Movies/TV worth watching (or at least discussing)

[PackMan97]

-Jason "I love Pitch Meetings. Ryan George has great energy in these things" Evans

He is great. He makes watching the pitch meetings super easy. Barely an inconvenience.

[Skydog]

I was nicer than some critics I know. I did say that the first third was pretty good and I really loved their time travel explanation. It accomplished something really rare in a time travel movie -- it made it so that you could not just use time travel over and over again to solve your problems. I thought Sam Richardson was very funny in his supporting role.

But the back half was just such a plot mess. I mean, even when they are ripping off other sci-fi movies whole cloth, nothing makes sense. If you don't care about being spoiled, watch the Pitch Meeting on The Tomorrow War to hear how absurd the back half of the story is:



-Jason "I love Pitch Meetings. Ryan George has great energy in these things" Evans

Wow - best of all worlds. I would never have watched this movie but I found the “pitch meeting” quite entertaining.

[JasonEvans]

Wow - best of all worlds. I would never have watched this movie but I found the “pitch meeting” quite entertaining.

I think Willy Wonka is the best pitch meeting ever...

[JasonEvans]

I think Willy Wonka is the best pitch meeting ever...

But the Game of Thrones season 8 is also a contender...

[fidel]

I was nicer than some critics I know. I did say that the first third was pretty good and I really loved their time travel explanation. It accomplished something really rare in a time travel movie -- it made it so that you could not just use time travel over and over again to solve your problems. I thought Sam Richardson was very funny in his supporting role.

But the back half was just such a plot mess. I mean, even when they are ripping off other sci-fi movies whole cloth, nothing makes sense. If you don't care about being spoiled, watch the Pitch Meeting on The Tomorrow War to hear how absurd the back half of the story is:



-Jason "I love Pitch Meetings. Ryan George has great energy in these things" Evans

Wow, that was a rathole. Sick.

[bundabergdevil]

I think Willy Wonka is the best pitch meeting ever...

That was delightful.

[OldPhiKap]

Rewatched Ted Lasso (second time through for me, first for MrsPK). She loved it; I picked up a lot I missed the first time.

[rasputin]

That's an interesting comment, and it points to my biggest complaint with the MCU.

If it hadn't been for the pandemic (And Disney + and a pirated Spiderman movie or two), I would still have no clue, and not a care, because I don't want to be beholden to an entire franchise. I don't want to watch (translate to pay for) a new movie without knowing everything that came before.

Star Wars gets this. (To a point, now that Disney has taken over.) James Bond is maybe the better franchise to toss out. It's JAMES EFFING BOND! I know what to expect. I don't have to be invested in his story. He kills people, women spies are given over sexualized names, silhouetted boobs float on the screen in the beginning. As far as the rest of it? Might be good, might suck, but it will be fun.

Which is perhaps while I'll actually like Black Widow just for being what it is. I know she's dead down the road, so hey...I get to watch her ride a bike, play a female James Bond, and blow some siht up! (Still not paying to see it, though.)

I for one am done with the Bond franchise. I own copies of 20 or so installments. In my view they last several have been overly dark, overly violent, overly sexual in a cheap way, and just crap.

Yes, I'm old. I think the Sean Connery efforts are the best, although I thought Lazenby, Moore, and even Dalton were worthy of the role. Brosnan was OK. I think Craig is/was horrible and part of the problem.

I am a student of film history and was thinking the other day, there have been lots of film franchises over the years. But until the Bond movies, most of the film franchises were grind-them-out stuff like Mr. Moto or Charlie Chan or the Bowery Boys or Blondie and like that. The only exception that I can think of is the Thin Man movies in the 1930s-'40's, which were marvelous. I can't think of a quality film franchise between Nick and Nora and Dr. No. Am I missing any?

[CameronBornAndBred]

I for one am done with the Bond franchise. I own copies of 20 or so installments. In my view they last several have been overly dark, overly violent, overly sexual in a cheap way, and just crap.

Yes, I'm old. I think the Sean Connery efforts are the best, although I thought Lazenby, Moore, and even Dalton were worthy of the role. Brosnan was OK. I think Craig is/was horrible and part of the problem.

I am a student of film history and was thinking the other day, there have been lots of film franchises over the years. But until the Bond movies, most of the film franchises were grind-them-out stuff like Mr. Moto or Charlie Chan or the Bowery Boys or Blondie and like that. The only exception that I can think of is the Thin Man movies in the 1930s-'40's, which were marvelous. I can't think of a quality film franchise between Nick and Nora and Dr. No. Am I missing any?

I like you.

I haven't seen any of the Daniel Craig ones in their entirety. I literally got bored with the first one, and when the same happened with the second, all I could think of was...

"Hi, I'm George Lucas. I own the greatest film franchise in history, so let me do a preview.
And now I will introduce politics."

Not the same story, but same feel. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. And that's not allowed during a Bond flick.

[cspan37421]

I enjoyed the whole series. Yes it stretches credulity at times but I found it a fun ride. More twists to come if you can get back into it.

Finished it tonight. I'd rate the episodes as A, A, D, D, C, B.

I'm curious if any of our legal eagles have seen it and their impressions. I suspect there are a bunch of whoppers in terms of procedure (the last 2 episodes are courtroom drama). There is one twist at the end that may indeed be legit, and it's quite clever, but up to that point I had the feeling that if the producers hired ANY legal consultants on the script, they must have overruled their advice.

On the whole, the way most things play out is just nowhere near plausible, and that took me out of caring about any of the characters or "whodunit". But the acting is pretty good all around. So is the cinematography. It's just that script - ugh.

[JasonEvans]

Marvel screened Black Widow more than a week before it is released, which is always a sign that the studio thinks they have a good film on their hands.

But the movie was pretty "blaah" to me. It is fine, but nothing special and I can't figure out why they waited to make this now. This flick would have fit much better into the MCU a few years ago. It just feels old and unimportant now. Oh well. Here is my 100-word review: https://flixchat.blogspot.com/2021/0...ack-widow.html



-Jason "stick around for a post-credit scene... that will only make sense if you have seen TFATWS" Evans

Now that Black Widow has hit theaters (and streaming on Disney+ premium), I am eager to hear what others think about it.

[bundabergdevil]

Finished it tonight. I'd rate the episodes as A, A, D, D, C, B.

I'm curious if any of our legal eagles have seen it and their impressions. I suspect there are a bunch of whoppers in terms of procedure (the last 2 episodes are courtroom drama). There is one twist at the end that may indeed be legit, and it's quite clever, but up to that point I had the feeling that if the producers hired ANY legal consultants on the script, they must have overruled their advice.

On the whole, the way most things play out is just nowhere near plausible, and that took me out of caring about any of the characters or "whodunit". But the acting is pretty good all around. So is the cinematography. It's just that script - ugh.

What bothered me was that it wasn’t actually a whodunit. The obvious person dun did it. That’s somewhat refreshing for any murder-related content.

I agree the acting was great and made the show.

[Skydog]

What bothered me was that it wasn’t actually a whodunit. The obvious person dun did it. That’s somewhat refreshing for any murder-related content.

I agree the acting was great and made the show.

Bit of a spoiler if anyone hadn’t seen it. Anyway it was still a whodunit since we didn’t know until the end whodunit. I didn’t at least.

(Regarding my spoiler comment- I know its several months old. But I like to come to this thread for movie/tv recommendations and its often older shows that are recommended. Would be nice to read this thread knowing that spoilers would be either hidden or preceded by a warning. Jmo. )

[Acymetric]

Bit of a spoiler if anyone hadn’t seen it. Anyway it was still a whodunit since we didn’t know until the end whodunit. I didn’t at least.

(Regarding my spoiler comment- I know its several months old. But I like to come to this thread for movie/tv recommendations and its often older shows that are recommended. Would be nice to read this thread knowing that spoilers would be either hidden or preceded by a warning. Jmo. )

I don't really mind in this case because I didn't bother scrolling up to find out what show you're even talking about, but generally speaking for this thread I think I agree (within reason) that treating this thread as at least mostly spoiler free would be the best way to go. Show specific threads are different though...don't go in there if you don't want spoilers, that's what the thread is for! (Ideally that should be indicated in the thread title though, if any mod sees this and wants to add "SPOILERS!" or whatever to the "Loki" thread title this might be a good chance to do it).

[bundabergdevil]

Bit of a spoiler if anyone hadn’t seen it. Anyway it was still a whodunit since we didn’t know until the end whodunit. I didn’t at least.

(Regarding my spoiler comment- I know its several months old. But I like to come to this thread for movie/tv recommendations and its often older shows that are recommended. Would be nice to read this thread knowing that spoilers would be either hidden or preceded by a warning. Jmo. )

Well, in my defense, I tried to make the nod as opaque as possible. If you haven’t seen any of the show, it’s not at all clear who I’m referencing - and, as you say, my obvious wasn’t your obvious.

If the mods want to amend my post, I’ll understand though.

[Skydog]

Well, in my defense, I tried to make the nod as opaque as possible. If you haven’t seen any of the show, it’s not at all clear who I’m referencing - and, as you say, my obvious wasn’t your obvious.

If the mods want to amend my post, I’ll understand though.

Didn’t mean that as an attack at all - just stating my druthers. YMMV.

[DU82]

I have no idea what show you are talking about (messages 1050 on other than Jason's message about Black Widow.)

It would help that if you're not responding to the message immediately above (and it doesn't specifically mention the show) a recap/reminder of the subject would be beneficial. It appears the message that mentions the show is at least one page back, hard to track.

Thanks from this Boomer. (And don't forget to get off my lawn, now that I have one!)

[bundabergdevil]

Didn’t mean that as an attack at all - just stating my druthers. YMMV.

No worries, I hear you.

[Lord Ash]

Now that Black Widow has hit theaters (and streaming on Disney+ premium), I am eager to hear what others think about it.

Agreed with your assessment. It was a Bourne/Bond/MI movie, but without the darkness/seriousness that those movies need to hit home. Taskmaster was a disappointment. Big bad was a disappointment. Humor felt forced. Emotions largely felt forced. The “widows everywhere” bit felt a bit… eh. Like, really? A bunch of Widows, controlled by this one dude I’ve never heard of, in a world of SHIELD and Hydra and the rest? Didn’t have the stakes of the last movie. Some of the effects were not very well done. Overall not a great Marvel entry… definitely near the bottom of the list, around Iron Man 3 (although better than Guardians 2, which was as bad as it gets.)

[Acymetric]

...(although better than Guardians 2, which was as bad as it gets.)

What, what?