What Are You Watching?

[allegro]

“Jimmy Carter: Rock n Roll President”

MAN, this is good. Highly recommended.

[allegate]

Watched "In and Of Itself" because of a lot of breathless recommendations.

I guess I don't get it?

I just read a couple different "analyses" of the show and I'm pretty sure they don't either, but they don't want to be the "emperor with no clothes" person and say 'oh well it's to be seen to be believed, trust me" and I don't like that at all. One of the articles is titled The Magic In Derek DelGaudio's 'In & Of Itself,' Explained and you know what? they don't explain it.

But really, knowing how he does the tricks isn't the point. In & Of Itself uses magic more to get us to look at ourselves, look at each other, and understanding that, is the whole point of the show itself.

I'm not looking for an explanation of the magic, btw, I just find it hilarious that that article was written at all and someone got paid for it.

Which isn't to say I didn't like it. There was a part of it that I appreciated greatly and it's about using the audience to tell a story of the show that might be and not the show that is. It's something that I hope is produced eventually.

There's another part and it's emotional and very moving, loved that part as well.

It's just a lot of other parts where I guess I need to think about it more.

There was a part that I didn't like at all but it's literally at the end of the show and so I can't talk about it. It just seemed too...real? literal?...for what the show was trying to do otherwise.

edit: it's difficult to read this the day after because it doesn't make sense unless you've seen it. and I can't go into specifics because the film is about the experience and I tried to stay true to that. argh.

[eversonpoe]

watched Ken Russell's "The Devils" tonight and...holy fuck. my friend hooked me up with the uncut version (the standard version is up on shudder now) and i'm glad because it definitely has more impact (based on what i read about the cuts made). anyway, very upsetting but very worth watching. an absolutely incredible piece of filmmaking.

also oliver reed looks like jemaine clement in the movie and hubba hubba

[mfte]

I've got sucked into Search Party.
Modern day mystery starring Alia Shawkat.
I was surprised to learn that it's has 4 season already.

[Jinsai]

I'm about an hour into Coming 2 America now, and there has been one funny moment.
I think this movie might be really bad... which is a bummer.

[fillow]

I tried watching The Sopranos about 10 years ago. Gave up after 3 episodes - I was bored the fuck out of it.

Fast forward to 2021. Decided to give it another chance... Bam! It's amazing. Being 33 instead of 23 makes a world of difference, I feel like I can relate to Tony much better now after being a sort of an adult for a while. Oh, and maybe watching it in original English dub also helped.

[bobbie solo]

I tried watching The Sopranos about 10 years ago. Gave up after 3 episodes - I was bored the fuck out of it.

Fast forward to 2021. Decided to give it another chance... Bam! It's amazing. Being 33 instead of 23 makes a world of difference, I feel like I can relate to Tony much better now after being a sort of an adult for a while. Oh, and maybe watching it in original English dub also helped.

wait till you get to the last two seasons. Good chance you'll be bored again.

[onthewall2983]

This plays so different being 20 years older now, and especially within the last 12 months.

[MrLobster]

Finally getting into a Babylon 5 re-watch. The pilot movie and ep1 still hold up well.

[mfte]

Double Feature this past weekend.

[allegate]

there's a track on The Mandalorian S2 soundtrack called Sorcerer. I have to wonder if it's because there's an episode that is basically the plot of the movie.

[r_z]

Double Feature this past weekend.

Which one you liked more?

[mfte]

Tough choice. They are both great.

The grim and suffocating tension of Sorcerer is bar none. It is hard to compete with Friedkin's 70s grit. The sparse use of the Tangerine Dream soundtrack adds a lot to the film. All the shots of the trucks and hands operating heavy machinery is visceral. The sequence on the rope bridge is huge and unreal. Ultimately, I have to go with Wages of War. It does a better job with the characters. I felt more emotionally invested in what happened to those men and therefore the story itself. The acting is better overall in Wages of War. I read that none of the actors in Sorcerer were Friedkin's first choice. He wanted Steve McQueen to play the lead. That's a movie I would have loved to see since McQueen is able to sell so much feeling and emotion with his eyes only. Roy Shreider is ok but no leading man. I loved that part in Sorcerer when the French dude is with his wife and she is talking about the book she is editing. The books says something about the narrator seeing a soldier deciding the fate of some woman and then wondering who will decide their fate. Sorcerer was all about fate while Wages of War seems to focus more on capitalist plunder. I didn't love the very end of Wages of War. Not so much what happens but how out of nowhere it happens. As I said, both are great.

Can you pick a favourite?

[elevenism]

I.watched The Little Things, and I'm confused about why people didn't like the ending. I thought it was fucking GREAT.

[Substance242]

Drive to Survive season 3, yes! (F1, Netflix)

[allegate]

Watched Bill & Ted Face the Music and it was at times better than it had any right to be and at times pretty bad. I don't like Beck Bennett when he tries to be weird and this was him trying to be very weird.

Dennis Caleb McCoy was great up until he became an actual character. that scene of him on the ground being kicked by the inmates? I was howling at his reactions. then he became a pseudo-integral part of the movie and it wasn't as good.

Legit cried twice, once for Rufus and second for when Kelly's mom said "Rufus would be so proud of you". No idea why.

I kind of like that the princesses were different so that every movie had a different person in the princess role. And they're even almost age-appropriate as the actresses are in their 40s and Bill & Ted are in their 50s. Though they brought Ted's dad back, I don't know why Bill's wasn't. He's still alive so that's not it.

Didn't much care for the girls, but that's probably because they were too much like Bill & Ted. No one in the 00s would act like they were in the 80s, regardless of who their parents are.

Also the plan to kill Bill & Ted from the future was dumb because it should be clear to them, having lived through this already, what happened at MP 46. not sure on the time travel / alt timeline aspect of that part of the story.

I give it a B- overall. I didn't think they could do it and it was alright.

[ekrekel]

Got nostalgic and started binging Black Sails again on STARZ, good pirate series.

[Substance242]

The Father (2020)



Wow, this was... uncomfortable, and I'll watch it again. Hopkins is amazing.

[thelastdisciple]

I've started watching the Zatoichi movies and holy fuck there's like 26 of them PLUS a 4 season 100 episode TV series, all with the same actor. It will take me a while to go through everything and I'll be doing it slow because i don't want to burn myself out but I'm looking forward to watching these. I would love to have that Criterion box set but it's crazy money.

[theruiner]

Watched two great movies recently. First, I finally got around to Promising Young Woman and I enjoyed the hell out of it. Did not go where I expected it to.

Then last night I watched Supernova and balled my eyes out. I cried five separate times (yes, I counted). Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth were both wonderful. It's a very simple, very quiet movie but it was very moving and beautiful.

[elevenism]

I was watching a YouTube video on the "mortal kombat iceberg," and started remembering how much amazing lore there was in the first few games, and secrets to be discovered. I haven't kept up.

And, NOW, I'm watching this web series, Mortal Kombat Legacy, and, good LORD. The episodes are short, and I'm only a few episodes in, but, WOW: this should be the pitch for a multi season HBO show or something.

Apparently, this web series was adapted from a short film that was supposed to be a movie pitch, and I'm stunned that it wasn't picked up. The new movie looks like fun, but the realistic, character driven take in this web series is REALLY cool.

Edit: here's the thing, if you're into it. This is WAY better than I expected out of a web series AND Mortal Kombat.

[Ruined]

I finally started watching "Zero Zero Zero" on Amazon and damn, it's excellent. I also love the score by Mogwai.