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What Have You Watched Recently?


Susano

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The Way of the Gun (2000). Its well cast, the performances are solid, but the script was better at dialogue that plot. Its basically a two hour gunfight punctuated with paternity angst and a thin rationale to have the anti-hero protagonists do something sympathetic as we near the end. James Caan as the elder tough-guy steals the show from del Torro and Phillippe. The final gunfight sequence is visceral and enjoyable, but the number of bad-guys on hand suits the fight choreography better than the actual plot. Still, I finished it, and I kill more movies ten minutes in than not. The film was well done without being inspired. I'd call it watchable.

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Collateral (2004). I'm watching a lot of noir-crime shoot 'em ups of late. This was a sharply written noir thriller with a common man protagonist that worked. The cinematography was clean and crisp, the script was sharp, and the casting was superb. Full disclosure, I ordinarily can't stand Tom Cruise. But, Cruise cast against type as a ruthless villain? He nailed the role in perfect spades with a lean and convincing performance that was better than any "hero" role he's delivered. It also made the most of Los Angeles and said something about how disjointed and disconnected the LA experience can be, which jives with the dark, disturbing noir genre to a tee. An excellent film.

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I'm ashamed to admit that the recent spate of link-posting to the "fan edits" of the Star Wars prequels sucked me in. The random fan who, just for their own amusement and for no reason whatsoever that might be related to the new movie  (I see what you did there, Disney) did a good job. I'm especially pleased to see the Anakin-massacres-the-Younglings dropped out.

 

That said, seeing them again kind of focusses your attention on the basic problem, and I'm not talking about the money that Hayden Christiansen was obviously taking from Paramount to throw the movies. (There is no other possible explanation for those line readings.)

 

Which is: Hey, look, a three movie-long exercise in following an awesome bad guy who wins!  Guys? Well, I guess, George Lucas? I get that you wanted to do a summer blockbuster tragedy. It's an . . . interesting. . .  ambition. But a careful examination of actual tragedies reveals that they're about the heroes. I mean, sure, you can't have an Othello without an Iago, but Iago loses. If the bad guy wins, the sightlines get obscured. The bad guy turns into the protagonist, and you kind of lose the thread of the whole tragedy thing. Is the hero brought down by his own flaws? No, he's brought down by the awesome bad guy who uses those flaws. 

 

So, if Chancellor Palpatine is the actual protagonist of the sequels, (Spoiler?) he needs some dramatic tension. The protagonist winning in a walk does not make for a good story, So. Is there some credible threat to his plans? No, no, there is not. Everything basically goes as planned, to the point where he has to tell the Jedi who he is before they finally try (way, way, way too late) to take him out. At the end he even beats Yoda one-one-one? That happened? I think? Or Yoda just gave up and goes to live in a swamp because he lost his bathrobe and just can't deal? Seems reasonable.

 

The other way of looking at things is that the real hero is Senator Organa, who basically figures out what the only viable course going forward and sets the Rebel Alliance in motion under Chancellor Palpatine's nose. (And the Jedis, who as the internal security forces of the Republic should be at least casually on the look out for an internal conspiracy against the Republic>Empire. And aren't. Because they are the worst.)

 

So, that Senator Organa guy is pretty impressive. I especially like the way he gets out from under Palpatine's attempt to have him killed during the Jedi purge. Would have been nice to watch a space-future-political-intrigue story-with-an-explanation about how that happened. 

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I admit I haven't seen any fan-edits, but gathered that Organa is representative of a number of Senators who secretly kickstart the Rebel Alliance - Mon Mothma being another one but her scenes were deleted (they can be seen in the special features). 

 

In the end, Palpatine decides to do away with Organa's whole planet as an object lesson. . .fear will keep the local systems in line.

 

I don't think you can say everything went to Palpatine's plan - he was cultivating a young apprentice but in the end said apprentice was reduced to a sauteed, half-dead wreck incapable of fully embracing the dark side.

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Recently watched two Arnie movies; Collateral Damage and Sabotage. I was actually impressed with Sabotage. I didn't think Schwarzenegger could pull off playing such a complex character.  I also saw the trailer for a movie that is coming up where he plays the father of a girl who has been infected with something that is effectively turning her into a zombie-like creature. From the trailer, it looks like Arnie is dipping into some really dramatic stuff. I'm looking forward to it. Oh and Collateral Damage was an okay movie too.

 

Watched Scream 3 last night. Even though the deconstruction trope is getting more than a little worn, I actually enjoyed it. 

 

Every weekend I watch top 10 lists on Youtube. From them, I learned that I never want to watch any of the Saw movies, Hostel or a plethora of other torture porn movies. Just the few scenes they show failed to engage my "thriller" mind and just left a vague sense of disgust. I also learned that those kinds of things (top 10 lists) touch upon my obsessive streak as I "have" to watch the next one and the next one. 

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I was actually impressed with Sabotage. I didn't think Schwarzenegger could pull off playing such a complex character.

I watched Sabotage about a month ago and thought it was a solid film. It was more serious and nuanced than the usual Arnie-fare, which is an interesting evolution. He's older and can't just "muscle" through everything with biceps and quips anymore. Its nice to see him adapt, somewhat, and try new things.

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Watched a pretty good couple of TV shows, recently.

 

Man Finds Food: The guy from Man vs Food slimmed down and going to hidden or underground restaurants and going to places to order specialty items off the menu

Time Travel with Brian Unger: The narrator from the How the States got their Shapes show goes to places and tells locals about the secrets and history behind their homes, with great graphics and interesting information.

Someone's Got To Do it: Mike Rowe going to talk to and try out jobs and hobbies of people dedicated to and loving their work and play.  Dirty Jobs without needing to be dirty, or jobs.

 

In all these, the narrator is what makes it work, because each is very likable and well informed.

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I watched the movie Ragnarok on Netflix.   Not too bad...   Interesting take on a couple things.  

 

But the characters were obviously not archaeologists, the way they searched for relics...    no records of how they were found, photos, diagrams, measurements...    :tsk:

 

:snicker:

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I just finished "The Voices", a black serial killer comedy with Ryan Reynolds. Prime idea is showing the POV of the killer and depicting his mental illness (he's talking with his pets, thus the title).

So it's more a deconstruction of the serial killer than the slasher flick.

 

Doesn't get bogged down in moralizing, and Reynolds is a good pick for black comedies.

 

And of course, I watched Kung Fury.

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Been watching the 1978-79 Famous Five series. If America has Mystery Inc (Fred, Velma, Daphne, Shaggy & Scooby Doo) UK has The Famous Five: Julian, Dick and Anne, George and Timmy the Dog. Of the two groups, the Famous Five is predates Mystery Inc.

 

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Sens8 - new Netflix original.

Wachowskis and JMS are the creators - which drew me in. I know people have different problems with them, but I have really enjoyed almost all of the work each has done.

 

Biggest problem for me - way too much nudity and graphic sexuality. I was watching on my computer and kept up a browser or book open to switch too. From what Little I saw it was either very hard R, or a light NC-17 - as I avoid such things I don't know what it would be, and I only saw for a second or two. I would buy a PG-13 version in a heartbeat.

 

Show itself - 8 people who are psychically connected. It starts with them hearing what someone else is hearing, moves to being able to talk and see each other, and more from there. I really enjoyed it - some thought it was "slow" as the action/overplot was not a major part of the early show - that was individual stories, and the characters learn about each other. Lots of character interaction and development.

 

Early on it moves like Harry Turtledove, flitting from one character to another like a hummingbird on speed. That doesn't bother me. Later one still moves around, but as characters learn more about each other you see 2 or more together.

 

The high concept was fantastic and I loved the show.

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