Now Watching, Films/ movies discussion Options

[SubRosa]

I have been in a Trek mood, in no small part to listening to the first episode of the Behind the Reactor podcast today. So I decided to try Discovery once more. I am 3 episodes in now, and I am liking it. Though some things in it make me scratch my head. The weird-looking Klingons in corsets among them. But also the show has a much darker tone than I expect from Trek, which is supposed to be a show about hope, that shows the best that people could be, if they really wanted to.

The protagonist of Michael Burnham is interesting, and the actress playing her - Sonequa Martin-Green - is certainly not hard to look at. The tall skinny alien Saru did not do much for me at first, but he has grown on me. I thought Tilly was just adorable. Her big, huge, Brave-like mane of hair made me immediately think of Grits. And it was nice seeing Rekha Sharma again (who played Tory in Galactica).

So it looks like I will be alternating between Discovery and Korra for now.

[haute ecole rider]

Found a classic I've wanted to see for a long time - Derek Jacobi's[/i] I, Claudius. After hearing so much about this series for so many years, I was pleased to find it on Acorn TV (all British, all the time). I was considering canceling my subscription after I finished 20+ seasons of Midsomer Murders, but I guess I'll keep it going for a while longer.

I really enjoyed watching the first episode tonight. Recognized quite a few actresses from seeing them 30 years on in various roles on Midsomer Murders and of course, Derek Jacobi's Cadfael Mysteries. A few of the actors, too, including Brian Blesssed. And Livia, Claudius's grandmother, is such a powerful, dominant character that I want to keep watching it. She's not a likable character, but given the climate for women of the time, it's not surprising that she expressed her intelligence in such manipulative ways. Certainly this version of Livia would have given Niccolo Machiavelli a serious run for his money.

The whole thing felt like theater. Of course, British broadcast drama had its roots sunk deep in the stage, and you can tell this not only by the sets, but also by the camera angles and the silences between the words, where expressions are larger than life. Maybe it's not immersive, but it's certainly compelling.

I wonder if this series continues this high quality of writing and stage direction. I would have kept watching, but I have an early day tomorrow!

[Decrepit]

Found a classic I've wanted to see for a long time - Derek Jacobi's[/i] I, Claudius. After hearing so much about this series for so many years, I was pleased to find it on Acorn TV (all British, all the time). I was considering canceling my subscription after I finished 20+ seasons of Midsomer Murders, but I guess I'll keep it going for a while longer.

I really enjoyed watching the first episode tonight. Recognized quite a few actresses from seeing them 30 years on in various roles on Midsomer Murders and of course, Derek Jacobi's Cadfael Mysteries. A few of the actors, too, including Brian Blesssed. And Livia, Claudius's grandmother, is such a powerful, dominant character that I want to keep watching it. She's not a likable character, but given the climate for women of the time, it's not surprising that she expressed her intelligence in such manipulative ways. Certainly this version of Livia would have given Niccolo Machiavelli a serious run for his money.

The whole thing felt like theater. Of course, British broadcast drama had its roots sunk deep in the stage, and you can tell this not only by the sets, but also by the camera angles and the silences between the words, where expressions are larger than life. Maybe it's not immersive, but it's certainly compelling.

I wonder if this series continues this high quality of writing and stage direction. I would have kept watching, but I have an early day tomorrow!

Yes, I, Claudius remains top-notch from beginning to end. An amazing series, start to finish. So many amazing performances. The actor who played King Joffrey Baratheon in GoT was told to study Caligula's portrayal in I, Claudius. He did so, to GOT and our benefit.

[haute ecole rider]

Found a classic I've wanted to see for a long time - Derek Jacobi's[/i] I, Claudius. After hearing so much about this series for so many years, I was pleased to find it on Acorn TV (all British, all the time). I was considering canceling my subscription after I finished 20+ seasons of Midsomer Murders, but I guess I'll keep it going for a while longer.

I really enjoyed watching the first episode tonight. Recognized quite a few actresses from seeing them 30 years on in various roles on Midsomer Murders and of course, Derek Jacobi's Cadfael Mysteries. A few of the actors, too, including Brian Blesssed. And Livia, Claudius's grandmother, is such a powerful, dominant character that I want to keep watching it. She's not a likable character, but given the climate for women of the time, it's not surprising that she expressed her intelligence in such manipulative ways. Certainly this version of Livia would have given Niccolo Machiavelli a serious run for his money.

The whole thing felt like theater. Of course, British broadcast drama had its roots sunk deep in the stage, and you can tell this not only by the sets, but also by the camera angles and the silences between the words, where expressions are larger than life. Maybe it's not immersive, but it's certainly compelling.

I wonder if this series continues this high quality of writing and stage direction. I would have kept watching, but I have an early day tomorrow!

Yes, I, Claudius remains top-notch from beginning to end. An amazing series, start to finish. So many amazing performances. The actor who played King Joffrey Baratheon in GoT was told to study Caligula's portrayal in I, Claudius. He did so, to GOT and our benefit.

The writing and acting continues to hold through the fifth episode. TBH, it was about all I felt like doing all afternoon following my eye surgery this morning. Oh, and PICARD! I had forgotten he was in this, but that face with those eyebrows is hard to miss . . . So handsome and So Roman! Now I want a Sejanus in my game, ambitious evil sly coot he is . . .

[SubRosa]

I watched Enola Holmes a few days ago. It was a fun, quirky movie. Mille Bobby Brown was perfect. So was Henry Cavill as Sherlock. A delightful watch.

I also saw Vampires vs The Bronx. It is about a group of scrappy young nerdy kids who take on the vampires who are gentrifying their neighborhood. It kind of reminds me of an updated version of Lost Boys.

[SubRosa]

Last night I watched Creature From The Black Lagoon with my neighbors. It really struck me how cutting edge that movie was for its time. It had people scuba diving, and this was in 1954. So it was only a few years after Cousteau had invented the modern aqualung. Plus of course it had underwater photography, which I am not sure had been done before in Hollywood. It is difficult even today, given that whole drowning thing...

Then we watched The Shape of Water afterward to make it a two-fer. Really good movie. This time around I really appreciated what a good portrayal they did of the villain - General Zod. I forget the actor's real name. He had a lot of personality and quirks, which really came together with his need to control everyone around him.

Today I finished season two of The Alienist. It followed the second book - Angel of Darkness. I read it years ago, but have forgotten almost all of it, save for the courtroom drama with Clarence Darrow. Turns out the TV version cut that completely out. So it all felt new to me.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Last night I watched Creature From The Black Lagoon with my neighbors. It really struck me how cutting edge that movie was for its time. It had people scuba diving, and this was in 1954. So it was only a few years after Cousteau had invented the modern aqualung. Plus of course it had underwater photography, which I am not sure had been done before in Hollywood. It is difficult even today, given that whole drowning thing...

Then we watched The Shape of Water afterward to make it a two-fer. Really good movie. This time around I really appreciated what a good portrayal they did of the villain - General Zod. I forget the actor's real name. He had a lot of personality and quirks, which really came together with his need to control everyone around him.

Today I finished season two of The Alienist. It followed the second book - Angel of Darkness. I read it years ago, but have forgotten almost all of it, save for the courtroom drama with Clarence Darrow. Turns out the TV version cut that completely out. So it all felt new to me.

So did you like The Alienist? I’ve seen it too and would like your to read your opinions (maybe mark them in spoiler tags for the uninitiated, lol).

Still need to get around to watching The Shape of Water.

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: Oct 28 2020, 02:25 PM

[Decrepit]

Last night I watched Creature From The Black Lagoon with my neighbors. It really struck me how cutting edge that movie was for its time. It had people scuba diving, and this was in 1954. So it was only a few years after Cousteau had invented the modern aqualung. Plus of course it had underwater photography, which I am not sure had been done before in Hollywood. It is difficult even today, given that whole drowning thing...

I first saw Creature in one of my hometown's two movie theaters, back when small US towns (population 2,300) were capable of supporting them. I want to say it was during the film's initial run. I'd have been three at the time. Mom took me to a good many movies early on. (Dad was of course at work.) The only ones that made a lasting impression are '50 sci-fi / horror "classics".

I'm pretty sure I saw the other Creature films during their initial runs. Revenge of the Creature? The Creature Walks Among Us? I'm pretty sure that's right. Mid fifyish?

I assembled a plastic model of the Creature at some point during my misspent youth. (As opposed to misspent adulthood and misspent old age.)

Come and See is that last full-length feature film I watched in its entirety. Otherwise, I confine my viewing to YouTube.

[SubRosa]

Last night I watched Creature From The Black Lagoon with my neighbors. It really struck me how cutting edge that movie was for its time. It had people scuba diving, and this was in 1954. So it was only a few years after Cousteau had invented the modern aqualung. Plus of course it had underwater photography, which I am not sure had been done before in Hollywood. It is difficult even today, given that whole drowning thing...

Then we watched The Shape of Water afterward to make it a two-fer. Really good movie. This time around I really appreciated what a good portrayal they did of the villain - General Zod. I forget the actor's real name. He had a lot of personality and quirks, which really came together with his need to control everyone around him.

Today I finished season two of The Alienist. It followed the second book - Angel of Darkness. I read it years ago, but have forgotten almost all of it, save for the courtroom drama with Clarence Darrow. Turns out the TV version cut that completely out. So it all felt new to me.

So did you like The Alienist? I’ve seen it too and would like your to read your opinions (maybe mark them in spoiler tags for the uninitiated, lol).

Still need to get around to watching The Shape of Water.

The Alienist was good. Season Two put a lot more emphasis on Sara Howard, which I appreciated. In it she has started a detective agency, which is the driving force for the story. So too is the relationship that develops between her and the primary antagonist. Even though I do not remember the book anymore, I was able to figure out who the latter was pretty quick. That is not throwing shade. I have simply seen enough mystery stories to know the rules, and one is that you almost always see the villain, you just don't know that is what they are until the end. So all you really need to do is look at all the supporting characters and guess which one is the killer. Usually it is the one you least expect. Then it is easy.

One thing I did not like about the series overall was the seeming need that these crime shows have to one-up themselves with brutality and insanity. Just like action movies are driven by a need to out do all those that came before with even crazier and more dangerous stunts, crime dramas seem to have a need to make each villain more twisted, brutal, and insane than the last. Because it is always about the killer, not the victim. Which is something that disturbs me about the genre as a whole.

The other thing that disappointed me about the first season was that I think it really missed an opportunity to portray a trans person in not only a positive light, but also with a major role in the story. This all goes back to the book of course. The story is basically that someone is murdering trans kids who are prostitutes. The tv show tries to imply that none of them want to be trans, but that they are forced into it. I am not aware of that ever happening. More real is that trans kids are driven from their homes or run away to escape the brutality of their parents, and then are forced into prostitution to survive. Since no one will hire a trans person.

Both the novel and the TV show could have emphasized the fact that it is bigotry that forces trans children into these incredibly dangerous situations instead. More over, they could have introduced a grown up trans character - someone who lived the same life themselves - as a sort of guide through the underworld, and integral part of the team. They could have been someone who escaped to a better life by becoming a writer, or maybe an artist. Something that has a degree of anonymity (For example, female authors of the 1800s like Jane Austen almost always wrote under a pseudonym). Or they might still be working as a prostitute, or even as a madam, because that is their only option. They might even be a courtesan with high society clients from the Vanderbilts and other 400 Families.

Instead they simply used boys in dresses for shock value, and then moved on with the real meat and potatoes of hunting down a depraved killer. To be honest, that is the least interesting and original part of the story. Where the most original thing would have been to shed a light on the real people who have been erased from history.

Last night I watched Creature From The Black Lagoon with my neighbors. It really struck me how cutting edge that movie was for its time. It had people scuba diving, and this was in 1954. So it was only a few years after Cousteau had invented the modern aqualung. Plus of course it had underwater photography, which I am not sure had been done before in Hollywood. It is difficult even today, given that whole drowning thing...

I first saw Creature in one of my hometown's two movie theaters, back when small US towns (population 2,300) were capable of supporting them. I want to say it was during the film's initial run. I'd have been three at the time. Mom took me to a good many movies early on. (Dad was of course at work.) The only ones that made a lasting impression are '50 sci-fi / horror "classics".

I'm pretty sure I saw the other Creature films during their initial runs. Revenge of the Creature? The Creature Walks Among Us? I'm pretty sure that's right. Mid fifyish?

I assembled a plastic model of the Creature at some point during my misspent youth. (As opposed to misspent adulthood and misspent old age.)

Come and See is that last full-length feature film I watched in its entirety. Otherwise, I confine my viewing to YouTube.

I have all the Creature movies thanks to the big Universal horror mega-pack I bought last year. The Creature movies were their last gasp - 1954, 55, 56. The other monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, and Wolfman had ran out of steam, and turned into parodies by the 40s.

What did you think of all the high-tech wizardry of the movies? The scuba gear, the underwater filming, etc...?

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

The Alienist was good. Season Two put a lot more emphasis on Sara Howard, which I appreciated. In it she has started a detective agency, which is the driving force for the story. So too is the relationship that develops between her and the primary antagonist. Even though I do not remember the book anymore, I was able to figure out who the latter was pretty quick. That is not throwing shade. I have simply seen enough mystery stories to know the rules, and one is that you almost always see the villain, you just don't know that is what they are until the end. So all you really need to do is look at all the supporting characters and guess which one is the killer. Usually it is the one you least expect. Then it is easy.

One thing I did not like about the series overall was the seeming need that these crime shows have to one-up themselves with brutality and insanity. Just like action movies are driven by a need to out do all those that came before with even crazier and more dangerous stunts, crime dramas seem to have a need to make each villain more twisted, brutal, and insane than the last. Because it is always about the killer, not the victim. Which is something that disturbs me about the genre as a whole.

The other thing that disappointed me about the first season was that I think it really missed an opportunity to portray a trans person in not only a positive light, but also with a major role in the story. This all goes back to the book of course. The story is basically that someone is murdering trans kids who are prostitutes. The tv show tries to imply that none of them want to be trans, but that they are forced into it. I am not aware of that ever happening. More real is that trans kids are driven from their homes or run away to escape the brutality of their parents, and then are forced into prostitution to survive. Since no one will hire a trans person.

Both the novel and the TV show could have emphasized the fact that is it is bigotry that forces trans children into these incredibly dangerous situations instead. More over, they could have introduced a grown up trans character - someone who lived the same life themselves - as a sort of guide through the underworld, and integral part of the team. They could have been someone who escaped to a better life by becoming a writer, or maybe an artist. Something that has a degree of anonymity (For example, female authors of the 1800s like Jane Austen almost always wrote under a pseudonym). Or they might still be working as a prostitute, or even as a madam, because that is their only option. They might even be a courtesan with high society clients from the Vanderbilts and other 400 Families.

Instead they simply used boys in dresses for shock value, and then moved on with the real meat and potatoes of hunting down a depraved killer. To be honest, that is the least interesting and original part of the story. Where the most original thing would have been to shed a light on the real people who have been erased from history.

I too enjoyed The Alienist, for the most part. Sarah Howard is hands down the best character in the show. Did you think that her relationship with John was awkward and weird? It sure seemed that way to me, but then I guess maybe it was supposed to? The whole time during their sex scene I was like “no”. I also remember thinking that they could’ve handled the trans content a bit better. Your observation that it was for “shock value”, is spot on. That’s exactly how I felt too.

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: Oct 29 2020, 02:34 AM

[SubRosa]

I thought the whole sex scene in Season Two was really awkward and forced. Really the whole relationship between Sarah and John. It felt like it was just there to prove that the characters were heterosexual.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

I thought the whole sex scene in Season Two was really awkward and forced. Really the whole relationship between Sarah and John. It felt like it was just there to prove that the characters were heterosexual.

Indeed. Same.

[Decrepit]

During my over-long unfortunate absence from the internet I rewatched the TV series I, Claudius. It wears well. I liked it this time around possibly more than previous viewings, and I've always considered it a masterpiece. Great script and delivery. Acting top-notch. Makeup first-rate. And so on. Those wanting on-location and outdoor scenes might be disappointed, as the budget didn't allow for that. While I appreciate those things, I don't miss them here. In fact, their presence might have been a distraction.

[SubRosa]

For the last few weeks I have been going back through some of the classic films of the 80s and 90s that I never got around to seeing. And a few that I just have not seen since they first came out back in those days.

Honey I Shrunk The Kids and Gremlins were both delightful 80s movies that I rounded out my Spooky October with. I saw both back in the day, and still found them to be a lot of fun.

I also watched Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion with my neighbors. It was fun. I had such a crush on Mira Sorvino back in the day. This reminded me why. The movie was fun and enjoyable. I loved all the outifts they wore. Right from the start I was wondering why they weren't fashion designers. Which kind of ties up nicely with the ending.

I tried watching The Breakfast Club. But I gave up a little over a half hour in. I just found it utterly repulsive. Mainly Judd Nelson's character. He literally starts out with rape threats at Molly Ringwold's character, then moves on to fat-shaming, and slut-shaming. I did some reading afterward, and now I am glad I stopped watching before the physical sexual harassment like him trying to look up her skirt.

I just finished watching Philadelphia today. That was good, part courtroom drama, part human story. Tom Hanks really hit it out of the ballpark. But really, really downer ending.

I broke the mold a bit to watch The Interview. Like so many people say, it really is quite a bad movie. The only thing that really worked for me was the whole 'honeydick' running joke. However, I do have to give them some props for their portrayal of Kim Jung Un. They showed him as a real, three-dimensional person, rather than just a one-dimensional cardboard villain to poke fun at, like the rest of the Western media does. At least until the third act, when he does become a one-dimensional cardboard villain.

Finally, I am started a rewatch of The Clone Wars, starting at the beginning. This time I am watching them in the proper order, rather than the order they were released in. I found a list somewhere that put them in the proper order. The reason is that when they started the show, they just did a bunch of little stories that they thought were cool, without trying to tell a single, cohesive story from start to finish. Then one or two seasons later they would have ideas for prequels or sequels to episodes they had done earlier, and they would release them where ever they were at at the time.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Finally, I am started a rewatch of The Clone Wars, starting at the beginning. This time I am watching them in the proper order, rather than the order they were released in. I found a list somewhere that put them in the proper order. The reason is that when they started the show, they just did a bunch of little stories that they thought were cool, without trying to tell a single, cohesive story from start to finish. Then one or two seasons later they would have ideas for prequels or sequels to episodes they had done earlier, and they would release them where ever they were at at the time.

Wow really? I somehow failed to notice this. Do you have a link to the list you have? My GF is currently watching the show and I think she would find this info useful.

[SubRosa]

There are a bunch of places that the list is out there. I think I am using the one on the official site? This one

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

There are a bunch of places that the list is out there. I think I am using the one on the official site? This one

Ah! Thank you!

[SubRosa]

A clip from the next Godzilla movie

[SubRosa]

I am almost finished with watching the entirety of the Clone Wars TV show. I just have one episode left of Season Seven. Wow! Just Wow! The final four episodes of the season - and show - have been just stunning. They went for a very cinematic feel to it all. From the visuals, to the music - which I can tell is a full orchestra. The whole thing feels so very big in scope and scale. Even the fight scenes between Ahsoka and Darth Maul were motion captured rather than computer animated, with Ray Park returning to do Maul.

I was expecting it to end right at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith. But instead it actually takes place at the same time as RotS. Order 66 just happened in the second to last episode. They even recreated a scene from it, and used the original audio from the movie in another sequence.

Of course, Ahsoka is just awesome. She was always my favorite character in the Clone Wars. She might even be my favorite of all, over Princess Leia. Which is saying a lot, since Leia was my favorite since I was a children. She is a whole barrel of whoop-ass, but someone who is still growing and evolving as a person even after 7 seasons of storytelling.

Edit: And finished the last episode. That was epic! It all wraps up well, and leads right into the Ahsoka novel by E.K. Johnston that came out a few years ago.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

I am almost finished with watching the entirety of the Clone Wars TV show. I just have one episode left of Season Seven. Wow! Just Wow! The final four episodes of the season - and show - have been just stunning. They went for a very cinematic feel to it all. From the visuals, to the music - which I can tell is a full orchestra. The whole thing feels so very big in scope and scale. Even the fight scenes between Ahsoka and Darth Maul were motion captured rather than computer animated, with Ray Park returning to do Maul.

I was expecting it to end right at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith. But instead it actually takes place at the same time as RotS. Order 66 just happened in the second to last episode. They even recreated a scene from it, and used the original audio from the movie in another sequence.

Of course, Ahsoka is just awesome. She was always my favorite character in the Clone Wars. She might even be my favorite of all, over Princess Leia. Which is saying a lot, since Leia was my favorite since I was a children. She is a whole barrel of whoop-ass, but someone who is still growing and evolving as a person even after 7 seasons of storytelling.

Edit: And finished the last episode. That was epic! It all wraps up well, and leads right into the Ahsoka novel by E.K. Johnston that came out a few years ago.

Have you seen any of Season 2 Mandalorian?