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I Just Watched... (Movies/TV/DVD)
- Thread starter HarleyQuinn
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Brooklyn Zoo
BZ
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Is this on demand yet (not for 19.99)?
No. I saw it in theater.
Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
Integral Poster
I'm jonesing to see a movie and that'd be a first good one back but two movie theaters open within an hour drive of me aren't showing it. GD Maine. As hype as I am for Bob Odenkirk: Action Hero, idk if Nobody should be my first theatrical experience in 16 months.
RedJed
Rasslin' Rambler
Voyagers: This was overachieving in some ways (the themes presented were relevant to society as a whole right now in a way) but on other hand, I felt like this could have expanded and offshot in other more meaningful directions. My main issue was too many characters just there without purpose or depth, i.e. not enough effort in developing the characters properly. If you are looking for a Lord of the Flies in space type of thing, this was certainly it. Just wish it could have been more focused.
Vanquish: Are we still rolling with a 2021 Bad Movies thread? Cuz this would certainly be a worthy drop in that direction. Such a vapid mess of an amateurish-produced film with Morgan Freeman phoning this shit in more than ever. It was stylistically well done I suppose, but the story was a fucking mess and very dull. Tons of potential in a somewhat interesting story that went nowhere at breakneck speed.
Vanquish: Are we still rolling with a 2021 Bad Movies thread? Cuz this would certainly be a worthy drop in that direction. Such a vapid mess of an amateurish-produced film with Morgan Freeman phoning this shit in more than ever. It was stylistically well done I suppose, but the story was a fucking mess and very dull. Tons of potential in a somewhat interesting story that went nowhere at breakneck speed.
Brooklyn Zoo
BZ
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Alright, so this isn't a movie I haven't watched but I don't wan to start a new thread.
Where can I find "To Live and Die in L.A." (William Friedkin)? I am willing to buy this film if that's what it takes.
Where can I find "To Live and Die in L.A." (William Friedkin)? I am willing to buy this film if that's what it takes.
Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
Integral Poster
Looks like your only options are buying a DVD or Blu Ray. Damn shame that's not streaming cause that's a hell of an action movie.
Great news for fans of disheveled Walter Matthau.
Great news for fans of disheveled Walter Matthau.
RedJed
Rasslin' Rambler
Those Who Wish Me Dead: This was awfully disappointing. Not sure what I expected, but something was drastically missing here. Little exposition towards the important parts of the story was my main issue I think, as the whole premise of this film (why was dark government hitmen taking out particular whistleblower types) was left incredibly ambiguous and without explanation. The performances across the board felt mediocre at best, and particularly Jolie's character was given too much superhuman feats of survival even though the tone of this film didn't fit that at all. Glad I didn't go to the theater for this one, it felt almost incomplete in a sense. Tyler Perry had an interesting character that needed tons more explanation particularly, he was just in one single scene. Confusing they went the way they did with this story unless they legit felt this warranted a sequel? I didn't get the approach.
Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
Integral Poster
I finally watched An American Pickle, which had been on my backburner since it came out last August. It was...fine. I feel like there were a lot of great ideas there but final result felt a bit ungapatchka (I got Yiddish on the brain). I feel like it just boils down to maybe dramedy wasn't the right choice for tone/genre? I feel like it'd have been better if they went full on zany comedy or full on drama (preferrably latter)? It just never felt as funny as it should be. And the social commentary in middle of the movie just felt kind of wonky. 5.5/10
RedJed
Rasslin' Rambler
Hitman's Bodyguard/Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard: Ended up going to this back to back double feature over the weekend.....I wasn't really a huge fan of the first film, but I guess it held up well enough to warrant the effort to check out the sequel, which was a hard retread on the first film in many aspects, and not an improvement of the quick paced narrative from the first one. The action stuff in these films goes more towards a shoot and crash fest over and over like a broken record, and it gets tiring by the end of the second film. Very vanilla one-dimensional stuff across the board. They sure get the world travels covered in these films though, but that's really the best I can say about it. Both Reynolds and Jackson have some very basic performances, and Salma Hayek is actually pretty annoying in her bitch on wheels role. Some deadpan attempts at comedy, which fail spectacularly at times mostly in the ham-fisted sequel particularly.
I did some reviews in my TV thread. Great show, ended way too soon.
Youth N Asia
Boners, and farts.
There probably was a deadwood thread forever and a board or so ago.
I kept hearing about The Deadwood Movie talk for years. Never took it seriously until I saw some photos from the set. Not a 10, but a totally enjoyable time back in that world. Was kinda sad seeing everyone so much older. Even though it seemed like they were trying to age up the cast a bit in some cases.
snuffbox
Integral Poster
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Yeah, Olyphant seemed a bit fast forwarded with makeup/technology. The older ages, the advanced medical problems, etc makes it all a more poignant watch knowing all the things David Milch was dealing with while it was filmed.
I liked Deadwood so much I'm thinking about giving Hill St Blues a try.
I liked Deadwood so much I'm thinking about giving Hill St Blues a try.
Big Papa Paegan
L. A. Z.
The Deadwood movie was the perfect fourth season. Loved it like I loved the show and felt fulfilled.
Did a binge of Cobra Kai S1-3. Third season was the weakest but had some of the best fight scenes, and I'm eagerly anticipating the fourth season.
Gave up on Fear Street: 1994 Part One after about 20 minutes. Reminded me of the shittiest Scream clones and half the soundtrack was comprised of songs released after 1994. That stuff annoys me.
Did a binge of Cobra Kai S1-3. Third season was the weakest but had some of the best fight scenes, and I'm eagerly anticipating the fourth season.
Gave up on Fear Street: 1994 Part One after about 20 minutes. Reminded me of the shittiest Scream clones and half the soundtrack was comprised of songs released after 1994. That stuff annoys me.
Big Papa Paegan
L. A. Z.
Finished up the Good Place a few days ago. Very fun, loaded with the kind of subverted spirituality that is actually one of my weak spots in fiction (as in I find it entertaining more often than not). Amazing cast. Was a little bummed by the ending at first, but thinking on it made me appreciate it all the more.
And hot DAMN do I want more Jameela Jamil in my life.
And hot DAMN do I want more Jameela Jamil in my life.
Youth N Asia
Boners, and farts.
Ted Lasso might be my favorite thing on tv right now. Haven’t watched something that made me laugh, with equal amounts of making me feel good at the same time.
As some people know I watch some trashy ass reality tv. Partly because my wife loves it and partly because I'm a sucker for DRAMA. Generally it's shit like the Challenge or british shows like Love Island, Ex on the Beach. Etc. That said...
Fboy Island is one of the most entertaining things I've watched in years. I'm seeing hot takes about it being the first feminist reality tv show. I don't know about that. But it's really fucking funny. I thought it was just going to be dumb trash but there's a level of humour and winking above that that elevates it above all the other trash like that.
Fboy Island is one of the most entertaining things I've watched in years. I'm seeing hot takes about it being the first feminist reality tv show. I don't know about that. But it's really fucking funny. I thought it was just going to be dumb trash but there's a level of humour and winking above that that elevates it above all the other trash like that.
Big Papa Paegan
L. A. Z.
Corner Gas was a small Canadian sitcom about the goings on at a small-town gas station/diner in Dog River, Saskatchewan. I made it through the first episode and found enough to be entertaining to give it a good watch down the line, but Prime has it available with commercial breaks that just...get longer...throughout the whole episode...
Loudermilk is a riot, though. Ron Livingston as a former music writer and recovering alcoholic, Will Sasso as his sponsor, and Anja Savcic as the teenage fuckup they're trying to help in their own stupid way. It uses Seattle as a great backdrop and has regular appearances by Brian Regan, whose character Mugsy makes the rest of them look downright well-adjusted. Going to love binging through this one.
Loudermilk is a riot, though. Ron Livingston as a former music writer and recovering alcoholic, Will Sasso as his sponsor, and Anja Savcic as the teenage fuckup they're trying to help in their own stupid way. It uses Seattle as a great backdrop and has regular appearances by Brian Regan, whose character Mugsy makes the rest of them look downright well-adjusted. Going to love binging through this one.
Mickey Massuco
wipeoff
I’m surprised that someone here likes Corner Gas, it always seemed very rural Canadian.
Big Papa Paegan
L. A. Z.
Letterkenny was a launchpad
Cackling Co Pilot Kamala
Integral Poster
Respect: eh, it’s a biopic. It was fine, I guess.
it is amazing people still make these after Walk Hard. Idk. Aretha Franklin was so enigmatic, contradictory presence that it’s hard to imagine a really great standard biopic on her. I think it’s have to be something like I’m Not There and it doesn’t seem like her (or her estate) have time for that crap.
also I swear Forrest Whittaker did this exact same performance with weird accent and intonation in another biopic. Still there’s some fun performances in this and it’s a great singer performing another great singer’s songs so a fine movie to watch on HBO or VH1 on a lazy afternoon. I will be generous and say 5.5/10
it is amazing people still make these after Walk Hard. Idk. Aretha Franklin was so enigmatic, contradictory presence that it’s hard to imagine a really great standard biopic on her. I think it’s have to be something like I’m Not There and it doesn’t seem like her (or her estate) have time for that crap.
also I swear Forrest Whittaker did this exact same performance with weird accent and intonation in another biopic. Still there’s some fun performances in this and it’s a great singer performing another great singer’s songs so a fine movie to watch on HBO or VH1 on a lazy afternoon. I will be generous and say 5.5/10
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Worth starring Michael Keaton, Amy Ryan, Stanley Tucci, and Shunori Ramanathan. Directed by Sara Colangelo.
Set around Ken Feinberg (MIchael Keaton) as the Special Master and his group of lawyers working on the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. It was well acted as to be expected but it felt like the script was lacking in its depth. Months were jumped over seemingly at random and the upper echelon financially of the victims were very noticeably glossed over representatively. More damning considering that in the end, 97% of the victims signed on. Tucci as Charles Wolf was great but his 'Fix the Fund' stuff felt ignored with a lot of his "leadership" being talked about and not shown at all or done with voiceovers of his blog posts, which didn't even go into detail about what the actual issues/complaints were. A lot of it felt like broad generalizations within the script (including the actual scenes with Keaton/Tucci together) with the obvious end goal being to show Ken he was wrong in going about it the way he did just to get Charles' group of victims to sign on by the end of the movie.
The inclusion of Karen Donato (Laura Benanti) & Frank Donato (Chris Tardio) felt ham-fisted in that they needed a visual character representation of somebody refusing to go along with the fund but the characters themselves seemed like they came from a different story. I didn't care about the fact that she was now a widow that her firefighter husband cheated on, which was meant to invoke sympathy towards her character but made her husband come off as a scumbag. Also not helped that the other woman's kids would get money as equal beneficiaries and Karen telling Ken to make sure the other woman's kids got money too without any mention of her own also getting some money through the fund just felt wrong. Some of the victims were given a little bit of screentime whereas it worked in Spotlight to serve the depth of the story & propel the investigation, this felt somewhat exploitative at times and outside of one victim's backstory (the gay partner of a deceased victim whose parents ignored their relationship), it never felt like it served a purpose.
On the whole, it felt like a movie where an artist painted on a canvas in an afternoon with store-bought paint depicting a field without any expressive details to make the art actually come to life. This felt like it just lacked that depth and deeper storytelling to really throw me into it.
6/10
Set around Ken Feinberg (MIchael Keaton) as the Special Master and his group of lawyers working on the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. It was well acted as to be expected but it felt like the script was lacking in its depth. Months were jumped over seemingly at random and the upper echelon financially of the victims were very noticeably glossed over representatively. More damning considering that in the end, 97% of the victims signed on. Tucci as Charles Wolf was great but his 'Fix the Fund' stuff felt ignored with a lot of his "leadership" being talked about and not shown at all or done with voiceovers of his blog posts, which didn't even go into detail about what the actual issues/complaints were. A lot of it felt like broad generalizations within the script (including the actual scenes with Keaton/Tucci together) with the obvious end goal being to show Ken he was wrong in going about it the way he did just to get Charles' group of victims to sign on by the end of the movie.
The inclusion of Karen Donato (Laura Benanti) & Frank Donato (Chris Tardio) felt ham-fisted in that they needed a visual character representation of somebody refusing to go along with the fund but the characters themselves seemed like they came from a different story. I didn't care about the fact that she was now a widow that her firefighter husband cheated on, which was meant to invoke sympathy towards her character but made her husband come off as a scumbag. Also not helped that the other woman's kids would get money as equal beneficiaries and Karen telling Ken to make sure the other woman's kids got money too without any mention of her own also getting some money through the fund just felt wrong. Some of the victims were given a little bit of screentime whereas it worked in Spotlight to serve the depth of the story & propel the investigation, this felt somewhat exploitative at times and outside of one victim's backstory (the gay partner of a deceased victim whose parents ignored their relationship), it never felt like it served a purpose.
On the whole, it felt like a movie where an artist painted on a canvas in an afternoon with store-bought paint depicting a field without any expressive details to make the art actually come to life. This felt like it just lacked that depth and deeper storytelling to really throw me into it.
6/10
Big Papa Paegan
L. A. Z.
Halfway through Netflix original Brand New Cherry Flavor, and it's awesome. Set in early 90s Los Angeles, it follows independent filmmaker Lisa Nova (Rosa Salazar), whose short horror film Lucy's Eye is optioned by producer Lou Burke (Eric Lange), and as she struggles with the politics of the town, the double-crossing nature of Hollywood, and her quest for revenge aided by the mysterious supernatural guru Boro (Elizabeth Keener).
Right away, you can tell that the creative forces behind this adaptation of Todd Grimson's novel are in tune with the project, as everything from the natural flow of dialogue, the cinematography, and even the color palette scream "early 90s horror film." Its pacing is perfect, letting the important moments breathe just long enough for their impact to be felt without dragging. Eric Lange deserves a fucking award for his work as Burke, too, as he is so pitch perfect at being a typical producer shithead while also being thoroughly entertaining and showing layers that inspire compassion despite his actions.
If there's any weakness, it may be the performance of Jeff Ward as heartthrob actor Roy Hardaway, but that's like pointing out a small scratch in an otherwise flawless piece (and, even then, he has his better moments, particularly when paired with Rosa on-screen). There's also a creature design that feels slightly goofy in execution (though is fantastic in concept), but it's kept to such brief flashes that it's easily overlooked.
By episode 4, things get very Cronenberg-y, mixing body horror (with an amazing practical effect) and sexuality that rides the line between uncomfortable disgust and tantalizing.
Watch it. Highest recommendation so far.
Right away, you can tell that the creative forces behind this adaptation of Todd Grimson's novel are in tune with the project, as everything from the natural flow of dialogue, the cinematography, and even the color palette scream "early 90s horror film." Its pacing is perfect, letting the important moments breathe just long enough for their impact to be felt without dragging. Eric Lange deserves a fucking award for his work as Burke, too, as he is so pitch perfect at being a typical producer shithead while also being thoroughly entertaining and showing layers that inspire compassion despite his actions.
If there's any weakness, it may be the performance of Jeff Ward as heartthrob actor Roy Hardaway, but that's like pointing out a small scratch in an otherwise flawless piece (and, even then, he has his better moments, particularly when paired with Rosa on-screen). There's also a creature design that feels slightly goofy in execution (though is fantastic in concept), but it's kept to such brief flashes that it's easily overlooked.
By episode 4, things get very Cronenberg-y, mixing body horror (with an amazing practical effect) and sexuality that rides the line between uncomfortable disgust and tantalizing.
Watch it. Highest recommendation so far.
- Messages
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- Reaction score
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- 313
Level 16 (2018) - Directed by Danishka Esterhazy
Solid little movie about a group of girls growing up in a lab-contained "school" environment moving between levels under the belief that they will be adopted by a family eventually. Two girls, Sophia and Vivien, now on Level 16, soon learn the very sinister truth behind what is going on and plot to make their escape. Very strong performances from Katie Douglas (Vivien), Celina Martin (Sophia), Sara Canning (Miss Brixil), and Peter Outerbridge (Dr. William Miro) help propel this along with Katie Douglas, in particular, standing out. I'm a sucker for strong friendship stories and you add on escape from peril/trapped places and I am onboard.
5.5/10
Solid little movie about a group of girls growing up in a lab-contained "school" environment moving between levels under the belief that they will be adopted by a family eventually. Two girls, Sophia and Vivien, now on Level 16, soon learn the very sinister truth behind what is going on and plot to make their escape. Very strong performances from Katie Douglas (Vivien), Celina Martin (Sophia), Sara Canning (Miss Brixil), and Peter Outerbridge (Dr. William Miro) help propel this along with Katie Douglas, in particular, standing out. I'm a sucker for strong friendship stories and you add on escape from peril/trapped places and I am onboard.
5.5/10
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Big Papa Paegan
L. A. Z.
Finished Brand New Cherry Flavor. In keeping with its spot-on pastiche of early 90s horror, things fall apart and feel rushed toward the end. In hindsight, maybe getting to the big reveal about the ending of Lucy's Eye earlier would've been better, because it's after that moment that the pace picks up and the creeping horror that was perfected in the first half of the series falls away to make room for a more thriller atmosphere. Still a great series, though, but that finale...meh.
Started up Sex Education on Netflix (sig is one of the stars at a pivotal scene toward the end of S1). Love it. It kinda plays out like Charlie Bartlett, in a sense, and you'll get that if you've seen both. Great cast, Gillian Anderson is incredible, and I knew so many girls like Maeve Wiley (sig, star Emma Mackey) that seeing her progression and speed bumps alongside uber-nerd Otis Millburn (Asa Butterfield) brings up some potent memories that I'd almost forgotten. Tons of great work from the principal cast, and a special shout out to Ncuti Gatwa (who plays Eric Effiong), Tanya Reynolds (Lily), Kedar Williams-Stirling (Jackson), Mikael Persbrandt (Jakob), and Patricia Allison (Ola). Lots of great work going on here from both sides of the camera.
Started up Sex Education on Netflix (sig is one of the stars at a pivotal scene toward the end of S1). Love it. It kinda plays out like Charlie Bartlett, in a sense, and you'll get that if you've seen both. Great cast, Gillian Anderson is incredible, and I knew so many girls like Maeve Wiley (sig, star Emma Mackey) that seeing her progression and speed bumps alongside uber-nerd Otis Millburn (Asa Butterfield) brings up some potent memories that I'd almost forgotten. Tons of great work from the principal cast, and a special shout out to Ncuti Gatwa (who plays Eric Effiong), Tanya Reynolds (Lily), Kedar Williams-Stirling (Jackson), Mikael Persbrandt (Jakob), and Patricia Allison (Ola). Lots of great work going on here from both sides of the camera.
high recommendation to "Squid Game" which is a Korean tv show. 456 people in debt are brought to a mysterious location and play deadly kids games for prize money. There's all kinds of shit going on of course. Super fun stuff.
muzzington
Donald Dump or whatever
Finished the first 2 seasons of Taskmaster NZ. The second season might be up there with the best of the UK version.
Big Papa Paegan
L. A. Z.
S2 of Sex Education ups the ante. It logically follows the stories established in S1 and fills out the supporting cast, with everybody nailing their roles even better than its predecessor. Aimee (Aimee Lou Wood) and Adam (Connor Swindells) really shine toward the end, with even more depth brought to generic mean girl Ruby (Mimi Keene) than would've been thought necessary.
You also meet Maeve's mum, and if you've known an addict who can't get their shit together then her final scene will rip your heart out. And you'll wind up hating a kid in a wheelchair.
You also meet Maeve's mum, and if you've known an addict who can't get their shit together then her final scene will rip your heart out. And you'll wind up hating a kid in a wheelchair.