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What Have You Watched Recently?


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15 hours ago, Christopher said:

I and my friends are currently uncertain if we should go into it. Mostly it is those eyes. The CGI enlargement puts them plain into the uncanny valley for us.

 

Just got back from Alita.  The eyes didn't bother anyone--just made it really obvious that she's a cyborg.  As slikmar noted, it was highly compressed--the movie effectively covers I think three volumes of the manga.  Not issues--volumes.

 

The film also was not remotely as violent or disturbing as the manga.

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Finished up The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. It was OK, but the pacing was a bit slow. It seemed like it could have been done in 8 instead of 10 episodes. Wife and I will both watch a second season if it gets one, but I can't really give it a strong recommendation. The visual FX were really decent, and the acting was good to excellent.

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2 hours ago, Pattern Ghost said:

Finished up The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. It was OK, but the pacing was a bit slow. It seemed like it could have been done in 8 instead of 10 episodes. Wife and I will both watch a second season if it gets one, but I can't really give it a strong recommendation. The visual FX were really decent, and the acting was good to excellent.

 

I actually enjoyed it and recommend it.  However, it is not an 'action series' like Daredevil or Punisher.  It could be said that there were too many subplots, but I generally liked them all.  Acting was very good and the FX were excellent.

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3 hours ago, Old Man said:

 

Just got back from Alita.  The eyes didn't bother anyone--just made it really obvious that she's a cyborg.  As slikmar noted, it was highly compressed--the movie effectively covers I think three volumes of the manga.  Not issues--volumes.

 

The film also was not remotely as violent or disturbing as the manga.

Thanks, good to know.

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Mom and I borrowed my Netflix during a visit to watch the first three episodes of the dramedy Frankie and Grace, It is about two women (Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda), complete opposites who hadn't gotten along in the past, whose attorney husbands leave them for each other. The drama is actually very intense, as that decision has serious ramifications for everyone involved. There is also a subplot about a recovering addict (who had done something very bad while under the influence that hurt the people closest to him very deeply) who is also trying to cope with the situation within the family, while seeking to repair things somewhat with his ex (though not romantically, which is a nice change). Meanwhile, the two wives start to find they have more in common than they thought, and an unlikely friendship emerges.

 

There is a great scene at the end of one episode where one of the women's peyote-fueled "Vision Quest" starts to go horribly wrong. The scene is reminiscent of the scene in Nine to Five where the characters of Tomlin, Fonda, and Dolly Parton all get high on pot and have their own visions of getting rid of their terrible boss. (And man, that reference dates me!)

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8 hours ago, Starlord said:

However, it is not an 'action series' like Daredevil or Punisher. 

 

That's not what I meant by pacing. Sorry if I wasn't clear: The pacing I'm referring to is the amount of time spent not advancing the story in meaningful ways. There was a lot of material that could have been left on the cutting room floor. For example, flashbacks to earlier episodes used multiple times (and not in the context of the time travel-induced rewinds, which were OK.) and time spent on developing Cha-Cha and Hazel that could have been better spent on other characters. (I liked the Cha-Cha and Hazel stuff, just some of it went on longer than their contribution to the main plot merited.)

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54 minutes ago, Pattern Ghost said:

 

That's not what I meant by pacing. Sorry if I wasn't clear: The pacing I'm referring to is the amount of time spent not advancing the story in meaningful ways. There was a lot of material that could have been left on the cutting room floor. For example, flashbacks to earlier episodes used multiple times (and not in the context of the time travel-induced rewinds, which were OK.) and time spent on developing Cha-Cha and Hazel that could have been better spent on other characters. (I liked the Cha-Cha and Hazel stuff, just some of it went on longer than their contribution to the main plot merited.)

 

Yeah, I got you.  Sorry if I may have come off like I was trying to correct you, but I was trying to warn others that they should expect a drama superhero show more than an action show.  :)

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Just watched a sub of an Italian film "They Call Me Jeeg"

Felt a bit like staring into a campfire or a snake pit, I was putting enough effort into deciphering what the subtitles really meant that I watched the whole thing, but if I hadn't been invested by expending that mental energy I would have turned the thing off. It's not for the feint of heart.

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On 2/15/2019 at 10:09 AM, Scott Ruggels said:

Watching"The kingdom". on Netflix. It is a Korean Period Drama, well shot and well acted, but includes Zombies. It's a great "Escalating Damage" sort of plot.  A lot of fun, but then I like Korean  films.

 

Good series and I hope we get the next season.  I enjoy K-drama and have watched quite a few.  The Train to Busan is a modern zombie K-movie.  And you may like Mr Sunshine.  No zombies, but a good period drama. Netflix also has the espionage thriller I.R.I.S. the movie.  Though the tv series is better IMO.

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1 hour ago, Spence said:

 

Good series and I hope we get the next season.  I enjoy K-drama and have watched quite a few.  The Train to Busan is a modern zombie K-movie.  And you may like Mr Sunshine.  No zombies, but a good period drama. Netflix also has the espionage thriller I.R.I.S. the movie.  Though the tv series is better IMO.

I live 2 blocks away from a Korean Movie theater, and will pop down and catch a Matinee, as they have English Subtitles, and the quality of the movies are about the same as Hollywood circa 2004, as their stories dont[' suffer from the "Save The Cat" syndrome. But I will definitely take a look at what's on Netflix, because K-dramas are nice and tight.

 

 

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I watched GLOW on Netflix..loosely based on/inspired by the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling of the 80s early nineties...

I really enjoyed it, which surprised me. The characters are flawed, very flawed, but not the level where I didn't care if they lived or died (Honestly at times fiction tries to push too hard for the 'flawed' where they become such colossal monsters I want them to die... in fire..and that's the protagonists) . Rather I winced, groaned, got invested, smiled at improvements, sympathized a little or a lot... and laughed at some of the comedy interlaced..which could veer towards dark and certainly crude. It has an excellent cast, and even the 'side characters' have moments that flesh them out beautifully. 

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Finally binged the third (final?) season of The Expanse when it appeared on Amazon. Damn that is a good show. Any attempts to do semi-hard SF will always get my attention, and to do it well, with good acting, writing, plotting, character growth and great political and alien-first-contact drama... SO GOOD!

 

Oh... I just went and looked it up. Amazon is actually producing a 4th season. Hot damn!

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4 hours ago, Hermit said:

I watched GLOW on Netflix..loosely based on/inspired by the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling of the 80s early nineties...

I really enjoyed it, which surprised me. The characters are flawed, very flawed, but not the level where I didn't care if they lived or died (Honestly at times fiction tries to push too hard for the 'flawed' where they become such colossal monsters I want them to die... in fire..and that's the protagonists) . Rather I winced, groaned, got invested, smiled at improvements, sympathized a little or a lot... and laughed at some of the comedy interlaced..which could veer towards dark and certainly crude. It has an excellent cast, and even the 'side characters' have moments that flesh them out beautifully. 

Biggest thing I remember about watching GLOW in the 80s was one of the girls (Hollywood or Vine, iirc) trying to do a splash off top rope, but being very few had any real training, landing completely wrong and breaking her arm, clearly.

Since it is on right after New Japan Pro Wrestling on AXS channel, I am trying to watch WOW (Women of Wrestling). Not bad, not great. Probably more soap operaish then would like, also to much back story from before hit AXS with certain wrestlers and probably not as athletic as it should be. Not sure why a group like this can't get some of the really athletic girls that are castoffs of WWE and whoever else is out there.

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Port Afrique A pilot returns home to Africa after World War 2 and finds his wife is dead. He is then caught up in the investigation into how and why  she died.

 

The Old Dark House A salesman who shares his apartment with a guy who is part of a rich family has to visit said family's estate to deliver a car. Murder is the result as the family must gather there each night to inherit part of the estate. This could work in either black and white or colour but this is a colour film.

 

The Cat and the Canary This is the 1978 version of the film. A family gathers 20 years after the death of the head of the family. This is in the 30s but the head made a film and had his voice recorded to match the footage. Only one member of the family will inherit provided they last the night. However a doctor from the lunatic asylum nearby enters the house saying that there is an escaped lunatic on the loose and they should lock the doors and stay quiet for the night.

 

Legend of Hell House A team has a week to investigate paranormal activities at the house where an evil man disappeared and all his guests died. A previous attempt ended in disaster and the sole survivor is back to try again. He is a medium. As is one of the others. A scientist is the third member of the party and his wife is with him. This is an interesting haunted house tale. Roddy McDowell stars.

 

Anne of the Indies This is a pirate adventure film wit the titular Anne being a pirate captain trained by Blackbeard. Saw this last in the 1970s.

 

Royal Flash Harry Flashman the notorious bully from Tom Brown's schoolboys makes an enemy of Otto Bismark who uses him in a Prisoner of Zenda plot. This is fun. Oliver Reed is Bismark and Malcolm McDowell is Flashman.

 

The Devilship Pirates A pirate ship suborned by the Spanish Armada has to take refuge in England due to damage received. They lie to the locals saying the Spanish won. But resistance grows... Stars Christopher Lee as the pirate captain.

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Tonight will be the final episode for True Detective season 3. Season 1 was amazing and season 2 was a disappointment to put it mildly. For me season 3 has been great. Great acting, storytelling, and writing on this show. Each season is a stand alone story so you do not need to watch any of the previous seasons before watching season 3.

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On 2/18/2019 at 1:39 AM, Pattern Ghost said:

Finished up The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. It was OK, but the pacing was a bit slow. It seemed like it could have been done in 8 instead of 10 episodes. Wife and I will both watch a second season if it gets one, but I can't really give it a strong recommendation. The visual FX were really decent, and the acting was good to excellent.

 I finished up watching it. The production design is amazing. The characters were interesting, and it was unusual to see in most cases their powers were curses, as well as blessings. I would give it a mild recommendation, but make sure the gamma of your TV is turned up because a lot takes place in dark environments.

 

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