhanger would bother you, just stop when the movie says "Epilogue", and you'll have a much more satisfying ending. Seriously.
> The end credits contain two really nice bits. One is a solo title card, "For Autumn", that actually made me a little teary-eyed. (I'm a real softie.) The other was a really thoughtful touch. The first item under "Special thanks to..." was "All the fans who made this film possible". That's us, folks.
> Overall, the difference between the two movies is that Whedon's film comes across as something directed by talent-for-hire, and Snyder's movie is more like a work of art by someone who truly loves the subject. I'm not gonna whack Whedon completely here, because now that I've seen this, it seems to me that the common thread of the worst DC movies is that they were dictated by the bean counters at Warner Bros. rather than the creative people.
> 
> In the end, the true test of this movie is, would I watch it again? And if there were any sequels, would I see them?
> 
> Yes. Yes I would.




Looks like somebody needs to learn how to use the spoiler alert function on the forum.  In your defense I don't know how to use it either.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Actually I do know how to use it. But with the exception of Cyborg's powers and the credits, Snyder has been spilling this information all over the media. I'll tack on a note, though, for anybody who has never heard of this film.


----------



## shadow puppet

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Looks like somebody needs to learn how to use the spoiler alert function on the forum.  In your defense I don't know how to use it either.



Ah.  Thanks for the warning.  Will stop reading Thomas's review now!


----------



## Thomas Veil

See my comment above.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Thomas Veil said:


> Actually I do know how to use it. But with the exception of Cyborg's powers and the credits, Snyder has been spilling this information all over the media. I'll tack on a note, though, for anybody who has never heard of this film.




I haven't really been paying attention and most people I know who are interested share in my view that I didn't really like the first but I heard this one is better.  Honestly I don't even remember the first but I watch a lot of movies and it takes a lot to stay in my memory.

No worries though, I didn't really read your post.  I just saw the length and went "Ahh!  TMI!"  

I once gave away the shock ending to a popular series finale in a short post and a lot of members wanted my head on a platter.  I didn't even realize I did it but when I did my response was "Come on, it's been a week! Who doesn't know this?"  I didn't consider people who were late to the game or people who squirrel away episodes to binge watch later.


----------



## shadow puppet

Thomas Veil said:


> See my comment above.



I did.  But I haven't read anything on this film so would rather remain as spoiler free as possible.  As it is, I need to psyche up for a 4 hour film.  But even though I'm more of a Marvel gal, I would like to give this film a chance.  Probably in shifts like you did.


----------



## Huntn

*The Da Vinci Code* (2006)- I like the book and the movie, the author is clever enough to weave a narrative which feels real, although it is not, which sprinkles some truths among many fictional ideas, to weave a decent story. Now the book was pinged for poor writing, but simple me, I was impressed how the author managed to end each chapter with a revelation. 

The story centers on the search for the Holy Grail, which is not what you think it is. It’s Opus Dei vs Knights Templar and Priory of Scion. (Note: Knights Templar was also big in another fictional story, *National Treasure* which uses the same methodology to tell it’s fictional story.)

In this story people are murdered to hide a revelation which could shake the faith of Christianity. I should not say more, and I’ll be damned if that person sitting to the right of Jesus in the Last Supper does not look a lot like a woman. But Leonardo, the painter is said to have his differences with the church.  

My disappointment is that 



Spoiler: Plot spoiler



a descendant of Christ is found, but nothing is resolved, status quo as far as Christianity is concerned, the viewer is just let in on this secret.



​








						Da Vinci Code True Story: What's Real & What's Fake
					

How much of The Da Vinci Code is fake?




					screenrant.com


----------



## Thomas Veil

shadow puppet said:


> I did.  But I haven't read anything on this film so would rather remain as spoiler free as possible.  As it is, I need to psyche up for a 4 hour film.  But even though I'm more of a Marvel gal, I would like to give this film a chance.  Probably in shifts like you did.



You really want to stay away from the online reviews, then. I didn’t give away any important plot points, I only referred briefly to a couple of cameos. Vox, however, put one of them out there in a big screaming heading, along with a description of the scene and its implications for potential sequels.

In fact, avoid most reviews because many go into a lot more detail than I did.

You do want to see the movie in shifts, though. Four hours is a long sit.


----------



## shadow puppet

I've been bummed over the pandemic's delay in releasing No Time to Die.  In lieu of that, it may be time for a rewatch of Casino Royale.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Cool.  Report back what you thought.



Going from big blockbusters like "Justice League" and "Batman v. Superman" to "The Block Island Sound" made for a great weekend. Variety is the spice of life, and sometimes you just need a little cheap indie thriller to remind you that simple films can be successful too.

Good story, creepy music (although admittedly if that weird music had gone on much longer it would've gotten on my nerves), and a scary mystery.



Spoiler: Ending-related comments



Given the parallel that was being drawn, do you think a naturalist/environmentalist wrote that story? LOL.

I liked that it gave you somewhat of an explanation without spelling it all out. Basically that end voice-over was all you needed to know. And I like that they left you wondering about the woman. Was she gonna drown out there with no boat? More likely, was she now the vessel for...whatever? Does that mean that her daughter is its next victim for sure?

I also wonder if the actor playing Harry's father had a hard time remembering his lines. "Dooooog!" "Deeeeeeer!" 






shadow puppet said:


> I've been bummed over the pandemic's delay in releasing No Time to Die.  In lieu of that, it may be time for a rewatch of Casino Royale.



That movie had the most amazing opening credits. At least, until "Skyfall".


----------



## shadow puppet

Thomas Veil said:


> That movie had the most amazing opening credits. At least, until "Skyfall".



I agree about the opening credits.  I realized as I watched last night, I had somehow missed this entry into Bond land.  When Daniel Craig first hit the scene, I didn't like his look.  The purist in me thought Connery was it and a blonde Bond just didn't sit right.  Now, I very much like Craig's version of Bond.  I think part of what changed my mind over the years was learning how Connery saw and treated women.  I do like Craig's modern, trimmed down take - more to the essence of who I take 007 to be (not having read any of the books).

Now I'm looking forward to working my way through the rest of Craig's Bond films.  It's been long enough, it should be like watching them for the first time again.  Really want to see No Time to Die.  I worked with director Cary Fukunaga many years back on a Levi's campaign we shot in New Orleans and San Francisco.  He was fun to work with.


----------



## Thomas Veil

I’m one of the rare few for whom Connery wasn’t necessarily the best Bond—even without the actor’s own misogyny. The rest I agree with. I somehow couldn’t see Craig as Bond, but now that I have, he certainly fits the new, world-weary, nearly dead inside version of him. 

And I too have not read the books, but from what I hear this is closer to Fleming’s intended version of him. It’s also right for our current world-weary, almost dead inside times.


----------



## Huntn

shadow puppet said:


> I agree about the opening credits.  I realized as I watched last night, I had somehow missed this entry into Bond land.  When Daniel Craig first hit the scene, I didn't like his look.  The purist in me thought Connery was it and a blonde Bond just didn't sit right.  Now, I very much like Craig's version of Bond.  I think part of what changed my mind over the years was learning how Connery saw and treated women.  I do like Craig's modern, trimmed down take - more to the essence of who I take 007 to be (not having read any of the books).
> 
> Now I'm looking forward to working my way through the rest of Craig's Bond films.  It's been long enough, it should be like watching them for the first time again.  Really want to see No Time to Die.  I worked with director Cary Fukunaga many years back on a Levi's campaign we shot in New Orleans and San Francisco.  He was fun to work with.



I still view Sean Connery as the definitive James Bond, but acknowledge Daniel Craig as worthy and consider his *Casino Royale* and *Quantum of Solace* as the best 2 Bond movies ever made. Of note they are linked stories. Is that one of a kind for the Bond series? I was disappointed by SPECTRE.


----------



## Huntn

*Spoilers in this post, avert you eyes if first time viewer. 
Captain America: The Winter Soldier *(2014)- Incredible story evolution in this movie. How to spell Shield with an H. The Nick Fury ambush, if this was all physical effects it’s impressively filmed  on the streets of Washington DC Cleveland. The elevator ambush, awesome!  Armin Zola bad mad German scientist turned into an AI genius behind Project Insight. Incredible photorealistic CGI. Robert Redford _Hail Hydra!_


​


----------



## Huntn

*Guardians of the Galaxy* (2014)- If the Academy Awards had a Best Adventure Film, this would have won in 2015. Great CGI, great characters, story, and great toons.  Excellent description of what the Infinity Stones are. 

​


----------



## Thomas Veil

I'll have to try "Guardians" again the next time it's on, but I've tried twice before and never made it past the first forty minutes or so.

I just caught *"Shaun of the Dead"* and was disappointed, given its minor cult status. There were some funny gags in there, and the ending actually got a little tense, but as a whole it didn't work for me.



Spoiler: One thing I didn't expect...



...was that the ending would be very similar to "The Mist", of all things!



Personally I thought *"The World's End"* was a superior movie. At its heart it's a similar story from the same director and even shares some of the same cast. It just does it better. It is harder to find, though.

​


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> I'll have to try "Guardians" again the next time it's on, but I've tried twice before and never made it past the first forty minutes or so.
> 
> I just caught *"Shaun of the Dead"* and was disappointed, given its minor cult status. There were some funny gags in there, and the ending actually got a little tense, but as a whole it didn't work for me.
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: One thing I didn't expect...
> 
> 
> 
> ...was that the ending would be very similar to "The Mist", of all things!
> 
> 
> 
> Personally I thought *"The World's End"* was a superior movie. At its heart it's a similar story from the same director and even shares some of the same cast. It just does it better. It is harder to find, though.
> 
> View attachment 4210​



Are you probably put off of Guardians by some of it’s humor?  Here is a spoilerish rundown of the story which should get you started: 

*Peter Quill* is abducted as  a boy right after his mother dies, by Ravagers who are being paid  to deliver him to his Father.
Not delivered to his father who is a mystery at this point, 26 years later he has been part of the Ravagers, and goes to the *Planet Morag* to retrieve a mysterious orb for the *Broker*, on *Xander*, a guy who obtains important items for third parties. However Quill has done this behind his adopted father’s back, *Yondu*.
While on *Morag* he has a run in with Agents of *Ronan*, a renegade *Kree* who has vowed to destroy *Xandar* for personal reasons.
Now *Thanos* is the head bad guy in this story and in the entire *Marvel Infinity Stone saga*. Just about all, if not all Marvel movies are in this universe and one way or another are effected by, related to, or lead to the events in *Avengers: End Game*. Thanos sends his two adopted daughters, *Gamora* and *Nebula* to assist Ronan and demands that *Ronan* obtain the Orb For him.
Quill who likes being called *Star Lord*, has returned to Xandar to sell the Orb to *the Broker*.
There he runs into Gamora, there to retrieve the Orb, and just happens to cross paths with *Rocket*, an intelligent genetically altered raccoon and *Groot*, basically an intelligent, mobile tree like creature, who are both criminals. They discover that Quill has a bounty on him.
They: Quill, Gamora, Rocket, and Groot get involved in a public ruckus, are arrested, convicted, and sent to a prison called the *Kiln*.
There they meet *Drax* the Destroyer, who also has a beef with Ronin and Thanos and they end up banding together to become the *Guardians of the Galaxy*, as they devise a plan to escape the Kiln, and head to *Knowhere*, to try to sell this orb to *The Collector*. It is here, through a calamitous event they discover The orb is an *Infinity Stone*, a powerful artifact left over from the creation of the Universe.
The entire  *Infinity Stone Saga*, involves Thanos collecting all of the Infinity Stones so he can reshape the Universe as he sees fit and his intent is to indiscriminately eradicate half of all living beings  to make the Universe a better place.  You might question this rational.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: An absolute favourite of mine, as a child, and stands the test of time. 

Terrific and thoroughly enjoyable movie.


----------



## Huntn

*The Sound of Music* (1965)- Best picture. Simply incredible. 

​


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Huntn said:


> *The Sound of Music* (1965)- Best picture. Simply incredible.
> 
> View attachment 4223​




Agreed. A superb movie.


----------



## Renzatic

I subscribed to Disney+ the day before, and the first thing I've done was watch those old Disney classics. First up was Darby O'Gill and the Little People, followed by Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Tonight, I'll probably watch Candleshoe.


----------



## Thomas Veil

​
*“Cats”* (HBO) seems to be one of those movies that people just love to dump on.

Two caveats: I’ve never seen the stage musical, and I came in part way through this film. Nevertheless, I found it enjoyable enough. The music by Andrew Lloyd Webber is as good as you’d expect; the acting is fine; and the artistic representation of the cats’ world beautifully done.

Some critics seem to have had a problem with the realistic makeup, which they found creepy. But having sought out images from the stage version...what’s the big difference?

Whatever you think about this film, it once again proves that *Judi Dench can play damn near anything.*


----------



## Huntn

*Avengers: Age of Ultron* (2015)- Yes, again.  In the Shield-Hydra aftermath, Tony Stark get’s hold of Loki’s Scepter, decides an unknown AI, (whatever an AI is doing in an Infinity Stone?) could be good for his _protect humanity _project, but then it gets lose and all hell breaks loose, Tony, Tony, Tony. 

​
*Ant Man (*2015)- This movie has a special quality about it, cool concept, great cast. Seems  like Corey Stoll more times than not gets cast as a heavy.

​


Thomas Veil said:


> View attachment 4230​
> *“Cats”* (HBO) seems to be one of those movies that people just love to dump on.
> 
> Two caveats: I’ve never seen the stage musical, and I came in part way through this film. Nevertheless, I found it enjoyable enough. The music by Andrew Lloyd Webber is as good as you’d expect; the acting is fine; and the artistic representation of the cats’ world beautifully done.
> 
> Some critics seem to have had a problem with the realistic makeup, which they found creepy. But having sought out images from the stage version...what’s the big difference?
> 
> Whatever you think about this film, it once again proves that *Judi Dench can play damn near anything.*



Saw it at a theater (play) where we couldn’t understand a single word.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

I like how "smoking" is now part of the viewer discretion warning labels.

"I was fine with the language, nudity, sex, graphic violence, drug use, alcoholism,  adult situations, animal abuse, and cultural insensitivity, but when I saw smoking was also in the warnings I knew this was a movie I wouldn't let my daughters watch."


----------



## Thomas Veil

Huntn said:


> Saw it at a theater (play) where we couldn’t understand a single word.



As I understand it, you could’ve brought T. S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” with you and had basically a libretto of the whole thing.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> I like how "smoking" is now part of the viewer discretion warning labels.
> 
> "I was fine with the language, nudity, sex, graphic violence, drug use, alcoholism,  adult situations, animal abuse, and cultural insensitivity, but when I saw smoking was also in the warnings I knew this was a movie I wouldn't let my daughters watch."



Before I got the box set, I used to watch "Green Acres" on Amazon Prime, where several episodes began with warnings about drug use and violence. 

The only violence was when Oliver's tractor blew up, and the only drug use was whatever Mr. Kimble was on.


----------



## Huntn

*Dr Strange* (2016) again. You can do some amazing things with an Infinity Stone in your possession. 
https://www.atlasofwonders.com/2016/10/doctor-strange-filming-locations.html
*Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness* planned for 2022.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9419884/
​


----------



## Huntn

*Guardians of the Galaxy 2* (2024)- Again...a Marvel story propelled by great music and an emotional ending. Peter’s Father, it’s all about him.    Vol 3 due 2023.

​








						Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) - IMDb
					

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: Directed by James Gunn. With Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel. Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own - a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful.




					www.imdb.com


----------



## Huntn

*Thor: Ragnarok* (2017)- Again... Strong story following Thor: The Dark World. Technically it’s not safe to assume anything about Hela in the end, although Cate Blanchett is super in the role.


​

*Next: Thor: Love and Thunder* (2022)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10648342/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1


----------



## Edd

Anyone ever see GI Jane? I learned from this video Demi Moore got a Razzie award, which is just wrong. Moore and Viggo Mortensen are both fantastic in it.

BTW, the JoBlo videos on YouTube are often great watches.


----------



## Huntn

* Black Panther* (2018)- Again... Power struggle in Wakanda. Sad that the lead, Chad Boseman died young. A sequel is planned for 2022. The cast has yet to be announced. Bucky Barnes makes an appearance in the 2nd post credits scene. 

​








						Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) - IMDb
					

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: Directed by Ryan Coogler. With Tenoch Huerta, Letitia Wright, Martin Freeman, Angela Bassett. A sequel that will continue to explore the world of Wakanda and all the characters introduced in the 2018 film.




					www.imdb.com


----------



## lizkat

A re-watch of _*The English Patient*_ is on tap for me tonight. I had purchased a digital download and do tend to watch it again at least once a year or so. Acting and cinematography remain memorable. The scenes with the biplanes over the North African desert... wow.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Thomas Veil said:


> As I understand it, you could’ve brought T. S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” with you and had basically a libretto of the whole thing.




Thta is a brilliant book (I have two copies, two different editions).  

A thoroughly enjoyable - witty, entertaining, clever - read.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

lizkat said:


> A re-watch of _*The English Patient*_ is on tap for me tonight. I had purchased a digital download and do tend to watch it again at least once a year or so. Acting and cinematography remain memorable. The scenes with the biplanes over the North African desert... wow.




A terrific movie, - intelligent, interesting, thought-provoking, moving, unsettling, stunning cinematography, superb cast, acting, script, and a fascinating book (yes, boring, I know, but I read it).

And biplanes over the North African desert......yes, wow.  Agreed. 

I'd love to travel in a biplane; but, yes, I have been flown in small planes - turbo props - across parts of north Africa, landing on what were basically grass (well, dusty, dry, red earth, with lots of dust, camels, and archaic windsocks)...... and in central Asia.


----------



## Huntn

​
*Avengers: Infinity War* (2018)- Again... Epic story which is fairly straight forward if you have watched the lead up Marvel Movies to what I consider to be the climax of this story arc as compared to *Avengers: End Game* which imo is a convoluted time travel mess trying to reverse what was wrought in Infinity War.



Spoiler: Plot Spoilers



Sadly both Peter Quill and Thor blow their chance to defeat Thanos.


----------



## Huntn

lizkat said:


> A re-watch of _*The English Patient*_ is on tap for me tonight. I had purchased a digital download and do tend to watch it again at least once a year or so. Acting and cinematography remain memorable. The scenes with the biplanes over the North African desert... wow.






Scepticalscribe said:


> A terrific movie, - intelligent, interestig, thought-provoking, moving, unsettling, stunning cinematography, superb cast, acting, script, and a fascinating book (yes, boring, I know, but I read it).
> 
> And biplanes over the North African desert......yes, wow.  Agreed.
> 
> I'd love to travel in a biplane; but, yes, I have been flown in small planes - turbo props - across parts of north Africa, landing on what were basically grass (well, dusty, dry, red earth, with lots of dust, camels, and archaic windsocks)...... and in central Asia.



Not trying to start any fights, but The English Patient is artsy, and boring but I don’t insist on agreement as it is a matter of personal taste. Not judging relative taste either.  Points to Sceptical for using the B word. 

I’d lump it with Out of Africa, and Bridges of Madison County. And to add evidence  it’s not just a man’s perspective, my wife dislikes all those titles too. However she tends to dislike turning adultery into a love story, even though she acknowledges there are examples where it is understandable that unpleasant relationships can result in finding true love somewhere else.


----------



## Huntn

*Antman and the Wasp* (2018)- This is a good sequel to the original film, the effort to find Hank Pim's wife lost in the quantum universe. Of interest while there is mention of the ramifications of *Avengers: Civil War*,  it was released after *Avengers: Infinity War *and there is not a peep about that until the End Credit Scene.

​


----------



## Thomas Veil

I watched *"Avengers: Age of Ultron"* the other day. It was...okay. Plenty of action, but not much in the way of characterization. I don't know what it is about Marvel movies, but try as I might I just can't get into them ("Black Panther" being the only exception).

On the other hand...

​We tend to think of space movies as high adventure, but as with "Gravity", there's also a dark side to space exploration.

There's a good chance* "Aniara"* (Hulu, Swedish with subtitles) is the bleakest space film _ever_. Though it shares a concept with a couple dozen other movies--Earthlings fleeing a dying planet to colonize one--it's definitely not something you've seen before.

Shortly after the start of the mission to resettle humans on Mars, the ship suffers an almost comically tragic accident. The ship--a giant, elegant, floating hotel--is disabled by bits of space debris, one of which is a lowly _bolt_. The ship's reactor pierced, they're forced to dump the nuclear fuel supply, which leaves them no navigational ability. The ship has sufficient auxiliary power for life support, but it's not only going to miss Mars, it's going to go on into space with no hope of returning.

That's the setup. Most of the film involves how people react to that. You know how, this past year, people have reacted to Covid and politics with everything from heroism to degeneracy and despair? Well, the same thing plays out on the good ship Aniara. Just because these people have gone to space doesn't mean that human nature is any better than it was at home.

In one of those ass-backward time warps that occurs sometimes, I realized that the HBO series _Avenue 5_ that I watched last year is in many ways a riff on the same concept, right down to the hotel-in-space setting...albeit _Avenue 5_ played it for laughs. So it was weird to see the two stories in reverse order, as it were.


----------



## lizkat

Huntn said:


> Not trying to start any fights, but The English Patient is artsy, and boring but I don’t insist on agreement as it is a matter of personal taste. Not judging relative taste either.  Points to Sceptical for using the B word.
> 
> I’d lump it with Out of Africa, and Bridges of Madison County. And to add evidence  it’s not just a man’s perspective, my wife dislikes all those titles too. However she tends to dislike turning adultery into a love story, even though she acknowledges there are examples where it is understandable that unpleasant relationships can result in finding true love somewhere else.




I liked Out of Africa --although maybe only for "artsy" reasons, certainly not for the compression of related geopolitics-- and for a memorable quote about how "the world is made round so we don't have to see too far down the road"...

Bridges of Madison County I do remember liking the one time through,  but maybe not as regular rewatch material.

The English Patient though,  I see more in that one, and differently, every time I watch it. 

No fights over movies from me, I figure reception of film fare is a complex thing and intensely personal.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Huntn said:


> Not trying to start any fights, but The English Patient is artsy, and boring but I don’t insist on agreement as it is a matter of personal taste. Not judging relative taste either.  Points to Sceptical for using the B word.
> 
> I’d lump it with Out of Africa, and Bridges of Madison County. And to add evidence  it’s not just a man’s perspective, my wife dislikes all those titles too. However she tends to dislike turning adultery into a love story, even though she acknowledges there are examples where it is understandable that unpleasant relationships can result in finding true love somewhere else.




Well, yes, I suppose it is a matter of taste, but, many of the movies I like could be classed as "artsy".


----------



## lizkat

Scepticalscribe said:


> A terrific movie, - intelligent, interestig, thought-provoking, moving, unsettling, stunning cinematography, superb cast, acting, script, and a fascinating book (yes, boring, I know, but I read it).
> 
> And biplanes over the North African desert......yes, wow.  Agreed.
> 
> I'd love to travel in a biplane; but, yes, I have been flown in small planes - turbo props - across parts of north Africa, landing on what were basically grass (well, dusty, dry, red earth, with lots of dust, camels, and archaic windsocks)...... and in central Asia.




From you a lot of us do expect that book someday.    Your adventures surely justify at least one, and who knows if a movie would not then spin off it. 

I actually thought about that the other day when picking up copies of two of Norwegian author Erika Fatland's books "Sovietistan" and "The Border" --  the former of which is about her experiences and understandings of central Asian countries formerly part of the USSR, and the latter about people living near the borders of all 14 countries along outer edges of  today's Russia.    My actual thoughts ran along line of "I'm going to like these but I bet @Scepticalscribe would have a more informative and entertaining account of some of these places."


----------



## Scepticalscribe

lizkat said:


> From you a lot of us do expect that book someday.    Your adventures surely justify at least one, and who knows if a movie would not then spin off it.
> 
> I actually thought about that the other day when picking up copies of two of Norwegian author Erika Fatland's books "Sovietistan" and "The Border" --  the former of which is about her experiences and understandings of central Asian countries formerly part of the USSR, and the latter about people living near the borders of all 14 countries along outer edges of  today's Russia.    My actual thoughts ran along line of "I'm going to like these but I bet @Scepticalscribe would have a more informative and entertaining account of some of these places."




Actually, I'm fascinated by borders, and border regions, those regions where identity, culture and geography (not to mention economics, religion, social stuff, and politics) are flexible, malleable, mixed, messy, merged, melded, permeable, and sometimes porous, andything but neat and tidy, depite those who seek to map such things with coloured pencils.

And yes, I realise that I am very privileged to have visited, experienced, lived in, worked in, - and travelled to - some of the places (settings, situations) I have seen - and met some of the people I have passed time with.


----------



## Huntn

*The Last Picture Show* (1971)- A rather bleak, intriguing portrayal of a small dying 50s Texas Town, novel written by Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove- 1986 Pulitzer Prize), based on his 1966 novel of the same name. This put  a cast of young actors on the map.

​
This story comes from the same ecosystem as *Hud* (1963, another novel written by McMurtry called Horseman, Pass By), about a 50s ranching family facing crisis.


----------



## Thomas Veil

*“Independence Day”*. Must be at least 15 years since I last saw this.

It was more engaging, in its formulaic way, than I remembered it.

But my god, the _cheese!_ There were so many scenes that simply cried out to be made into a Zucker-Abrams-Zucker parody movie along the lines of “Airplane!”


----------



## Huntn

* Crimson Peak* (2015 Netflix)- 5/10. Guillermo DelToro gothic horror, a bit over the top, with some pretty good ghost animations. I read it was a flop, but getting a second wind on Netflix.
https://www.looper.com/384776/the-tom-hiddleston-horror-flop-defying-odds-and-dominating-netflix/
​


----------



## Thomas Veil

Interesting that this film is getting a warmer reception now than when it was first released.

I for one had never even heard of it, and that may be part of the problem. I don't know it for a fact about _this_ film, but a lot of times studios show a movie to a preview audience and if the reaction isn't good they play if off quickly with minimal advertising or publicity.


----------



## Huntn

*Quantum of Solace* (2008)- 10/10. Second part of *Casino Royale* (2006). Quantum is a modern scary organization. _We have people everywhere._ Incredible high fidelity air sequence.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> I watched *"Avengers: Age of Ultron"* the other day. It was...okay. Plenty of action, but not much in the way of characterization. I don't know what it is about Marvel movies, but try as I might I just can't get into them ("Black Panther" being the only exception).
> 
> On the other hand...
> 
> View attachment 4491​We tend to think of space movies as high adventure, but as with "Gravity", there's also a dark side to space exploration.
> 
> There's a good chance* "Aniara"* (Hulu, Swedish with subtitles) is the bleakest space film _ever_. Though it shares a concept with a couple dozen other movies--Earthlings fleeing a dying planet to colonize one--it's definitely not something you've seen before.
> 
> Shortly after the start of the mission to resettle humans on Mars, the ship suffers an almost comically tragic accident. The ship--a giant, elegant, floating hotel--is disabled by bits of space debris, one of which is a lowly _bolt_. The ship's reactor pierced, they're forced to dump the nuclear fuel supply, which leaves them no navigational ability. The ship has sufficient auxiliary power for life support, but it's not only going to miss Mars, it's going to go on into space with no hope of returning.
> 
> That's the setup. Most of the film involves how people react to that. You know how, this past year, people have reacted to Covid and politics with everything from heroism to degeneracy and despair? Well, the same thing plays out on the good ship Aniara. Just because these people have gone to space doesn't mean that human nature is any better than it was at home.
> 
> In one of those ass-backward time warps that occurs sometimes, I realized that the HBO series _Avenue 5_ that I watched last year is in many ways a riff on the same concept, right down to the hotel-in-space setting...albeit _Avenue 5_ played it for laughs. So it was weird to see the two stories in reverse order, as it were.



So they could just float out in space self sufficient, or will auxiliary power fail too? I could see this morphing into some chance that pops up that gives them a second chance to get off the ship alive, but if it’s just a downer story I might not want to take the time to watch it.


----------



## Edd

Another Round on Hulu. It’s a subtitled Danish comedic-drama about a middle-aged group of male teachers conducting an experiment. What if you spent your waking hours with a blood-alcohol level of 0.05% at all times? Would it result in a more enjoyable life? Sounds dumb, but I’d recommend the film. 









						Another Round
					

Four high school teachers consume alcohol on a daily basis to see how it affects their social and professional lives.




					www.rottentomatoes.com


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> *“Independence Day”*. Must be at least 15 years since I last saw this.
> 
> It was more engaging, in its formulaic way, than I remembered it.
> 
> But my god, the _cheese!_ There were so many scenes that simply cried out to be made into a Zucker-Abrams-Zucker parody movie along the lines of “Airplane!”



I thought the build up was great, loved the opening attacks, people with signs on rooftops being zapped, the city visuals, the secret Roswell facility, with aliens and a spaceship, Will Smith, Judd Hersh, and Jeff Goldblum. The Patriotic themes and Randy Quade the normally drunk pilot did not Impress me. The solution for beating a technological superior alien war machine was iffy at best, but I went along with it.


----------



## SuperMatt

Huntn said:


> I thought the build up was great, loved the opening attacks, people with signs on rooftops being zapped, the city visuals, the secret Roswell facility, with aliens and a spaceship, Will Smith, Judd Hersh, and Jeff Goldblum. The Patriotic themes and Randy Quade the normally drunk pilot did not Impress me. The solution for beating a technological superior alien war machine was iffy at best, but I went along with it.



I saw that movie when it originally was released in theaters. It felt awesome to me at the time that we figured out a way to sneak a nuke onto the alien ship and that Clark Griswold’s crazy cousin Eddie was able to save the planet with an F-16 Kamizake run.


----------



## DT

We watched a 265 minute ... that's not a typo - documentary about 80's horror on Shudder, so fun, we just kind of checked in and out while it was running.  Great movies, great interviews/commentary from directors, F/X people, actors, highly recommended if you're into horror


----------



## Thomas Veil

Huntn said:


> So they could just float out in space self sufficient, or will auxiliary power fail too? I could see this morphing into some chance that pops up that gives them a second chance to get off the ship alive, but if it’s just a downer story I might not want to take the time to watch it.



Well, you're close to hitting on one of two things that _do_ happen in the movie. I don't want to reveal any spoilers. But it _is_ realistic in its depiction of a ship off course with no chance of turning itself around, and what would happen to the people aboard over a period of years. And except for one brief plot point it is almost relentlessly downbeat.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Read some reviews of Stowaway because I’m on the fence about watching it. The premise is simple. On a manned mission to mars a stowaway is discovered and there isn’t enough oxygen for everybody to last the journey. One reviewer mentioned the crew is 2 women and an Asian man. The stowaway is a black man. So clearly the decision was made to not make it yet another white men in space movie, but even with this effort the reviewer felt the need to mention the value of a black man’s life is what is being decided here. Really? You think that’s the point and what the focus should be?

I have to agree with another movie reviewer’s general opinion, with all this hyper wokeness and all inclusiveness in Hollywood soon it will go full circle back to mostly white people because that’s the only way you don’t have to worry about having enough representation of different minorities or not showing them in a negative light. Take race out of the equation and you are just left with a good or bad movie, neither decided entirely on diversity of cast.


----------



## Huntn

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Read some reviews of Stowaway because I’m on the fence about watching it. The premise is simple. On a manned mission to mars a stowaway is discovered and there isn’t enough oxygen for everybody to last the journey. One reviewer mentioned the crew is 2 women and an Asian man. The stowaway is a black man. So clearly the decision was made to not make it yet another white men in space movie, but even with this effort the reviewer felt the need to mention the value of a black man’s life is what is being decided here. Really? You think that’s the point and what the focus should be?
> 
> I have to agree with another movie reviewer’s general opinion, with all this hyper wokeness and all inclusiveness in Hollywood soon it will go full circle back to mostly white people because that’s the only way you don’t have to worry about having enough representation of different minorities or not showing them in a negative light. Take race out of the equation and you are just left with a good or bad movie, neither decided entirely on diversity of cast.



Simple, space the stowaway, if it was an intentional act. I think I remember Dr Smith in the original Lost In Space TV show as a inadvertent stowaway. Now he was a good spaced candidate.


----------



## Huntn

*V For Vendetta* (2005)- Again... One of the best graphic novel to movie stories about a future fictional UK, a warning about fascism and a vendetta. Great acting and script.


​


----------



## Huntn

*Love and Monsters* (2020)- Drama/Comedy, thumbs up.

​


----------



## Thomas Veil

​
*“Jumanji”*, which I’d managed never to see before, mainly because Robin Williams at his most manic can wear on you.

That wasn’t the case here, though. I found the story itself pretty over the top, but enjoyable enough with a satisfying ending.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> View attachment 4779​
> *“Jumanji”*, which I’d managed never to see before, mainly because Robin Williams at his most manic can wear on you.
> 
> That wasn’t the case here, though. I found the story itself pretty over the top, but enjoyable enough with a satisfying ending.



I love this movie, the remakes don’t hold a shadow to it. What’s over the top? This is magic and alternate realities, until you finish the game.


----------



## lizkat

Two outstanding films by the same directors, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichart, about the same factory near Dayton, Ohio.  It was formerly the huge GM Moraine Assembly plant and is now the huge Fuyao Glass America plant.  About 2000 workers and a couple hundred managers worked or work there with automation continuing to reduce the number of human workers required to create the products.  In the Fugayo plant, many of the worker-supervisors, trainers etc. and all upper management are now from China, although at first the top execs were Americans.


The Last Truck:  Closing of a GM Plant (2009)

American Factory (2019)

Saw these this week on HBO-Max and on Netflix, respectively. Both worth the watch.  The newer one in particular is eye-opening.  It was the first film produced by the Obamas' production company, Higher Ground.   Actually I watched the earlier Bognar-Reichart film thanks to noticing a credit for footage used in the 2019 production.

 ​


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> *Love and Monsters* (2020)- Drama/Comedy, thumbs up.
> 
> ​




Stoked to see this one, just waiting for it to hit one our services.



lizkat said:


> Two outstanding films by the same directors, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichart, about the same factory near Dayton, Ohio.  It was formerly the huge GM Moraine Assembly plant and is now the huge Fuyao Glass America plant.  About 2000 workers and a couple hundred managers worked or work there with automation continuing to reduce the number of human workers required to create the products.  In the Fugayo plant, many of the worker-supervisors, trainers etc. and all upper management are now from China, although at first the top execs were Americans.
> 
> 
> The Last Truck:  Closing of a GM Plant (2009)
> 
> American Factory (2019)
> 
> Saw these this week on HBO-Max and on Netflix, respectively. Both worth the watch.  The newer one in particular is eye-opening.  It was the first film produced by the Obamas' production company, Higher Ground.   Actually I watched the earlier Bognar-Reichart film thanks to noticing a credit for footage used in the 2019 production.
> 
> ​




*American Factory* is fantastic, haven't seen *The Last Truck*, sounds like I need to watch it.


----------



## lizkat

DT said:


> Stoked to see this one, just waiting for it to hit one our services.
> 
> 
> 
> *American Factory* is fantastic, haven't seen *The Last Truck*, sounds like I need to watch it.




Grown men crying...   not just the women.   It was pretty scary, considering every automotive job had generated 5 to 7 other jobs in the Dayton community.   A rough patch when those jobs were lost too... it scarred them and the opening of Fuyao could not wholly repair the local economy.

Sorry for typo the second time I referenced the Chinese plant in my earlier post.   Fuyao, not Fugayo.    Duh!    

And yeah, American Factory is a really good film; it definitely deserved the best docu Oscar it received.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Stoked to see this one, just waiting for it to hit one our services.
> 
> 
> 
> *American Factory* is fantastic, haven't seen *The Last Truck*, sounds like I need to watch it.



Rented on AppleTV for $5.99


----------



## Edd

Just watched American Factory because of this thread. That worker who said she went from $29/hour to $12.50/hour or so broke my heart.

The 2nd act of the film when the Americans traveled to China blew me away. The scene with the Chinese workers on stage doing a sort of company pep rally was like an acid trip.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> Rented on AppleTV for $5.99




Ahh, cool, yeah, we don't really went much anymore, our queue is like 20-something movies deep, and that doesn't even include series, so figured we could wait.

Back when there was a ton of cheap gray market codes, I'd score a movie that way, same as a rental, but you own it


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

More of a PRO TIP here.  I kept my Netflix DVD account up to fairly recently because I mostly used it for a depository for new movies coming out.  Even if it's only in trailer for upcoming movie trailer status a lot of movies would be available in Netflix DVD to save for later.  I took comfort that I could just do that and forget about it.  However many months later it would just appear in my shipping queue, but a year of covid delaying releases and straight to VOD releases pretty much just made it a money suck.  So I finally killed it.

So in searching for an alternative I came across letterboxd.  It's kind of like social media focused on movies (and TV shows I think).  You can write reviews, follow other users, and for my purposes store future releases you want to see.  









						Letterboxd • Your life in film
					

Letterboxd is a social platform for sharing your taste in film. Use it as a diary to record your opinion about films as you watch them, or just to keep track of films you’ve seen in the past. Rate, review and tag films as you add them. Find and follow your friends to see what they’re enjoying...




					letterboxd.com
				




I didn't upgrade to pro but reading about the pro benefits I discovered Justwatch which it will link to with a pro account.  Justwatch allows you to access pretty much every streaming service on the planet and you can get notifications of when the movies you are interested in are available for streaming on which service.  You can either have it show all streaming services or just the ones you subscribe to.  It will also give you recommendations based on your taste.





__





						JustWatch - The Streaming Guide
					

All your streaming services in one app.




					www.justwatch.com
				




I just got started on these so I don't have much feedback yet but it sounds like it will be a rewarding combo.  I actually just killed all my streaming services except Netflix, Amazon Prime (more of a bonus to the free 2nd day shipping), and HBO Max which I get free through Comcast.  I'll still have it show subscription services I killed though (and some I never subscribed to) in case I might have a reason to start or renew my subscription.  My plan is to subscribe and then instantly (or day later) kill the auto renewal.  In theory that should save me a lot of money based on my history of just letting auto renewals hit regardless of my viewing history.


----------



## Alli

We watched the new Tom Clancy movie Without Remorse. It was as expected. Could have been much worse.


----------



## Thomas Veil

​
*"Dark Shadows"* (HBO).

I remember being confused the first time I saw this. It surprised (and angered) a lot of people, being more of a comedy than a horror movie. "House of Dark Shadows" it wasn't, and I didn't know whether I should like it or not.

Still, I found it passably entertaining, even if it wasn't what I was expecting. On repeated viewings I've come to like it a lot more. I just think the studio should have been a lot more up front with fans that this was _not_ going to be a straight re-telling of the Barnabas Collins story. Judged on its own merits, however, it's enjoyably weird.


----------



## Edd

Thomas Veil said:


> View attachment 4862​
> *"Dark Shadows"* (HBO).
> 
> I remember being confused the first time I saw this. It surprised (and angered) a lot of people, being more of a comedy than a horror movie. "House of Dark Shadows" it wasn't, and I didn't know whether I should like it or not.
> 
> Still, I found it passably entertaining, even if it wasn't what I was expecting. On repeated viewings I've come to like it a lot more. I just think the studio should have been a lot more up front with fans that this was _not_ going to be a straight re-telling of the Barnabas Collins story. Judged on its own merits, however, it's enjoyably weird.



I think this film was the first time I became aware of Eva Green.  Wow, is all I can say.


----------



## Edd

Muscle Shoals on Amazon Prime. 

https://watch.amazon.com/detail?asin=B00FGM2OEW&territory=US&ref_=share_ios_movie&r=web


----------



## ronntaylor

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> More of a PRO TIP here.  I kept my Netflix DVD account up to fairly recently because I mostly used it for a depository for new movies coming out.  Even if it's only in trailer for upcoming movie trailer status a lot of movies would be available in Netflix DVD to save for later.  I took comfort that I could just do that and forget about it.  However many months later it would just appear in my shipping queue, but a year of covid delaying releases and straight to VOD releases pretty much just made it a money suck.  So I finally killed it.
> 
> So in searching for an alternative I came across letterboxd.  It's kind of like social media focused on movies (and TV shows I think).  You can write reviews, follow other users, and for my purposes store future releases you want to see.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Letterboxd • Your life in film
> 
> 
> Letterboxd is a social platform for sharing your taste in film. Use it as a diary to record your opinion about films as you watch them, or just to keep track of films you’ve seen in the past. Rate, review and tag films as you add them. Find and follow your friends to see what they’re enjoying...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> letterboxd.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I didn't upgrade to pro but reading about the pro benefits I discovered Justwatch which it will link to with a pro account.  Justwatch allows you to access pretty much every streaming service on the planet and you can get notifications of when the movies you are interested in are available for streaming on which service.  You can either have it show all streaming services or just the ones you subscribe to.  It will also give you recommendations based on your taste.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JustWatch - The Streaming Guide
> 
> 
> All your streaming services in one app.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.justwatch.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I just got started on these so I don't have much feedback yet but it sounds like it will be a rewarding combo.  I actually just killed all my streaming services except Netflix, Amazon Prime (more of a bonus to the free 2nd day shipping), and HBO Max which I get free through Comcast.  I'll still have it show subscription services I killed though (and some I never subscribed to) in case I might have a reason to start or renew my subscription.  My plan is to subscribe and then instantly (or day later) kill the auto renewal.  In theory that should save me a lot of money based on my history of just letting auto renewals hit regardless of my viewing history.



I joined Letterboxd a couple months ago and abandoned it with ton of COVID-19 errands to complete. Thanks for the heads up as I will check out justwatch since I also use the three streaming services you mentioned. There's too much of an overload, especially when you're busy with life and queues become impossible to watch.


----------



## Huntn

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> More of a PRO TIP here.  I kept my Netflix DVD account up to fairly recently because I mostly used it for a depository for new movies coming out.  Even if it's only in trailer for upcoming movie trailer status a lot of movies would be available in Netflix DVD to save for later.  I took comfort that I could just do that and forget about it.  However many months later it would just appear in my shipping queue, but a year of covid delaying releases and straight to VOD releases pretty much just made it a money suck.  So I finally killed it.
> 
> So in searching for an alternative I came across letterboxd.  It's kind of like social media focused on movies (and TV shows I think).  You can write reviews, follow other users, and for my purposes store future releases you want to see.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Letterboxd • Your life in film
> 
> 
> Letterboxd is a social platform for sharing your taste in film. Use it as a diary to record your opinion about films as you watch them, or just to keep track of films you’ve seen in the past. Rate, review and tag films as you add them. Find and follow your friends to see what they’re enjoying...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> letterboxd.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I didn't upgrade to pro but reading about the pro benefits I discovered Justwatch which it will link to with a pro account.  Justwatch allows you to access pretty much every streaming service on the planet and you can get notifications of when the movies you are interested in are available for streaming on which service.  You can either have it show all streaming services or just the ones you subscribe to.  It will also give you recommendations based on your taste.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JustWatch - The Streaming Guide
> 
> 
> All your streaming services in one app.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.justwatch.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I just got started on these so I don't have much feedback yet but it sounds like it will be a rewarding combo.  I actually just killed all my streaming services except Netflix, Amazon Prime (more of a bonus to the free 2nd day shipping), and HBO Max which I get free through Comcast.  I'll still have it show subscription services I killed though (and some I never subscribed to) in case I might have a reason to start or renew my subscription.  My plan is to subscribe and then instantly (or day later) kill the auto renewal.  In theory that should save me a lot of money based on my history of just letting auto renewals hit regardless of my viewing history.



When Netflix split its service between streaming and disk, we jettisoned disk mailing.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> View attachment 4862​
> *"Dark Shadows"* (HBO).
> 
> I remember being confused the first time I saw this. It surprised (and angered) a lot of people, being more of a comedy than a horror movie. "House of Dark Shadows" it wasn't, and I didn't know whether I should like it or not.
> 
> Still, I found it passably entertaining, even if it wasn't what I was expecting. On repeated viewings I've come to like it a lot more. I just think the studio should have been a lot more up front with fans that this was _not_ going to be a straight re-telling of the Barnabas Collins story. Judged on its own merits, however, it's enjoyably weird.



Any relationship to the Johnny Depp vehicle? ...which we hated.


----------



## Huntn

*The Pelican Brief *(1993)- watched on Netflix. John Grisham was a hot writer of legal, political  thrillers in the 90s. This is an outstanding thriller that explodes quickly, full of intrigue right up to POTUS.. Excellent performances.


​


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

We don't have an upcoming movie thread (I think).


----------



## Huntn

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> We don't have an upcoming movie thread (I think).



Create one!


----------



## Thomas Veil

Dang! Two great Zack Snyder movies in three months? 

​
In the vein of “From Dusk to Dawn”,* “Army of the Dead”* (Netflix) is every bit the fun zombie/caper flick I expected it to be. I’m not _that_ much of a zombie movie fan, but this kept my interest with decent characters and some nice twists.

Not to be missed: the tongue in cheek opening credits sequence, and the intense final half hour.

Plenty of language and gore, of course. Make sure the little ones are in bed.

Netflix really needs to send a thank you card and a fruit basket to the unappreciative execs over at WB.


----------



## Alli

Thomas Veil said:


> In the vein of “From Dusk to Dawn”,* “Army of the Dead”* (Netflix) is every bit the fun zombie/caper flick I expected it to be. I’m not _that_ much of a zombie movie fan, but this kept my interest with decent characters and some nice twists.



That’s on my “up next.” Last night I did stick to Netflix, but was suckered in by Parallels, which turned out to be an excellent film that dealt with parallel worlds in a rather different manner.


----------



## Thomas Veil

I would've thought it'd be about how to run Windows on your Mac. 

It's funny that you mention parallel worlds, though. A few days ago I was experimenting with streaming (because my mom would like to save money on her cable bill), and I signed up to sample a few services like Sling and Locast. What was the first show I found? The pilot of _Sliders_.


----------



## User.45

Thomas Veil said:


> Dang! Two great Zack Snyder movies in three months?
> 
> View attachment 5338​
> In the vein of “From Dusk to Dawn”,* “Army of the Dead”* (Netflix) is every bit the fun zombie/caper flick I expected it to be. I’m not _that_ much of a zombie movie fan, but this kept my interest with decent characters and some nice twists.
> 
> Not to be missed: the tongue in cheek opening credits sequence, and the intense final half hour.
> 
> Plenty of language and gore, of course. Make sure the little ones are in bed.
> 
> Netflix really needs to send a thank you card and a fruit basket to the unappreciative execs over at WB.



It wasn't bad... Though nothing tops the original Romero versions of the _Night of the Dead_ and _Dawn of the Dead_, which are both classics and great satires on consumer society. Army of the Dead lacked the depth but the plot *didn't* get in front some nice light comedy. I'd give it a 6/10 (worth watching once). That said such score is pretty good considering the past 2 decades in the genre, where the last best 2 good originals were 28 Days Later and The Night Eats the world: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Eats_the_World


----------



## Thomas Veil

Yeah, but name another movie where the zombie apocalypse was brought about because of  a blow job.


----------



## DT

Snyder's remake of Dawn of the Dead is easily in my Top 5 horror remakes (The Thing and The Fly being two others off the top of my head ... the former actually following the source material vs. the 1951 film).

FWIW, Army of the Dead (2021), Army of Thieves - an Army prequel starring and directed by Matthias Schweighöfer (who played Ludwig in Army), and Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, an animated series that takes place before Army but not a direct prequel - are all part of a new Snyder Zombie-verse that are NOT part of the Romero zombie-verse (and it's not connected to Snyder's Dawn remake in any way ... other than being about zombies ...)


----------



## DT

6 out of 10 seems about right, even as a genre weighted score, maybe 6.5.  Needed a little trimming, 2h 28m runtime is a little long for this material, <= 2 hours wouldn't been plenty.

One thing that is nuts:  the scenes of the helo pilot played by Tig Notaro, actually replaced scenes originally shot with Chris D’Elia who wound up with numerous sexual assault / harassment allegations, so they brought her in and shot her, alone, with a green screen, and then composited her scenes into the original shoot.

If you didn't know, it probably didn't even register (if you did, there's a little noticeable disconnect in some scenes).

This is a pretty funny article about it:









						Dave Bautista Still Hasn’t Met Co-Star Tig Notaro Since She Was Digitally Added to ‘Army of the Dead’
					

Bautista and Notaro may share scenes together, but that’s only the result of post-production movie magic.




					www.indiewire.com


----------



## Thomas Veil

DT said:


> ...Army of Thieves - an Army prequel starring and directed by Matthias Schweighöfer (who played Ludwig in Army)...



I had no idea that was coming up. Thanks!

At least the title is a little more creative. I'm tired of "___ of the Dead" variants. Pretty soon they'll be down to things like "Picnic of the Dead" and "Polo Match of the Dead".



DT said:


> ...This is a pretty funny article about it:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dave Bautista Still Hasn’t Met Co-Star Tig Notaro Since She Was Digitally Added to ‘Army of the Dead’
> 
> 
> Bautista and Notaro may share scenes together, but that’s only the result of post-production movie magic.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.indiewire.com



I saw a different article yesterday where Snyder said he was impressed as hell with what the special effects people and the editor were able to do with that task. I'm sure it helped that Snyder himself acted as both director and DP.


----------



## Alli

Thomas Veil said:


> In the vein of “From Dusk to Dawn”,* “Army of the Dead”* (Netflix) is every bit the fun zombie/caper flick I expected it to be. I’m not _that_ much of a zombie movie fan, but this kept my interest with decent characters and some nice twists.



Watched it this afternoon, it was interesting. Not great, but not bad at all. 


Thomas Veil said:


> "Polo Match of the Dead"



I think I’d like to see that one!


----------



## Thomas Veil

Wait’ll you see the one they got coming out next year: “Hedge Fund of the Dead”. Directed by Stephen Miller from a script by Steve Mnuchin and Linda McMahon.


----------



## Thomas Veil

And actually, “Army of the Dead” is probably better for having Tig Notaro in it. She’s terrific as the hardcase helicopter pilot.


----------



## Alli

Thomas Veil said:


> And actually, “Army of the Dead” is probably better for having Tig Notaro in it. She’s terrific as the hardcase helicopter pilot.



She was wonderful. At the end I kept comparing her to the Alan Tudyk character in Serenity/Firefly who met a similar end after declaring he was a leaf in the wind.


----------



## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> And actually, “Army of the Dead” is probably better for having Tig Notaro in it. She’s terrific as the hardcase helicopter pilot.




She has a funny "talk show" titled *Under a Rock with Tig Notaro*.  The basic premise is she's totally out of touch with pop culture (TV, stars, etc.), so they have someone on who's famous in that capacity and she interviews them trying to figure out who they are, what they do - supposed to be totally legit too (like she really doesn't know the person being interviewed).  It's under the Funny or Die web network, and I think it's sponsored by Alexa (i.e., Amazon), free, just search.


----------



## Thomas Veil

That could’ve been me. 

Seriously, there’s times the headlines are filled with reality show contestants and obscure musicians, and I’m like, _Who are these people? And why should I care?_


----------



## Thomas Veil

Seriously, I know why she’s likable. She looks like the love child of Richard Belzer and Rachel Maddow.

​
That, or a female Steve Dallas. 
​


----------



## Thomas Veil

​
*“Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium,”* a movie which I’ve always dismissed as being aimed at little kids. Then I came across it on HBOMax. I didn’t mean to stop and watch it, but I was immediately pulled in.

It’s full of imagination and heart, Dustin Hoffman is _superb_, and as far as who it’s aimed at…it’s the little kid in you.

Highly recommended for everyone.


----------



## Alli

Thomas Veil said:


> *“Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium,”* a movie which I’ve always dismissed as being aimed at little kids. Then I came across it on HBOMax. I didn’t mean to stop and watch it, but I was immediately pulled in.



One of my favorites.


----------



## Thomas Veil

I was very moved by it.

And I'm lucky enough to have discovered _two_ good movies in one afternoon.

​*"Greenland"* (HBO) is a movie I remember coming and going from theaters almost instantaneously. That's undeserved.

This is not one of those cheesy movies like Michael Bay's "Armageddon". This follows one family on the day everyone gets the message that pieces of a huge comet are about to hit Earth. It's going to be an extinction level event, and the only hope of survival is to make it to underground government bunkers in...guess where.

Naturally, the family--Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin (_Gotham)_ and their son--goes through hell to try to get there. A lot of humanity's worst comes out (much like that _Twilight Zone_ story "The Shelter"), but there's also love and heroism.

As happy and bright as "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" was, this is _so_ dark and intense. And extremely realistic. If such an event ever happens, _this_ is what it'll be like.

To paraphrase a bit of PR, if you see only one extinction event movie, see this one.


----------



## JayMysteri0

In case anyone has ever thought my tastes in film was suspect, allow me to confirm that suspicion.






Saw this on sale on iTunes, after it always being too expensive and had to have it.  It's so friggin' silly I absolutely love it.  Martial Arts + gun wielding Yakuza zombies = Sure why not?  






I loved this film when it came out so long ago.  Bought a Japanese copy of the DVD to replace my bootleg copy.  Unfortunately I used to lend my films out, which really means I gave them away unsuspectingly.  Also the company had a bad habit of repacking the film with "more" extras seemingly every year that I gave up on owning it again and it never seemed to appear for streaming.  

Now I get to enjoy the silliness again this weekend.


----------



## DT

Excellent, I'm aware of this movie, but haven't seen it, hahaha, looks like delicious fun.


----------



## DT

OH MY STARS!!

The little G wants to do the full MCU run with me this summer (she got all into it from some recent trailers like Black Widow and Eternals ...)

Finally, her full nerd is blossoming 

(she's also stoked to see The Batman, though that's next year ...)


----------



## Huntn

*Army of the Dead *(Netflix) low expectations, conforms to zombie lore, shamblers vs alphas, acceptable story, a heist in the quarantined zone, Vegas trashed, thumbs up. 

​


----------



## Hrafn

Love and Monsters.  Great cast, good soundtrack.  This was a fun movie.


----------



## Alli

Huntn said:


> *Army of the Dead *(Netflix) low expectations, conforms to zombie lore, shamblers vs alphas, acceptable story, a heist in the quarantined zone, Vegas trashed, thumbs up.



I was rather disappointed on the whole.

Yesterday we ventured out for our first movie at the fancy theater with reclining seats and dinner service and saw Cruella. Mind you, I think Emma Stone can do no wrong and she lived up to expectations. She make a wonderful Cruella. Not quite the same character that we’ve all come to hate from the original Disney movie though.

Great fun family movie. Absolutely enjoyable from start to end, and the sound track is AMAZING.


----------



## Huntn

Alli said:


> I was rather disappointed on the whole.
> 
> Yesterday we ventured out for our first movie at the fancy theater with reclining seats and dinner service and saw Cruella. Mind you, I think Emma Stone can do no wrong and she lived up to expectations. She make a wonderful Cruella. Not quite the same character that we’ve all come to hate from the original Disney movie though.
> 
> Great fun family movie. Absolutely enjoyable from start to end, and the sound track is AMAZING.



Honestly Army of the Dead was a thumbs up because of my low expectations. It had some elements I liked, but overall it did not click, and it’s not a movie I’d own.


----------



## DT

I realize yesterday that, 1)  the wife had never seen Lucy (after we watched Synchronic) and 2) I had picked up a 4K copy on the cheap and never watched it.  So resolved both of those last night 

The 4K / Dolby Vision was stunning, I think the TV may have gotten an update, I need to check my firmware version log.

Lucy (2014) is pretty fantastic, there's some key moments that are really affecting, the conversation with her mother is amazing, the opening/ending circle, also incredibly well done. I think some people get too caught up in the x% of brain concept, clearly, that's unscientific as hell, and I __believe__ the idea they were suggesting wasn't x% of brain, but how effectively we use the 100% of our capacity, which is informed by knowledge (or lack of ...).

It's about being human, and how that's both a beautiful state, a simple collection of atoms/molecules/cells, a part of a greater whole, while being isolated by the flesh.  Analyzing the time related ideas, or deep diving into kooky pseudoscience is not how to watch this.


----------



## lizkat

The original version of *Jaws* is leaving HBO Max tomorrow so I revisited that one. Hard not to root for the shark once they get serious about trying to do away with it by any means... 

 There are a few more in that category [ films that are leaving, not shark flicks ] so for once on a holiday weekend I'll be engaged in a sort of binge-watch I guess.   Well it's a distraction from the weather anyway. 

Next up in my selection of Last Chance offerings is* Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff?   *Also in the queue, if I manage to make time, _* All the President's Men *_and maybe even_* Dirty Dancing*_ as a nod to what's supposed to be summer weather already, gee.


----------



## Pumbaa

lizkat said:


> The original version of *Jaws* is leaving HBO Max tomorrow so I revisited that one. Hard not to root for the shark once they get serious about trying to do away with it by any means...



Saw it the other night as well. I really love how little the shark is visible on screen despite being such a central part of the story and how the actors are portraying humans rather than superhumans.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> I realize yesterday that, 1)  the wife had never seen Lucy (after we watched Synchronic) and 2) I had picked up a 4K copy on the cheap and never watched it.  So resolved both of those last night
> 
> The 4K / Dolby Vision was stunning, I think the TV may have gotten an update, I need to check my firmware version log.
> 
> Lucy (2014) is pretty fantastic, there's some key moments that are really affecting, the conversation with her mother is amazing, the opening/ending circle, also incredibly well done. I think some people get too caught up in the x% of brain concept, clearly, that's unscientific as hell, and I __believe__ the idea they were suggesting wasn't x% of brain, but how effectively we use the 100% of our capacity, which is informed by knowledge (or lack of ...).
> 
> It's about being human, and how that's both a beautiful state, a simple collection of atoms/molecules/cells, a part of a greater whole, while being isolated by the flesh.  Analyzing the time related ideas, or deep diving into kooky pseudoscience is not how to watch this.



Spoilers
While  I can agree with your evaluation, on face value, the premise is if we only use 10% of our brain, if we could unlock the other 90% who knows what abilities might be hidden away? ...and they just run with that. The major critique of this movie is that the ending is underwhelming, I propose that with the abilities Lucy possessed, there would be no fight, no contest with bad guys, if that was what she was focused on, but instead she was focused on the future of  the human species as she transforms into something beyond flesh and blood. Very similar to the star child in 2001.


----------



## Thomas Veil

lizkat said:


> ...Next up in my selection of Last Chance offerings is* Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff?*



Mrs. Veil and I saw that the other night. It certainly is a movie "of another time". I somehow can't see something like it being made today. (Or if it was, it would have Transformers or super villains in it.)

I'll be interested to see what you thought of it. With appropriate spoilers, of course.

"All the President's Men" is a personal favorite. I must've seen it four or five times already.

"Dammit! When is somebody going to go on the record with this thing??"


----------



## Hrafn

First Deadpool.  I still love this movie.


----------



## DT

Hrafn said:


> First Deadpool.  I still love this movie.




Wife's side of the office


----------



## ronntaylor

Finally watched "Knives Out." Enjoyed it, but a bit of a letdown given all the buzz from friends.


----------



## Hrafn

DT said:


> Wife's side of the office
> 
> View attachment 5639



Every office should look like that!


----------



## Thomas Veil

True story:

In my younger days I had a number of movie posters. I hung one frame in my office and would periodically rotate the movie poster that was in it.

One day I got stopped in the hall and was told that somebody had asked if I was a Satanist.

Uh..._what??_

It was explained to me that another staff member had gone past my open office door and seen this:



Spoiler


----------



## lizkat

Thomas Veil said:


> Mrs. Veil and I saw that the other night. It certainly is a movie "of another time". I somehow can't see something like it being made today. (Or if it was, it would have Transformers or super villains in it.)
> 
> I'll be interested to see what you thought of it. With appropriate spoilers, of course.
> 
> "All the President's Men" is a personal favorite. I must've seen it four or five times already.
> 
> "Dammit! When is somebody going to go on the record with this thing??"




I let Dirty Dancing slide away unstreamed...  somewhere I have an iTunes download so no loss there.   All the President's Men, ditto.

But I did watch *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*    And I"m one of those who thinks that film is a right-on-money classic exposé of so many down-home truths, not least of course the old saw about _in vino veritas_.  What gets said while drunk is occasionally skimpy on facts, but heavy on feelings erstwhile repressed for assorted practical reasons.

Yes, this kind of film could probably not get made by a major studio these days, and yes, it was a milestone back then,  partly because it set new benchmarks on how vulgar the language (and suggestions) in a Hollywood film could go and still not be banned by not only the Vatican but the execs of the very studio making the film.  After all, there's a scene early on where Taylor insouciantly "goddamns" Warner Bros. by name, and that studio was in fact the maker of the film.  

The appeal of the film to me was in the layering of feelings, the overlap of past and present, the sticking of the viewer right into the middle of the fights between members of two couples and amongst the four of them... as they wrestle with who they believe they are, or might have been, except for whatever and whomever each blames for what seems to have gone wrong in life or may yet go wrong as time goes on.

We're not just watching drunks spar with each other, we're caught up by the close camerawork and dialogue, hauled into their malice and confusion, their attempts to remain civilized --to remember social, academic, parental obligations, the mission...   their grip on "why we are even here at this hour?!" fading away into enraged attempts to wound mortally or to defend spouse or self, host or guest, at any cost to anyone.

It's no surprise to me that Taylor and Dennis won their respective Oscars, only infuriating that Burton didn't also win for the performance of a lifetime. At least the Academy afforded him a nomination. 

As for Segal, also nominated for an Oscar, he was pitch perfect in a migration to world-weary, error-ridden and finally exasperated war games combatant, from his initial uncertainty as to his place and position. All that was made clear by the fact that his character, Nick, is never even addressed by name in the whole film, not even by his wife, Honey, who only calls him Dear, and by the film's extensive play on George and Martha's confusion over whether Nick teaches in the biology or mathematics department, or later on as George's insecurities emerge,  the history department.

And yet it is Nick who  --for assorted reasons he portrays very well--  becomes either the reflecting point or the black hole of Honey's pain or George and Martha's rage as the film reels on through their escalating hostilities.

Still it's true that one can come away from the film wondering how the hell one managed to spend two hours in a set of endless booze-fueled battles that seemed variously to compress years into seconds but also to crawl.  We can be drawn into it as if in real time, often enough wondering why Honey and Nick don't just LEAVE, or why we don't beat them to the door.

I even found myself wondering during one rewatch of this film why the neighbors across the way didn't call the police, when the camera had panned across the property to show the signal light on George and Martha's car still blinking after it had been parked more or less in the driveway, and I noticed there was a view of another house not far away. But then these were all civilized people, no?  Faculty members, likely living along faculty row... minding their own business at two a.m.,  or else lying awake at home staring at the ceiling and sharpening swords for their own next battles with peers or administrators at the university.

That scene with the car's turn signal blinking was one of those that departed the staging of Albee's play, which was set inside the house,  but aside from a few of such excursions converted from related memories in the play, the film was very faithful to Albee in terms of the dialogue and interactions, the layers of veneer peeling off as the revelations of character emerge.  I think that's what made the film a classic, no matter (or maybe because of) how claustrophobic it is for the characters and viewers as well.

We don't have to suspend disbelief in this movie, we can be drawn into it, as if a hapless guest like Honey or Nick. We can become another someone who just didn't say "no" soon enough at some other party, earlier,  when Martha, seemingly blithely but in fact by design and without George's knowledge, said "Why not stop by our place after?"  And once there, maybe we too can't figure out how to leave before dawn.


----------



## Thomas Veil

The reason I was thinking of, why the film could not be made today, is that there would be little audience for it. Watching George and Martha argue, with dialogue that is (believe it or not) even more petty and puerile than what we hear from politicians, is, as you alluded to, hard to take. I sat through four hours of "Zack Snyder's Justice League" and was enthralled, yet a half hour into this two hour+ movie, I was starting to cringe. I wasn't even at the halfway point when I wanted out. Forcing yourself to listen to this couple bicker with each other and bully their guests for two hours is a little bit like pulling the wings off flies.

Once George started talking about games, it became clear (at least to me) that this hatred these two have for each other is so deep-seated, and they are so resigned to it (God only knows why) that that's what their relationship has become. If they can't bring themselves to leave each other, then they seem to find some kind of perverted solace in turning their marriage into a game of who can hurt the other the most, who can project their vices on the other the most, and even who can corrupt some nice young guests. They're no longer bickering because they annoy the shit out of each other; they're bickering now because they get some sort of sick entertainment out of it.

Which frankly is still tiresome to watch until the denouement, when you find out about their son.

It's clear a battery of marriage counselors couldn't help these two, and probably not even a battery of psychiatrists. This movie is ripe for discussions like this one, especially scenes like the ending where after all that's said and done there is, unbelievably, a hint, just a hint, of caring between them.

And then you have to wonder how Nick and Honey's relationship has changed.

Yeah, lots to unpack.

On a lighter note, I walked in just as the credits were ending, so I didn't see the cast names. George Segal was so young that I said to my wife, "This guy reminds me a lot of George Segal." He had pretty much the same voice, the same mannerisms, but he was so young (and so sandy blond) that it took me a while of looking at him to realize it _was_ George Segal. In my mind I guess he hadn't yet grown into the face that I was familiar with.

(I had the same problem with Jack Nicholson in "The Raven". All the elements were there, but he was so young that he looked like an unpolished, not fully developed version of his later self, for lack of better words.)


----------



## Thomas Veil

ronntaylor said:


> Finally watched "Knives Out." Enjoyed it, but a bit of a letdown given all the buzz from friends.



Watching Daniel Craig play a role totally different from James Bond was a hoot.


----------



## Alli

Thomas Veil said:


> Watching Daniel Craig play a role totally different from James Bond was a hoot.



He was wonderful in that.


----------



## Huntn

*The Saint *(1997)- There is a vibe about this movie that I love. Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue are great.

​


----------



## lizkat

Huntn said:


> *The Saint *(1997)- There is a vibe about this movie that I love. Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue are great.
> 
> View attachment 5772​




Oh I think I would like that one,  I'm going to scout it up...  Imdb says it streams via Showtime, i might have to rent it somewhere instead.


----------



## Huntn

lizkat said:


> Oh I think I would like that one,  I'm going to scout it up...  Imdb says it streams via Showtime, i might have to rent it somewhere instead.



$2.99 on Prime Video, I imagine on Apple too.




__





						Vudu - Watch Movies
					






					www.vudu.com


----------



## tranceking26

Has anybody seen the Sonic The Hedgehog movie? Any good?

I'm considering renting it, as it ain't on Netflix here.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Watched the documentary Our Towns on HBO Max.  Highly recommended.  They go to different towns in the US and talk about their historical and current struggles.  I don't know if it's 50/50 but they are in both blue and red states, but also they have a policy of not talking about national politics.  Several towns they focused on racism and diversity, but in a positive way, acknowledgment or a racist past or diversity in a town you wouldn't expect it.  

It also made me appreciate small towns more, not saying I didn't before.  I've lived in the same city my entire life, over a million in population currently.  In a small town you can resurrect an abandoned building or block and it makes a noticeable difference.  When they do that here it's just made high end in an already high end city and it has no real impact beyond possibly being the new spot of the month.

Overall watching it made me feel better about things in this country and the big take away is try to focus on things locally where you can make a difference and experience it.  Putting all your attention nationally is just a cancer that drags you down.


----------



## lizkat

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Watched the documentary Our Towns on HBO Max.  Highly recommended.  They go to different towns in the US and talk about their historical and current struggles.  I don't know if it's 50/50 but they are in both blue and red states, but also they have a policy of not talking about national politics.  Several towns they focused on racism and diversity, but in a positive way, acknowledgment or a racist past or diversity in a town you wouldn't expect it.
> 
> It also made me appreciate small towns more, not saying I didn't before.  I've lived in the same city my entire life, over a million in population currently.  In a small town you can resurrect an abandoned building or block and it makes a noticeable difference.  When they do that here it's just made high end in an already high end city and it has no real impact beyond possibly being the new spot of the month.
> 
> Overall watching it made me feel better about things in this country and the big take away is try to focus on things locally where you can make a difference and experience it.  Putting all your attention nationally is just a cancer that drags you down.




I want to watch that thing too, thanks for the mention of it, gonna bump it up in the queue.

Just read a piece in Five Thirty Eight that was talking about decline in local news coverage, but on a positive note had mentioned an interesting experiment that one newspaper out west in the USA undertook:  *no mention of national politics on the editorial page for a month. *  The effect was startling, apparently:  much much more focus on local issues among the readership, leading to more local news coverage and more attention to civic affairs out in the community.









						Local News Coverage Is Declining — And That Could Be Bad For American Politics
					

The laws of supply and demand aren’t working for local news. The local news business was devastated by COVID-19, even though consumers wanted more of its produc…




					fivethirtyeight.com


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

lizkat said:


> I want to watch that thing too, thanks for the mention of it, gonna bump it up in the queue.
> 
> Just read a piece in Five Thirty Eight that was talking about decline in local news coverage, but on a positive note had mentioned an interesting experiment that one newspaper out west in the USA undertook:  *no mention of national politics on the editorial page for a month. *  The effect was startling, apparently:  much much more focus on local issues among the readership, leading to more local news coverage and more attention to civic affairs out in the community.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Local News Coverage Is Declining — And That Could Be Bad For American Politics
> 
> 
> The laws of supply and demand aren’t working for local news. The local news business was devastated by COVID-19, even though consumers wanted more of its produc…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> fivethirtyeight.com




In one of the towns showcased they focused on the local newspapers and they said they try to stay out of national politics.  I think there have been several studies that determined if you remove the major parties from being for or against certain issues the average citizens agree on more things than we don't.  Although not part of those studies, I think it's fairly apparent that a lot of those shared views are left leaning and therefor the Republican party goes into overdrive to create hyperbolic boogiemen in an attempt to sway people from those shared views.


----------



## fooferdoggie

Was able to go to the movies for the first time since march 2020. Watched a quiet place 2


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> *Love and Monsters* (2020)- Drama/Comedy, thumbs up.
> ​






DT said:


> Stoked to see this one, just waiting for it to hit one our services.




As I hoped (and kind of expected), it hit a service for free this month (generally when a movie gets a $0.99 rental sale, it's free the next month or two).  Anyway, it's on EPIX.

And yes, it's 11 thumbs up.  Just terrific, funny, charming, terrifically cast (love us some Michael Rooker ...) and super icky in the best possible way - it's Zombieland but with a little less absurd/surreal humor, and a bit more "sweetness", it's only PG-13 too, so nothing too graphic.  It's also got a good bit of a Monsters (2010) feel, particular the look of the world after the event, and one scene that was absolutely a visual homage to that movie.


----------



## Huntn

*The Longest Day * (1962)- 6 June 1944. Great portrayal of events on D Day and  a favorite movie.
Trivia: Beach landing  scenes were filmed in Corsica.








						The Longest Day (1962) - IMDb
					

The Longest Day (1962) Trivia on IMDb: Cameos, Mistakes, Spoilers and more...




					www.imdb.com
				




Scaling the cliffs of Pointe-du-hoc was filmed on location.








						5 War Movie Scenes Filmed On The Actual Location That You Can Visit
					

Unless you’re part of the Fury team, historical accuracy is an important factor when making a war film. Military consultants and historical advisors are




					www.warhistoryonline.com
				




More trivia, the casino sequence in Ouistreham was the actual hotel during the invasion that was later scheduled for demolition and destroyed as part of the movie production.

The bangalore  torpedo sequence to destroy the obstacle to get off Omaha beach does not appear to be accurate, but not absolutely sure.


It doesn’t get any hotter than this. 





​


----------



## Huntn

*The Fountain* (2006)- This movie got good reviews but both my wife and I only lasted about 5 minutes before turning it off. Fortunately it was on Starz as part of a left over subscription.

**​


----------



## lizkat

Watching *Bloody Sunday (2002) *and am too lazy to walk over to a bookshelf, where I believe I do have a DVD of it and could doubtless find out who an actor is --one whose face is familiar but can't think of his name-- so of course it makes me crazy because the cast and crew list in Imdb doesn't have many photos, and so far no one's even called his name out in dialogue of the damn movie. 

Worse,  I know I saw him in ANOTHER film the title of which I cannot remember either... I remember vividly a scene with his character and his boss and his press aide and can't think of any of THEIR names.

So  I was batting like zero for five there all told, no?

Yeah.  And that was just the second half of the day.   I previously spent a significant part of the afternoon looking for a book about a disappeared Guatemalan journalist and I could not remember her name, the name of that book or the author and I struck out on a couple searches, fetching the name of a later-diseappeared journo from the same country instead and I couldn't remember when the other one went missing.    So then I trashed my physical bookshelves and coffee table hunting for the hardcopy book, gave up, turned around to grab my iPad and go charge it,  and the godblasted book was second down in a pile of books right at hand, atop the back of the couch in a collection of stuff about Guatemalan history.  And of course the name of that book even included the word *"Disappeared".* And there I had been searching earlier for things like "censored" and "kidnapped" and "persecuted" and so forth. Gee. If it had been a snake the book would have bitten me.

I might go to bed before I come up to bat again today in trying to think of anything remotely important.   But the movie *Bloody Sunday *is leaving the venue tonight and I'd rather finish streaming it than venture over to trash my bookshelves all over again looking for a DVD now instead of a book.

Hope everyone else is having a grand evening...

 It's so cool that we have this thing called "time, passing" so that not everything annoying happens all at once.


----------



## JayMysteri0

I watched Infinite on Paramount + so you didn't have to.






You're welcome.

If you like the movie Wanted somehow more than me, then think of this as the sequel they had no intention of making, along with borrowing from the Matrix.  This movie should NOT have happened with Mark Wahlberg as the lead, no matter how badly he wants to be considered an action movie star.  No.  The only saving grace was Chiwetel Ejiofor.  Someone evidently told the man Covid caused a Ham shortage, so he stepped up to the task of bringing the world all it will need for awhile.

Streaming services with "big budget" movies that don't get released, will become the new Blockbuster.


----------



## Eric

JayMysteri0 said:


> I watched Infinite on Paramount + so you didn't have to.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You're welcome.
> 
> If you like the movie Wanted somehow more than me, then think of this as the sequel they had no intention of making, along with borrowing from the Matrix.  This movie should NOT have happened with Mark Wahlberg as the lead, no matter how badly he wants to be considered an action movie star.  No.  The only saving grace was Chiwetel Ejiofor.  Someone evidently told the man Covid caused a Ham shortage, so he stepped up to the task of bringing the world all it will need for awhile.
> 
> Streaming services with "big budget" movies that don't get released, will become the new Blockbuster.



I know he was young but his racist past and the fact that he beat two Asian men always lingers with me. I just have no interesting in seeing his movies.

Just one of the witness statements when he asked to be fully pardoned

“I don’t think he should get a pardon,” Kristyn Atwood, 38, of Decatur, Ga., told the Associated Press. She was a Boston fourth grader on a field trip to the beach when Wahlberg and his partners-in-crime threw rocks and yelled racial epithets, including the n-word, at her and her classmates.

“I don’t really care who he is,” she said. “It doesn’t make him any exception. If you’re a racist, you’re always going to be a racist. And for him to want to erase it I just think it’s wrong. … It was a hate crime and that’s exactly what should be on his record forever.”
The attack left a scar, she said — and trauma that won’t fade even if the actor’s record is wiped clean.

_(sorry to hijack your post with this, I just can't watch the guy)_


----------



## Edd

Eric said:


> I know he was young but his racist past and the fact that he beat two Asian men always lingers with me. I just have no interesting in seeing his movies.
> 
> Just one of the witness statements when he asked to be fully pardoned
> 
> “I don’t think he should get a pardon,” Kristyn Atwood, 38, of Decatur, Ga., told the Associated Press. She was a Boston fourth grader on a field trip to the beach when Wahlberg and his partners-in-crime threw rocks and yelled racial epithets, including the n-word, at her and her classmates.
> 
> “I don’t really care who he is,” she said. “It doesn’t make him any exception. If you’re a racist, you’re always going to be a racist. And for him to want to erase it I just think it’s wrong. … It was a hate crime and that’s exactly what should be on his record forever.”
> The attack left a scar, she said — and trauma that won’t fade even if the actor’s record is wiped clean.
> 
> _(sorry to hijack your post with this, I just can't watch the guy)_



Can’t say I “like” him but have admired performances (Boogie Nights, The Other Guys, I Heart Huckabees).

I’ve gotta believe in redemption though. No idea if he’s being genuine about no longer being racist. He does seem like no fun: no booze, churchy, insane daily workouts. He is tough to like.


----------



## Alli

I was planning on watching In The Heights yesterday, but my BFF texted and asked if I wanted to go to the fancy theater on Sunday to watch it. I told her my chairs reclined too, so why doesn’t she just come over here on Sunday and we’ll watch it (for free) on HBO Max and order a bunch of food. She liked that idea.


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## ronntaylor

Alli said:


> I was planning on watching In The Heights yesterday, but my BFF texted and asked if I wanted to go to the fancy theater on Sunday to watch it. I told her my chairs reclined too, so why doesn’t she just come over here on Sunday and we’ll watch it (for free) on HBO Max and order a bunch of food. She liked that idea.



We're planning to watch it at home on Sunday as well. Originally planned to view today, but we're dead tired after meeting two different friends for lunch, then dinner at a restaurant for the first time since early 2020.


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## Alli

JayMysteri0 said:


> I watched Infinite on Paramount + so you didn't have to.



Watched it anyway. But I’m a sucker for Chiwetel Ejiofor. He is always just magnificent. Other than the ending with the sky dance, I rather enjoyed it. It had plots from several other movies but wound together nicely. Can’t say I knew diddly about Mark Wahlberg on a personal level, but I don’t have to work with him.


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## JayMysteri0

Eric said:


> I know he was young but his racist past and the fact that he beat two Asian men always lingers with me. I just have no interesting in seeing his movies.
> 
> Just one of the witness statements when he asked to be fully pardoned
> 
> “I don’t think he should get a pardon,” Kristyn Atwood, 38, of Decatur, Ga., told the Associated Press. She was a Boston fourth grader on a field trip to the beach when Wahlberg and his partners-in-crime threw rocks and yelled racial epithets, including the n-word, at her and her classmates.
> 
> “I don’t really care who he is,” she said. “It doesn’t make him any exception. If you’re a racist, you’re always going to be a racist. And for him to want to erase it I just think it’s wrong. … It was a hate crime and that’s exactly what should be on his record forever.”
> The attack left a scar, she said — and trauma that won’t fade even if the actor’s record is wiped clean.
> 
> _(sorry to hijack your post with this, I just can't watch the guy)_




I've made the separation of his past from his profession.  He's put so much effort into convincing others he's changed & I haven't heard of another incident since then.  I'm more morbidly fascinated because he's such a try hard for success, that his characters always have to be "best ever" in his attempts at action films, and he doesn't come across as the "best ever".  I have to commend him for his work ethic.

The problem is basically there's no reason for Wahlberg in the role, except for imagined name recognition.  In the original material his character is like 30 some years younger I believe.  The character didn't benefit from being older, instead I argue it makes the character more unbelievable.  Also we were scratching our heads over the optics of the ONLY Black guy in the movie, is the villain reincarnated from previously being a White guy.  It was like, did someone NOT notice from your own cast list.  I would have at least run with the Bad guy having had to live as a PoC possibly lean into his outlook that motivates him.  Instead it was just us watching going... 

That reminder of a running joke I've had for years of "there can only be one", and we aren't talking Highlander.

I was also really interested in the concept because I've considered it as an idea myself.  Where one has access to past lives to help them in the present, giving one several lifetimes of experience & knowledge to draw on.  The film doesn't account for muscle memory or the degradation of physical abilities from his age & stated history of instances.  Where they went with it, making it "Wanted: the sequel" and using scenes from the Matrix, it's like they didn't have enough faith in their own idea so they copped from so many other works.



Alli said:


> Watched it anyway. But I’m a sucker for Chiwetel Ejiofor. He is always just magnificent. Other than the ending with the sky dance, I rather enjoyed it. It had plots from several other movies but wound together nicely. Can’t say I knew diddly about Mark Wahlberg on a personal level, but I don’t have to work with him.



Like I said, Eliofor just seemed to say F' it, someone's going to enjoy this film, and he decided it was him.  The film is one of those films where I spend time thinking how it could have been better, that it hurts my brain trying to watch it, & imagine improvements.  I just spent too much time taking the film apart as I watched it, to enjoy it.

Honestly though for the price, I really can't complain too much.  I still hope that if there is a third modern Kingsman film, they find a way to bring back Roxy.


----------



## DT

Alli said:


> I was planning on watching In The Heights yesterday, but my BFF texted and asked if I wanted to go to the fancy theater on Sunday to watch it. I told her my chairs reclined too, so why doesn’t she just come over here on Sunday and we’ll watch it (for free) on HBO Max and order a bunch of food. She liked that idea.




It's really fun, just beautifully filmed and really takes advantage of things you can't do in live theater.  They also do a great job of moving from spoken to musical parts, that can be tricky in "movie musicals", the whole movie has a really fun sort of musical cadence to it, even the non-singing portions.  The cast is pretty fantastic, there's a couple of stunningly beautiful musical numbers.


Dascha Polanco made me feel funny ... and by that, I mean like this ...


----------



## Huntn

JayMysteri0 said:


> I watched Infinite on Paramount + so you didn't have to.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You're welcome.
> 
> If you like the movie Wanted somehow more than me, then think of this as the sequel they had no intention of making, along with borrowing from the Matrix.  This movie should NOT have happened with Mark Wahlberg as the lead, no matter how badly he wants to be considered an action movie star.  No.  The only saving grace was Chiwetel Ejiofor.  Someone evidently told the man Covid caused a Ham shortage, so he stepped up to the task of bringing the world all it will need for awhile.
> 
> Streaming services with "big budget" movies that don't get released, will become the new Blockbuster.



I’m not countering what you are saying, but really liked Wahlberg in Sniper And The Departed.


----------



## Alli

DT said:


> It's really fun, just beautifully filmed and really takes advantage of things you can't do in live theater. They also do a great job of moving from spoken to musical parts, that can be tricky in "movie musicals", the whole movie has a really fun sort of musical cadence to it, even the non-singing portions. The cast is pretty fantastic, there's a couple of stunningly beautiful musical numbers.



They did a great job with it. I did cry during Abuela’s swan song. And towards the end. The performance was spectacular, but I’ve loved most of them in other shows before.


----------



## Thomas Veil

​*"Constantine"*. Not what I consider a great horror movie, but far from a mediocre or bad one. It's certainly a unique take.


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## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> ​*"Constantine"*. Not what I consider a great horror movie, but far from a mediocre or bad one. It's certainly a unique take.





You may not know that this is based on a DC Comics character, who was British, blonde (his appearance was inspired by Sting), and very salty.   Some spectacular runs of his own comic (I still have in storage), Hellblazer, he originally appeared in Swamp Thing.

As you might imagine, phanboyz got cranky over the casting choice of Keanu, but even as a huge fan of the original source material, I thought the movie was solid, in my head, it's kind of a "inspired by" vs. a film version of the comic.  The other casting is so good, Peter Stormare, Djimon Hounsou, Tilda Swinton. 

Matt Ryan - who is absolutely the comic version of the character - has played John Constantine on TV in his own [short lived] series, and guest starred on Arrow (the DC show about Green Arrow), and has provided the voice for the character in some DC animated movies (that are awesome).


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## Thomas Veil

I did know it was based off a comic, though I’d never read it. Regardless of looks, I thought Keanu did a fine job as the world-weary character.

And what I liked best about the film was the way it mashed up horror movies like “The Exorcist” and _noir_ thrillers like “Dark City”.

One thing I didn’t get…maybe I missed it, but how does Constantine make a living? It doesn’t look like pursuing demons puts food on the table.


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## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> One thing I didn’t get…maybe I missed it, but how does Constantine make a living? It doesn’t look like pursuing demons puts food on the table.




They did in the movie, but he's a bit of a grifter   Here's a pretty good explanation:









						How does John Constantine earn a living?
					

As far as I can tell, we don’t see John Constantine earn any money for his work as a “master of the dark arts”, but he somehow supports a lifestyle with a large home, an extensive collection of rare




					scifi.stackexchange.com


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## Thomas Veil

DT said:


> They did in the movie, but he's a bit of a grifter   Here's a pretty good explanation:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> How does John Constantine earn a living?
> 
> 
> As far as I can tell, we don’t see John Constantine earn any money for his work as a “master of the dark arts”, but he somehow supports a lifestyle with a large home, an extensive collection of rare
> 
> 
> 
> 
> scifi.stackexchange.com




Heh. I like this comment:



> In the comics, I recall him stealing money from corpses...




It reminds me of the series _Dead Like Me_. The grim reapers in that series sometimes take day jobs, but some of them just crash in empty apartments and rifle the wallets of those they have just ushered on to their just rewards.


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## Alli

DT said:


> They did in the movie, but he's a bit of a grifter   Here's a pretty good explanation:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> How does John Constantine earn a living?
> 
> 
> As far as I can tell, we don’t see John Constantine earn any money for his work as a “master of the dark arts”, but he somehow supports a lifestyle with a large home, an extensive collection of rare
> 
> 
> 
> 
> scifi.stackexchange.com



The Constantine character has become one of my favorites in Legends of tomorrow. (My favorite, though, is Mick Rory.)


----------



## Thomas Veil

​*"Ted"* (HBO) surprised me by being better than expected. I didn't think I'd be crazy about what sounded like a one-joke premise--a raunchy, foul-mouthed teddy bear--and my suspicions were largely borne out by the humor. There were one or two laugh-out-loud gags, but when _most_ of the jokes are scatological, the cumulative effect is juvenile.

Luckily the movie has a cute and engaging story about having to make choices in life, even if it wimps out at the end by trying to have it both ways.

Hasbro gets a hilarious name drop, although you have to wonder whether the company appreciated being mentioned in this way.


----------



## Huntn

*The Inheritance* (2020)- American inherits a creepy haunted mansion in Ukraine, where some family member was murdered, family intrigue. She is supposed to settle the Estate. Mobsters or mobster-like thugs, husband is a shit. I just did not care.

Not really a horror movie per say, artistic and tried to be suspenseful as the secret is revealed. You have to care first.  At least my wife picked this one, she hated it too, and it was only 90 minutes.


----------



## Huntn

*Outlaw Josey Wales* (1976)- watched on Netflix. Clint Eastwood in his prime. Just a guy who is a pretty good shot trying to live the American dream, gets caught up in the North South conflict after his family is killed. 

​


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## Huntn

*The Vanished* (2020)- starring Thomas Jane and Anne Heche. This is a drama that comes across almost as a dark comedy, about a couple’s child who disappears at a camp site, with a twist at the end, but not worth it for me. Ehh.


----------



## Hrafn

Rambo:Last Blood.  Meh, another Rambo film, this one with an unsatisfying end.


----------



## Pumbaa

Hrafn said:


> Rambo:Last Blood.  Meh, another Rambo film, this one with an unsatisfying end.



Wow, had managed to completely miss that one! Think I’ll continue to miss it then…


----------



## fooferdoggie

just finished the next season of working moms. that show is crazy.


----------



## SuperMatt

fooferdoggie said:


> just finished the next season of working moms. that show is crazy.



I am part of the way through the latest season. I’m not a mom but I have enjoyed all the seasons so far.


----------



## Edd

Chasing Bubbles, a documentary on YouTube about a young man who decided to sail around the world, and had no idea what he was doing. This is awesome, it just popped in my feed because I’m watching so many boating vids lately. 5 stars, there’s a lot going on here.


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## Thomas Veil

Boater who has no idea what he’s doing? Sounds familiar. I think I saw that one last year.


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## Edd

Thomas Veil said:


> Boater who has no idea what he’s doing? Sounds familiar. I think I saw that one last year.



Remove the Trump flags and that’s basically me, it feels like, every time I go out.


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## Alli

Tonight I will be watching The Tomorrow War on Prime. Been looking forward to its release since the first trailer.


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## Huntn

*Shooter* (2007)- A thriller that is thrilling. A US Army sniper reported to be the best is enlisted to prevent the anticipated assassination attempt on the President but nothing is as it seems. That’s the top of the rollercoaster.  After this, I’ll try the series.

​


Alli said:


> Tonight I will be watching The Tomorrow War on Prime. Been looking forward to its release since the first trailer.



Report requested.


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## Alli

I admit…I liked the Tomorrow War. But I’m a sucker for time travel.


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## Hrafn

Finished the last two of the Harry Potter series.  I still love watching Neville and Mrs Weasley finally kick ass!


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## Alli

Hrafn said:


> Finished the last two of the Harry Potter series.  I still love watching Neville and Mrs Weasley finally kick ass!



My husband and I actually saw all the movies in the theater. Enjoyed every one of them.


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## Hrafn

Alli said:


> My husband and I actually saw all the movies in the theater. Enjoyed every one of them.



This was my youngest sons third or fourth run through the series, he just stayed up later than me to finish.


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## User.45

Thomas Veil said:


> Boater who has no idea what he’s doing? Sounds familiar. I think I saw that one last year.



Oh the symbolism on this one never gets old


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## Thomas Veil

​*"No Sudden Move"* (HBOMax) is billed as a heist movie, and that's true. However that doesn't begin to describe it. There is a MacGuffin that all the characters are after, but look at the movie's tag line: "Trust is a setup." That describes better what drives the film: trust. Or rather, lack of same.

Great cast, including Don Cheadle (_geez_, he's looking old...was "Ocean's Eleven" that long ago?), Brendan Fraser, David Harbour, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta and...well, a surprise.

This is a Steven Soderbergh film, and one of the things I like about his movies (of the ones I've seen) is that they always tell great stories. Intelligent stories. This one is grounded in both real life societal problems and historical-scientific developments. They are not the plot, but they do inform the bloodshed and the twists and turns that follow.

Definitely recommended.


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## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> ​*"No Sudden Move"* (HBOMax) is billed as a heist movie, and that's true. However that doesn't begin to describe it. There is a MacGuffin that all the characters are after, but look at the movie's tag line: "Trust is a setup." That describes better what drives the film: trust. Or rather, lack of same.
> 
> Great cast, including Don Cheadle (_geez_, he's looking old...was "Ocean's Eleven" that long ago?), Brendan Fraser, David Harbour, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta and...well, a surprise.
> 
> This is a Steven Soderbergh film, and one of the things I like about his movies (of the ones I've seen) is that they always tell great stories. Intelligent stories. This one is grounded in both real life societal problems and historical-scientific developments. They are not the plot, but they do inform the bloodshed and the twists and turns that follow.
> 
> Definitely recommended.




Soderbergh + Cast == Must Watch

This is high in our queue


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## Thomas Veil

You gotta let me know what you think about that surprise I mentioned. You'll know it when you see it.


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## DT

*The Tomorrow War*

It was pretty OK, Pratt was serviceable in a pretty generic role, supporting cast was fine  (do love some JKS), some fun action, a few well done tense moments.  A bit long for the material, it's like 2:20, the basic premise (which makes little sense) you kind of just have to accept (I don't deep dive into time travel concepts too much with this sort of movie).

If you like action Sci-Fi, and have Prime, it's worth a watch if your current queue is empty.

If you want a palate cleanser, follow up with the spectacular *Live. Die. Repeat.* (aka, *Edge of Tomorrow*, based on_ All You Need is Kill_).  It's some of the same:  alien invasion, time travel, someone forced into combat, but everything else is different in all the best possible ways


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## Huntn

DT said:


> *The Tomorrow War*
> 
> It was pretty OK, Pratt was serviceable in a pretty generic role, supporting cast was fine  (do love some JKS), some fun action, a few well done tense moments.  A bit long for the material, it's like 2:20, the basic premise (which makes little sense) you kind of just have to accept (I don't deep dive into time travel concepts too much with this sort of movie).
> 
> If you like action Sci-Fi, and have Prime, it's worth a watch if your current queue is empty.
> 
> If you want a palate cleanser, follow up with the spectacular *Live. Die. Repeat.* (aka, *Edge of Tomorrow*, based on_ All You Need is Kill_). It's some of the same: alien invasion, time travel, someone forced into combat, but everything else is different in all the best possible ways



​
There’s a lot of reasons I disliked *Tomorrow War:*

Action was stupid, unrealistic (Opinion) 
I like Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy), but his brand of humorous quips seems out of place in this story, Sure that is his brand, but he did not do that in Jurassic World. 
*Other SPOILERS:*

The usual time travel paradox, if you solve the problem in modern times, why would they have a reason to come back from the future to warn you? This would have to be a loop or split time line, I guess. 
Who needs training? Conscripts are sent forward in time to fight aliens with zero training, literally swept out of their  ordinary lives into a fire fight... with monsters,  to become their kibble, as if they could function at all.
Who needs knowledge of alien anatomy?  _You don’t need to know to know the weak spots on the monsters, just empty your clips to no avail. _Oh, it’s the guy on his third tour that finally tells them that after a ton of ammo is wasted pinging off the creatures plating.
They throw ropes to corral female creature into a cage. Ropes on a powerful creature that can simply pull you in and bite your head off?  
Plot point: If future daughter figures out the toxin that will kill the aliens, Chris Pratt is supposed to take it back, then says _I’m coming back to save you_ to future daughter.  Why? If he has the magic serum, then they could make it in the modern time (not future) and win the war early.
Plot point: Apparantly Chris Pratt‘s character is not that smart. He goes back to present day, he says, _mass produce this and we can send it to the future._ He is told _the jump gate broke we can’t go back, it’s over. _So what? He has the magic serum.They can produce it and use it when the aliens first appear. It’s his wife that tells him that.


----------



## MEJHarrison

Thomas Veil said:


> *"No Sudden Move"* (HBOMax) is billed as a heist movie...​




Sold!  The rest of what you wrote makes it even more tempting.  As does the cast.  But you really had me at heist.  Might just watch it tonight.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> The usual time travel paradox, if you solve the problem in modern times, why would they have a reason to come back from the future to warn you? This would have to be a loop or split time line, I guess.




It's exactly that, divergent timelines, the future with the destruction of mankind is a __different__ future than the "present" where the movie starts.



Huntn said:


> Who needs knowledge of alien anatomy?  _You don’t need to know to know the weak spots on the monsters, just empty your clips to no avail. _Oh, it’s the guy on his third tour that finally tells them that after a ton of ammo is wasted pinging off the creatures plating.




The DI actually explains this during their "training", before the jump:








Huntn said:


> Plot point: If future daughter figures out the toxin that will kill the aliens, Chris Pratt is supposed to take it back, then says _I’m coming back to save you_ to future daughter.  Why? If he has the magic serum, then they could make it in the modern time (not future) and win the war early.




His timeline, vs. her timeline.



Huntn said:


> Plot point: Apparantly Chris Pratt‘s character is not that smart. He goes back to present day, he says, _mass produce this and we can send it to the future._ He is told _the jump gate broke we can’t go back, it’s over. _So what? He has the magic serum.They can produce it and use it when the aliens first appear. It’s his wife that tells him that.




See above, two different timelines.


----------



## User.45

DT said:


> It's exactly that, divergent timelines, the future with the destruction of mankind is a __different__ future than the "present" where the movie starts.
> 
> 
> 
> The DI actually explains this during their "training", before the jump:
> 
> View attachment 6707
> 
> 
> 
> 
> His timeline, vs. her timeline.
> 
> 
> 
> See above, two different timelines.




Reminds me of this little gem: Turbo Kid





and it's theme song:
Eyes, Throat, Genitals:


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## Alli

DT said:


> See above, two different timelines.



And this is why I love all things timey wimey.


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## Huntn

DT said:


> It's exactly that, divergent timelines, the future with the destruction of mankind is a __different__ future than the "present" where the movie starts.
> 
> 
> 
> The DI actually explains this during their "training", before the jump:
> 
> View attachment 6707
> 
> 
> 
> 
> His timeline, vs. her timeline.
> 
> 
> 
> See above, two different timelines.




 I stand corrected on the instructions on how to kill them, but they did not make it clear that just how ineffective shooting anywhere else and watching soldiers empty their clips into them. It was the heavier mounted caliber weapons that were effective.  

The interesting thing about time travel, is that it is complicated and by it’s nature creates paradoxes, events that don’t make any logical sense. Yet the premise has to be there is something going on that is not understood. Even so:

For a single time line, if you change the past, say you gather up all the Infinity Stones (Avengers reference), then Thanos can‘t wipe out half of all life, and it would have been no reason to build or resort to building a time machine, although coincidentally in the altered time line you created, it is possible a time machine was still built and if the tech matches, you could conceivable return. Same situation here, people go back in time to enlist help, then return to the future.
For a split timeline, the ideas that what has happened in the original timeline can’t be changed, when you change the past, you have created a new split timeline, and if this is the case for this movie, then humanity is wiped out in the original time line because you can’t return to it, but in the new timeline,  an assumption is made that events/history will exactly parallel the original timeline, even though the time travelers presence will change events. And  the same issue remains, relying on technology which may or may ot exist to get you back If there is a desire to go back to the future.
So if you go back in your timeline and change anything significant you most likely won’t be able to return If you are relying on man made technology. That said the idea of a serum being created in the future and taken back in time to solve a problem of the future (aliens) 30 years earlier is easier to swallow, because there is no need to return to the future, and you may not be able to.

I did like the bone they threw for paradoxes, the condition that you be dead or not yet born (one or the other) required to send you forward or back, but overall the story was not believable or satisfying at least for me. 

What I really disliked was  the idea of sending untrained individuals to the future to fight very lethal creatures as if they might have a chance, In hindsight I guess  you could say they were sent forward to give future daughter a time to create a serum, but they should have said that upfront.  Maybe they did but I missed it?


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> For a split timeline, the ideas that what has happened in the original timeline can’t be changed, when you change the past, you have created a new split timeline, and if this is the case for this movie, then humanity is wiped out in the original time line because you can’t return to it, but in the new timeline,  *an assumption is made that events/history will exactly parallel the original timeline, even though the time travelers presence will change events. *




They're the same, until they're not, and they're not when there's enough of a variance, or a special variant, i.e., you should watch Loki


----------



## Thomas Veil

As long as I'm on a Soderbergh kick, I decided to check out *"Logan Lucky" *(Hulu).

The premise is...and I'm not kidding here...what if you made "Ocean's Eleven", but with hillbillies?

Not that a good film couldn't be made along those lines, but sadly this isn't it. Normally I like Soderbergh's stuff, but this just comes across as something that doesn't know whether it wants to provide fan service to good ol' boys, or be a parody of them.

The two guys on the floor, Channing Tatum and Adam Driver, are planning to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Already known as losers, their plans are going to be a definitely low-tech affair.

Things pick up when they decide to break out a jailed criminal. Daniel Craig, blonde-haired and southern-accented as in "Knives Out", is a delight.

Certain things, though, are just silly. Craig's character is an explosives expert. His name? I mean, _real_ name, not nickname? Joe Bang. We know this is his real name because he has two brothers with the same surname. O-o-o-okay. There's a scene where Tatum's daughter, perversely dolled up like a tiny hooker, belts out an absolutely _awful_ version of "Take Me Home, Country Roads". I don't mean just off-key, I mean _ridiculously_ bad. I don't think it's meant to be parody, but that's the way it comes across.

The movie has a lot of good reviews, so I'll allow that maybe I'm just prejudiced against good ol' boys in general, but if southerners object to the way they are portrayed in this movie, I'd say I can't blame them. And if they find it accurate, well then, I feel sorry for them.


----------



## Huntn

*Girl With The Dragon Tattoo* (2011 watched on Prime Video) English version with Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig. Excellent. I saw the original movie in Swedish and read the books, but it’s been too long for me to compare them. The Rapist Pig gets a surprise. 

​


DT said:


> They're the same, until they're not, and they're not when there's enough of a variance, or a special variant, i.e., you should watch Loki



Loki is on my list.


----------



## User.45

Huntn said:


> *Girl With The Dragon Tattoo* (2011 watched on Prime Video) English version with Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig. Excellent. I saw the original movie in Swedish and read the books, but it’s been too long for me to compare them. The Rapist Pig gets a surprise.
> 
> View attachment 6734​



I absolutely hated the English remake. It felt totally unnecessary after the Swedish one and added nothing.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> Loki is on my list.





We're behind an EP from last Wednesday, apparently something-something, watching tonight!  Then tomorrow EP5 and there's only 6 planned for this season.


----------



## SuperMatt

P_X said:


> I absolutely hated the English remake. It felt totally unnecessary after the Swedish one and added nothing.



Like many American movie remakes, the only reason it was made is because Hollywood thinks we are too lazy to read subtitles and love to watch the same actors over and over and over and….


----------



## User.45

SuperBillionaire said:


> Like many American movie remakes, the only reason it was made is because Hollywood thinks we are too lazy to read subtitles and love to watch the same actors over and over and over and….



...and sadly they are right. But most of the times the US remake attempts to put things in a culturally relevant context, like the remake of Brōn or Forbrydelsen (The Killing). This one actually was set same place, everything was the same, except for lots of hype for Daniel Craig who, at lest for me, lacks charisma, and Rooney Mara whom I consider a talented actress but her performance was waaaay waaay overhyped. Typical Hollywood bullshit that the moment an actress takes a role that doesn't revolve around their attractiveness, the performance is considered great. Like why?!
To add to this, Michael Nyquist (RIP) and Noomi Rapace were fantastic in the original movie and nobody should have expected Craig or Mara to top their performance. 

/rant over.


----------



## SuperMatt

P_X said:


> ...and sadly they are right. But most of the times the US remake attempts to put things in a culturally relevant context, like the remake of Brōn or Forbrydelsen (The Killing). This one actually was set same place, everything was the same, except for lots of hype for Daniel Craig who, at lest for me, lacks charisma, and Rooney Mara whom I consider a talented actress but her performance was waaaay waaay overhyped. Typical Hollywood bullshit that the moment an actress takes a role that doesn't revolve around their attractiveness, the performance is considered great. Like why?!
> To add to this, Michael Nyquist (RIP) and Noomi Rapace were fantastic in the original movie and nobody should have expected Craig or Mara to top their performance.
> 
> /rant over.



I saw a movie years ago called “Internal Affairs” - a Hong Kong film my brother-in-law was watching. I really liked it. A few years later, I saw “The Departed” and realized it was the same movie, but set in Boston. It wasn’t a terrible remake, so it was a bit of an exception when it comes to Hollywood remakes. I still liked the Hong Kong one better.


----------



## User.45

SuperBillionaire said:


> I saw a movie years ago called “Internal Affairs” - a Hong Kong film my brother-in-law was watching. I really liked it. A few years later, I saw “The Departed” and realized it was the same movie, but set in Boston. It wasn’t a terrible remake, so it was a bit of an exception when it comes to Hollywood remakes. I still liked the Hong Kong one better.



It's like South Korean movies. Oldboy was phenomenal. Won't watch the remake tho.


----------



## MEJHarrison

SuperBillionaire said:


> It wasn’t a terrible remake, so it was a bit of an exception when it comes to Hollywood remakes.




Remakes in and of themselves aren't bad.  The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Ben-Hur (1959) come to mind.  Jumanji is another in my opinion.  I thought the first one with Robin Williams was really good, but I was incredibly impressed that they gracefully stepped around that one and made something unique of their own with the new one.  And in my opinion, it was a lot of fun without crapping on the original.  Cape Fear did something similar.  Both versions are fantastic for completely different reasons.

But most remakes are garbage.  They're just lazy money grabs.  I'm very rarely impressed at the money and effort spent to tell me the same story I already saw years ago.  Or the same story I saw a few years back from some other country (I agree 100% on the Dragon Tattoo comments earlier).  It feels like a waste of resources that could have been used to tell me a completely new story.  Remakes are like walking a tightrope.  Impressive if you can make it across, but a disaster for the 99% who can't.

The movie that turned me onto foreign cinema was Amélie.  I loved every minute because it felt like something I'd never seen out of Hollywood.  Hollywood couldn't remake that movie without destroying what I love about it because it's the fact that it _*doesn't*_ feel like a Hollywood production that draws me to it.  And I love the story too of course.

I've watched movies from around the world, but have never really seen any Asian (except for some Kurosawa movies) or Indian movies.  A buddy keeps pushing South Korean movies on me.  But he's a horror nut and I'm pickier.  I don't mind scary (6th sense), I don't care for gory (Freddie, Jason, Pinhead, etc).  What's are some good recommendations?  Bollywood too.  I've never seen any of those.  Beyond not being a gigantic horror nut, I'm fairly easy to please.  I'm just looking for a solid story that will suck me in.  If I had to pick, I do like a good thriller.  Something with an ending I don't see coming.  But anything with a solid story is good enough for me.

I have a 5 day weekend next week alone to myself when I can watch anything I like.  Normally with my girlfriend, it needs to not be subtitled or B&W (to be fair, she loves costumes and B&W costumes are just boring).  But with her gone for a few days, it's the perfect opportunity to watch something without her sticking in earbuds and diving into her phone.  She doesn't mind, but I have a hard time enjoying something when the rest of the room doesn't.


----------



## Alli

I’m not lazy, damnit. But I hate subtitles. It destroys the immersive experience for me and keeps me on the outside. It’s even worse if I speak the language cause my translation rarely matches the subtitles.


----------



## tobefirst

Last movie I watched was Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In The Heights," which I very much enjoyed.


----------



## Thomas Veil

That’s still on my list. HBOMax will be removing it soon, too.


----------



## DT

tobefirst said:


> Last movie I watched was Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In The Heights," which I very much enjoyed.





It's not the same sort of "life altering" experience of Hamilton, still, it's fun, filled with super talented people and beautifully filmed (there's some terrific creative choices, they were able to do things that would be impossible on stage).


----------



## tobefirst

DT said:


> It's not the same sort of "life altering" experience of Hamilton, still, it's fun, filled with super talented people and beautifully filmed (there's some terrific creative choices, they were able to do things that would be impossible on stage).



100% agree. We had tickets to see Hamilton – from the good seats this time – when the pandemic hit, and hope to secure some when it comes back this next season. The film version was exquisitely done, in my opinion. Like you mention, the movie version of In the Heights is fun, and the visuals are bright and vibrant and playful. I hope to see it live sometime.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

I rewatched the remake of Clash of the Titans, and I wouldn’t say it was a complete turd as much as I felt like the entire movie was watching a “previously on” montage or one of those YouTube movie explanation videos that just shows what’s pertinent to understand the movie. Way too much backstory was rushed through as was character relationships and you didn’t really care about/believe anybody or their motives as a result. I think it would have made a way better series but I think the movie came out before epic big-budget SciFi series were a thing. There’s a lot of interesting storylines and characters that can’t be effectively covered in a movie.


----------



## Alli

We got tickets to go see Black Widow on Saturday. Can’t wait!


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Watched most of Best of Enemies last night on Netflix which tells the story of the fight over school integration in a town in the south in the early 70’s. I was born in the early 70’s. I’m sorry, but anything that extreme that happened in my lifetime we can’t now say “Yeah, that shit is all fixed now.” As another point of reference the 9/11 attacks happened almost 20 years ago. Can anybody say our relationship with Muslims is much improved now or anywhere near?


----------



## JayMysteri0

Black Widow.

I didn't hate it.  I did enjoy it.  I wanted a little more.

BUT I spent so much time wondering IF they had done this MUCH sooner.  It kind of hung over my entire time watching of it.  I hope they learn from this.

If I had to short explain it...  If Captain America:  Winter Soldier was a Marvel spy film, then Black Widow is a Marvel Jason Bourne film.

I'd go into it more, after more people see it.


Yes.  There is an end scene that confirms things, and does set things up for the future.  It also confirms anything you heard from about Falcon & the Winter Soldier.  Those of you in the MCU discussions will understand why I said that badly.


----------



## MEJHarrison

My girlfriend had never seen Ocean's 11, so we watched that last night.


----------



## Edd

MEJHarrison said:


> My girlfriend had never seen Ocean's 11, so we watched that last night.



Did she swoon? I’m a straight dude and I think I swoon when I watch that.


----------



## DT

re: Black Widow

Thinking about buying it, inviting a friend over, he can bring the food (and/or cook, he's a chef), maybe have a slumber party, after the movie we can do each other's hair, dish on the hunky new exchange student ...


----------



## DT

MEJHarrison said:


> My girlfriend had never seen Ocean's 11, so we watched that last night.




I LOVE those films, even the sort of eye-rolling-meta-meta of Ocean's 12.  If she liked it, you've got 2 more to watch (or 3 more with the Ocean's 10 quasi-rebooquel ...)


----------



## JayMysteri0

DT said:


> re: Black Widow
> 
> Thinking about buying it, inviting a friend over, he can bring the food (and/or cook, he's a chef), maybe have a slumber party, after the movie we can do each other's hair, dish on the hunky new exchange student ...



I did buy it early.

So it was available this morning.  Supposedly everyone on my account can watch it.  So the rest of the friends & fam can watch it where they are at.  I think that's kind of cool.


----------



## DT

JayMysteri0 said:


> I did buy it early.
> 
> So it was available this morning.  Supposedly everyone on my account can watch it.  So the rest of the friends & fam can watch it where they are at.  I think that's kind of cool.




Nice!  Yeah, I didn't even realize it's not a "rental" with limited time/watches, it's yours for good (I mean, as good as any digital media is owned ...)  I saw the D+ free release is October, so it's not all that far away, but I do love my Marvel stuff and like to stay up-to-date.


----------



## MEJHarrison

DT said:


> I LOVE those films, even the sort of eye-rolling-meta-meta of Ocean's 12.  If she liked it, you've got 2 more to watch (or 3 more with the Ocean's 10 quasi-rebooquel ...)




I'm a sucker for a good heist movie.  Sounds like she's on board.  So we might try 12 and see how that goes for her.

I've not seen Ocean's 8?  Is it any good?  Does it live up to the last batch?


----------



## JayMysteri0

DT said:


> Nice!  Yeah, I didn't even realize it's not a "rental" with limited time/watches, it's yours for good (I mean, as good as any digital media is owned ...)  I saw the D+ free release is October, so it's not all that far away, but I do love my Marvel stuff and like to stay up-to-date.



Better NOT to wait if you're a fan.

It's trending on Twitter because of a reveal, that has some fanBOYS in tears.

If you want to avoid spoilers, being able to watch when you want is nice.


----------



## Huntn

​
*The Game* (1997)- watched on Netflix. Michael Douglas. This is a clever movie. A wealthy investment banker accepts a gift from his brother, an invite to play a “life altering game”, which is offered by Consumer Recreation Services. The experience is more than he bargains for.


----------



## Huntn

*Caddyshack* (1980)- A favorite comedy, within their realm, great performances by Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Ted Knight, and Rodney Dangerfield in his prime.


----------



## Huntn

*The Vast of Night* (2020)- Seen on Prime Video. Described as a noirish sci-fi mystery set in a small town in the 1950s New Mexico. It’s atmospheric, competently crafted, but I really disliked the stylized film quality as if you were watching an old film, and it starts out on a 1950s style TV with a Rod Serling voice introducing an episode of Paradox Theater. I almost drifted off halfway through because atmosphere can only take you so far…A plus it was only 90 min. 

Based vaguely on some real UFO related  incidents.

​


----------



## DT

*Nobody* (2021) Rated R, Action/Mystery & thriller, 1h 32m

It's just insanely fun, over-the-top action (while also being nice grounded ...), superb soundtrack - if you're a fan of Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul, John Wick, Atomic Blonde (though this film has much more of a sense of humor vs. the two aforementioned).

Actually rented it on disc!

*GASP*

Had a bunch of Redbox promos, a buck for a BD rental, OK, sure.  Though we discovered our super-local box at Pubs is gone (didn't know that before I rented), bummer as that was a terrifically convenient return location that we usually coordinated with an actual grocery trip.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Edd said:


> Did she swoon? I’m a straight dude and I think I swoon when I watch that.



My son has been told by more than a few people that he bears a resemblance to Matt Damon. 

Lucky kid. He sure didn't get that from me.


----------



## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> My son has been told by more than a few people that he bears a resemblance to Matt Damon.
> 
> Lucky kid. He sure didn't get that from me.




Dude, that's hysterical, because the wife said that just this morning about me   I think as he and I got older we started converging ...


----------



## Huntn

I knew this day would come, a second watching of the series:
*Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone* (2001)- _Philosopher’s Stone _in UK. Magical from the start. Music, visuals, and direction really compliment this story. My first exposure was this book I borrowed from an English friend’s son. 

​


DT said:


> *Nobody* (2021) Rated R, Action/Mystery & thriller, 1h 32m
> 
> It's just insanely fun, over-the-top action (while also being nice grounded ...), superb soundtrack - if you're a fan of Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul, John Wick, Atomic Blonde (though this film has much more of a sense of humor vs. the two aforementioned).
> 
> Actually rented it on disc!
> 
> *GASP*
> 
> Had a bunch of Redbox promos, a buck for a BD rental, OK, sure.  Though we discovered our super-local box at Pubs is gone (didn't know that before I rented), bummer as that was a terrifically convenient return location that we usually coordinated with an actual grocery trip.



Based on this score, will give it a try: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nobody_2021


----------



## Hrafn

Hm.  IMDB links don't seem to work.  

Dark Waters.  Based on a true story.  Great cast, disturbing to say the least.


----------



## Huntn

Hrafn said:


> Hm.  IMDB links don't seem to work.
> 
> Dark Waters.  Based on a true story.  Great cast, disturbing to say the least.



Was there an Erin Brockovich type character?


----------



## Hrafn

Huntn said:


> Was there an Erin Brockovich type character?



It’s been so long since I saw that, but maybe.


----------



## SuperMatt

*Gunpowder Milkshake* (2021) on Netflix. It’s an action movie with a number of well-known female stars. A bunch of tough women take on the old, white male organized crime establishment. I enjoyed it. The violence is pervasive, but feels fake/cartoonish.


----------



## Huntn

*Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets* (2002)- wow the kids grew. Dobby, parsel tongue, big snake, spiders, wonderful performance by Kenneth Branagh as Narcissist Gilderoy Lockheart, author of _Magical Me_, guest incompetent  Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts and a perfect villain Jason Isaacs as Luscious Mafoy.


​


----------



## Thomas Veil

*"Guardians of the Galaxy"*. Third time's the charm. 

The first two times I tried to watch it (on others' recommendation), I made it about 1/3 in before I got bored. This time I toughed it out, and yes, the movie does get better in the third act.

But it was still rough sledding. Most of the problems I attribute to poor direction. 

It was trying too hard. There was frequently a lot of detail in the background, which some may think lends authenticity but I feel makes it look cluttered and distracting. When the backgrounds weren't overly-detailed, they were dark. _Man_ there are a lot of dark interiors in this movie.

Many of the action scenes were so fast it was hard to tell who was doing what to whom. (I could tell, but jesus, did I have to work at it.) Characters really didn't begin to develop and feel real until late in the movie. And the less said about Rocket the better. (Not a big fan of anthropomorphized animals.)

The humor was...okay.

So now I can say I've seen it. 

And thanks to @Huntn for the detailed summary.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> *"Guardians of the Galaxy"*. Third time's the charm.
> 
> The first two times I tried to watch it (on others' recommendation), I made it about 1/3 in before I got bored. This time I toughed it out, and yes, the movie does get better in the third act.
> 
> But it was still rough sledding. Most of the problems I attribute to poor direction.
> 
> It was trying too hard. There was frequently a lot of detail in the background, which some may think lends authenticity but I feel makes it look cluttered and distracting. When the backgrounds weren't overly-detailed, they were dark. _Man_ there are a lot of dark interiors in this movie.
> 
> Many of the action scenes were so fast it was hard to tell who was doing what to whom. (I could tell, but jesus, did I have to work at it.) Characters really didn't begin to develop and feel real until late in the movie. And the less said about Rocket the better. (Not a big fan of anthropomorphized animals.)
> 
> The humor was...okay.
> 
> So now I can say I've seen it.
> 
> And thanks to @Huntn for the detailed summary.



Honestly on the first watch of Guardians it took a little adjustment for me to accept this fully as outstanding, but somehow I was assimilated, and as you know now, I think it’s most wonderful. It was the second watch that settled it for me.

It’s your fault: 

Great music,
a fairly high humor level
Rocket is a complex character
PeterQuill’s desire to be notable
Gamora and Nebula’s relationship
Drax’s  loss
Yondu the bad father figure
and if I’m not mistaken Thanos’s first appearance, at least the first I remember.
Ronan and Thanos.


----------



## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> (Not a big fan of anthropomorphized animals.)





Well, that really upsets me ...


----------



## Thomas Veil

If it helps any, I used to watch _Mr. Ed_ back in the 60s.


----------



## Huntn

*Pulp Fiction *(1994)- Brilliant possibly Tarantino’s best, most creative movie, but I’ve not seen all of his movies. Did see Kill Bill Vol 1&2, Django, that WWII alt-reality movie ,  Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, and Hateful Eight.

​


----------



## Herdfan

Thomas Veil said:


> *"Guardians of the Galaxy"*. Third time's the charm.
> 
> The first two times I tried to watch it (on others' recommendation), I made it about 1/3 in before I got bored. This time I toughed it out, and yes, the movie does get better in the third act.
> 
> But it was still rough sledding. Most of the problems I attribute to poor direction.
> 
> It was trying too hard. There was frequently a lot of detail in the background, which some may think lends authenticity but I feel makes it look cluttered and distracting. When the backgrounds weren't overly-detailed, they were dark. _Man_ there are a lot of dark interiors in this movie.
> 
> Many of the action scenes were so fast it was hard to tell who was doing what to whom. (I could tell, but jesus, did I have to work at it.) Characters really didn't begin to develop and feel real until late in the movie. And the less said about Rocket the better. (Not a big fan of anthropomorphized animals.)
> 
> The humor was...okay.
> 
> So now I can say I've seen it.
> 
> And thanks to @Huntn for the detailed summary.




I thought GotG was a better movie, but GotG Vol. 2 was funnier.

And both had great music.

Cautiously looking forward to Vol. 3, but if they add a bunch of MCU BS to it, I probably won't like it.


----------



## Edd

Huntn said:


> *Pulp Fiction *(1994)- Brilliant possibly Tarantino’s best, most creative movie, but I’ve not seen all of his movies. Did see Kill Bill Vol 1&2, Django, that WWII alt-reality movie ,  Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, and Hateful Eight.
> 
> View attachment 7316​



Jackie Brown would like a word with you.


----------



## Herdfan

MEJHarrison said:


> I'm a sucker for a good heist movie.  Sounds like she's on board.  So we might try 12 and see how that goes for her.
> 
> I've not seen Ocean's 8?  Is it any good?  Does it live up to the last batch?




Just my opinion:

11 is the best, 8 is better than 12 and 13 just sucked.


----------



## Huntn

Herdfan said:


> Just my opinion:
> 
> 11 is the best, 8 is better than 12 and 13 just sucked.



I disliked all of the Ocean’s movies.


----------



## Huntn

Brought from another thread:


Thomas Veil said:


> Hmm…sort of a plague version of “On the Beach”, eh?
> 
> (Double hmm…I wonder if anybody would be more motivated if we started using words like _plague_ instead of _pandemic_.)



*Spoilers if you’ve not seen any of these titles.*

I  remember the good ole days of Cold War movies.    I watched *On The Beach* as a kid and it struck a nerve, but as I remember it now, after their mission to San Francisco the story just kind of fissiles?

*Fail Safe* was an eye opener, not that I did not regret seeing as a 9 year old.  I remember the ambassador to Moscow up on the roof, _there are lights to the North_ and then the shreak of his phone melting, and them dragging that guy‘s wife into the situation room to try to talk him out of bombing Russia and the compromise the President of the US makes to avoid nuclear armageddon.   

*The Bedford Incident* to see Cold War a duel between an American Destroyer captain and a Russian sub the enters US waters.

Finally a must see is *Dr Strangelove*.


----------



## Alli

Huntn said:


> Finally a must see is *Dr Strangelove*.



Absolutely!!


----------



## MEJHarrison

Huntn said:


> I disliked all of the Ocean’s movies.




12 & 13 keep putting me to sleep and I've not seen 8.  But I enjoyed 11.  I wouldn't put it in the Great Movies bucket, but I'd put it in one called Fun Movies.  Plus, I'm a sucker for a good heist movie.


----------



## Herdfan

MEJHarrison said:


> But I enjoyed 11.  I wouldn't put it in the Great Movies bucket, *but I'd put it in one called Fun Movies*. Plus, I'm a sucker for a good heist movie.




Good description.  For me it is one of those movies that if it is on, you will turn to it to pass a few minutes.

@Huntn, you watch a lot of movies.


----------



## DT

MEJHarrison said:


> 12 & 13 keep putting me to sleep and I've not seen 8.  But I enjoyed 11.  I wouldn't put it in the Great Movies bucket, but I'd put it in one called Fun Movies.  Plus, I'm a sucker for a good heist movie.




Exactly my thoughts, they're fun, you can tell the stars really enjoying mixing it up together, and they're super self-aware too (heck, 12 is silly meta ...)

I love the double/triple reverse, the big reveal as to what's actually going on, Pacino and Garcia get to chew some serious scenario, the pacing has that great Soderbergh cadence.


----------



## Huntn

Herdfan said:


> Good description.  For me it is one of those movies that if it is on, you will turn to it to pass a few minutes.
> 
> @Huntn, you watch a lot of movies.



Primary escapism from this dull life I lead.  Even worse for games as I can interact with the environment and AI characters versus just being a viewer.

I can imagine a future where with something the equivalent of simstim (read *Neuromancer*), a technology that taps into all of your senses and teleports you into an artificial setting, the real VR, instead of watching a movie you could ride along with one of the characters… and people will get lost in virtual worlds if they can afford it.

In the Book *Count Zero*, there is a trillionaire who spends his physical life in a vat (he is physically sickly) and for all entents and purposes lives in a virtual world of his choosing.

Think of a life, where you never grow old (until you croak for real)  have any physical characteristic, any setting you care to hang out in. And since I’m talking future tech, I see a huge market in full relationship AI companions. But now I’m getting too far off the beaten path.  I need to start a thread on future tech…


----------



## hulugu

MEJHarrison said:


> 12 & 13 keep putting me to sleep and I've not seen 8.  But I enjoyed 11.  I wouldn't put it in the Great Movies bucket, but I'd put it in one called Fun Movies.  Plus, I'm a sucker for a good heist movie.




I love heist movies, so I'm a sucker for the Oceans series. But, I tend to agree, 11 is the best. 12 is messy, while 8 just retreads the same ground as 11, but does have some interesting beats. Oceans 13 is the weakest of the four, by far.


----------



## DT

O12 has that __killer__ scene with Vincent Cassel, that apparently he did most of himself (staying spoiler free ...)


----------



## DT

hulugu said:


> Oceans 13 is the weakest of the four, by far.




Except Ellen Barkin, holy hell, I wonder if my nose would play ...


----------



## Huntn

*Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban* (2004)- Keeps getting better.
Dementors are actually scary. One of the best depictions of time travel I can remember, but there are still paradoxes. Gary Oldman has a presence. The scene at the Shrieking Shack is outstanding.


​


----------



## Thomas Veil

Interesting what people think of the "Ocean's" movies.

I think everybody agrees 11 was the best. Based on reviews and comments I read at the time, most felt 12 dropped the ball and 13 had the series back in form again. That's kind of my perception, too. 

8 was okay, but it was probably the weakest of the bunch.

I've even seen the original, starring the Rat Pack. It was interesting from a historical perspective, but clearly a case where the remake was better.


----------



## SuperMatt

*Cosmic Sin *(2021) - Netflix

Bruce Willis, the year 2524. People are still driving gasoline cars and motorcycles? Bars look exactly the same as they do today… including an actual working jukebox? Even clothing styles haven‘t changed in 500 years? Guns still use bullets and gunpowder? Cigarettes and lighters look exactly the same?

Dell still makes exactly the same PC monitors in 2524 too. Would it have been too much trouble to at least cover the DELL logo for a movie supposedly 500 years in the future?

But we can teleport light-years away in minutes and we’ve got a bomb that can destroy an entire solar system!

Aliens fight Humans… you can probably guess who wins.

Forget suspension of disbelief. Try a perma-ban of disbelief for this one.


----------



## MEJHarrison

Thomas Veil said:


> I've even seen the original, starring the Rat Pack. It was interesting from a historical perspective, but clearly a case where the remake was better.




I've always been curious about Ocean's 11 (the new one is technically Ocean's Eleven), but never got around to it.  Not sure I've run across many who have.  Glad to hear I've not missed much.


----------



## Hrafn

Mulan Live action.  I was wondering how they'd handle the dragon.  Disappointed in that a bit.  Overall, though, I thought it was a decent production.  I'm not sure why is was so panned.


----------



## Huntn

*Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire* (2005)- Darker and darker, with more gravity, still excellent. 

​


----------



## Hrafn

The Crimes of Grindelwald  Again.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Had the grandsons over last night and watched* “WW84”*…first time for them, second time for me. On second viewing, it’s a better movie than I thought.

I appreciated the beautiful/emotional moments more (Steve piloting through fireworks, Diana learning to fly, having to give up Steve), and noticed that the sound editing is for shit. Certain lines that explain motivations or plot details are either very quiet or are all but drowned out by background sounds.

The grandkids are up on their lore. “Wait—is _that_ where Wonder Woman gets her invisible plane?” They even got the Asteria bonus at the end. My little kids…


----------



## Hrafn

Tremors: Shrieker Island  If you liked the others, this is more of the same.


----------



## User.191

Not a movie per se, but I have been enjoying the multitude of short films released by Dust on YouTube. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7sDT8jZ76VLV1u__krUutA


----------



## Alli

Hrafn said:


> Tremors: Shrieker Island  If you liked the others, this is more of the same.



I can’t get enough of the Tremors movies. A guilty pleasure.


----------



## Hrafn

Alli said:


> I can’t get enough of the Tremors movies. A guilty pleasure.



The first one was just amazingly campy and fun.  The sequels all feel a little forced, but who can resist saying “assblasters”?


----------



## Thomas Veil

Having come out only about a year apart, I always figured “Tremors” was the inspiration for one of the Justice League’s creepiest (and funniest) stories.

​
In it, Captain Atom figures the easy way to defeat such a beast is to let himself get swallowed and then unleash a huge explosion, freeing him, destroying the worm…and leaving everyone else covered in worm guts.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Thomas Veil said:


> Interesting what people think of the "Ocean's" movies.
> 
> I think everybody agrees 11 was the best. Based on reviews and comments I read at the time, most felt 12 dropped the ball and 13 had the series back in form again. That's kind of my perception, too.
> 
> 8 was okay, but it was probably the weakest of the bunch.
> 
> I've even seen the original, starring the Rat Pack. It was interesting from a historical perspective, but clearly a case where the remake was better.



Ocean's 8 has been playing all this weekend.

While it's alright, I have to admit I forgot how much I loved James Corden in his small part.  I hadn't seen him in anything else besides...





_Don't judge me, I was given an incredible hi - def copy_

and of course Carpool Karaoke.  I thought he was pretty funny in his role and made the film for me.


----------



## Huntn

*Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix* (2007)- Introduces the real villain of the series, the vile,  sadistic, giggling fascist Dolores Umbridge.

​
A crisis at the Ministry of Magic, _You Know Who_ is back and the Ministry is in denial, neutralized, infiltrated, and/or coconspirators. Death Eaters crawling out of the woodwork and then there is the Boy Who Lived, YKW’s obsession.


----------



## Huntn

*Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince* (2009)- Dark from start to finish in sepia tones, fitting for this part of the story. Helena Bonham Carter is one of those one of a kind actresses. Significant event in this story. 

​


----------



## Huntn

*Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt1* (2010)- Some good necessary stuff, some drag and much gravity. The real show is in Pt2.

​


----------



## lizkat

*Downton Abbey* the movie, before it takes a hike off HBO Max.    Well...  I loved the TV series.  Not really sure why they made the movie, I mean it's well done and all,  but after all the character development of that multi-season series,  one cannot help but get the feeling from the movie of either treading-water or glossing-over,  with a few teaser-tidbits thrown in, I suppose "just in case"....  but one can hardly imagine a whole new series.

[And this for @Scepticalscribe, who may remember....   With a nod to the apparently-never-here and gone-from-over-there @Zenithal, who surely would have inquired if I had noticed the difference in how they treated the edible fare and the cooking of it:    I must say that even the kedgeree on the breakfast buffet looked a pale reflection of the original Downton Abbey recipe as shown back then in all its glory.]


----------



## Huntn

lizkat said:


> *Downton Abbey* the movie, before it takes a hike off HBO Max.    Well...  I loved the TV series.  Not really sure why they made the movie, I mean it's well done and all,  but after all the character development of that multi-season series,  one cannot help but get the feeling from the movie of either treading-water or glossing-over,  with a few teaser-tidbits thrown in, I suppose "just in case"....  but one can hardly imagine a whole new series.
> 
> [And this for @Scepticalscribe, who may remember....   With a nod to the apparently-never-here and gone-from-over-there @Zenithal, who surely would have inquired if I had noticed the difference in how they treated the edible fare and the cooking of it:    I must say that even the kedgeree on the breakfast buffet looked a pale reflection of the original Downton Abbey recipe as shown back then in all its glory.]



When you are watching a series, and then it converts to movies the outcome most likely will be disappointing because the audience is used to 10 hours  or more of story telling per season.


----------



## lizkat

Huntn said:


> When you are watching a series, and then it converts to movies the outcome most likely will be disappointing because the audience is used to 10 hours  or more of story telling per season.




Certainly happened to me with that one.    Wow.     Well at least I didn't BUY the thing on spec.


----------



## Edd

Quiz Show. Ive long felt this film was very under appreciated but I love it. It did get nominated for best pic but look at the competition that year.


Four Weddings and a Funeral
Pulp Fiction 
Quiz Show 
The Shawshank Redemption
Forest Gump (winner)


----------



## JayMysteri0

Taking a quick spin back to Black Widow.  I did mention that I bought it on Disney+ for everyone in the house and a friend out of state.  It seems that hybrid release plan is causing problems because like HBO, Disney didn't discuss it with all the players.



> Scarlett Johansson Sues Disney Over Black Widow's Hybrid Release
> 
> 
> Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson has filed a suit against Disney/Marvel for breach of contract due to the film's hybrid release.
> 
> 
> 
> bleedingcool.com


----------



## Pumbaa

JayMysteri0 said:


> Taking a quick spin back to Black Widow.  I did mention that I bought it on Disney+ for everyone in the house and a friend out of state.  It seems that hybrid release plan is causing problems because like HBO, Disney didn't discuss it with all the players.



Disney trying to profit and cheat people out of money? Shocking!









						DisneyMustPay: authors form task force to fight for missing payments
					

Coalition of author groups call for Disney to pay outstanding royalties owed to writers of novels and comics including Star Wars, Alien and Buffy the Vampire Slayer series it now owns




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## lizkat

Pumbaa said:


> Disney trying to profit and cheat people out of money? Shocking!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DisneyMustPay: authors form task force to fight for missing payments
> 
> 
> Coalition of author groups call for Disney to pay outstanding royalties owed to writers of novels and comics including Star Wars, Alien and Buffy the Vampire Slayer series it now owns
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.theguardian.com




Yeah,  before everyone figures out how to shoot, edit and market straight to content delivery networks their full length features on a MacBook Pro...


----------



## Huntn

*Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt2- *((2011) Thrills, chills, and visuals. Gringot’s escape, McGonagall vs Snape, McGonagall calls forth the Stone Men, Mrs Weasly vs Bellatrix Lestrange, Snape, Neville Longbottom! Great ending to the series!  


​
What I’m not clear about: If Voldemort had horcruxes all around…


Spoiler



did any of his soul remain in his body? It appears that soon after Nigini is capatated, destroying the last horcrux  was it the spell Harry had directed at him or was without a soul, his body could not sustain itself any longer?












						Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes
					

Learn about the enchanted objects Lord Voldemort created in an attempt to achieve immortality.




					www.harrypotterfanzone.com
				












						How Harry Potter Survived The Killing Curse in The Deathly Hallows
					

How did Harry survive?




					screenrant.com


----------



## JayMysteri0

I know this counts as more of "-movie I am NOT watching", but I wasn't aware fo the back story to the new Matt Damon ( done to remind you he can act and he's American ) movie Stillwater.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1420871392266911746/
https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1420871395085488129/

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1420871402698149888/
_A thread_



> Amanda Knox slams 'Stillwater' movie in powerful essay
> 
> 
> Amanda Knox took to Twitter on Thursday to lambast "Stillwater" director Tom McCarthy as well as the media for linking her name to the project.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.cnbc.com





> KEY POINTS
> 
> Amanda Knox is speaking out against the new Matt Damon film “Stillwater” directed by Tom McCarthy.
> In an essay published on Medium and Twitter, the journalist addressed sexism, the erasure of victims and her treatment in the press and in popular culture over the last 14 years.
> Since debuting at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this month, “Stillwater” has received mixed reviews from critics and stirred up debate about how much it may have been inspired by Knox’s own experience.


----------



## JayMysteri0

JayMysteri0 said:


> Taking a quick spin back to Black Widow.  I did mention that I bought it on Disney+ for everyone in the house and a friend out of state.  It seems that hybrid release plan is causing problems because like HBO, Disney didn't discuss it with all the players.



The fun continues, as others MIGHT consider the same action



> RUMOR: Cruella Star Emma Stone is "Weighing Her Options" for a Lawsuit
> 
> 
> Now that Scarlett Johansson has filed a lawsuit against Disney for breach of contract, new rumors say Cruella star Emma Stone is "weighing her options."
> 
> 
> 
> bleedingcool.com





> When the news dropped yesterday that *Scarlett Johansson *was suing Disney for breach of contract for the hybrid release of _Black Widow_, we idly wondered if this was the first of many suits that could follow. It very much sounds like this might be the case. Now, we need to emphasize that this is very much just a rumor at this point, and we are in no way saying that this is going to happen for sure. However, considering how these things tend to happen in waves, it wouldn't be surprising. According to former The Hollywood Reporter editor, *Matt Belloni, *who said in his newsletter, What I'm Hearing… (via Screen Rant) that "Emma Stone, star of Cruella, is said to be weighing her options." He also wrote that we could hear something from _Jungle Cruise_ star *Emily Blunt* after this opening weekend.
> 
> _Cruella_ was a big enough hit that Disney actually greenlit a sequel after opening weekend. So unlike Johansson, who is done with her contract, and if a bridge is burned, it's done, Stone is here for another movie. As for Blunt, anyone who has seen _Jungle Cruise_ knows that Disney is obviously angling for a franchise, so they won't want to lose Blunt either. It's going to be really interesting to see how all of this continues to play out since, right now, it's getting a bit messy.


----------



## Hrafn

“Irresistible”. Great cast, slow pace, but wow, work the system…


----------



## Huntn

​

*Interstellar *(2014)- This is an impressive story and  movie. There is some real gravity here, Earth circa 2070ish,  is dieing, a crew goes on a mission to seek a new world for the human species, and time is the challenge, the enemy. This story revels in  human emotions, family bonds, love, deceit, betrayal, and includes a hard core time paradox which is explainable.

One amazing thing in our lifetimes is how CGI has advanced from cartoons to seamlessly, photorealistic environments. However as explained in the following link, Nolan’s choice of practical effects and on location shooting, makes the presentation feel more real.









						Christopher Nolan Shows How He Filmed Interstellar Without Using Green Screen
					

Christopher Nolan went to great lengths to avoid using green screen as much as possible on Interstellar. Watch as he explains how he did it.




					www.cinemablend.com
				




The primary critique directed at the movie seems to be the sound track, a constant background of music, sometimes bordering on or becoming  oppressive that sets a tone for the story.



Spoiler: Plot Points




The Earth is dying and must be abandoned.
Cooper is a retired astronaut and now farmer watching his crops die.
Murph, his daughter talks about a ghost in her bedroom.
This “ghost“ sends them a binary message of geographical coordinates.
Coop and Murphy drive to it and locate a secret NASA facility underground.
…where Dr. Brandt an acquaintance of his, tells him about the mission to save humanity, Plan A relocate the humanity to another planet. Plan B is to take human embryos to another planet to get a fresh start. Brandt is working on technology to harness gravity as a propulsion force to power manned vehicles out of our atmosphere into space and carry humanity to a new home.
Cooper the only one available with previous space mission experience volunteers to lead the mission.
The Convenience

Convientently a worm hole appeared in the vicinity of Saturn 40 years ago. It is speculated that an advance civilization placed this worn hole for our use to provide a viable option for humans to relocate.
Later in the story Coop finds himself in the Tesseract, a device created by 5 dimensional beings, which allows him to send a variety of messages back to his daughter.
To solve the gravity engine equation, quantum  data is required, that  can only be retrieved from a black hole. Coop and his robot end up entering a black hole (not voluntarily), the robot grabs the quantum data needed. Coop uses the Tesseract to send this data via the Tesseract to his daughter through an identical wrist watch he gave her.
The Paradoxes

Coop of the future sends himself the coordinates of the secret base which results in him leading the mission.
Coop speculates that the advanced civilization who placed both the wormhole and the Tesseract, might be “future” us. The second paradox would be why would we have to save ourselves if we survived into the future Before this.


----------



## Herdfan

On a whim, we watched _The Punisher_ last night.  Have seen that symbol all over the place for years, but had never seen the movie.  

I would give it a 7-7.5.  I don't think I would have felt ripped off had I paid to see it in the theater.


----------



## Huntn

Herdfan said:


> On a whim, we watched _The Punisher_ last night.  Have seen that symbol all over the place for years, but had never seen the movie.
> 
> I would give it a 7-7.5.  I don't think I would have felt ripped off had I paid to see it in the theater.



I like that movie!


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> The primary critique directed at the movie seems to be the sound track, a constant background of music, sometimes bordering on or becoming  oppressive that sets a tone for the story.





The Zimmer soundtrack is amazing, and the overpowering levels are very much by design - often juxtaposed against complete silence (make the lack of sound even more present).  Many of the pieces feature a 1926 Harrison & Harrison organ is in itself is a character in the story (including its design, etc.).  

Great movie, the one scene, midway through, with McConaughey watching a video (staying spoiler free), holy f-ing hell, that's an amazing, powerful, emotional moment, it's what good sci-fi is about, using the machinations of space and/or time travel and/or alien invasion, and exposing the human condition through it.

Recently rewatched Arrival, FFS, that film __destroys__ me emotionally, the opening and ending, it's as good as it gets (and like Interstellar, so beautiful impacted by the score).


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> The Zimmer soundtrack is amazing, and the overpowering levels are very much by design - often juxtaposed against complete silence (make the lack of sound even more present).  Many of the pieces feature a 1926 Harrison & Harrison organ is in itself is a character in the story (including its design, etc.).
> 
> Great movie, the one scene, midway through, with McConaughey watching a video (staying spoiler free), holy f-ing hell, that's an amazing, powerful, emotional moment, it's what good sci-fi is about, using the machinations of space and/or time travel and/or alien invasion, and exposing the human condition through it.
> 
> Recently rewatched Arrival, FFS, that film __destroys__ me emotionally, the opening and ending, it's as good as it gets (and like Interstellar, so beautiful impacted by the score).



The Interstellar soundtrack overall is very good, and although I mostly liked it, at times it did feel oppressive.

*Arrival* (2016), I should give that another shot. What sticks with me was that studying the aliens bequeathed an altered sense/perception of time.  Now, *The Arrival* (1996) gets a big unequivocal thumbs up, but it’s a different kind of story. 

​


----------



## DT

No ‘the’ on the 2016 movie


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> No ‘the’ on the 2016 movie



Fixed…


----------



## hulugu

Watched "No Sudden Move," a good little crime caper based around 1950s Detroit and the auto industry. It's one of those movies where everyone's motivation is suspect, and most of the characters are trying to make their own moves to their loss, or salvation. But, it's a nicely done Soderbergh flick. I wish that dude would just crank out crime stories annually.


----------



## DT

hulugu said:


> Watched "No Sudden Move," a good little crime caper based around 1950s Detroit and the auto industry. It's one of those movies where everyone's motivation is suspect, and most of the characters are trying to make their own moves to their loss, or salvation. But, it's a nicely done Soderbergh flick. I wish that dude would just crank out crime stories annually.




We keep meaning to get to this, we've had it in our watchlist for weeks.  I mean,  Cheadle, Del Toro, Hamm, David Harbour in a Soderbergh caper/crime movie? Sure!


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> *Arrival* (2016), I should give that another shot. What sticks with me was that studying the aliens bequeathed an altered sense/perception of time.




I loved it, I dig on that concept of linguistic determinism, sure, it takes it a good bit further than Sapir-Whorf intended, but it's perfect, as this is SCIENCE + FICTION.  There's actually been some studies that suggest people who are bi/multi/poly lingual, show some psycho-physical differences in how they process information / cognitive pathways / etc.

You have to think about it the other way around:  Louise didn't learn to speak/read/write Heptapod and gain the ability to see forward/back/around time, time __is__ non-linear, we are limited (trapped?) by our language, which informs our perception.  It's a beautiful metaphor using a general theory as a starting point, and that's used ask the larger question (which is the emotional center of the movie).


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> I loved it, I dig on that concept of linguistic determinism, sure, it takes it a good bit further than Sapir-Whorf intended, but it's perfect, as this is SCIENCE + FICTION.  There's actually been some studies that suggest people who are bi/multi/poly lingual, show some psycho-physical differences in how they process information / cognitive pathways / etc.
> 
> You have to think about it the other way around:  Louise didn't learn to speak/read/write Heptapod and gain the ability to see forward/back/around time, time __is__ non-linear, we are limited (trapped?) by our language, which informs our perception.  It's a beautiful metaphor using a general theory as a starting point, and that's used ask the larger question (which is the emotional center of the movie).



Yes it’s very interesting, but I’d say the human race is time trapped always living/perceiving in the present, so the premise of the movie is one that equates to a speculative, evolutionary change in human perception without a known scientific basis, as far as I know, but that is ok because  this is what science fiction is all about, pushing the envelope of science, technology, and evolutionary possibilities.

The first time I was exposed to this idea was in *Slaughterhouse Five* about a man who lived and relived different parts of his life, jumping around almost constantly in the different stages of it.


----------



## Alli

Huntn said:


> The first time I was exposed to this idea was in *Slaughterhouse Five* about a man who lived and relived different parts of his life, jumping around almost constantly in the different stages of it.



Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time.

One of the best books ever.


----------



## DT

Wow the new Suicide Squad (The ...) movie reviews are trending super fantastic!





Opens in theaters this Friday ...





... and also HBOMax!  Woo!


----------



## User.45

DT said:


> The Zimmer soundtrack is amazing, and the overpowering levels are very much by design - often juxtaposed against complete silence (make the lack of sound even more present).  Many of the pieces feature a 1926 Harrison & Harrison organ is in itself is a character in the story (including its design, etc.).
> 
> Great movie, the one scene, midway through, with McConaughey watching a video (staying spoiler free), holy f-ing hell, that's an amazing, powerful, emotional moment, it's what good sci-fi is about, using the machinations of space and/or time travel and/or alien invasion, and exposing the human condition through it.
> 
> Recently rewatched Arrival, FFS, that film __destroys__ me emotionally, the opening and ending, it's as good as it gets (and like Interstellar, so beautiful impacted by the score).



I used to read a lot of Asimov some Lem, Clarke etc. Even though Asimov wrote from the States, somehow he was greenlit in the Eastern Block. I love the smell and illustrations of scifi books from the 60s-70s. You know, Spacer in space suite operating buttons with an alien world reflecting from the helmet's visor. Interstellar really gave me the feel of those scifis. It's just really phenomenal through and through. The other movie that I found as fun as those books was *Moon*. 

The Arrival was great too. The music was super powerful. It's more of a newschool kind of scifi, but it's a good new school.


----------



## hulugu

P_X said:


> I used to read a lot of Asimov some Lem, Clarke etc. Even though Asimov wrote from the States, somehow he was greenlit in the Eastern Block. I love the smell and illustrations of scifi books from the 60s-70s. You know, Spacer in space suite operating buttons with an alien world reflecting from the helmet's visor. Interstellar really gave me the feel of those scifis. It's just really phenomenal through and through. The other movie that I found as fun as those books was *Moon*.
> 
> The Arrival was great too. The music was super powerful. It's more of a newschool kind of scifi, but it's a good new school.




My dad had dozens of science fiction novels stuffed into a file cabinet in the garage, and one summer, I decided to read the entire collection. Among them were Asimov's Foundation series, Herbert's Dune, most of Heinlein's stuff, Bradbury, and Pournelle, early Crichton, Lem, Dean Foster, etc. 

The smell of that era of science-fiction novels, printed on cheap acid paper and dust has creates such a strong nostalgic feeling. Everyone should spent a hot summer reading dusty science-fiction novels using a creaky file cabinet as a personal library.


----------



## DT

hulugu said:


> My dad had dozens of science fiction novels stuffed into a file cabinet in the garage, and one summer, I decided to read the entire collection. Among them were Asimov's Foundation series, Herbert's Dune, most of Heinlein's stuff, Bradbury, and Pournelle, early Crichton, Lem, Dean Foster, etc.
> 
> The smell of that era of science-fiction novels, printed on cheap acid paper and dust has creates such a strong nostalgic feeling. Everyone should spent a hot summer reading dusty science-fiction novels using a creaky file cabinet as a personal library.




Wow, yeah, I've got dozens and dozens of paperback scifi and fantasy novels, they have the look/feel/smell you described.  There was this used bookstore, they did buy/sell/trade, it was a warehouse with shelves, stacks, hahaha, crates, book were everywhere.  They did some new stuff, I ordered a few things from them, but mostly, books for like $0.50/each.

I've got many of them packed into a shelf in the "gear closet", maybe I'll shoot a pic later.  So much good stuff:  Saberhagen, Card, Niven, Heinlein, Douglas Adams, Gibson, Branbury, Clarke (see below), Le Guin, Terry Brooks, Moorcock, PJ Farmer, and on and on ...

So Clarke, Arthur C., when I was in high school, and later for a couple of years in college I worked at a computer store, sold hardware, software, did some network installs,  this older woman came into the computer store, was interested in a machine, laser printer, one of those ladies you're not sure is she's wealthy or a bag lady 

So I did most of the deliveries, I take it out to her house in Ortega (in Jacksonville, FL, near the river/Riverside), she funny, quirky in a good, way - I notice some pics, and whatnot, I know who it is, I casually mention it, she says, "Oh yes, that's Arthur, do you know who he is?"

It was Marilyn Mayfield, aka Marilyn Clarke ... Arthur C. Clarke's ex-wife who he was briefly married to (and married in FL).   She had some fun stories, what an interesting snapshot in time 

Funny enough, she lived right around the corner from the Chamblin Bookmine.

It's still open!





__





						Chamblin Bookmine
					

Welcome to the website of Chamblin Bookmine




					www.chamblinbookmine.com


----------



## DT

Oh, she died in 1991, at just 60, that's not long after I met her.  Hahaha, she had at least a couple of "tech issues", but I think she just enjoyed the company


----------



## Alli

DT said:


> ... and also HBOMax! Woo!



As soon as I heard that I knew what I would be doing this weekend. Good thing I bought popcorn when we went grocery shopping yesterday!


hulugu said:


> My dad had dozens of science fiction novels stuffed into a file cabinet in the garage, and one summer, I decided to read the entire collection. Among them were Asimov's Foundation series, Herbert's Dune, most of Heinlein's stuff, Bradbury, and Pournelle, early Crichton, Lem, Dean Foster, etc.



Sounds like my collection!


DT said:


> Wow, yeah, I've got dozens and dozens of paperback scifi and fantasy novels, they have the look/feel/smell you described. There was this used bookstore, they did buy/sell/trade, it was a warehouse with shelves, stacks, hahaha, crates, book were everywhere. They did some new stuff, I ordered a few things from them, but mostly, books for like $0.50/each.



We still have a bookstore like that here. We used to go often, especially when my husband was still working and would go out for sea trials. No matter how long he was going out for, he’d pack 3 pairs of underwear and 10 books.


----------



## Thomas Veil

I've kind of learned not to trust the opinions of critics, _especially_ when it comes to superhero films. So it should come as no surprise that despite all the raves from critics who have seen previews, I found *"The Suicide Squad"* to be no better than a C- film.

Where was all the better plotting, improved character development, etc., that was supposed to make it such a great film?

I'll go into it in more detail this weekend, but right now it's getting late and I don't feel like getting into the weeds of what this movie was and wasn't. 

To be continued.


----------



## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> I found *"The Suicide Squad"* to be no better than a C- film.




How did you already see it?

Oh shit, nevermind, I just fired up HBOMax, hahaha, it's on!  


(but waiting till tomorrow )


----------



## Thomas Veil

The preview opened tonight on HBOMax.


----------



## DT

OK nice, 4K/DV, can't wait  

@JayMysteri0 Bring the beer


----------



## Alli

Note to self: avoid this thread until Saturday night after watching Suicide Squad.


----------



## DT

Alli said:


> Note to self: avoid this thread until Saturday night after watching Suicide Squad.





The wife did it ... !


----------



## Thomas Veil

No, Gerard Butler did it.


----------



## Edd

Thomas Veil said:


> I've kind of learned not to trust the opinions of critics, _especially_ when it comes to superhero films. So it should come as no surprise that despite all the raves from critics who have seen previews, I found *"The Suicide Squad"* to be no better than a C- film.
> 
> Where was all the better plotting, improved character development, etc., that was supposed to make it such a great film?
> 
> I'll go into it in more detail this weekend, but right now it's getting late and I don't feel like getting into the weeds of what this movie was and wasn't.
> 
> To be continued.



Haven’t watched yet, but the trailer doesn’t get me excited. I’ll check it out this weekend.


----------



## DT

We are deck, firing it up early since this feels like a 9pm night, hahahaha


----------



## Herdfan

DT said:


> Wow the new Suicide Squad (The ...) movie reviews are trending super fantastic!
> 
> View attachment 7693
> 
> Opens in theaters this Friday ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ... and also HBOMax!  Woo!



For sure.

But the wife hasn't seen _Suicide Squad_, so we will need to watch it first.  But her back is a bit out so no sitting for 2 hours tonight and 2 more hours tomorrow night. 

Maybe 1/2 tonight and 1/2 tomorrow night then the offspring gets home Sunday and we can start watching "The" then.


----------



## DT

DT said:


> We are deck, firing it up early since this feels like a 9pm night, hahahaha




Oh wow, that did not happen, hahahaha, ummm, tonight for sure


----------



## DT

Herdfan said:


> For sure.
> 
> But the wife hasn't seen _Suicide Squad_, so we will need to watch it first.  But her back is a bit out so no sitting for 2 hours tonight and 2 more hours tomorrow night.
> 
> Maybe 1/2 tonight and 1/2 tomorrow night then the offspring gets home Sunday and we can start watching "The" then.




You could probably skip the first one, I mean, it's "Government uses bad guys for secret mission so they can disavow any knowledge of it, and they're totally expendable".


----------



## JayMysteri0

DT said:


> You could probably skip the first one, I mean, it's "Government uses bad guys for secret mission so they can disavow any knowledge of it, and they're totally expendable".



The new Suicide Squad is designed with "plausible denial".

Meaning it references both the original and the Birds of Prey movie, but doesn't actually mention them.

If you saw the first one and/or Birds, there are 3 or 4 moments that have greater impact, then someone who understandably missed those earlier entries.


----------



## JayMysteri0

DT said:


> OK nice, 4K/DV, can't wait
> 
> @JayMysteri0 Bring the beer



It started @ 7PM EST Thursday.  

I drank ALL the beer by 8PM EST Thursday.

I enjoyed the beer & the movie.


----------



## Hrafn

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of my Voice.  I'd forgotten how varied her career had been.  I'd even seen her performance in The Pirates of Penzance, back in the day.


----------



## Thomas Veil

*“The Omega Man”* (HBOMax, but leaving soon).

To my mind, the best of the three film versions. (The other two were “Last Man on Earth” and “I Am Legend”.) Dated in slang, cars, etc., but otherwise holds up very well. Especially now.


----------



## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> *“The Omega Man”* (HBOMax, but leaving soon).
> 
> To my mind, the best of the three film versions. (The other two were “Last Man on Earth” and “I Am Legend”.) Dated in slang, cars, etc., but otherwise holds up very well. Especially now.




Don't forget the most amazing one:  *I Am Omega (2007)*

Hahaha, from the always reliable Asylum studios - for those NITK, they're responsible for a huge run of "mockbusters", basically super low budget, usually painfully bad, knockoffs of blockbuster movies,  Some other notable titles:

Atlantic Rim
Transmorphers
Paranormal Entity
Almighty Thor

Though they also brought us, the original, and classic:

Sharknado (and sequels)


----------



## SuperMatt

*Jupiter Ascending* - Made by the Wachowskis... lots of cool special effects, zero character development, absurd glued-on goatee on Channing Tatum. Mila Kunis’ acting totally wasted on a 2-dimensional female character whose only role is to be tricked by the villain and then saved by the male lead.


----------



## DT

SuperMatt said:


> *Jupiter Ascending* - Made by the Wachowskis... lots of cool special effects, zero character development, absurd glued-on goatee on Channing Tatum. Mila Kunis’ acting totally wasted on a 2-dimensional female character whose only role is to be tricked by the villain and then saved by the male lead.




Oh it's so beautiful and so terrible.  It was like they wanted to create a modern, new age "fairy tale", but missed that mark too - it's not deconstructed enough, but as a straight forward "sci-fi / fantasy" it's incredibly vapid.


----------



## DT

Speaking of Mila Kunis ... Bad Moms is on pretty regular rotation around here (and BM2 is in our standard Xmas playlist ...)


----------



## Thomas Veil

DT said:


> Don't forget the most amazing one:  *I Am Omega (2007)*
> 
> Hahaha, from the always reliable Asylum studios - for those NITK, they're responsible for a huge run of "mockbusters", basically super low budget, usually painfully bad, knockoffs of blockbuster movies,  Some other notable titles:
> 
> Atlantic Rim
> Transmorphers
> Paranormal Entity
> Almighty Thor
> 
> Though they also brought us, the original, and classic:
> 
> Sharknado (and sequels)



Never heard of it. How ‘bout that.

I see it’s got a big 3.3 rating on IMDb.


----------



## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> Never heard of it. How ‘bout that.
> 
> I see it’s got a big 3.3 rating on IMDb.




Hahaha, IMDB is being generous 

I'm a huge fan of the original novel, Matheson wrote some amazing stuff, contributed to quite a bit of television, and really had a lasting imprint on sci-fi/horror/fantasy.  He also wrote Stir of Echoes and What Dreams May Come, that were made into two pretty excellent movie adaptations.  The latter is bit controversial, it's a very abstract, but emotionally complex film, Stir of Echoes is just straight up terrific, killer performances, scary, touching, great reveals, could've been an MNS film.


----------



## Thomas Veil

“*Jaws III*”.

What can I say? It was on this weekend and I watched it out of morbid curiosity.

I remember when it came out as “*Jaws 3D*”…especially when they started having dismembered heads float at you in the water…with_ really big_ matte lines. 

Also if you watched carefully even the people were fringed in red and blue. Obviously the 3D-to-2D conversion suffered from imperfect registration.

The plot? I couldn’t tell you. Something about Sea World. I got bored and switched channels.


----------



## Huntn

*Prometheus*  (2012)- Beautiful cinematography, some answers provided in this Alien Cinematic Universe prequel featuring another suspect Android. Just remember they just do what they are programmed to… mostly.  Hard to believe this movie is already almost a decade past.


​




Spoiler




Take off your helmets, really? It’s an alien planet. 
How did they get lost? The place is mapped.
Oh, such a cute little alien worm. One of the most single stupid events in any horror movie.  
A C-section you don’t want to remember.


----------



## Thomas Veil

DT said:


> ...I'm a huge fan of the original novel, Matheson wrote some amazing stuff, contributed to quite a bit of television, and really had a lasting imprint on sci-fi/horror/fantasy.  He also wrote Stir of Echoes and What Dreams May Come, that were made into two pretty excellent movie adaptations.




I saw "What Dreams May Come" years ago with Mrs. Veil, thinking she might like it because of Robin Williams. Didn't realize it was going to turn out to be such a dark and depressing film. I don't think she enjoyed it as much as I did.

Matheson is great. I have several collections of his short stories. I know he adapted one or two for Dan Curtis, and also wrote one or two originals for him.

My favorite tidbit about him, however, involves "The Night Stalker" and its sequel, "The Night Strangler". The former was originally a novel by Jeff Rice, and when it was bought for TV it was turned over to an experienced scriptwriter--Matheson--to pen the screenplay. Then when it became the highest-rated TV movie ever (at that time), they quickly commissioned a sequel...where the creative process worked in reverse. Matheson wrote an original screenplay for the sequel, which Jeff Rice then turned into a novelization.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Pumbaa said:


> Disney trying to profit and cheat people out of money? Shocking!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DisneyMustPay: authors form task force to fight for missing payments
> 
> 
> Coalition of author groups call for Disney to pay outstanding royalties owed to writers of novels and comics including Star Wars, Alien and Buffy the Vampire Slayer series it now owns
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.theguardian.com



Taking a quick spin back to proper compensation.  It isn't just Disney.



> Disney Reportedly Paying Comics Creators $5,000 for Movie/ TV Adaptions
> 
> 
> Marvel and other studios are once again under fire for paying comics creators a pittance for their work.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> gizmodo.com




What's interesting is that this kind of thing is a factor in what may become a big change in comics, as SOME creators who are currently responsible for the ( 2 ) biggest selling storylines in ( DC & Marvel ) comics right now are choosing to leave DC & Marvel.  Why?  They will get paid very well, and benefit from the fruits of their labor if someone else uses their work.



> Comic Book Writers and Artists Follow Other Creators to Substack
> 
> 
> A group of creators will publish new comic book stories, essays and how-to guides on the platform as a way to connect directly with fans.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.nytimes.com


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Wow the new Suicide Squad (The ...) movie reviews are trending super fantastic!
> 
> View attachment 7693
> 
> Opens in theaters this Friday ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ... and also HBOMax!  Woo!



Wow, 91% Critic, 84% Audience rating at *RT*.  It must be watched. With the cost of online streaming of new movies, a 1 month HBOMax subscription appears be in order. For the purpose of streaming, with teenagers  <18 in attendance is there nudity or sex?


----------



## JayMysteri0

Huntn said:


> Wow, 91% Critic, 84% Audience rating at *RT*.  It must be watched. With the cost of online streaming of new movies, a 1 month HBOMax subscription appears be in order. For the purpose of streaming, with teenagers  <18 in attendance is there nudity or sex?



Just violence, gore, profanity, and John Cena.


----------



## Huntn

JayMysteri0 said:


> Just violence, gore, profanity, and John Cena.



Good to go, lol!  I heard the dick pizza comment…
I watched *Birds of Prey* (2020)- I like Harley Quinn, and  Margot Robbie who plays her, but was unimpressed by that movie, fingers crossed for better this time.


----------



## DT

JayMysteri0 said:


> Just violence, gore, profanity, and John Cena.




Hahaha, JC in his tighty whiteys ... 

Gore, yes, it is SUPER gory.  Is 18 the sex in movies cutoff?  We must be terrible parents


----------



## DT

Speaking of violent movies ...

We __finally__ saw Kill List, I've tried to track it down for a while, did a week free trial for AMC+ where it was available 

Holy hell, it's gory and it's very violent, might sound weird to differentiate,  but a goofball in a costume running across a beach getting his head blown off is different than someone being savagely beat with a hammer in a super realistic setting.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Hahaha, JC in his tighty whiteys ...
> 
> Gore, yes, it is SUPER gory.  Is 18 the sex in movies cutoff?  We must be terrible parents



One of the possible viewers would be 6… gore and violence, after decades of sanitized violence for kids, not really an issue for her parents or us really. The other two are teens, and while they may watch sex on their own, I would hesitate to sit them down to the R full nudity grinding, humping, oral scene.

Then I started thinking that although most cinema comic book stories tend to remain in the PG13 range, so with this as an R (non-sanitized gore) movie, thought I’d check about the nudity, sex.

Funny thing years ago some friends were visiting with their kids 10ish years old, and *True Lies* was on TV. I remember dashing to the remote to mute the Arnold-Bill Paxton Corvette scene where it was mentioned _the vet makes them wet, _and something about _buttermilk. _Then there was the hot Jamie Curtis dance scene, and I mean hot. They got to enjoy that and… I remember the disapproving looks from the adults In the room.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Huntn said:


> One of the possible viewers would be 6… gore and violence, after decades of sanitized violence for kids, not really an issue for her parents or us really. The other two are teens, and while they may watch sex on their own, I would hesitate to sit them down to the R full nudity grinding, humping, oral scene....



I've got a tweener grandson who just watched "Suicide Squad" (the original) with me a few weeks back. He asked me if I'd let him watch this one. That was a hard no. Not just because his parents (however open-minded) would kill me. I just think it's way too violent.

The sex is limited to one brief boob shot and, yeah, childish penis jokes. But the gore level is off the charts. Seriously, it revels in it. Think "Hellraiser", only more of it. A work colleague of mine saw it at the theater, and he said some people were walking out...though he couldn't swear whether it was the violence or the whole movie that caused them to do so.

I'd think a six year old would get nightmares watching the top of someone's head get sliced off. For the sake of comparison, when this same grandson of mine was about nine I tried to watch "Batman" (1989) with him, and when we got to the scene where Jack Napier shoots Carl Grissom to death, he covered his face and asked me to turn it off.

It's funny screening movies for kids. I let my grandson see "Suicide Squad", but I won't let him watch _Gotham_ with me, as much as I'd like to. Why? Well, prostitutes figure into one of the very early episodes, and while I'm sure kids his age talk about sex at school, their conversations are probably uninformed. They've not yet had the sex ed class. So barring that, I, as a grandpa, am not about to explain to him what prostitutes do for a living and why. That's not the place to _start _a kid's sex education.

Another factor you may want to consider: when we watched "Suicide Squad", I'd judged that he was old enough and smart enough to understand what a black ops site is, why governments justify doing evil things in the name of righteousness, etc. I explained to him about 9/11 and Gitmo and waterboarding just so I was sure he understood why some people justify the existence of black sites and being just as evil as the bad guys. I felt he needed to understand the basic concept underlying the whole movie.

He got that, but it's too heavy for younger kids. You could argue it would go over their heads, but it might leave them confused about what's going on.

Oh...and while I didn't notice it myself, I'm told Weasel's penis appears in two separate shots.


----------



## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> But the gore level is off the charts. Seriously, it revels in it. Think "Hellraiser", only more of it.




Right?  Hahaha, you're right on with the Hellraiser comparison (there's even a comparable "Jesus wept" moment )


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> I've got a tweener grandson who just watched "Suicide Squad" (the original) with me a few weeks back. He asked me if I'd let him watch this one. That was a hard no. Not just because his parents (however open-minded) would kill me. I just think it's way too violent.
> 
> The sex is limited to one brief boob shot and, yeah, childish penis jokes. But the gore level is off the charts. Seriously, it revels in it. Think "Hellraiser", only more of it. A work colleague of mine saw it at the theater, and he said some people were walking out...though he couldn't swear whether it was the violence or the whole movie that caused them to do so.
> 
> I'd think a six year old would get nightmares watching the top of someone's head get sliced off. For the sake of comparison, when this same grandson of mine was about nine I tried to watch "Batman" (1989) with him, and when we got to the scene where Jack Napier shoots Carl Grissom to death, he covered his face and asked me to turn it off.
> 
> It's funny screening movies for kids. I let my grandson see "Suicide Squad", but I won't let him watch _Gotham_ with me, as much as I'd like to. Why? Well, prostitutes figure into one of the very early episodes, and while I'm sure kids his age talk about sex at school, their conversations are probably uninformed. They've not yet had the sex ed class. So barring that, I, as a grandpa, am not about to explain to him what prostitutes do for a living and why. That's not the place to _start _a kid's sex education.
> 
> Another factor you may want to consider: when we watched "Suicide Squad", I'd judged that he was old enough and smart enough to understand what a black ops site is, why governments justify doing evil things in the name of righteousness, etc. I explained to him about 9/11 and Gitmo and waterboarding just so I was sure he understood why some people justify the existence of black sites and being just as evil as the bad guys. I felt he needed to understand the basic concept underlying the whole movie.
> 
> He got that, but it's too heavy for younger kids. You could argue it would go over their heads, but it might leave them confused about what's going on.
> 
> Oh...and while I didn't notice it myself, I'm told Weasel's penis appears in two separate shots.



Kids and awareness is interesting. When grandson was 3-4 he just loved Jurassic Park, no fear of ravenous dinos, then older he loved playing *Left For Dead *a great Xbox zombie shooter, so about 7, I’m thinking *Shaun of the Dead*, a comedy no problem, but when a character got pulled out a window into a group of zombies to be eaten, with some guts being removed, he had enough and left the room. We laugh about that now, he’s 19. 

As you know standards have drastically changed in the last 60 years. I think there are things in movies now that would make a 1950s  crowd lose their collective  minds, but I was not in movie going mode until the 60s. As a 10 year old I was terrified of titles like *The Thing From Outer Space,* *Caltiki the immortal monster*, *The Crawling Eye, *but sometimes compensated with a piece of clothing over my head so I could peek if I thought it was safe to do so. 

As far as the 6 year old today, I would push that she not watch *Suicide Squad*, but honestly, I don’t know what she watches at home as a matter of routine.


----------



## Huntn

*Space Cowboys* (2000)- Good story that does not exceed my suspension of disbelief  , about 4 old fogeys robbed of their space missions in the late 50’s, 40 years later are tasked with a mission to rescue a Russian communication satellite that’s not what it appears to be. Clint Eastwood was 70 when he directed and starred in this.



​


----------



## Huntn

*Real Steel *(2011)- Enjoyable near future story about robot fighting starring Wolver-ah, Hugh Jackman a down and out boxer/puppet master who along with his forgotten about kid, take a antique sparring bot into the fight circuit.

​


----------



## Edd

Thomas Veil said:


> I've got a tweener grandson who just watched "Suicide Squad" (the original) with me a few weeks back. He asked me if I'd let him watch this one. That was a hard no. Not just because his parents (however open-minded) would kill me. I just think it's way too violent.
> 
> The sex is limited to one brief boob shot and, yeah, childish penis jokes. But the gore level is off the charts. Seriously, it revels in it. Think "Hellraiser", only more of it. A work colleague of mine saw it at the theater, and he said some people were walking out...though he couldn't swear whether it was the violence or the whole movie that caused them to do so.
> 
> I'd think a six year old would get nightmares watching the top of someone's head get sliced off. For the sake of comparison, when this same grandson of mine was about nine I tried to watch "Batman" (1989) with him, and when we got to the scene where Jack Napier shoots Carl Grissom to death, he covered his face and asked me to turn it off.
> 
> It's funny screening movies for kids. I let my grandson see "Suicide Squad", but I won't let him watch _Gotham_ with me, as much as I'd like to. Why? Well, prostitutes figure into one of the very early episodes, and while I'm sure kids his age talk about sex at school, their conversations are probably uninformed. They've not yet had the sex ed class. So barring that, I, as a grandpa, am not about to explain to him what prostitutes do for a living and why. That's not the place to _start _a kid's sex education.
> 
> Another factor you may want to consider: when we watched "Suicide Squad", I'd judged that he was old enough and smart enough to understand what a black ops site is, why governments justify doing evil things in the name of righteousness, etc. I explained to him about 9/11 and Gitmo and waterboarding just so I was sure he understood why some people justify the existence of black sites and being just as evil as the bad guys. I felt he needed to understand the basic concept underlying the whole movie.
> 
> He got that, but it's too heavy for younger kids. You could argue it would go over their heads, but it might leave them confused about what's going on.
> 
> Oh...and while I didn't notice it myself, I'm told Weasel's penis appears in two separate shots.



In the new SS, I’m pretty sure I remember full frontal male nudity (not Weasel) in the first act, when they’re attacking a camp of soldiers. I hope I didn’t make that up in my head somehow.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Huntn said:


> As a 10 year old I was terrified of titles like *The Thing From Outer Space,* *Caltiki the immortal monster*, *The Crawling Eye, *but sometimes compensated with a piece of clothing over my head so I could peek if I thought it was safe to do so.



I can remember watching _The Outer Limits_ from behind a living room chair. I even remember the episode that scared me so much.


----------



## Herdfan

It wasn't the actual movie, but a real-life scene from a movie.

Did anyone watch the MLB Field of Dreams game last night?  It starts with Kevin Costner talking about the movie and then he walks into a cornfield and then walks back out of the cornfield onto the baseball diamond, soon to be followed by all the players coming out of the corn.  It was really well done.


----------



## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> I can remember watching _The Outer Limits_ from behind a living room chair. I even remember the episode that scared me so much.




I __love__ The Outer Limits, sure they had limited budgets (and from our perspective in 2021 some of the tech/science might make you chuckle), but the writing was top notch, terrific acting (by so many recognizable stars), and honestly, even given the tiny funding for FX, they generally were pretty fantastic for the mid-60s.

We don't get much thoughtful, speculative, sci-fi like this anymore.

FWIW, that scene is from the EP titled:  *It Crawled Out of the Woodwork*

Two of the best EPs, were written by Harlan Ellison (in my Top 5 favorite authors), *Demon With a Glass Hand* and *Soldier* - the consensus being the latter was the inspiration for The Terminator (there was legal gyrations, etc., and you'll now see the end credits have "_We gratefully acknowledge the work of Harlan Ellison_").


----------



## Alli

Edd said:


> In the new SS, I’m pretty sure I remember full frontal male nudity (not Weasel) in the first act, when they’re attacking a camp of soldiers. I hope I didn’t make that up in my head somehow.



I think I’d have noticed that.


Thomas Veil said:


> I can remember watching _The Outer Limits_ from behind a living room chair. I even remember the episode that scared me so much.



That show constantly gave me nightmares! But I refused to miss an episode.


----------



## DT

Edd said:


> In the new SS, I’m pretty sure I remember full frontal male nudity (not Weasel) in the first act, when they’re attacking a camp of soldiers. I hope I didn’t make that up in my head somehow.




There is, during the raid on the camp.


----------



## Alli

DT said:


> There is, during the raid on the camp.



How did I miss that?!


----------



## DT

It's super quick, one of the soldiers comes out of a tent, or jump up from bed or something.


@35:20, you know, because I aim to please


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> I can remember watching _The Outer Limits_ from behind a living room chair. I even remember the episode that scared me so much.
> 
> View attachment 7902​



Answered here:
Post in thread 'What’s on TV?'
https://talkedabout.com/threads/what’s-on-tv.1120/post-57540


----------



## SuperMatt

Herdfan said:


> It wasn't the actual movie, but a real-life scene from a movie.
> 
> Did anyone watch the MLB Field of Dreams game last night?  It starts with Kevin Costner talking about the movie and then he walks into a cornfield and then walks back out of the cornfield onto the baseball diamond, soon to be followed by all the players coming out of the corn.  It was really well done.



I missed it... I meant to watch, but I forgot...


----------



## ronntaylor

Herdfan said:


> It wasn't the actual movie, but a real-life scene from a movie.
> 
> Did anyone watch the MLB Field of Dreams game last night?  It starts with Kevin Costner talking about the movie and then he walks into a cornfield and then walks back out of the cornfield onto the baseball diamond, soon to be followed by all the players coming out of the corn.  It was really well done.



Never watched the movie. I watched the game in bits (can't stand FOX & B---). Loved the beginning with Costner and the players, and how the field transformed with sunset. Too bad for my Yanks ultimately


----------



## Herdfan

ronntaylor said:


> Never watched the movie. I watched the game in bits (can't stand FOX & B---). Loved the beginning with Costner and the players, and how the field transformed with sunset. *Too bad for my Yanks ultimately*




But what an ending.  Walk-off HR into the corn and fireworks.  MLB couldn't have scripted it better.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Herdfan said:


> But what an ending.  Walk-off HR into the corn and fireworks.  MLB couldn't have scripted it better.



Sounds great.  Sorry I missed it.


----------



## ronntaylor

Herdfan said:


> But what an ending.  Walk-off HR into the corn and fireworks.  MLB couldn't have scripted it better.



Obviously not one I wanted. But it was fantastic after the Yanks got two two-run dingers in the top of the 9th. Leaving a platoon of men on base and shoddy relief outings will be the death of me this season.


----------



## Huntn

*Out of Time *(2021)- Saw this on Prime Video. Not related to the *Out of Time *(2003) starring Denzil Washington. Instead, this is like watching a 1950s LOW budget made for TV, B movie that could not find a network to broadcast it. Includes minimalist budget CGI. Yet I found myself watching it to the end. 


Notice the quality of artwork…​Three aliens from 1950 secret govt facility, escape through a time portal to the present followed by an FBI agent. Their goal is to conquer the Earth by calling home to let the alien armada know where they are.


----------



## Herdfan

Watched half of _The Suicide Squad_. Will finish it tonight, but not really able to engage. Not as funny as I hoped.


----------



## Hrafn

_From Russia with Love_.  The first time my kids are watching James Bond.  It didn’t age as well as I thought.


----------



## shadow puppet

Herdfan said:


> But what an ending.  Walk-off HR into the corn and fireworks.  MLB couldn't have scripted it better.



This doesn't show the walk off but it does include some fireworks.  About 10 minutes of highlights including Costner & player entrances.  I loved the movie myself.


----------



## Huntn

*The Flim Flam Man* (1967)- This is a favorite movie of mine growing up set in the US South, a comedy about a con artist who says  _you can’t cheat an honest man. _He takes an army deserter under his wing and they have an adventure. It’s tough to find this to watch, I’ve got it on DVD.

This fool thinks he can sell a DVD of this movie for $266


​


----------



## User.191

Huntn said:


> *The Flim Flam Man* (1967)- This is a favorite movie of mine growing up set in the US South, a comedy about a con artist who says  _you can’t cheat an honest man. _He takes an army deserter under his wing and they have an adventure. It’s tough to find this to watch, I’ve got it on DVD.
> 
> View attachment 8164​




George C Scott was a terrific actor, but man oh man, no-one could express angst with only their face any better than Michael Sarrizan.

I think my favorite of all his moves was "They shoot horses, don't they?"


----------



## Alli

MissNomer said:


> I think my favorite of all his moves was "They shoot horses, don't they?"



OMG - that movie had me crying for days! Just reading the title after all these years sent a chill through my body.


----------



## Huntn

*Val *(Prime Video 2021)- Self made documentary about Val Kilmer’s life. It seems like a great insurmountable loss for him is to have lost his voice though smoking/throat cancer about 2015.



​


----------



## Huntn

MissNomer said:


> George C Scott was a terrific actor, but man oh man, no-one could express angst with only their face any better than Michael Sarrizan.
> 
> I think my favorite of all his moves was "They shoot horses, don't they?"



Not to sound morose, but I look at images of actors in different stages of their lives like Michael Sarrazin, Val Kilmer, Marlin Brando (and basically everyone) and I’m left with a feeling that life gives you everything, and then takes it all away. It seems especially poignant for this who have  lived life large, after watching the Val Documentary, I imagine the loss feels much greater.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Referenced in the "What are you doing today?" thread.




​It may have been another era, but I remember watching this in a theater, and when Roy Scheider said "Smile, you son of a bitch!" and blew up the shark, the place erupted in cheers.

I pretty much see this every summer, but it was only this year that I saw a documentary on the making of the movie. I'd heard it was a bad experience, but the documentary made that sound like an understatement. Choppy seas, mechanical sharks that didn't work, I knew about before...but there was so much time wasted just because over and over some sailboat came drifting lazily into the shot, and they had to wait a while for it to go away. It was so behind and over budget that Universal wanted to take it away from Spielberg (sound familiar?), and Zanuck and Brown had to repeatedly go to bat for him.

It wasn't Spielberg's first picture, but it was his first _big_ picture. What a baptism of fire.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> Referenced in the "What are you doing today?" thread.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​It may have been another era, but I remember watching this in a theater, and when Roy Scheider said "Smile, you son of a bitch!" and blew up the shark, the place erupted in cheers.
> 
> I pretty much see this every summer, but it was only this year that I saw a documentary on the making of the movie. I'd heard it was a bad experience, but the documentary made that sound like an understatement. Choppy seas, mechanical sharks that didn't work, I knew about before...but there was so much time wasted just because over and over some sailboat came drifting lazily into the shot, and they had to wait a while for it to go away. It was so behind and over budget that Universal wanted to take it away from Spielberg (sound familiar?), and Zanuck and Brown had to repeatedly go to bat for him.
> 
> It wasn't Spielberg's first picture, but it was his first _big_ picture. What a baptism of fire.



I accepted the explosive ending along with the book ending, but for the movie, they needed that kind of closure.


----------



## Alli

We went to the theater today (with 6 other patrons) and saw Free Guy. What a fabulous, fun movie. I like Ryan Reynolds more and more.


----------



## fooferdoggie

Yep just watched free guy and it was really good. had no clue about it really.


----------



## Hrafn

fooferdoggie said:


> Yep just watched free guy and it was really good. had no clue about it really.



Two guys a girl, and a pizza place.  Ignore the Van Wilder stuff.  He redeemed himself with Blade uh, 3?  Ryan Reynolds, not Free Guy.  Although.

Ok, the Van Wilder stuff was what it was.  If you like college sophomoric crap, it was entertaining.  I usually laughed even if I cringed.


----------



## Edd

Thomas Veil said:


> Referenced in the "What are you doing today?" thread.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​It may have been another era, but I remember watching this in a theater, and when Roy Scheider said "Smile, you son of a bitch!" and blew up the shark, the place erupted in cheers.
> 
> I pretty much see this every summer, but it was only this year that I saw a documentary on the making of the movie. I'd heard it was a bad experience, but the documentary made that sound like an understatement. Choppy seas, mechanical sharks that didn't work, I knew about before...but there was so much time wasted just because over and over some sailboat came drifting lazily into the shot, and they had to wait a while for it to go away. It was so behind and over budget that Universal wanted to take it away from Spielberg (sound familiar?), and Zanuck and Brown had to repeatedly go to bat for him.
> 
> It wasn't Spielberg's first picture, but it was his first _big_ picture. What a baptism of fire.



Unofficially my favorite film. Somehow doesn’t get old.


----------



## Joe

Watched The Resort on Hulu. I wish I could get that hour and 15 minutes back


----------



## Alli

fooferdoggie said:


> Yep just watched free guy and it was really good. had no clue about it really.



Catch phrase!


----------



## Thomas Veil

Huntn said:


> I accepted the explosive ending along with the book ending, but for the movie, they needed that kind of closure.



You know, you mentioned the book, and it's been 40 years since I read it, and the copy is at my mom's house, so I did the next best thing and looked it up. I'd forgotten a lot about it!

Like Brody's wife cheating on him with Matt Hooper; like the mayor being under pressure from the Mafia to keep the beaches open; like the relatively (compared to the movie) underwhelming ending.

Spielberg, Benchley and Gottlieb were wise to jettison all that stuff. It's a better, tighter, more streamlined and heroic movie for it.

Although I could draw parallels between the mayor in the book and Ron DeSantis' fealty to the Trump mafia.


----------



## Huntn

Huntn said:


> Wow, 91% Critic, 84% Audience rating at *RT*.  It must be watched. With the cost of online streaming of new movies, a 1 month HBOMax subscription appears be in order. For the purpose of streaming, with teenagers  <18 in attendance is there nudity or sex?



*The Suicide Squad *(2021)- Subscribed to HBO Max for a month so 4 could watch it. I’ll just say, I’ll never own this, it’s actually got me thinking that PG13 is better.  I chuckled  several times, but it’s not the gore that turned me off, the movie is  visually impressive, but blah, just did not click for me, and I really want to like Harley Quinn and Bloodsport, but the story execution was ehh, although she had a decent fight scene, her against many.

One quick comparison, in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Rocket sets up an ambush and just destroys to the tune of pop music, while most of this movie’s action was just numbing carnage. It’s the kind of visuals you might shocked  by just one example of it, not ongoing. And I don’t need to hear “_fuck” _every 30 seconds.

I accept your disagreement in advance.  PS, no $30 rental fee.


----------



## Herdfan

Huntn said:


> I accept your disagreement in advance.  PS, no $30 rental fee.




No disagreement from me.  Watched an hour and might not finish it.  As you noted, it has been compared to GotG2, but it's not even close.  Expected more from James Gunn.


----------



## Thomas Veil

No disagreement here either, as I've stated elsewhere. The only two people I personally know who saw it didn't like it either.

It's also underperforming. At an initial box office of $26 million, "The Suicide Squad" has the dubious honor of being the first film to earn $100 million _less_ than its predecessor did in _its_ first week.

I'm reading lots of "yeah, but Covid" and "yeah, but HBO"...but that's a _lot_ less money.

What's interesting is... "Suicide Squad" (2016) was savaged by the critics but made a ton of money. "The Suicide Squad" (2021) is adored by the critics but isn't making much money. Much like the two movies' styles, they are performing as literal inversions of each other.


----------



## shadow puppet

After watching the highlights of the recent MLB game and that Costner / player entrance through the corn, I decided to watch _Field of Dreams_ last night.  It was 'perfect'.

p.s.:  I don't think I'll ever tire of listening to James Earl Jones' voice.


----------



## Huntn

Herdfan said:


> No disagreement from me.  Watched an hour and might not finish it.  As you noted, it has been compared to GotG2, but it's not even close.  Expected more from James Gunn.



Ref: Suicide Squad 2021. My feeling was this was a decidedly different vision than Marvel. Maybe DC or someone advising them said they needed to make their mark to distinguish themselves from Marvel where imo in actuality, they should be doing their damnest  to emulate Marvel. Based on the final product I can’t say an R rating was worth it. Btw, I would have completely missed the penis if I had not read about it here.  And Harley’s sex scene was minimalist as almost why bother?

For myself, not all Marvel movies are wonderful, but some of these movies I truly cherish, and it’s not because of the human carnage, it because of the talent in story telling,  the characters, the cinematography. The gore is good for some level of infrequent shock, but more of a detriment to entertainment if it’s overdone, and just processed into numbness. The best example of this I can think of is in Ant Man, when Darren Cross reduces one of his dissenting executives to a little glob of goo. This shocked me and it made a statement of the mindset of the villain.

And in Guardians of the Galaxy, Ronin is attempting to land his ship on  Xander and Nova Corp creates a wall of linked ships that Ronin’s Dark Astor pushes through killing most of them. We saw at least one pilot being crushed, but instead of seeing him burst into a mass of gore, we see these ships explode. I prefer this.

Suicide Squad has a couple of likable characters,  Col Flag, Bloodsport, Harley, but the director said he was going to pick some of the weirdest  characters and the atmosphere is mostly depressing, at least so for me. In many cases movies like these are the sum of their total, some that actually leave you feeling good. In SS, I can only think of one memorable event, Harley’s solo fight but even that was not great, and it was lost in the rest, that I don’t care about.


----------



## Huntn

*Disney's Jungle Cruise* (2021)- A $30 rental, 5 people in attendance (3 children) and the tally is 3, 2 . Maybe if you are an adult, and a huge blind fan of The Rock's.  Zero edge, mostly mindless cotton candy fun, if you like over dosing on sugar. Note, I have liked Dwayne Johnson in other movies, but not this and not the Jumanji remake. In the Jumanji remake,  it was the writing I really could not stand. It was an insult to the original <opinion>. 


​


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> *Disney's Jungle Cruise* (2021)- A $30 rental
> ​




It's interesting that the D+ "rentals" are retained while you have D+, with as many views as you'd like.  I know a few people that wound up letting a few other rounds of folks watch, one buddy of mine said about 10 people saw Black Widow using his Premier Access.

I get you might not want to watch again, but it's nice it's not just a 1-2 day purchase.  Looks like it hits regular D+ on Nov 12th


----------



## Herdfan

Thomas Veil said:


> What's interesting is... "Suicide Squad" (2016) was savaged by the critics but made a ton of money. "The Suicide Squad" (2021) is adored by the critics but isn't making much money. Much like the two movies' styles, they are performing as literal inversions of each other.




Gave up on "critics" a long time ago.  Viewer reviews are much more reliable.


----------



## Herdfan

Huntn said:


> For myself, not all Marvel movies are wonderful, but some of these movies I truly cherish, and it’s not because of the human carnage, it because of the talent in story telling,  the characters, the cinematography. The gore is good for some level of infrequent shock, but more of a detriment to entertainment if it’s overdone, and just processed into numbness. The best example of this I can think of is in Ant Man, when Darren Cross reduces one of his dissenting executives to a little glob of goo. This shocked me and it made a statement of the mindset of the villain.




My biggest issue with the Marvel movies is you seem to have to know so much about each character's backstory or you will miss out.  Maybe the reason I have this is because my daughter is an absolute MCU nerd and knows more about the characters that I ever will, or will ever want to.  But when she describes a movie, it always has info from a previous movie that I simply don't remember.  So I sort of feel lost or I am missing something.


----------



## Thomas Veil

*"Man of Steel" *(HBOMax). Watched it with my grandson. (We're slowly going through the whole DC oeuvre.)

I'm a Zack Snyder fan, want to see them restore the Snyderverse and all...but this is not his best film. We both agreed it's too long by a half hour, much of which is just fighting, fighting and more fighting. Lots of flashbacks to his childhood, which were annoying. It's also easily DC's most humorless film.

And...Zod. Really? Been there, done that. And a terraforming machine? Seen that too.

So...we both liked parts of it, but it's useful mostly as a jumping off point for the rest of Snyder's better DC work.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> *"Man of Steel" *(HBOMax). Watched it with my grandson. (We're slowly going through the whole DC oeuvre.)
> 
> I'm a Zack Snyder fan, want to see them restore the Snyderverse and all...but this is not his best film. We both agreed it's too long by a half hour, much of which is just fighting, fighting and more fighting. Lots of flashbacks to his childhood, which were annoying. It's also easily DC's most humorless film.
> 
> And...Zod. Really? Been there, done that. And a terraforming machine? Seen that too.
> 
> So...we both liked parts of it, but it's useful mostly as a jumping off point for the rest of Snyder's better DC work.



I liked this one!


----------



## JayMysteri0

If you're interested in POSSIBLY seeing Shang Chi TOMORROW, check out this site to see if your town is one of 25 this early showing is in.



> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS Page
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> gofobo.com




Remember if you've NEVER been to a GOFOBO event: 

They give out MORE tickets than there are seats.  It's a first come first shot at seat type of event.  Back in the day when I did these that involved being there hours in advance as long lines would develop, as you are NOT guaranteed a seat because of your printed pass / ticket.

Something to consider if you want to see Shang Chi bad enough and for free.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> It's interesting that the D+ "rentals" are retained while you have D+, with as many views as you'd like.  I know a few people that wound up letting a few other rounds of folks watch, one buddy of mine said about 10 people saw Black Widow using his Premier Access.
> 
> I get you might not want to watch again, but it's nice it's not just a 1-2 day purchase.  Looks like it hits regular D+ on Nov 12th



Good to know. I’m used to 48 or 72 hour rentals, and it they are good, will get a second viewing in before they expire.


----------



## Alli

DT said:


> I get you might not want to watch again, but it's nice it's not just a 1-2 day purchase. Looks like it hits regular D+ on Nov 12th



I can wait. Hell, in the past we’ve waited a year or more for a movie to make it to HBO.


Herdfan said:


> Gave up on "critics" a long time ago. Viewer reviews are much more reliable.



Only if they’re viewers with whom you happen to agree. Critics are viewers too.


----------



## Huntn

Herdfan said:


> My biggest issue with the Marvel movies is you seem to have to know so much about each character's backstory or you will miss out.  Maybe the reason I have this is because my daughter is an absolute MCU nerd and knows more about the characters that I ever will, or will ever want to.  But when she describes a movie, it always has info from a previous movie that I simply don't remember.  So I sort of feel lost or I am missing something.



My counter is that you’d not be aware of of the trivia you maybe missing at least at first.  You can watch the first Thor, the first Guardians of the Galaxy, and their sequels, or Dr Strange that function as good stand alone stories and are all you need to know and enjoy that particular chapter.

However in the big picture arc, you’ll see these Infinity Stones featured in the stories that may not be called Infinity Stones, but instead a Tesseract, or Either and not realize that all of these movies lead to Infinity War and End Game, and at some point you would end up feeling like you were missing something, because you would be, the big picture especially for End Game.   I’m going to post my Infinity Stone Sage thread in this forum for reference.


----------



## DT

@JayMysteri0

Woot!









						Anthony Mackie Closes Deal To Star In Disney/Marvel’s ‘Captain America 4’ Film
					

EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Mackie has closed a deal to carry the shield and his first superhero picture in Captain America 4, sources said. Kevin Feige’s Marvel Studios keeps its details well under w…




					deadline.com


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> @JayMysteri0
> 
> Woot!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Anthony Mackie Closes Deal To Star In Disney/Marvel’s ‘Captain America 4’ Film
> 
> 
> EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Mackie has closed a deal to carry the shield and his first superhero picture in Captain America 4, sources said. Kevin Feige’s Marvel Studios keeps its details well under w…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> deadline.com



What happens to Capt FalMerica?


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> What happens to Capt FalMerica?


----------



## DT

Hahaha, love some Mackie, that's such a fun Xmas movie (warning: it's very "adult"), and fuckwittery aside, that's a genius Kanye track.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Hahaha, love some Mackie, that's such a fun Xmas movie (warning: it's very "adult"), and fuckwittery aside, that's a genius Kanye track.



I like him too,  if I remember correctly, Capt America now has wings?


----------



## Thomas Veil

*“The Empty Man” *(HBOMax) was on my list since I read about it recently. I’d say it’s  best described as a horror/conspiracy thriller involving a new age cult.

It’s a little longish but stylishly shot and edited. The new age stuff is gobbledygook to me (as it always is) but the story keeps your interest. Overall I’d give it a B.


----------



## Eric

We've been desperately trying to watch Revenge of the Nerds. So far the only thing we can find is VOD (with ads and edited), I've tried to torrent but there aren't enough seeders, I've tried to rent from Amazon and they want to force you into bundling it with a free trial of something. Sigh, this one does not seem in the cards short of buying the DVD online somewhere.


----------



## DT

AMC+ free 7 day trial.


----------



## Eric

DT said:


> AMC+ free 7 day trial.



I know but then I have give them my CC to start the subscription, download the app, watch the movie and then cancel. Can't I just pay $3.99 and rent it like a regular schmuck?


----------



## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> ​*“The Empty Man” *(HBOMax) was on my list since I read about it recently. I’d say it’s  best described as a horror/conspiracy thriller involving a new age cult.
> 
> It’s a little longish but stylishly shot and edited. The new age stuff is gobbledygook to me (as it always is) but the story keeps your interest. Overall I’d give it a B.





It's good, I had heard about it quite a bit too, it's gotten quite a __cult__ following.   There's like a whole 20-25 minute opening story, that's kind of it's own thing, even before any credits roll, it's pretty ambitious, for us, it mostly succeeded - it's definitely not just a "Summon the boogeyman ... " type horror.

Plus, Stephen Root, so automatically gets at least a B 




Eric said:


> I know but then I have give them my CC to start the subscription, download the app, watch the movie and then cancel. Can't I just pay $3.99 and rent it like a regular schmuck?





Yeah, it's a bit much for one movie, I mean, when we just recently did a week free, it was technically for just one movie, but we looked over their catalog in advance and saw at least 3 other films we wanted to watch.  Plus, we did it though AppleTV, so didn't have to enter a CC, or go through any hoops to cancel, just a couple of taps on any of our Apple devices.

Warning:  when you buy it through Apple, it's sort of integrated into the main Apple TV app, and it's not great, the main movie listings are just kind of piled together - I'd imagine a standalone purchase with their own app would be much better (I wasn't able to figure out a way to auth the stand-alone app on the Apple purchase like I've done with Amazon "channels").


----------



## JayMysteri0

Eric said:


> We've been desperately trying to watch Revenge of the Nerds. So far the only thing we can find is VOD (with ads and edited), I've tried to torrent but there aren't enough seeders, I've tried to rent from Amazon and they want to force you into bundling it with a free trial of something. Sigh, this one does not seem in the cards short of buying the DVD online somewhere.



I'm a big fan of Movies Anywhere.  Especially for getting my copies of 80s movies, since buying it there adds it to all of your connected accounts.  So buying Weird Science, Real Genius, Buckaroo Banzai, and Into the Night are in my Itunes & Amazon accounts besides where I actually purchased ( strangely enough often M$ ) them.  But when I looked for Revenge of the Nerds only #2 - 4 appear.





Is there some rights issue that's making it so difficult to get a copy?

Added note:  On the M$ store Revenge #1 is also unavailable.


----------



## Eric

JayMysteri0 said:


> I'm a big fan of Movies Anywhere.  Especially for getting my copies of 80s movies, since buying it there adds it to all of your connected accounts.  So buying Weird Science, Real Genius, Buckaroo Banzai, and Into the Night are in my Itunes & Amazon accounts besides where I actually purchased ( strangely enough often M$ ) them.  But when I looked for Revenge of the Nerds only #2 - 4 appear.
> 
> View attachment 8239
> 
> Is there some rights issue that's making it so difficult to get a copy?
> 
> Added note:  On the M$ store Revenge #1 is also unavailable.



Excellent question, even torrent sites have II but limited originals and those have no seeders, bizarre.


----------



## DT

Eric said:


> Excellent question, even torrent sites have II but limited originals and those have no seeders, bizarre.




It's the nerds, they've counter hacked all the torrent sites !


----------



## DT

$9.19 on glorious physical Bluray media:









						Revenge of the Nerds [New Blu-ray] Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen 24543873112 | eBay
					

Title: Revenge of the Nerds. When a group of socially challenged misfits at Adams College decides to start their own fraternity, the campus nerds soon find themselves in a battle royale with the bullying jocks of Alpha Beta.



					www.ebay.com
				




Then you can nerd out, again and again, in HD


----------



## DT

R.I.P. Sonny Chiba, martial arts legend and actor
					

Sonny Chiba starred in the brutal martial arts movie The Street Fighter and appeared in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill




					www.avclub.com


----------



## Eric

DT said:


> $9.19 on glorious physical Bluray media:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Revenge of the Nerds [New Blu-ray] Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen 24543873112 | eBay
> 
> 
> Title: Revenge of the Nerds. When a group of socially challenged misfits at Adams College decides to start their own fraternity, the campus nerds soon find themselves in a battle royale with the bullying jocks of Alpha Beta.
> 
> 
> 
> www.ebay.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then you can nerd out, again and again, in HD



I don't even think I have a player anymore.

Anyone else use Plex? I have a few hundred movies if anyone wants to exchange.


----------



## JayMysteri0

>



They don't have answers either, but they have noticed & speculated ( badly ) why it's so hard to get the movie digitally.


----------



## Eric

JayMysteri0 said:


> They don't have answers either, but they have noticed & speculated ( badly ) why it's so hard to get the movie digitally.



Ahh, maybe it got cancel cultured lol.


----------



## DT

Eric said:


> I don't even think I have a player anymore.
> 
> Anyone else use Plex? I have a few hundred movies if anyone wants to exchange.




Hahaha, yeah, we have a couple of game consoles that we use for physical media.


----------



## Alli

Eric said:


> Anyone else use Plex? I have a few hundred movies if anyone wants to exchange.



I’ll introduce you to my husband. I’ve lost count of what he’s got in Plex and I never rewatch them.


----------



## Herdfan

I used to buy a couple of DVD's, then HD-DVD (yeah I went there first) and then Blu-Ray's every week when they came out,.  Would watch them and then they got put on a shelf to maybe be pulled out once in a blue moon, mostly by my daughter or her friends on one of their all-night movie nights (her freshman year in HS, I converted her playroom into a home theater so she could have kids over for movies and I knew where they were).  

But anymore, I get my movies 1 of two ways: stream them from whoever has it and pay the $3.99 or I have one of my DirecTV DVR's that I hacked and put in a 4T HDD that I do nothing but record movies to.  So if it is a movie I know I will want to see, I just record it from HBO, SHO, TBS etc.  And it sits there until I want to watch it.


----------



## Huntn

*Disturbia *(2007)- I really like this movie, a remake of *Rear Window*. Shia LeBeouf and cast are excellent.

​


----------



## Thomas Veil

*“The Tomorrow War”*. Yeah, most of you have already seen it, but I hadn’t.

Okay story, nice scenes between Dan and Muri. But having draftee soldiers with _no_ training performing like a well-oiled machine was a little unrealistic…as was the scene when they’ve got six minutes to get out of the area before it’s destroyed, and they spend the first eight minutes of that (yes, you read that right) slowly and stealthily checking out the stairs before starting down.

Straight C.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> *“The Tomorrow War”*. Yeah, most of you have already seen it, but I hadn’t.
> 
> Okay story, nice scenes between Dan and Muri. But having draftee soldiers with _no_ training performing like a well-oiled machine was a little unrealistic…as was the scene when they’ve got six minutes to get out of the area before it’s destroyed, and they spend the first eight minutes of that (yes, you read that right) slowly and stealthily checking out the stairs before starting down.
> 
> Straight C.



I did not buy the premise either.


----------



## Alli

Huntn said:


> I did not buy the premise either.



Oh c’mon you guys! When the Civil War started in America, how long did they spend to train all those 16 and 17 year old boys that they conscripted? As far as the time part, if you can change the present, that future is stillborn and another takes its place.


----------



## Huntn

Huntn said:


> *The Suicide Squad *(2021)- Subscribed to HBO Max for a month so 4 could watch it. I’ll just say, I’ll never own this, it’s actually got me thinking that PG13 is better.  I chuckled  several times, but it’s not the gore that turned me off, the movie is  visually impressive, but blah, just did not click for me, and I really want to like Harley Quinn and Bloodsport, but the story execution was ehh, although she had a decent fight scene, her against many.
> 
> One quick comparison, in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Rocket sets up an ambush and just destroys to the tune of pop music, while most of this movie’s action was just numbing carnage. It’s the kind of visuals you might shocked  by just one example of it, not ongoing. And I don’t need to hear “_fuck” _every 30 seconds.
> 
> I accept your disagreement in advance.  PS, no $30 rental fee.



Just to reaffirm my feelings regarding Marvel vs DC story telling, we watched a double feature *Guardians of the Galaxy 1&2*.   No new revelations!  Then the Grandkids watched *Ironman 2* and *Avengers: Age of Ultron*.


----------



## tobefirst

I watched the new Paw Patrol movie twice this weekend. I'd gotten so used to kids' movies that still tried to appeal to adults with inside jokes that I'd forgotten there were movies that were solely made for kids.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Just sayin'


----------



## JayMysteri0

I also bought a copy of SPY for $5.

I really liked that movie.  Between Jason Statham poking fun at his characters, the mid twist, and for some reason the line of "slutty dolphin trainer" always cracking me up.


----------



## Edd

JayMysteri0 said:


> I also bought a copy of SPY for $5.
> 
> I really liked that movie.  Between Jason Statham poking fun at his characters, the mid twist, and for some reason the line of "slutty dolphin trainer" always cracking me up.



I crush on Rose Byrne pretty hard. I only learned recently that she’s in a serious relationship with Bobby Cannavale, who has long annoyed me for some reason. That news depressed me.


----------



## Thomas Veil

JayMysteri0 said:


> Just sayin'
> View attachment 8335



LOL. I was just watching an episode of _Two and a Half Men_ where the dim bulb kid Jake was watching “Jaws” with his uncle Charlie, and the kid starts whining about how “Jaws” is really lame because you don’t see the shark much. Charlie challenges him, “Okay, dumbass, name a better movie,” and the kid picks “Snakes On a Plane” simply because them snakes was comin’ out of _everywhere_.

Needless to say it ends up with Charlie leaving the room in disgust. 

No disrespect to SOAP; it’s just a funny comparison, especially because the kid’s an imbecile.

That is a way cool image though, and the movie is the very definition of “high concept”.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Thomas Veil said:


> LOL. I was just watching an episode of _Two and a Half Men_ where the dim bulb kid Jake was watching “Jaws” with his uncle Charlie, and the kid starts whining about how “Jaws” is really lame because you don’t see the shark much. Charlie challenges him, “Okay, dumbass, name a better movie,” and the kid picks “Snakes On a Plane” simply because them snakes was comin’ out of _everywhere_.
> 
> Needless to say it ends up with Charlie leaving the room in disgust.
> 
> No disrespect to SOAP; it’s just a funny comparison, especially because the kid’s an imbecile.



It's a cult classic because of HOW bad it is.

It deserves all the disrespect, but still is appreciated because it's movie carried solely by Samuel L Jackson's skill with profanity.





THAT is so bad, it is awesome that someone had the courage & film to waste.  AND they paid Samuel L Jackson as well to recite that.


----------



## Herdfan

JayMysteri0 said:


> Just sayin'
> View attachment 8335



Wow!  Not a great movie by any stretch, but one you will stop on if you see it in the guide.


----------



## SuperMatt

*Guardians* - a Russian knock-off of the Avengers. I was bored and thought “this might be fun.” It wasn’t as fancy as Avengers movies, and some of the characters’ powers were weird (one guy could make rocks float around…).

It was on Tubi and dubbed into English. In the end, I found it interesting to learn a bit about Russian culture by seeing their take on this kind of movie. Not a terrible movie, with decent special effects.


----------



## DT

Warning: spoiler-y for folks who aren't up to date on their MCU films (including Sony Spiderman movies) 




Spoiler: SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - Official Teaser Trailer (HD)


----------



## JayMysteri0

DT said:


> Warning: spoiler-y for folks who aren't up to date on their MCU films (including Sony Spiderman movies)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - Official Teaser Trailer (HD)



If you haven't watched the No Way Home trailer, do not click on the spoiler.  My rant is based on it.



Spoiler: It's spoilery rant, stop now



I'm still annoyed that Sony didn't have the sack to do a Miles Spider - Man originally when they were bringing the series back, even getting Stan Lee's endorsement.  Instead playing it safe and going the traditional route.  I have no issue with Tom Holland as Spider Man & the route they went.  What annoys me is that they keep lifting from Miles though.  Starting with Ned, who is literally Miles' best friend Ganke which you didn't really get to meet in Spider Verse.  Then they make Spider Verse, and now it's time to basically lift that and insert it into the Tom Holland / MCU version.  I know they will eventually tie it altogether, and the new movie is a clever way to do a Sinister Six movie, without having to do the heavy work of creating a new one, but still so much has been borrowed.



Rant over.


----------



## Edd

DT said:


> Warning: spoiler-y for folks who aren't up to date on their MCU films (including Sony Spiderman movies)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - Official Teaser Trailer (HD)



That’s some teaser. Pretty substantial trailer.


----------



## Alli

JayMysteri0 said:


> It deserves all the disrespect, but still is appreciated because it's movie carried solely by Samuel L Jackson's skill with profanity.



That fuckin’ Samuel fuckin’ Jackson.


Edd said:


> That’s some teaser. Pretty substantial trailer.



I won’t watch trailers if I can avoid them. I was trying to explain that to a friend yesterday who insisted I watch the trailer for Dune. I finally said “dude, I’m either gonna watch the movie or not watch the movie based on how much I really remember from reading the books 40 years ago. I do not want to see the best parts of the movie before stepping into the theater.”


----------



## DT

JayMysteri0 said:


> Rant over.





I wonder if they'll pivot to him for the next set of movies, especially since they're setting up, umm, "others"


----------



## JayMysteri0

DT said:


> I wonder if they'll pivot to him for the next set of movies, especially since they're setting up, umm, "others"



I doubt it.  Now that the franchise has been righted with Tom Holland there's too much value in having both Peter Parker AND Miles Morales.

Even in the videogame sphere, Miles has had a very popular presence, so Sony's stumbled on a franchise that now has TWO strong characters to build upon.  I'm sure Disney would love to have a franchise where you can rotate in & out the main character allowing for more films to be made.


----------



## Huntn

*The Guest* (2014)- watched on Netflix, starring Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey, Legion), a low budget thriller about a guy who appears on a family’s door step claiming to be a friend of their son and a fellow veteran (their son who had died during military duty). Soon after people start dying. Dan Stevens is a good actor, the story is intriguing enough, but is stretched at the end. You might kind of enjoy it, but maybe not. 


​


Alli said:


> That fuckin’ Samuel fuckin’ Jackson.
> 
> I won’t watch trailers if I can avoid them. I was trying to explain that to a friend yesterday who insisted I watch the trailer for Dune. I finally said “dude, I’m either gonna watch the movie or not watch the movie based on how much I really remember from reading the books 40 years ago. I do not want to see the best parts of the movie before stepping into the theater.”



Absolutely true, there is real danger watching a trailer.  I’ve loved watching trailers in the theater, but admit to be sitting in the theater and turn to my wife to ask, _did we just see the whole movie? _


----------



## lizkat

Re-watch of War Machine (netflix). 

Still get that alternating reaction between "too soon??" and "hell yeah tell it."


----------



## SuperMatt

DT said:


> Warning: spoiler-y for folks who aren't up to date on their MCU films (including Sony Spiderman movies)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - Official Teaser Trailer (HD)



I liked this version of the trailer:


----------



## Huntn

*Red Sparrow* (2018)- Most excellent espionage story. Moles, double agents. Jennifer Lawrence is a superb actress. Nice twist on the book. 

​


----------



## Thomas Veil

_Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…_

_

_​
*“Jaws 2”* is a lot better than any sequel has a right to be. That may sound like a left-handed compliment, but it’s not.  It’s actually a pretty good thriller.

Jeannot Szwarc, whose name I was used to seeing on television shows like _Night Gallery_, gets to direct his first summer blockbuster. Unable to replicate the shock value of the first picture—the realization that there are monsters in the deep—and with Quint and Hooper unavailable to him, he wisely chooses to up the ante on Chief Brody’s relationship with his family and with the corrupt town fathers. Roy Scheider’s acting easily meets the challenge of carrying the movie almost by himself.

There are some great scares, another satisfying ending, and even a few laughs. For some reason the woman marine consultant’s line cracks me up:

_Brody:_ We know that fish communicate by sound. You don’t think if one was killed here, that another one could come along and—
_Woman (interrupting sharply): _Sharks don’t take things personally, Mr. Brody.

A-


----------



## Eric

DT said:


> AMC+ free 7 day trial.



As a last ditch effort I caved and signed up for this, just to find out the movie still has "limited interruptions" I was out loud pissed. Immediately went back and cancelled that shitty service and spent the night downloading the torrent with 1 seeder (thanks whoever you are fellow seeder), desperate times call for desperate measures.

That AMC offering is terrible BTW, you can find other places to watch the movie with ads already without subscribing.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Eric said:


> …spent the night downloading the torrent with 1 seeder (thanks whoever you are fellow seeder), desperate times call for desperate measures.


----------



## Eric

Thomas Veil said:


> View attachment 8420​



It was YOU all along! (let me see if I can dig up any of that bitcoin for you)


----------



## DT

Eric said:


> As a last ditch effort I caved and signed up for this, just to find out the movie still has "limited interruptions" I was out loud pissed. Immediately went back and cancelled that shitty service and spent the night downloading the torrent with 1 seeder (thanks whoever you are fellow seeder), desperate times call for desperate measures.
> 
> That AMC offering is terrible BTW, you can find other places to watch the movie with ads already without subscribing.




Oh yeah, maybe, hahaha, I probably didn't set up the experience properly, i.e., it's not great   

FWIW, even after you cancel it stays active through whatever the trial duration - did you get it through AppleTV?  Holy forking hell, AMC+ "inside" AppleTV is TERRIBLE.  I imagine their standalone app is much better (at least in terms of pure UX).


----------



## Eric

DT said:


> Oh yeah, maybe, hahaha, I probably didn't set up the experience properly, i.e., it's not great
> 
> FWIW, even after you cancel it stays active through whatever the trial duration - did you get it through AppleTV?  Holy forking hell, AMC+ "inside" AppleTV is TERRIBLE.  I imagine their standalone app is much better (at least in terms of pure UX).



I did it through Amazon but I'm assuming the ads (aka "limited interruptions") are ubiquitous though. I know major services like Hulu have that but most subscription models offer ad free for under $10. AMC can suck it, no way I would ever pay for that when you can already get most of this stuff with ads for free already.


----------



## DT

Yeah, we considered the 7 day for one elusive movie, in the review saw 2 other films we wanted to watch - but right afterwards didn't have any inclination to keep it.


----------



## Huntn

Eric said:


> As a last ditch effort I caved and signed up for this, just to find out the movie still has "limited interruptions" I was out loud pissed. Immediately went back and cancelled that shitty service and spent the night downloading the torrent with 1 seeder (thanks whoever you are fellow seeder), desperate times call for desperate measures.
> 
> That AMC offering is terrible BTW, you can find other places to watch the movie with ads already without subscribing.



How much $? How often were there commercials? I think some other streaming services have two levels of subscriptions, limited and no commercials.


----------



## SuperMatt

Huntn said:


> How much $? How often were there commercials? I think some other streaming services have two levels of subscriptions, limited and no commercials.



I think AMC has a “massive amount of ads” tier and a “less ads than that” tier. They have AMC premiere and AMC plus…  I think one of those is supposed to be ad-free. One of them requires you to have a cable subscription and one doesn’t…. What a mess.


----------



## Eric

Huntn said:


> How much $? How often were there commercials? I think some other streaming services have two levels of subscriptions, limited and no commercials.



Amazon just said "if you want to watch this (no other way to rent otherwise) movie you must subscribe to the free trial of AMC for $8.99 a month with a free week) and like a dumbass I did.



SuperMatt said:


> I think AMC has a “massive amount of ads” tier and a “less ads than that” tier. They have AMC premiere and AMC plus…  I think one of those is supposed to be ad-free. One of them requires you to have a cable subscription and one doesn’t…. What a mess.



Good to know, I had no idea but there's no way I would pay that much for this service but I do love that we have a choice now in our selections.


----------



## Huntn

SuperMatt said:


> I think AMC has a “massive amount of ads” tier and a “less ads than that” tier. They have AMC premiere and AMC plus…  I think one of those is supposed to be ad-free. One of them requires you to have a cable subscription and one doesn’t…. What a mess.






Eric said:


> Amazon just said "if you want to watch this (no other way to rent otherwise) movie you must subscribe to the free trial of AMC for $8.99 a month with a free week) and like a dumbass I did.
> 
> 
> Good to know, I had no idea but there's no way I would pay that much for this service but I do love that we have a choice now in our selections.




The thing is if you have AMC on cable, there would be no need to subscribe to the + version unless they promised something like access to their entire library which I think is the deal?  Or they are pulling a CBS All Access scam, making  you pay extra for certain new shows.


----------



## Eric

Huntn said:


> The thing is if you have AMC on cable, there would be no need to subscribe to the + version unless they promised something like access to their entire library which I think is the deal?  Or they are pulling a CBS All Access scam, making  you pay extra for certain new shows.



My guess is the biggest difference would be access to VOD, you just have to watch it with ads, at least with that tier.


----------



## Huntn

​
*Black Death *(2010)- a very dark medieval story starring Sean Bean about Christians seeking a demonic source of the plague, and Pagans who think Christianity is the pits, with plenty of suffering to go around. There is no redemption to be found here.


----------



## Thomas Veil

​*"Top Secret!"* is a criminally underrated comedy from the same folks that brought you "Airplane!" Somehow, however, this never took off (no pun intended).

Maybe it's because it's a weird cross between the pop idol and Cold War genres, but it really does work. The gags are hilariously inventive, and Val Kilmer even sings the songs himself.

I know Kilmer's been in a lot of films, but I'm hard pressed to name any _really_ big hits besides this one, "Tombstone", "Batman Forever" and "Top Gun". And that's kind of a shame, because he's so talented, particularly at comedy.

A+


----------



## Alli

I watched the Empty Man last night. Do yourselves a favor and save that time. It was contrived and formulaic to a fault.


----------



## SuperMatt

Alli said:


> I watched the Empty Man last night. Do yourselves a favor and save that time. It was contrived and formulaic to a fault.



It sounds like it was aptly named.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> ​*"Top Secret!"* is a criminally underrated comedy from the same folks that brought you "Airplane!" Somehow, however, this never took off (no pun intended).
> 
> Maybe it's because it's a weird cross between the pop idol and Cold War genres, but it really does work. The gags are hilariously inventive, and Val Kilmer even sings the songs himself.
> 
> I know Kilmer's been in a lot of films, but I'm hard pressed to name any _really_ big hits besides this one, "Tombstone", "Batman Forever" and "Top Gun". And that's kind of a shame, because he's so talented, particularly at comedy.
> 
> A+




*The Doors *was a big movie. Kilmer was very unhappy playing *Batman* because of the suit, it hindered him, so he backed out of any further participation to do *The Saint*, my favorite mostly because of the character, the romantic aspects appealed to me, and his and Elizabeth Shue’s performances, although it got slammed by critics and received only a 65% audience score. Over half liked it.


----------



## Herdfan

With the Hitman's Girlfriend's Bodyguard now on PPV, I figured I needed to watch the first one.  So with the wife out of town visiting her mother and taking one for the team (I had to stay home and feed the cats), I figured it was a good of time as any and watched the first half last night.  Like it so far, so will finish it tonight.


----------



## Edd

Thomas Veil said:


> ​*"Top Secret!"* is a criminally underrated comedy from the same folks that brought you "Airplane!" Somehow, however, this never took off (no pun intended).
> 
> Maybe it's because it's a weird cross between the pop idol and Cold War genres, but it really does work. The gags are hilariously inventive, and Val Kilmer even sings the songs himself.
> 
> I know Kilmer's been in a lot of films, but I'm hard pressed to name any _really_ big hits besides this one, "Tombstone", "Batman Forever" and "Top Gun". And that's kind of a shame, because he's so talented, particularly at comedy.
> 
> A+



I assume The Doors was profitable and it had quite the buzz. Not sure it was a monster hit though. As for Kilmer’s comedic skills, I’m a fan of Real Genius. It’s pretty silly, but he’s top notch in it.


----------



## Herdfan

Edd said:


> I assume The Doors was profitable and it had quite the buzz. Not sure it was a monster hit though. As for Kilmer’s comedic skills, *I’m a fan of Real Genius.* It’s pretty silly, but he’s top notch in it.




Why are you wearing that toy on your head?

If I wear it anywhere else, it chafes.


----------



## DT

Edd said:


> As for Kilmer’s comedic skills, I’m a fan of Real Genius. It’s pretty silly, but he’s top notch in it.




Real Genius is still pretty fantastic, and we had a term for certain types of programmers decades ago we got from it - a Lazlo.


----------



## DT

*The Old Ways*
2020
Horror
R

Solid horror, fun, great (Mexican) cultural feel, some nice metaphors for loss of belief and culture, drugs, 21th century bull shit.


----------



## ronntaylor

Finally about to watch (over the next two nights):









						Respect (2021) - IMDb
					

Respect: Directed by Liesl Tommy. With Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Tituss Burgess. Following the rise of Aretha Franklin's career from a child singing in her father's church's choir to her international superstardom, RESPECT is the remarkable true story of the music icon's...




					www.imdb.com
				




Expecting to be underwhelmed since Aretha and now her family gave the okay for this particular biopic. Friends' reviews already stated that it was watered down compared to the recent TV series with Cynthia Erivo.


----------



## Hrafn

Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021) - IMDb
					

Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed: Directed by Joshua Rofé. With Bob Ross, Steve Ross, Vicky Ross, John Thamm. Bob Ross brought joy to millions as the world's most famous art instructor. But a battle for his business empire cast a shadow over his happy trees.




					www.imdb.com
				



Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed.

I grew up watching Bob, Norm Abrams and Roy Underhill.  So sad to see the Bob Ross legacy.  I'm led to believe this account is mostly accurate.


----------



## SuperMatt

*The Wailing *(2016 South Korea)

I really enjoyed this movie. It is scary but also really keeps you guessing and wondering and trying to figure out who is the good guy or bad guy, or are there even good and bad guys?

Highly recommended. I saw it for free on the Plex TV app, and it says it’s from the “Crackle” streaming service, so if that app still exists, you can probably watch it on that too.


----------



## ronntaylor

ronntaylor said:


> Finally about to watch (over the next two nights):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Respect (2021) - IMDb
> 
> 
> Respect: Directed by Liesl Tommy. With Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Tituss Burgess. Following the rise of Aretha Franklin's career from a child singing in her father's church's choir to her international superstardom, RESPECT is the remarkable true story of the music icon's...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.imdb.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Expecting to be underwhelmed since Aretha and now her family gave the okay for this particular biopic. Friends' reviews already stated that it was watered down compared to the recent TV series with Cynthia Erivo.



Better than expected but still a pretty pedestrian, direct by numbers flick. Forrest Whitaker, IMHO, was the only standout performance. Expected more music and performances. And the end felt rushed/abrupt. Now I have to watch the National Geographic miniseries with Cynthia Erivo to compare.


----------



## Alli

I got tickets to see Shang-Chi on Sunday afternoon. Looking forward to that.


----------



## Herdfan

Not watching yet, but will be for sure.

The Many Saints of Newark is a prequel to The Soprano's.  Loved that show and had no idea they were even making a prequel until today.  So I will be a bachelor on October 1 because the wife was never a Soprano's fan like I was.


----------



## Alli

Herdfan said:


> Not watching yet, but will be for sure.
> 
> The Many Saints of Newark is a prequel to The Soprano's.  Loved that show and had no idea they were even making a prequel until today.  So I will be a bachelor on October 1 because the wife was never a Soprano's fan like I was.



I’ll have to see if my kids are aware of that. Both were huge Sopranos fans. I didn’t have HBO then so I never watched it.


----------



## DT

Herdfan said:


> Not watching yet, but will be for sure.
> 
> The Many Saints of Newark is a prequel to The Soprano's.  Loved that show and had no idea they were even making a prequel until today.  So I will be a bachelor on October 1 because the wife was never a Soprano's fan like I was.




Yep, we are on deck.

James Gandolfini's son playing him as the young Tony Soprano is kind of mind blowing.  I mean, holy shit:








Vera Farmiga as Livia Soprano, Corey Stoll as Junior Soprano, also starring Jon Bernthal, Ray Liotta, Leslie Odom Jr.

Yes please.


----------



## Eric

Hrafn said:


> Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021) - IMDb
> 
> 
> Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed: Directed by Joshua Rofé. With Bob Ross, Steve Ross, Vicky Ross, John Thamm. Bob Ross brought joy to millions as the world's most famous art instructor. But a battle for his business empire cast a shadow over his happy trees.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.imdb.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed.
> 
> I grew up watching Bob, Norm Abrams and Roy Underhill.  So sad to see the Bob Ross legacy.  I'm led to believe this account is mostly accurate.



BRI (bobross.com) sure fucked them, snakes that took the family name and didn't give a cent to his son, the only one who actually stood by Bob. They tried to get Bob to sign away all rights to his name while he was on his deathbed and he refused, so after he died they wanted to keep it secret as not to hurt sales, then went on to outspend and sue the son for the name. You've never seen such scum than the Kowalski Family.

Anyone interested in Bob Ross products should boycott anything with his name on it.


----------



## Huntn

*Witches of Eastwick *(1987)- Jack Nicholson tour de force, if you like Jack Nicholson.  Three women are taken in by a wealthy man for a more or less unholy lifestyle before they tire of his devilish ways.

​


----------



## SuperMatt

*The Wraith *(1986) - 80s. Cars. 80s cars. A very shiny black car. Space aliens/ghosts? A drive-in burger joint with waitresses on roller skates. Charlie Sheen, who seems like he is gonna be the star of the movie and then isn’t seen on screen for an hour. Characters named Skank, Rughead, and Gutterboy. Randy Quaid is a Sheriff who illustrates his storytelling with origami and puts a LOT of sugar in his coffee. Explosions. Did I mention cars?


----------



## Edd

SuperMatt said:


> *The Wraith *(1986) - 80s. Cars. 80s cars. A very shiny black car. Space aliens/ghosts? A drive-in burger joint with waitresses on roller skates. Charlie Sheen, who seems like he is gonna be the star of the movie and then isn’t seen on screen for an hour. Characters named Skank, Rughead, and Gutterboy. Randy Quaid is a Sheriff who illustrates his storytelling with origami and puts a LOT of sugar in his coffee. Explosions. Did I mention cars?
> 
> View attachment 8523



Discussed on my favorite podcast not long ago:









						The Wraith: LIVE!, episode #164 of How Did This Get Made? on Earwolf
					

Tim Baltz (Shrink, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$) and Eliza Skinner (The Late Late Show with James Corden, Angry Little Goats) join Paul and Jason to discuss the 1986 action-horror film The Wraith.




					www.earwolf.com
				




Watched this film watched this many times in my teens. it may have a couple of flaws


----------



## SuperMatt

Edd said:


> Discussed on my favorite podcast not long ago:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Wraith: LIVE!, episode #164 of How Did This Get Made? on Earwolf
> 
> 
> Tim Baltz (Shrink, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$) and Eliza Skinner (The Late Late Show with James Corden, Angry Little Goats) join Paul and Jason to discuss the 1986 action-horror film The Wraith.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.earwolf.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Watched this film watched this many times in my teens. it may have a couple of flaws



I couldn’t believe Randy Quaid actually took a sip of the coffee… I am definitely going to have to listen to that podcast now. I wonder if Rifftrax or MST3K did this movie…


----------



## DT

Edd said:


> Discussed on my favorite podcast not long ago:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Wraith: LIVE!, episode #164 of How Did This Get Made? on Earwolf
> 
> 
> Tim Baltz (Shrink, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$) and Eliza Skinner (The Late Late Show with James Corden, Angry Little Goats) join Paul and Jason to discuss the 1986 action-horror film The Wraith.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.earwolf.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Watched this film watched this many times in my teens. it may have a couple of flaws




I own it on DVD … 

It's even one of those "jewel box" type cases, hahaha, and I love the cover art that's totally deceptive about the actual plot ...


----------



## Huntn

Alli said:


> I got tickets to see Shang-Chi on Sunday afternoon. Looking forward to that.



Normal ticket prices at the theater?


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> I got tickets to see Shang-Chi on Sunday afternoon. Looking forward to that.



Thanks for the heads up, hadn’t been keeping track. Got myself tickets for Wednesday now.

Basically don’t know anything about the movie, going to be awesome!


----------



## Alli

Huntn said:


> Normal ticket prices at the theater?



Normal for the theater with the reclining seats that you reserve in advance. More expensive than the regular theater to start with, but you also don’t have to worry about being inches from other patrons.


----------



## Thomas Veil

​This is one of those movies I only caught the end of, but what I saw was so engaging that I had to DVR it and watch the whole thing.

*"Drumline"* (HBO) is from a long line of films that started with "Cool Hand Luke", the kind about a wiseass young man, Nick Cannon, who can't help bucking the system. He's very good and knows it, so it's up to band director Orlando Jones to get him to fall in line and understand that it's not just about him.

Along the way there's a lot of good music, albeit of the college marching band kind. Don't wince--it's actually impressive as hell. This movie really showcases the complicated choreography and showmanship that goes into these programs. A-


----------



## Huntn

TODAY BABY, 1 Hr 10 min to go:





​Report to follow…
And after:

Movie  gets a thumbs up although I’ll have to watch it again to decide if it is ownership worthy.   Has a strong start, outstanding fight on a bus, gets a little muddled in the middle with multiple flashbacks for basically the simplest of plots as follows:



Spoiler: Plot Spoiler



Shawn has a secret past happily living and working as a valet parking attendant in San Francisco. Both he and his sister are called home in a convoluted manner (lots of fighting being attacked, instead of an invite) to help his Father, leader of the Ten Rings rescue his diseased Mom, he believes is imprisoned in her parallel reality fantasy home land


 


​


----------



## Huntn

*Cold Mountain* (2003)- A most dismal US Civil War story that portrays humanity in a dark light. That’s not saying it’s inaccurate, it’s just depressing how predatory, disgusting, and flawed  human beings can be.

​


----------



## Pumbaa

Huntn said:


> TODAY BABY, 1 Hr 10 min to go:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​Report to follow…
> And after:
> 
> Movie  gets a thumbs up although I’ll have to watch it again to decide if it is ownership worthy.   Has a strong start, outstanding fight on a bus, gets a little muddled in the middle with multiple flashbacks for basically the simplest of plots as follows:
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Plot Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Shawn has a secret past happily living and working as a valet parking attendant in San Francisco. Both he and his sister are called home in a convoluted manner (lots of fighting being attacked, instead of an invite) to help his Father, leader of the Ten Rings rescue his diseased Mom, he believes is imprisoned in her parallel reality fantasy home land
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​



Saw it and kind of liked it.



Spoiler



Aside from a few cameos, this could have been a movie completely separate from the MCU. Just a big-budget action movie with asian mysticism and fighting. That’s something I really like, the movie can stand on its own legs even if things will turn out to be important for the bigger story being told.

Wong stole the show. As usual. And they handled the Mandarin “problem” quite well.


----------



## Eric

New Matrix trailer is out, looking forward to this one. I was working in San Francisco during some of the filming and it was pretty cool.


----------



## Huntn

Eric said:


> New Matrix trailer is out, looking forward to this one. I was working in San Francisco during some of the filming and it was pretty cool.



Ok, it’s been a while, last we saw Neo he sacrificed himself so there would be peace between the machines and humanity. Looking forward to how this story ties in.


----------



## Huntn

*Jolt *(2021 Prime Video)- Cate Beckinsale plays a woman with physical talents and an anger management issue controlled by shocking herself. Low critic and audience score at Rotten Tomatoes, but I liked this, and so will you if you enjoy a high energy, humorous romp even if it is unrealistic as she kicks butt all over town. They were not going for realism. 

​


----------



## lizkat

Eric said:


> New Matrix trailer is out, looking forward to this one. I was working in San Francisco during some of the filming and it was pretty cool.




They're going to run trailers until almost CHRISTMAS for this thing?   What's left for the movie proper?


----------



## Pumbaa

lizkat said:


> They're going to run trailers until almost CHRISTMAS for this thing?   What's left for the movie proper?



Reminds me of that time I watched a torrented Pirates of the Caribbean. I had seen a (way too long) trailer months earlier, finally felt like going to the cinema and looked for the movie. No screenings anywhere. Thought I’d missed it and somehow ended up with an … alternate screening.

Turned out it hadn’t even premiered here yet.


----------



## Huntn

lizkat said:


> They're going to run trailers until almost CHRISTMAS for this thing?   What's left for the movie proper?



Frequently the issue with trailers, how many they create, how overboard they go to convince you to see it, and how many you choose to watch.  On more than one occasion I have turned to my wife after watching one in the theater and saying did you enjoy the movie? 

Regarding the Matrix trailer, we see all of the original actors and some kind of conflict, most significantly we see Neo alive with his eyes intact, but maybe not, and if this is a sequel, I assume it is, my guess is that Neo’s existence is now as a denizen exclusive to the Martix, an independent program, not unlike the Oracle, the Keymaker, or the architect. So what is the conflict? Is it war against the machines chapter 4?


----------



## JayMysteri0

Huntn said:


> *Jolt *(2021 Prime Video)- Cate Beckinsale plays a woman with physical talents and an anger management issue controlled by shocking herself. Low critic and audience score at Rotten Tomatoes, but I liked this, and so will you if you enjoy a high energy, humorous romp even if it is unrealistic as she kicks butt all over town. They were not going for realism.
> 
> View attachment 8629​



I loved the set up for how the character could believably handle herself, but the rest of the movie once it really starts goes so far off the rails I don't think they realized they weren't writing the same movie they started with.  If a character's conscious plan of action is dumber than the one you'd come up with completely blasted drunk or high, I get too annoyed.  Her plan in the movie was literally no plan, just stumble along until the plot fixes things for her.

The end, end that's a sort of set up deserved a backhand slap for even trying that crap!  It was completely undeserved because you saw it during the movie's opening credits.

Kate Beckinsdale though...


----------



## JayMysteri0

lizkat said:


> They're going to run trailers until almost CHRISTMAS for this thing?   What's left for the movie proper?



I believe they may try some misdirection with the trailers.

Right now it's got excitement because every internet detective is looking at the light reflections in the trailers & trying to discern major plot points.

The fun currently is in wondering why no Morpheus in the film, if you aren't aware of the Matrix MMO they had years ago.


----------



## Huntn

JayMysteri0 said:


> I loved the set up for how the character could believably handle herself, but the rest of the movie once it really starts goes so far off the rails I don't think they realized they weren't writing the same movie they started with.  If a character's conscious plan of action is dumber than the one you'd come up with completely blasted drunk or high, I get too annoyed.  Her plan in the movie was literally no plan, just stumble along until the plot fixes things for her.
> 
> The end, end that's a sort of set up deserved a backhand slap for even trying that crap!  It was completely undeserved because you saw it during the movie's opening credits.
> 
> Kate Beckinsdale though...



*Spoilers*


There is a simple plot:

Lindy (Beckinsdale ) has a history of anger/impulse management, so bad she wears a harness so when a self administered shock is delivered, she is able to control it.
She meets a man who seems to transcend her anger issues as she starts to fall for him In a physical relationship.
He is killed unexpectedly.
She wants vengence, sneaks into the police dept to steal their evidence, then starts looking for the perp based on the evidence.
Simple. 
The comedic aspects of the story also offers some cushion. And I agree low expectations are required.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Huntn said:


> *Spoilers*
> 
> 
> There is a simple plot:
> 
> Lindy (Beckinsdale ) has a history of anger/impulse management, so bad she wears a harness so when a self administered shock is delivered, she is able to control it.
> She meets a man who seems to transcend her anger issues as she starts to fall for him In a physical relationship.
> He is killed unexpectedly.
> She wants vengence, sneaks into the police dept to steal their evidence, then starts looking for the perp based on the evidence.
> Simple.
> The comedic aspects of the story also offers some cushion. And I agree low expectations are required.



You left out so much stupid, you made the plot sound smarter & hopefully shorter than it is.

Solution to killing big boss guy, bring bomb you picked up, and bring it to him. 






Yeah, that is NOT a plan.  Especially if you already got your ass kicked once trying that, and had no bomb.



Spoiler: and spoiler



He was NOT killed unexpectedly.  Just like Susan Sarandon walking back in at the end



Both of those things made me want to find who wrote that movie and punch them in their private parts with an uppercut.

And please for the love of any guy named Pete, can we stop with the whole Hollywood bit of people becoming expert stunt drivers the first time they drive a manual?


----------



## Huntn

JayMysteri0 said:


> You left out so much stupid, you made the plot sound smarter & hopefully shorter than it is.
> 
> Solution to killing big boss guy, bring bomb you picked up, and bring it to him.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah, that is NOT a plan.  Especially if you already got your ass kicked once trying that, and had no bomb.
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: and spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> He was NOT killed unexpectedly.  Just like Susan Sarandon walking back in at the end
> 
> 
> 
> Both of those things made me want to find who wrote that movie and punch them in their private parts with an uppercut.
> 
> And please for the love of any guy named Pete, can we stop with the whole Hollywood bit of people becoming expert stunt drivers the first time they drive a manual?



Ok, she wings it frequently without much if any planning. My only excuse is Beckinsdale is hot, and has a presence, the ridiculousness of the plot just rolled off me.


----------



## JayMysteri0

Huntn said:


> Ok, she wings it frequently without much if any planning. My only excuse is Beckinsdale is hot, and has a presence, the ridiculousness of the plot just rolled off me.



To me she's great & the actual premise for a potential franchise I think is great, ...then there was the actual movie.  






I also realize it's expensive to film in NY, but can we stop with the fake Euro/UK  NY that they used there and in Infinite?  Just don't say it's NY, it's less distracting.


----------



## Hrafn

Spaceballs (1987) - IMDb
					

Spaceballs: Directed by Mel Brooks. With Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman. A star-pilot for hire and his trusty sidekick must come to the rescue of a princess and save Planet Druidia from the clutches of the evil Spaceballs.




					www.imdb.com
				



Spaceballs.  Parts are still funny, parts are dated and many parts remain cringe worthy.


----------



## DT

*Malignant*
2021
Rated R
Horror

Written and directed by James Wan, known for his other horror franchises like Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring (and several related spinoffs).  Also directed Aquaman and Furious 7 those two films have a box office of about $2.7B, and most of his horror movies have been hugely profitable too, like The Conjuring made $300M on a $20M budget.

I mention his "bankability", because it gives him the freedom to do whatever he wants, and this movie is clearly something other than else 

Hahaha, seriously, it's batshit insane.  It's categorized as horror, but there's some tonal/plot shifts that I can just feel Wan thinking, "Oh yeah, let's do THIS now!"

Without getting too spoiler-y, it starts as kind of psychological horror (although it maintains some horror elements the whole time), pivots to a Cronenberg film, then winds up with The Matrix with some of The Boys (series) thrown in.

It's quite a creepy, funny, gory ride, very highly recommended if you like horror in general, but also dig on someone doing something totally different with the genre.


----------



## Huntn

*Young Frankenstein* (1974)- Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder at their peak. 


​


----------



## Huntn

​
*Wind River *(2017)- Watched on Netflix, crime drama. Jeremy Renner plays a wildlife officer who is asked to help an FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) who is out of her depth investigating a dead woman found out in the snow of the back country in Wind River Reservation, Wyoming.


----------



## Huntn

*The Knights of Badassdom *(2013 Prime Video)- Well… If you like lots of D&D/Renaissance Festival jargon, by Renaissance Festival participants in a B movie accompanied by a weak plot of accidentally summoning a demon with R rated gore, you might still get a few laughs yet. 

​


----------



## Hrafn

Huntn said:


> *The Knights of Badassdom *(2013 Prime Video)- Well… If you like lots of D&D/Renaissance Festival jargon, by Renaissance Festival participants in a B movie accompanied by a weak plot of accidentally summoning a demon with R rated gore, you might still get a few laughs yet.
> 
> View attachment 8841​



Cool, cool, cool.

I think we kinda liked it anyway.


----------



## Huntn

​
*The Lost City of Z* (2016)- Story of Percy Fawcett sent to South America to draw a boundary between countries, discovers artifacts of an ancient civilization, and an abbreviated chronicle of his continuing attempts to find the City of Zed. This story feels historical, but ultimately it is grim, nothing that I would describe as memorable. You may enjoy it. 

Large lost settlements since then have been found in the Amazon in the vicinity of where Fawcett was looking for his city. It has been speculated that disesase brought by Spanish Conquistadors may have caused the collapse of this civilization to re absorbed by the jungle.









						Ancient Amazon Actually Highly Urbanized
					

It's not Rio de Janeiro or even ancient Athens but anthropologists uncover evidence of urban settlements




					www.scientificamerican.com


----------



## lizkat

Finally got around to watching the 2019 biopic about the British intel services translator and analyst Katharine Gun, caught up in a breach of top secret US-UK intel agency email that was released to the press during the efforts of Bush 43 trying to get Blair to support the invasion of Iraq.   I really enjoyed the film.   Actual clips from news of the era certainly grounded the film in the times being portrayed.  Ms Gun was played by Keira Knightley.  The film was directed by noted South African filmmaker Gavin Hood (Rendition, Eye in the Sky etc).  Other actors included Matt Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode...


----------



## SuperMatt

*The Brass Teapot* (2012)

This movie explores what happens when a young married couple discovers a magic teapot. It dispenses free money, but of course there’s a catch…

It stars Juno Temple of *Ted Lasso* fame.

I really enjoyed this movie - it has a lot of funny moments, while treating its premise with some seriousness as well.


----------



## Huntn

*Planet Of The Apes *(2001)- Wow, this movie got terrible reviews, but I found it to be worthy, ok not as good as the original, but I liked the portrayals, ape humor, and the gist of the story, other than the off the wall ending.  Paul Giamatti is one of my favorites. Things were looking up, if I had been Wahlberg, I’d have considered staying.  The original’s ending was much more profound.

*You know this is a spoiler. *




“You maniacs! You blew it up!
Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!”​


----------



## DT

For anyone who enjoyed Mike Flanagan's TV work, like Midnight Mass, Haunting of Hill House ...

Check out Hush (2016), it's a solid horror flick (the slasher/home invasion sub-genre), written/directed by him, as well as his wife, and collaborator, Kate Siegel, who also stars. A couple of other actors from Midnight Mass are also in this, though it's a pretty small cast.

It has a neat plot element, from  IMDB:

A deaf and mute writer who retreated into the woods to live a solitary life must fight for her life in silence when a masked killer appears at her window.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> *Planet Of The Apes *(2001)- Wow, this movie got terrible reviews, but I found it to be worthy, ok not as good as the original, but I liked the portrayals, ape humor, and the gist of the story, other than the off the wall ending.  Paul Giamatti is one of my favorites. Things were looking up, if I had been Wahlberg, I’d have considered staying.  The original’s ending was much more profound.




Have you ever watched all 5 films in the original series, it's pretty fun, and neat to see how the story comes full circle.

The 3 new adaptations, Rise/Dawn/War, are kind of set in the middle of the original series, sort of, avoiding spoilers if you're not familiar with the original story arc.


----------



## Edd

Watched The Fog last night, because the wife loves it. Being on Cape Cod for a getaway made it more fun, if you know that film. 

For John Carpenter, I’m more of an Escape From New York or Big Trouble in Little China guy, but The Fog is decent.


----------



## Eric

Edd said:


> Watched The Fog last night, because the wife loves it. Being on Cape Cod for a getaway made it more fun, if you know that film.
> 
> For John Carpenter, I’m more of an Escape From New York or Big Trouble in Little China guy, but The Fog is decent.



Went on a John Carpenter binge over the last couple of months, love all of these movies and don't forget about They Live, another classic.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Have you ever watched all 5 films in the original series, it's pretty fun, and neat to see how the story comes full circle.
> 
> The 3 new adaptations, Rise/Dawn/War, are kind of set in the middle of the original series, sort of, avoiding spoilers if you're not familiar with the original story arc.



I basically bailed after the second of the originals, it was just lacking something without Charlton, and  it just did not click for me.


----------



## Huntn

Eric said:


> Went on a John Carpenter binge over the last couple of months, love all of these movies and don't forget about They Live, another classic.



The Thing.... wow, love it, wonderful, tense, hopeless, but a great way to end it.


----------



## Ulenspiegel

Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love on Netflix.
(It's a documentary about Leonard Cohen).


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> I basically bailed after the second of the originals, it was just lacking something without Charlton, and  it just did not click for me.




They're definitely not as good as the original, though Conquest is very good on its own, Battle exceptionally crap-tastic, but still worth the time to finish things up.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> The Thing.... wow, love it, wonderful, tense, hopeless, but a great way to end it.




Easily top N sci-fi/horror, a couple of other I'd think are pretty incontestable:

Alien
The Fly (1986, Cronenberg)

Other faves of mine:

Scanners (Cronenberg again)
Mimic
Event Horizon
The Faculty 
Cube
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978, Kaufman)

This sub-genre is a little tricky, like I don't think I'd call Aliens (with an S) sci-fi/horror, but it's clearly horrific, but it's got a huge action pieces, The Mist is one of the all time great horror films, I've seen it listed on "scf-i/horror" Top N lists (without getting into spoilers).


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Easily top N sci-fi/horror, a couple of other I'd think are pretty incontestable:
> 
> Alien
> The Fly (1986, Cronenberg)
> 
> Other faves of mine:
> 
> Scanners (Cronenberg again)
> Mimic
> Event Horizon
> The Faculty
> Cube
> Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978, Kaufman)
> 
> This sub-genre is a little tricky, like I don't think I'd call Aliens (with an S) sci-fi/horror, but it's clearly horrific, but it's got a huge action pieces, The Mist is one of the all time great horror films, I've seen it listed on "scf-i/horror" Top N lists (without getting into spoilers).



The Fly 1986 gave me the serious creeps.


----------



## Huntn

Huntn said:


> The Thing.... wow, love it, wonderful, tense, hopeless, but a great way to end it.



And Who Goes There? upon which was based was written in freaking 1938. Amazingly good as a story, which the prime scare, not knowing who to trust, the 50's version of the movie although excellent for the 50s, completely blew off.


----------



## thekev

Edd said:


> Watched The Fog last night, because the wife loves it. Being on Cape Cod for a getaway made it more fun, if you know that film.
> 
> For John Carpenter, I’m more of an Escape From New York or Big Trouble in Little China guy, but The Fog is decent.




You could always watch the sequel, "Escape from LA". I've never seen it, but I have to wonder if it contains any references to traffic on the 405.



DT said:


> Easily top N sci-fi/horror, a couple of other I'd think are pretty incontestable:
> 
> Alien
> The Fly (1986, Cronenberg)
> 
> Other faves of mine:
> 
> Scanners (Cronenberg again)
> Mimic
> Event Horizon
> The Faculty
> Cube
> Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978, Kaufman)
> 
> This sub-genre is a little tricky, like I don't think I'd call Aliens (with an S) sci-fi/horror, but it's clearly horrific, but it's got a huge action pieces, The Mist is one of the all time great horror films, I've seen it listed on "scf-i/horror" Top N lists (without getting into spoilers).




It would be a little different for me, although those are good choices.

Strange Days
28 days later
Alien (first movie)
Bladerunner (huge fan of this as well)
The Omen
District 9
Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind (cheesy, but I still like it, laugh all you want)

I don't typically watch films multiple times. Occasionally I'll re-watch after a few years if I have forgotten parts of one.


----------



## Edd

thekev said:


> You could always watch the sequel, "Escape from LA". I've never seen it, but I have to wonder if it contains any references to traffic on the 405.
> 
> 
> 
> It would be a little different for me, although those are good choices.
> 
> Strange Days
> 28 days later
> Alien (first movie)
> Bladerunner (huge fan of this as well)
> The Omen
> District 9
> Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind (cheesy, but I still like it, laugh all you want)
> 
> I don't typically watch films multiple times. Occasionally I'll re-watch after a few years if I have forgotten parts of one.



Never watched Escape/LA. Never will. I know it’s got Snake Plisken surfing and, in my mind, Snake sure as shit doesn’t surf. Thought he was dead, anyway.


----------



## DT

thekev said:


> You could always watch the sequel, "Escape from LA". I've never seen it, but I have to wonder if it contains any references to traffic on the 405.
> 
> 
> 
> It would be a little different for me, although those are good choices.
> 
> Strange Days
> 28 days later
> Alien (first movie)
> Bladerunner (huge fan of this as well)
> The Omen
> District 9
> Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind (cheesy, but I still like it, laugh all you want)
> 
> I don't typically watch films multiple times. Occasionally I'll re-watch after a few years if I have forgotten parts of one.




Oh yeah, those are amazing films, Blade Runner, it's in my Top 10 of all time, but I was talking specifically about *Sci-Fi Horror* (maybe the '/' was a bad choice as it might be read as "or").


*SciFi Horror*
Alien (first movie)
28 days later

*SciFi Thriller and/or maybe Cyberpunk*
Strange Days
Bladerunner (huge fan of this as well)
District 9  (*Thriller but maybe Alien Invasion*)

*Supernatural Horror*
The Omen

*SciFi Drama[?]*
Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind (cheesy, but I still like it, laugh all you want)


@thekev Agreed, edited


----------



## thekev

DT said:


> Oh yeah, those are amazing films, Blade Runner, it's in my Top 10 of all time, but I was talking specifically about *Sci-Fi Horror* (maybe the '/' was a bad choice as it might be read as "or").
> 
> 
> *SciFi Horror*
> Alien (first movie)
> 
> *SciFi Thriller and/or maybe Cyberpunk*
> Strange Days
> Bladerunner (huge fan of this as well)
> District 9  (*Thriller but maybe Alien Invasion*)
> 
> *Supernatural Horror*
> The Omen
> 
> *SciFi Drama[?]*
> Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind (cheesy, but I still like it, laugh all you want)
> 
> *"Zombie" Horror - maybe this could go under SciFi Horror?*
> 28 days later




Oh I get you now. I previously read it as "SciFi and Horror", rather than the product of those two genres.

"28 days later" definitely fits SciFi Horror. It has the social commentary aspect that's common in SciFi in addition to a premise built around a rage virus as opposed to any kind of reanimation. Bladerunner's style lends itself slightly to SciFi Horror in the way it's filmed/edited, although Alien is the closest to that exact genre.

Edit: Also I like the movie Matchstick Men...


----------



## Huntn

thekev said:


> Oh I get you now. I previously read it as "SciFi and Horror", rather than the product of those two genres.
> 
> "28 days later" definitely fits SciFi Horror. It has the social commentary aspect that's common in SciFi in addition to a premise built around a rage virus as opposed to any kind of reanimation. Bladerunner's style lends itself slightly to SciFi Horror in the way it's filmed/edited, although Alien is the closest to that exact genre.
> 
> Edit: Also I like the movie Matchstick Men...



28 days later was good,  a nice twist on the zombie genre.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> 28 days later was good,  a nice twist on the zombie genre.




It's pretty fantastic, incredible director and writer (Boyle and Garland), awesome music by John Murphy, some slick production tricks, FAST ZOMBIES, incredible cast.


----------



## Edd

DT said:


> It's pretty fantastic, incredible director and writer (Boyle and Garland), awesome music by John Murphy, some slick production tricks, FAST ZOMBIES, incredible cast.



Boyle is awesome. A film of his I’m really fond of is Sunshine, more for its potential than actual results. Love the first two acts, but I think it’s a good example of a great film having a shitty 3rd act undermine the whole thing.


----------



## Thomas Veil

DT said:


> ...Cube
> Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978, Kaufman)...





thekev said:


> ...The Omen...








"Cube" is not always easy to find, but if you can, it's an underrated movie that I wish more people knew about. Its sequel and prequel, "Cube 2: Hypercube" and "Cube Zero" were also not bad.

I've gotta see "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" again. It's been too long. Ditto with "The Omen". I remember it scaring me when I was younger and more religious. I wonder if it would have that same impact on me now.


----------



## Huntn

*Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring* (2001)- I could  retire in Rivendell.

​


----------



## Huntn

*Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* (2002)- 6 amazing sequences in this one movie:

The opening sequence- whoop’n Belrog buttocks.
The White Wizard
Exorcising King Theoden of Sauroman’s bewitchment.
Battle of Helmsdeep
The Ents march on Isengard
A blinding light shines on Helmsdeep.
​


----------



## Huntn

*Titanic *(1997)- Evidence as to why James Cameron is a movie making genius, further evidence: Aliens, The Abyss, Terminator 2, True Lies, and Avatar. Growing up *A Night To Remember* (1958) was the Titanic Movie. So I originally walked into this thinking 2 hours of ho-hum melodrama and 1 hour of excitement. Well, I was wrong, the story pulled me right in, especially because it was woven around a research vessel exploring the wreck. From the sighting, hard over, the engine room is amazing, reversing an engine, and the collision is brilliantly portrayed, ice on the deck, bursting seams, relatively young love trying to survive.


​
*Lord of the Rings: Return of the King *(2003)- The Climax, great!

Lighting the Beacon of Gondor.
Gandalf covers the retreat from Osgiliath.
Faramir’s charge to please his father.
Aragorn recruits the ghosts of Dunharrow. _“The dead do not suffer the living!” “ You will suffer me,”_
Nazgûl swarm Minus Tirith.
Shelob.
The Battle of Pelennor Fields.
The charge of Rohan!
The Charge of Elephants!
Legolas dances on an elephant. _“That only counts as one!”_
Eowyn _“I am no man!“_
The Back Gate_ “Certainty of death, small chance of success, what are we waiting for?” _
The longest movie prolog ever made. 
​


----------



## Joe

Halloween


----------



## fooferdoggie

just watched the new James Bond movie. I liked it. I missed what happened after the main ending cause I had to go to there bathroom so bad.


----------



## Thomas Veil

*"Batman: The Long Halloween, Part 1"* and *"Batman: The Long Halloween, Part 2" *(HBOMax).

Further comments in the DC Movie Universe thread, but as far as rating it: B+.


----------



## Huntn

Just watched *Black Widow* on Disney +, thank goodness I did not spend $30, what a mediocre, over the top and forgettable story.  Granted over the top is a personal perspective when it comes to what can be swallowed in a super hero movie.  This could of been much better, the gist of the Widow program, but the execution, tempo, and story details left a lot to be desired, and I did not like Taskmaster either.









						Who Is Taskmaster? Black Widow Movie Villain Explained
					

Marvel's Black Widow movie features Taskmaster as its main villain. Here's everything you need to know about him.




					www.denofgeek.com


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> I momentarily posted this, not expecting to see it in a thread about what you _are_ watching.  It has yet to come out.
> 
> That said, I had to watch it about three times because it's so _weird_...starting with that sound effect that made me think my stream had screwed up.
> 
> There's stuff I definitely like there. That Batmobile. The graphic that ends it. And yes, "I'm vengeance."
> 
> Gonna be a pretty dark movie. In both senses of the word.



Did I ever tell you guys I’m burned out on Batman? Gotham is such a dark city I’d never visit and don’t want to watch dismal stories about it. Heath Ledger as Joker was the pinnacle of the series, it killed him, and I now consider it a closed book.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Huntn said:


> Gotham is such a dark city I’d never visit and don’t want to watch dismal stories about it.




I have a different take on that.

It's occurred to me several times lately that with the decline in general decency and the rise in depravity going on in the US right now--the constant shootings, the naked racism, the crooked cops, the scheming corrupt politicians, the deranged people trying to run things, the powerless hiding in their homes--the *entire country* has turned into Gotham.


----------



## Eric

Watched Dune last night and all I can say is that it was excellent! It's 2:35 long and I was left wanting more, this gets 100% from me.


----------



## lizkat

Eric said:


> Watched Dune last night and all I can say is that it was excellent! It's 2:35 long and I was left wanting more, this gets 100% from me.




It's on my list but I downloaded the Scenes from a Marriage episodes and have to make time to watch them before time slips away and they expire unopened lol.


----------



## ronntaylor

Eric said:


> Watched Dune last night and all I can say is that it was excellent! It's 2:35 long and I was left wanting more, this gets 100% from me.



Was a big fan of the books in HS. Not so much years later. I was thinking about finally watching it, but 2.5+ hours is putting me off a bit.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Eric said:


> Watched Dune last night and all I can say is that it was excellent! It's 2:35 long and I was left wanting more, this gets 100% from me.




???  I thought that wasn't available in theaters and HBO Max until this Friday.  Also I have no idea what "special preview at 6 PM" is supposed to mean.


----------



## Pumbaa

*No Time to Die*. Worthy addition to the Craig series of Bond movies.


----------



## Eric

ronntaylor said:


> Was a big fan of the books in HS. Not so much years later. I was thinking about finally watching it, but 2.5+ hours is putting me off a bit.



Best 2.5 hours you'll ever spend though, we were glued the entire time. Not only was the writing and acting all superb but the special effects were as well done as I've ever seen with any blockbuster of this caliber, it's visually stunning.



Chew Toy McCoy said:


> ???  I thought that wasn't available in theaters and HBO Max until this Friday.  Also I have no idea what "special preview at 6 PM" is supposed to mean.



Yeah, it got leaked somehow


----------



## Thomas Veil

*“The Italian Job” *(Cinemax). Always heard about it, finally saw it.

My son loves Mafia movies and always talked about this one, so I assumed that’s what it was about. I was wrong of course, but in no way disappointed. Cracking good heist/revenge flick.

And now I know who really invented Napster.  A-


----------



## Huntn

Eric said:


> Watched Dune last night and all I can say is that it was excellent! It's 2:35 long and I was left wanting more, this gets 100% from me.



HBO?


----------



## Huntn

ronntaylor said:


> Was a big fan of the books in HS. Not so much years later. I was thinking about finally watching it, but 2.5+ hours is putting me off a bit.



If it’s good, 2.5 is a piece of cake!


----------



## Eric

Huntn said:


> HBO?



It was leaked early but will be on HBO on the 21st.


----------



## Huntn

Eric said:


> It was leaked early but will be on HBO on the 21st.



A secret?


----------



## Alli

Pumbaa said:


> *No Time to Die*. Worthy addition to the Craig series of Bond movies.



We went to see it on Friday (with 8 other people in the theater). 



Spoiler: Thoughts



Bond may be dead, but obviously 007 is still alive and kicking. Might we see a new era of 007 movies without Bond?


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> We went to see it on Friday (with 8 other people in the theater).
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Thoughts
> 
> 
> 
> Bond may be dead, but obviously 007 is still alive and kicking. Might we see a new era of 007 movies without Bond?



Well…



Spoiler: Thoughts sans prayers



Retiring the name Bond and rebranding the franchise as 007 would solve many problems. They might even give it a go, they certainly paved the way for it. In the end, they’ll probably just reboot Bond anyway.


----------



## Huntn

Pumbaa said:


> Well…
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Thoughts sans prayers
> 
> 
> 
> Retiring the name Bond and rebranding the franchise as 007 would solve many problems. They might even give it a go, they certainly paved the way for it. In the end, they’ll probably just reboot Bond anyway.



Opening it to 007 would add some new opportunities. This would be better imo than a female or a black Bond, of course they could always make them a niece or nephew.


----------



## Pumbaa

Huntn said:


> Opening it to 007 would add some new opportunities. This would be better imo than a female or a black Bond, of course they could always make them a niece or nephew.


----------



## Eric

Huntn said:


> A secret?



Somehow a digital copy got out and once that happens there's no putting the genie back in the bottle, it was on torrent sites everywhere.


----------



## Pumbaa

Eric said:


> Somehow a digital copy got out and once that happens there's no putting the genie back in the bottle, it was on torrent sites everywhere.


----------



## Thomas Veil

*“Voyagers”* (HBO) starts in familiar sci-if territory, then turns into a thriller. 

With Earth dying, a ship is sent to a habitable planet with a small crew of trained adolescent survivors, knowing it’ll take three generations to get there. Things get violent when the crew’s best and worst natures come out. B+.


----------



## DT

*No One Gets Out Alive*
R ‧ 2021 ‧ 1h 25m
Horror

Ambar is an immigrant in search of the American dream, but when she's forced to take a room in a boarding house, she finds herself in a nightmare she can't escape.








Solid acting, some really spooky moments, with pretty interesting social commentary, and some crazy-insane visual design at the end, the less said the better.

6 out of 10, maybe a 6.5, probably more of a 7-7.5 for horror fans.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> *“Voyagers”* (HBO) starts in familiar sci-if territory, then turns into a thriller.
> 
> With Earth dying, a ship is sent to a habitable planet with a small crew of trained adolescent survivors, knowing it’ll take three generations to get there. Things get violent when the crew’s best and worst natures come out. B+.



How far progressed is the season? This is strategic info so I might be able to combine a 1 month HBO subscription with the viewing of Dune.


----------



## Huntn

Is she


DT said:


> *No One Gets Out Alive*
> R ‧ 2021 ‧ 1h 25m
> Horror
> 
> Ambar is an immigrant in search of the American dream, but when she's forced to take a room in a boarding house, she finds herself in a nightmare she can't escape.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Solid acting, some really spooky moments, with pretty interesting social commentary, and some crazy-insane visual design at the end, the less said the better.
> 
> 6 out of 10, maybe a 6.5, probably more of a 7-7.5 for horror fans.



 Is she Hispanic/Mexican? I ask because on the local NPR, they interviewed a Latino actress about this movie, hyping it  and I wanted to see it. I’m thinking this is it.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> Is she
> 
> Is she Hispanic/Mexican? I ask because on the local NPR, they interviewed a Latino actress about this movie, hyping it  and I wanted to see it. I’m thinking this is it.




Yes, and several other cast members.  That's both the immigrant angle and ultimately tied to, er, something else 

Oh, it also stars Marc Menchaca who you might know from Ozarks (he's Russ Langmore).

It's actually based on a 2014 novel of the same name by Adam Nevill, who also wrote the 2011 horror novel The Ritual, which was __also__ made into a pretty decent horror movie, also on Netflix


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> How far progressed is the season?





It's a one off movie.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> It's a one off movie.



I’ll double up with Dune and this!


----------



## Ulenspiegel

Finished watching a Korean TV show "Something in the Rain".

Enjoyed it, especially the soundtrack. 

The main song is Carla Bruni's "Stand by Your Man" (worth listening!):


----------



## SuperMatt

Ulenspiegel said:


> Finished watching a Korean TV show "Something in the Rain".
> 
> Enjoyed it, especially the soundtrack.
> 
> The main song is Carla Bruni's "Stand by Your Man" (worth listening!):



I watched that recently too. I watched the first episode and it drew me in. As an American, it was interesting to get some insight into S. Korean culture through the show.


----------



## Alli

Just finished Dune. Not disappointed except that no one mentioned we now have to wait for another installment!!!!!


----------



## Eric

Alli said:


> Just finished Dune. Not disappointed except that no one mentioned we now have to wait for another installment!!!!!



Yeah, as soon as I saw "Part 1" in the beginning I was like "shit, great" lol but can't wait for part 2 now!


----------



## Alli

Eric said:


> Yeah, as soon as I saw "Part 1" in the beginning I was like "shit, great" lol but can't wait for part 2 now!



I thought maybe it was a single movie in two parts. No. Such. Luck.

How many years before we get part 2?


----------



## User.191

Alli said:


> I thought maybe it was a single movie in two parts. No. Such. Luck.
> 
> How many years before we get part 2?



No-one knows. Apparently it depends on how well it does on HBO Max (which I find odd). Sounds like they’ve got a draft of the script but I’m guessing that there’s no signed contracts, just options.

So it could be 2-3 years before part 2 - and that’s one helluva gamble.


----------



## Hrafn

Hocus Pocus.  Not great, but fun.


----------



## User.191

Hrafn said:


> Hocus Pocus.  Not great, but fun.



Sometimes that’s all that’s needed…


----------



## User.191

DT said:


> Yes, and several other cast members.  That's both the immigrant angle and ultimately tied to, er, something else
> 
> Oh, it also stars Marc Menchaca who you might know from Ozarks (he's Russ Langmore).
> 
> It's actually based on a 2014 novel of the same name by Adam Nevill, who also wrote the 2011 horror novel The Ritual, which was __also__ made into a pretty decent horror movie, also on Netflix



Oddly the original story was set in Perry Barr, a district located north of Birmingham in the UK, and even though it was a British production, they still changed the location to the US…


----------



## ronntaylor

MissNomer said:


> No-one knows. Apparently it depends on how well it does on HBO Max (which I find odd). Sounds like they’ve got a draft of the script but I’m guessing that there’s no signed contracts, just options.
> 
> So it could be 2-3 years before part 2 - and that’s one helluva gamble.



Hoping the first week numbers gets it done. From what I remember, pre-production is at hand and the script is finalized for Part Two and there may even be a draft for the third movie.


----------



## Huntn

Eric said:


> Yeah, as soon as I saw "Part 1" in the beginning I was like "shit, great" lol but can't wait for part 2 now!



Did they film both parts in the same shoot?  Have my answer. -_-


----------



## ronntaylor

Huntn said:


> Did they film both parts in the same shoot?  Have my answer. -_-



No, but the original plans were for the movie to be solely in theaters. Now the studio is saying any additional movies will depend on how well it does on HBO and understandably Denis is pissed. He's spent years on the project and feels its a waste on HBO and he's being kneecapped/set-up for failure.


----------



## Huntn

ronntaylor said:


> No, but the original plans were for the movie to be solely in theaters. Now the studio is saying any additional movies will depend on how well it does on HBO and understandably Denis is pissed. He's spent years on the project and feels its a waste on HBO and he's being kneecapped/set-up for failure.



When you are talking about 100s of millions- billions in profits my guess is an HBO release puts a kink in that for someone.


----------



## User.191

ronntaylor said:


> No, but the original plans were for the movie to be solely in theaters. Now the studio is saying any additional movies will depend on how well it does on HBO and understandably Denis is pissed. He's spent years on the project and feels its a waste on HBO and he's being kneecapped/set-up for failure.











						Exclusive: Dune 2 Has Been Given The Green Light
					

We've exclusively learned that Dune 2 has been given the green light by the studio. Fans can know rest assured that a sequel is on the way.




					www.giantfreakinrobot.com
				




Possibly good news…


----------



## Eric

Hrafn said:


> Hocus Pocus.  Not great, but fun.



A classic, we watch every year.


----------



## DT

MissNomer said:


> Exclusive: Dune 2 Has Been Given The Green Light
> 
> 
> We've exclusively learned that Dune 2 has been given the green light by the studio. Fans can know rest assured that a sequel is on the way.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.giantfreakinrobot.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Possibly good news…




Yes!

~$130M international, and it has a ~$17M Friday opening domestically, which is extremely good given the IP + HBOMax concurrent release.

Looks like it'll cross $200M worldwide this weekend, still waiting on the specific domestic numbers, projections are 33-40M.

I only watched about 20 minutes Friday night, it's just stunningly fantastic visually, Sat we were OOT, maybe tonight, I need to make sure I've got a perfect 2+ hours set aside


----------



## Thomas Veil

*“A Trip to the Moon”* (HBOMax). I was surprised to find this in their inventory, more surprised still that it’s only 16 minutes and colorized. 

It’s amusingly goofy and would make a good party movie in the sense that there’s _so_ much silly stuff to riff on. Just take on the roles of Mike, Tom Servo and Crow and have at it.


----------



## DT

DT said:


> Looks like it'll cross $200M worldwide this weekend, still waiting on the specific domestic numbers, projections are 33-40M.




High side of the domestic take at $40M, total worldwide gross $220M.  I'd say that's pretty good support for the articles saying the studio has alaread green lighted the sequel.

I've even seen a hint of Villeneuve suggesting a trilogy, like maybe taking some ideas from Messiah and Children ...


----------



## User.191

MissNomer said:


> Exclusive: Dune 2 Has Been Given The Green Light
> 
> 
> We've exclusively learned that Dune 2 has been given the green light by the studio. Fans can know rest assured that a sequel is on the way.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.giantfreakinrobot.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Possibly good news…



Confirmed. Release date for part 2 is 10/20/2023.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> *“A Trip to the Moon”* (HBOMax). I was surprised to find this in their inventory, more surprised still that it’s only 16 minutes and colorized.
> 
> It’s amusingly goofy and would make a good party movie in the sense that there’s _so_ much silly stuff to riff on. Just take on the roles of Mike, Tom Servo and Crow and have at it.



Decades ago I remember an English movie of Jules Verne’s  From the Earth to the Moon, anything like that?


----------



## Huntn

MissNomer said:


> Exclusive: Dune 2 Has Been Given The Green Light
> 
> 
> We've exclusively learned that Dune 2 has been given the green light by the studio. Fans can know rest assured that a sequel is on the way.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.giantfreakinrobot.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Possibly good news…



I’ll be watching the current Dune when we get home off our Minnesota trip. High hopes.


----------



## ericwn

Huntn said:


> *Planet Of The Apes *(2001)- Wow, this movie got terrible reviews, but I found it to be worthy, ok not as good as the original, but I liked the portrayals, ape humor, and the gist of the story, other than the off the wall ending.  Paul Giamatti is one of my favorites. Things were looking up, if I had been Wahlberg, I’d have considered staying.  The original’s ending was much more profound.
> 
> *You know this is a spoiler. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> “You maniacs! You blew it up!
> Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!”​




That remake was the Tim Button version, wasn’t it? That was quite entertaining I thought!


----------



## ericwn

Huntn said:


> *Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring* (2001)- I could retire in Rivendell.
> 
> View attachment 9055​




Loved the LOTR movies, disliked the Hobbit.


----------



## Pumbaa

ericwn said:


> Loved the LOTR movies, disliked the Hobbit.



The Hobbit would have been great as an expensive TV series instead of a trilogy of movies.


----------



## ericwn

Pumbaa said:


> The Hobbit would have been great as an expensive TV series instead of a trilogy of movies.




I’m shivering at the thought to stretch that little book even further, for me this could have been told in one long movie. 

I’m all for fantasy series but even with GOT they made the seasons shorter when they finally ran out of ideas from GRRM.


----------



## Pumbaa

ericwn said:


> I’m shivering at the thought to stretch that little book even further, for me this could have been told in one long movie.



With a TV show it would have been perfectly fine to add new stuff rather than simply stretching the book.



ericwn said:


> I’m all for fantasy series but even with GOT they made the seasons shorter when they finally ran out of ideas from GRRM.



HBO should not have insisted on more seasons than they had planned for.


----------



## ericwn

Pumbaa said:


> With a TV show it would have been perfectly fine to add new stuff rather than simply stretching the book.
> 
> 
> HBO should not have insisted on more seasons than they had planned for.




To me the Tolkien books are classics and I don’t want added elements. 

I didn’t know HBO made more seasons than Martin had in mind. At this point in time the speed of his releases leaves a lot to be desired, he should finally get the books out!


----------



## Huntn

ericwn said:


> Loved the LOTR movies, disliked the Hobbit.






Pumbaa said:


> The Hobbit would have been great as an expensive TV series instead of a trilogy of movies.




I hated the Hobbit movie, but the book got me vested in Middle Earth.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Huntn said:


> Decades ago I remember an English movie of Jules Verne’s  From the Earth to the Moon, anything like that?



According to Wikipedia this film is French, but yes that was one of its sources.


----------



## Huntn

*Thirteen Ghosts *(1960)- Mediocre now, but it’s nostalgic and interesting what was scary in the 1960s. I saw this in the theater where they gave you ghost viewer glasses to see the ghosts and suggested you take them home and try them late at night. 


​


----------



## Thomas Veil

*“Escape Room”* (FXM). Cross a typical real life escape room with the maze from “Cube”, and you’ve pretty much got this movie, right down to the smart girl who figures out the clues. 

Nicely intense. It’s not terribly original—these kinds of films are all variations on a theme—but then so are heist flicks, and I enjoy quite a few of those. B+


----------



## DT

We did the original Carpenter *Halloween (1978)*, followed immediately by the Rob Zombie *Halloween (2007)* for fun and a comparison.


----------



## DT

Tonight is *The Babadook (2014)*, easily in my Top N best horror movies.


----------



## Hrafn

Kung Fu Panda 2, because, why not?


----------



## ericwn

Thomas Veil said:


> *“Escape Room”* (FXM). Cross a typical real life escape room with the maze from “Cube”, and you’ve pretty much got this movie, right down to the smart girl who figures out the clues.
> 
> Nicely intense. It’s not terribly original—these kinds of films are all variations on a theme—but then so are heist flicks, and I enjoy quite a few of those. B+




I watched this after reading your description and think you’re spot on with that post. Thanks much for mentioning it!


----------



## ericwn

DT said:


> We did the original Carpenter *Halloween (1978)*, followed immediately by the Rob Zombie *Halloween (2007)* for fun and a comparison.




How good is Rob’s version in comparison?


----------



## Thomas Veil

ericwn said:


> At this point in time the speed of his releases leaves a lot to be desired, he should finally get the books out!




George R. R. Martin and Harlan Ellison are/were two authors who frustrated the living hell out of publishers. Ellison was more prolific, but he too took forever on some of his announced projects. He died with his story introductions to "The Last Dangerous Visions" still not completed. The previous volume was published in _1972_.


----------



## SuperMatt

Bill and Ted Face the Music

I liked the original movie when it first came out. This was the 2nd sequel nobody was asking for, and it delivered upon those expectations. What can I say, I was bored.


----------



## Hrafn

SuperMatt said:


> Bill and Ted Face the Music
> 
> I liked the original movie when it first came out. This was the 2nd sequel nobody was asking for, and it delivered upon those expectations. What can I say, I was bored.



It was watchable, except the daughters were bad, even knowing they were trying to emulate the young original Bill and Ted.


----------



## ericwn

Thomas Veil said:


> George R. R. Martin and Harlan Ellison are/were two authors who frustrated the living hell out of publishers. Ellison was more prolific, but he too took forever on some of his announced projects. He died with his story introductions to "The Last Dangerous Visions" still not completed. The previous volume was published in _1972_.




I cannot help but fear that Martin will suffer the fate of Robert Jordan and someone else will have to finish the story after their passing.


----------



## Alli

Hrafn said:


> Kung Fu Panda 2, because, why not?



The movie with my favorite line “my old enemy - stairs!”


----------



## Hrafn

Alli said:


> The movie with my favorite line “my old enemy - stairs!”



There are many great lines in both movies.


----------



## User.45

DT said:


> Yep, we are on deck.
> 
> James Gandolfini's son playing him as the young Tony Soprano is kind of mind blowing.  I mean, holy shit:
> 
> View attachment 8508
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Vera Farmiga as Livia Soprano, Corey Stoll as Junior Soprano, also starring Jon Bernthal, Ray Liotta, Leslie Odom Jr.
> 
> Yes please.



This was really good. I enjoyed it a lot. I think it's way more enjoyable if you watched Sopranos, but it makes a lot of sense. The big innovation of Sopranos was bringing the psychological profile and group dynamics of these mobsters into spotlight. They make a really good job doing so (though it's a little too clean for reality). I found the Elavil (amitriptyline) part really interesting as it's a drug I used to prescribed a lot in a past life. The Elavil pamphlet features a really clean looking skinny housewife. One of the side effects of the drug is increased appetite and weight gain.


----------



## lizkat

Edd said:


> Trial of the Chicago 7 on Netflix. I liked it, while aware of Sorkin’s flaws. I didn’t notice characters repeating dialogue back and forth which is an improvement. They must have edited that stuff out.
> 
> Many years ago, HBO produced a version of this story in play form, which I watched over and over.




I decided to watch that on Netflix the other night.  Still get a strange feeling when watching movies about times I have lived through.  It's sometimes like tuning in to the evening news by mistake.  Anyway, good screenwriting and I really loved that two of my favorite actors were in it -  Mark Rylance as Bill Kunstler and Frank Langella as Judge Julius Hoffman.


----------



## fooferdoggie

just watched Last Night in Soho it was pretty good I did not really know what it was about.


----------



## Alli

fooferdoggie said:


> just watched Last Night in Soho it was pretty good I did not really know what it was about.



That’s one of the few movies I’ve seen advertised that appeals to me. Doesn’t look like the usual slasher movie. Did you see it at the theater?


----------



## fooferdoggie

Alli said:


> That’s one of the few movies I’ve seen advertised that appeals to me. Doesn’t look like the usual slasher movie. Did you see it at the theater?



yes I go once a week. not a slasher at all. some good surprises. I try not to see too much about movies before I go.


----------



## lizkat

_*In the Line of Fire *_turned up on HBO Max. I remember liking that when I first saw it, so I'm giving it a rewatch. I don't remember a thing about it past the fact that Eastwood was in it and played a Secret Service agent. So it's almost like going to a movie because "someone else" recommended it.


----------



## User.191

City of Trees. Surprising find on YouTube.


----------



## Joe

Season 5 of "Insecure"


----------



## Huntn

​*Dune *(2021)- This is 10 times the original on many levels, some great visuals. I like character portrayals, and  I got a few thrill chills comparing this in my mind to the original.

But ultimately, I have issues with the tempo for which I blame the director.  I found it to be an oppressive atmosphere throughout with constant droning music, portending doom, and maybe because it is being made into 2 movies, as it hit all the plot points,  it felt like it dragged.

At the end of this viewing, I’m asking myself, do I want to do a repeat watch, and the answer is _eh, _was there any truly memorable sequences? No, which means I am disappointed. What I want  is to be carried along so I am unaware of the time.  I’ll understand if there is disagreement. Maybe it’s an extraordinarily difficult story to turn into film?


----------



## Alli

I got tickets to see Eternals on Saturday afternoon. In the fancy theater with reclining seats and outrageously priced food.


----------



## ronntaylor

Alli said:


> I got tickets to see Eternals on Saturday afternoon. In the fancy theater with reclining seats and outrageously priced food.



Enjoy! Still not comfortable enough to venture to an actual theater. Not that I liked going pre-Pandemic.


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> I got tickets to see Eternals on Saturday afternoon. In the fancy theater with reclining seats and outrageously priced food.



Me too! But tomorrow.

Fancy (and comfy) reclining seat in the middle of the first row. I know, first row, sounds scary and uncomfortable, right? Not in that VIP movie theater. Plenty of empty space between the screen and the first row, perfect viewing angle from the reclined seat. Feels like having a very luxurious home cinema. Big unobstructed screen, plenty of good speakers in the right places, and I almost never notice other people in the audience during the screening. Can’t pause the movie to visit the restroom, though.

As for the movie *Eternals*, I’ve managed to keep myself uninformed. I love seeing a movie for the first time without knowing much about it. Here I have some broad ideas about the bigger picture, and I know about one thing that happens that caused a torrential downpour of bad reviews before the premiere from people not having seen the movie. It’ll be fine.


----------



## Alli

ronntaylor said:


> Enjoy! Still not comfortable enough to venture to an actual theater. Not that I liked going pre-Pandemic.



We’ve been to the regular theater twice. Both times there were fewer than 10 other people in there with us. I was comfortable with that. But I feel better at the “fancy” place where I know I’m not sharing an arm rest with a stranger.


Pumbaa said:


> Fancy (and comfy) reclining seat in the middle of the first row.



Oh not me. I still like the back row. I don’t recline, I just like having my feet up.


----------



## ronntaylor

Alli said:


> We’ve been to the regular theater twice. Both times there were fewer than 10 other people in there with us. I was comfortable with that. But I feel better at the “fancy” place where I know I’m not sharing an arm rest with a stranger.
> 
> Oh not me. I still like the back row. I don’t recline, I just like having my feet up.



I think the penultimate time I was in a theater was for Black Panther with my baby sis. It was the fancy type with reclining seats. First time ever for me and the hubby. And there was maybe a dozen counting us and her husband. No one near us and all well-behaved.

In the past we would always go to matinees and hope the elders would not bring in outside food and spend half the time unwrapping and eating and asking "What'd he say!?" a million times.


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> We’ve been to the regular theater twice. Both times there were fewer than 10 other people in there with us. I was comfortable with that. But I feel better at the “fancy” place where I know I’m not sharing an arm rest with a stranger.



Oh yeah. Can‘t go back to normal after having experienced fancy. Private arm rests are , even without a pandemic. My last regular non-fancy screening was back in 2016.



Alli said:


> Oh not me. I still like the back row. I don’t recline, I just like having my feet up.



Well, just imagine having four legs!


----------



## Pumbaa

*Eternals*. Complete disaster, worst movie theatre experience in decades. Not the movie’s fault though. Fall break, school‘s out for a week and somehow a horde of pygmies got seats in the VIP movie theatre. Not that they stayed in their seats… Or watched the movie. Kicking the back of seats. Texting on their phones. Playing fucking games on their phones. Talking to each other. Stomping their feet. Loudly chewing crunchy snacks. Making noises unwrapping candy. Reaching into paper bags containing more crunchy things. A bunch of them ended up leaving their seats further back to sit on the floor in front of some of their friends.

The movie was simply not for them. Too much drama. They would surely have loved *Venom: Let There Be Carnage *but were either too young to see it (rated 15 and up, this one was rated 11 and up) or their parents wanted to get rid of them goblins for two and a half hours rather than just one and a half. I can’t blame the kids for not being mesmerized by the movie, but they shouldn’t have been there in the first place!

I have to watch the movie again, in peace and quiet, in order to feel comfortable rating it. The movie isn‘t perfect, but it had some parts I managed to enjoy despite the goblins. I might even end up deciding that I liked the movie overall despite some flaws.

One thing I recommend, though, (aside from avoiding goblins) is to _not _start a rewatch of Game of Thrones prior to a screening of Eternals. Trust me. It would be too weird.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Frankly I didn't expect much from a movie that was announced as a _prequel_ to "Army of the Dead". It wasn't about zombies and focused primarily on Ludwig Dieter, who functioned as comedy relief as much as safecracker in the original. But *"Army of Thieves"* (Netflix) is a hoot.

In place of zombies, the prequel action involves a heist in which Dieter is enlisted to break into three of the world's most complex safes. Matthias Schweighöfer (who also plays Dieter) directed this one from a story co-written by Zack Snyder, but you'd almost swear Snyder directed as well, that's how beautifully shot and edited this film is. The European locations are cool, the suspense mixes well with the comedy relief, and as long as you're not expecting zombie hordes or a caper on the complexity level of "Ocean's Eleven", you'll probably enjoy this. A-


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Has anyone seen *The French Dispatch* yet, and, if so, what did you think of it?


----------



## lizkat

Scepticalscribe said:


> Has anyone seen *The French Dispatch* yet, and, if so, what did you think of it?




I so do want to see that.    But it's only available in theatrical distribution right now.   No one seems to know who will first stream it, but I've heard that won't happen anyway until sometime around February 2022.    Rental option will probably show up on platforms like Prime Video,  iTunes, Google Play etc. in mid to late December.


----------



## Thomas Veil

*“Event Horizon”* (HBOMax). I’d only seen the ending before and it seemed muddled. Seeing it from the beginning didn’t help much.

Not that it’s a bad movie, but the things that happen appear kind of random, as if it borrowed bits and pieces of “The Shining”, “Solaris”, “Hellraiser” and “The Cloverfield Paradox”.

Good cast; some iffy special effects. C+


----------



## Alli

Just got back from seeing Eternals. Normally I despise movies that flip back and forth in time with endless flashbacks, but they were necessary to move the plot in this, and they did it really well.

The beginning was a little slow though. And as with every Marvel movie, don’t leave your seat until after the first credits roll.


----------



## ericwn

Thomas Veil said:


> *“Event Horizon”* (HBOMax). I’d only seen the ending before and it seemed muddled. Seeing it from the beginning didn’t help much.
> 
> Not that it’s a bad movie, but the things that happen appear kind of random, as if it borrowed bits and pieces of “The Shining”, “Solaris”, “Hellraiser” and “The Cloverfield Paradox”.
> 
> Good cast; some iffy special effects. C+




Good to watch once I thought. I think some of the claimed inspiration actually came out much later and are in a similar c+ category for me. 
Speaking of Shining, can anyone remember the later tv adoption, that four hour snooze fest because King was not a fan of Kubrick’s work?


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> Just got back from seeing Eternals. Normally I despise movies that flip back and forth in time with endless flashbacks, but they were necessary to move the plot in this, and they did it really well.
> 
> The beginning was a little slow though. And as with every Marvel movie, don’t leave your seat until after the first credits roll.



Most people and goblins stayed for the first credits roll and then left after the post-credits scene. Only three visitors stayed longer and saw the second post-credits scene. Muhaha.


----------



## ericwn

Pumbaa said:


> Most people and goblins stayed for the first credits roll and then left after the post-credits scene. Only three visitors stayed longer and saw the second post-credits scene. Muhaha.




That’s usually a great experiment with group / peer pressure to stick around to the very end…


----------



## Thomas Veil

ericwn said:


> Good to watch once I thought. I think some of the claimed inspiration actually came out much later and are in a similar c+ category for me.
> Speaking of Shining, can anyone remember the later tv adoption, that four hour snooze fest because King was not a fan of Kubrick’s work?



I saw that once. It may have been more faithful to the book, but yeah, the writing and direction were surprisingly flat.


----------



## Thomas Veil

*"Goodfellas"* (HBOMax). One of those movies "I've always been meaning to".

Good story. It took an hour to really get going, but it kept my interest. 

Being a biography, the "plot" as such doesn't build up to a crescendo so much as zig-zag from one wild incident to another. But that tells me the script is probably faithful to the actual events, as opposed to being "enhanced" with made-up or exaggerated versions of same.

The swearing was a bit much even for me. Okay, a _lot_ much. But the acting was great and the locations, set design, etc. were incredibly authentic. B+


----------



## lizkat

Thomas Veil said:


> *"Goodfellas"* (HBOMax). One of those movies "I've always been meaning to".
> 
> Good story. It took an hour to really get going, but it kept my interest.
> 
> Being a biography, the "plot" as such doesn't build up to a crescendo so much as zig-zag from one wild incident to another. But that tells me the script is probably faithful to the actual events, as opposed to being "enhanced" with made-up or exaggerated versions of same.
> 
> The swearing was a bit much even for me. Okay, a _lot_ much. But the acting was great and the locations, set design, etc. were incredibly authentic. B+




Same reaction to the language, gee.    Took me a few false starts to stick with it, actually.    But worth the effort.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Same thing with "Scarface". 

If we really ****ing talked that way around this ****ing place, this is what it would ****ing sound like. Am I ****ing right, or what?

****!


----------



## lizkat

Thomas Veil said:


> Same thing with "Scarface".
> 
> If we really ****ing talked that way around this ****ing place, this is what it would ****ing sound like. Am I ****ing right, or what?
> 
> ****!




Spot f'g on.   I was stunned the first time I started to watch that film.


----------



## Hrafn

"For Your Eyes Only".  Not as bad as the older movies, but cheesy effects.  I love Roger Moore's jokes.


----------



## Thomas Veil

I like that there are silly Bond movies and serious Bond movies, and you can watch whichever kind you're in the mood for.


----------



## ericwn

Thomas Veil said:


> I like that there are silly Bond movies and serious Bond movies, and you can watch whichever kind you're in the mood for.




Which ones would fall on the serious side if I may ask?


----------



## Thomas Veil

Pretty much only the Daniel Craig ones.


----------



## Alli

Pumbaa said:


> Most people and goblins stayed for the first credits roll and then left after the post-credits scene. Only three visitors stayed longer and saw the second post-credits scene. Muhaha.



Wait...there was a second post-credit scene??????

Who played the goblin? That voice was so familiar!


----------



## Herdfan

!@#$%^&* 

Top Gun has been moved AGAIN!  Now May 2022.


----------



## Edd

Herdfan said:


> !@#$%^&*
> 
> Top Gun has been moved AGAIN!  Now May 2022.



My wife will not be pleased.

Edit: Oh yeah, we knew that. Eh, Tommy likes big box office.


----------



## Herdfan

Edd said:


> My wife will not be pleased.
> 
> Edit: Oh yeah, we knew that. Eh, Tommy likes big box office.




If there was one movie that stands out from my college years, it was Top Gun.

All of a sudden everyone was wearing Aviators and wanting to be a fighter pilot.  One fraternity brother went and signed up for AF ROTC and eventually went through the AF version of Top Gun.


----------



## Edd

Herdfan said:


> If there was one movie that stands out from my college years, it was Top Gun.
> 
> All of a sudden everyone was wearing Aviators and wanting to be a fighter pilot.  One fraternity brother went and signed up for AF ROTC and eventually went through the AF version of Top Gun.



Was in a school in the Navy in 1997 learning how to be an aircraft electrician, living in dorm style buildings. I was 27 so older than most there and I was struck by how much these kids watched Top Gun over 10 years after it came out. Has to be the greatest recruiting commercial ever made.


----------



## ericwn

I’m not sure what I find more dumb, joining (any) army or the Scientology cult because of a Tom Cruise (movie). 

Nothing against some easy action flick of course for entertainment purposes.


----------



## Pumbaa

Alli said:


> Wait...there was a second post-credit scene??????
> 
> Who played the goblin? That voice was so familiar!



Wait, you missed it? It was the better of the two!

The voice of Pip the Troll belongs to Patton Oswalt

Read More: https://www.looper.com/653594/why-pip-the-troll-from-marvels-eternals-sounds-so-familiar/


----------



## Alli

Pumbaa said:


> Wait, you missed it? It was the better of the two!
> 
> The voice of Pip the Troll belongs to Patton Oswalt
> 
> Read More: https://www.looper.com/653594/why-pip-the-troll-from-marvels-eternals-sounds-so-familiar/



Thank you. Now I have to find a link to the second one!


----------



## lizkat

The 1981 version of *The Postman Always Rings*_ *Twice* _(Jack Nicholson, Jessica Lange).  On HBO Max.  I like the film but it has always struck me as an overplayed take on the 1946 adaptation with John Garfield and Lana Turner.  It's not that the later version is not a watchable or rewatchable movie,   it's that it's somehow a lot less edgy than the earlier one just for being so explicit.  Sort of like the studio was saying "This would be classic _film noir_ except we can get away with _this_ instead of all that low key suggestive stuff from 40 years ago, so here it is."


----------



## Huntn

*Red Notice* (2021 Netflix)- Light, action, comedy heist flick. Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot. Loved by audiences, hated by critics, fun and mostly unbelievable and predictable, globe trotting adventure. The 3 actors have good rapore.


​


----------



## Thomas Veil

I’m not actually _watching_ this right now…to tell the truth, I have no idea where you’d even find the movie…but this article about Steven Spielberg’s “Duel” revived some vivid memories for me. Specifically, going in thinking, “A movie about a car and a truck. How exciting can that be?” And being proven so very, very wrong. 









						Duel at 50: Steven Spielberg’s debut remains a ferocious thriller — Guardian US
					

A monstrous truck pursues a motorist in the film-maker’s seat-edge 1971 feature-length debut that hinted at greater things to come




					apple.news


----------



## ericwn

Thomas Veil said:


> I’m not actually _watching_ this right now…to tell the truth, I have no idea where you’d even find the movie…but this article about Steven Spielberg’s “Duel” revived some vivid memories for me. Specifically, going in thinking, “A movie about a car and a truck. How exciting can that be?” And being proven so very, very wrong.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Duel at 50: Steven Spielberg’s debut remains a ferocious thriller — Guardian US
> 
> 
> A monstrous truck pursues a motorist in the film-maker’s seat-edge 1971 feature-length debut that hinted at greater things to come
> 
> 
> 
> 
> apple.news




Oh I remember it well, good one! Thanks for the reminder!


----------



## Thomas Veil

I like to think of it as everybody's road rage nightmare.

I checked it out and it's on AppleTV and Prime, among others. Not free, unfortunately.


----------



## Edd

Heads up Shang-Chi is available on Disney+ now. No extra charge or anything.


----------



## Hrafn

Huntn said:


> *Red Notice* (2021 Netflix)- Light, action, comedy heist flick. Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot. Loved by audiences, hated by critics, fun and mostly unbelievable and predictable, globe trotting adventure. The 3 actors have good rapore.
> 
> View attachment 9724​



Yes, totally unbelievable, but fun to watch.


----------



## Citysnaps

Watching the miniseries Maid. It's superb.


----------



## Ulenspiegel

"It's OK Not To Be OK"

Brilliant acting and very enjoyable drama.


----------



## lizkat

_*The French Connection*_, on TCM tonight. Hackman never disappoints.


----------



## Huntn

*Wonder Woman 1984* (2020)- I dislike the villain, I dislike the premise, I think I hate the plot of this movie. By the time I realized the agenda, it was just too much for my liking. 

Rotten Tomatoes one line critic summary: The lackluster Wonder Woman 1984 made you nostalgic for the original...



lizkat said:


> _*The French Connection*_, on TCM tonight. Hackman never disappoints.



Outstanding!


----------



## Thomas Veil

*"The Mephisto Waltz" *(Movies!)*, a '70s horror classic directed by Paul Wendkos. I like his creative use of disorienting camera angles, slo-mo and weird music, though some might find it too artsy-craftsy for their taste.

It has a great cast: Alan Alda, Jacqueline Bisset, Barbara Parkins, Bradford Dillman and Curt Jurgens. The story's about a famous pianist and his daughter who ingratiate themselves with a young couple who don't (at first) suspect their ulterior motives. Has strong overtones of "Rosemary's Baby", along with themes of witchcraft and perverse sex. Way better than I remembered when I last saw it 30+ years ago. B+

* Movies!, if you're not familiar, is a TCM-like channel that's usually found way, way down at the bottom of your cable lineup.


----------



## Thomas Veil

*“Red Notice” *(Netflix). Like this streamer’s last biggie, “Army of Thieves”, it has amazing locations, great direction and an enjoyably preposterous plot, rounded out by a great cast and even several “Wonder Woman” and “Indiana Jones” callbacks. Solid B+


----------



## fooferdoggie

just watched the new Ghostbuster movie. it was pretty good. I don't like to find out too much about a movie I am going to watch. some good surprises.


----------



## Hrafn

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097742/?ref_=fn_al_tt_9 "License to Kill".  Not as bad as the earlier movies, still fun to watch.


----------



## ericwn

Hrafn said:


> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097742/?ref_=fn_al_tt_9 "License to Kill". Not as bad as the earlier movies, still fun to watch.




While I prefer the earlier movies (probably because they were part of my childhood tv experience with my parents) this one wasn’t too bad at the time, but a bit of a departure from the older bond guys.


----------



## Citysnaps

"Sketches of Frank Gehry".   Directed by Gehry's friend Sydney Pollack.

It's a fascinating inside look at architect Frank Gehry, who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, The Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and many more stunning buildings.


----------



## lizkat

On Showtime, _*Minari*_ -- a film about a Korean couple, their two kids and the wife's mom, having moved from California to farmland they bought in Arkansas, and trying to shift gears from work in a poultry plant to raising vegetables for the wholesale market. Lot of tension between the husband and wife, who are from different backgrounds, and she misses a more urban and social environment. There's also disagreement between them over the inevitable connection to the rural Arkansas area's evangelical Christianity, which is in play for better and for worse during the course of the film. I liked the movie. The grandma steals a few scenes hands down, e.g., surreptitiously teaching the younger kid not only how to play cards but how to swear in Korean.


----------



## Hrafn

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.​
My eldest requested this, and we have one of the older Kubric collection sets, so it was an easy evening.


----------



## Hrafn

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark​
My youngest decided it was past time to revisit.


----------



## Thomas Veil

*“Await Further Instructions” *(Netflix) is an unpleasant British horror film. It starts with a son bringing his Indian girlfriend home to meet his bigoted family, and then morphs into an orgy of psychological terror as they all find themselves imprisoned in the house and predictably start turning on each other.

The problem is _most_ of the characters are pretty despicable people you don’t want to spend much time with…not even 90 minutes. I give the movie some credit for the novel force that’s behind it all, but still… 

C-


----------



## Hrafn

"The Starving Games".  spoof on the hunger games, and anything of current interest.  Not terrible, but not that good, either.


----------



## Huntn

Huntn said:


> *It’s A Wonderful Life* (1946)- This movie was clearly before my time , but somehow I latched onto it as a teen and it’s one of my favorite stories painting a portrait of the early-mid 20th Century small town America. Great performances, an iconic Jimmy Stewart performance, especially Lionel Barrymore as conservative villIan Mr. Potter.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Charleston​Bedford Falls = Seneca Falls, New York: https://homeinthefingerlakes.com/george-baileys-its-a-wonderful-life-bridge/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ film secrets you probably haven’t heard
> 
> 
> There are plenty of reasons why “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which first premiered in 1946, is still considered to be one of the most popular Christmas films of all time.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.foxnews.com



Watching again!


----------



## Thomas Veil

*“Between Two Worlds” *(TCM), considered by some to be a minor classic. It’s about a group of people aboard ship who don’t know that they’re dead and are sailing to their just reward…or punishment, as the case may be. (That’s not a spoiler. That plot point is revealed ten minutes into the movie.)

There’s some interesting hokum from an “examiner” dispensing wisdom about how they all earned their fates. But the other characters’ dialogue is laughably atrocious—I mean, on an Ed Wood level of bad. I give it a D+.

Remade as a 1970s TV movie, “Haunts of the Very Rich”, which was quite a bit better.

*Edit:* For quite some time I've read that "Haunts" was a remake of "Between Two Worlds". Further research shows that that is not the case.

"Between Two Worlds" and an even older film, "Outward Bound" were both adaptations of a 1923 stage play by Sutton Vane.

"Haunts of the Very Rich", on the other hand, was based on an eponymous short story written by T. K. Brown, that was published in Playboy in 1971. Thematic similarities aside, "Haunts" is not related to those earlier movies.


----------



## Deleted member 215

Finally going to watch *Synecdoche, New York*, which has been on my watchlist for years. (I've seen _Being John Malkovich_ and _Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind—_also written by Charlie Kaufman—and enjoyed them both). _Adaption_, a movie about Kaufman's attempt to adapt Susan Orlean's _The Orchid Thief_ for the silver screen, is on my list as well.


----------



## Hrafn

Finished *The World Is Not Enough*.  Pierce Brosnan is cool, the hotties are hot, actually, fairly stellar cast: Judie Dench, Hagrid, Rumplestiltskin, Sir Lancelot, etc.

My wife got us *National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.  *I know many people love it.  I walked away.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Hrafn said:


> My wife got us *National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.  *I know many people love it.  I walked away.



I’m probably closer to you about that movie. I consider it an inoffensive time-filler, not the laugh riot many make it out to be.


----------



## Edd

Thomas Veil said:


> I’m probably closer to you about that movie. I consider it an inoffensive time-filler, not the laugh riot many make it out to be.



Shitter’s full!


----------



## Huntn

Hrafn said:


> Finished *The World Is Not Enough*.  Pierce Brosnan is cool, the hotties are hot, actually, fairly stellar cast: Judie Dench, Hagrid, Rumplestiltskin, Sir Lancelot, etc.
> 
> My wife got us *National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.  *I know many people love it.  I walked away.



Shame on you! I like both the original and Christmas Vacation.


----------



## ericwn

Huntn said:


> Shame on you! I like both the original and Christmas Vacation.




My wife likes these movies too. Me personally as a German, I lack humour anyway, and don’t understand the appeal.


----------



## DT

Hrafn said:


> My wife got us *National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.  *I know many people love it.  I walked away.





Tossed it on last night after we got home 

We generally get 10-12 viewings in over the Xmas season ...


----------



## Huntn

ericwn said:


> My wife likes these movies too. Me personally as a German, I lack humour anyway, and don’t understand the appeal.



YES, they are silly comedies with sophomoric humor.


----------



## Renzatic

Huntn said:


> YES, they are silly movies with sophomoric humor.




And that's what makes them so good! 

Unpopular opinion time: Vacation is better than Christmas Vacation.


----------



## DT




----------



## Huntn

Renzatic said:


> And that's what makes them so good!
> 
> Unpopular opinion time: Vacation is better than Christmas Vacation.



I can’t say I‘d proclaim one as superior to the other.


----------



## ericwn

Renzatic said:


> And that's what makes them so good!
> 
> Unpopular opinion time: Vacation is better than Christmas Vacation.




Posts have been deleted. Keep it civil!


----------



## Edd

Renzatic said:


> And that's what makes them so good!
> 
> Unpopular opinion time: Vacation is better than Christmas Vacation.



Yeah man, road trips are always good.


----------



## Weaselbot

DT said:


> View attachment 10346



Report based on erroneous demand, good enough for me. Suspended.


----------



## Renzatic

I’VE BEEN BANNED? :O


----------



## Huntn

Weaselbot said:


> Report based on erroneous demand, good enough for me. Suspended.



Go away you bastard, every time I see your little weasel face and that _can I have your attention _ fuck you wave, my heart skips a beat before I remember you are an illusion.


----------



## ericwn

Renzatic said:


> I’VE BEEN BANNED? :O




From using lower case letters by the looks of it.


----------



## Eric

Huntn said:


> Go away you bastard, every time I see your little weasel face and that _can I have your attention _ fuck you wave, my heart skips a beat before I remember you are an illusion.



"Hi, I'm here to help impose penalties on you"


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Watched Power of the Dog and upon reflection decided I like it. It’s slow, but I wouldn’t say boring. It’s like 2+ hours of tension, people being polite (most of the time) but having some major grievance bubbling just below the surface. I think it would fit well in the There Will Be Blood universe.


----------



## DT

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Watched Power of the Dog and upon reflection decided I like it. It’s slow, but I wouldn’t say boring. It’s like 2+ hours of tension, people being polite (most of the time) but having some major grievance bubbling just below the surface. I think it would fit well in the There Will Be Blood universe.




Holy hell, the score is stellar, I love how it sort of moves from the background into this kind of ominous presence in the foreground.  It's was composed/produced by Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead fame.


----------



## DT

Renzatic said:


> And that's what makes them so good!
> 
> Unpopular opinion time: Vacation is better than Christmas Vacation.




Honestly, I agree.

Vacation is the better pure comedy, it's a little more raw, it's a touch darker - it's actually rated R.  Christmas Vacation leans more into the John Hughes sentimental vibe, it's got some of the same silliness for sure, but it's way more light hearted (and rated PG-13).

Funny enough, Christmas Vacation is actually the 3rd Vacation film, I even forget this, European Vacation was 2nd (which is pretty fun, has a couple of really great moments).

If you're a fan of the 1st movie, definitely watch the 2015 sequel, Vacation, with Ed Helms as a grown up Rusty (Christina Applegate as his wife, Debbie).


----------



## lizkat

Not a fan of the allegedly hilarious or cute Christmas movies... I have a particular aversion to _*Polar Express*_ because how I even knew that film existed was when a loaned-out spare laptop (an old white polycarbonate iBook)  was returned to me in January once with a DVD of said flick jammed in the optical drive.

"So sorry," the young borrower said ruefully.... "I tried everything you could _imagine_ to get the disc out."

Ugh. That immediately became clear to the tech who eventually replaced the drive for me. "An emery board was in there too," he reported.


----------



## Hrafn

DT said:


> Honestly, I agree.
> 
> Vacation is the better pure comedy, it's a little more raw, it's a touch darker - it's actually rated R.  Christmas Vacation leans more into the John Hughes sentimental vibe, it's got some of the same silliness for sure, but it's way more light hearted (and rated PG-13).
> 
> Funny enough, Christmas Vacation is actually the 3rd Vacation film, I even forget this, European Vacation was 2nd (which is pretty fun, has a couple of really great moments).
> 
> If you're a fan of the 1st movie, definitely watch the 2015 sequel, Vacation, with Ed Helms as a grown up Rusty (Christina Applegate as his wife, Debbie).



Yeah, I liked the first, and laughed a lot at the 2015 sequel, cringey bits and all.  I don't recall if I've seen European Vacation.


----------



## Huntn

​

*The Unforgivable *(2021 Netlix)- A story of a woman who spent 20 years in jail for killing a cop, part of a team of law enforcement coming to evict them, her and her little sister. Now she is out, on parole, living in a halfway house, and wants to reconnect with her sister who has been adopted by a family who the parents want no part of her.  I found this to be excellent, but the critics hammered it.


----------



## DT

lizkat said:


> Not a fan of the allegedly hilarious or cute Christmas movies... I have a particular aversion to _*Polar Express*_ because how I even knew that film existed was when a loaned-out spare laptop (an old white polycarbonate iBook)  was returned to me in January once with a DVD of said flick jammed in the optical drive.




Polar Express is __not__ on our normal rotation, in fact, it's more or less blacklisted because it's kind of terrifying.

I cannot look into the cold, deal, inhuman eyes of the Tom Hanks train conductor ... *shudder*




Hrafn said:


> Yeah, I liked the first, and laughed a lot at the 2015 sequel, cringey bits and all.  I don't recall if I've seen European Vacation.




European Vacation is pretty fun, it's a little more bawdy like the first movie, as always, there's a different Rusty and Audrey.  It's worth a watch, we rarely watch it again, but we got like the three movies in a bundle (we already owned CV on disk, but we generally score digital copies when we can if they're a good deal).


----------



## Huntn

Hrafn said:


> Finished *The World Is Not Enough*.  Pierce Brosnan is cool, the hotties are hot, actually, fairly stellar cast: Judie Dench, Hagrid, Rumplestiltskin, Sir Lancelot, etc.
> 
> My wife got us *National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.  *I know many people love it.  I walked away.






DT said:


> Tossed it on last night after we got home
> 
> We generally get 10-12 viewings in over the Xmas season ...




Wait a second, they walk out into the woods a couple of miles and forget a saw, but then later we see this giant tree tied to the roof of the car with dirt and roots? Where is the believability???


----------



## Thomas Veil

*“Devil’s Island”* (Prime). Slight (about 75 min.) suspense film about a woman inheriting an island home from her grandparents, and the locals who don’t want her there.

The main actress is not all that suited to the role, there’s more than a few dangling plot threads, and the ending is odd…but in spite of these problems it does generate some nice, slow-building suspense. C-


----------



## SuperMatt

Huntn said:


> Wait a second, they walk out into the woods a couple of miles and forget a saw, but then later we see this giant tree tied to the roof of the car with dirt and roots? Where is the believability???



Luckily the director didn’t care a whit about believability.


----------



## Huntn

​

*The Power of the Dog *(2021)- personal drama, 2 brothers, a wife and son, sigh, slow, drab, dreary, some treachery to get it over with, 1925 Montana story filmed in New Zealand, the critics love this, the audience not so much. I was somewhere between _get to the point_, and _let it be over.  _One reviewer liked the atmosphere to a horror film while giving it a positive review. 

I can watch a somewhat depressing felon movie (Inforgivable) and still be drawn into good drama.









						The Power of the Dog
					

Severe, pale-eyed, handsome, Phil Burbank is brutally beguiling. All of Phil's romance, power and fragility is trapped in the past and in the land: He can castrate a bull calf with two swift slashes of his knife; he swims naked in the river, smearing his body with mud. He is a cowboy as raw as...




					www.rottentomatoes.com


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Huntn said:


> View attachment 10382​
> 
> *The Unforgivable *(2021 Netlix)- A story of a woman who spent 20 years in jail for killing a cop, part of a team of law enforcement coming to evict them, her and her little sister. Now she is out, on parole, living in a halfway house, and wants to reconnect with her sister who has been adopted by a family who the parents want no part of her.  I found this to be excellent, but the critics hammered it.




I heard they took a compelling storyline and turned it into a big pile of meh.  There's a good chance you'll forget most of the movie by Saturday.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> ​*The Power of the Dog *(2021)- personal drama, 2 brothers, a wife and son, sigh, slow, drab, dreary, some treachery to get it over with, 1925 Montana story filmed in New Zealand, the critics love this, *the audience not so much.*




One thing I mention anytime I see low audience scores on RT, is the nature of those negative scores - here's a little sample:











Then you do a ratings history of some of these reviewers and get this:






Dennis the Menace ... 5 stars 

Let me be clear, you like what you like, but some people have very specific, ummm, "taste" and so no movie like this will ever earn a good score.



I'd love to see the RT audience scores applied against a filter you setup, so I could select genres, movies I consider great, specific actors, directors, and where there was an obvious conflict, just leaves those out of the score and the content.

Like if you don't like the Godfather, if you think it insists upon itself - I don't want to hear your opinion on anything film related ...


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Huntn said:


> View attachment 10406​
> 
> *The Power of the Dog *(2021)- personal drama, 2 brothers, a wife and son, sigh, slow, drab, dreary, some treachery to get it over with, 1925 Montana story filmed in New Zealand, the critics love this, the audience not so much. I was somewhere between _get to the point_, and _let it be over.  _One reviewer liked the atmosphere to a horror film while giving it a positive review.
> 
> I can watch a somewhat depressing felon movie (Inforgivable) and still be drawn into good drama.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Power of the Dog
> 
> 
> Severe, pale-eyed, handsome, Phil Burbank is brutally beguiling. All of Phil's romance, power and fragility is trapped in the past and in the land: He can castrate a bull calf with two swift slashes of his knife; he swims naked in the river, smearing his body with mud. He is a cowboy as raw as...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.rottentomatoes.com




I sometimes find negative reviews help me appreciate a movie more. I went in aware of all the criticisms of it being slow and boring but after watching it I determined I shouldn’t have been surprised with that coming from a society obsessed with instant gratification, a short attention span, and getting everything they need to know entirely from a clickbait headline. I thought the slow pacing worked well with the tension and I was never “Got it, let’s move it along”.

I also find any movie kissing the 2 hour mark or beyond is best viewed at home where you can pause and come back to it. I don’t always do that but it's comforting to know I can. Checking the time in the theater you are pretty much screwed, not to mention you really have no idea how much is left of the movie when you factor in all the previews and commercials that proceeded it. I guess if you wanted to you could use a stopwatch app right when the movie starts.


----------



## Hrafn

Robert Downey Jr in _Dr Doolittle_.  Fun adventure, I thought it was pretty good for a family friendly show.


----------



## rdrr

Rented The Last Duel with Matt Damon, Adam Driver, and Jodie Comer.  I found the story itself fascinating, and was unaware of its background (probably zoned out in High School world history).   It really showed that the victim in rape has been the accused for centuries, but more so back then women had less recourse in reporting the crime than they do today.   I read that even today the accusation is still controversial in France, which just made me more curious about the story and the times.   I am not sure the I would rate the movie anything more than somewhat good, but it got me to read up on a piece of history that I had little knowledge on.


----------



## lizkat

Such a long queue of movies in my list that kin and friends recommend on Netflix...  I should print the thing out and throw a dart at it to make a pick.   But keeping it simpler, I've just glanced through the whole thing and decided to watch the  jazz docu _*Miles Davis:  Birth of the Cool*_ tonight.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Mrs. Veil was watching a movie on TCM the other night, and I kept looking at this actor on the right because he looked strangely familiar. 

After a minute or two I figured it out. I’m not gonna name the movie because it would make it too easy, but do _you_ know who that is?


----------



## lizkat

Thomas Veil said:


> I kept looking at this actor on the right because he looked strangely familiar.




Yeah, he does.


Thomas Veil said:


> do _you_ know who that is?




No, and it will probably make me crazy rummaging through my brain, which is insufficiently armed with classic movie-watching credits for a  chance in hell that his ID will come to me.  Thanks a lot!


----------



## Thomas Veil

How about now?


----------



## Eric

Watched Don't Look Up on Netflix, a perfect depiction of what would happen under a Trump presidency if we were about to struck by an earth destroying asteroid.



Spoiler



Everything from firing and suppressing the voices of scientists to letting capitalists attempt to mine the asteroid instead of destroying it, even knowing it will still kill everyone. Movie may as well have been named Make America Great Again.


----------



## Hrafn

Carey Elwes and Brooke Shields in *“A Castle for Christmas”*.  Christmas rom-com.  It wasn’t terrible, just decent for what it was, although it hit enough of the right notes for my wife.


----------



## Alli

Eric said:


> Watched Don't Look Up on Netflix, a perfect depiction of what would happen under a Trump presidency if we were about to struck by an earth destroying asteroid.
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Everything from firing and suppressing the voices of scientists to letting capitalists attempt to mine the asteroid instead of destroying it, even knowing it will still kill everyone. Movie may as well have been named Make America Great Again.



My son just recommended that last night. Will definitely have to watch.


----------



## Thomas Veil

*"A Christmas Carol"* (FXM, Hulu). Forget every adaptation you've ever seen. This is _way_ out there.

Most versions adhere so close to the book that you can recite the lines by heart. _This_ is a psychological study of a very disturbed man who became a monster. The basic framework is here--Marley, the three spirits, etc.--but you will not see a single scene that is otherwise familiar to you. There are scenes which reference sexual depravity, and even a suggestion of witchcraft. This is "A Christmas Carol" for our meaner age. 

And while I almost always rail against adaptations that range far and wide from the source, despite its changes this _absolutely_ has the spirit and the intent of the original. Only one single item in the movie feels off, and that is the change of Bob Cratchit's wife to a minority, which isn't just lacking in historical verisimilitude, it feels like a token concession to wokeness. It's not enough to ruin the movie, though. Guy Pearce is great in the lead role, and the music and photography are appropriately downbeat. Be prepared. It's a dark movie. Very dark. Grade: A


----------



## Huntn

Just watched *Coco* (2017) at the urging of my spouse. It was ok as a Disney animated feature, but too much time spent in the Land of the Dead with  cute skeletons. Earlier I caught a bit of *Encanto* (2021) and what struck  me was how photo realistic backgrounds are becoming in  animated features.



Thomas Veil said:


> *"A Christmas Carol"* (FXM, Hulu). Forget every adaptation you've ever seen. This is _way_ out there.
> 
> Most versions adhere so close to the book that you can recite the lines by heart. _This_ is a psychological study of a very disturbed man who became a monster. The basic framework is here--Marley, the three spirits, etc.--but you will not see a single scene that is otherwise familiar to you. There are scenes which reference sexual depravity, and even a suggestion of witchcraft. This is "A Christmas Carol" for our meaner age.
> 
> And while I almost always rail against adaptations that range far and wide from the source, despite its changes this _absolutely_ has the spirit and the intent of the original. Only one single item in the movie feels off, and that is the change of Bob Cratchit's wife to a minority, which isn't just lacking in historical verisimilitude, it feels like a token concession to wokeness. It's not enough to ruin the movie, though. Guy Pearce is great in the lead role, and the music and photography are appropriately downbeat. Be prepared. It's a dark movie. Very dark. Grade: A



My favorite is the 1938 version with  Reginald Owen.


----------



## Alli

I watched _Don’t Look Up_ yesterday. All I can say is - brilliant. 



Spoiler: Spoiler



Could have done without the final scene 3,000 years into the future though, although it was nice seeing the president get her head bitten off.


----------



## Hrafn

*“Love Hard”.  *This was a decent holiday rom-com.


----------



## shadow puppet

Spielberg's _West Side Story_.  The choreography and cinematography are brilliant.


----------



## Thomas Veil

I’m looking forward to seeing that. I’ve heard nothing but good things.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Huntn said:


> My favorite is the 1938 version with  Reginald Owen.




There've been so many. I've seen the 1951 version with Alistair Sim, the George C. Scott version and Patrick Stewart versions, an animated half-hour done by Chuck Jones (of Bugs Bunny fame), an hourlong animated Australian version, the 1970 musical which had some great songs, "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol"...and, if you want to count it as such, "Scrooged".

And then there are versions I'd never even heard of before.

*Edit:* My curiosity got the better of me and I checked out the above linked movie, which is on Prime Video. It's dreadful. Click only if you want to see the most amateurish version ever made.


----------



## shadow puppet

Thomas Veil said:


> I’m looking forward to seeing that. I’ve heard nothing but good things.



Mike Faist was one of the things I was most excited to see.  He did not disappoint.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Alli said:


> I watched _Don’t Look Up_ yesterday. All I can say is - brilliant.
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Could have done without the final scene 3,000 years into the future though, although it was nice seeing the president get her head bitten off.




I deducted a full point for the Ariana Grande concert scene.  This isn't a musical.  We don't need to sit through almost an entire song.  The point was made in about 1/4 that time.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> There've been so many. I've seen the 1951 version with Alistair Sim, the George C. Scott version and Patrick Stewart versions, an animated half-hour done by Chuck Jones (of Bugs Bunny fame), an hourlong animated Australian version, the 1970 musical which had some great songs, "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol"...and, if you want to count it as such, "Scrooged".
> 
> And then there are versions I'd never even heard of before.
> 
> *Edit:* My curiosity got the better of me and I checked out the above linked movie, which is on Prime Video. It's dreadful. Click only if you want to see the most amateurish version ever made.



I imprinted on 1938 Reggie.


----------



## Huntn

​
*Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid* (1969)- Watch 5 min and you might be hooked. I categorize this as genius story telling from start to finish with an unconventional element a pop song inserted in the middle and just the right amount of humor. 









						Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: The True Story of the Famous Outlaws
					

Members of the Wild Bunch, the robbers' life and death inspired the 1969 movie starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford.




					www.biography.com


----------



## Alli

We just got back from seeing Spider-Man: No Way Home. Loved it. They actually made good use of the multiverse in bringing in other characters/actors from series past. Aaaaaand, we stayed to watch both post-credit scenes so now I can’t wait for the next Dr. Strange movie.


----------



## Hrafn

*Wonder Woman 1984.  *I thought it was a mostly decent comic-book action movie.


----------



## Huntn

​
*Aliens *(1986)- In HD, seeing the blemishes on screaming faces is special.  I never liked the Special Edition, because the story is better for the audience not knowing in advance what happened to the colonists on LV-426, just let the tension build, until… I can still remember the first time I watched this at the theater, they run a bypass, the facility door slides open and omg. Soon after that, the motion sensor always produced an adverse psychological  effect whenever I hear it. .  

Number one most stupid decision, that made me say _oh hell-_ _flame units only_, time to buckle up. 









						11. ALIENS Frequently asked questions (Movies: Alien)
					

Q: What does Sulaco mean?  ...




					www.stason.org
				



_Q: Are those power-loaders real?
A: Based on the Collectors Version of Aliens on Laserdisc, which comes
with a disk that shows some of the secrets of the making of the movie,
the loader is part real, part fake. The actual loader is real, but
has an external power supply. Since the loader is extremely heavy, it
is supported by cables which are masked out for the final print.
A power loader was on display at the Boston Museum of Science as
part of a special effects exhibit. This power loader was worked by a
person inside, behind and below the actor, that is with their legs down
in the power-loader's legs and their torso in the power-loader's back.
Different constructs of the power loader were used depending on the
action it had to perform in front of the camera._


----------



## Edd

Huntn said:


> View attachment 10676​
> *Aliens *(1986)- In HD, seeing the blemishes on screaming faces is special.  I never liked the Special Edition, because the story is better for the audience not knowing in advance what happened to the colonists on LV-426, just let the tension build, until… I can still remember the first time I watched this at the theater, they run a bypass, the facility door slides open and omg. Soon after that, the motion sensor always produced an adverse psychological  effect whenever I hear it. .
> 
> Number one most stupid decision, that made me say _oh hell_, _flame units only_, time to buckle up.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 11. ALIENS Frequently asked questions (Movies: Alien)
> 
> 
> Q: What does Sulaco mean?  ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.stason.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Q: Are those power-loaders real?
> A: Based on the Collectors Version of Aliens on Laserdisc, which comes
> with a disk that shows some of the secrets of the making of the movie,
> the loader is part real, part fake. The actual loader is real, but
> has an external power supply. Since the loader is extremely heavy, it
> is supported by cables which are masked out for the final print.
> A power loader was on display at the Boston Museum of Science as
> part of a special effects exhibit. This power loader was worked by a
> person inside, behind and below the actor, that is with their legs down
> in the power-loader's legs and their torso in the power-loader's back.
> Different constructs of the power loader were used depending on the
> action it had to perform in front of the camera._



It’s a tie between Aliens and T2 for best action film ever for me. You could argue Aliens isn’t a pure action film, a lot of talk and dread, but I love this film so much.


----------



## Huntn

Edd said:


> It’s a tie between Aliens and T2 for best action film ever for me. You could argue Aliens isn’t a pure action film, a lot of talk and dread, but I love this film so much.​



The talk and dread, keeps it from being mindless action for action sake and inject poingnancy and relatable meaning Into the story. The actions of Carter Burke reflect the poison that could exist in such a corporation as Weyland-Yutani. Paul Reiner’s performance was amazingly subtle as to just how much of a slime his character was, especially near the end. It makes you wonder if he was a lone wolf or carrying out orders. To some degree he would have needed help to smuggle implanted bodies through customs.

​Of note I rank James Cameron’s movies as action brilliant, the man maybe a lousy husband if you listen to reports, with probably a ginormous ego, but he is a movie making genius, someone who writes his own screenplays, then directs them producing stellar, coherent, action, and adventure Stories. Terminator 2, the transition of Sara Conner into a bad ass, is impressive. Yes, the actors are impressive too, but it is the script, the direction, and the editing all coming from one guy. (I think he oversees editing.)


The Abyss​
Terminator 2​
Aliens​
Avatar​
True Lies​
Titanic​


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> View attachment 10676​
> *Aliens *(1986)- In HD, seeing the blemishes on screaming faces is special.  I never liked the Special Edition, because the story is better for the audience not knowing in advance what happened to the colonists on LV-426, just let the tension build, until… I can still remember the first time I watched this at the theater, they run a bypass, the facility door slides open and omg. Soon after that, the motion sensor always produced an adverse psychological  effect whenever I hear it. .




Did you know that James Remar was originally cast as Hicks?  He shot several scenes, and in fact, when they first enter the hive and Hicks is walking away from the camera, that's actually Remar and not Michael Biehn (the shot couldn't be totally reshot as they had broken down some of the set, so they used as much of the original as they could).  Apparently he had gotten a little too involved in the local drug scene, one thing led to another, he had to be replaced.

Cameron wanted the marines to customized their own armor, you know, to give it a "lived in" feel, and the armor that Biehn wears was actually customized by Remar.  If you search around, there are a few set photos of him as Hicks:








A few more photos and info in this article:









						Aliens: rare photos of James Remar as Hicks
					

Michael Biehn was a late replacement as Hicks in James Cameron's Aliens. Some rare photos of James Remar in the role have surfaced...




					www.denofgeek.com


----------



## lizkat

Whatever films I stream on Netflix will now implicitly come with an 8% tax on the monthly bill in NYS, 4% state and 4% county.  This is not actually due to a change in the state laws regarding streaming per se since last year.  It's about the fact that since Dec 15th Netflix offers mobile gaming services, and some states do tax gaming, so the mere opportunity to play selected games via Netflix triggers taxation. 

Other states with similar existing laws include Alabama, Louisiana and Maine. 









						Why Netflix bills are going up in New York
					

Netflix customers in the Empire State can expect to see an increase in their bills starting in December.




					www.syracuse.com
				






> The change stems from the streaming video company’s launch in November of a mobile gaming service. Netflix customers can now play select video games on their iOS or Android devices at no extra charge.
> 
> “All you need is a Netflix subscription — there’s no ads, no additional fees and no in-app purchases,” the company says.
> 
> *Well, it’s no extra charge for the service itself. But unlike streaming video services, games are taxable in New York. So, for the first time, sales tax will be added to Netflix customer bills starting Dec. 15.
> *
> Kumiko Hidaka, a spokesperson for Netflix, said subscribers in Alabama, Louisiana and Maine will also see sales taxes added to their bills.




OK I'm not anti-sales-tax but one can appreciate the idea of limiting a sales tax to stuff actually PURCHASED.

So I haven't decided for sure yet how to think about the 72c a month I'm now shelling out for a sales tax on absolutely nothing.  My initial reaction is that I'd have preferred Netflix add on a very nominal (and possibly taxable) subscription fee for just those subscribers who wanted to use their new mobile gaming service.

 Did they think wannabe gamers would shy away from paying gaming tax on an app fee set at 99c, or 88c??

Have they wondered (yet) if I will bail,  over a streaming tax on $8.99 when there is no such tax in my state?


----------



## SuperMatt

lizkat said:


> Whatever films I stream on Netflix will now implicitly come with an 8% tax on the monthly bill in NYS, 4% state and 4% county.  This is not actually due to a change in the state laws regarding streaming per se since last year.  It's about the fact that since Dec 15th Netflix offers mobile gaming services, and some states do tax gaming, so the mere opportunity to play selected games via Netflix triggers taxation.
> 
> Other states with similar existing laws include Alabama, Louisiana and Maine.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Why Netflix bills are going up in New York
> 
> 
> Netflix customers in the Empire State can expect to see an increase in their bills starting in December.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.syracuse.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> OK I'm not anti-sales-tax but one can appreciate the idea of limiting a sales tax to stuff actually PURCHASED.
> 
> So I haven't decided for sure yet how to think about the 72c a month I'm now shelling out for a sales tax on absolutely nothing.  My initial reaction is that I'd have preferred Netflix add on a very nominal (and possibly taxable) subscription fee for just those subscribers who wanted to use their new mobile gaming service.
> 
> Did they think wannabe gamers would shy away from paying gaming tax on an app fee set at 99c, or 88c??
> 
> Have they wondered (yet) if I will bail,  over a streaming tax on $8.99 when there is no such tax in my state?



It seems like Netflix should offer it as a separate service in light of these taxes. I don’t think the authors of the law expected companies to create a bundle service of games and video without any choice to exclude the gaming aspect.


----------



## DT

There's a stupid "online services" tax here in Flori-duh.  So like our Hulu is $12.99 for the plan, but our final charge is $14.67


----------



## DT

We added three new horror movies that were really well reviewed, had various noms/awards, all these are available in Hulu:

The Vigil
Censor
Come True

These were on lists for 2021, some have earlier production and release dates, so it's US streaming/acquired distro rights year, whatever, 2021-ish 

I'll review them as we watch. 


*The Vigil*
2019 | PG-13 | 1h 29m

A man providing overnight watch to a deceased member of his former Orthodox Jewish community finds himself opposite a malevolent entity, in writer-director Keith Thomas' electrifying feature debut.

***

8/10

Terrific, lots done on a small budget, especially with sound design - small cast, 95% in the same location, the cultural immersion is pretty amazing, there's a decent amount of the film spoken in [subtitled] Yiddish, really gives it a close personal feel to the characters.   Great general concept, some good scares, a good take on guilt, duty, fatih.


----------



## rdrr

Alli said:


> I watched _Don’t Look Up_ yesterday. All I can say is - brilliant.
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Could have done without the final scene 3,000 years into the future though, although it was nice seeing the president get her head bitten off.




I watched it last week as well.  It scared me, because it was way to close to the truth.   If we needed to unite as a species or go extinct, I wouldn't have much hope for us.  5% maybe...

On another sad note, it got used against me when I refuted the latest Covid treatment of an iodine gargle or nasal flush as a means to cure Covid.  I was told "Don't Look up."


----------



## Huntn

​
*Enchanted *(2007)- This is really a delightful parody, homage to classic Disney fairytale cinema, especially if you grew up with it in the 50-60s time period.


----------



## DT

DT said:


> We added three new horror movies that were really well reviewed, had various noms/awards, all these are available in Hulu:
> 
> The Vigil
> Censor
> Come True
> 
> These were on lists for 2021, some have earlier production and release dates, so it's US streaming/acquired distro rights year, whatever, 2021-ish
> 
> I'll review them as we watch.







*Come True*
2020 | Unrated | 1h 45m

A teenage runaway takes part in a sleep study that becomes a nightmarish descent into the depths of her mind and a frightening examination of the power of dreams.

***

6/10, maybe a 7/10, split the difference, call it a 6.5/10 

Definitely an _it's-the-journey-not-the-destination_ type movie, technically well executed, some really frightening dream/nightmare imagery.   Interesting use of Jungian concepts (if you watch it, note the chapter titles ...), some people won't like the ending, I didn't think it diluted the rest of ideas that much, but does kind of detract from the experience as a whole.  Worth a watch if you're into dream analysis, the idea of dream states being a collective consciousness, some other "scientific" hogwash


----------



## Edd

Spider-Man: No Way Home. Holy shit, it really lived up to the hype.


----------



## Huntn

Edd said:


> Spider-Man: No Way Home. Holy shit, it really lived up to the hype.



I wonder how long before it hits Disney+?


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> I wonder how long before it hits Disney+?





It's apparently going to hit Starz first, due to the deal with Sony:

_But No Way Home is a Marvel Studios and Sony-produced movie, so the playing field is a little different. Thanks to Sony's deal with Starz, No Way Home is slated to have its streaming release exclusively on the TV service early next year, following the movie's home release (normally about three months after its theatrical release)._


Er, so I guess I have no idea   Might be worth a cheap Redbox rental


----------



## Thomas Veil

A little late, but last weekend there was a Bruce Willis/robot double feature.




Everyone in the world is beautiful in "*Surrogates*" (HBO), because they're all robots. We, the "operators", stay at home, hooked up to VR-type goggles as we send our surrogates out into the world. We can interact with "each other" and feel what our surrogates feel, with the exception of pain. So if we get run over by a car, that sensory input is blocked.

That is, until someone shows up killing off surrogates with a device so strong it overrides the pain filters and ends up killing the operator as well. Solid B+, especially for addressing, however briefly, the societal impact of that kind of technology.




"*Vice*" (also HBO) involves an urban "resort" that looks something like a hotel/casino, except the workers there are androids. So you can screw them, shoot them, whatever, and they're repaired and returned to service the next day. Think "Westworld".

Like "Westworld", one android rebels. But she's the hero, not the villain. B-

Willis was the hero in one movie, the bad guy in the other, which made it interesting.


----------



## Huntn

Duke, Douglass, Howard Keel​
*The War Wagon *(1967)- A favorite 60s Western vibe, John Wayne, Kirk Douglass heist movie. A rancher with gold on his land is framed, shot, and sent to prison, and now he’s out and gonna get his stuff back. Exteriors filmed in Mexico.


----------



## Thomas Veil

I like heist movies but I don't think I've ever seen a _Western_ one.


----------



## Hrafn

My youngest requested "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou". It has not aged as well as I had hoped, but we both still found a ton of funny bits.  It could not be made today.


----------



## User.45

Hrafn said:


> My youngest requested "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou". It has not aged as well as I had hoped, but we both still found a ton of funny bits.  It could not be made today.



It was the first Wes Anderson movie I've seen about 18 years ago and I was like WTF did I just watch. I was angry, annoyed, but also amused in the inside. Within a few years I got really hooked on the WA's artistry. Watched Life Aquatic again last year and it was a pleasant surprise. It was totally funny and was full of inappropriate stuff, like Anderson's movies tend to.


----------



## Hrafn

P_X said:


> It was the first Wes Anderson movie I've seen about 18 years ago and I was like WTF did I just watch. I was angry, annoyed, but also amused in the inside. Within a few years I got really hooked on the WA's artistry. Watched Life Aquatic again last year and I was was pleasant surprise. It was totally funny and was full of inappropriate stuff, like Anderson's movies tend to.



I'm not politically correct.  I still like it.


----------



## Huntn

​
*How The West Was Won* (1962)-  This is an impressive piece of 20 Century movie making and story telling. I’m probably biased, but though it’s not an all encompassing story, a 50 year time frame, all star cast, it misses what would be considered today, important social historical aspects. However it does show corporate America rolling over the Indians. But imo it is outstanding for what it does show in a 2:44 hr movie. It focuses on 1 family the Prescott Family who had landed  in America prior to 1839 but are now headed west. Two sisters head in different directions, one settling in Ohio (I think) the other continues west ending up in  San Francisco.

​
I first saw this in the theater, filmed in Cinerama, the iMax of it’s day, 3 synchronized 35mm cameras, curved screen, and I’m not sure of the proper term, but because it was wide screen they used wide angle perspective that makes it look panoramic. It’s a perspective that I can’t say I’ve seen in another film. It’s bold and beautiful with an all star cast. As a 9 year old it blew me away. 

We recently tried to watch this via streaming. I pulled up the preview and the image although it was  listed as HD, was mediocre resolution with prominent lines that separated the cameras. I found a Blu Ray version for $14, a winner, great image! 

​


----------



## User.45

Hrafn said:


> I'm not politically correct.  I still like it.



I find inappropriate things funny in general, esp when it's well balanced. That said, Wes really hates dogs


----------



## Citysnaps

We really enjoyed Being the Ricardos.  Many questioned the casting decisions, but I though it was excellent for what was being portrayed.


----------



## Thomas Veil

When were you the Ricardos?


----------



## Huntn

*The Lost Daughter *(2021)- Some psychological ugh story about a woman professor who has constant flash backs about choices in her life mixed in with what appears to be a lousy vacation. Painful to get through for me. Wife did not like it either.  Portrays why motherhood and humanity itself might be a drag for some people in certain situations.

*Bad Day For The Cut* (2017)- Surprisingly engaging low budget thriller based in Northern Island about a middle aged man who lives on a farm with his aging mother and one day some people show up and murder his mom. He has no clue, but he soon finds out.  I had to turn sub-titles on.  Last chance to watch on Netflix Jan17.

​


----------



## SuperMatt

Did anybody see *Tragedy of Macbeth* in the theater since Christmas? I didn’t, but I’m probably going to watch when it lands on Apple TV+ on Jan 14. Denzel Washington doing Shakespeare? Yes please.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> I like heist movies but I don't think I've ever seen a _Western_ one.



Watch it and see.


----------



## Huntn

*Pollyanna* (1960)- This was an enjoyable film watching it as a child and still enjoy it today, about an orphan girl living with her strict Aunt circa 1910 small town America and the effect her positive attitude has on the locals,her aunt and the local minister, who her Aunt has under her thumb to be stick with his parishioners. Outstanding acting all around and I love Karl Malden in many of his roles, *How The West Was Won *a couple of days ago and this as Reverend Ford.

​


----------



## SuperMatt

Did anybody see The Eternals? I see it’s coming to Disney+


----------



## Cmaier

SuperMatt said:


> Did anybody see The Eternals? I see it’s coming to Disney+




Just now finished it. Meh.  It really drags after a certain point. And a lot of the characters don’t get enough screen time.  And the plot doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.  

Post credit scenes were fun.


----------



## Eric

Cmaier said:


> Just now finished it. Meh.  It really drags after a certain point. And a lot of the characters don’t get enough screen time.  And the plot doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
> 
> Post credit scenes were fun.



This is a much nicer review than I can give. Completely agree about the character (under)development, they give you no chance to get invested into them and then try to evoke emotion around their situations, in reality you really didn't care either way what happened to them.



Spoiler



It starts out introducing Kit Harington as the love interest and that was compelling, then they pretty much write him out after 10 minutes and replace him with Ikaris, some model actor who she got back together with after a 2000 year breakup. Totally stupid, surely leaving viewers confused.



I don't know, maybe there's a plot theme from a comic it was following but I just couldn't get into it.

The effects are really good but the story was all over the map and the cheese was strong. Best advice I can give is to watch with the mute button on.


----------



## Edd

Just cuz we were discussing Aliens recently.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1480981985778565122/


----------



## Deleted member 215

Last night I watched _Maurice_. (I had read the book first and I considered to be a good adaptation). I'd like to see more Merchant Ivory films.


----------



## lizkat

I'm finally going to give _*Bright Star*_ (2009) a least a chance later today. It's about the poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, his muse and a last love of his too short life. Someone emailed me (again!) a still photo of Fanny sitting in a wonderful meadow, full of wild delphinium or some such wonderful flowers, her back to us while reading one of Keats' letters or poems. I'll draw the drapes against subzero cold here at sunset and prepare to be transported to a milder climate. Willing to settle for period costumes and other cinematic attractions and overlook any overshooting on sentimentality... I think. Time will tell!


----------



## Ulenspiegel

Watched Fellini's Casanova. (Time to time you have to watch classics). 






I have seen it in the early 80s for the first time. I liked it then.

Today.... well...

I'll never be a Fellini fan.


----------



## DT

SuperMatt said:


> Did anybody see The Eternals? I see it’s coming to Disney+






Cmaier said:


> Just now finished it. Meh.  It really drags after a certain point. And a lot of the characters don’t get enough screen time.  And the plot doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
> 
> Post credit scenes were fun.






Eric said:


> This is a much nicer review than I can give. Completely agree about the character (under)development, they give you no chance to get invested into them and then try to evoke emotion around their situations, in reality you really didn't care either way what happened to them.
> 
> I don't know, maybe there's a plot theme from a comic it was following but I just couldn't get into it.
> 
> The effects are really good but the story was all over the map and the cheese was strong. Best advice I can give is to watch with the mute button on.




Chloe Zhao is a super talented filmmaker, and some of the exterior, non-green-screen shots were stunning (she made a big deal about using natural/real locations), but everything else was just so incredibly generic, the heroes, the nameless bad guys, most of the plot points.

I get that Marvel was trying to introduce the idea of The Eternals and this whole notion of cosmic beings (like the brief intro to the Celestials in the GotG movies). To set up the players, scale and potential threats of the next phase, but The Eternals just couldn't carry their own movie (especially one with a 156 minute runtime - I feel like there's an easy 30-40 minutes they could trim).

Visually it's pretty terrific, there's a few fun character beats here and there, if you already have D+ (how we saw it), it's worth tossing on if you're at all into the MCU, it at least establishes a few things and introduces some fun stuff at the very end.


----------



## Hrafn

Onward (2020) - IMDb
					

Onward: Directed by Dan Scanlon. With Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer. Two elven brothers embark on a quest to bring their father back for one day.




					www.imdb.com
				



Onward.  I thought this was pretty good, if sad.  We've watched it twice, and my boys mostly sat through it.


----------



## Thomas Veil

*"Ouija: Origin of Evil"* (HBO).

My first time seeing one of these, but I like Mike Flanagan's work. As expected, good story and suspenseful direction. Like _Midnight Mass_, it starts a little slow, but when it rocks, it rocks.



Spoiler



Nice bit of misdirection near the end when Flanagan shows Lina in the shadows and out of focus. You expect the worst...until she comes close to her mom and she looks perfectly normal. Then...



B+


----------



## DT

*Encanto*
2021 | PG | 1h 42m

Dazzling animation and character design, terrific music (a couple are can't-get-them-out-my-head amazing, music by Lin-Manuel Miranda), wonderful take of family, love, one of Disney's best (especially more modern) films.


----------



## Huntn

*Ruthless People* (1986)- Love this comedy and the cast, about the kidnapping of the wife of a wealthy couple, by a financially struggling couple whose idea was stolen by Danny DeVito.


----------



## ericwn

Edd said:


> Just cuz we were discussing Aliens recently.
> 
> https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1480981985778565122/




Don’t know what’s more disgusting, letting little kids watch The Alien franchise being just a few years old or let them pose with fake weapons at this age. Either way, yuck.


----------



## Edd

ericwn said:


> Don’t know what’s more disgusting, letting little kids watch The Alien franchise being just a few years old or let them pose with fake weapons at this age. Either way, yuck.



This reminds me of a story:
My parents took me to a drive-in theater to see Alien. I was 8 or 9 years old. I’m sure my parents were surprised by the gore level. I was freaked out and spent a lot of the film hiding behind my mother’s passenger seat. It was way way too much for me. I had nightmares all night with what little sleep I got.


----------



## Huntn

ericwn said:


> Don’t know what’s more disgusting, letting little kids watch The Alien franchise being just a few years old or let them pose with fake weapons at this age. Either way, yuck.



What about Jurassic Park? 
Of interest our Grandson watched and loved Jurassic Park when he was 3, but somewhere around 5-7 he got scared of it I think based on maturing  awareness.

He also loved playing Left 4 Dead a favorite post-apocalyptic zombie shooter, but when we sat down to watch *Shaun of the Dead*, a  comedy, he ended up leaving the room, the scene when a character gets their guts ripped out. Realism can be harder to handle.


Left 4 Dead Chapter​
Now if there is some gun worship there among approving parents, we really don’t need that, but practically any person who has grown up in the last several decades has been immersed in guns by popular video games, of which I am guilty of playing. I remember as a teen really wanting a shot gun for Christmas and  getting it. But guns these days have taken on a meaning which is dangerous, more so than 5 decades ago.


----------



## Huntn

Edd said:


> This reminds me of a story:
> My parents took me to a drive-in theater to see Alien. I was 8 or 9 years old. I’m sure my parents were surprised by the gore level. I was freaked out and spent a lot of the film hiding behind my mother’s passenger seat. It was way way too much for me. I had nightmares all night with what little sleep I got.




Granted as a child watching horror of the 1950-early 60s, I did not not have to generally deal with something like watching an alien burst from someone’s chest, but I dealt with what I saw usually saw by drapping a coat over my head at the theater and peaking when it was safe. 

Speaking of gore, there was a movie called Caltiki, The Immortal Monster, a Blob competitor and there were some things in that movie that would (I think) give young kids today nightmares, people being reduced to bloody skeletons.


----------



## ericwn

Edd said:


> This reminds me of a story:
> My parents took me to a drive-in theater to see Alien. I was 8 or 9 years old. I’m sure my parents were surprised by the gore level. I was freaked out and spent a lot of the film hiding behind my mother’s passenger seat. It was way way too much for me. I had nightmares all night with what little sleep I got.



Yup, my kids would have a heart attack with any Alien movie.


----------



## ericwn

Huntn said:


> What about Jurassic Park?
> Of interest our Grandson watched and loved Jurassic Park when he was 3, but somewhere around 5-7 he got scared of it I think based on maturing  awareness.
> 
> He also loved playing Left 4 Dead a favorite post-apocalyptic zombie shooter, but when we sat down to watch *Shaun of the Dead*, a  comedy, he ended up leaving the room, the scene when a character gets their guts ripped out. Realism can be harder to handle.
> 
> View attachment 11151
> Left 4 Dead Chapter​
> Now if there is some gun worship there among approving parents, we really don’t need that, but practically any person who has grown up in the last several decades has been immersed in guns by popular video games, of which I am guilty of playing. I remember as a teen really wanting a shot gun for Christmas and  getting it. But guns these days have taken on a meaning which is dangerous, more so than 5 decades ago.



My oldest is close to four and couldn’t make it through any of the scary scenes in Jurassic Park and I’ll be damned if I drag them into this silly gun culture sooner than necessary. Letting a young kid shoot zombies is a head scratcher to me honestly. There’s so much constructive stuff they can learn and do and shooters are not on that list for me.


----------



## DT

Cardio is the #1 rule when it comes to the zombie apocalypse anyway.


----------



## lizkat

In the run-up to Chinese New Year, I'm rewatching a 2009 documentary_* Last Train Home*_, about the annual migration of Chinese workers from enterprise zones back to the agricultural areas where their elders and children still live.  If you have never seen this film even once,  try it.


----------



## lizkat

ericwn said:


> Yup, my kids would have a heart attack with any Alien movie.




It didn't take aliens or zombies to freak me out when I was a kid.  

My mother took me along with her to watch the British film _*The Red Shoes *_(1948) when it first came to movie theatres, because she could not find a babysitter. Now there's a movie not for kids. Yes it's a classic now, and a wonderful film I've rewatched many times as an adult, but as a child I had nightmares behind seeing that film for awhile. True horror lay behind the lighthearted musical scenes and ballet themes...


----------



## ericwn

lizkat said:


> It didn't take aliens or zombies to freak me out when I was a kid.
> 
> My mother took me along with her to watch the British film _*The Red Shoes *_(1948) when it first came to movie theatres, because she could not find a babysitter. Now there's a movie not for kids. Yes it's a classic now, and a wonderful film I've rewatched many times as an adult, but as a child I had nightmares behind seeing that film for awhile. True horror lay behind the lighthearted musical scenes and ballet themes...




British cinema, the stuff for traumatic experiences, no doubt. Only topped by the warm beer, driving on the wrong side of the road and - who could forget - Brexit and mint sauce ( a close race between the last two).


----------



## DT

I know one I'm super excited to see but won't see it at the theater, in addition to other concerns, I need to watch this at home with this kind of runtime:









						Is the World Ready for a 3-Hour Batman Movie?
					

Matt Reeves’ The Batman is reportedly three hours long, which suggests a different kind of superhero origin story.




					www.denofgeek.com
				






> Holy restless legs, Batman, your new movie is going to have the same length as The Godfather! That’s at least what appears to be the case for The Batman, which has been recorded by IMDb to have a running time of two hours and 55 minutes—just three minutes shorter than Peter Jackson’s theatrical cut of The Fellowship of the Ring.


----------



## lizkat

DT said:


> I know one I'm super excited to see but won't see it at the theater, in addition to other concerns, I need to watch this at home with this kind of runtime:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Is the World Ready for a 3-Hour Batman Movie?
> 
> 
> Matt Reeves’ The Batman is reportedly three hours long, which suggests a different kind of superhero origin story.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.denofgeek.com




Speaking just for myself, I can see binge-watching decent spinoffs of the Godfather (and the Sopranos had its moments) but not a three-hour Batman-themed movie and not anything related to films of those MIddle Earth tales.  Just couldn't get into those for some reason.

But yeah, if I were interested in the Batman one, it would have to be an at-home experience.   The last multi-hour film I saw in theater was _Gone With the Wind_...  on the memorable occasion when my aunt noticed it was playing at matinee hour in the village movie house, and rushed her daughter and us nieces into our coats with "we have just enough time to get there, c'mon!"   So we went and enjoyed the film.   And came back to realize my aunt had left eggs to hard boil on the stove, yeah.    Memorable indeed.  Lucky she didn't burn the house down.


----------



## Huntn

lizkat said:


> Speaking just for myself, I can see binge-watching decent spinoffs of the Godfather (and the Sopranos had its moments) but not a three-hour Batman-themed movie and not anything related to films of those MIddle Earth tales.  Just couldn't get into those for some reason.
> 
> But yeah, if I were interested in the Batman one, it would have to be an at-home experience.   The last multi-hour film I saw in theater was _Gone With the Wind_...  on the memorable occasion when my aunt noticed it was playing at matinee hour in the village movie house, and rushed her daughter and us nieces into our coats with "we have just enough time to get there, c'mon!"   So we went and enjoyed the film.   And came back to realize my aunt had left eggs to hard boil on the stove, yeah.    Memorable indeed.  Lucky she didn't burn the house down.



But Gone with The Wind gave you an intermission, yes? 
Whenever I boil eggs, I put a loud timer on, but if I then left the house??


----------



## lizkat

Huntn said:


> But Gone with The Wind gave you an intermission, yes?
> Whenever I boil eggs, I put a loud timer on, but if I then left the house??




Sure an intermission, we stood around while the aunt chatted with friends who'd also brought kids to the show...,  nary a thought of the eggs cooking away at her home.

As for me and boiling eggs, I start w/ room temp eggs, and *stand right there* for the time it takes them to come to a boil and I let them go for 2 minutes then turn the heat off and let them sit covered in the water for nine minutes and then ice-bath them and stick them in the fridge. So no "Gone With the Wind" eggs for me!


----------



## Huntn

lizkat said:


> Sure an intermission, we stood around while the aunt chatted with friends who'd also brought kids to the show...,  nary a thought of the eggs cooking away at her home.
> 
> As for me and boiling eggs, I start w/ room temp eggs, and *stand right there* for the time it takes them to come to a boil and I let them go for 2 minutes then turn the heat off and let them sit covered in the water for nine minutes and then ice-bath them and stick them in the fridge. So no "Gone With the Wind" eggs for me!



I drop refrigerated eggs in boiling water (gently), but sometimes the temp difference makes them crack, put the timer on for 12 minutes, and that seems to work well.


----------



## DT

This looks kind of amazing and beautiful!


----------



## ericwn

DT said:


> I know one I'm super excited to see but won't see it at the theater, in addition to other concerns, I need to watch this at home with this kind of runtime:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Is the World Ready for a 3-Hour Batman Movie?
> 
> 
> Matt Reeves’ The Batman is reportedly three hours long, which suggests a different kind of superhero origin story.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.denofgeek.com




Yikes how many remakes of the franchise will they push?


----------



## Herdfan

ericwn said:


> Yikes how many remakes of the franchise will they push?




A set for every generation it looks like.  And in movie terms, a generation is about 5-7 years as kids today don't want to watch a 15 year old movie.


----------



## Huntn

*No Time To Die* (2021)- It was ok, a little to slick, can’t compete with the Casino Royal/Quantum of Solace one-two punch imo.


​


Spoiler



Daniel Craig had a good run as Bond. His replacement if she is his permanent replacement did not impress me. The bad guy inexplicably comes back at the end by himself to confront Bond.  Rumor has it that Q recorded all of Bond’s brain waves and the next installment will   feature _Bond, Android Bond.  [_/SPOILER]


----------



## Thomas Veil

Huntn said:


> I drop refrigerated eggs in boiling water (gently), but sometimes the temp difference makes them crack, put the timer on for 12 minutes, and that seems to work well.



Everybody has a different method. I put eggs in water and bring them to a boil, then turn it off, wait 12 minutes, and run them under cold water to help separate the eggs from the shells.

Then I eat them while watching a Bond movie.  (Just trying to stay relevant to the thread.)


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> I know one I'm super excited to see but won't see it at the theater, in addition to other concerns, I need to watch this at home with this kind of runtime:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Is the World Ready for a 3-Hour Batman Movie?
> 
> 
> Matt Reeves’ The Batman is reportedly three hours long, which suggests a different kind of superhero origin story.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.denofgeek.com



You never know, they could come up with something different, but better.  

The Heath Ledger Joker performance was pretty amazing, but most of the Batman Movies other than that, I have no real desire to rewatch. Overall Gotham City is a pretty dark place. 

However, I recently saw Ben Affleck in *The Last Duel* where I liked his performance, he actually surprised me, but overall disliked that story.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> Everybody has a different method. I put eggs in water and bring them to a boil, then turn it off, wait 12 minutes, and run them under cold water to help separate the eggs from the shells.
> 
> Then I eat them while watching a Bond movie.  (Just trying to stay relevant to the thread.)



Lol… I too run them under cold water for that purpose.


----------



## Huntn

rdrr said:


> Rented The Last Duel with Matt Damon, Adam Driver, and Jodie Comer.  I found the story itself fascinating, and was unaware of its background (probably zoned out in High School world history).   It really showed that the victim in rape has been the accused for centuries, but more so back then women had less recourse in reporting the crime than they do today.   I read that even today the accusation is still controversial in France, which just made me more curious about the story and the times.   I am not sure the I would rate the movie anything more than somewhat good, but it got me to read up on a piece of history that I had little knowledge on.




Agreed!

​*The Last Duel* (2021)-  The wife of a knight accuses another knight of rape in 14th century France, we get to see the story  told 3 times from the perspective of each primary character. Did the book do that I wonder? But all 3 stories basically confirm the same thing, then there is a trial where the character of the woman is assailed repeatedly. It’s a tough she said, he said trial without witnesses, and typical gender biases, then a brutal duel.

For myself, I did not see any great benefit of injecting these perspective, I did not read the book and don’t know if the testimony of the trial was recorded in detail. And it’s not as if the 3 stories were significantly different and I did not feel it made the story more intriguing or artistically cutting edge because of it. Actually the perspective of the accused knight is rather peculiar for claiming his innocence if this was the testimony he actually gave at the trial.



Spoiler



I showed up unannounced, basically tricked/forced my way in, chased her all over the house, finally caught her, and despite her protestations, physically assaulted and forced myself on her… but it wasn’t rape because I’m madly in love with her! Maybe this was the point of the story? Why the court wanted to know if she experienced pleasure, because we all know that is the only way a woman can conceive… and she did conceive, maybe this was the real message of the movie, historical gender bias and oppression …



The performances were good, Matt Damon’s character was really a disagreeable sort who seemed like he was devoted to his King but did not really get along with his peers. Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck were excellent, but the story itself, the atmosphere felt oppressive… Ehh.

Update: Fixed some typos…


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Huntn said:


> Agreed!
> 
> View attachment 11183​*The Last Duel* (2021)-






Huntn said:


> And it’s not as if the 3 stories were significantly different




That was my biggest issue with the movie.  I found the premise of telling the story from 3 different angles intriguing but there really wasn't much of a difference.  Even if it was based closely on historical records, I think this is one of the few times Hollywood exaggeration would have been better to make the point.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

I might have posted this before, but even if I did, I highly recommend watching the 1935 Shirley Temple movie The Littlest Rebel, but not for reasons you might think. It might be considered part of Hollywood’s early golden era but by today’s standards it's more like a psychological horror movie. It’s full of problematic scene after scene and I often found myself going “Whoa!”, “Jesus!”, and “Yikes!”. It’s basically an anti-CRT wet dream depicting slaves as doing just fine during the civil war and having a good ‘ol time with their owners.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Huntn said:


> Matt Damon’s character was really a disagreeable sort



I find him even more objectionable in those commercials where he’s hawking a cryptocurrency website.


----------



## JamesMike

Thomas Veil said:


> Everybody has a different method. I put eggs in water and bring them to a boil, then turn it off, wait 12 minutes, and run them under cold water to help separate the eggs from the shells.
> 
> Then I eat them while watching a Bond movie.  (Just trying to stay relevant to the thread.)




I do it the easy way, I get the hard-boiled eggs from Costco, they are already shelled and packaged so they will last up to two months in fridge.


----------



## DT

ericwn said:


> Yikes how many remakes of the franchise will they push?




You say you want more Batman?  HBOMax this month ... 


_Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero_, 1998
_Batman and Harley Quinn_, 2017
_Batman Begins_, 2005
_Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker_, 2000
_Batman Ninja_, 2018
_Batman Unlimited: Animal Instinct_, 2015
_Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants_, 2016
_Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem_, 2015
_Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice_, 2016
_Batman vs. Robin_, 2015
_Batman vs. Two-Face_, 2017
_Batman: Assault on Arkham_, 2014
_Batman: Bad Blood_, 2016
_Batman: Death in the Family_, 2020
_Batman: Gotham by Gaslight_, 2018
_Batman: Gotham Knight_, 2008
_Batman: Hush_, 2019
_Batman: Mask of the Phantasm_, 1993
_Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman_, 2003
_Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders_ (Part 1), 2016
_Batman: Soul of the Dragon_, 2021
_Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1_, 2012
_Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2_, 2013
_Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One_, 2021
_Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two_, 2021
_Batman: Under The Red Hood_, 2010
_Batman: Year One_, 2011


----------



## Pumbaa

DT said:


> You say you want more Batman?  HBOMax this month ...
> 
> 
> _Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero_, 1998
> _Batman and Harley Quinn_, 2017
> _Batman Begins_, 2005
> _Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker_, 2000
> _Batman Ninja_, 2018
> _Batman Unlimited: Animal Instinct_, 2015
> _Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants_, 2016
> _Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem_, 2015
> _Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice_, 2016
> _Batman vs. Robin_, 2015
> _Batman vs. Two-Face_, 2017
> _Batman: Assault on Arkham_, 2014
> _Batman: Bad Blood_, 2016
> _Batman: Death in the Family_, 2020
> _Batman: Gotham by Gaslight_, 2018
> _Batman: Gotham Knight_, 2008
> _Batman: Hush_, 2019
> _Batman: Mask of the Phantasm_, 1993
> _Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman_, 2003
> _Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders_ (Part 1), 2016
> _Batman: Soul of the Dragon_, 2021
> _Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1_, 2012
> _Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2_, 2013
> _Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One_, 2021
> _Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two_, 2021
> _Batman: Under The Red Hood_, 2010
> _Batman: Year One_, 2011




No idea why there are so many remakes when “Batman: The Movie (1966)” was pure perfection.



Spoiler: Or purrfection?


----------



## ericwn

DT said:


> You say you want more Batman? HBOMax this month ...
> 
> 
> _Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero_, 1998
> _Batman and Harley Quinn_, 2017
> _Batman Begins_, 2005
> _Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker_, 2000
> _Batman Ninja_, 2018
> _Batman Unlimited: Animal Instinct_, 2015
> _Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants_, 2016
> _Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem_, 2015
> _Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice_, 2016
> _Batman vs. Robin_, 2015
> _Batman vs. Two-Face_, 2017
> _Batman: Assault on Arkham_, 2014
> _Batman: Bad Blood_, 2016
> _Batman: Death in the Family_, 2020
> _Batman: Gotham by Gaslight_, 2018
> _Batman: Gotham Knight_, 2008
> _Batman: Hush_, 2019
> _Batman: Mask of the Phantasm_, 1993
> _Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman_, 2003
> _Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders_ (Part 1), 2016
> _Batman: Soul of the Dragon_, 2021
> _Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1_, 2012
> _Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2_, 2013
> _Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One_, 2021
> _Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two_, 2021
> _Batman: Under The Red Hood_, 2010
> _Batman: Year One_, 2011


----------



## DT

ericwn said:


>




Hahaha 

FYI:  with the exception of Batman Begins those are all animated movies, DC has produced some outstanding superhero animated films. I'd very highly recommend:

_Batman: Under The Red Hood_, 2010
_Batman: Mask of the Phantasm_, 1993
_Batman: Year One_, 2011

I mean, really, most are good, many are excellent.

_Batman: Gotham by Gaslight_, 2018 is super fun, it's a Victorian era alt-universe Batman story involving Jack the Ripper.

_Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1_, 2012
_Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2_, 2013

These two are the animated version of the seminal modern Batman comic by Frank Miller and it's spectacular, they got the style/look down perfect - and Peter Weller doing a pretty amazing turn as Batman and Ariel Winter who you'd probably know from Modern Family as Robin.

_Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker_, 2000 also stellar, the whole Batman Beyond series is excellent, it takes place in 2039, with a younger Batman and Bruce as his mentor.


----------



## ericwn

DT said:


> Hahaha
> 
> FYI: with the exception of Batman Begins those are all animated movies, DC has produced some outstanding superhero animated films. I'd very highly recommend:
> 
> _Batman: Under The Red Hood_, 2010
> _Batman: Mask of the Phantasm_, 1993
> _Batman: Year One_, 2011
> 
> I mean, really, most are good, many are excellent.
> 
> _Batman: Gotham by Gaslight_, 2018 is super fun, it's a Victorian era alt-universe Batman story involving Jack the Ripper.
> 
> _Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1_, 2012
> _Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2_, 2013
> 
> These two are the animated version of the seminal modern Batman comic by Frank Miller and it's spectacular, they got the style/look down perfect - and Peter Weller doing a pretty amazing turn as Batman and Ariel Winter who you'd probably know from Modern Family as Robin.
> 
> _Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker_, 2000 also stellar, the whole Batman Beyond series is excellent, it takes place in 2039, with a younger Batman and Bruce as his mentor.




Since I usually tend to take your recommendations serious, I say thanks much and will check some out when the time comes. From a movie perspective, I enjoyed Tim Burton’s adoption a lot and from there onwards it’s been mostly not my cup of tea after that. 

I did enjoy building the 1989 Batmobile recently - so much fun!


----------



## Thomas Veil

ericwn said:


> I did enjoy building the 1989 Batmobile recently - so much fun!



Last year my daughter took her family to Washington. They sent back pictures, one of which was my grandsons in the Smithsonian, proudly standing in front of this:


----------



## Huntn

​
*Belle* (2013)- Excellent historical 18th Century drama about the illigitimate daughter born of a slave in the West Indies and a noble officer from England. She is brought back to England, but does not comfortably fit in with English society and  inherits a large sum of money becoming an heiress.

Without spoiling it, the  story centers on her growing awareness of the status of her people of color, and the awareness of moral adjustments of her family, her relationship with several suitors (overall framework is accurate, but some personal relationships in movie described as fictional on wiki), and leads to a hearing in the courts regarding the murder of slaves being shipped as cargo, for an insurance payoff.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Love the parallel discussion on how to boil an egg.

It adds a wonderful dimension to the thread.

Re Batman, I will say that while it is not much to my taste, I really liked the first movie (Batman), the one dating from 1989; actually, above all, I loved Anton Furst's conception of Gotham City (for which he deservedly won an Academy Award - that cathedral was awesome) - a stunning, dark and unsettling character in its own right.



ericwn said:


> British cinema, the stuff for traumatic experiences, no doubt. Only topped by the warm beer, driving on the wrong side of the road and - who could forget - Brexit and mint sauce ( a close race between the last two).



Try some of the Ealing Studio comedies from the late 40s to mid/late 50s; dry, sardonic, viciously witty and wonderfully wry, and - to my mind - sublime. 

Among the classics I have in mind are: Kind Hearts And Coronets, (which is my personal favourite), The Lavender Hill Mob and The Ladykillers.


----------



## Huntn

​
*Wanted *(2008)- 9/10- Caveat, action that some would describe as exaggerated, unbelievable stunts. But this is in super-ability graphic novel territory where such skills exist.  I enjoyed it, a coherent story, and some nice CGI visuals. 

Action thriller, some people can speed up their reflexes by 400%, ignore pain, and make  bullets arc in flight, members of an elite group of assassins (The Fraternity) who carry out assassinations based on the loom of prophecy, to maintain balance in the world.

Yes,, you heard that right, and Wesley a loser by modern standards…


Spoiler



is recruited into their ranks because he has special skills, and they have a insurmountable problem only he can help them with.


----------



## Huntn

Scepticalscribe said:


> Love the parallel discussion on how to boil an egg.
> 
> It adds a wonderful dimension to the thread.
> 
> Re Batman, I will say that while it is not much to my taste, I really liked the first movie (Batman), the one dating from 1989; actually, above all, I loved Anton Furst's conception of Gotham City (for which he deservedly won an Academy Award - that cathedral was awesome) - a stunning, dark and unsettling character in its own right.
> 
> 
> Try some of the Ealing Studio comedies from the late 40s to mid/late 50s; dry, sardonic, viciously witty and wonderfully wry, and - to my mind - sublime.
> 
> Among the classics I have in mind are: Kind Hearts And Coronets, (which is my personal favourite), The Lavender Hill Mob and The Ladykillers.



My 2 favorite Batman’s are Adam West 1960s tongue-in-cheek, and one with Heath Ledger as Joker.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

I have been watching (well, re-watching - and that is something I very rarely do) one of my favourite movies: Jesus of Montreal.

This is a powerful, brilliant, thoughtful, formidably intelligent, at times wonderfully funny and savagely satirical, and, at times profoundly moving, - superbly shot, exquisitely scripted, beautifully lit and magnificently acted movie with an impressive cast.  And yes, the soundtrack is excellent, also.

Actually, I cannot recommend this movie highly enough.


----------



## Scepticalscribe

One caveat - or postscript - to my remarks on Jesus of Montreal: A superb movie, but, as it is in French (that is, mostly, although a little English is spoken in a few scenes), it is probably best viewed with sub-titles.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Scepticalscribe said:


> Love the parallel discussion on how to boil an egg.




Hey, I'll keep it movie-related. Last night as I entered the room, the wife was watching TCM. 

What movie was on? "The Egg and I". 

I'm not kidding. 



Huntn said:


> My 2 favorite Batman’s are Adam West 1960s tongue-in-cheek, and one with Heath Ledger as Joker.




_Admiral:_ Avast, Batman! We haven't done anything foolish, have we?
_Batman:_ Disposing of pre-atomic submarines to persons who don't even leave their full address... (curtly) Good day, admiral.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> ​*Wanted *(2008)- 9/10- Caveat, action that some would describe as exaggerated, unbelievable stunts. But this is in super-ability graphic novel territory where such skills exist. I enjoyed it, a coherent story, and some nice CGI visuals.
> 
> Action thriller, some people can speed up their reflexes by 400%, ignore pain, and make  bullets arc in flight, members of an elite group of assassins (The Fraternity) who carry out assassinations based on the loom of prophecy, to maintain balance in the world.




This is one of those movies that diverged so far from the original source material, it's more or less it's own thing. A mean, some overlap, Wesley, secret organization, even the 4th wall bits - the comic is pretty insane and would be tricky to film (and definitely a very hard R), it could be done as an animated series.

FWIW, Mark Millar who created/wrote the original comic also created Kingsmen and Kick-Ass, definitely has a theme going


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> This is one of those movies that diverged so far from the original source material, it's more or less it's own thing. A mean, some overlap, Wesley, secret organization, even the 4th wall bits - the comic is pretty insane and would be tricky to film (and definitely a very hard R), it could be done as an animated series.
> 
> FWIW, Mark Millar who created/wrote the original comic also created Kingsmen and Kick-Ass, definitely has a theme going



That is something if I‘d read the source material and loved it, would likely piss me off. Were there at least assassinations based on the Loom of Prophecy (or was it Fate)?   So in this case if you judge the movie as a stand alone story, how would you rate it for style (of the source) and story? I could see using rats with explosive watches as something right out of a graphic novel.


----------



## lizkat

Trying to make time to check into my HBO Max sub more often even during a busy January.  As usual it's coming down to checking through the list of "last chance" items -- things leaving their streaming platform at the end of the month.    Finally watched _*Argo*_. Rewatching _*Mississippi Burning*_.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> That is something if I‘d read the source material and loved it, would likely piss me off. Were there at least assassinations based on the Loom of Prophecy (or was it Fate)?   So in this case if you judge the movie as a stand alone story, how would you rate it for style (of the source) and story? I could see using rats with explosive watches as something right out of a graphic novel.




No loom, no bullet curving, no assassins guild, and to be clear, Wanted is a violent, misogynistic, revenge porn, I'm not really a fan - Millar is kind of like the people who totally misinterpret Fight Club.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> No loom, no bullet curving, no assassins guild, and to be clear, Wanted is a violent, misogynistic, revenge porn, I'm not really a fan - Millar is kind of like the people who totally misinterpret Fight Club.



Thanks for filling me in, kind of shocking. It’s almost like Ridley Scott buying the rights to a book so he could appropriate the title for his unrelated movie.


----------



## Hrafn

The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak (1984) - IMDb
					

The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak: Directed by Just Jaeckin. With Tawny Kitaen, Brent Huff, Zabou Breitman, Bernadette Lafont. Gwendoline, a runaway nun, arrives in Hong Kong on a mission to find her father, who was last seen in the legendary Land of the Yik Yak searching for a...




					www.imdb.com
				



Tawny Kitaen in "The Perils of Gwendolyne". As a youth, I thought "Bachelor's Party" was pretty funny, but this was bad, bad, bad.  Directing, acting, story, action scenes, special effects.  BAD.


----------



## Thomas Veil

I remember Tawny Kitaen. The girl with the Hollywood-ish name that's supposed to suggest "sex kitten" but actually sounds more like it should belong to a porn star.


----------



## Edd

Hrafn said:


> The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak (1984) - IMDb
> 
> 
> The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak: Directed by Just Jaeckin. With Tawny Kitaen, Brent Huff, Zabou Breitman, Bernadette Lafont. Gwendoline, a runaway nun, arrives in Hong Kong on a mission to find her father, who was last seen in the legendary Land of the Yik Yak searching for a...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.imdb.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Tawny Kitaen in "The Perils of Gwendolyne". As a youth, I thought "Bachelor's Party" was pretty funny, but this was bad, bad, bad.  Directing, acting, story, action scenes, special effects.  BAD.



I loved Bachelor Party as a teen. Thinking back, I’m remembering she was pretty charming with minor comedic chops. She wasn’t stiff, like a non-actor Barbie doll would be.


----------



## Huntn

*Encounter* (2021)- A father goes on a mission to save his sons from a non-terrestrial threat. This is a good movie with good portrayals, a good story,  but there is a 50-50 chance you won’t like the ending or you won’t like how this was sold, considering why you sat down to watch it.


​


----------



## DT

*The Truman Show*
1998 | PG | 1h 43m

Watched this with the daughter this weekend, she loved it, now it's one of her favorites, and for me, who's seen it a dozen times, just reinforced why it remains one of mine.  Just brilliant, and so prescient of reality TV, social media, productizing people - a perfectly cast Jim Carrey, amazing supporting cast, perfect direction by Weir, and Philip Glass doing amazing soundtrack work.

It even out-Matrixed the Matrix a year sooner 

*A+*


----------



## Ulenspiegel

John Carter (2012.) I am a big Edgar Rice Burroughs fan.


----------



## Edd

DT said:


> *The Truman Show*
> 1998 | PG | 1h 43m
> 
> Watched this with the daughter this weekend, she loved it, now it's one of her favorites, and for me, who's seen it a dozen times, just reinforced why it remains one of mine.  Just brilliant, and so prescient of reality TV, social media, productizing people - a perfectly cast Jim Carrey, amazing supporting cast, perfect direction by Weir, and Philip Glass doing amazing soundtrack work.
> 
> It even out-Matrixed the Matrix a year sooner
> 
> *A+*



Watched that on hallucinogens once.  Still unsure if that was a good idea.  Once of my faves, along with Pleasantville which came around the same time.  The latter is messier, and weirder.  I need to give Pleasantville a watch again.  Where did I put that acid?


----------



## Huntn

*Black Sea *(2014)- Seeking a fortune in Nazi gold on a sunken sub.. It’s a good movie, good performances, but I won’t talk about the ending. Depending on your perspective maybe good, ok, or ehh.


​


----------



## Huntn

*The Man  in the Iron Mask* (1998)- I was so turned off by everyone having some kind of a European accent except DiCaprio as King Louie and his Yankee accent, so out of place, immersion destroying. Wife is watching…


----------



## Alli

Huntn said:


> *The Man  in the Iron Mask* (1998)- I was so turned off by everyone having some kind of a European accent except DiCaprio as King Louie and his Yankee accent, so out of place, immersion destroying. Wife is watching…



I have watched that movie so many times I could probably write the entire script from memory. It was a favorite to show in class so the kids could distinguish history from fiction.


----------



## Huntn

Alli said:


> I have watched that movie so many times I could probably write the entire script from memory. It was a favorite to show in class so the kids could distinguish history from fiction.



I really like this book and also, The Count of Montecristo.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> I really like this book and also, The Count of Montecristo.




Yeah, that guy makes a terrific sandwich.


----------



## Ulenspiegel

Yes, Dumas is unique like Burroughs.


----------



## Huntn

*The Selling *(2011)- Description: _A too honest for his own good real estate agent learns how frightening the housing market can be when he tries to flip a haunted house. _Comedy Horror. Good laughs. 

0
83% at RT ​


----------



## Hrafn

“Sonic the hedgehog”.  I was aware of the game, but never played.  My youngest loved it.


----------



## DT

*The Player*
1992 | R | 2h 4m

One of Robert Altman's best, delicious black comedy about Hollywood, it's silly at time, shallow, like the industry it skewers, terrific performances all around, lots of fun with cameos.  The single take, nearly 8 minute opening is genius.  Holds up really well, even with some things being a product of its time (i.e., 1992).


----------



## DT

*The Usual Suspects*
1995 | R | 1h 46m

The less said the better, perhaps the best twist ending of all time (and yes, I'm considering The Sixth Sense), simple version of the plot from IMDB:  A sole survivor tells of the twisty events leading up to a horrific gun battle on a boat, which began when five criminals met at a seemingly random police lineup.

Fantastic, holds up well even with repeat viewings, spectacular cast, terrific writing, watched it with Daughter, she had such a great time with The Truman Show and the surprises, I figured this would be terrifically mind blowing, and she just flipped out in the best possible way.


----------



## DT

This looks solid, if for nothing else than the talent involved - I really like Jessie Buckley, and I'm a huge fan of Alex Garland (and A24 has been producing some stellar films).


----------



## Huntn

Since the Oscars are close, did anyone like *Power of the Dog* (2021)?
If so why? I’m not  against drama, but  I did not like it, and won’t  argue with anyone who calls the story a good one. I probably prefer him as Dr Strange.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> This looks solid, if for nothing else than the talent involved - I really like Jessie Buckley, and I'm a huge fan of Alex Garland (and A24 has been producing some stellar films).



Is this at the theater or streaming?


----------



## User.45

Watching Kimi from Soderbergh. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/11/1079849080/kimi-review-steven-soderbergh-zoe-kravitz






It's a little neo-noir masterpiece.


----------



## Edd

Huntn said:


> Since the Oscars are close, did anyone like *Power of the Dog* (2021)?
> If so why? I’m not  against drama, but  I did not like it, and won’t  argue with anyone who calls the story a good one. I probably prefer him as Dr Strange.
> 
> View attachment 11702​



Yeah, I liked it, in that it held my attention well.  The ending was a good payoff, I didn't see it coming.  I'd agree that the hype is a bit much, though.


----------



## Thomas Veil

P_X said:


> Watching Kimi from Soderbergh. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/11/1079849080/kimi-review-steven-soderbergh-zoe-kravitz
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's a little neo-noir masterpiece.



Funny, I was watching it at the same time—and I agree with your assessment. 

The first 30 minutes seem interminable, but once it gets going it’s thrilling. 

And now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got to go turn off location services.


----------



## Huntn

P_X said:


> Watching Kimi from Soderbergh. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/11/1079849080/kimi-review-steven-soderbergh-zoe-kravitz
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's a little neo-noir masterpiece.



On my list…


----------



## SuperMatt

I just watched Bigbug on Netflix. A French movie about a dystopian future where evil RoboCop lookalikes run everything. It’s not a very serious movie, and it has a unique colorful look. A fun watch.


----------



## User.45

Thomas Veil said:


> Funny, I was watching it at the same time—and I agree with your assessment.
> 
> The first 30 minutes seem interminable, but once it gets going it’s thrilling.
> 
> And now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got to go turn off location services.



What I really loved about the movie, and this is why I called it "little", is that it didn't try to oversell itself. It's a solid 90 minutes. Cliff Martinez did yet again a fantastic score. Reminded me of his Solaris soundtrack, but infused with 1950s McCarthy era paranoid noir. Even the colors were dulled to reflect that, and a lot of the tricks, like tilted camera angles, narrow hallways, intentionally blurry outlines of antagonists, and reduced frame rate chases to imitate a dream state etc. Such a competent movie.


----------



## Thomas Veil

Between this and movies like "No Sudden Move", it's almost like a return to the '70s when "Movie of the Week" went in for "little" films that were shorter and had TV-level stars and much smaller budgets. (Not that many of those were good, but there were a few great ones in there like "The Night Stalker" and "Brian's Song").

Now it's as if guys like Soderbergh are happy to make smaller, less splashy films for HBOMax and let the theaters have the huge, expensive, star-studded movies like "The Batman" and "Death on the Nile". And that works. As much as I liked "Kimi", I can't see the point of paying to see it on a huge screen in a theater.


----------



## User.45

Thomas Veil said:


> Between this and movies like "No Sudden Move", it's almost like a return to the '70s when "Movie of the Week" went in for "little" films that were shorter and had TV-level stars and much smaller budgets. (Not that many of those were good, but there were a few great ones in there like "The Night Stalker" and "Brian's Song").
> 
> Now it's as if guys like Soderbergh are happy to make smaller, less splashy films for HBOMax and let the theaters have the huge, expensive, star-studded movies like "The Batman" and "Death on the Nile". And that works. As much as I liked "Kimi", I can't see the point of paying to see it on a huge screen in a theater.



I think this is a reasonable business model (at least for me as the consumer). I haven't been in the movie theater since Prometheus (it was a major mistake watching it the day before an 8-hour exam..continuous flashbacks). To me watching scandinavian arthouse/independent cinema projected on my wall was more than enough.


----------



## Hrafn

Soul (2020) - IMDb
					

Soul: Directed by Pete Docter, Kemp Powers. With Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House. After landing the gig of a lifetime, a New York jazz pianist suddenly finds himself trapped in a strange land between Earth and the afterlife.




					www.imdb.com
				



Soul.  Pretty engaging.  I'll wait to give an opinion until we finish it.

Wow.  This was really good.


----------



## Huntn

No surprise here *Bladerunner *(1982), started a thread on it and will most likely watch *Bladerunner 2049* today. 

When you have a positive, emotional, enjoyable experience teleporting you away, watching a movie franchise, can you ever be happy when they turn it into a weekly TV series? Maybe, maybe not.









						Amazon Blade Runner Series - What We Know So Far
					

Blade Runner 2099 is officially headed to Amazon. Here is everything we know about the upcoming live-action series.




					www.looper.com
				




I did enjoy most of the *Netflix Marvel* series, some were really good such as *Jessica Jones*, *The Punisher*, and *Daredevil*, and only one of them, The Punisher had a previous movie I was vested in, *The Punisher * (2004) with Thomas Jane, but it kind of felt like a stand alone presentation. Jon Bernthal in some ways outdoes Thomas Jane if you are looking for grit.


​
*Jessica Jones * had a wonderful noir vibe. Netflix *Daredevil *was great, and it had been proceeded by a god aweful movie so a step up, not down. The Netflix versions were excellent, one of the keys here are avoiding 30 minute episodes, as I look at Disney and their continued trashing of StarWars (Yes, an arguable opinion )


----------



## fooferdoggie

just watched marry me not too bad. not outstanding but still. movie selection has not been great.


----------



## JayMysteri0

So, China got 'Fight Club', with of course a new ending.



> Fight Club gets a new ending in China - and the authorities win
> 
> 
> A new version of the movie available to Chinese audiences transforms the anarchist message of the original
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.theguardian.com









Or it did... or what was the frikkin' point of bringing back a movie after all this time?



> Original Fight Club ending restored in China after backlash
> 
> 
> ‘Dystopian’ reversal of 1999 cult film’s ending showed police winning out
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.theguardian.com


----------



## DT

Some great trailers released during the Superbowl!  Excited about both of these and tons of exciting theories and discussion just over the trailers


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Huntn said:


> Since the Oscars are close, did anyone like *Power of the Dog* (2021)?
> If so why? I’m not  against drama, but  I did not like it, and won’t  argue with anyone who calls the story a good one. I probably prefer him as Dr Strange.
> 
> View attachment 11702​




I watched it a while back and remember liking it.  Before I watched I heard a lot of people complaining it was too slow paced and in a way that helped my viewing experience in advance.  I also respected that almost constant air of tension.  You never quite knew how a situation was going to work itself out and I thought the revenge at the end was creative and satisfying.


----------



## DT

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> I watched it a while back and remember liking it.  Before I watched I heard a lot of people complaining it was too slow paced and in a way that helped my viewing experience in advance.  I also respected that almost constant air of tension.  You never quite knew how a situation was going to work itself out and I thought the revenge at the end was creative and satisfying.




It's up for a number of Academy awards, but it should, at the very least, win for score (Jonny Greenwood), though the Hans Zimmer Dune score is pretty stellar.

And I'm 98% sure Jane Campion is going to bring home the Best Director for it too.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

DT said:


> It's up for a number of Academy awards, but it should, at the very least, win for score (Jonny Greenwood), though the Hans Zimmer Dune score is pretty stellar.
> 
> And I'm 98% sure Jane Campion is going to bring home the Best Director for it too.





They should just create a new category, Best Score By Hans Zimmer, give him the award and remove him from the general score category.


----------



## Huntn

P_X said:


> Watching Kimi from Soderbergh. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/11/1079849080/kimi-review-steven-soderbergh-zoe-kravitz
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's a little neo-noir masterpiece.







Thomas Veil said:


> Funny, I was watching it at the same time—and I agree with your assessment.
> 
> The first 30 minutes seem interminable, but once it gets going it’s thrilling.
> 
> And now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got to go turn off location services.




*Kimi* (2022)- Wow!
It’s too short of a movie to take so long to set up, and then it’s over. Here’s a question, what does this movie and The Island have in common and how does this story surpass it? Only answer with spoiler shields.


----------



## Edd

Death to Smoochy is one of my favorite comedies. I had no idea it was a box office bomb. Recommend.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Edd said:


> Death to Smoochy is one of my favorite comedies. I had no idea it was a box office bomb. Recommend.




It takes a very specific personality type to like that movie.  Have you met the other 2 people yet?


----------



## Edd

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> It takes a very specific personality type to like that movie.  Have you met the other 2 people yet?



According to the vid I linked, it’s gained some cult appreciation over the years. I‘ve disliked many Robin Williams projects over the years but dark Robin Williams is the best Robin Williams. Edward Norton crushes it in that film too.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Edd said:


> According to the vid I linked, it’s gained some cult appreciation over the years. I‘ve disliked many Robin Williams projects over the years but dark Robin Williams is the best Robin Williams. Edward Norton crushes it in that film too.




I might have to revisit it.  I remember not really liking it.  I think there might have been a disconnect between assumptions based on who is in it, the trailer, and what the movie actually was.


----------



## Alli

Just finished The Selling. Really good spoof.


----------



## Citysnaps

Watching Coda right now.  So good! And funny.


----------



## Huntn

​
*Eternals* (2021)- I got interested when I learned the real agenda, but then got bored again. Some characters in this I liked, especially Kumail Nanjiani and Gemma Chan, but it was to long as compared to the entertainment quotient, and I did not like the approach to telling the story. One my areas of interest in this  are the difference between Celestials  and Eternals. For example Thanos is an Eternal  and Ego is a Celestial.









						Is Thanos a Deviant, an Eternal or a Celestial?
					

Thanos is certainly one of the most important characters in the Marvel universe, despite being a villain. His popularity was further increased via his role in




					fictionhorizon.com
				












						Here's Why Ego Calls Himself a "Celestial" in 'Guardians Vol. 2'
					

God, but with a "small g."




					www.inverse.com
				





​
*Venom: Let There Be Carnage* (2021)- Kinda of a crappy story, but good if you like gutter Marvel and Venom. I liked the humor element.  This did a better job of keeping me awake than Eternals.


----------



## Huntn

*Old Henry* (2021)- Outstanding conflict settled with guns western starring Tim Blake Nelson.


----------



## Hrafn

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) - IMDb
					

Raya and the Last Dragon: Directed by Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada, Paul Briggs, John Ripa. With Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan. In a realm known as Kumandra, a re-imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization, a warrior named Raya is determined to find the last dragon.




					www.imdb.com
				



Raya and the Last Dragon.  I liked it.  My family liked it.  Today is the 3rd and 4th time we've watched it.


----------



## Huntn

*Spider-Man 3* (2007)- The last of a great trilogy, the best Spider-Man trilogy, Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, Aunt May, New Goblin, Sandman, Venom, an outstanding non-funny Venom.



​


----------



## Huntn

*Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings* (2021)- Good story, outstanding martial arts in the Multi-verse. 

Direct tie-in to *Dr Strange and The Multiverse of Madness. *








						Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Movie, 2022) | Director, Cast, Release Date | Marvel
					

Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen. Directed by Sam Raimi. In theaters May 6, 2022.




					www.marvel.com
				











						Is Shang-Chi in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness?
					

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hit theaters on Thursday night, giving fans their first [...]




					comicbook.com
				






​


----------



## SuperMatt

Huntn said:


> *Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings* (2021)- Good story, outstanding martial arts in the Multi-verse.
> 
> Direct tie-in to *Dr Strange and The Multiverse of Madness. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Movie, 2022) | Director, Cast, Release Date | Marvel
> 
> 
> Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen. Directed by Sam Raimi. In theaters May 6, 2022.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.marvel.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Is Shang-Chi in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness?
> 
> 
> Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hit theaters on Thursday night, giving fans their first [...]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> comicbook.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 11872
> 
> View attachment 11873​



I really liked this too


----------



## Thomas Veil

I saw *“Daredevil”* (2003) for the first time the other day. I expected not to like it, because I never did buy the whole “heightened senses” premise of the character. I totally buy into their reality, just not that they’d enable you to jump off buildings and such.

To my surprise it was entertaining in spite of itself. I still think that whole sonar-sight explanation is a little far-fetched. But the movie had a likable story which didn’t involve the Fate of the Entire Universe.

A few too many echoes of Spider-Man (leaping from buildings and lampposts) and Batman (his _raison d’etre_), but Michael Clarke Duncan is all manner of cocky bad-assery as Kingpin. _And_ it had a cameo by the actor who played a memorable role, Mr. Cicero, Jerome Valeska’s blind dad, in _Gotham_.


----------



## Huntn

These days if you close your eyes and throw a dart at the entertainment dart board you’re going to hit a stinker. Oh, who am I kidding, it’s always been that way…

*Black Summer *(2019-) Another zombie series. This might not have been a stinker, but I’m still OD’d on Walking Dead.
*Sweet Girl *(2021)- vengeance story, just go with it, but it broke my suspension of disbelief.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> I saw *“Daredevil”* (2003) for the first time the other day. I expected not to like it, because I never did buy the whole “heightened senses” premise of the character. I totally buy into their reality, just not that they’d enable you to jump off buildings and such.
> 
> To my surprise it was entertaining in spite of itself. I still think that whole sonar-sight explanation is a little far-fetched. But the movie had a likable story which didn’t involve the Fate of the Entire Universe.
> 
> A few too many echoes of Spider-Man (leaping from buildings and lampposts) and Batman (his _raison d’etre_), but Michael Clarke Duncan is all manner of cocky bad-assery as Kingpin. _And_ it had a cameo by the actor who played a memorable role, Mr. Cicero, Jerome Valeska’s blind dad, in _Gotham_.



I loved Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Punisher, and Iron Fist  (Marvel TV on Netflix). Marvel was on a roll on this Network until Disney pulled the plug.

Edit: My mistake, you were referencing the Ben Affleck movie and this is the movie thread.  I think the Marvel series is better.


----------



## Alli

We watched The King’sman since it’s available on Hulu. It was a big disappointment after the first two movies. Very little humor, no special anything beyond the sword carried by the bad guy with a gun in the handle. Meh.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> *Black Summer *(2019-) Another zombie series. This might not have been a stinker, but I’m still OD’d on Walking Dead.




Black Summer is excellent, it's very visceral, it's just at the beginning of the outbreak, things happen fast (including insta-turn zombification), character come and go in the blink of an eye, it's the kind of chaos I'd expect.

A few quotes from various reviews I think do a good job of capturing the vibe:



> Also airing and arriving this weekend – _Black Summer_ (streams on Netflix) is back for a terrifying second season. The first batch was one of last year’s fine masterpieces of the horror/zombie-apocalypse genre. Don’t be gulled by “zombie apocalypse.” This ain’t_ The Walking Dead_ or any of its spinoffs. It’s formally brilliant, politically loaded, terse and mind-blowing. Stephen King took to Twitter to call it “Existential hell in the suburbs, stripped to the bone.”






> Black Summer is back, baby, and much like its harrowing, adrenaline-filled first season, it's still chock full of white-knuckle, bare-bones undead terror. In an era where The Walking Dead is unsteadily pushing past its 10th season, Black Summer has stealthily kept zombie TV ferociously fresh. It's no-frills, immersive fear, and anxiety. Minimalist without losing any spectacle. Impressive in both its fury and its quiet.






> Without question, in an oversaturated market, Black Summer is currently one of the best zombie entries across media in season 2 here, and a picture of what The Walking Dead has lost over the years, and something it can probably _never_ reach, given the formula it’s now locked into.


----------



## lizkat

Might be time to watch _*French Dispatch*_, I've been waiting for that to turn up as an online streaming option.  Noticed it's now on HBO Max,  so my weekend plans are starting to shape up.

Viewer-level reviews of this film could well be a mixed bag, which may or may not be surprising for a Wes Anderson movie,  but unless you are familiar with _The New Yorker_ magazine ( the pre- Tina Brown and pre- David Remnick version, the one of days long gone), you could do worse than have an orientation meeting first, via one of the professional critics.






						The French Dispatch movie review (2021) | Roger Ebert
					

It's strange that such a crowded, dazzling, visually-insistent film leaves so much space for free association, but it does.




					www.rogerebert.com
				



If you dislike the idea of reading a critic's review first (but it's hard to _spoil _any Wes Anderson movie... you can usually watch one of them twice and see 2 different flicks), here's the official trailer.


----------



## Edd

Quote eager to see The French Dispatch but wary of the glowing critics reviews because it seems a  similar situation to The Darjeeling Limited reviews. I like that film but I wouldn’t put it in the Wes Anderson top 3 but it’s often spoken of as his best.

Edit: I was tired last night. I didn’t mean Darjeeling Limited, I meant The Grand Budapest Hotel.


----------



## DT

Alli said:


> We watched The King’sman since it’s available on Hulu.




There's some good movies on Hulu right now, I put a bunch in our queue (we've seen these before but worth a rewatch):

Whiplash
Arctic
Glory
The Sisters Brothers
Leave No Trace

And as always, some fun horror movies, watched *The Deep House* the other night, a pretty straight forward haunted house tale, but it takes place almost entirely underwater, gives it a completely different and spooky vibe.  Also notable that it's written and directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, french filmmakers who've done some excellent horror like *Inside*, and probably the best of the non-original series / possible best sequel in general, Texas Chainsaw entries the 2017 *Leatherface*.


----------



## DT

Brining this over here from a political thread 



Thomas Veil said:


> Yes, it was one of the most godawful superhero movies ever released and has been the butt of jokes ever since it was released.




That was a reference to this movie:






Ugh, yeah, it's bad for MANY reasons, but I read something pretty funny the other day (in a discussion about the new Batman movie ...), the person posited that if you took Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman's character) from Batman and Robin - and in Batman Forever, replaced TLJ's Two-Face character (who was a horrific Riddler/Joker knockoff ...), the result would be a MUCH better movie.


----------



## DT

Oh, Westside Story, the new Spielberg film is available on D+.  Will queue that up for the weekend


----------



## Hrafn

Shadow in the Cloud (2020) - IMDb
					

Shadow in the Cloud: Directed by Roseanne Liang. With Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Beulah Koale, Taylor John Smith. A female WWII pilot traveling with top secret documents on a B-17 Flying Fortress encounters an evil presence on board the flight.




					www.imdb.com
				



Shadow in the Cloud.  Totally unbelievable, nothing unexpected, but fun regardless.


----------



## Thomas Veil

I caught *"Arrival"* (2016) on Hulu the other day and liked it. It's an intelligent sci-fi film, though there are a few gaps in logic re how fast Amy Adams picked up the aliens' language.

The next day I was watching _Morning Joe_ and noticed how the stylized O in their logo looks a little like the aliens' writing. 



DT said:


> Brining this over here from a political thread
> 
> 
> 
> That was a reference to this movie:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ugh, yeah, it's bad for MANY reasons, but I read something pretty funny the other day (in a discussion about the new Batman movie ...), the person posited that if you took Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman's character) from Batman and Robin - and in Batman Forever, replaced TLJ's Two-Face character (who was a horrific Riddler/Joker knockoff ...), the result would be a MUCH better movie.



I love the story about how Tommy Lee Jones _hated_ working with Jim Carrey because he thought Carrey was _way_ overplaying the role. It was still a better movie than "Batman and Robin", which reached heights of ridiculousness that made Adam West's version look like Robert Pattinson by comparison.

That scene where the Dynamic Duo, shot into the stratosphere in a rocket, blow off the doors and _surf _back down to the Earth's surface? I wish I could wipe the memory of that from my mind.


----------



## DT

Thomas Veil said:


> I caught *"Arrival"* (2016) on Hulu the other day and liked it. It's an intelligent sci-fi film, though there are a few gaps in logic re how fast Amy Adams picked up the aliens' language.




Because she already knew it, silly. 

Arrival is a masterful bit of science fiction, Denis Villeneuve can mostly do no wrong, and the source is pretty terrific  (Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang), but the movie, holy hell, it gets me every time, it really strikes a chord with me, and when Max Richter's  "On the Nature of Daylight" starts playing, that's it, I'm done.



Thomas Veil said:


> I love the story about how Tommy Lee Jones _hated_ working with Jim Carrey because he thought Carrey was _way_ overplaying the role. It was still a better movie than "Batman and Robin", which reached heights of ridiculousness that made Adam West's version look like Robert Pattinson by comparison.
> 
> *That scene where the Dynamic Duo, shot into the stratosphere in a rocket, blow off the doors and surf back down to the Earth's surface? I wish I could wipe the memory of that from my mind. *




Hahaha, holy hell, bold = really?

I don't even remember that, I guess I was able to actually purge it   I'm pretty sure I saw Batman and Robin only one time, I think I saw Batman Forever twice, originally way back when, and I fired it up after I watched the Val Kilmer doc (in the background, at my desk, while I was working ...)


----------



## DT

OMG, speaking of!









						The old Batman films now look like blockbusters from another dimension
					

Unlike Christopher Nolan’s mostly faithful comic-book adaptations, the first run of Batman movies don’t cater to the fans




					www.avclub.com


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> I caught *"Arrival"* (2016) on Hulu the other day and liked it. It's an intelligent sci-fi film, though there are a few gaps in logic re how fast Amy Adams picked up the aliens' language.
> 
> The next day I was watching _Morning Joe_ and noticed how the stylized O in their logo looks a little like the aliens' writing.
> 
> 
> I love the story about how Tommy Lee Jones _hated_ working with Jim Carrey because he thought Carrey was _way_ overplaying the role. It was still a better movie than "Batman and Robin", which reached heights of ridiculousness that made Adam West's version look like Robert Pattinson by comparison.
> 
> That scene where the Dynamic Duo, shot into the stratosphere in a rocket, blow off the doors and _surf _back down to the Earth's surface? I wish I could wipe the memory of that from my mind.






DT said:


> Because she already knew it, silly.
> 
> Arrival is a masterful bit of science fiction, Denis Villeneuve can mostly do no wrong, and the source is pretty terrific  (Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang), but the movie, holy hell, it gets me every time, it really strikes a chord with me, and when Max Richter's  "On the Nature of Daylight" starts playing, that's it, I'm done.
> 
> 
> 
> Hahaha, holy hell, bold = really?
> 
> I don't even remember that, I guess I was able to actually purge it   I'm pretty sure I saw Batman and Robin only one time, I think I saw Batman Forever twice, originally way back when, and I fired it up after I watched the Val Kilmer doc (in the background, at my desk, while I was working ...)




It’s been a while since I saw *Arrival*, but as I recall, it was exposure to the aliens that rewired our brains  regarding how we experience both time and reality. It’s an idea for the sake of the story, you just have to accept or you’re probably  not going to like it.. When a movie is as slow as this was, you have to be vested in the cerebral concept.  *Station Eleven *a slow story that I ended up loving, but it did not involve any difficult concept to accept.. 

As far as Villeneuve, he is a good director,  I liked *Arrival* but it’s not a favorite,  *Bladerunner 2049*, and was dissapointed in *Dune* which had great imagery, but included a combination of feeling flat with a heavy dose of oppressive, projection of what the future portends music. This could be because I knew the story and I made the projection, but it was still oppressive.  

He used a lot of background “mood” music in Bladerunner 2049, but there it did not bother me.


----------



## Arkitect

Saturday night we streamed…

*House of Gucci*

I'll give it a 6/10.

Ridley Scott is a most frustrating Director, IMHO. Hit and miss.

Anyway. House of Gucci is a miss.

Yeah, yeah, everyone's gaga over Lady Gaga. But even she was pretty meh.

The rest are godawful. The thickest fake Italian accents you can imagine. *Cringe*

A lot of rich (but not rich enough) monsters. And shit loads of bad taste.


----------



## Huntn

Arkitect said:


> Saturday night we streamed…
> 
> *House of Gucci*
> 
> I'll give it a 6/10.
> 
> Ridley Scott is a most frustrating Director, IMHO. Hit and miss.
> 
> Anyway. House of Gucci is a miss.
> 
> Yeah, yeah, everyone's gaga over Lady Gaga. But even she was pretty meh.
> 
> The rest are godawful. The thickest fake Italian accents you can imagine. *Cringe*
> 
> A lot of rich (but not rich enough) monsters. And shit loads of bad taste.



I‘ve been irritated with how he’s overseen the Aliens franchise, if he is the guy who oversees it, 2 hits out of 5.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> It’s an idea for the sake of the story [...]




Yeah, that's how films work   Particularly when it's science fiction, emphasis on fiction.


----------



## Huntn

*Shawshank Redemption *(1994)- Magnificent story telling, bombed at the box office, went on to be acclaimed.

​


----------



## Thomas Veil

​*“Murder by Decree” *(Xumo), a criminally underseen thriller in which Sherlock Holmes’ pursuit of Jack the Ripper leads to a conspiracy at high levels of British society. 

The solution is both amazing and bittersweet. And what a cast! Christopher Plummer, James Mason, David Hemmings, Susan Clark, Anthony Quayle, Sir John Gielgud, Frank Finlay, Donald Sutherland and Genevieve Bujold. 

And directed by Bob Clark. Yes, “A Christmas Story” and “Black Christmas” Bob Clark. 

Sadly, the only version I found available looks like a second generation VHS tape. Other than that, a definite *A*.


----------



## Alli

Just finished watching Vivarium. Very very strange, yet compelling movie. On Prime. I cannot really tell you what it’s about. Yes, it’s one of those. Giving anything of the plot is giving away the entire movie.


----------



## shadow puppet

Huntn said:


> *Shawshank Redemption *(1994)- Magnificent story telling, bombed at the box office, went on to be acclaimed.
> 
> View attachment 12226​



I've seen Shawshank 12 times.  It's one of my favorite films.  Stellar cast.  Tim Robbins studied theater at the same time as me at UCLA.  Even then we knew he was gifted.  He won UCLA's highest acting honor at the time.  Super funny, nice guy.


----------



## DT

shadow puppet said:


> I've seen Shawshank 12 times.  It's one of my favorite films.  Stellar cast.  Tim Robbins studied theater at the same time as me at UCLA.  Even then we knew he was gifted.  He won UCLA's highest acting honor at the time.  Super funny, nice guy.




Yeah, it's most likely in my Top 10 of all time.  It used to be one of those movies where if I came across it, didn't matter how much was left, I was all in.  Of course, now it's always available, any time.


----------



## Huntn

shadow puppet said:


> I've seen Shawshank 12 times.  It's one of my favorite films.  Stellar cast.  Tim Robbins studied theater at the same time as me at UCLA.  Even then we knew he was gifted.  He won UCLA's highest acting honor at the time.  Super funny, nice guy.



I read an article about the actors who were wanted or turned down the role: Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, maybe Paul Newman, but he strikes me at the time as being too old and iconic.  I can’t imagine anyone other than Robbins playing this character.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> I read an article about the actors who were wanted or turned down the role: Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, maybe Paul Newman, but he strikes me at the time as being too old and iconic.  I can’t imagine anyone other than Robbins playing this character.




Yeah, Tim Robbins has a perfect blend of boyish charm and restrained, underlying intensity, he's wide eyed while his gears area clearly turning, and then he added just a tiny amount of crazy to the performance.

At least Hanks would get to be in another pretty terrific Stephen King / Frank Darabont collaboration, that was even another prison movie, The Green Mile.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Yeah, Tim Robbins has a perfect blend of boyish charm and restrained, underlying intensity, he's wide eyed while his gears area clearly turning, and then he added just a tiny amount of crazy to the performance.
> 
> At least Hanks would get to be in another pretty terrific Stephen King / Frank Darabont collaboration, that was even another prison movie, The Green Mile.



After Salem’s Lot, The Shining, The Stand, The Mist, The Dead Zone, these two movies cemented in my perspective that this author is a highly creative, genius story teller.


----------



## DT

This looks so fun, premiers Friday on Disney+


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> This looks so fun, premiers Friday on Disney+
> 
> View attachment 12274



And my first impulse was hopefully this is not about a happy Russian fox…


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

DT said:


> And as always, some fun horror movies, watched *The Deep House* the other night, a pretty straight forward haunted house tale, but it takes place almost entirely underwater, gives it a completely different and spooky vibe.  Also notable that it's written and directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, french filmmakers who've done some excellent horror like *Inside*, and probably the best of the non-original series / possible best sequel in general, Texas Chainsaw entries the 2017 *Leatherface*.




I’ll give it credit for originality, but I thought there was way too much unneeded dialogue and phoning it in, and I don’t think it has to do with almost the entire movie being under water. A lot of the dialogue felt like they were just trying to fill space, and the ending exposition just felt rushed and poorly acted.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Arkitect said:


> Saturday night we streamed…
> 
> *House of Gucci*
> 
> I'll give it a 6/10.
> 
> Ridley Scott is a most frustrating Director, IMHO. Hit and miss.
> 
> Anyway. House of Gucci is a miss.
> 
> Yeah, yeah, everyone's gaga over Lady Gaga. But even she was pretty meh.
> 
> The rest are godawful. The thickest fake Italian accents you can imagine. *Cringe*
> 
> A lot of rich (but not rich enough) monsters. And shit loads of bad taste.





The only reason I want to see this is because I've heard the accents are over the top hilarious and offensive.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> And my first impulse was hopefully this is not about a happy Russian fox…




Nope, Panda, and the lead character (and much of the cast) is Asian 

Plus it has James Hong so it's automatically awesome.


----------



## Apple fanboy

Huntn said:


> *Shawshank Redemption *(1994)- Magnificent story telling, bombed at the box office, went on to be acclaimed.
> 
> View attachment 12226​



Great film. I watched Alcatraz last night for the first time in years. Another good prison film.


----------



## Arkitect

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> The only reason I want to see this is because I've heard the accents are over the top hilarious and offensive.



And they are.
It's truly a horror show of Eyetalian speaking-a like-a dis-a… capisce?


----------



## Thomas Veil

*"The King's Man"* (HBO), for my money the best of the three movies. For the most part it manages to entertain with action while restraining itself from the ridiculously cartoonish violence of the previous movies. It manages to insert our heroes at virtually every inflection point in the First World War and somehow make it all seem (barely) plausible--and it makes you care about the characters more than the previous movies as well.

Nice work. I give this one an A-.


----------



## lizkat

Arkitect said:


> Saturday night we streamed…
> 
> *House of Gucci*
> 
> I'll give it a 6/10.
> 
> Ridley Scott is a most frustrating Director, IMHO. Hit and miss.
> 
> Anyway. House of Gucci is a miss.
> 
> Yeah, yeah, everyone's gaga over Lady Gaga. But even she was pretty meh.
> 
> The rest are godawful. The thickest fake Italian accents you can imagine. *Cringe*
> 
> A lot of rich (but not rich enough) monsters. And shit loads of bad taste.




I've been known to say I'll watch anything with Jeremy Irons in it at least once,  but that was awhile ago and I might let this one pass me by.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Yeah, that's how films work  Particularly when it's science fiction, emphasis on fiction.



Some stories are harder to accept than others. Time paradoxes have hurdles they have to overcome any personal bias. And just because you figure out how an alien bran perceives time and reality in a different way than you, does not mean your brain, because you thought about it would rewire itself and poof the human race magically throws a switch their heads. I guess is the premise is, the capacity was always there, but a trigger, meeting aliens, was required to make it happen.


----------



## Huntn

lizkat said:


> I've been known to say I'll watch anything with Jeremy Irons in it at least once,  but that was awhile ago and I might let this one pass me by.



After seeing Jared Leo stunning in Bladerunner 2049, I’d like to see him perform with all that makeup on.


----------



## Arkitect

lizkat said:


> I've been known to say I'll watch anything with Jeremy Irons in it at least once,  but that was awhile ago and I might let this one pass me by.



Actually out of a bad bunch, he wasn't all that bad.

Now, Al Pacino? Jared Leto? Yikes! Caricature acting at its worst.


----------



## Arkitect

Huntn said:


> After seeing Jared Leo stunning in Bladerunner 2049, I’d like to see him perform with all that makeup on.



_Perform_ is definitely the operative word here.


----------



## DT

@Huntn Shouldn't you be drinking pina coladas and jumping off cliffs ...


----------



## SuperMatt

Arkitect said:


> Actually out of a bad bunch, he wasn't all that bad.
> 
> Now, Al Pacino? Jared Leto? Yikes!



Not a fan of either of them. Pacino is the same over-the-top character in every movie, and Leto somehow made the Joker boring.


----------



## Arkitect

SuperMatt said:


> Not a fan of either of them. Pacino is the same over-the-top character in every movie, and Leto somehow made the Joker boring.



100% Agree.
Never understood the fuss around Jared Leto.
Al Pacino, apart from The Godfather trilogy, not much comes to mind.


----------



## DT

The Feast
2021 | 1h 33m | <not rated>

A wealthy family has a dinner party at its home in the Welsh mountains, hosting a local businessman and farmer who hope to broker a business deal. A mysterious young woman arrives to be the family's waitress, and things begin to unravel.

It's fun, it's a nice slow burn, great performances, terrific social commentary, and *the dialog is in Welsh* (obv. with subs provided).


----------



## DT

Arkitect said:


> Al Pacino, apart from The Godfather trilogy, not much comes to mind.




Heat
Dog Day Afternoon
Serpico
Carlito's Way
Scarface
Glengarry Glen Ross

I agree he kind of became a caricature of himself, with the HOOO AHHH, and the scenery chewing insanity of movies like The Devil’s Advocate, but he's had some good runs, and his pre-90s stuff is mostly pretty fantastic.


----------



## DT

Wait, Godfather trilogy?  You must be mistaken, there are only two films in that series ...


----------



## lizkat

DT said:


> Wait, Godfather trilogy?  You must be mistaken, there are only two films in that series ...




Laughing  enough to spill my tea...  because two hours ago I was refreshing the on-laptop stock of my purchased films and elected to put only the first two of the Godfather back on the drive. 

 I admit the third one grew on me a little bit after seeing it a couple times, but it remains pale in light of the first two.


----------



## DT

lizkat said:


> Laughing  enough to spill my tea...  because two hours ago I was refreshing the on-laptop stock of my purchased films and elected to put only the first two of the Godfather back on the drive.
> 
> I admit the third one grew on me a little bit after seeing it a couple times, but it remains pale in light of the first two.






Have you seen the newly edited 3rd film? I guess the official name is:  *The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone*






						The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone movie review (2020) | Roger Ebert
					

Overall, it’s a version that feels even more elegiac—a true coda instead of just another part of the same story.




					www.rogerebert.com
				












						How ‘The Godfather Coda’ Allows Francis Ford Coppola to Redefine His Biggest Disappointment
					

Francis Ford Coppola’s new edit of “The Godfather Part III” adds crucial new context and redeems Sofia Coppola’s notorious performance.




					www.indiewire.com
				




Sounds like an improvement, we're going to give it a shot some time. From the second review above:

_I’m happy to report that my saint-like charity and/or ignorance was duly rewarded. Whether it’s because of the subtle (but significant) alterations that Coppola has made to the movie, the relative lack of baggage that I brought to the movie, or some combination of the two, “The Godfather Coda” is a far more poignant capstone to the Corleone saga than “The Godfather Part III” has ever been widely considered; it’s often gripping, sometimes masterful, and almost never betrays its history as the work of a wayward giant scrambling back toward respectability after a long decade lost in the wilderness._


----------



## lizkat

DT said:


> Have you seen the newly edited 3rd film? I guess the official name is:  *The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone movie review (2020) | Roger Ebert
> 
> 
> Overall, it’s a version that feels even more elegiac—a true coda instead of just another part of the same story.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.rogerebert.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> How ‘The Godfather Coda’ Allows Francis Ford Coppola to Redefine His Biggest Disappointment
> 
> 
> Francis Ford Coppola’s new edit of “The Godfather Part III” adds crucial new context and redeems Sofia Coppola’s notorious performance.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.indiewire.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sounds like an improvement, we're going to give it a shot some time. From the second review above:
> 
> _I’m happy to report that my saint-like charity and/or ignorance was duly rewarded. Whether it’s because of the subtle (but significant) alterations that Coppola has made to the movie, the relative lack of baggage that I brought to the movie, or some combination of the two, “The Godfather Coda” is a far more poignant capstone to the Corleone saga than “The Godfather Part III” has ever been widely considered; it’s often gripping, sometimes masterful, and almost never betrays its history as the work of a wayward giant scrambling back toward respectability after a long decade lost in the wilderness._




Haven't seen it yet, but I will.     Coppola can't leave anything alone, can he.   He gets away with it because his tinkering usually turns up an improvement.


----------



## DT

Since we're on the topic of the Godfather films, have you seen The Godfather Saga?  It's  I and II combined into a single film that presents them chronologically (as well as adding some additional footage).  So it opens with Vito as a child  in Corleone, Sicily (the opening of 2).

Hahaha, funny enough I almost made a Godfather reference just the other day in the trump plane going down thread, someone mentioned the pilots, I was going to say, well, someone needs to pull a Rocco Lampone ...


----------



## Arkitect

lizkat said:


> Laughing  enough to spill my tea...  because two hours ago I was refreshing the on-laptop stock of my purchased films and elected to put only the first two of the Godfather back on the drive.
> 
> I admit the third one grew on me a little bit after seeing it a couple times, but it remains pale in light of the first two.



Well you can obviously tell I'm no movie connoisseur. 



DT said:


> Wait, Godfather trilogy?  You must be mistaken, there are only two films in that series ...


----------



## lizkat

Arkitect said:


> Well you can obviously tell I'm no movie connoisseur.




Me either...  I put some of the Godfather films back onto my laptop after having read some NYT piece that was talking about Coppola's revisiting the original of the series,  this more of a restoration to be billed as the 50th anniversary release,  due in theatres toay and to home video on March 22.   Just curious to see some of the stuff Coppola and his interviewer were discussing in that piece.    About contrast and intentional near-underexposure and so forth.









						Restoring ‘The Godfather’ to Its Original (Still Dark) Glory
					

Francis Ford Coppola discusses a repaired 50th-anniversary edition of his classic, one that aims to be as vivid — and shadowy — as it was in 1972.




					www.nytimes.com


----------



## Pumbaa

*The Batman* (2022). Surprisingly fresh despite being yet another reboot.

I think I approve of most things they tried to do with it. Heck, most of them even worked out well enough, just one thing I would totally have vetoed.

Probably not necessary to watch this one on the big screen, though.


----------



## DT

DT said:


> The Feast
> 2021 | 1h 33m | <not rated>
> 
> A wealthy family has a dinner party at its home in the Welsh mountains, hosting a local businessman and farmer who hope to broker a business deal. A mysterious young woman arrives to be the family's waitress, and things begin to unravel.
> 
> It's fun, it's a nice slow burn, great performances, terrific social commentary, and *the dialog is in Welsh* (obv. with subs provided).





Oh yeah, it takes place [mostly] in this house:









						Life House / Tŷ Bywyd // John Pawson - Architizer Journal
					

Llanbister, United Kingdom




					architizer.com
				




It’s amazing.

It’s also the house used in pretty decent horror film, You Should Have Left, starring Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> @Huntn Shouldn't you be drinking pina coladas and jumping off cliffs ...



What do you think we did today?  Actually today was the dreaded arm twisting to buy a time share, not all day, but longer than I would have liked when my wife ganged up on me with the sales
lady.  Glad to report I resisted, but more on this in another thread.


----------



## Hrafn

“The Adam Project”.  Fun time travel film with Ryan Reynolds playing Ryan Reynolds.


----------



## DT

Hrafn said:


> “The Adam Project”.  Fun time travel film with Ryan Reynolds playing Ryan Reynolds.




We'll probably toss this on sometime this weekend, looks like lightweight fun, the director, who also directed Free Guy (starring RR), is signed up to direct Deadpool 3.

or D3adpool ? 

or maybe Deadpool:  Rise of Wilson ?? 

Definitely want to watch *Turning Red* this weekend too, the new Pixar on D+


----------



## Thomas Veil

DT said:


> Definitely want to watch *Turning Red* this weekend too, the new Pixar on D+



I'm hyped for the sequel, "Turning Japanese". 

I _think_ it's "Turning Japanese". I really think so.


----------



## Edd

Thomas Veil said:


> I'm hyped for the sequel, "Turning Japanese".
> 
> I _think_ it's "Turning Japanese". I really think so.



Gonna need an eyeroll emoji over here.


----------



## shadow puppet

Hrafn said:


> “The Adam Project”.  Fun time travel film with Ryan Reynolds playing Ryan Reynolds.



I've added this to my watch list.  Looks like a fun escapism romp flick.


----------



## Eric

shadow puppet said:


> I've added this to my watch list.  Looks like a fun escapism romp flick.



I was pleasantly surprised at how good this movie is, it's one of the better movies Netflix has come out with all year IMO.


----------



## DT

William Hurt, Star of 'Body Heat' and 'Broadcast News,' Dead at 71
					

Oscar-winning Kiss of the Spider Woman actor died of natural causes, his family announced Sunday




					www.rollingstone.com
				




Put Broadcast News into our queue, watching tonight


----------



## Citysnaps

DT said:


> William Hurt, Star of 'Body Heat' and 'Broadcast News,' Dead at 71
> 
> 
> Oscar-winning Kiss of the Spider Woman actor died of natural causes, his family announced Sunday
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.rollingstone.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Put Broadcast News into our queue, watching tonight



Tonight we’re watching Gorki Park, an excellent WH movie from the early ‘80s.  With Lee Marvin, too.


----------



## Edd

I am fond of Broadcast News. I think my favorite William Hurt performance is in The Big Chill. Unless I’m forgetting, he rarely played a funny guy, and he was funny in that.


----------



## lizkat

Edd said:


> I am fond of Broadcast News. I think my favorite William Hurt performance is in The Big Chill. Unless I’m forgetting, he rarely played a funny guy, and he was funny in that.




Love *Broadcast News* for introducing me to the now iconic French singer songwriter Francis Cabrel.

As for William Hurt,  may he rest in peace.


----------



## Huntn

*12 Years A Slave* (2013)- This is a really brutal story, ok all slavery stories are brutal, one of the few with a “happy ending”.  But the injustices, cruelty, abuses, coming from the owners who are seriously flawed, and can inflict such harm without guilt. It makes you wonder how humans could keep hope and maintain the will to survive, but the will to survive is strong, not that I am an authority on being strong under such circumstances.

Most sickening is the portrayal of hypocrite owners reading the Bible to their property, which seems to be an excellent example of religion twisted to rationalize whatever you want it to, kind of like Trump and his supporters and their self serving, slash and burn one-way, hypocrite politics.  
_This post could not appear at MRs._


----------



## Huntn

citypix said:


> Tonight we’re watching Gorki Park, an excellent WH movie from the early ‘80s.  With Lee Marvin, too.



I remember this being a best seller, and I read it and  saw the movie, I’m foggy, but I remember a murder investigation/thriller in Moscow. Maybe I should dig it up.


----------



## Huntn

Hrafn said:


> “The Adam Project”.  Fun time travel film with Ryan Reynolds playing Ryan Reynolds.



*The Adam Project *(2022 Netflix)- Enjoyable, creative story, good action, good music, a time travel story you don’t have to think about. Possibly my favorite Ryan Reynolds movie. 

​


----------



## Arkitect

Huntn said:


> The Adam Project (2022 Netflix)- Enjoyable, creative story, good action, good music, a time travel *story you don’t have to think about*. Possibly my favorite Ryan Reynolds movie.
> 
> ​



Now where is the fun in that?



Most TV fodder these days require zero thinking…


----------



## Huntn

Arkitect said:


> Now where is the fun in that?
> 
> 
> 
> Most TV fodder these days require zero thinking…



Actually it’s almost a relief. 
Thinking results in:

We know there is relative time travel moving forward.
We don’t know of a mechanism that can take us backwards, but every serious scenario involves either a paradox or a split in the time line, ie the multiverse.
…which becomes an inconvenience to story tellers until the likes of Marvel or Disney turn to magic (a gauntlet or a Time Line Bureau) to reconcile the paradoxes to get the story told as they see fit.
However, Quantum rules do seem to make the idea more plausible, at least on some level where particles can be basically everywhere at once. 
?


----------



## Huntn

Delete


----------



## DT

Arkitect said:


> Now where is the fun in that?




Enjoy ... 









						Primer (2004) - IMDb
					

Primer: Directed by Shane Carruth. With Shane Carruth, David Sullivan, Casey Gooden, Anand Upadhyaya. Four friends/fledgling entrepreneurs, knowing that there's something bigger and more innovative than the different error-checking devices they've built, wrestle over their new invention.




					www.imdb.com
				




... and here's a graph for support 



			https://external-preview.redd.it/9-ealKScyXQabi0Y20HJZrm41GmNXTeLPJ3NB8yWDAo.jpg?auto=webp&s=c117deefec6661dd329c736f791c38a7e9070c9a


----------



## Thomas Veil

​*"Support Your Local Sheriff!"* and its sequel *"Support Your Local Gunfighter"* (Prime), a pair of comedies in which James Garner is at the zenith of his easy-going, wisecracking persona. In the first film he takes a temporary job as town sheriff and runs up against a gang of outlaws; in the second he's a gigolo who makes the mistake of impersonating an infamous killer.

Great troupe of character actors in these films: Jack Elam, Harry Morgan, Bruce Dern, Walter Brennan, Henry Jones, Suzanne Pleshette, John Dehner and others.

Don't miss the scene midway through "Sheriff" where Garner stops a stampeding gang of ruffians on horseback without bothering to get up from his chair. Brilliant sight gag.


----------



## Huntn

​
*Ghostbusters: Afterlife* (2021)- When I first saw the title, on an airplane, terrible sound quality, the trailer did not impress me. I had low hopes, I think because how could they possibly match the original, and almost refused to watch it. But since the wife forced my hand and rented it,  I sat down and was immediately drawn in. It’s not a great movie, but it is a fun, nostalgic movie with many of the original stars, including a CGI’d Harold Ramis. This was directed by Jason Reitman, I’ll assume Ivan Reitman’s son and it is a worthy sequel.

Then there is Carrie Coon she has a way of speaking such that *The Gilded Age* kept flashing in my brain, somewhat interfering with her performance here, and I always like Paul Rudd, the somewhat delinquent scientist, school teacher and good performances by the kids.  Watch the post credits.


----------



## DT

@Huntn 

Yeah, we've been waiting for this to hit a cheap rental or free on our services, seems like most people had your reaction.  That it's fun, some nice nostalgic moments for those of us who grew up on the originals, some really likable actors - and it has sort of a sweet metacontextualness with the son/father director story.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> @Huntn
> 
> Yeah, we've been waiting for this to hit a cheap rental or free on our services, seems like most people had your reaction.  That it's fun, some nice nostalgic moments for those of us who grew up on the originals, some really likable actors - and it has sort of a sweet metacontextualness with the son/father director story.



We  paid $5.99 Vudu.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> We  paid $5.99 Vudu.




Hahaha, yeah, I'll only pay $2 or less    I have this odd frugality about some stuff, yet I'm sort of who cares about other things.  Who knows ...

Semi-recently I was scoring amazing deals from Redbox, we had a player downstairs (PS4P),  the Redbox at the grocery right down the street (where I could at least return if I didn't rent it there).  It was usually a $1.25 off, so like $0.81 (OTD) for a Blu-Ray rental which is hard to beat.   The Pubs pulled the box, so that makes is a little more of a PITA, so I usually just wait for a cheap streaming rental, because __everything__ winds up free at some point.  Plus, the PS4P migrated up to the extra bedroom for the little G, I have a nice Sony BD player in the gear closet, I guess I pull that out if I was super inclined to rent one.


----------



## lizkat

DT said:


> Hahaha, yeah, I'll only pay $2 or less    I have this odd frugality about some stuff, yet I'm sort of who cares about other things.  Who knows ...
> 
> Semi-recently I was scoring amazing deals from Redbox, we had a player downstairs (PS4P),  the Redbox at the grocery right down the street (where I could at least return if I didn't rent it there).  It was usually a $1.25 off, so like $0.81 (OTD) for a Blu-Ray rental which is hard to beat.   The Pubs pulled the box, so that makes is a little more of a PITA, so I usually just wait for a cheap streaming rental, because __everything__ winds up free at some point.  Plus, the PS4P migrated up to the extra bedroom for the little G, I have a nice Sony BD player in the gear closet, I guess I pull that out if I was super inclined to rent one.




As a result of getting used to not paying per view because of plenty of options in some streaming subs, I too have gotten sticker shock or worse at the idea of shelling out for a PPV or limited-time rental at all.  I flipped my Netflix from DVD to streaming back when Apple yanked the optical drives out of their newer machines, even though I had no immediate need to update my gear.

You're right that eventually everything turns up on the net, _*maybe*_ not free (yet, in all genres) but they do show up in some venue I either have a sub to or can usually just churn into for a little while.

Funny how even five years ago I was still moaning about Apple having pulled the OD out of the laptops. Now I only moan when someone mentions a flick I know I have on DVD and I regard it a PITA to walk across the room, locate the thing and then boot one of the laptops that can still play it.


----------



## Clix Pix

A while back when I bought something, Apple provided me with a free subscription to Apple TV+ and then they extended it for a longer period.  During that entire time I never got around to watching anything so eventually canceled the subscription when the fees began kicking in.   Sure, $4.99/ month is a bargain if one watches a lot of movies and TV shows/series, but if they don't, as I seem not to do, it's throwing that money out the window and getting nothing.  So of course what happens?  Apple brings out this film that I really want to see and in the old days I could simply rent it via iTunes, but apparently that isn't possible any more;  one has to have the Apple TV+ subscription now.    Sigh....   I think I will look through the catalog and see what else is available and try to watch that before once again canceling the subscription.


----------



## Edd

Clix Pix said:


> A while back when I bought something, Apple provided me with a free subscription to Apple TV+ and then they extended it for a longer period.  During that entire time I never got around to watching anything so eventually canceled the subscription when the fees began kicking in.   Sure, $4.99/ month is a bargain if one watches a lot of movies and TV shows/series, but if they don't, as I seem not to do, it's throwing that money out the window and getting nothing.  So of course what happens?  Apple brings out this film that I really want to see and in the old days I could simply rent it via iTunes, but apparently that isn't possible any more;  one has to have the Apple TV+ subscription now.    Sigh....   I think I will look through the catalog and see what else is available and try to watch that before once again canceling the subscription.



You've never tried Ted Lasso?


----------



## lizkat

Clix Pix said:


> A while back when I bought something, Apple provided me with a free subscription to Apple TV+ and then they extended it for a longer period.  During that entire time I never got around to watching anything so eventually canceled the subscription when the fees began kicking in.   Sure, $4.99/ month is a bargain if one watches a lot of movies and TV shows/series, but if they don't, as I seem not to do, it's throwing that money out the window and getting nothing.  So of course what happens?  Apple brings out this film that I really want to see and in the old days I could simply rent it via iTunes, but apparently that isn't possible any more;  one has to have the Apple TV+ subscription now.    Sigh....   I think I will look through the catalog and see what else is available and try to watch that before once again canceling the subscription.




I use the website Just Watch to find where stuff is rentable or can be streamed under a subscription.





__





						JustWatch - The Streaming Guide for Movies and TV Shows
					

Find out what to watch & where to watch movies and TV Shows online with JustWatch - The Streaming Guide




					www.justwatch.com
				




Can just stick the movie title into their search bar.


----------



## Clix Pix

Edd said:


> You've never tried Ted Lasso?



Nope!  Just from the descriptions I've seen, I don't think that series would appeal to me.....

There is a crime series that I think it's the brilliant actress Octavia Spencer stars in (?) that I've been kind of interested in so am thinking of checking that out.    

For a while I just ignored everything available on Apple TV+   but over the next few weeks I'm going to be checking in and seeing what is appealing to me that I would actually enjoy watching now that I'm signed up again....

Liz, thanks for that link to the rentals or free views, too,  as I suspect that could be very useful to me.  I have a long list of movies that I've always wanted to see but somehow never got around to viewing at the time of their popularity....now is as good a time as any!


----------



## DT

Clix Pix said:


> Liz, thanks for that link to the rentals or free views, too,  as I suspect that could be very useful to me.  I have a long list of movies that I've always wanted to see but somehow never got around to viewing at the time of their popularity....now is as good a time as any!




If you register, you can also setup what services you have, so the filters have a little more context.  I use it on the web and as an app, super handy!


----------



## Clix Pix

Usually I watch a lot of movies in the winter but this year I didn't for some reason.....and now with nice weather eventually coming chances are that I'll be sitting out on my deck in the evenings and not in the house watching films.

I should go ahead and register for that site, and then I'll be good to go when I'm in the mood to watch something.  That is handy to be able to set up the app and the web site so that filters have more context and such.  Thanks!


----------



## Huntn

*Nightmare Alley* (2021)- Watch this if you want to see good portrayals in the throughly depressing film noir  story that drags. 1940, a carnival, a huckster. It has atmosphere If you can stay awake, yet atmosphere does not a story make.  Someone said there is a payoff at the ending, but the payoff was not worth the time invested  imo. Note, it really flopped at the box office.

Today my impression is that film noir primarily appeals to older people, but I think if the story was good enough, maybe, and consider it is competing with Marvel, science fiction, and fantasy. It had better be a damned compelling narrative, something like Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon or even Dixon Hill.  Of course those gets thumbs up. First time I watch the MF  was in college.


----------



## DT

@Huntn 

Yeah, for classic film noir, just work through the Billy Wilder and John Houston catalogs 

Modern movies (but still period), probably doesn't get any better than L.A. Confidential, and some really cool modern takes on the genre (kind pushing into neo-noir):  Momento, Brick, The Last Seduction, and you can really make a case for movies like Usual Suspects, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, having some of the same DNA


----------



## Citysnaps

DT said:


> @Huntn
> 
> Yeah, for classic film noir, just work through the Billy Wilder and John Houston catalogs
> 
> Modern movies (but still period), probably doesn't get any better than L.A. Confidential, and some really cool modern takes on the genre (kind pushing into neo-noir):  Momento, Brick, The Last Seduction, and you can really make a case for movies like Usual Suspects, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, having some of the same DNA




Speaking of John Huston, that reminds me it's time to watch Chinatown again.

Brian DePalma's The Black Dahlia is another great flick.


----------



## SuperMatt

I just noticed they added Blade Runner 2049 to Netflix. Looking forward to checking it out this weekend!


----------



## lizkat

citypix said:


> Speaking of John Huston, that reminds me it's time to watch Chinatown again.




Love _*Chinatown*_, somewhere there's a DVD of it right in this room.   But I do want to boot up the old MBP to watch it?  Probably not...   so HBO Max sub comes to the rescue, it's streaming there.


----------



## DT

lizkat said:


> Love _*Chinatown*_, somewhere there's a DVD of it right in this room.   But I do want to boot up the old MBP to watch it?  Probably not...   so HBO Max sub comes to the rescue, it's streaming there.




Wow, it looks really fantastic too.  The notes/description (on HBOMax) don't indicate any kind of XX Anniversary remastering or such, but it definitely looks much better vs. the last time I recall seeing it.


----------



## JayMysteri0

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1509371311222452226/


----------



## DT

Hahaha, JFC, yeah, it's trending pretty bad.

I don't even belong to the No Jareds Club or anything, but he does seem to continuously give me a headache ...


----------



## DT

Oh wow, the press tour for Thor: Love and Thunder has started ... but still no trailer!  People are assuming this will drop very soon, otherwise, every presser will just be asking about it ...


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Oh wow, the press tour for Thor: Love and Thunder has started ... but still no trailer!  People are assuming this will drop very soon, otherwise, every presser will just be asking about it ...



No trailer means no release to me, at least not soon. I’ve seen trailers 12 months prior to release.


----------



## DT

Some people are suggesting that this photo from Chris Hemsworth's IG (Taika Waititi left, Tessa Thompson right):





Is a "coded" message about the trailer release date   i.e., from left to right 11, 4, 22, like a date, 11/04/2022, April 11 ...

Hahaha, that's a bit of a reach, but I do see Marvel hasn't made any changes to the July 8, 2022 release date, and Taika Waititi was quoted saying something like, "Oh, there are some minor reshoots, but we'll be done ...", like done in time?  The problem with moving the movie is it moves their whole schedule around since they have a very specific release timeline.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Some people are suggesting that this photo from Chris Hemsworth's IG (Taika Waititi left, Tessa Thompson right):
> 
> View attachment 13024
> 
> Is a "coded" message about the trailer release date   i.e., from left to right 11, 4, 22, like a date, 11/04/2022, April 11 ...
> 
> Hahaha, that's a bit of a reach, but I do see Marvel hasn't made any changes to the July 8, 2022 release date, and Taika Waititi was quoted saying something like, "Oh, there are some minor reshoots, but we'll be done ...", like done in time?  The problem with moving the movie is it moves their whole schedule around since they have a very specific release timeline.



Or 2, 7, 22, where 7 is the month, but I’ll buy 11 too, or the middle is an 8.


----------



## Edd

Wow, I did not know this July was the release date on the next Thor. That is great news, sincerely.


----------



## Huntn

Thomas Veil said:


> Between this and movies like "No Sudden Move", it's almost like a return to the '70s when "Movie of the Week" went in for "little" films that were shorter and had TV-level stars and much smaller budgets. (Not that many of those were good, but there were a few great ones in there like "The Night Stalker" and "Brian's Song").
> 
> Now it's as if guys like Soderbergh are happy to make smaller, less splashy films for HBOMax and let the theaters have the huge, expensive, star-studded movies like "The Batman" and "Death on the Nile". And that works. As much as I liked "Kimi", I can't see the point of paying to see it on a huge screen in a theater.



Just finished *Death on the Nile* , both the spouse and I enjoyed it.  I guessed it from the start, really. 
This seemed different than other Agatha Christy stories although I am not well read on her stories, but instead of spending good portion of the movie figuring out who did it, here there was an active killer. 

Critics  hammered it’s CGI. At best I can say they attempted to give it a stylized look as n happening 90 years ago.








						A scene from Death on the Nile has gone viral for its terrible CGI
					

A scene from Death on the Nile has caused waves online - because people are cracking up over its terrible CGI.The murder mystery based on the Agatha Christie novel recently hit Hulu after being long-delayed. It features a rather problematic cast with the likes of Armie Hammer, Gal Gadot, Russel...




					www.indy100.com


----------



## Cmaier

Huntn said:


> Just finished *Death on the Nile* , both the spouse and I enjoyed it. I guessed it from the start, really.
> This seemed different than other Agatha Christy stories although I am not well read on her stories, but instead of spending good portion of the movie figuring out who did it, here there was an active killer.
> 
> Critics  hammered it’s CGI. At best I can say they attempted to give it a stylized look as n happening 90 years ago.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A scene from Death on the Nile has gone viral for its terrible CGI
> 
> 
> A scene from Death on the Nile has caused waves online - because people are cracking up over its terrible CGI.The murder mystery based on the Agatha Christie novel recently hit Hulu after being long-delayed. It features a rather problematic cast with the likes of Armie Hammer, Gal Gadot, Russel...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.indy100.com



I liked it. You may want to check out Murder on the Orient Express from a couple years back. Some of the same cast.


----------



## DT

*The Night House*
2020 | R | 1h 47m
Horror

_As the clues mount, Bruckner doles out scares in mounting intensity, a template for haunted-house movies dating at least back to 1944’s The Uninvited. It’s skillfully executed enough to make The Night House worth a look on technical merit alone, turning every corner of a luxurious lake house into a site of deep dread. But what’s memorable is the film’s interest in exploring ideas deeper than how scary it might be to be unexpectedly alone and seemingly surrounded by malevolent specters. _

Really solid, beautifully filmed, solid performances, creepy, it's a study of grief, loneliness, despair, psychological horror, a ghost story, it's a slow burn that creates an increasing sense of dread, some fun twists and turns, and a pretty powerful ending.  Currently on HBOMAX.


----------



## DT




----------



## Edd

DT said:


> View attachment 13165



3 hours, tho, fucking why?


----------



## lizkat

Catching a few Disney films before an experimental signup goes away,   Today on a coffee break (well a rain break, dammit,  from the pre-gardening chores outside),  I've transported myself to the Pacific via a watch of some of National Geographic series _*Wild Hawaii*_.   Gorgeous greenery compared to the still browned-off turf around these parts, even if recent rainfall is starting to wake things up.


----------



## DT

Edd said:


> 3 hours, tho, fucking why?




Hahaha, yeah, it's long, it's kind of like a 2 part, action-procedural, like Heat (which is real close to the same length).

At least at home you've got unlimited bathroom breaks, you can pause for drink service, make some popcorn, snacks, heck, order some delivery food 




lizkat said:


> Catching a few Disney films before an experimental signup goes away,   Today on a coffee break (well a rain break, dammit,  from the pre-gardening chores outside),  I've transported myself to the Pacific via a watch of some of National Geographic series _*Wild Hawaii*_.   Gorgeous greenery compared to the still browned-off turf around these parts, even if recent rainfall is starting to wake things up.




Check out Soul, the 2020 Pixar film before your trial runs out.  I think of recent Pixar, it's play the best for adults (and you'll dig on the jazz music vibe as well).


----------



## lizkat

DT said:


> Check out Soul, the 2020 Pixar film before your trial runs out. I think of recent Pixar, it's play the best for adults (and you'll dig on the jazz music vibe as well).




I'm still making my way through a bunch of Pixar shorts I hadn't caught up with.   But I confess to having bought Pixar's five or six minute *Piper *years ago already.  What a sweet little film.


----------



## Citysnaps

In the SF Bay Area, PBS' Frontline documentary Putin's Road to War just started.

Should be good.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> View attachment 13165



Someone said, _The worst Batman ever. _Your thoughts? I admit up front I’m done with Batman, Gotham City, and its freaks, so it would take quite the testimony to get me to sample it.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> Someone said, _The worst Batman ever. _Your thoughts? I admit up front I’m done with Batman, Gotham City, and its freaks, so it would take quite the testimony to get me to sample it.




I haven't seen it, but solid reviews (from people who have tastes that match mine), it's "free" (it's literally 3 taps on an Apple TV remote ...), love Batman as a character, special when in detective mode (which sounds like a good part of this movie), excellent director, cast, etc.


----------



## Huntn

Duh!​

*No Way Home* (2021)-  Spider-Man. It’s rare that I would comment on a movie I have not finished, but we got distracted and turned it off for later, although we rented it, and will be driving all day today up to Wichita. However, I saw enough to be turned off. And unless something  miraculous happens in this movie, it  also proves after looking at Rotten Tomatoes stellar ratings you can’t ever trust ratings. 

*Some premise spoilers follow *

IMO the plot is unworthy. I don’t insist on agreement. Spider-Man’s identity becomes known, he ends up visiting Dr. Strange who through some dialog lets him know there is a spell which could make the world forget he is Spider-Man. And while Strange is trying to cast this spell, adorable Peter (_this is so funny!!) _keeps changing his request as to who can remember, like 5 times, until the spell becomes corrupted and Strange has to shut it down… except he can’t and it just so happens that a group of Spiderman characters from what we know from previous iterations of the series are brought in from the Multiverse (_Isn't this such clever writing?  _Disney’’s excuse for shoddy plots) into this Peter’s world. _OH the audience will just   this!! _

Before Strange is going to simply send them back via more magic, it becomes known that several of these characters are dead where they came from, and  Strange is logically, responsibly just going to send them back to their proper place and proper fate, (anything is possible with MAGIC!) adorable Peter has a teenage tantrum, _oh that’s so cruel!!, _and actually starts fighting Strange To stop him, as in fisticuffs.

Well adorable Peter gets his way, he just wants to help and mayhem breaks out. So far, this movie should have been titled,  _How Peter Parker Single Handedly Screwed The World Up With Help_. I did not think it was clever, adorable or even nostalgic to see Green Goblin and Doc Oct even if they are played by the original actors.

Then we got distracted and turned it off. Don’t know if we’ll finish it if we have to rent it again.


----------



## Edd

Huntn said:


> View attachment 13237
> Duh!​
> 
> *No Way Home* (2021)-  Spider-Man. It’s rare that I would comment on a movie I have not finished, but we got distracted and turned it off for later, although we rented it, and will be driving all day today up to Wichita. However, I saw enough to be turned off. And unless something  miraculous happens in this movie, it  also proves after looking at Rotten Tomatoes stellar ratings you can’t ever trust ratings.
> 
> *Some premise spoilers follow *
> 
> IMO the plot is unworthy. I don’t insist on agreement. Spider-Man’s identity becomes known, he ends up visiting Dr. Strange who through some dialog lets him know there is a spell which could make the world forget he is Spider-Man. And while Strange is trying to cast this spell, adorable Peter (_this is so funny!!) _keeps changing his request as to who can remember, like 5 times, until the spell becomes corrupted and Strange has to shut it down… except he can’t and it just so happens that a group of Spiderman characters from what we know from previous iterations of the series are brought in from the Multiverse (_Isn't this such clever writing?  _Disney’’s excuse for shoddy plots) into this Peter’s world. _OH the audience will just   this!! _
> 
> Before Strange is going to simply send them back via more magic, it becomes known that several of these characters are dead where they came from, and  Strange is logically, responsibly just going to send them back to their proper place and proper fate, (anything is possible with MAGIC!) adorable Peter has a teenage tantrum, _oh that’s so cruel!!, _and actually starts fighting Strange To stop him, as in fisticuffs.
> 
> Well adorable Peter gets his way, he just wants to help and mayhem breaks out. So far, this movie should have been titled,  _How Peter Parker Single Handedly Screwed The World Up With Help_. I did not think it was clever, adorable or even nostalgic to see Green Goblin and Doc Oct even if they are played by the original actors.
> 
> Then we got distracted and turned it off. Don’t know if we’ll finish it if we have to rent it again.



Only saw it once at the movies but didn’t the other Spider-men and the villains come through because the spell captured people that already knew that Parker was Spider-Man? Gaddamn, you are tough on Marvel film plot points and also obsessed enough to start multiple threads on them. I thought this movie was a gas, and I’m not a big fan of the franchise.


----------



## Huntn

Edd said:


> Only saw it once at the movies but didn’t the other Spider-men and the villains come through because the spell captured people that already knew that Parker was Spider-Man? Gaddamn, you are tough on Marvel film plot points and also obsessed enough to start multiple threads on them. I thought this movie was a gas, and I’m not a big fan of the franchise.



Guilty of being an old curmudgeon.  However, there is only one other Marvel movie that I blasted. Most I like, as they are very watchable, and a select few I love.


----------



## DT

Edd said:


> Wow, I did not know this July was the release date on the next Thor. That is great news, sincerely.




Yes!  And it looks like it's STILL July 2022 

Holy shit ... !!!











Spoiler: Nerdgasm !


----------



## DT

DT said:


> I haven't seen it, but solid reviews (from people who have tastes that match mine), it's "free" (it's literally 3 taps on an Apple TV remote ...), *love Batman as a character, special when in detective mode* (which sounds like a good part of this movie), excellent director, cast, etc.




Finally!  We started early, ~7p knowing we'd be running out of steam if we started late.

*The Batman*
2022 | PG-13 | 2h 56m

Sure it's long, probably too long, but so beautifully executed - it also focuses on the bolded part above - again,  __that__ is the flavor of the character I really love.  I rewatched the the first two Nolan Batman movies, they're terrific, but it's a totally different character, he starts at the same place, but becomes way bigger than life, he's James Bond with a secret identity and a cape.

Clearly, this is Batman: Year One, the early Miller, there's some serious Rorschach (Watchmen) vibe with the voiceovers (and the perspective on Gotham, i.e., "Is it even worth saving?").  This is the character early in their career, they're tired, it seems pointless, there's very little Bruce Wayne in this film, because from a story perspective, he barely exists.

It's a thriller with elements of horror,  some Zodiac, some Seven (aka Se7en), definitely the same type of Fincher universe.  Zoe is amazing, Jeffrey Wright always so good, and wow, some of the other roles (I'll avoid so it's a surprise) , I didn't realize they had that in them, really chilling.

The ending goes a little more for the blockbuster feel, it seemed a tiny bit out of place, though I recognize a movie is a product, and that's part of the requirements (for films in this genre with this price tag ...)

*8.8 out of 10*


----------



## Edd

Watched The Batman last night and also enjoyed it. My wife immediately said “I don’t know why this needed to be made”, which, of course, $. 

Nice to see the character so openly working with police, not just secret meetings with Gordon, which happened to much in the comics. As Batman films go, it qualifies as a fresh take.


----------



## Huntn

Edd said:


> Watched The Batman last night and also enjoyed it. My wife immediately said “I don’t know why this needed to be made”, which, of course, $.
> 
> Nice to see the character so openly working with police, not just secret meetings with Gordon, which happened to much in the comics. As Batman films go, it qualifies as a fresh take.



Was something new brought to the table or the same old story with new curtains?


----------



## Edd

Huntn said:


> Was something new brought to the table or the same old story with new curtains?



I’ll say yes, because it’s a younger Batman who’s character is barely discernible from Bruce Wayne. I’m assuming he didn’t see the need yet to put on a fake personality as Wayne. 

But, I’ve a feeling we’ll disagree.


----------



## SuperMatt

Edd said:


> I’ll say yes, because it’s a younger Batman who’s character is barely discernible from Bruce Wayne. I’m assuming he didn’t see the need yet to put on a fake personality as Wayne.
> 
> But, I’ve a feeling we’ll disagree.



Have you read the “Batman: Year One” comic mini series? If so, did you think it was based on that?I read it many years ago, and might even have them around somewhere still…


----------



## DT

Edd said:


> I’ll say yes, because it’s a younger Batman who’s character is barely discernible from Bruce Wayne. I’m assuming he didn’t see the need yet to put on a fake personality as Wayne.
> 
> But, I’ve a feeling we’ll disagree.




It's certainly a new take for the character on film.  Batman has been in comics for over 80 years, and while there's been a number of different spins (not including Elseworld type alternate universes ...) there's some basic Batman-isms that are always going to be present.   If you're watching a new Batman movie hoping it will be revealed he's an alien from the 8th dimension, you're probably going to be disappointed 




SuperMatt said:


> Have you read the “Batman: Year One” comic mini series? If so, did you think it was based on that?I read it many years ago, and might even have them around somewhere still…




Oh definitely, and if you like Batman / comics, that's almost required reading (along with The Dark Knight, The Killing Joke, The Long Halloween, A Death in the Family, Hush, Batman: Year 2 ...)

The movie takes place in "Year 2" (like it's literally spelled out right on screen), but the vibe is way more the Year 1 comic.


----------



## Edd

SuperMatt said:


> Have you read the “Batman: Year One” comic mini series? If so, did you think it was based on that?I read it many years ago, and might even have them around somewhere still…



I read that many years ago also, and it was my assumption, but it’s safe to say I haven’t read the majority of his comic book stories so not certain. I don’t remember his Bruce Wayne in the comic not giving a shit about appearances.


----------



## Huntn

Edd said:


> I’ll say yes, because it’s a younger Batman who’s character is barely discernible from Bruce Wayne. I’m assuming he didn’t see the need yet to put on a fake personality as Wayne.
> 
> But, I’ve a feeling we’ll disagree.



Now why would you say that… just because Spiderman SUCKS!! 

Shows what I know, I thought Bruce Wayne was the real person.


----------



## lizkat

Tonight going to watch _*Charlie Wilson's War*_, started it once but forgot to return to it promptly,  and its exhibition window meanwhile closed on whatever platform I was subscribing to at that time.   Anyway tonight I'm watching it before a promo sub winds up.

Then during May I know I'm going to check out some of these on Film Movement's platform.  I tend to like Iranian film offerings, so likely to find one among those named below that will appeal to me.


----------



## Huntn

*Ant Man* (2015)- Creative Marvel entrée,  unique concept, entertaining, the small perspective is well done, visually exciting, satisfying story and outstanding cast. 

​


----------



## Edd

Saw Dr Strange 2 in IMAX. Not a top ten MCU film but worth a watch I’d say.


----------



## Huntn

​
*Ant Man 2 * (2018)- Worthy sequel, for Avenger reference, ends with The Blip, which is interesting that this world shaping event is going on Africa and it’s completely off the radar in North America.  Ant Man 3? Feb 2023.









						Ant-Man 3: Release date, cast, and latest news
					

Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming Ant-Man 3 movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania




					www.tomsguide.com


----------



## Herdfan

Bought my tickets for Top Gun: Maverick today.

At the AMC Imax at Easton in Columbus.  Yes, I am going to drive 2.5 hours to see a movie.  

Can't wait.  I will be our first movie in a theater since The Rise of Skywalker on Christmas Day, 2019.


----------



## DT

Holy smokes, IMAX will be epic.

Plus this:






						MacGuffins Bar
					

We’re serving your favorite drinks, so you can take them to the movies.




					www.amctheatres.com


----------



## JayMysteri0

Watching this with headphones is incredible.  

I don't think I've ever really paid attention to audio, until this movie.


----------



## DT

JayMysteri0 said:


> Watching this with headphones is incredible.
> 
> I don't think I've ever really paid attention to audio, until this movie.




Oh shit, is it available to rent?  Checking ...


----------



## JayMysteri0

DT said:


> Oh shit, is it available to rent?  Checking ...



Rent?

 Not yet I believe.  But I believe it is available.  

I did pre order it though.  I get that June 7th.


----------



## DT

Gotcha.


----------



## Pumbaa

*Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)*, _Disney+. _Probably more for nostalgic old farts rather than for actual kids — _“It's not a reboot. It's a comeback.”_

Lots of nostalgia, cameos, references and easter eggs. While the reviews I’ve seen have been … slightly skeptical, I on the other hand enjoyed watching the movie. Sure, things like the voice acting initially freaked me out too but I think it worked well in the context of the movie, wouldn’t want to change it.

Watching it in the middle of the night might have helped. Sometimes you gotta let the brain rest and just enjoy the show!


----------



## DT

@Pumbaa

Ugly Sonic   

(I didn't see the movie, just that clip, hahaha ...)


----------



## Pumbaa

DT said:


> @Pumbaa
> 
> Ugly Sonic
> 
> (I didn't see the movie, just that clip, hahaha ...)



Just the teeth, eh, tip of the iceberg.

If you appreciated Ugly Sonic you probably would appreciate the rest of the movie as well.


----------



## DT




----------



## Huntn

DT said:


>



There are some scenes that look Asgardian. I wonder if the place after exploding has been remade?


----------



## Huntn

​
*Old *(2021)- 50% at RT, critics and audience. A group of people including their kids on holiday discover that life  is shorter than they thought. A mysterious beach where aging is just crazy and you can’t run away. It’s watchable, group dynamics were good, the answer to this mystery was ok, but glad I did not buy tickets for it. 

M. Night Shyamalan had some intriguing movies around the turn of the century, but it seems to difficult to keep that sharp edge.


----------



## DT

Yes!  This will be our first movie since 2020 





Next Friday!  No school !  Ultra-theater with the recliners, full food and bev service, woot woot.


----------



## DT

This looks amazing!


----------



## Huntn

​
*Rogue One- A Star Wars Story* (2016)- Best known as Episode 3.5, how can you be extremely happy and sad at the same time? 



Spoiler



when they kill off the entire cast of new comers to arguably one of the most exciting and significant episodes of the series.


 This movie filled a gap and brought life back to the franchise if but momentarily.


----------



## DT

The Northman is already on Peacock!









						'The Northman' Gets Streaming Debut On Peacock
					

Time to avenge father, save mother, and kill Fjolnir




					collider.com
				




Will be watching tonight


----------



## Alli

DT said:


> The Northman is already on Peacock!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 'The Northman' Gets Streaming Debut On Peacock
> 
> 
> Time to avenge father, save mother, and kill Fjolnir
> 
> 
> 
> 
> collider.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Will be watching tonight



I noticed that. We will definitely watch. Meanwhile Netflix finally released a 3rd season of Glitch, so we’re watching that.


----------



## Hrafn

Nomadland. Nomadland.  Won awards, but man, was it depressing.


----------



## Edd

Caught Top Gun: Maverick in IMAX a few days ago. Very enjoyable. Here’s a piece on a scene with Val Kilmer but there’s also info about the camera setups inside the cockpits. The efforts to avoid CGI in favor of practical effects are impressive, with all the extra work and costs.









						Behind ‘Top Gun: Maverick’s’ Emotional Val Kilmer-Tom Cruise Reunion
					

Director Joseph Kosinski reveals secrets from making the film on the 'Behind the Screen' podcast.




					www.hollywoodreporter.com
				




Tom Cruise is crazy, but he’s dead right about the value of real life stunts making a film better. Many shots of the G forces pinning back the actors faces. CGI just wouldn’t cut it.


----------



## Herdfan

Edd said:


> Caught Top Gun: Maverick in IMAX a few days ago. Very enjoyable. Here’s a piece on a scene with Val Kilmer but there’s also info about the camera setups inside the cockpits. The efforts to avoid CGI in favor of practical effects are impressive, with all the extra work and costs.




It was the best movie I have seen in years.  Maybe a decade.  As you noted, the stunts are impressive and knowing they aren't CGI, makes them more so.

Started "Death on the Nile" last night.  First 45 minutes are kind of slow, but it was starting to pick up when we stopped watching.  Will finish it tonight.


----------



## Alli

I’ve gone to the movies twice in the past month or so. Both were disappointments. The first was The Secrets of Dumbledore. I wish I’d realized how quickly it would come to a streaming service. It was really meh. The other was Dr. Strange. The storyline was just bad. And sacrificing Wanda like that?


----------



## Hrafn

Lightyear - IMDB Link.  I thought it was pretty good, my boys liked that they pulled so many of the quotes from the predecessor movies.


----------



## Huntn

​
Now streaming on Disney+. I’ll have to watch *DrStrange MoM* again, while I thought it was good, maybe excellent, and not too hard to follow, they equated parallel universe jumping to magic (as it should be), but the question is can I watch this story multiple times? 

Someone said it was dark, I did not find it overly so as a general description, although there were dark elements as part of the story, but they did not bother me. And I do like how this is a direct tie in with the *Wandavision* and the Scarlet Witches inability to deal with loss.


----------



## DT

OMG!

The Thing was so fun, experiencing it in a theater was amazing (I wanted to say "again", since I'm 99% sure I saw this during its original run).   Other than a very short, kind of janky stop-motion moment at the end, even the SFX are amazing by 2022 standards (killer practical effects work by Rob Bottin).

This is the theater with huge, spaced out reclining (and heated) seats, flip out tables and a full bar and all sorts of bar and grill type food, we had parm garlic fries with chicken   and deliciously cold Jai Alai


----------



## DT

DT said:


> Yes!  This will be our first movie since 2020
> 
> *Bob's Burgers The Movie 2022*
> 
> Next Friday!  No school !  Ultra-theater with the recliners, full food and bev service, woot woot.





Premiers on Hulu July 12 !!  Woot!


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> OMG!
> 
> The Thing was so fun, experiencing it in a theater was amazing (I wanted to say "again", since I'm 99% sure I saw this during its original run).   Other than a very short, kind of janky stop-motion moment at the end, even the SFX are amazing by 2022 standards (killer practical effects work by Rob Bottin).
> 
> This is the theater with huge, spaced out reclining (and heated) seats, flip out tables and a full bar and all sorts of bar and grill type food, we had parm garlic fries with chicken   and deliciously cold Jai Alai
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 15227



Not only incredibly good, but true to it’s source material, something missed in the original.


----------



## Edd

Scott Pilgrim vs the World.

Dang, I love this film. I’m a bit old and uneducated on video games to be the target audience but the film craft here is off the charts. Casting is ridiculous, music fantastic, very funny. This film is a cult hit but really didn’t get the proper praise. I was blown away the first time watching it. Just so good.


----------



## Huntn

​
*13 Minutes* (2021)- Not the 2017 movie about a plot to kill Hitler,  this story opens a window into the lives of some USA Mid-Westerners just before a killer tornado hits. After it’s over, I was asking what was the point of this movie?

*Spoilers follow-*
It visibly paints the picture of the trauma of survivors of wholesale destruction, it is relatively low budget special effects, although the up close, watch the occupants of a house as it comes apart is impressive, and the personal lives of the gay guy, the pregnant girl, ethnic relationships seemed like as I said, a window into routine lives, with nothing profound other than the interest you may have developed as to see who survives. I was surprised that one couple 



Spoiler



gay guys parents who willfully don’t take shelter in their storm celler


survived as it seemed highly improbable. The debris field also impressed me as I tried  to guess where the set ended and the CGI took over.

As some critics observed, it fails as a disaster movie, but you may still like it. I would also suggest *Twister* (1996) which follows a group of competing tornado hunters, big budget thrills and visuals.


----------



## Roller

Watched the second _Downton Abbey_ movie a few days ago. It won't attract a new audience, but we've been fans of the series for years and enjoyed it even more than the last film. It's still playing in theaters, so we were glad to find it streaming. The rental price was around $20, but we considered it worth it to avoid a venue where almost nobody would be masked in a place with high community COVID transmission. We also saved money on refreshments. I want to see _Top Gun: Maverick_, but am willing to wait another month or two until it appears online.


----------



## Edd

Pleasantville, on Hulu. It get compared to The Truman Show, both about fake perfect suburban worlds and they were released close to each other. I think both are great movies but, I’m somehow drawn to Pleasantville a bit more. It’s weird in a great way. Casting is outrageous.  

Both films are dark, but Pleasantville….the scene in the packed diner with the song Take Five is one my favorite scenes in cinema. There‘s a surreal tension that’s appealing.


----------



## Huntn

​
*Downton Abbey: A New Era* (2022)- If you have never seen this, watching the series first is a must. As a stand alone, don’t bother.

However, if you are vested in the series (97% audience score at RT), it’s good if you just want to spend some more time familiar characters you like. The Dowager Countess of Grantham inherits a Villa in the South of France from a romantic admirer from decades ago, the obvious question why would someone do this, along with some intrigue about whom a parent could be,  a movie gets filmed at Downton to pay for a new roof, Violet Crawley bows out.

These brief interludes from 2019 and now 2022, just don’t cut it as compared to a series. It’s why I prefer a series to remain a series and a movie remain a movie franchise.

i enjoyed reading the critical reviews over at Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/do...views?intcmp=rt-scorecard_tomatometer-reviews

_The Anglophile equivalent of a Big Mac._
_The trials and tribulations of passive income earners, where every other scene seems to be a discussion over tea and crumpets on who is inheriting what, is almost delightfully absurd this time around_


----------



## Eric

Just want to give my take on some of these.



Huntn said:


> View attachment 14326​
> *Old *(2021)- 50% at RT, critics and audience. A group of people including their kids on holiday discover that life  is shorter than they thought. A mysterious beach where aging is just crazy and you can’t run away. It’s watchable, group dynamics were good, the answer to this mystery was ok, but glad I did not buy tickets for it.
> 
> M. Night Shyamalan had some intriguing movies around the turn of the century, but it seems to difficult to keep that sharp edge.



By far the worst film of the year IMO. If your goal is to watch a bunch of people nonsensically age into oblivion overnight with zero explanation until the last 5 minutes of the movie, then this is for you. I won't give anything away but it's 2 hours of my life I'll never get back.



Edd said:


> Pleasantville, on Hulu. It get compared to The Truman Show, both about fake perfect suburban worlds and they were released close to each other. I think both are great movies but, I’m somehow drawn to Pleasantville a bit more. It’s weird in a great way. Casting is outrageous.
> 
> Both films are dark, but Pleasantville….the scene in the packed diner with the song Take Five is one my favorite scenes in cinema. There‘s a surreal tension that’s appealing.



Pleasantville was wonderful in so many ways that really touched on discrimination and a bit of coming to age. Really well written and one of Reese Witherspoon's best performances ever given to me. 




Huntn said:


> View attachment 15458​
> *Downton Abbey: A New Era* (2022)- If you have never seen this, watching the series first is a must. As a stand alone, don’t bother.
> 
> However, if you are vested in the series (97% audience score at RT), it’s good if you just want to spend some more time familiar characters you like. The Dowager Countess of Grantham inherits a Villa in the South of France from a romantic admirer from decades ago, the obvious question why would someone do this, along with some intrigue about whom a parent could be,  a movie gets filmed at Downton to pay for a new roof, Violet Crawley bows out.
> 
> These brief interludes from 2019 and now 2022, just don’t cut it as compared to a series. It’s why I prefer a series to remain a series and a movie remain a movie franchise.
> 
> i enjoyed reading the critical reviews over at Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/do...views?intcmp=rt-scorecard_tomatometer-reviews
> 
> _The Anglophile equivalent of a Big Mac._
> _The trials and tribulations of passive income earners, where every other scene seems to be a discussion over tea and crumpets on who is inheriting what, is almost delightfully absurd this time around_



I'll admit I'm a sucker for these, we ended up binge watching the show during the pandemic and loved both movies.


----------



## DT

*Jaws* (1975)

You know, July 4th 

Really does anything need to be said about this film?  Pure genius, of the best ever, Spielberg,  Scheider/Shaw/Dreyfuss, a movie made better by failure (of the original intent of how they planned to use the shark).


----------



## Hrafn

Back to the Outback.  Tim Minchin always rocks.  The rest of the cast is pretty stellar, as well.  Fun, kids themed romp.


----------



## DT

We finally, just this weekend watched something, but I'm afraid to say what, @JayMysteri0 will show up and confiscate my Geek credentials ...


----------



## JayMysteri0

DT said:


> We finally, just this weekend watched something, but I'm afraid to say what, @JayMysteri0 will show up and confiscate my Geek credentials ...








Go on.  Just admit you binged The Time Traveller's wife or  something.

No one here will judge you, I promi-


----------



## DT

Hahaha, it was the most recent Doctor Strange (TMoM).  We didn't see it at the theater, then didn't buy or rent, and it finally showed up on D+ and it still took us a while to get around to it.

Anyway, outstanding, fun, crazy, my head almost exploded from JK as RR  (more so than anything else, even the post-credit scene)


----------



## JayMysteri0

DT said:


> Hahaha, it was the most recent Doctor Strange (TMoM).  We didn't see it at the theater, then didn't buy or rent, and it finally showed up on D+ and it still took us a while to get around to it.
> 
> Anyway, outstanding, fun, crazy, my head almost exploded from JK as RR  (more so than anything else, even the post-credit scene)



I enjoyed it.  I actually brought it, even though it's on D+ in the Imax format.  The end reveal was great, because it was the only one not spoiled on social media. Instead of all people it was the actor themselves that spoiled it, the second week.

The only problem I had with it, is a problem of Marvel's own making.  We are so used to Marvel's movies having an over arching plot line to look forward to, and there's doesn't seem to be one yet in the newest phase.  I don't miss the "big plot line", but I think Disney might want to tamper down expectations.

This week is Thor.  I admit I want to see it, but not a fan of going back to the theatre.  I did for Dr. Strange, and have to admit I wasn't completely comfortable.  The policy of movies coming home 45 days after release, is one I am really starting to appreciate.


----------



## DT

Is the WOTS that Thor will also be a 45 day D+ release cycle?

Our theater visits have been in small, low occupancy situations, I'm not sure an opening first weekend/week or two will not generate too much anxiety (for Thor).


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

When I go to the movies it's almost always a weekend matinee, the earlier the better.  Big ups to the rare times they start before 10 AM.  Not a fan of killing my day by inserting a movie in the middle of it, unless at home where I can pause and come back later.   Even before Covid I couldn't tell you the last time there were more than 10 people in the theater at that time and sometimes it's just me and 1 or 2 other people.

I also couldn't tell you the last time I went to the movies that the experience would have been enhanced by a packed theater.  Packed theaters are usually good for comedies but I also couldn't tell you the last time a comedy worth seeing was released.  To me going to the theater at night on a weekend is like all the people who head out for a road trip on a 3 day weekend.  They must just really enjoy traffic or are unaware the same locations are open other weekends of the year.


----------



## ronntaylor

Eric said:


> I won't give anything away but it's 2 hours of my life I'll never get back.



I see his name and that's exactly what I expect. I will never watch any of his movies. Not for free. Not if paid. Never!


----------



## Huntn

*Sicario* (2015)- A grim, but excellent fictional story about a FBI agent who volunteers to join a secretive anti-drug joint task force to push back against the Drug cartels. Her perception of what is legal is jarred.

​


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> *Sicario* (2015)- A grim, but excellent fictional story about a FBI agent who volunteers to join a secretive anti-drug joint task force to push back against the Drug cartels. Her perception of what is legal is jarred.
> ​




Spectacular.

Holy shit, that ending.  

What an incredible group of talent,  directed by Denis Villeneuve, written by Taylor Sheridan, and the cast:

Emily Blunt
Benicio Del Toro
Josh Brolin
Victor Garber
Jon Bernthal
Daniel Kaluuya
Jeffrey Donovan

All at the top of their game, especially Blunt and Del Toro.

Very highly recommended, but it is very intense, and extremely violent (as you might suspect from the subject matter).


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Spectacular.
> 
> Holy shit, that ending.
> 
> What an incredible group of talent,  directed by Denis Villeneuve, written by Taylor Sheridan, and the cast:
> 
> Emily Blunt
> Benicio Del Toro
> Josh Brolin
> Victor Garber
> Jon Bernthal
> Daniel Kaluuya
> Jeffrey Donovan
> 
> All at the top of their game, especially Blunt and Del Toro.
> 
> Very highly recommended, but it is very intense, and extremely violent (as you might suspect from the subject matter).



I thought I saw Sicaro 2 mentioned somewhere?


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> I thought I saw Sicaro 2 mentioned somewhere?




There is a sequel, Del Toro and Brolin are in it, but different writer/director, it's pretty mediocre.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Looked at Netflix top 10 and there are way too many "retired guy with special set of skills comes out of retirement to use his special set of skills" movies. Please pump the brakes on that trope.  It's gone from good dumb fun to just dumb.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

I watched the Kingmaker documentary which mostly focused on Imelda Marcos but also the pollical history of her husband’s rule over the Philippines, their subsequent exile, and then family return to the Philippines where she continued to be politically active.

It came out in 2016 and also covered her son’s, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., campaign for the vice presidency. He came close, but didn’t win. But in a long game plan almost reminiscent of the Roe v Wade overturn the documentary said all the key pieces and players were in place to assure he would become president in the near future. Philippine politics has largely been off my radar, but flash forward to a couple days ago when I see the article “Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr Tests Positive for Covid”.  Seems like that documentary nailed the future.

In some fairness, the previous President’s administration was pretty brutal including thousands of drug dealers and users being executed by police in the street. I can’t imagine people would be enthusiastic to vote for more of that. But also the documentary showed that President was key to returning the Marcos family to power in a more active role than just acting like a brutal dictator people wouldn’t want to keep in power. He even said in a speech he would step aside to support Ferdinand becoming President and he said it without reservations as if welcoming the opportunity.


----------



## Huntn

*Kate* (2021)-  Action thriller 50% Audience Score @RT. A hit woman, has second thoughts about her profession, some impressive fight sequences,  the lead actress does a fine job,  the story gets right to the point but is lacking 



Spoiler



_I’m going to be dead in 24 hours, I need to kill my  way though a hundred or more thugs to get even with  the crime  boss.  _



​


----------



## Huntn

*Interceptor* (2022 Netflix- 20% Audience score at RT. Military Die Hard, female lead, enjoyable to go with the flow, but don’t expect a realistic scenario. Surprise cameo by Chris Hemsworth who also was a producer.


----------



## Huntn

*Avatar *(2009)- Live action-animated like never before. The most incredible thing about this movie is besides the story (although the theme has been seen before but not in this setting) is the creativity on display, science fiction, the scope and epic nature of the conflict, a seemingly complete world created, amazing cinematography, and fidelity to physics, and the way imagined organisms would move. Hard to believe this was filmed in a warehouse.

​


----------



## Huntn

*Ace Ventura Pet Detective *(1994)- This may have been the first time I saw Jim Carrie and I still laugh at this movie even though it may no longer be politically correct. . He is such a good physical, slapstick comedic actor. 


_“I’m sorry Mr Ace, I’ll have the plumbing checked right away”.
”Be sure that you do, if I had been drinking out of the toilet, I might have been killed!_​


----------



## Huntn

*Dumb and Dumber* (1994)- Floyd’s dream is an amazing sequence in movie comedy history. Then the incident at Dante’s.  Yet the critics did not love it.


​


----------



## Roller

Huntn said:


> *Avatar *(2009)- Live action-animated like never before. The most incredible thing about this movie is besides the story (although the theme has been seen before but not in this setting) is the creativity on display, science fiction, the scope and epic nature of the conflict, a seemingly complete world created, amazing cinematography, and fidelity to physics, and the way imagined organisms would move. Hard to believe this was filmed in a warehouse.
> 
> View attachment 16239​



Was this the first time you saw it? I remember being mesmerized by effects on Pandora, especially during the night scenes.

I'm looking forward to the sequel in December. It'll be interesting to see how advancements in CGI will serve the production and storytelling, though practical effects are sometimes preferred when feasible.


----------



## Huntn

Roller said:


> Was this the first time you saw it? I remember being mesmerized by effects on Pandora, especially during the night scenes.
> 
> I'm looking forward to the sequel in December. It'll be interesting to see how advancements in CGI will serve the production and storytelling, though practical effects are sometimes preferred when feasible.



I first saw it at the theater when it premiered, then I went to iMax to see it again a couple months later and I have the bluray version at home. Fingers crossed the long wait was worth it.

I understand where you are coming from about practical effects, but the fidelity of CGI is becoming so good, it's getting difficult to tell the difference. There are movies with animals, that you can't really tell if these critters arereal or CGI, that is until they start talking or tap dancing or are a dino, or a critter on Pandora...  Two of my favorite practical effects movies are Aliens, and The Thing (1984).


----------



## Huntn

*Love and Monsters *(2020)- (watched before) Post Apocalyptic, civilizations decimated, most humans killed and/or consumed by large mutated creatures of Earth origin after a world wide event.  Love drives one person on the short wave for seven years talking to her, to brave the wilds and reunite with his girlfriend.

​


----------



## DT

*The Black Phone*
2021
R
Horror/Thriller
Based on a Joe Hill story.

Solid thriller with supernatural elements, not so much "scary" as an anxiety generating, slow burn thriller.  Hawke is always awesome, and this is a second Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill "horror" movie he starred in, see below 

(Saw this as an early release rental)

*Sinister*
2012
R
Horror
Supernatural horror,  true crime author gets involved in researching the horrific deaths of families and disappearance of children, neat use of old school 8/16mm type movies/projector, the nature of communication.  Pretty decent, elevated by the Hawke performance, same writer/director team as The Black Phone.


----------



## lizkat

What movie I guess we are all NOT going to be watching...   the "irredeemable" Batgirl.    The fallout from Discovery merger continues, but this is some pricey writeoff here, wow.









						‘Irredeemable’ Batgirl movie unexpectedly cancelled despite being in final stages
					

Warner Bros confirms film starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon, Michael Keaton, JK Simmons and Brendan Fraser won’t ever be released




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## DT

lizkat said:


> What movie I guess we are all NOT going to be watching...   the "irredeemable" Batgirl.    The fallout from Discovery merger continues, but this is some pricey writeoff here, wow.




Yeah, I was reading about this yesterday.  Hahaha, given some of DC's other releases, I can't imagine this being so "irredeemable" that it's not even dumped on streaming, which sort of leads to a few things I've read on some other coverage of this - from a poster on AVC:



> According to Variety, whose sources I trust more than the New York Post, it wasn’t about the quality of the film but a continuation of Zaslov’s slash and burn reorganizing of the film and TV division. He wants all DC stuff to be huge theatrical releases, not mid-budget direct to HBO Max releases. Not only does not want DC stuff on streaming and TV, there are reports that he wants to keep ANY HBO Max original movie under a $35 mil budget.


----------



## lizkat

DT said:


> Yeah, I was reading about this yesterday.  Hahaha, given some of DC's other releases, I can't imagine this being so "irredeemable" that it's not even dumped on streaming, which sort of leads to a few things I've read on some other coverage of this - from a poster on AVC:




Beancounters....   always the beancounters.


----------



## DT

lizkat said:


> Beancounters....   always the beancounters.




Totally, and this guy has a very specific agenda, that could also threaten things like a second season of Peacemaker.

Most sources say "complete", but I guess it's also possible there was some significant additional post-production still to go[?]

... or this is a super smart reverse psychology exercise:  "Well, we've decided to release it anyway, I'm SURE nobody will want to see it ..." and it racks up $300M in train-wreck revenue


----------



## lizkat

DT said:


> Totally, and this guy has a very specific agenda, that could also threaten things like a second season of Peacemaker.
> 
> Most sources say "complete", but I guess it's also possible there was some significant additional post-production still to go[?]
> 
> ... or this is a super smart reverse psychology exercise:  "Well, we've decided to release it anyway, I'm SURE nobody will want to see it ..." and it racks up $300M in train-wreck revenue



Sounds to me like they mean to greenlight only blockbusting global theatrical releases...    but  it's nuts to put HBO originals meant for streaming on a $35M per film budget.   They may as well shoot everything with a handheld iPhone.  

On the wrap of your post there, yeah, "never" is aways a sometime word, isn't it.

That biz is ego driven even if the beancounters do rule, and right now there are a lot of personality issues and rivalry among down-chart employees at both Discovery and Warner Media plus a lot of sharp elbows within HBO.    But even in the days of $300M "big movie" budgets, the $90m or so writeoff of Batgirl seems... well, maybe hasty, despite rumors of bad feedback on trial screenings during post production work.

Zaslav is canning Batgirl at least in part because he promised Wall Street big cost savings and is trying to sweep out whatever big bucks operations that look like they're needing still more big bucks without sufficient justification.  And he might not be spending a lot of time listening to anyone trying to offer those justifications.

 Money talks, art struggles for patronage...   and Wall Street likes those flash bang action flicks that teenage boys all over the planet like to see in theatre.  Was Batgirl ever going to be that?  Nope,  and by preannounced intention just to stream the thing.

Maybe after things settle down in the merged landscape,  Warner Brothers Discovery will unearth a reason to revive post production of Batgirl.  Right now it's all about trying to get the Wall Street to bless the merger and kill off all those annoying flashback stories about the disastrous mergers that had preceded it, e.g.,  AOL with Time Warner, and then ATT with Time Warner...  so Batgirl is just a victim (perhaps temporary) of Zaslav's desire to show the street he's actually making a profitable enterprise out of yet another merger where a lot of people threw around the word "synergy" knowing full well it's all about the money and hang if the crews on the two sides have had different ideas about how to make entertainment.


----------



## Huntn

*The 15:17 To Paris* (2018)- Based on a true story, a terrorist event on a train that requires you watch the entire lives of 3 Americans with drips and drabs of the event scattered throughout the film as if to remind you why you decided to watch it. Terrible critic and audience reviews at Rotten Tomatoes. The film imo has serious pacing issues. I expected more from Clint Eastwood. 

​


Spoiler



What happens is completely heroic, nothing over the top, but the event takes about 15 minutes, and required too much other stuff not related to the event to make a movie of it. And if felt like too much like reality which can be good or bad depending on your perspective.  Watching the trio get in trouble as juveniles did not pull me in. Too much time spent on previous years and vacation. 

Very interesting is that the real people involved in this incident, played themselves. Maybe that’s why it felt like a reality story.


----------



## lizkat

Huntn said:


> *The 15:17 To Paris* (2018)




Thanks for the heads up.   Think you watched it so I don't have to?

I'm finally going to watch *The Perfect Storm *this weekend.

Read a nonfiction book titled _The Lost Boys of Montauk_ recently, about another perfect storm, one offshore Long Island in late winter of 1984.   Then got around to reading _The Perfect Storm_,  so now I'm ready for whatever they've done in having made that movie version of the latter book.   I like reading the book first for some reason.

Just as a sidebar, that book _The Lost Boys of Montauk_ was interesting for having also delved into the history of the development of the whole eastern end of Long Island -- the Hamptons and eastward-- including the establishment of the Long Island Railroad, and the separations (physical, social, economic) between those who have long lived there year round as fishermen and those who even today are mostly seasonal residents, many very wealthy, and/or powerful politicians and celebrities.


----------



## Huntn

*Lightyear *(2022)-  I’m a big Toy Story Fan, and this story did nothing for me, didn’t even finish it.  Agreement not expected.


----------



## Huntn

*The Long Hot Summer *(1958)- Classic story based in the 1930s Mississippi based on 3 Faulkner stories. Great performances by Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Orson Wells.

​


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> *The Long Hot Summer *(1958)- Classic story based in the 1930s Mississippi based on 3 Faulkner stories. Great performances by Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Orson Wells.
> ​





I'd very highly recommend the new documentary miniseries (6 episodes) *The Last Movie Stars* about Woodward and Newman, it's directed by Ethan Hawke, who was asked by the family to do this project.  They do some dramatic recreations based on interview transcripts, and it's pretty amazing, Laura Linney is Joanne Woodward, and George Clooney is Paul Newman, it's seamless with actual original video and audio, and everything is put together kind of through Hawke's vision as an artist himself.

It's currently on HBOMax (or just HBO, or Disco+, or whateverthehell it is this month ...  )


----------



## lizkat

Huntn said:


> *The Long Hot Summer *(1958)- Classic story based in the 1930s Mississippi based on 3 Faulkner stories. Great performances by Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Orson Wells.
> 
> View attachment 16554​




tbh i have been more of a fan of the 1985 remake, but the original also deserves its place in my loosely organized collections of films about...  yeah,  summertime.       There's something about summer that can bring out the best and worst in people,  and so likewise operate in stories and films about such dramas.


----------



## Alli

We got tickets to go see Bullet Train on Thursday. It looks like fun. Meanwhile I decided to wait for Thor: Love and Thunder to hit Disney+.


----------



## Huntn

*Quiet Place 2* (2020)- Worthy sequel. Si-Fy Horror,  aggressive, murderous alien creatures invade Earth whose primary sense is sound.   What is interesting is that the beginning of this movie shows the beginning of the event. The first movie started in the ongoing situation, this is a direct sequel that starts with a flashback.  I enjoyed this because the tempo was perfect, no dragging.

​


----------



## Roller

I watched _Thirteen Lives_, a docupic about the rescue of 12 boys and their coach from the Tham Luang cave in Thailand in 2018. It's on Amazon Prime. Despite knowing the outcome, I found it gripping, especially its depiction of multi-hour underwater traverses through tight passages. Although I remember the incident vividly, some aspects were new to me. 

IMO, this is the sort of film Ron Howard excels at, as he did with Apollo 13, where the outcome was also known.


----------



## shadow puppet

Roller said:


> I watched _Thirteen Lives_, a docupic about the rescue of 12 boys and their coach from the Tham Luang cave in Thailand in 2018. It's on Amazon Prime. Despite knowing the outcome, I found it gripping, especially its depiction of multi-hour underwater traverses through tight passages. Although I remember the incident vividly, some aspects were new to me.
> 
> IMO, this is the sort of film Ron Howard excels at, as he did with Apollo 13, where the outcome was also known.



Glad to read this.  It's on my to watch list as I've greatly enjoyed Ron's work in the past.  Thanks for the feedback.


----------



## DT

Just saw that *Thor:  Love and Thunder* will be premiering on Disney+ on September 8th.  We didn't see it at the theater, so this is extra cool for us


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Just saw that *Thor:  Love and Thunder* will be premiering on Disney+ on September 8th. We didn't see it at the theater, so this is extra cool for us



Looking forward to your appraisal. I did not like it.


----------



## Alli

DT said:


> Just saw that *Thor:  Love and Thunder* will be premiering on Disney+ on September 8th. We didn't see it at the theater, so this is extra cool for us



Great news! I keep telling my husband that it’s coming so I don’t want to go see it at the theatre. Truth is, I just no longer enjoy going to the movies.


----------



## lizkat

Alli said:


> Great news! I keep telling my husband that it’s coming so I don’t want to go see it at the theatre. Truth is, I just no longer enjoy going to the movies.



When new films get a theatrical release,  I sometimes tack them onto a streaming watch list with an asterisk to remind me to look for them when they do start streaming, but then often find I don't like them anyway.

I quit going to movie theatres by the late 70s because the sound levels were too much for my ears.  Kept thinking that somehow all the hippies who in the 60s lost 80% of their hearing at rock concerts or playing in garage bands without earplugs must have settled down to jobs as projectionists in cinemas.  

Anyway I ended up with a long backlist of pretty good films that are already in streaming or rental mode now.


----------



## DT

Alli said:


> Great news! I keep telling my husband that it’s coming so I don’t want to go see it at the theatre. Truth is, I just no longer enjoy going to the movies.




The industry has definitely experienced a permanent change, while going to the movies is a thing again (see the boxoffice from Top Gun, Gru, heck, even JW: Dominion, Thor, Strange, etc.), some studios recognize that things are different.

Case in point:









						Halloween Ends Will Release Day and Date on Peacock and in Theaters - IGN
					

Halloween will come a bit early for theatergoers and Peacock subscribers when Halloween Ends, the final chapter in the reboot trilogy, debuts for both on October 14.




					www.ign.com
				




They even got JLC as Laurie Strode to do a sort of "we get it" PSA ...

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1562123791710318597/


----------



## lizkat

DT said:


> They even got JLC as Laurie Strode to do a sort of "we get it" PSA ...




We know we can count on you to keep us up to date on _*anything*_ having to do with Halloween.  

Almost time to reveal your plans for this year's spooky house decor, no?


----------



## DT

lizkat said:


> We know we can count on you to keep us up to date on _*anything*_ having to do with Halloween.
> 
> Almost time to reveal your plans for this year's spooky house decor, no?




Yeah, we are nutty about Halloween. 

But ...

After 20 years of doing it up, usually excessively, we are seriously thinking about going __dark__, like we wouldn't even be home.


----------



## lizkat

DT said:


> Yeah, we are nutty about Halloween.
> 
> But ...
> 
> After 20 years of doing it up, usually excessively, we are seriously thinking about going __dark__, like we wouldn't even be home.




Hah, this is the influence of your cat.  They don't usually like Halloween very much.


----------



## Huntn

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)​Nicolas Cage plays himself, as an over the hill actor who goes on an adventure. It was ok, watchable, not great with surprisingly good reviews at Rotten Tomatoes.


​


----------



## Alli

We watched Samaritan with Sylvester Stallone last night. The kid is adorable, and I must admit I didn’t constantly roll my eyes at Sly. Glad I didn’t have to pay to see it in a theater.


----------



## Huntn

*Captain America: The Winter Soldier *(2014): Excellent story, action, CGI, Hydra, Bucky! 

​


----------



## DT

We got a free trial of Starz through Amazon Prime VIdeo, had a couple of movies we wanted to see, figured, a quick setup, cancel, 7 days as much as we can watch. 

Side note:  yikes, the Amazon UI on AppleTV is poop - specifically the playback controls.  When you side-swipe, it moves like 15 seconds forward/back, you can hold the edge and then do a kind of hold release-and-click to go 2x or 3x, but half the time it doesn't work.  I'd guess an actual paid sub we'd go direct and use their app.

Anyway ...

While we had Starz we watched:

NEW TO US
--------------------------------
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Spiral: FTBOS
Don't Breathe 2
Escape Room: TOC
Venom: LTBC
Equalizer 2
Resident Evil:  WTRC
MIB: International


REWATCH
--------------------------------
This is the End
Fallen
Bone Collector (had a Denzel Fest )
A Time to Kill

(Those are all terrific)

Umm, no super specific reviews, just a few comments:

Ghostbusters was a remake of the first movie with a ton of fan service, and a nice goodbye to Ramis (and even Ivan), which was good for us.
Spiral, gross, fun, I like the idea of stories of Saw, Chris Rock and SLJ were great.
Venom, more of the same just dialed up to 11, Harrelson fun as always.
The surprise on the list was probably Resident Evil, it was the original game come to life, and well done, if you're a fan of the game series, it's a blast.


----------



## Huntn

*Captain Marvel* (2019)- Marvelous! A top tier Marvel Infinity Stone entree. Kree vs Skroll, a story of misdirection. Guest appearance by Ronin. By virtue of absorbing the power of the Tesseract, Captain Marvel is one of the strongest characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sequel estimated release Summer 2023.

​








						The Marvels - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org
				












						Ronin (Marvel Comics) - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## Huntn

*Ant Man *(2015)- Scott Lang, busted cat burglar and all around good guy gets small. I like Paul Rudd.  Top Tier Marvel story in the Infinity Stone Universe, but no Infinity Stones in this specific story arc.


​


----------



## Huntn

*Thor: Ragnarok *(2017)- The last good Thor movie. They really ruined the character over the last 5 years.
​


----------



## Edd

Watched Thor L&T. Wow, disappointing. I was in a forgiving mood, too.


----------



## Cmaier

Edd said:


> Watched Thor L&T. Wow, disappointing. I was in a forgiving mood, too.



The highlight was the goats.


----------



## Alli

Edd said:


> Watched Thor L&T. Wow, disappointing. I was in a forgiving mood, too.



We watched it Friday night. I thought it was great! But I’m one of those people who hated the first Thor movies because the guy is not a serious actor, but he *nails* comedy! Matching him up with Guardians of the Galaxy was the best thing they could have done for the character.


Cmaier said:


> The highlight was the goats.



I think they got the idea from the Princess Bride. Every time the goats made an appearance I would guffaw, turn to my husband, and say “I fucking love the goats!”


----------



## DT

Alli said:


> We watched it Friday night. I thought it was great!




Yeah, we wound up having fun with it!  My expectations - based on reading a lot of reviews from people who I usually agree with - were low.  But we really adjusted our heads, didn't care about its place in the greater MCU, whether it led to anything new for Phase <whatever>.   It was a little more chaotic than Ragnarok, and was a bit more zany, while having more stakes (that being one of the complaints, kind of extremes of tone), but it didn't matter to us.

Ragnarok is clearly the better film, but this was a plenty satisfying 2 hours on a Friday night with tasty bevs


----------



## Huntn

Cmaier said:


> The highlight was the goats.



Until they were overplayed them, then it got old fast. It would be like doing the Frau Bleucher joke through the entire movie, whose name I’lll keep some of you guessing.


----------



## Cmaier

Huntn said:


> Until they were overplayed them, then it got old fast. It would be like doing the Frau Bleucher joke through the entire movie, whose name I’lll keep some of you guessing.




My oma always said “man kann nie zu viele Ziegen haben”


----------



## Huntn

Cmaier said:


> My oma always said “man kann nie zu viele Ziegen haben”



As long as they don’t scream at you!


----------



## Huntn

*Ant-man and the Wasp* (2018)- Outstanding sequel. In a post credit scene Scott Lang misses the snap.


​


----------



## Edd

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. This came out when I was in high school and I’m no Ferris, but I skipped the maximum allowable amount of school (my grades showed it). It’s very well directed, with a singular breezy vibe that pretty much amounts to “fuck it, let’s have fun”. It’s aging quite well, IMO.


----------



## Huntn

*Thor: Love and Thunder* (2022)- Second time, no change in my appraisal.


----------



## lizkat

An HBO docu -    _*The Newspaperman:  The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee*_

Always wanted to watch that, if only to try to stop thinking of Jason Robards when Bradlee's name is mentioned.   It was easy to start pasting Robards over Bradlee after one had watched _*All the President's Men*_ a few times.

But... Robards really did have Bradlee's ways down cold for that Watergate era flick, as it turns out, so I'll probably still end up thinking of Robards when bumping into references to Bradlee.   That's comical, really,  since I lived through that era and did see the real Bradlee on TV news interviews a few times,  at the height of both the Watergate and Pentagon Paper brouhahas between Nixon and the Washington Post.  There was no internet back then and no cable TV, so it was about just newspapers and broadcast television news in the morning and evening, with radio bulletins for breaking news in the interim hours.

Of course we know a bit more about Bradlee, Nixon and the Kennedys as well by now --and Bradlee's conflicts of interest in the JFK era--   because there's a bit less of a good old boys' club nowadays about behind-scenes behavior of not only politicians but also journalists and editors who can become too cozy with the subjects of their news articles.   Still, even back then the WaPo publisher Kay Graham was concerned that Bradlee was too close to JFK to have an objective view of his administration.

The docu is pretty good.  Scrapes some of the varnish off the legend of Bradlee,  but also highlights how tenacious he was during the fight to publish the rest of the Pentagon Papers after the Nixon administration took the NYT to court for printing some of them.  It was a pretty daring move considering that at that very time,  the then family-owned Washington Post was in the middle of an initiial public offering.  There was a lot on the line there financially --maybe everything--  had the Supreme Court gone the other way on the case, but it went 6-3 in favor of allowing the papers to continue printing the rest of the stories based on the Pentagon Papers.   One can wonder about the current court and how some First Amendment cases might fare nowadays.


----------



## lizkat

Edd said:


> Quote eager to see The French Dispatch but wary of the glowing critics reviews because it seems a  similar situation to The Darjeeling Limited reviews. I like that film but I wouldn’t put it in the Wes Anderson top 3 but it’s often spoken of as his best.
> 
> Edit: I was tired last night. I didn’t mean Darjeeling Limited, I meant The Grand Budapest Hotel.




I'm watching _*The French Dispatch*_ right now.

Hah, I'm pretty sure that _both_ the Darjeeling Limited and the Grand Budapest Hotel plus a little Keystone Cops and a smattering of Succession all passed before the cameras as Wes Anderson decided which way to take the story on some particular day of shooting...   along with a lot of other hilarious takes on (and kinda-inside jokes about) the idiosyncrasies of The New Yorker's editorship and staffing back in the day.​
 I'm really enjoying it.  It makes me want to fish through the archives of The New Yorker and find a few of the pieces I vaguely remember that might easily have triggered some of the wisecracks offered up so far.

[  You know that magazine was really something to treasure though...    you could actually call them up and ask about some article or poem you were trying to round up, and give them practically zero info to go on, and they had people working there for decades who remembered EVERYTHING...   I'm serious.   In less than two minutes one of their staff identified for me the right issue for the week they published something "around Valentine's Day, not sure what year, and the poem was about falling out of an airplane?".   Two minutes.  For a poem I couldn't remember author, title, year... or even if it was in Harpers or The New Yorker!  ]


----------



## DT

Alien on iTunes for $4.99 (purchase), 4K/HDR, '79 Theatrical and '03 DC versions, 4 hours of extras.


----------



## Huntn

*Jack Reacher* (2012)- I’d never seen this, mystery thriller…excellent

​


----------



## Alli

Huntn said:


> *Jack Reacher* (2012)- I’d never seen this, mystery thriller…excellent
> 
> View attachment 17638​



The new Netflix series is SO MUCH better!


----------



## DT

Same day purchase!





(Well, 09/20 digital, we don't really do physical media purchases ...)


----------



## Huntn

*Top Gun Maverick *(2022)- Good movie! Entertaining, exciting, a huge bow to it’s past, great practical effects and visuals just maintain some suspension of disbelief and you’re good to go! 

​








						A Quite Serious Military Analysis of Top Gun: Maverick’s Tactics
					

I mean, these are F/A-18s for Pete's sake.




					slate.com


----------



## Roller

Alli said:


> The new Netflix series is SO MUCH better!



Isn’t the series on Amazon Prime?

But I agree wholeheartedly. The TV version is superior because Alan Ritchson fits the part much more than Tom Cruise. It’s not just his physical appearance - I think he nails the character too. 

I also enjoyed seeing Bruce McGill (Daniel Simpson Day from Animal House) and liked Willa Fitzgerald as Roscoe.


----------



## Roller

Huntn said:


> *Top Gun Maverick *(2022)- Good movie! Entertaining, exciting, a huge bow to it’s past, great practical effects and visuals just maintain some suspension of disbelief and you’re good to go!
> 
> View attachment 17965​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A Quite Serious Military Analysis of Top Gun: Maverick’s Tactics
> 
> 
> I mean, these are F/A-18s for Pete's sake.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> slate.com



I’ve been wanting to see this. Is it available to rent yet? Last I checked, I could only buy it.


----------



## DT

Huntn said:


> *Top Gun Maverick *(2022)- Good movie! Entertaining, exciting, a huge bow to it’s past, great practical effects and visuals just maintain some suspension of disbelief and you’re good to go!




Yeah man, that's why it's a fictional, action/drama, not a documentary 




Roller said:


> I’ve been wanting to see this. Is it available to rent yet? Last I checked, I could only buy it.




Looks like most of the usual suspects have it to rent now


----------



## Huntn

Roller said:


> I’ve been wanting to see this. Is it available to rent yet? Last I checked, I could only buy it.



Yes available to rent.


DT said:


> Yeah man, that's why it's a fictional, action/drama, not a documentary
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Looks like most of the usual suspects have it to rent now
> 
> View attachment 17967



Movies don’t have to be documentaries to be realistic. I was being kind, I should of said, hard core suspension of disbelief was required.  Did you read the link I included? The premise of the story is unbelievably silly at best, beyond ridiculous at worst, and a remake of Star Wars Episode 4 Scenario, kill the Death Star. And no way would a modern day military strike be planned this way under any circumstance.


----------



## Alli

Roller said:


> Isn’t the series on Amazon Prime?
> 
> But I agree wholeheartedly. The TV version is superior because Alan Ritchson fits the part much more than Tom Cruise. It’s not just his physical appearance - I think he nails the character too.
> 
> I also enjoyed seeing Bruce McGill (Daniel Simpson Day from Animal House) and liked Willa Fitzgerald as Roscoe.



I always get the streaming services confused. You’re right, it’s Prime. I’ve been a big Bruce McGill fan since the original MacGyver. And of course, how can you not love Malcolm Goodwin (iZombie), who has always reminded me of melanated Billy Crystal.


----------



## Huntn

Roller said:


> Isn’t the series on Amazon Prime?
> 
> But I agree wholeheartedly. The TV version is superior because Alan Ritchson fits the part much more than Tom Cruise. It’s not just his physical appearance - I think he nails the character too.
> 
> I also enjoyed seeing Bruce McGill (Daniel Simpson Day from Animal House) and liked Willa Fitzgerald as Roscoe.



Ok, I’ll have to try this.


----------



## DT

Alli said:


> And of course, how can you not love Malcolm Goodwin (iZombie), who has always reminded me of melanated Billy Crystal.




He's going to be in the new Mike Flanagan show (that's the Haunting of [...] / Midnight Mass creator), yeah, really like him quite a bit.


----------



## Alli

DT said:


> He's going to be in the new Mike Flanagan show (that's the Haunting of [...] / Midnight Mass creator), yeah, really like him quite a bit.



I will have to watch it then!


----------



## Roller

Huntn said:


> *Top Gun Maverick *(2022)- Good movie! Entertaining, exciting, a huge bow to it’s past, great practical effects and visuals just maintain some suspension of disbelief and you’re good to go!
> 
> View attachment 17965​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A Quite Serious Military Analysis of Top Gun: Maverick’s Tactics
> 
> 
> I mean, these are F/A-18s for Pete's sake.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> slate.com



Watched it yesterday. Agree, highly entertaining, exciting, and silly at the same time, even though I knew what was coming. 

So, what's the third installment going to be? Maybe *Top Gun: Geriatric*.


----------



## Huntn

Roller said:


> Watched it yesterday. Agree, highly entertaining, exciting, and silly at the same time, even though I knew what was coming.
> 
> So, what's the third installment going to be? Maybe *Top Gun: Geriatric*.



I should of said it is a requirement to maintain a solid suspension of disbelief…


----------



## lizkat

The below cited posts are from aways back but I've been thinking about the cost of digital entertainment lately compared to in-theater experience and wondering how inflation pressures may affect spending on movies --in person or on digital platforms or cable--   in a year when gas prices smacked down so many pieces of so many people's budgets.

No swell blockbuster is going to score an in-theater price around here that runs to even $12 since average run of mill flicks are pegged between 6.50 to 8.50 max.  People do use streaming platforms or shell out for a cable package or equivalent in streaming packages,   but they also engage in churn of those platforms month to month, and are highly unlikely to part with north of $20 to *rent* an early viewing of a new _alleged_ blockbuster.

 Sure this sort of delayed gratificaion is involuntary and probably temporary but the experience is new to some people (judging from all the whining?).  It might even accustom people to thinking a little longer before they drop a buck on whatever strikes their fancy at the moment.    Of course this route in a consumerist economy might not be exactly what the doctor ordered...



Renzatic said:


> But that $35 is what you pay for a night the movies. You're out on the town, you're in the theater, you're with a crowd. At that price, they're asking you to pay for the equivalent of an experience you're not getting.
> 
> $35 for a rental is just too much.






Alli said:


> When you stop to consider you could get Disney+ for a month for $6.99 and then watch Hamilton a bazillion times, anything over that for a single use watch is too much.




Anyway I'm making my way through watch lists on some platforms I'm dropping by end October.   I want to spend more time with PBS Passport and Film Movement subs that I tend to neglect but can always find something I do enjoy.


----------



## Alli

lizkat said:


> The below cited posts are from aways back but I've been thinking about the cost of digital entertainment lately compared to in-theater experience and wondering how inflation pressures may affect spending on movies --in person or on digital platforms or cable-- in a year when gas prices smacked down so many pieces of so many people's budgets.



I no longer enjoy the movie going experience. I have no problem waiting a month or two to see a new release, and I’m still catching films from 2020 that I never saw.


----------



## Huntn

*Get Out *(2017)- A most excellent horror movie tailored for African Americans* that hopefully most of the audience can relate too and enjoy regardless of your ethnic background. If you get to see the alternate ending, that was the one the director first wanted because he thought it was the most realistic. Audiences hated it as compared to the actual theatrical release ending.

* Maybe not worded correctly, but it is something that I think resonates. 


​


----------



## Alli

Huntn said:


> *Get Out *(2017)- A most excellent horror movie tailored for African Americans* that hopefully most of the audience can relate too and enjoy regardless of your ethnic background. If you get to see the alternate ending, that was the one the director first wanted because he thought it was the most realistic. Audiences hated it as compared to the actual theatrical release ending.
> 
> * Maybe not worded correctly, but it is something that I think resonates.
> 
> View attachment 18044​



I loved that movie. What was the alternate ending?


----------



## Huntn

Alli said:


> I loved that movie. What was the alternate ending?





Spoiler: Alternate ending



At the end, his girlfriend is laying on the ground, shot in the gut, she gives him the line of still living him, and he strangles  her…to death. Just then a police car shows up, but it’s not his TSA friend, it’s the regular police who immediately arrest him and 6 months later he is in jail for murder. He tells his friend his demon was removed from his childhood when he went back to try to rescue the grandmother whom he had hit with his car while trying to escape the premises.

If I had guessed what an alternate ending would be, it would have been the regular police who arrive, who see him over the girl friend who he had just been choking, she pleads for help and when he stands up they shoot him. So the alternate ending was slightly better , but the actual ending was a winner.

There was quite a list these possessed people living, and I imagine it would have been interesting telling for an individual or the authorities in the imagined sequel to discover them and figure out the agenda, although my impression was this immediate family and the neuro-surgeon father was the only one with the know how, which went up in smoke. But who knows, he might have shared the knowledge. 

The most disgusting aspect of this story is an ethnic group being abused by another because the oppressors must believe they are morally superior while being completely immoral. It reminds me of a particular win at all costs political party.


----------



## fischersd

Alli said:


> I no longer enjoy the movie going experience. I have no problem waiting a month or two to see a new release, and I’m still catching films from 2020 that I never saw.



What's not to love?  The sticky floors, the people that talk all the way through the movie (especially the quiet parts, so you miss key plot-driving dialogue), the people with chronic BO / smoker / pot smoker that manage to cram themselves into a seat right next to you, or the 20 minutes of commercials you get subjected to, prior to the previews? 

Yeah - it has to be something stellar for me to go to a movie theatre anymore.  Dune was the last time.


----------



## lizkat

fischersd said:


> What's not to love?  The sticky floors, the people that talk all the way through the movie (especially the quiet parts, so you miss key plot-driving dialogue), the people with chronic BO / smoker / pot smoker that manage to cram themselves into a seat right next to you, or the 20 minutes of commercials you get subjected to, prior to the previews?
> 
> Yeah - it has to be something stellar for me to go to a movie theatre anymore.  Dune was the last time.




Gee you left out the part where someone releases a shoebox full of white mice in the theatre,  apparently meant as political protest but of course having a general effect of clearing the place out.   

Yeah happened to me in NYC in the mid 70s.  After the perp was detained, since he was stupid enough to have been wearing bright clothing and a weird hat,  turns out he was "protesting" US involvement in the overturn of the Chileans' Allende government.   Like we would have had a clue?  It's not like the mice were wearing little "Down with the CIA" t-shirts...   

Anyway between that and the fact that audio volumes had got so jacked up by the mid to late 70s,  I was into TV reruns and then video rental.   Once digital formats emerged,  theatre experience was all rear view for me.  Rather have a few friends over and screen them for white mice at the door.


----------



## Huntn

*Spiderhead (2022)- *Psychological thriller about a relaxed, luxurious prison where the inmates have volunteered to be drug Guinea pigs, the goal to develop drugs to make people better people. It tried but failed, slow burn, not worth the payoff.

​


----------



## Edd

Seen “Travelin' Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall” on Netflix yet?



			https://www.netflix.com/us/title/81629046?s=i&trkid=13747225&vlang=en&clip=81633917
		


On Netflix. Fogarty’s vocals are just unbelievable. .


----------



## ronntaylor

*OLD BOY (2013) - *The American version by Spike Lee. I hesitated to watch this after enjoying the Korean original by Park Chan-work. This version is more subdued and has several changes. Disappointed in execution. I knew there would have to be some changes, but I think they watered down the intensity and the plot is even more convoluted than the original. Not sure Brolin was a wise choice for the lead.

I would love to see Spike's version which has about thirty-five extra minutes and a slightly different ending. Brolin supposedly preferred his version as well.


----------



## Huntn

*Jurassic World Dominion* (2022)- Ok, are we done now?

​Dinos rule kind of, with the help of unscrupulous people, but they need a good story too.  Promising start if you can accept the premise. Almost all of the original stars, but convoluted sinks fast story, next gen, big scary dino, unrealistic raptor chase scenes,  obligatory calamity and big dino fight scene, with none other than Tim Cook as the owner of the Evil Corporation who is also obliged to be dinner. 

Ok, not Tim Cook just Campbell Scott, who could be his brother.


----------



## Edd

Has anyone watched RRR on Netflix? It is ca-raaazy .

On Netflix, the film is dubbed in Hindi. But, there’s a second language that the white characters are speaking, and you know that because a language barrier is a plot point between two of the characters. It MAY be Portuguese but I’ll be damned if I can find this answer in all of the internetz. Does anyone know?


----------



## rdrr

Apple TVs - The Greatest Beer Run Ever

I enjoyed and was completely unfamiliar with the real life based story.   I am sure the "creative license" was applied to keep the story entertaining.


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

Edd said:


> Has anyone watched RRR on Netflix? It is ca-raaazy .
> 
> On Netflix, the film is dubbed in Hindi. But, there’s a second language that the white characters are speaking, and you know that because a language barrier is a plot point between two of the characters. It MAY be Portuguese but I’ll be damned if I can find this answer in all of the internetz. Does anyone know?




Watched the first hour and was quite entertained.  I plan to finish it but lately an hour at a time is about all I'm able to mentally consume.  

I started watching the new Elvis movie and am undecided if I will finish it.  It's less of a movie or more of a highly stylized narrated music video.  It's good for what it is but not really my thing.


----------



## rdrr

Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Watched the first hour and was quite entertained.  I plan to finish it but lately an hour at a time is about all I'm able to mentally consume.
> 
> I started watching the new Elvis movie and am undecided if I will finish it.  It's less of a movie or more of a highly stylized narrated music video.  It's good for what it is but not really my thing.



I also quit watching Elvis around half-way.  My SO went to bed and I started to surf on my phone, as an example of the entertainment level.   I think they missed the mark telling the Elvis story.


----------



## DT

Nope
2022 | R | 2h 10m

Written/Directed by Jordan Peele

Hahaha, I love that Wikipedia describes it as a American neo-Western science fiction horror film, OK, that probably works 

If you think this is a "UFO story", sure, it is, as a mechanism to a tell a story:  the monetization of spectacle and tragedy, forcing control for profit onto things that can't be controlled, and when that control breaks, the consequences we face.  

9/10, available to rent Oct 25, available to buy today


----------



## Chew Toy McCoy

DT said:


> Nope
> 2022 | R | 2h 10m
> 
> Written/Directed by Jordan Peele
> 
> Hahaha, I love that Wikipedia describes it as a American neo-Western science fiction horror film, OK, that probably works
> 
> If you think this is a "UFO story", sure, it is, as a mechanism to a tell a story:  the monetization of spectacle and tragedy, forcing control for profit onto things that can't be controlled, and when that control breaks, the consequences we face.
> 
> 9/10, available to rent Oct 25, available to buy today




Saw it in the theater but unfortunately fell asleep at what was probably the most dramatic part (from what I heard) when the documentary photographer attempted the perfect shot.  Not really the movie's fault I fell asleep, didn't get a lot of sleep the night before.  I'll probably buy it.  I loved the uniqueness of the creature and thought it was a better movie than Us.


----------



## Edd

John Prine Documentaries in the Works as Family Signs Deal With RadicalMedia (EXCLUSIVE)
					

The family of John Prine has signed a partnership deal with RadicalMedia (“Summer of Soul”) to develop two documentaries about the life and work about the life and work of the late sing…




					variety.com
				




A couple of John Prine documentaries in the pipeline. Very excited to see this, I think that guy is not nearly famous enough.


----------



## Huntn

DT said:


> Nope
> 2022 | R | 2h 10m
> 
> Written/Directed by Jordan Peele
> 
> Hahaha, I love that Wikipedia describes it as a American neo-Western science fiction horror film, OK, that probably works
> 
> If you think this is a "UFO story", sure, it is, as a mechanism to a tell a story:  the monetization of spectacle and tragedy, forcing control for profit onto things that can't be controlled, and when that control breaks, the consequences we face.
> 
> 9/10, available to rent Oct 25, available to buy today






Chew Toy McCoy said:


> Saw it in the theater but unfortunately fell asleep at what was probably the most dramatic part (from what I heard) when the documentary photographer attempted the perfect shot.  Not really the movie's fault I fell asleep, didn't get a lot of sleep the night before.  I'll probably buy it.  I loved the uniqueness of the creature and thought it was a better movie than Us.



I will watch this and render a verdict at some point.


----------



## Huntn

*Cool Hand Luke* (1967) Prison drama, depressing enough that I could not bring myself to watch the end. One of George Kennedy’s best roles.


​


----------



## Huntn

*A Few Good Men *(1992)- I really like court room drama and Tom Cruise, Kevin Bacon, and Jack Nicholson’s characters in this story. I like Demi Moore too.


----------



## Edd

Want some Demi Moore? I watched About Last Night a few days ago. I think it holds up in the ways that matter. Its based on a play called Sexual Perversity in Chicago, which I’ve seen a live performance of and thought it was good. The cast here is great.


----------



## Huntn

*Mr Harrington’s Phone *(2022)- Well made, solid Steven King premise, but slow, almost too normal for a SK story. 

​


----------



## Alli

Huntn said:


> *Mr Harrington’s Phone *(2022)- Well made, solid Steven King premise, but slow, almost too normal for a SK story.



Almost watched that last night, but didn’t think my husband would like it. Instead we watched another phone-based movie called Jexi. Nerdy guy has spent his entire life looking at his cell phone while life passes him by. And then he’s forced to get a new phone, which wants to improve his life. Very funny.


----------



## lizkat

Scrolling through one of those "50 best movies to watch on..."   and bumped into one of the most politically correct movie-still captions I have ever encountered, even in the New York Times.  If you like your photo subjects alphabetized the way they do pop music stars (first name first), you got it.  If you are culturally illiterate in the film genre to begin with, the NYT aims to please and so points out which star is which.   If you might be offended that people are forever captioning people "left to right", well... got that covered too and this time ya get a break.


----------



## DT

Alli said:


> Almost watched that last night, but didn’t think my husband would like it.




It's good, it's a pretty "mild" horror movie, Donald Sutherland and Jaeden Martell are terrific together.  It's a bit of a coming-of-age with a slight (or maybe not, depending on your perspective) supernatural element.   The take on smart phones, socializing through technology, online information/misinformation is pretty fun as well (Mr. Harrington was not wrong )


----------



## DT

Collateral is a spectacular film, Mann is genius, Foxx and Cruise in arguably their best roles ever.


----------



## Edd

DT said:


> Collateral is a spectacular film, Mann is genius, Foxx and Cruise in arguably their best roles ever.



I’ve had Thief in a few queues for a few years and never make myself watch it. Maybe I’ll force it before I have to return to work Wednesday.


----------



## Huntn

​

*The King *(2019 Netflix)- good story about Henry V and one of the many battles with France. Loosely based on Shakespeare writings the story was criticized by scholars for inaccuracies. Apparently the primary issue is that:



Spoiler: Story spoiler



Prnicess Catherine asks Henry, accusing him of not knowing why he attacked France, and the movie has created a scenario where an assassin from France is discovered, an intent to kill Henry as the reason Henry invaded France when in actuality there was regions of France that England claimed that France had taken away and the murder plot was a set up by Henry’s advisor to get Henry moving.











						The True Story Behind Netflix's The King
					

The new movie reimagines Shakespeare's Henriad plays and stars Timothée Chalamet as the young Prince Hal




					time.com


----------



## Huntn

In all the world of 007 these 2 movies represent the best writing, the most focused story that crosses 2 movies, and the best choreographed chase scenes, especially the DC-3 sequence.

Not only that but Quantum is the most sinister, realistic portrayal of an evil organization I can remember in the world of Bond. However after this, Quantum is dropped as a concern and as far as I know still operating. Just don’t think about the hotel powered by propane tanks all over the place that make such a nice bond . 

*Casino Royale* (2006)
*Quantum of Solace* (2008)


----------



## Hrafn

Deadpool.  Oh, boy, Deadpool.


----------



## Huntn

*Hocus Pocus 2 *(2022)- It’s ok, mostly the same story repeated with more background. The actors who played the young Sanderson Sisters were splendid. There are rumors of a third movie, I’d prefer to see the young (modern) witches‘ story carried forward, and add a little grit for a change.  One of the best modern witch movies is *Practical Magic*.

​


----------



## shadow puppet

Huntn said:


> In all the world of 007 these 2 movies represent the best writing, the most focused story that crosses 2 movies, and the best choreographed chase scenes, especially the DC-3 sequence.
> 
> Not only that but Quantum is the most sinister, realistic portrayal of an evil organization I can remember in the world of Bond. However after this, Quantum is dropped as a concern and as far as I know still operating. Just don’t think about the hotel powered by propane tanks all over the place that make such a nice bond .
> 
> *Casino Royale* (2006)
> *Quantum of Solace* (2008)
> ​



I have yet to see No Time to Die (not ready yet b/c I know the outcome), but for me, Casino Royale will always be Daniel Craig's best Bond film.  I didn't think I would ever accept him (Sean Connery is hard to beat IMO), but Craig won me over.  Who ever is chosen as our next Bond, Craig will be a tough act to follow.


----------



## Edd

Didn’t want to start a separate thread for this but holy shit, big news for the DCEU. 









						DC finally reveals its big Marvel movie-beating plans
					

The DC cinematic universe is about to change in a big way, with the company finally settling on their very own ‘Kevin Feige’, with filmmaker James Gunn anno...




					www.shortlist.com


----------



## Huntn

*Interview With A Vampire* (1994)- I said previously a *Few Good Men* was probably Tom Cruise’s best film. I stand corrected, this would be his best film and probably Brad Pitt, the conflicted vampire’s too. Dynamic, full toothed performances ,  Kirsten Dunst‘s performance was impressive. The film has epic qualities, the Theater Des Vampires is impressive.

As far as modern vampire stories, this has to be one of, if not the best, with outstanding vampire psychological profiles.

​


----------



## DT

I'm putting this here vs. the Horror Movies thread, I'd hate for people to miss this because they "_Don't like horror_ ...", but is so much more, it really transcends the genre, it's stellar, but a very claustrophobic slow burn.







*Possum*
2018
1h 25m
R

After returning to his childhood home, a disgraced children's puppeteer is forced to confront his wicked stepfather and the secrets that have tortured his entire life.

*Director*
Matthew Holness

*Writer*
Matthew Holness

*Stars*
Sean Harris
Alun Armstrong

And yes, that's Matthew Matthew Holnessof  *Garth Marenghi's Darkplace*


----------



## DT

Another amazing film, regardless of the genre, it's a must see.  Eggers is the writer director behind the equally amazing The Northman (starring all the 3 of the actors below as well), and The Lighthouse.  Just a beautiful piece of filmmaking, amazing dialog, performances, sound, editing, a method, creepy, dark twisted descent into what may or may not be something supernatural.





*The Witch*
_AKA: The VVitch: A New-England Folktale_

2015
R
1h 32

A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.

*Director*
Robert Eggers

*Writer*
Robert Eggers

*Stars*
Anya Taylor-Joy
Ralph Ineson
Kate Dickie


----------



## Hrafn

"A Mighty Wind".  Just a bit of silly comedy.


----------



## Huntn

*Halloween*: 
Lots of options. My short list, in the realm of hard core, these are good but relatively cozy and not that scary, but still cherished:

Sleepy Hollow (1999)- first pick.  A modern classic, superb in all ways. The Iron Maiden always makes me shudder.

​
Hocus Pocus
Practical Magic
Witches of Eastwick- liked not cherished.


----------



## Hrafn

We had Farmageddon on but didn’t really get to watch.  Probably tomorrow night


----------



## Huntn

Hrafn said:


> We had Farmageddon on but didn’t really get to watch.  Probably tomorrow night



I found this: https://farmaggedon.co.uk/
I’ll assume this is televised or streamed.


----------



## DT

Oh, I assumed it was the Shaun the Sheep movie


----------



## Scepticalscribe

Over the past week-end, I watched Jackie Brown (my favorite Tarantino film/movie) again; and I still love it.


----------



## Alli

The last two nights we’ve watched the first two John Wick movies. Gotta admit, I laughed way more than I ever thought I would. Looking forward to the next one.


----------



## shadow puppet

Alli said:


> The last two nights we’ve watched the first two John Wick movies. Gotta admit, I laughed way more than I ever thought I would. Looking forward to the next one.



I really need to check these out.


----------



## DT

John Wick is super fun, sure, it's violent, but it's so hyper-stylized it's like high art.

The 3rd one really expands the universe, introduces all sorts of additional mythology, plus bad ass Wick-Fu dogs 

#4 is scheduled for release March 24 2023


----------



## lizkat

Stuff from the watchlists...     _*The Good Shepherd*_ (directed by De Niro; ensemble cast including Damon, Jolie, Baldwin) a 2006 film about the early days of CIA and one that was apparently widely panned, or else I just happened to read five rather harsh reviews in a row. 

But as it went along, I quite liked watching this film. It didn't strike false notes relative to what one could conclude from actual memoirs (of politicians and ex-CIA members) and some historical accountings suggest. Maybe the critics expected more "action" scenes along lines of the Bourne franchise. Unvarnished expositions of human aspirations, fears, frailties are not always explosive.


----------



## Huntn

*A Christmas Carroll* (1938)- Reginald Owen, my favorite Scrooge. 

​


----------



## Huntn

*The Grey Man* (2022 Netflix)- Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Billy Bob, described as “an unapologetic action film”, and holy crap is there action! Some won’t like it and based on my preferences there can be a thing as too much action. The C-130 sequence was the best. Refreshing to see Cris Evan as someone other than Mr. Clean.


----------



## Huntn

*Monsters* (2010)- 6 years after a satellite brings back alien spores, Northern Mexico has become an infected zone as 2 Americans cross it in an attempt return to the United States. It’s good and bad, mostly just a journey with sights.  

​


----------



## ronntaylor

*Black Panther: Wakanda Forever* Sunday afternoon. The 3D version with only 5 other patrons. I liked better than the 1st *Black Panther *movie and like the setup for future BP movies. Won't spoil it for those that haven't seen it yet.


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## DT

This over the weekend for sure!









						Smile - Watch Full Movie on Paramount Plus
					

After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't




					www.paramountplus.com


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## Huntn

Yes, I watch a lot of repeats :
*Red Sparrow *(2018)- Excellent espionage story. There is a book series, trilogy, enjoyable reading.

​


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## lizkat

On HBO/Max,  the 1933 film _*The Private Life of Henry VIII,*_ the one with Charles Laughton as king.  Hilarious sometimes, with just enough (rational!) fear, jealousy, petulance and despair thrown in.    It certainly takes a few liberties with historical accounts of the character and personality of Henry's serial queens,  and leaves out the first one,  Catherine of Aragon.   In the early going we have Anne Boleyn in the tower awaiting her execution and then a quick change of focus to a spat between a Frenchman sharpening his sword with assistance of an English grindstone operator:   the two of them arguing over whether it's really fair of Henry to allow a French swordsman to dispatch Anne to the hereafter when so many English executioners are out of work.   They got me there,  and I couldn't stop watching.


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## Huntn

*Disenchanted* (2022)- Not nearly as clever or charming as the original. Forgettable.


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## Citysnaps

We just finished watching Where the Crawdads Sing.  A beautiful movie and murder mystery set in the marshland of North Carolina. Highly recommend. On Netflix.


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## lizkat

Great little docu on an old art form that sure beats vinyl banners:   "Sign Painting"  -- must have had this on my watch list for at least five years now.   A 2014 film, streaming in a few venues, some only with ads but I saw it on Film Movement.


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## Alli

We just finished “Spirited” on AppleTV+. Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds are amazing together. This show comes off like a Broadway musical. The beginning was a little silly, but it was absolutely wonderful. I had no idea Ferrell could sing so well!


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## Huntn

*Tucker and Dale Vs Evil *(2010)- low budget laughs. 


​
*Deadpool* (2016)- I don’t know how I failed to miss this when it came out, but it was good, definitely a different space than your average Marvel movie, with fun characters.

​*The Worthy Star Wars- Episodes 3.5*- 6* (1977-83)
*3.5= *Rogue One* (2016)- The definitive Star Wars, still the best of the best.

​


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## Pumbaa

Huntn said:


> *The Worthy Star Wars- Episodes 3.5*- 6* (1977-83)
> *3.5= *Rogue Squadron* (2016)- The definitive Star Wars, still the best of the best.



Rouge One (2016)? Or did I miss something?


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## Huntn

Pumbaa said:


> Rouge One (2016)? Or did I miss something?



Corrected, I had been looking at the book in my son’s X-Wing book collection.


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## Hrafn

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286112/mediaviewer/rm383716353/?ref_=tt_ov_i. Shaolin Soccer.  A co-worker suggested it, and although I thought it was delightfully funny, my wife was barely amused.  I did not force her to watch it a second time for the Chinese theatrical version.  I may watch that later.


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## Huntn

*Where the Crawdads Sing* (2022 watched on Netflix)- Mystery, courtroom drama (which I love), human interest, beautiful scenery, outstanding story. Audiences loved it, critics hated it for some reason, something due to the book? I did not read the book.


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## Herdfan

After finishing up *Andor * on Saturday night, we decided we needed to rewatch *Rogue One*  for an idea of where that series could be headed.  There are many story lines they could follow and I look forward to see what they do.

Just MHO, but Andor is the best of the new series, even though "The Child" is very cute.

Also, finally got around to finishing *Bullet Train*.  It was too campy for the wife, so I finished it in 15 minute segments.  It wasn't bad, but probably not as good as the trailers hyped it to be.

What Christmas releases is everyone looking forward to?


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## lizkat

Rewatch:   *Witness *(1985).

I can't be the only person who occasionally confuses Harrison Ford and Richard Gere.  I swear they look more like each other with every passing year.


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## Edd

Terminator 2, on HBO Max. My admiration for that film only seems to grow.


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## Huntn

Herdfan said:


> After finishing up *Andor * on Saturday night, we decided we needed to rewatch *Rogue One*  for an idea of where that series could be headed.  There are many story lines they could follow and I look forward to see what they do.
> 
> Just MHO, but Andor is the best of the new series, even though "The Child" is very cute.
> 
> Also, finally got around to finishing *Bullet Train*.  It was too campy for the wife, so I finished it in 15 minute segments.  It wasn't bad, but probably not as good as the trailers hyped it to be.
> 
> What Christmas releases is everyone looking forward to?



Andor is in my queue. We usually catch *It’s a Wonderful Life* (1946) sometime during Nov and Dec. I’m thankful a remake has never been made (I think ).

*Miracle on 34th Street* gets honorable mention.


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## Huntn

*Vegas Vacation *(1997)- Some laughs and a sad display of gambling addiction… for laughs. 

​


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## lizkat

Sand Storm (2016), on Netflix.   Conflicts and turning points in the lives of a mother and daughter still bound by patriarchal customs in a Bedouin family in the Negev, where even the men can find it difficult to choose a different way forward.  I liked the film a lot.


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## Citysnaps

We're watching the Netflix series Extraordinary Attorney Woo. 

Enjoying it, but it took a couple episodes to snag me.


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## Huntn

*Enola Holmes* (2020)- I suspect I am in the minority, but I did not care for this. I’ve decided I don’t like characters who are constantly talking to the camera because it reduces my immersion in the story. I hated that  in *She-Hulk* too.


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## lizkat

Popped into Netflix to watch something on my list, chose the 2017 film _*Molly's Game*_ and was alarmed to discover that I had stuck an upvote on it but had zero recollection of having watched it.  Hit play on it and remembered it (vaguely) after a few minutes.  Must have been one of those multitasking occasions where I turned the audio down and spent half the film's run time on the phone.

Anyway bailed out of that and next tried the 2013 movie _*Blue Jasmine *_which I had put off watching for ages out of not caring for Baldwin or for that matter Woody Allen either.

Tired of that quickly, headed to some other platform,  Starz I think,  and watched the 2003 film based on Grisham's book  _*Runaway Jury*_.   Now that one I liked.  Anyway I've always been a fan of Hackman and the other main cast  as well --  Cusack, Weisz, Hoffman.

Tonight I'm sticking to a book!   (_A Prayer for the City,_ about Ed Rendell's time as mayor of Philly).


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## Scepticalscribe

lizkat said:


> Rewatch:   *Witness *(1985).
> 
> I can't be the only person who occasionally confuses Harrison Ford and Richard Gere.  I swear they look more like each other with every passing year.



Now, that is a movie I thoroughly enjoyed and I thought it very well made, interesting, thought-provoking and original; Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis were both excellent, as was Lukas Haas.


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## Huntn

*Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery *(2022 Netflix)- I liked it, but it kind of lost it’s mystery half way though when the narrative started explaining and showing all the things the audience was unaware for the first half. Good to see Ed Norton back along with Dave Bautista, featuring elderly Daniel Craig.  

​


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## Alli

Huntn said:


> *Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery *(2022 Netflix)- I liked it, but it kind of lost it’s mystery half way though when the narrative started explaining and showing all the things the audience was unaware for the first half. Good to see Ed Norton back along with Dave Bautista, featuring elderly Daniel Craig.
> 
> View attachment 20318​



We watched Glass Onion last night. What fun! I think it was even better than the first one. Great cast. I’d still love to know what kind of accent that is that Craig affects for these movies - Yosemite Sam?


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## Huntn

Alli said:


> We watched Glass Onion last night. What fun! I think it was even better than the first one. Great cast. I’d still love to know what kind of accent that is that Craig affects for these movies - Yosemite Sam?



No. It was Longhorn Leghorn. Yosemite Sam is more of a Western Accent.


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## Roller

Huntn said:


> No. It was Longhorn Leghorn. Yosemite Sam is more of a Western Accent.



I think you meant Foghorn Leghorn. Longhorn Leghorn was the other one from Texas.


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## Citysnaps

We're watching Jurassic Punk.

It's a fascinating documentary about animation transitioning from stop-motion clay modeling to pure digital at Industrial Light and Magic, starting with Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park.  Steven "Spaz" Williams, Dennis Muren, Steven Spielberg, and others talk about the internal politics and hurdles going forward along with clips from the past.









						Home | Jurassic Punk
					






					www.jurassicpunkmovie.com


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## Huntn

*Spiderman *(2002)- This (watched tonight) and the second 2002, even the third 2007 are the best Spiderman movies ever made imo. Thanks Sam Rami and the unbeatable cast. Nothing that follows comes close to the core story. Willem Dafoe is impressive as Green Goblin. 


​


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## Huntn

Roller said:


> I think you meant Foghorn Leghorn. Longhorn Leghorn was the other one from Texas.



Lol, my error. That is who  I was thinking about. I even did a search on it, and it produced, this image:   

​


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## Huntn

*Bullet Train* (2022)- You might enjoy this if you can get past the farsical nature of the story, an empty train with mayhem onboard and apparently none of the train staff notice, but it has a pretty good and thoroughly unbelievable  



Spoiler



train wreck


.  

​


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## Nycturne

Huntn said:


> *Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery *(2022 Netflix)- I liked it, but it kind of lost it’s mystery half way though when the narrative started explaining and showing all the things the audience was unaware for the first half. Good to see Ed Norton back along with Dave Bautista, featuring elderly Daniel Craig.




I think I enjoyed it _because_ it wasn't trying to go all in on the mystery elements. It's a sort of drama/comedy that uses the mystery film framework. But I'm also not huge on mystery films as a genre, so that may be part of it too. My partner likes the first one more, while I actually think I like both pretty equally, but for different reasons.

Janelle Monáe's performance was one of the best parts of the new one for me. 



Huntn said:


> *Bullet Train* (2022)- You might enjoy this if you can get past the farsical nature of the story, an empty train with mayhem onboard and apparently none of the train staff notice, but it has a pretty good and thoroughly unbelievable
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> train wreck
> 
> 
> .




This one strikes me as a less dark, and less ugly Quentin Tarantino film. It's still a dark comedy, but it has more fun in the farce in a way that makes it a good movie for sitting down and just enjoying something. To be honest, I'm much more likely to come back and rewatch this than Django Unchained, even though I think Django Unchained is the better film between the two.

And apparently a surprisingly decent adaptation of the novel it is based on.


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## Huntn

Nycturne said:


> I think I enjoyed it _because_ it wasn't trying to go all in on the mystery elements. It's a sort of drama/comedy that uses the mystery film framework. But I'm also not huge on mystery films as a genre, so that may be part of it too. My partner likes the first one more, while I actually think I like both pretty equally, but for different reasons.
> 
> Janelle Monáe's performance was one of the best parts of the new one for me.
> 
> 
> 
> This one strikes me as a less dark, and less ugly Quentin Tarantino film. It's still a dark comedy, but it has more fun in the farce in a way that makes it a good movie for sitting down and just enjoying something. To be honest, I'm much more likely to come back and rewatch this than Django Unchained, even though I think Django Unchained is the better film between the two.
> 
> And apparently a surprisingly decent adaptation of the novel it is based on.



For BT, it would be interesting to do a direct comparison of the movie to the source material to see how many liberties were taken and how it strikes me.  For some movies I find myself drawn in and vested, for others the story feels like It’s  on rails and I know where the rails lead. This story had many unexpected elements, but it felt more like watching a cartoon.


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## Herdfan

Huntn said:


> *Bullet Train* (2022)- You might enjoy this if you can get past the farsical nature of the story, an empty train with mayhem onboard and apparently none of the train staff notice, but it has a pretty good and thoroughly unbelievable
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> train wreck
> 
> 
> .
> 
> View attachment 20340​




Wife made it about 30 minutes into it and had to bail.  I had to finish it just because.  It wasn't bad and had some good laughs.


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## Nycturne

Huntn said:


> For BT, it would be interesting to do a direct comparison of the movie to the source material to see how many liberties were taken and how it strikes me.  For some movies I find myself drawn in and vested, for others the story feels like It’s  on rails and I know where the rails lead. This story had many unexpected elements, but it felt more like watching a cartoon.




I have some credit with Amazon, so I’m tempted to try the e-book, knowing that it might still lose a little something in translation from the original Japanese. But if you are curious about the changes: https://screenrant.com/bullet-train-movie-book-comparison-differences/ 

One novel that I wish would get a more direct adaptation at some point is The Running Man. The movie we got still had it’s moments, but I am not sure how you could top an action-movie style ending of the protagonist, having stolen a private jet from the big bad TV network, barely alive after a big confrontation and leaking his guts out (literally), flying that private jet into the office of the executive of said big bad TV network, while giving him the bird. Arnold was robbed of a pretty glorious ending, in my opinion.


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## Huntn

Nycturne said:


> I have some credit with Amazon, so I’m tempted to try the e-book, knowing that it might still lose a little something in translation from the original Japanese. But if you are curious about the changes: https://screenrant.com/bullet-train-movie-book-comparison-differences/
> 
> One novel that I wish would get a more direct adaptation at some point is The Running Man. The movie we got still had it’s moments, but I am not sure how you could top an action-movie style ending of the protagonist, having stolen a private jet from the big bad TV network, barely alive after a big confrontation and leaking his guts out (literally), flying that private jet into the office of the executive of said big bad TV network, while giving him the bird. Arnold was robbed of a pretty glorious ending, in my opinion.



I’m curious about the humor in the movie as compared to the source material.


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## ronntaylor

*Pirates *(rented with Amazon credits) - "Three eighteen-year-old friends journey from North to South London to celebrate New Year's Eve at the turn of the millennium."

Watched after someone posted a funny movie clip in a Jamaican restaurant. Reminded us about the rude service we use to get at out fav spot in Brooklyn. Funny, spot on and a bit of a breather from all the nonsense lately.


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## lizkat

ronntaylor said:


> *Pirates *(rented with Amazon credits) - "Three eighteen-year-old friends journey from North to South London to celebrate New Year's Eve at the turn of the millennium."
> 
> Watched after someone posted a funny movie clip in a Jamaican restaurant. Reminded us about the rude service we use to get at out fav spot in Brooklyn. Funny, spot on and a bit of a breather from all the nonsense lately.




Mention of rude service cracked me up:  I flashed back to the one occasion I ever saw someone leave the proverbial penny tip for bad service...   guy I was going out with at that time dropped that on the table after the waiter's opening gambit was to clear the table we were seated at AFTER we were seated and by stacking dirty plates in front of my friend and then dumping an overflowing ashtray onto the stack.

 My friend also held up a hand as the waiter started to give us menus.  "No need my man, and here's your tip in advance of our imminent departure..."    So it was not our fave place right then and not destined to become one either.  

I do know what it's like to get rude service in a joshing manner though.   I mean there was a Greek restaurant up around 108th that used to be open night and day.   When a couple of us dropped in at 2 or 3am  after working the late shift in midtown,  or maybe at midnight if we had got lucky,  the short order cook there used to raise his voice a notch and say to the mostly empty room in general "Oh precious Mary, here they are again, the dynamic duo wanting any leftovers of the supper special at 3 in the morning but with home fries just in case it might soon be breakfast time, and what mortal sin did I commit oh God to win this favor."    By time he was completely done with his ever more flowery intro,  the plates were usually already set in front of us and hot coffee too.  Now that WAS a favorite place and we tipped the guy accordingly.


----------

