What are we watching now?

[TSJMajesty]

This puts such a smile on my face!! I have to watch it every month or so.

Oh, and speaking of smiles, if you watch Porcupine Tree's live version of this song from the Tilburg show, you'll see Richard crack a sly smile a couple of times, right after Gavin does one of his sick fills. It's so cool to see a band member do that sort of thing. As if to say, "Damn that dude is amazing! And I'm pinching myself that I'm in a band with him."

Here it is cued up:

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I watched Terrifier 3 last night. Fuck Amazon. I pre-ordered it months ago, and they wanted me to wait until December 30th, 2 weeks after the bluray is released. Not a fan. I ordered it from Walmart instead for less than Amazon sold it.

The film is awesome and the over the top nature of it is great. "Now something's got to blow up." Then it did. It wasnt predictable; its just how I would've done that scene to get rid of unwritten rules. Also, I doubt the goofball woman who wanted Art was no longer interested after that. David has great comedic timing and verged on Freddy levels while still maintaining a very take-no-prisoners attitude to his work.

For an unrated film, there were times when they didn't show stuff. This leads me to believe they either didn't have the budget, didn't have the time, or didn't consider releasing the film unrated until late in production. This is the main downside of the film.

That said, one scene alone would've been fucking eviscerated by the MPAA. Then Leone could go, "the MPAA rApEd mY mOvIe." I love you, John Carl Buechler, but you tried to use Friday the 13th part 7 as a calling card for your effects company. You ruined your own movie, frankly.

The other is how little a particular actor was used in the film and felt like an extended cameo. They can write their way out, but it seems like it was done for obvious reasons if you watch the film.

 

[Jynx]

A lot to unpack here.

 

[mbenigni]

We forced ourselves through to the end of "The Madness" on NetFlix. Trailer and pilot seemed promising. By the end I hated it. Just a parade of ham-fisted clichés. Like, if the Hallmark Channel were to make a crime thriller, this would be it. A 10 hour-long afterschool special about a fugitive. Lots of lazy "no one talks like that" and "no one would ever do that" writing. The usual.

But more importantly, I have a new pet peeve to replace my "Shows that are so dark I have to check whether the screen is on", which had previously replaced my "Shows where the music and sound effects are 30dB louder than the dialog, so I'll just turn it down and read all the captions"...

The new reigning champion is, "Shows where the writers, etc. are so f***ing lazy that they simply resort to having the cast hold their cellphones up to the camera, so we can have the thrilling experience of reading their text messages." Over, and over, and OVER again. If I'm on the opposite side of a moderately large room looking at a moderately small TV, perhaps even laying in bed, how long before I say, "Screw it, I'll just wait and see whether I can figure that out later from context?" Even better, "Screw it, if actually filming this plotline wasn't worth their time, why TF am I watching it??"

 

[JiveTurkey]

We forced ourselves through to the end of "The Madness" on NetFlix. Trailer and pilot seemed promising. By the end I hated it. Just a parade of ham-fisted clichés. Like, if the Hallmark Channel were to make a crime thriller, this would be it. A 10 hour-long afterschool special about a fugitive. Lots of lazy "no one talks like that" and "no one would ever do that" writing. The usual.

But more importantly, I have a new pet peeve to replace my "Shows that are so dark I have to check whether the screen is on", which had previously replaced my "Shows where the music and sound effects are 30dB louder than the dialog, so I'll just turn it down and read all the captions"...

The new reigning champion is, "Shows where the writers, etc. are so f***ing lazy that they simply resort to having the cast hold their cellphones up to the camera, so we can have the thrilling experience of reading their text messages." Over, and over, and OVER again. If I'm on the opposite side of a moderately large room looking at a moderately small TV, perhaps even laying in bed, how long before I say, "Screw it, I'll just wait and see whether I can figure that out later from context?" Even better, "Screw it, if actually filming this plotline wasn't worth their time, why TF am I watching it??"

There are a BUNCH of tropes that are well past their prime in this. I think if they would have streamlined it and made it less episodes and taken out the whole "I work for CNN and this group of modern racists is targeting me!" angle out of it; it would have been much more compelling. We are at that point of crying toddler gif for political content so just make it thrilling and suspenseful would ya? I actually kinda liked it despite the hamfistedness and drawn out wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy tooooooooooooooo loooooooooooooooong of it all.

 

[mbenigni]

There are a BUNCH of tropes that are well past their prime in this. I think if they would have streamlined it and made it less episodes and taken out the whole "I work for CNN and this group of modern racists is targeting me!" angle out of it; it would have been much more compelling. We are at that point of crying toddler gif for political content so just make it thrilling and suspenseful would ya? I actually kinda liked it despite the hamfistedness and drawn out wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy tooooooooooooooo loooooooooooooooong of it all.

Re: looooooooooooooong, definitely one of those series that didn't know when to end.

Re: political content, "We've got people of color eating soul food or BBQ or something here. If you're a liberal you have to like this." No, I don't. I've watched this scene a hundred times before, in shows with better dialog. This story, in its effort at "complexity", goes nowhere in particular - to the point of feeling like a bait and switch vs. the premise set forth in the trailer/ pilot. And the execution is awful. (Are those even real smartphones?)

P.S. Dear Muncie: Stop popping that dumb oversized collar on your coat, and no one will ever recognize you.

 

[mbenigni]

Also: watched a movie called "The Killer" the other day. Not amazing, but solidly good. The main character's droning monotone toes the line between "zen" and "annoying" at times. And OMG that's a lot of Smiths. But the fight scene halfway through is worth the price of entry all on its own.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Re: looooooooooooooong, definitely one of those series that didn't know when to end.

Re: political content, "We've got people of color eating soul food or BBQ or something here. If you're a liberal you have to like this." No, I don't. I've watched this scene a hundred times before, in shows with better dialog. This story, in its effort at "complexity", goes nowhere in particular - to the point of feeling like a bait and switch vs. the premise set forth in the trailer/ pilot. And the execution is awful. (Are those even real smartphones?)

P.S. Dear Muncie: Stop popping that dumb oversized collar on your coat, and no one will ever recognize you.

ON THE NOSE is such an understatement it isn't even funny. Another one with Deon Cole (his attorney buddy in this one) was on NF a while back and had similar problems. Seeds of good in there but drawn about 3x as long as it really needed to be.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Also: watched a movie called "The Killer" the other day. Not amazing, but solidly good. The main character's droning monotone toes the line between "zen" and "annoying" at times. And OMG that's a lot of Smiths. But the fight scene halfway through is worth the price of entry all on its own.

It's a little too "I'm a loner"

I keep yapping about it; but as far as "procedural thriller/intrigue" goes...Day of the Jackal was really good.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Re: looooooooooooooong, definitely one of those series that didn't know when to end.

Re: political content, "We've got people of color eating soul food or BBQ or something here. If you're a liberal you have to like this." No, I don't. I've watched this scene a hundred times before, in shows with better dialog. This story, in its effort at "complexity", goes nowhere in particular - to the point of feeling like a bait and switch vs. the premise set forth in the trailer/ pilot. And the execution is awful. (Are those even real smartphones?)

P.S. Dear Muncie: Stop popping that dumb oversized collar on your coat, and no one will ever recognize you.

Also, I forgot; Muncie's voice is like 70's kung-fu voiceover dub material

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

A lot to unpack here.

Is this a joke? I'm not exactly a Superman fan, but this Superboy trailer makes me want to tell him to put dad's costume back in the closet and to stop fucking around with his things.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

We forced ourselves through to the end of "The Madness" on NetFlix. Trailer and pilot seemed promising. By the end I hated it. Just a parade of ham-fisted clichés. Like, if the Hallmark Channel were to make a crime thriller, this would be it. A 10 hour-long afterschool special about a fugitive. Lots of lazy "no one talks like that" and "no one would ever do that" writing. The usual.

But more importantly, I have a new pet peeve to replace my "Shows that are so dark I have to check whether the screen is on", which had previously replaced my "Shows where the music and sound effects are 30dB louder than the dialog, so I'll just turn it down and read all the captions"...

The new reigning champion is, "Shows where the writers, etc. are so f***ing lazy that they simply resort to having the cast hold their cellphones up to the camera, so we can have the thrilling experience of reading their text messages." Over, and over, and OVER again. If I'm on the opposite side of a moderately large room looking at a moderately small TV, perhaps even laying in bed, how long before I say, "Screw it, I'll just wait and see whether I can figure that out later from context?" Even better, "Screw it, if actually filming this plotline wasn't worth their time, why TF am I watching it??"

Using poorly typed text messages as exposition is a lame story telling angle from start to finish. That said, I will not watch mega-dark shows/movies bathed in what I call the "horror movie filter," because that is where that crap seems to have started. It was a lazy director of photography's wet dream. "Who cares what it looks like during production, how poorly lit, whether it is night or day, we'll fix it in post!" Yeah, by making everything so goddamn dark that nothing is even legible anymore.

The ultra dynamic range of certain movies/shows is also a pet peeve of mine, which is also one I will bail out of a film if it does that too excessively. It is not enjoyable to watch or listen to.

So yeah, hard pass on all of that crap.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

There are a BUNCH of tropes that are well past their prime in this. I think if they would have streamlined it and made it less episodes and taken out the whole "I work for CNN and this group of modern racists is targeting me!" angle out of it; it would have been much more compelling. We are at that point of crying toddler gif for political content so just make it thrilling and suspenseful would ya? I actually kinda liked it despite the hamfistedness and drawn out wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy tooooooooooooooo loooooooooooooooong of it all.

Fuck Central Intelligence News Network and the gaggle of presstitutes who work for em! "Ahh, c'mon Ace! The CIA isn't still running Operation Mockingbird!" Yeah, of course not. Eventually, they graduate and manipulate the public instinctively.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Re: looooooooooooooong, definitely one of those series that didn't know when to end.

Re: political content, "We've got people of color eating soul food or BBQ or something here. If you're a liberal you have to like this." No, I don't. I've watched this scene a hundred times before, in shows with better dialog. This story, in its effort at "complexity", goes nowhere in particular - to the point of feeling like a bait and switch vs. the premise set forth in the trailer/ pilot. And the execution is awful. (Are those even real smartphones?)

P.S. Dear Muncie: Stop popping that dumb oversized collar on your coat, and no one will ever recognize you.

Seriously, people need to start Billy Jack leg whopping the people who twisted "colored people" into people of color and it is somehow no longer obnoxious and offensive. (Also, white saviorism needs to go away, too. Kind of an aside, but likely connected/related.)

 

[Jynx]

Is this a joke? I'm not exactly a Superman fan, but this Superboy trailer makes me want to tell him to put dad's costume back in the closet and to stop fucking around with his things.

Yeah. You're not exactly a Superman fan.

 

[mbenigni]

 

[norminal]

A lot to unpack here.

They’re rebooting Superman again?

 

[Jynx]

They’re rebooting Superman again?

Rebooting the whole DC cinematic universe because of the previous one's utter failure.

 

[JiveTurkey]

The only DC that will ever not fail is Batman. When done OUTSIDE of the rest of their "universe". Even if there are some bright Superman spots here and there. Super hero movies need to die anyway. They have generally gone that way but somehow won't give up so we can get back to normal storytelling that doesn't rely on being some huge franchise.

 

[Jynx]

I wonder who is playing the theme on guitar in that trailer.