What Have You Watched Recently?

[Dr. MID-Nite]

Ultraman Dyna

[Tjack]

  I just watched the Downton Abbey movie. I got hooked on the series a few years ago when the local PBS station started running them late nights. And it was pretty good, more of a “If you like this kind of thing, then this is the kind of thing you’ll like”.  The movie takes place in 1910-1920ish and at the end someone says that “this place and family will be here a hundred years from now.”

  My question is does anyone who watched the series think that a version of the modern day inhabitants of the manor and village would be an interesting show?

[Bazza]

Like Upstairs Downstairs? Or any number of British shows. 
 

paging @death tribble

[Starlord]

1 hour ago, Tjack said:

  I just watched the Downton Abbey movie. I got hooked on the series a few years ago when the local PBS station started running them late nights. And it was pretty good, more of a “If you like this kind of thing, then this is the kind of thing you’ll like”.  The movie takes place in 1910-1920ish and at the end someone says that “this place and family will be here a hundred years from now.”

  My question is does anyone who watched the series think that a version of the modern day inhabitants of the manor and village would be an interesting show?

 

Doubt it.

[Bazza]

Go over the England for a holiday and experience the real thing! 

[Tjack]

45 minutes ago, Starlord said:

 

Doubt it.

Were you a fan of the show?

2 minutes ago, Bazza said:

Go over the England for a holiday and experience the real thing! 

     The show & movie were shot in an actual manor house that’s currently open to the public and fans of the show stay there.

[Starlord]

1 minute ago, Tjack said:

Were you a fan of the show?

 

Yes, I enjoyed the show and the movie.  Looking forward to the new movie.  A show set in modern times with modern royals would feel silly IMO...although a comedic parody might work, I suppose.

[Bazza]

Barbarella. Wondering how this got made, but at the same time grateful it was. It's basically a sci-fi fairy tale. 

[Lord Liaden]

37 minutes ago, Bazza said:

Barbarella. Wondering how this got made, but at the same time grateful it was. It's basically a sci-fi fairy tale. 

 

Director Roger Vadim and producer Dino de Laurentiis. Two specialists in high-concept schlock. Natural match.

 

Vadim wanted to turn then-wife Jane Fonda into a new incarnation of his former wife and muse, Brigitte Bardot.

[Grailknight]

1 hour ago, Bazza said:

Barbarella. Wondering how this got made, but at the same time grateful it was. It's basically a sci-fi fairy tale. 

 

So many culture references came from this movie(Notably a band's name). Falls into the so bad it's good category for me and young Jane was a hottie.

[Pattern Ghost]

6 hours ago, Starlord said:

Doubt it.

 

5 hours ago, Starlord said:

A show set in modern times with modern royals would feel silly IMO...although a comedic parody might work, I suppose.

 

So, I Doubt It, Abby. A sitcom about a wealthy society lady and her surly manservant . . .

[Bazza]

7 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

 

Director Roger Vadim and producer Dino de Laurentiis. Two specialists in high-concept schlock. Natural match.

 

Vadim wanted to turn then-wife Jane Fonda into a new incarnation of his former wife and muse, Brigitte Bardot.

 

6 hours ago, Grailknight said:

 

So many culture references came from this movie(Notably a band's name). Falls into the so bad it's good category for me and young Jane was a hottie.

Ok. Cheers. 

[Ninja-Bear]

Almost finished the Witcher Season 2. Thinking that if I ever ran Fantasy, I’d still some of the concepts from it. Thinking of the conjunction is an interesting one to use.  I did like in the books on how it points out the humans are a-holes to elves BUT the dwarves point out that the elves were like that to the dwarves first. 

[Starlord]

3 minutes ago, Ninja-Bear said:

Almost finished the Witcher Season 2. Thinking that if I ever ran Fantasy, I’d still some of the concepts from it. Thinking of the conjunction is an interesting one to use.  I did like in the books on how it points out the humans are a-holes to elves BUT the dwarves point out that the elves were like that to the dwarves first. 

 

I enjoyed Season 2, but don't think it was necessary to change Yennefer story like they did.

[Ninja-Bear]

5 minutes ago, Starlord said:

 

I enjoyed Season 2, but don't think it was necessary to change Yennefer story like they did.

Well the good thing for me is that even though I’ve read the first 3 books, I haven’t played any games and the books are sketchy in my mind. So that means that I’m really a blank to most of the world. I was interested and started to read a review of the Witcher RPG and well I think they missed their mark on that. It seemed to involved in character creation (homeland must be chosen and greatly affects how character is built) and I get that you won’t start out as Geralt but still combat is super deadly is well….the point of the video game at least is to fight monsters. 

[zslane]

I have to believe that due to the success of The Witcher on Netflix, we'll never see Elric become a movie or streaming series franchise. Which is a darn shame.

[Lord Liaden]

I'm not sure I follow your logic for that assertion. Could you elaborate?

[death tribble]

Target The Corruptors

This TV series looked at corruption in all walks of American life as a reporter and his detective sidekick confronted and reported on people bilking the system and thus the American public. From police officers, union officials, charities to politicians abroad receiving money from the American taxpayer. The downsides to the series was that it was overly preachy. And that it had guest stars that appeared twice but in different roles like Walter Matthau and Jack Klugman which kind of undermined the second story. See it for a view of the US in the early 1960s.

 

I Wake Up Screaming

This is a Victor Mature film where he is suspected of killing a woman that he was promoting. Betty Grable plays the woman he is suspected of killing while Carol Landis plays her sister. Laird Cregar is a man obsessed with Grable's character and he looks sinister but plot twist he is a cop. If you are a noir fan check this out as it has a nice twist to it.

 

The Phantom Creeps

Bela Lugosi is a mad scientist who uses a meteorite for spectacular effects like making himself invisible. He also has a giant robot. But the FBI is out to stop him and foreign spies ant his work as well. Throw in the incompetent henchman Monk and a woman reporter and you have 12 episodes of suspense. Lugosi is opne of the reasons to watch this 1930s serial which has the screen crawl that Star Wars fgans are familiar with.

 

Mantovani Plays the Music of Christmas

It does exactly what it says on the tin. Mantovani and his orchestra play Christmas numbers in a 30 minute show from the 1950s.

 

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol

In my less than humble opinion, this is the best version of the story with Alistair Sim as Scrooge and Michael Horden as Marley. George Cole plays the younger Scrooge. It is black and white and yes I have seen the colourised version and I think that is adequate but the original version is the best. It ain't Christmas without this film.

 

Angel on My Shoulder

Paul Muni is a gangster just released from prison whose partner then guns him down. Ending up in Hell, Claude Rains as The Devil decides to give the gangster an opportunity for revenge by getting him to destroy the reputation of his look a like a judge. The gangster reacts to things in the judge's life as a gangster including getting involved in a punch up at a meeting where he is to give a speech and sounding out whether someone will bribe him to fix a trial. However much Claude Rains tries prodding and pushing him Muni ends up making the judge more popular. The final temptation is bringing the partner who betrayed him to see him so that the judge can kill him but this fails as well. This was the only time after Scarface that Muni played a gangster. I had not heard of this film at all and it is well worth a look.

[Ninja-Bear]

I just finished the Witcher.

 

I also finished the Triumph of  Hercules and now watching Hercules against the Moon Men. I really am liking the Italian sword and sandal movies. Also they give a devious GM ideas for Fantasy.

[death tribble]

Eyewitness (1981)

William Hurt is a janitor in a building who has a crush on TV journalist Sigourney Weaver. When a businessman in the building is killed and Hurt discovers him, he reports the death to the police and then talks to the media. Although he knows nothing about the murder he implies that he does which makes Weaver curious. It also attracts the attention of Weaver's lover, Christopher Plummer. Plummer panics thinking that Hurt knows more than he does and tries to kill him. Plummer and the businessmen were involved in spiriting Jews out of East Europe only the businessman was jacking up the prices so Plummer killed him. James Woods is also in it as a Vietnam colleague of Hurt who attracts the suspicion of the police. Stephen Hill and Morgan Freeman are police officers trying to solve the case. it is an interesting film but does not quite grip like some do.

 

Spiderman Far From Home

First time seeing this and it was an interesting way to bring Mysterio to the screen. The reveal of how they find out Beck is a fake and then how Beck finds out they know. And the conclusion is in London. I know some of the area so it was pleasing to me. Definitely good.

 

Blame it on the Bellboy

Bronson Pinchot works as a bellboy in a hotel in Venice and his confusion over three names Lorton, Horton and Orton causes problems for the three guests. Mr Lorton is an assassin sent to Venice to kill one of the Mafia heads who lives there only he does not know his target and will only get his information when he arrives. Played by Bryan Brown he gets the information meant for meant for Mr Horton who is there to have a date. Mr Horton is the mayor of a town in Britain having an illicit date as he is actually married. He gets Mr Orton's package. Mr Orton played by Dudley Moore has been sent to look over and buy a villa in Venice. He gets the assassin's package and goes to see the Mafia head thinking he is going to buy it from him.

Further complications are that:-

The Mafia head knows someone is out to kill him;

The Estate Agent is trying to offload a villa that is really not worth the price but the English will buy anything;

The Estate Agent's rep and Mr Horton fail to understand that one is tying to sell the villa and that the other is here for a date leading to a lot of innuendo;

The assassin is having an attack of nerves and fails to kill the woman who is there for a date with Mr Horton, she in turn thinks he is her date and is just suffering jitters;

Horton's wife turns up as someone told her he was in Venice and she knew nothing about it;

Orton's boss treats him with abuse down the phone when he is being tortured by the mafia as they do not believe his story;

And the assassin and Horton's date think Horton is the one arranging for a hit;

It is not a great film but it passes amiably enough and I have seen much worse.

 

The Meg

First time for me to see this film. Jason Statham had a good few days as I also saw Hobbs and Shaw. Jason is diagnosed as suffering from PTSD after saving people from a submarine but leaving his two friends to die. He maintains there was something else down there. Guess what ? It's the biggest shark ever. After it disables a mini-sub, Jason is called in to help rescue the crew as one is his ex-wife and he is one of the only people to have ever rescued people from that depth. After losing one of the crew of the mini-sub and attracting the shark, it attacks the research base so the people on the base try to find and kill it. Only to discover that there are two of them when they have killed one. So the heroes have to chase one shark to a Chinese resort where it eats some of the people but people are seen to get away. It is not bad but I am glad I saw it on TV.

 

Day of the Triffids

This is the 1962 film version of the book. After a meteor shower causes mass blindness the Triffids go hunting humans. The film differs substantially from the book with the main hero a naval man who has been blinded. Another hero is on a lighthouse as he is a scientist seeking isolation for his work. The naval man rescues a girl from a station following a train crash and they travel first to his ship and then abroad looking for help and other non-blind survivors. The Triffids in this are decidedly creepy and cause fear. And I know it deviates from the book as I read it years ago and now have my own copy. Worth a look.

 

Operation Daybreak

There have been several versions of the assassination of Heydrich and this to my mind is the best. Filmed in Czechoslovakia, as it then was in the 1970s, you have Anton Differing playing Heydrich. Differing could make a superb villain and it is substantially different to the officer he played in Where Eagles Dare. Heydrich is in control and knows it and this arrogance is his downfall. Timothy Bottoms and Anthony Andrews play the two Czechs who ambush Heydrich and cause his death via injuries due to a grenade. Martin Shaw plays their comrade who betrays them and it is a sympathetic portrayal which is not often the case with traitors/betrayers. The Germans attempt to capture the assassins leading to a major gunfight in a church as the Germans are ordered to take them alive but the resistance are having none of it. The end credits show the fate of those involved who helped the attempt or pursued the assassins. A couple survived but many Czechs were executed or died in concentration camps with the traitor being hanged as was Heydrich's successor. Compare and contrast with Anthropoid and the Man With the Iron Heart. Worth repeated viewings.

[Spence]

On 12/27/2021 at 8:26 PM, Bazza said:

Barbarella. Wondering how this got made, but at the same time grateful it was. It's basically a sci-fi fairy tale. 

 

At the time it was what was expected from scifi and fantasy.  Both genres were "obviously" only for a very small audience and/or kids.  Most trended to have skimpy or tight costumes to pull the "teen boy" demo which was where they belived 99% of the interest laid. 

 

It took Star Wars to make film consider scifi/fantasy as a viable non-matinee box office draw.  Even after Star Wars it took a little time to get the good stuff.  But once Alien and such started scoring things got great for the genre crowd.

 

Heck the vast majority of pre-Star Wars that wasn't plain bad was generally Disney doing a classic like 20,000 Leagues. 

 

Barbarella was one of the better ones, sort of.  

[Spence]

On 12/28/2021 at 5:10 AM, Starlord said:

 

I enjoyed Season 2, but don't think it was necessary to change Yennefer story like they did.

 

I also never read or played anything Witcher related so for me it was all new. 

I am 3 episodes into season 2 and generally like it.  But there are things that just don't seem like they connect(?) right.  More a feeling than anything I can directly point to, but some of the characters don't seem to fit as well as others.  Or do things that don't seem likely.  Like I am missing pieces or something was changed but they didn't locate and adjust everything else that was affected. 

 

All in all, I like it.  It is just not pegging the fantastic meter. 

[Spence]

On 12/28/2021 at 11:01 AM, zslane said:

I have to believe that due to the success of The Witcher on Netflix, we'll never see Elric become a movie or streaming series franchise. Which is a darn shame.

 

On 12/28/2021 at 12:23 PM, Lord Liaden said:

I'm not sure I follow your logic for that assertion. Could you elaborate?

 

Me too.

I don't think we will ever see an actual Elric movie or series because no one in Hollywood can possibly do anything like bring a book to the screen without reinventing or reinterpreting everything for their own personal agenda and all the old pulp writers have already been condemned as the 'ist of the minute. 

 

Other books we will never see that they could make today. 

Beyond the Mountains of Madness

Starship Troopers

Amber Chronicles

[Lord Liaden]

3 hours ago, death tribble said:

 

Day of the Triffids

This is the 1962 film version of the book. After a meteor shower causes mass blindness the Triffids go hunting humans. The film differs substantially from the book with the main hero a naval man who has been blinded. Another hero is on a lighthouse as he is a scientist seeking isolation for his work. The naval man rescues a girl from a station following a train crash and they travel first to his ship and then abroad looking for help and other non-blind survivors. The Triffids in this are decidedly creepy and cause fear. And I know it deviates from the book as I read it years ago and now have my own copy. Worth a look.

 

 

 

This full movie is on YouTube:

 

 

[Lord Liaden]

3 hours ago, Spence said:

 

At the time it was what was expected from scifi and fantasy.  Both genres were "obviously" only for a very small audience and/or kids.  Most trended to have skimpy or tight costumes to pull the "teen boy" demo which was where they belived 99% of the interest laid. 

 

It took Star Wars to make film consider scifi/fantasy as a viable non-matinee box office draw.  Even after Star Wars it took a little time to get the good stuff.  But once Alien and such started scoring things got great for the genre crowd.

 

Heck the vast majority of pre-Star Wars that wasn't plain bad was generally Disney doing a classic like 20,000 Leagues. 

 

Barbarella was one of the better ones, sort of.  

 

I'm really surprised you would make that assertion. There may have been a segment of the American movie-going public at the time who felt that way, but serious science-fiction films which were critically acclaimed and also significant box-office draws already had a history in Hollywood of nearly two decades. The Day the Earth Stood Still. War of the Worlds. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. Forbidden Planet. THEM!  Invasion of the Body Snatchers. This Island Earth. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Fantastic Voyage. Planet of the Apes. 2001: A Space Odyssey. To name a few. As an example, THEM! was Warner Bros. highest-grossing film of 1954.

 

There was plenty of schlock produced over that period, to be sure, but that's true of every movie genre in every era.

 

The Star Wars phenomenon did re-energize sci-fi movies by emphasizing the space-opera sub-genre rather than "hard" sci-fi, swashbuckling elements, pseudo-mysticism, and marrying them to state of the art special effects. It put sci-fi into the "potential blockbuster" category in the minds of Hollywood, for better or worse.