Movies/TV worth watching (or at least discussing)

[PackMan97]

Here is my nuanced and thoughtful take on why AMC theaters announced it would not require masks when it reopens its theaters:
https://twitter.com/JasonDukeEvans/s...83804705832960

...and I would have gone with...

"Those most likely to go see a movie during these times are those most likely not to wear masks. The customer is always right. No masks it is"

No way in Hades am I setting foot in a theater right now. Mask or no mask.

[wilson]

Here is my nuanced and thoughtful take on why AMC theaters announced it would not require masks when it reopens its theaters:
https://twitter.com/JasonDukeEvans/s...83804705832960

...and I would have gone with...

"Those most likely to go see a movie during these times are those most likely not to wear masks. The customer is always right. No masks it is"

No way in Hades am I setting foot in a theater right now. Mask or no mask.

AMC has reversed course in the face of customer backlash and will (rightly) require masks after all.

[wilson]

The other night, my wife and I watched "Jerry Before Seinfeld," the 2017 Netflix standup special/retrospective documentary, and the scenes at The Comic Strip, the NYC comedy club where he got his start, prominently displayed a Dick Tracy poster in the background.
That got me wanting to rewatch the 1990 Dick Tracy movie, so I did so yesterday. What a delightful piece of eye candy. The script is rather pedestrian, but man...the production design remains an immensely impressive artistic accomplishment, and that cast--WOW! Warren Beatty, Madonna, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, Charles Durning, Mandy Patinkin, Dick van Dyke, et al, and even bit parts for Kathy Bates and Catherine O'Hara. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Skydog]

Based on the DBR beer-fest this weekend, I’ve been wanting to re-watch In Bruges. Absolutely love that film.

Thank you for this rec -- I never would have seen it otherwise. It was great - my only complaint was that it wasn't longer. Not something I normally say about films!

[OldPhiKap]

Thank you for this rec -- I never would have seen it otherwise. It was great - my only complaint was that it wasn't longer. Not something I normally say about films!

Even better the second time. The dialog is so crisp and tight.

Glad you enjoyed, it is not for everyone but damn it’s good.

[bundabergdevil]

I watched The Endless on Netflix last night. It's a sci-fi/horror about a pair of brothers (played by real life brothers) who return to a UFO end-of-days cult ten years after they left. Pretty interesting premise and it's not a fancy CGI style film with gory/elaborate scares, which I like --- I always think the thing imagined is scarier than the thing seen. Good flick and I enjoyed it.

[JasonEvans]

The new film from the former host of the Daily Show wants to be a big swing at America's political machine, but it falls well short. Here's my 100-word review: https://flixchat.blogspot.com/2020/0...d-reviews.html

The characters are slapstick stupid in one moment but speak biting political commentary the next. The film is uneven and rarely laugh-out-loud funny.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Yes, Space Force was it and, as I indicated yesterday, while I adored the first two episodes (howling with laughter throughout ep 2) the show went steeply downhill from there. It seemed to find some footing in the final couple episodes and I think it is worth Netflix giving it a second season.

I'm revisiting this, now that I've had the chance to watch 9 of the 10 episodes. (We are saving 10 for next week.)

In a way, I'm sad that I went in with JE's thoughts that it was hilarious upon his first viewings. I so wish I hadn't been expecting it to be. There were funny moments in the first two episodes, but honestly, nothing gut busting. (Space monkey was good.) However, had I not been expecting to be on the floor in laughter, and as my view progressed, I have grown to really, really, really like this show. Yeah, it's a comedy..but it's NOT a sitcom, and I guess that is what I was expecting. It's a very poignant blend of laughter and drama, with themes of family and duty guiding both.
For me the show never "went steeply downhill", it gradually climbed up.
I've never been the biggest fan of John Malkovitch. Probably totally tinged by his screen time in "The Man in the Iron Mask", which was literally laughable, even though his role was supposedly dramatic. He's great, here, though. Steve Carell's gruffness over his caring is enjoyable to watch, and he's created a great character. (Malkovitch will always be Malkovitch, no matter who he plays, it just works better here.) Carell has come up with someone unique, though.
Beyond that...the side characters? Great additions. Not naming names, since there are literally so many, but it's a great collective that we've enjoyed watching lots. Even more so once we realized that Space Force was not a sitcom as we were expecting.

[Devilwin]

I've recorded over 75 Andy Griffith Show episodes. Still got ten more to go. Just my faves..Earnest T Bass especially, Otis, etc..

[Devilwin]

SonPK and I watched Bridge On The River Kwai over the weekend. Even better than I remembered.

Excellent movie.

[bundabergdevil]

Just started watching Blinded by the Lights on HBO. It's a Polish show about a Warsaw-based drug dealer whose life goes downhill over the course of seven days. Thoroughly enjoyed the first episode. Tough, gritty portrayal of the Warsaw underground and the characters who inhabit it.

[SouthernDukie]

I've recorded over 75 Andy Griffith Show episodes. Still got ten more to go. Just my faves..Earnest T Bass especially, Otis, etc..

Can’t go wrong there. I’ve been watching relaxing, vintage TV series like “The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet“, “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, “Leave it to Beaver” and “The Munsters”. Also been viewing some Abbott & Costello films.

How’s that for old school?

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I watch very little TV, movies, etc. other than sports or what my young kids are watching. Tonight I got the chance to see an advance of Good Trouble, which is coming out this weekend. It is a biography of Representative John Lewis. There is a lot of fascinating footage from the civil rights movement and Congressman Lewis gives the filmmaker a lot of access to his current life. The film was likely shot months ago but much of it is very timely given what is happening in the world today. I might have prioritized some story lines more than others but overall it was very well done.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Finally got around to watching Ford vs. Ferrari this evening. One of the best flicks I’ve seen in a while. Matt Damon was good but Christian Bale was absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend it if there are any other stragglers out there.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Can’t go wrong there. I’ve been watching relaxing, vintage TV series like “The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet“, “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, “Leave it to Beaver” and “The Munsters”. Also been viewing some Abbott & Costello films.

How’s that for old school?

I just figured out The Twilight Zone is on Hulu. I've seen every episode like 500 times, except for season 4, which they have! That season all of the episodes were an hour instead of 30 minutes, and most streaming services don't have it available. It includes the episode, He's Alive, starring Dennis Hopper as the leader of a neo-nazi group. It's very fitting viewing for these current times.

[SouthernDukie]

Using the Andy Griffith reference mentioned above, how about his film "A Face in the Crowd" for something appropriate for these times. If you've never seen it, you ought to give it a look. Quite fascinating.

[Acymetric]

Well...I've now (re)watched Scrubs, House, How I met Your Mother, the last 2 seasons of Parks and Rec, and Community.

...What next?

[ncexnyc]

Just finished up 11.22.63, on Hulu. Definitely a solid mini-series and something I'd recommend if you've got a day to kill.

Warrior Nun starts on Netflix tomorrow. For those of you who aren't aware of this show, it's based on the Areala Warrior Nun comic books.

[Nrrrrvous]

I'm working my way through WKRP in Cincinnati. All three of my kids, ages 13, 16 and 17 have walked in at various times while watching and are now hooked. They won't let me watch it without them.

We all just watched the Thanksgiving Turkey Drop, still hilarious.

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."

[OldPhiKap]

I'm working my way through WKRP in Cincinnati. All three of my kids, ages 13, 16 and 17 have walked in at various times while watching and are now hooked. They won't let me watch it without them.

We all just watched the Thanksgiving Turkey Drop, still hilarious.

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."

I watch that episode every Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately, WKRP never secured the rights to the music on the original shows so the syndication episodes all have generic music put in later.* But still, one of the greatest shows of my childhood.

(And I’m still in love with Loni Anderson, despite her mishaps after leaving the show.)



* From Wikipedia entry on WKRP:

Music licensing[edit]
The show's use of Blondie's "Heart of Glass" was widely credited with helping the song become a major U.S. hit, and the band's record label Chrysalis Records presented the producers with a gold record award for the album Parallel Lines, on which the song appeared. This gold record can be seen hanging on the wall in the "bullpen" where Les, Herb, and Bailey worked in many of the episodes in the second, third, and fourth seasons.

The songs were often tied into the plot of the episode, and some pieces of music were even used as running gags. For example, the doorbell to Jennifer's penthouse apartment played "Fly Me to the Moon" (which was later replaced by "Beautiful Dreamer" due to copyright reasons).

Music licensing deals cut at the time of production were for a limited number of years.[24] Hugh Wilson commented that WKRP was videotaped instead of filmed because when the show was originally produced, a loophole in music licensing deals reduced fees for using songs in videotaped programs. The loophole was intended to accommodate variety shows.[25][26] When the show initially went in syndication shortly after its 1982 cancellation, most of the original music remained intact because the licensing deals were still active at the time.[27] Once the licenses expired, later syndicated versions of the show did not feature the music as first broadcast, but rather generic "sound-alikes" by studio musicians to avoid paying additional royalties. In some cases (when the music was playing in the background of a dialogue scene), some of the characters' lines had to be redubbed by sound-alike actors to either make buried lines audible again or to cover up artist or song references. This was evident in all prints of the show issued since the early 1990s, which included its late 1990s run on Nick at Nite.[24][27]

The expense of procuring licenses for the original music in the series delayed any release of a DVD set for years.[28] When it finally was released, much of the music was replaced by generic substitutes. Some scenes were shortened or cut entirely, and voiceovers were used to avoid using unlicensed musical content.[29] However, some scenes that were originally edited out for television (and therefore never seen before) were added back into the episodes to give viewers the back story which further explained a later scene.