NEW: List some movies you've watched recently. Theatre, rental, TV... and give a */10

[DigDog]

i watched the very highly rated and absolutely shit Radical - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14570440/reference/

in a poor part of mexico, a teacher teaches young inpoverished kids.

That's it.

This isn't idk, Coach Carter, The Debaters, or Good Will Hunting, or Dead Poets Society, or even City of God. It's a very simplistic story about a teacher who wants to make a difference in a part of the world that is poor and riddled with crime.

But it lacks everything else that makes a film worth watching. It lacks a solid lead, a conflict that isn't just *desperation*, hasn't got any character arc worth the story, and obviously it needs to be in Spanish because ha ha lol fuck you. I mean, Yo Soy Pepito is in Spanish, but at least that film doesn't suck balls?

And, for some reason the production aspect is absolutely abysmal. The photography is shit, everything has washed out colors, and i mean dirty white, pale azure, light brown and mauve. The camera endlessly pans over faces of standins, doesn't know how to highlight a protagonist, even cuts midway the fact of an actor mid-dialogue, wobbles constantly, and good god these guys have no idea how to dress a scene. I'm talking not only people who have never made a film before, but probably people who have never even seen a film.

Currently rated 8/10 on IMDb. I'm just ever so slightly more conservative and i am gonna say

4.5/10 - absolutely unwatchable.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Finished S01 and S03 of True Detective. Watching S02 now. I think this is my least favorite season. It just seems kinda depressing and the actors are good but not as good as the ones in the other seasons, including S04. The plot isn't very interesting. The other seasons, at least I cared about the deceased. Here, I can't seem to give a rat's ass about the victim.

 

[mikeymikec]

Finished S01 and S03 of True Detective. Watching S02 now. I think this is my least favorite season. It just seems kinda depressing and the actors are good but not as good as the ones in the other seasons, including S04. The plot isn't very interesting. The other seasons, at least I cared about the deceased. Here, I can't seem to give a rat's ass about the victim.

You went from 1 to 3 to 4 then back to 2? Or some even stranger order?

----

Repo Men (2010)

It's a remake, I haven't seen the original.

I think this film could have done a lot more to get under the viewer's fingernails, after all there's plenty of potential in the setting of 'corporation allows people to hire purchase mech organs but will take them back by force if payment schedules are not met'. I think the makers of the film were interested in making an action flick rather than a bit of decent sci-fi.

Not a bad twist I have to say. There was another element in the film that one could call a twist but I saw it coming the moment its potential came up, now whether that's because I've watched enough films or because it was bloody obvious is hard for me to say.

I guess they figured that Alice Braga, Jude Law, and Forest Whitaker were a sufficient drawing element for this film and I guess they were right. I wouldn't get it on DVD/BR though.

 

[stargazr]

^ I lost track of True Detective after Season 1, and just started watching Season 4 partly because it looked good with Jodie Foster. I mean each season is a different story.

Edit: Come to think of it, couldn't get into Season 2 when it came out.

 

[Muse]

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo 9/10

The "Trocks" are an all male drag comedy ballet troupe started in NYC in 1974. I'm not into drag at all but somehow this totally works for me. They are great artists, terrific dancers and excellent actors.

The Trocks have, to my knowledge, just two DVDs, recorded I believe in 2001, Program 1 and Program 2. I bought them in 2005 and only briefly checked out the first disk until this week. They are on their 50th anniversary tour now, played here a week ago. So, I whipped out the DVDs, which are in a word, magnificent. My local library has the 2017 release documentary on DVD of the Trocks: Rebels on Pointe, which I watched as well, over the last 2 days, cool stuff.

 

[igor_kavinski]

You went from 1 to 3 to 4 then back to 2? Or some even stranger order?

I also started watching coz of Jodie Foster. I knew from her interview on Kimmel that each season was standalone so started watching 3 thinking it was the one with Foster. Took me till the second episode to look at imdb and find what I did wrong. But I was hooked on the 3rd anyway. Finished that while also watching 4th in between as the episodes came. Then figured, hey, why not watch the season that started it all? So that was decent too. Second is when it became a chore to watch. I guess that's why the 3rd one is similar to the 1st. They played it safe to avoid getting cancelled maybe.

 

[MrSquished]

I also started watching coz of Jodie Foster. I knew from her interview on Kimmel that each season was standalone so started watching 3 thinking it was the one with Foster. Took me till the second episode to look at imdb and find what I did wrong. But I was hooked on the 3rd anyway. Finished that while also watching 4th in between as the episodes came. Then figured, hey, why not watch the season that started it all? So that was decent too. Second is when it became a chore to watch. I guess that's why the 3rd one is similar to the 1st. They played it safe to avoid getting cancelled maybe.

Season 4 isn't finished yet is it?

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Started watching Rings of Power on Amazon, only made it through the first two episodes.

Classic 7/10 for casuals, 5/10 for Tolkien nerds.

It's a generic fantasy show wearing the trappings of LotR, it has great production values and I am interested in a couple of the storylines (The halflings and the Elven ranger have my interest at the moment) but it feels tone deaf to the source material, lacks any kind of grace, and despite the visuals has a much stronger "low fantasy" vibe despite being about the quinticential high fantasy setting (second age, no less).

I think the whole production is deeply informed by Game of Thrones for the worse.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Season 4 isn't finished yet is it?

Nope. It's gonna be a long wait for the episodes to trickle down to us over the coming weeks.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Started watching Rings of Power on Amazon, only made it through the first two episodes.

Same. It couldn't keep my attention.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Piggy - 5.5/10 - now streaming on Hulu.

Wen't into this one blind and knew it would be a English dubbed Spanish film that was on the horror/thriller genre.

The English dub was total shit, little character voice inflection, AI could have done a better job. But the film, it just wasn't for me. Seemed like a retread of so many flicks with very little new.

Synopsis: Teen gets bullied, killer kills bullies, teen kills killer, redemption arc for teen & bully's...

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Flight of the Intruder - 6.0/10 - Now streaming on Prime

This released in '91 and definitely has that peak 80's action cheesiness to it. Based on the book from Stephen Coonts and the book even spawned multiple video games.

Some fantastic actors appeared in this one and Danny Glover was peak fun in his absurd dialogue and of course Willem Dafoe was at his best with brief stints by David Schwimmer, Ving Rhames, & Senator Fred Thompson.

1st & 2nd acts were a bit more satisfying than the absurd 3rd but Dafoe hits peak ham in the 3rd "Do it Sandy, I'd do it for you".

 

[DigDog]

by the way i also watched The Entity (2019) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10229602/reference/

but it's so bad it's not even worth writing about it.

I did get around watching Peggy Sue Got Married - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091738/reference/

FF Coppola Directing, Kathleen Turner and Nic Cage, what could go wrong?
Instead i found it a weak romantic story with a timetravel twist that eventually boils down to "women follow their heart".

5.5/10

 

[DigDog]

HOLY SHIT

Ben Stiller?
DEREK ZOOLANDER??

He's the guy who directed Severance??

 

[MrSquished]

HOLY SHIT

Ben Stiller?
DEREK ZOOLANDER??

He's the guy who directed Severance??

A bunch of them yes. Executive producer.

He just keeps on giving.

 

[DigDog]

ok so i stayed up all night to watch all of Severance S01 - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11280740/reference/

This was Jay (from RLM)'s top recommendation for 2022 and, well, it was good. I was shocked that Ben Stiller directed this, because, well, it's far above anything he's done as an actor.
I did like the general atmosphere of unease and mystery, and the acting was pretty damn solid from everyone.
Still, i'm gonna say it's .. not THAT great. Ok so hear me out.

It's too long. Because of the poremise of the story, it can move slowly and the characters aren't any wiser to the situation. This is ok for the first 2-3 episodes but after 5..6...7.. it starts to be a bit too much. And the motivation of the main characters

Spoiler

to remember their lives outside of work

is not really that great because they don't really have a reason why they would want that. There's a bunch of guys at work that all the sudden decide they don't really want to work there anymore.
Again the same premise weakens the plot when an external "agitator" tries to influence them at work, because the story clearly divides what happens during the IN part and the OUT part.

I'll probably watch Season 2 when it comes around .. i'm keeping an open mind but i don't expect i'll have a big surprise.

I'm gonna say 7.5/10 - a good tv series, but nothing i would compare to, say, House MD, or The Thick Of It, or even a good Doctor Who (the early stuff, not the current shit)

 

[Dr. Detroit]

HOLY SHIT

Ben Stiller?
DEREK ZOOLANDER??

He's the guy who directed Severance??

Ben Stiller has been directing movies for 25+ years!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115798/

 

[MtnMan]

Lola - Peacock - 8.5/10

97% Rotten Tomatoes

A cerebral, sci-fi thriller that works, very well done and captivating.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Which Brings Me to You (2023) - IMDb

Which Brings Me to You (2023) Reference View

www.imdb.com

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (TV Series 2024– ) - IMDb

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (TV Series 2024– ) Reference View

www.imdb.com

Haven't seen those yet but both are described as very good for people who enjoy watching romantic relationship dynamics. Not sure when I may get around to watching these. But these might be exactly what someone here may be dying to watch.

 

[DigDog]

Lola - Peacock - 8.5/10

97% Rotten Tomatoes

A cerebral, sci-fi thriller that works, very well done and captivating.

is it this one? https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11366674/reference/

the plot is interesting, but i can't really cope with the way it's filmed.

 

[MtnMan]

is it this one? https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11366674/reference/

the plot is interesting, but i can't really cope with the way it's filmed.

Each to their own, I thought it enhanced it being very much inline with the period.

 

[DigDog]

i watched all of Heaven's Gate - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080855/reference/

finally, this must be the 4th time i try to watch the whole thing. In the end i'm gonna stick with my opinion from earlier on, it's spectacularly well produced for a documentary about the Johnson County War, but it's not really a great subject for a film of 90 minutes, much less for four hours. Kris Kristofferson doesn't have the awesome charisma that Clint Eastwood does and can't carry a film with a bland script - which is what we have here.

Essentially the plot is, in the 1890s Wyoming, a group of established "land barons" basically just decide they are going to murder a whole bunch of new immigrants from the east. And because they got money, they can do this semi-legit by buying out a judge or two. KK is a sheriff who warns the immigrants and fights alongside them.
But, this isn't a "heroic last stand by the innocent against the wicked" - there's no glory, only massacre. The protagonist himself gets more than one metaphorical kick in the balls, killing all his people and even killing his wife, AND getting away with it.
On top of this already rather bland and boring story, there is an additional layer where KK is supposed to be a highly educated, noble? or otherwise old-rich man, who sees the tragedy of ignorance around him .. and this doesn't make the story any better at all.

There's also a horrible Christopher Walken who is both miscast and absolutely sticking out like a sore thumb, idk what the fuck Cimino was thinking.

I can't really give this a good vote. I keep thinking, the TV series "1883" is pretty much the same setting and also goes in detail with historical recreationism over some story points which aren't really important, but only serve as fuel for the production, but when it comes to the plot, and the character, it's closer to what you'd expect from a proper film - characters and situations have to be extraordinary, not mundane.

As a film to watch for filmography and production, my vote: 6/10
As entertainment ... 3/10

 

[DigDog]

i also watched Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to Orchestra - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1574538/reference/

which is a bit nerdy because in the end you need at least *some* appreciation for classical music, but the jokes are pretty good. You would have probably seen the Bassoon skit

and the rest is more of the same.

7/10

 

[Charmonium]

Pirates of the Caribbean - 1, 2 and 3 - 9/10

I'd watched #4 on tv and that was a bit over the top, but the first 3 are quite good - both imaginative and entertaining. I love Ian McShane as Blackbeard. First watched him on Lovejoy when I was into Brit mysteries.

 

[igor_kavinski]

True Detective Season 2 finished!

The Good

Very nice aerial views

Episode 4 when shit hits the fan

Rachel McAdams

Taylor Kitsch looks like her brother

The Bad

Half the time I didn't know what was going on

Ugly city

Ugly evil people

The Worst

Convoluted plot

Need pen and paper to write down the names of all the antagonists and figure out who did what and why

The Finale was not what anyone wanted