Messages

1

Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: Today at 11:27:20 PM »

I think it's the only comic book movie released after Venom 2 that I've seen, so it's my favourite since that film too.

It probably isn't the worse film in that recently-watched-list of mine.  Miskatonic U has a lot more flaws and isn't any more entertaining.  Although Miskatonic U does have tentacle head lady in it for about five minutes.  Morbius definitely lacked tentacle head ladies.

Although both those films suck compared to the rest of the list.  If I haven't sold watching Mad God to anyone then I really don't know what I'm doing.

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Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: Today at 12:24:41 PM »

There's a bunch of stuff I've watched over the last few weeks.

Rocketman

The Elton John one.  This movie is far better than it has any right to be.  I'm not a fan of Elton John or musicals and I find biopics a very mixed bag.  Nevertheless, this was a story that was well told.  I don't think I've learnt a lot about Elton John.  I don't think the movie makers give a shit about that.  Seems like they just wanted to make an entertaining experience and they certainly got me there.  Loved it.

Midnight Run

Late 80's Robert De Niro buddy/odd couple movie about a bail bondsman.  Surprisingly entertaining film.

Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

Don't need to say much about this one.  It's very good.

Mad God

Mostly stop motion passion project.  Bizarre hellish and grotesque depictions strung together without much in the way of coherent narrative.  This film is about the style and it oozes that.  It comes in at under 90 minutes but it leaves a HUGE impression.  Not for the easily nauseous.

Only Lovers Left Alive

Did you know Jim Jarmusch made a Vampire film?  In 2013?  I didn't.  Know I do and I've seen it.  It met my expectations of a Jarmusch Vampire film.

The Resonator Miskatonic U

This is an OK film, I guess.  It has some charm, but I feel it probably needed more.

Morbius

OK, this film.
I wanted to watch this film for the same reason I chose to watch the first Suicide Squad film.  I wanted to see in what particular way they fucked up.  I wanted to rubberneck at this apparent car crash of a film that is so awful it's still the butt of jokes.  Unlike Suicide Squad I was unaware of any major production troubles, so what could possibly make this film so terrible?

The answer is... it isn't terrible.  It's not an awful movie.  At worst, it's an average movie.  It's coherent.  The performances are acceptable.  The story is kind of generic and silly, so standard comic book adaptation fare.  It never really drags.  The CGI is a little hokey but is at least composited well enough.

I'm not sure I have ever been disappoint that a film wasn't bad before.  It's certainly not a good film.  It's just okay.  It's fine.  It even has some sincere entertainment value in things it does right.

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Film & TV / Re: Current TV Boxset Addiction

« on: 04 August, 2022, 08:50:16 PM »

No love for Skypia? My favourite arc.

Unfortunately that's my real low point.  Skypia and Arabasta were both tedious for me, but Skypia (being the latter arc) is when I really started questioning if I should carry on doing this.

What has saved the show for me is largely Franky.  He's been delightful.  Franky and Chopper are the best.
It also focusing on finding a place for Robin in the crew is nice because I think she's yet to develop a personality at this point in the story and has pretty just been tagging along.
I am getting the impression that this is where the overarching storyline is really starting to get developed and I certainly needed that if I'm going to slog through the rest of this.

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Film & TV / Re: Current TV Boxset Addiction

« on: 03 August, 2022, 12:55:40 PM »

Still ploughing through One Piece.  Things picked up with Enies Lobby arc, but it looks like it might drag towards the conclusion.

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Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 04 July, 2022, 02:51:04 PM »

Chinatown

Oh dear.

Considering who directed this film it just ended up being really gross and made my skin crawl.

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Film & TV / Re: Current TV Boxset Addiction

« on: 01 July, 2022, 02:51:53 PM »

Still watching One Piece.  I don't know why.  I have got to the point I stopped watching last time I tried getting through it, so I'm around a quarter of the way through the whole thing.  My second viewing has been a detriment to my opinion on the series.  I really don't understand why this series is as popular as it is and I've only carried on watching in the hopes that it would become clear as time goes on.

I don't think the show is entirely without merit.  I actually enjoyed watching the East Blue stuff again.  Nevertheless, it's not funny and just keeps repeating the bad jokes it has.  It can look ugly as sin more often than it should.  It is full of battle manga tropes.  It's not all that inventive.  It drags things out too long... etc. etc.  Frankly, regardless of how things go from here on out and how far I can manage to get through the series, I'm not going to ever think it deserves its popularity.  It's pretty mediocre.

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Books & Comics / Re: Whats everyone reading?

« on: 30 June, 2022, 02:48:51 PM »

I finished The Sundered Worlds/The Blood Red Games and The Fireclown/The Winds of Limbo by Morcock.  An improvement, I have to say.  I have no idea why these books are listed on wikipedia as part of a trilogy as I see no connection between them.  The Fireclown is the best of the bunch so far, but there's no mention of the multiverse.  Unless these get referenced in later books and the grouping is retroactive. 

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Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 28 June, 2022, 04:02:38 PM »

Gunpowder Milkshake

It was okay.  A kind of John Wick clone, but with women.  I think it under utilised it's characters and their inter-personal conflicts in favour for what was (at best) passable action sequences - aside from Michelle Yeoh who can and does deliver the action for the little screen time she is given.  It's got the bones for a better movie, but is serviceable as it is.

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Books & Comics / Re: Whats everyone reading?

« on: 21 June, 2022, 06:21:25 PM »

I finished off Morcocks Kane of Old Mars trilogy.  Peculiar.  It kind of just meanders around the place.  The books were light reading, but I'm not going to say they are good or particularly entertaining.  The charm wore off quick enough and the narrative structure was so fractured and aimless that I wasn't disappointed when I was done.  I'm not expecting much at this stage so I'm happy to move on to the Multiverse trilogy next.

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Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 21 June, 2022, 06:13:40 PM »

Little Monsters 1989

I don't know why I've never seen this film before.  It seems like something I should have seen as a kid.  If I had I would have had fond memories of it.  It's a solid kids film about monsters under the bed and friendship and it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Prisoners of the Ghostland

This is a visual feast.  Some Wild West and feudal Japan mashup that isn't being in anyway direct about what it is wanting to say (if anything).  It still works for me, as I feel there is plenty to take away from it.  I don't think it'll work for a lot of people.  It's very esoteric.  Oh, it has Nicholas Cage in it as well.  He doesn't go full on Cage, but he does embrace the humour of the film.  A performance that makes me more keen to watch that film which he plays himself.

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Books & Comics / Re: Whats everyone reading?

« on: 10 June, 2022, 02:39:42 PM »

Warriors of Mars/City of Beasts by Michael Morcock

Overall I found it to be silly fun.  I really liked thinking of it as a story told by an unreliable narrator and wondering which parts Michael Kane was exaggerating and where the half truths lay.  This mindset made me giggle when I got to the epilogue.  It will be fantastic if, in the next book, Kane's self-aggrandising catches up with him.  I don't see that happening.  What I expect to be reading is more sword swinging adventures.

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Books & Comics / Re: Whats everyone reading?

« on: 08 June, 2022, 02:13:19 PM »

Soul Music by Terry Pratchett

This is the first Pratchett book I ever read and was the book that got me into reading novels.  That's as far as my nostalgia for the book goes.  On it's own merits it's a solid Discworld novel.  I mean, it's Pratchett so it's hard to go wrong.  I enjoyed the climax.  It built up at a nice pace and had a satisfying pay off.

I started reading Warriors of Mars/City of Beasts by Michael Morcock.  The only other Morcock book I've read is Elric of Melnibone.  I'm assuming Warriors was Morcocks first book.  I am immediately struck by how light and easy it is to read.  Although 'Michael Kane' is taking some getting used to.

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Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 06 June, 2022, 01:52:07 PM »

Twins

What an odd film.  I guess I never realised how little story there is in the film before.  And it has some troubling implications.  The real highlight was the Sainsbury's Hot Salsa I was eating.  Surprisingly tasty salsa.

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Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 03 June, 2022, 02:24:00 PM »

MORBIUS

I got a big kick out of this. Its shite, not in a 'oh, this is actually competent monster fare' like the two Venom movies are (which I still maintain are the best cape movies of the last decade) but in a genuine belly busting trash way. Incompetent in almost every way (save for Matt Smith, who clearly knows its rubbish and is just having fun playing a camp vamp) and kind of endearing for it. Will never watch it again but can appreciate why its developing a cult status among trash hounds.

I'm still in two minds about watching Morbius.  I'm not keen on another Suicide Squad (first one) experience where it's pretty much wall to wall incompetence.  On the other hand I'm OK with dumb fun. 

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Film & TV / Re: Last movie watched...

« on: 30 May, 2022, 10:45:03 AM »

Alien Nation

It was indeed worth a rewatch.  It's a pretty standard buddy cop film, just with an interesting conceit.  It doesn't really do a whole lot with it.  I guess that's why it doesn't wow me.  It does have charm.  The juxtaposition between being generic, having an interesting sci-fi premise and being made well.  I have no real complaints.