Messages

1

Film & TV / Re: HBO Watchmen

« on: 25 November, 2019, 03:20:32 am »

I still kneel before The Hairy One’s word-processor, but Bootleg Watchmen or not, Episode 6: This Extraordinary Being, is one of the best pieces of telly I’ve ever seen.

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

« on: 23 November, 2019, 02:48:29 pm »

Refrigerated

3

Film & TV / Re: The Mandalorian

« on: 17 November, 2019, 06:22:06 pm »

I found a letter under a bush that argued EP2 was riffing on the ILM catalogue as much as 1977 Wars or Baby Cart. He was thinking of the vehicle chases in every Raiders, specifically Indy vs Tank in Crusade,^* and Willow^**

They're the fan-nods, but the way chapter 2 is shot, cut and paced is more reminscent of the first Star Wars (and THX 1138). Lucas's choice to let world/character building scenes play-out with aliens and droids doing their thing without much, or indecipherable, dialogue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09VTanKXsWs is more present here than in the too few glimpses we got in the last few decades. To me that's 'Star Wars' in its most basic form.

4

Film & TV / Re: The Mandalorian

« on: 17 November, 2019, 01:41:10 pm »

I appreciate this is part of a deliberate roll-out strategy to create an illusion of scarcity and demand, and it leaves one grotty taste in my mouth.

That, plus international licensing for content and trying to iron-out the streaming/app issues that arise from the US launch. Waiting for deals to expire means some content won't be available even when it launches. 

Netherlands was the initial test base for Disneyplus (a month before the US) because of its excellent broadband accessibility.

Netflix didn't roll-out everywhere at once either: it was 2 years before it was available in Europe, and at first only UK, Ireland and Scandinavia.

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Off Topic / Re: The Political Thread

« on: 17 November, 2019, 12:22:28 pm »

No idea who does Her Majesty's PR, but their services will probably be available to other employers very soon:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000c1j4/newsnight-prince-andrew-the-epstein-scandal-the-newsnight-interview

Newsnight for non-subjects.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=AKQi3wzNFGQ

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Film & TV / Re: The Mandalorian

« on: 17 November, 2019, 12:30:06 am »

The Mandalorian Chapter 2 is the most Star Wars '77 since, well, 1977, allegedly.

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Film & TV / Re: The Mandalorian

« on: 14 November, 2019, 02:01:14 am »

The orgy of fan-service continues with retro-fitting vintage camera gear.

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Film & TV / Re: The Mandalorian

« on: 13 November, 2019, 11:45:39 pm »

Considering the age of Jon Favreau, it's no surprise some big influences on the themes, music and style of the The Mandalorian, other than obvious TV Westerns, are Game of Death, Kung Fu (Mando in the forge is very reminiscent of Cain in the Shaolin Temple) – and I wasn't surprised it turned out to be Star wars: Lone Wolf and Baby Yoda Cub (can't be Star Wars without orphans! or foundlings as lost younglings are called now).

Apart from the Robot Chicken style comedy of the opening bounty, it's not a bad start.

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Off Topic / Re: The Political Thread

« on: 11 November, 2019, 09:00:41 pm »

10

Film & TV / Re: Movies you haven't seen?

« on: 10 November, 2019, 11:29:06 pm »

The advent of sound/dialogue profoundly changed the acting style. Initially because it limited movement as the recording sound equipment for on-set dialogue was cumbersome (microphones hidden in plants, lamps and other props) and didn't allow for too much prancing and wild gesticulation from actors – and of course actors didn't need to exaggerate emotion through performance once writers could put words in their mouths, or not, as the case may be.

The ability of film-makers/actors to punctuate scenes with a more sophisticated soundtrack of sound and silence in dialogue changed the dynamic but it took a few decades to get back to the more elaborate staging and visual dynamism that evolved in the language of the silents.

11

Film & TV / Re: Movies you haven't seen?

« on: 10 November, 2019, 03:37:15 pm »

** When Cage was doing the rounds for Mandy, he described what he was aspiring to in his more hysterical and mannered performances as German Expressionism. The only reference point I had for that was Lorre in M, but I can see this was probably a much greater influence

Cage built his career on being Timothy Carey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJDkLgwJopQ

https://youtu.be/JkqQFS4GWak?t=104

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egRbQ_ZsToQ

12

Off Topic / Re: Threadjacking!

« on: 01 November, 2019, 01:32:53 pm »

Found out last night that Catch bars are back on the market.
They taste like 1988 and refined sugar.

They've been back about 5 years; either that or I've been eating very old-stock.

13

General / Re: Things that went over your head...

« on: 01 November, 2019, 01:24:55 pm »

it's not actually Leonardo DiCaprio posting here

I've never vaped. Or listened to MGMT on noise-cancelling headphones. Not during sex, anyway.

Those rumours of peformance issues ...

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General / Re: Things that went over your head...

« on: 01 November, 2019, 12:45:35 pm »

The Mad Genius Behind Sea Monkeys

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Film & TV / Re: Current TV Boxset Addiction

« on: 31 October, 2019, 08:25:02 pm »

But Disney+ specifically is all family friendly content, no?

The non-family oriented content will be on HULU, which Disney fully own, and is part of a Disney+ US package deal.

https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/6/20757626/disney-plus-espn-hulu-bundle-price-date-streaming-service