Messages

31

Film & TV / Re: Current TV Boxset Addiction

« on: 14 February, 2022, 01:33:41 PM »

I finished Adventure Time, including the finale for the first time.  Really punched me hard in the feels.  Absolutely loved how it wrapped up and I love the show as a whole.  There is a reason it is in my rotation, after all.

I'm now going to start on The Expanse from the beginning.  I only got as far as Season Two, so I've a lot of catching up.  Have they concluded the series yet?

32

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

« on: 14 February, 2022, 10:03:05 AM »

Venom Let There Be Carnage

I thoroughly enjoyed the first Venom film.  Not an especially good film, but I found it immensely entertaining largely off the back of Tom Hardy's dual performance.
The second film lacks some of that energy as the characters are already established.  Nevertheless I'd say this film is tighter in places the first was not.  Mainly in the story.  Also the journey of Brock and Venom's relationship from toxic to something more loving (of which the gay element is almost overt and all the better for it) is very endearing and the solid backbone of the film.

I'm not without criticism.  Woody Harrelson is fine as carnage but I thought back to his performance in Natural Born Killers a number of times and couldn't help be a little disappointed.  Not too much though, I don't exactly want him trying to replicate a previous role from a completely different film.
Also, the film is front heavy.  It kind of rushes to it's conclusion because it spent so much time setting up the conflict between Brock and Venom.  Still, not especially bothered by this because the set up is good even if does mess with the pacing.

Overall I enjoyed this film, but for different reasons to why I enjoyed the first.

The Running Man
Cheesy Schwarzenegger violent sci-fi action from the 80's.  I find it a fun romp and have a lot of affection for it.  That said, there is something that has never sat right for me.  Richard's is violent towards Mendez, tying her up, holding her captive and threatening further violence to coerce her into doing what she wants.  It makes the kiss at the end really creepy.
I do like Maria Conchita Alonso's character despite that.  I like her agency and charisma and it's a fun performance.

33

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

« on: 13 February, 2022, 10:26:20 AM »

Matrix Resurrections. Actually kind of amazing.

I was somewhat surprised how much I enjoyed this film and had much the same sentiments as you.  It is a contender for my favourite Matrix film and it was definitely the one I had the best time with on a first viewing.

34

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

« on: 07 February, 2022, 02:12:18 PM »

Thir13en Ghosts

A jumbled mess in many ways.  Not a good film.  Although the set design and make-up work is very impressive.  The worst thing about the film is the editing.  Horrendous cutting throughout.  This film is certainly less than the sum of it's parts.  A wealth of missed potential.  It reeks of a film that was pulled in too many different directions by too many people that any clear vision was lost.

35

Books & Comics / Re: Whats everyone reading?

« on: 05 February, 2022, 11:02:54 AM »

The Silmarillion

I don't think it bodes well for a piece of fiction that it feels like an accomplishment having got through it all.  This book is tedious.  By magnitudes more-so than Lord of the Rings.  I really understand why so many give up on it.  Nevertheless, I found parts interesting and there was one legitimately good chapter, that being Beren and Lúthien.

It is clear that this was not written as a narrative that was meant to read but a collection of edited notes on the lore of created world.  Things are glossed over, dialogue is dreadful and stilted and there are plenty of interminable lists of similar sounding names.  The latter making it hard to keep track of things, especially as it bounces a little back and forth in the timeline.

My big take-aways from the book is that almost everyone is a dick.  Especially the Elves.  I think it's meant to be a tragedy, but it's hard to feel sympathy for a people that lack redeeming qualities.  There are some nice characters in the book, but they are few and far between.  Then the Númenóreans show up and compete to be bigger dicks than the Elves are.  But they only got one chapter in the book.

In the end I found it all amusing in a macabre way.  There were some interesting things.  Like werewolves and vampires briefly appearing.  In the end, much of lore doesn't matter because it has no relevance to The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.  The few bits that are relevant are also interesting, but they are few and mostly at the end of the book.

36

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

« on: 05 February, 2022, 10:43:48 AM »

From Dusk Till Dawn

A lot of fun.

From Dusk Till Dawn 2:  Texas Blood Money

Boring and not well made.

Better Luck Tomorrow

Watched it because it is supposed to be cannon in the Double Eff You.  It doesn't fit into that film series at all.  The character of Han from FF and from this film are quite different and although I accept that characters can change off screen I couldn't reconcile the two.  The film is largely about a group of Asian-American rich kids playing gangster and getting pissed off at a somewhat richer kid.  And killing him.  The narrative isn't exactly tight, the kids are all arseholes with little charisma and it's pretty creepy in places... especially the end.  Nevertheless, it's fine.  Just okay as a film.  Justin Lin uses some themes in from this film in Tokyo Drift and I think he finally laid to rest the demon of creepy unrequited love he had with that film.  It's not a Fast and the Furious film and it's not really worth watching for the expanded universe.  It is it's own thing and probably fairs better being taken as such.

37

Film & TV / Re: Current TV Boxset Addiction

« on: 29 January, 2022, 04:57:30 PM »

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Was surprised how much I enjoyed this.  I got tired of comedy shows a while ago because of how mean-spirited they mostly seemed to be.  This one is actually a lot more sweet and adorable.  I like most of the characters, I didn't get bored and I actually laughed.  Out loud.  More than once.  I think it resolves its conflicts in the right amount of time and the series as whole wrapped up nicely.  It even acknowledges the systemic and institutional problems of the police force without tired apologist nonsense about bad apples and isolated cases.  It's not a great social commentary, but it was a breath of fresh air that it got as much right as it did.  Really glad I watched it, it's going to go into the pool of TV shows I rewatch.  My favourite character is Rosa.

Adventure Time

Love this cartoon.  Maybe this time around I'll finally watch the final episode.  I like how it builds upon itself to create a rich world and story.  My favourite character is Marceline the Vampire Queen.

38

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

« on: 28 January, 2022, 09:34:04 PM »

I read The Hobbit. I read the LOTR. I couldn't manage the Silmarillion. Is that where the elves are dicks?

Yup.

39

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

« on: 28 January, 2022, 11:42:40 AM »

Stand By Me

Haven't seen this film in an age.  Loved it as a kid growing up.  It still holds up as a macabre coming of age film.

Hobbs and Shaw

Nah, not as good as the main series of films.  It's just a pretty average sci-fi action film.  The dialogue and chemistry between Dwayne and Jason I found unconvincing.  It came across more as a sad and pathetic dick-measuring contest with no winners.  The action was fine, if a little ropey at times.  In many ways I viewed it for what it was - a cynical attempt to make a new franchise separate from the main series.

That said, I did like the Samoan representation and I didn't get too bored throughout.  Yeah, it's just average.

I may be watching Better Luck Tomorrow tonight.

The Fellowship of the Ring

I only watched this because I did myself an injury that had me laid up on pain killers for a few days.  I got part-way through Two Towers before deciding to start reading The Silmarillion.  Elves are dicks.

40

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

« on: 24 January, 2022, 10:16:21 AM »

On the one hand, it's like I'm Sideways Scuttleton and I've wandered into an alternate dimension in which the Double Eff You is worth watching. On the other hand - I've never watched any of 'em, so what do I know?

I was very much like this until a friend insisted we watch all the movies together (I think there were only six or seven at the time).  He did warn me that I'd have to power through the second film and that was the major hump.  I'm not going to say they are good films, although they are entertaining.  The franchise as a whole is engaging and provides much fodder for thought.  From the good stuff to the bad stuff, how it stays consistent whilst being wildly inconsistent, all the great ideas it has and all the wasted themes it fails to utilise.  You can have a serious conversation about it or just laugh about how incredibly dumb it is.

Nevertheless, I think I only got this much out of it because I was warned that I'd have to put the effort in and that I had someone to talk to about the films.  If I watched them on a whim by myself I may have bailed out after the second film. 

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

« on: 23 January, 2022, 12:55:58 PM »

I think it was solidly established that the Double Eff You is a cartoon world in the fifth film.  I'm 100% on board with whatever nonsense they want to throw at me by this point.

The reasons I avoided Hobbs and Shaw are 1) I'm not that big a fan of Dwayne and 2) it's a spin-off.

Although it does have Idris and Jason in it... sooooooo.

42

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

« on: 23 January, 2022, 11:19:05 AM »

F9

Hilariously ridiculous.  Loved it.  I think the odd numbered Double Eff You films are certainly the best.  I love how they bring things and people from previous films back - even though it's largely idiotic.  This film has loads of that.  Plus there are genuinely good moments.  A lot of the flashback stuff is good.

My bet for 10 or 11 is that they will be driving down an erupting volcano and/or an earthquake splitting the ground apart.  They are running out of outlandish car related ideas and I think the one in 9 should have been a finale option.  Blew their load early on that one imo.

Also, I think Jesse from the first film should come back as the final villain.

Maybe I should watch that Hobbs and Shaw film.

43

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

« on: 17 January, 2022, 10:24:03 AM »

Dune

I can see why people enjoyed watching this in the cinema.

I thought it was a good adaptation.  They ended it where I thought they should.  It is a pretty film as well.

I thought it was decent.  It's definitely a Dune film.

44

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

« on: 16 January, 2022, 09:06:19 PM »

The last marvel movie I watched was the one where Bobby California was a robot who tried to destroy the world after he went on the internet for five minutes. After that I realised I couldn’t really be fucked with these films and stopped watching them. I have heard the one with the big brother from Goonies is good, but the FOMO hasn’t got the better of me yet. Still, I wouldn’t go around telling people their fun is wrong. Like, I enjoy the Fast and Furious Universe, or the Double Eff U, if you will.

TLDR: I’m the best at watching movies.

Oh how I wish I had your foresight.  It took me longer to give up on the franchise.

I also like the Double Eff U - I love that joke and I'm stealing it.

You are now my idol for watching movies.

45

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

« on: 11 January, 2022, 10:51:50 PM »

The Matrix Resurrections

I considered revisiting the trilogy before watching this and then figured it might be better to just take it as it comes on its own merits.  I have no idea whether that influenced my opinion of the film or not.  The Matrix is a franchise I don't mind watching every now and again, but I never got on the hype train.  I always felt the philosophical elements were poorly slapped together and the action had a tendency to drag on past it's welcome - I got seriously bored watching the second film in the cinema.  As a first time viewing experience, Resurrection is the best time I've had with a Matrix movie.  There are a load of dorky moments, but I felt it worked as a continuation and wasn't left disappointed.  The action did drag a little, but overall I'd say I was entertained.  I liked the ending, too.  I enjoyed the real world context of the film as well.  Lana Wachowski's not-at-all subtle digs at Warner Bros. was funny and it's clear this is something that neither Wachowski wanted to return to.  Ultimately I think it came across as a blatantly personal film.  Nevertheless, this ends up blurring with the fiction and conceits of the movie at times and I felt the themes got a little muddled in places.  Basically, it's a Matrix film and I had a lot of fun watching it.