What Have You Watched Recently?

[slikmar]

1 hour ago, Starlord said:

The Accountant - Surpisingly excellent film starring Ben Affleck as an autistic forensic accountant/vigilante.

Spoiler

I particularly liked that, despite the odds of it being him hired, they did setup his brother as being the best at what he does due to the same exact training as Affleck's character, only he can relate to people more, so he started a company of security mercenaries, but he is as ruthless and efficient as his brother.

 

[DShomshak]

So, people have said good things about Stranger Things. I checked my local library, but the system only has Season 2 on DVD. Is it worth my while to watch Season 2 without having seen Season 1?

 

(No, I'm not subscribing to any streaming services. It's the library or nothing.)

 

Dean Shomshak

[Bazza]

Stranger Things is like one long narrative so yes, it is worthwhile to see Season 1 before Season 2.
 

That said, as the library only has season 2, go with that, and ask if they can get season 1 in for you — maybe interlibrary loan. if yes, watch season 1 first. 

[csyphrett]

Columbo night brings us Columbo trapping a sex therapist with the disguise she bought on a business trip to kill her boyfriend, and a guy embezzling from a think tank with a phony alibi killing his blackmailer.

 

Columbo follows the Christie tradition in that.

CES

[Pariah]

Flipping through channels last night, we came across Field of Dreams. It's been a long, long time since I've seen that show. Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones were fantastic. The movie is definitely a classic, even if you don't know a lot about baseball. Because it's really not very much about baseball, it's more about people and relationships.

[Starlord]

19 hours ago, DShomshak said:

So, people have said good things about Stranger Things. I checked my local library, but the system only has Season 2 on DVD. Is it worth my while to watch Season 2 without having seen Season 1?

 

(No, I'm not subscribing to any streaming services. It's the library or nothing.)

 

Dean Shomshak

 

STRONGLY suggest watching Season 1 as S2 will be very confusing without doing so.  It also the best season, although the latest S4 comes close.  As Bazza mentioned, it is one long narrative arc with each season closing off a main story thread while leaving open many subplots.

 

If you are a fan of sci-fi/fantasy/horror (and 80s nostalgia) you won't be disappointed.

[death tribble]

House of Whipcord

A model goes to meet the parents of a guy she is dating and ends up in a prison. Her crime was public lewdness and a judge there sentences her. If you incur three demerits then you get killed as the model finds out from other inmates. First demerit is solitary confinement and the second is beating. The model tries to get the other inmates to help her and tries to escape. Her room mate gets worries and tries to find her. This is just an excuse to show off flesh. Maybe see once. 

 

Bad Boys for Life

The third film in the Bad Boys sequence. Marin Lawrence's character is considering retiring and Will Smith's is shot and almost killed. When he comes out of the hospital the colleagues try to find out why someone is trying to kill him and other people. It was alright but the first one was better. 

 

Secret Army season 3

A new Luftwaffe police officer arrives to work with Kessler and they don't take to each other. The Communists try to take revenge on Albert for betraying Max to the Germans (even though he was going to betray the entire organisation so that the Communists could take it over). The Belgians also look to take revenge on those who worked with the Germans. Albert is arrested on suspicion of killing his wife (season 1) and spends several episodes incarcerated. Monique has to look after things while Natalie keeps trying to get shot down airmen away. This becomes impossible as the Allies roll across France so they have to be held where they are. Major Bradley returns and tries organising Resistance which is not what the escape line is all about. He does help but is tragically killed after curfew while getting rid of a German undercover agent. After Albert is let out of prison the Communists grab Albert to kill him and Monique disappears. Kessler flees but is caught by Canadians and masquerades as a regular army officer. Albert is rescued by the British and Natalie and another British officer find and rescue Monique. Kessler causes the Luftwaffe officer to be court martialled after they end up in the same prison and then executed by firing squad. His mistress bribes the guards and gets him free (setting up the follow up series Kessler). Monique and Albert split up with the former accepting a proposal from a British officer to be his wife.

 

Ned Boulting's History of Irish Cycling

Ned does commentary on the Tour de France and here looks at Irish cycling which has produced a Tour winner and Green Jersey winner as well. Other who follow in their wake came into cycling. Fascinating little slice of history.

 

Marty Wilde 50 Years of Rock and Roll

British rock and roll star celebrated 50 years in the 2000s and did a concert. Guests included his daughters notably Kim who had a pop career, members of the Shadows and Justin Hayward. This is pretty nice but probably only for British fans and rock and roll historians.

 

Every Day's a Holiday

This is a musical where the characters are working in a holiday camp. There are several artists of the time (Mike Sarne, Andy Leyton, and Freddie and the Dreamers). It passes the time.

[fdw3773]

I've started watching Masterpiece/Mystery Theater's Grantchester, based off of the novel series. I'm up to Season 4 on Amazon and started watching the latest of Season 7 on PBS and I'm like, "Wow, a lot's happened in between those seasons" in terms of character development and story arcs. 😉

[Michael Hopcroft]

The only TV I get to see in the Walmart break room is Ion network. All copaganda, all the time! Whoever holds control over the remote must really have some strange views about cops.

 

It could be worse -- it could be the jury room...

[Scott Ruggels]

 Speaking of Cops. My mother recommended "The Wire" (HBOMax), which I had not seen.  COntemporary Cop and Criminal Drama, BUT there has been a big change in technology since then. "The Wire" was a court approved set of wire taps in pay phones in and around a set of Baltimore Projects.  No one has cel phones and the computers they obtained from the Feds were all Win98 machines, if I remember the OS correctly.  I've enjoyed it quite a bit. and we will probably wrap up the first season next Sunday.

[mattingly]

This weekend at church, I taught a lesson based on the film that most inspires me, The Wizard of Speed and Time.

As the trailer says, "Five years in the making! Five days in the theaters!"

 

 

 

This weekend, I'll cover Bill and Ted.

 

[Michael Hopcroft]

12 hours ago, Scott Ruggels said:

 Speaking of Cops. My mother recommended "The Wire" (HBOMax), which I had not seen.  COntemporary Cop and Criminal Drama, BUT there has been a big change in technology since then. "The Wire" was a court approved set of wire taps in pay phones in and around a set of Baltimore Projects.  No one has cel phones and the computers they obtained from the Feds were all Win98 machines, if I remember the OS correctly.  I've enjoyed it quite a bit. and we will probably wrap up the first season next Sunday.

I imagine she, like almost everyone of a certain generation, has a but of a halcyon nostalgia for the days before the Internet was everywhere, any event can be easily interrupted by the intrusion of a ringtone, and a time when it was harder to communicate but that there was less to sort through.

[Spence]

Finally had the opportunity to watch thr Snyder cut of Justice League.  While the whole Snyder'verse is too grim dark for a Superman movie in my opinion.  But the Snyder version was definitely a better movie.  The theatrical release was a disjointed mess and was more meh than movie.  The SC made far more sense even if they grim/darked Supes. 

 

Barring a completely new movie series, hopefully by someone who actually read a Superman comic.  Yes, I understand that would require finding issues from the 80s.  But if they actually read Superman, they could do a fantastic movie with current technology.  But if we can't get something actually good, then the SC is a passable substitute. 

 

It gets a firm OK from me. 

[Ternaugh]

2 hours ago, Spence said:

Finally had the opportunity to watch thr Snyder cut of Justice League.  While the whole Snyder'verse is too grim dark for a Superman movie in my opinion.  But the Snyder version was definitely a better movie.  The theatrical release was a disjointed mess and was more meh than movie.  The SC made far more sense even if they grim/darked Supes. 

 

Barring a completely new movie series, hopefully by someone who actually read a Superman comic.  Yes, I understand that would require finding issues from the 80s.  But if they actually read Superman, they could do a fantastic movie with current technology.  But if we can't get something actually good, then the SC is a passable substitute. 

 

It gets a firm OK from me. 

 

They could also crib ideas from Superman: The Animated Series.

[Bazza]

You mean to say Snyder didn’t already give us an reanimated Superman? 

[Spence]

16 minutes ago, Ternaugh said:

 

They could also crib ideas from Superman: The Animated Series.

Maybe. I can't remember the series.  There were good ones and bad ones.

[Starlord]

I think the current HBO series is representing Superman quite well actually.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Just finished season 5 of Better Call Saul on Netflix. Now the wait begins for 6. 

[slikmar]

4 hours ago, Starlord said:

I think the current HBO series is representing Superman quite well actually.

Sadly, you mean the CW series being reshown on HBO. but yes, a good representaiton of superman.

[BoloOfEarth]

My daughter pointed out that Netflix is carrying the first two seasons of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.  We had watched many an episode together when she was just a kid, so I binge watched it for nostalgia.  I enjoyed it a lot.  Loved Gordy, the janitor -- I also had enjoyed seeing that actor in both Veronica Mars and iZombie.

[Grailknight]

It's pretty sad when the CW or the DCAU can make a better Superman than your in-house movie studio can. Perhaps funds could be better allocated.

[Pariah]

Apropos of recent conversations....

 

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episodes, Ranked by Captain Pike’s Hair

[Ternaugh]

Family Plot: Hitchcock's last movie, this one's an intertwined story involving a psychic's search for a lost heir to a fortune, and a pair of kidnappers who demand expensive jewels as ransom. This one has been growing on me with repeated viewings. (Blu-ray)

 

Plotting Family Plot: A documentary included on the disc about the making of Family Plot, with interviews with many of the folks involved. It's an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the movie. (Blu-ray)

 

Freaky Friday: The original 1976 movie, where mom and daughter swap bodies for a day. Stars Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster in the primary roles. A nostalgic Disney watch, it mostly holds up. (Disney+)

 

Knight Rider 2000: KITT has been stripped for parts, and Michael Knight has retired to a cabin by a lake to fish and work on a '57 Chevy as this one starts off, but both get back in action after a high-profile murder of a mayor shot in a town where guns have been made illegal. I can't say that I remember this when it was released in the early 1990s, but it has many of the same vibes as other shows and movies that attempted to predict the near-future of the year 2000. If you're in a nostalgic mood and were a fan of the original show, it's not a bad watch. (Amazon Prime)

[slikmar]

17 minutes ago, Ternaugh said:

Knight Rider 2000: KITT has been stripped for parts, and Michael Knight has retired to a cabin by a lake to fish and work on a '57 Chevy as this one starts off, but both get back in action after a high-profile murder of a mayor shot in a town where guns have been made illegal. I can't say that I remember this when it was released in the early 1990s, but it has many of the same vibes as other shows and movies that attempted to predict the near-future of the year 2000. If you're in a nostalgic mood and were a fan of the original show, it's not a bad watch. (Amazon Prime)

As I recall, was sort of trying to setup a new Knight Rider series with the girl on the show taking over the lead, but didnt get enough ratings. They also did one as part of their action pack series, iirc, but it was more set post apocalyptic, I feel like, and wasnt really a knight rider show, more mad max.

[Joe Walsh]

1 hour ago, slikmar said:

As I recall, was sort of trying to setup a new Knight Rider series with the girl on the show taking over the lead, but didnt get enough ratings. They also did one as part of their action pack series, iirc, but it was more set post apocalyptic, I feel like, and wasnt really a knight rider show, more mad max.

 

What passes for original thinking in Hollywood: "What if Knight Rider, but it's Mad Max!"