What Movie Are You Watching?

[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.

"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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.