Let's talk about movies (and TV shows)... Part XVIII

[BehindTheTimes]

Handmaid’s Tale season 2 was a chore to watch. They had no idea what to do after covering the book. I feel this most recent season could have been done in 8 episodes easily, not 13.

Loved season 1, quit around episode 4 season 2, just a mess imo.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

How strange was it to watch the two Camille’s worlds intertwine to seamlessly in the pilot of Sharp Objects? What a masterful job done Vallée here. You get the sense of the collision fast-approaching from pretty much the opening sequence. What a thrill.

I was completely underwhelmed by the first episode. I hope it gets much better than this.

 

[GoodKiwi]

I was completely underwhelmed by the first episode. I hope it gets much better than this.

I'm curious as to what you expected instead and what specifically disappointed you in the pilot?

Also, have you read Flynn's novel?

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I'm curious as to what you expected instead and what specifically disappointed you in the pilot?

Also, have you read Flynn's novel?

I did not read the book, I only ever tuned into this because of several people hyping it up. I found it slow and boring and the flashbacks to be bit overdone and poorly timed. I'll give it another look, but it did nothing to make me a potential fan so far.

 

[GoodKiwi]

I did not read the book, I only ever tuned into this because of several people hyping it up. I found it slow and boring and the flashbacks to be bit overdone and poorly timed. I'll give it another look, but it did nothing to make me a potential fan so far.

Perhaps you mistook the mini-series for a crime show. It isn't that and won't turn into one.

This is about Camille’s mental state, about pain and hollow, broken relationships. That is and will remain the focal point throughout.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Watcher Tau on Netflix

Highly predictable but still good, especially if you're into movies about AI.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

It seems that all Hollywood does anymore are mediocre remakes of previous movies, often movies that shouldn't have been made the first time, let alone re-made 20 odd years later.

The original Death Wish was a movie of it's time. Remaking it now will not be able to capture that, even if it sets the story back in the early 70's, which I'm guessing they will not. To understand the phenomenon that the original Death Wish was, you first have to understand what an absolute, utter cesspool New York City had become by 1973. Back then, you took your life into your hands just by walking through Times Square. That's why, when Charles Bronson in the original film blew away the mugger in the subway, theatre audiences in NYC broke out in cheers. Today, Times Square is an urban theme park for tourists. It's a different time and place. There is no way that the remake could ever have the same visceral effect on the viewer after 40 years of ultra-violence in both movies and in real life since the original was made.

Hollywood needs to invest in some original ideas instead of beating dead horses all the time. The best movies being made today are the ones from outside of Hollywood and the corporate suits who only know about balance sheets, not anything to do with art.

Re-watched Fight Club last week with my bestie and we started talking about how there wouldn't be a major studio who would do that type of movie today and it would probably get loss among the millenials if they ever did.

Mind you, that was Bill Mechanic running Fox Studios in those days and he loved to take risks.

There are so many great books that are just waiting to be made into great movies, but studios are too risk averse because it's big money now.

 

[Runner77]

Handmaid’s Tale season 2 was a chore to watch. They had no idea what to do after covering the book. I feel this most recent season could have been done in 8 episodes easily, not 13.

I gave up on Seasons 2 of The Handmaid's Tale and Westworld.

Instead, been consumed by The Affair, Season 4. It's just as great as its first season. Engaging plot twists, enjoying how it's delving deeper into old and new characters, same brilliant acting. The principal setting is now in California but part of the story continues to evolve in Montauk.

 

[Laurentide]

Re-watched Fight Club last week with my bestie and we started talking about how there wouldn't be a major studio who would do that type of movie today and it would probably get loss among the millenials if they ever did.

Mind you, that was Bill Mechanic running Fox Studios in those days and he loved to take risks.

There are so many great books that are just waiting to be made into great movies, but studios are too risk averse because it's big money now.

It's like the Habs took over Hollywood and made the movie industry mediocre. All the creativity is gone and all we're left with are bland formula films that do well at the box office but don't win awards.

Then the theatre owner addresses the issue by promising more buttery popcorn at the concession stand.

 

[AboveandBeyond]

Sneaky Pete . That’s all I have to say . Sneaky Pete

 

[Mario Lemieux fan 66]

Genius season 2: 7.4/10

Feud season 1: 6.8/10

 

[GoodKiwi]

I gave up on Seasons 2 of The Handmaid's Tale and Westworld.

Instead, been consumed by The Affair, Season 4. It's just as great as its first season. Engaging plot twists, enjoying how it's delving deeper into old and new characters, same brilliant acting. The principal setting is now in California but part of the story continues to evolve in Montauk.

I could not agree more.

This current season revitalized the show. Just how great Vik's/Cole's segments were in the latest episode. Some good stuff here.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I wanna thank the person who suggested Mr Robot, but i cant remember who.

Haven't seen a good critique of capitalism and consumerism into a movie or TV show in a long time. Probably since Fight Club.

 

[Mario Lemieux fan 66]

Top gun: 7.5/10

sling blade: 7.5/10

Calibre: 7.4/10

Mildred pierce: 6.8/10

 

[Runner77]

Sneaky Pete . That’s all I have to say . Sneaky Pete

Just looked it up on RT -- fantastic ratings. I know GoodKiwi is very bullish about the lead actor, Giovanni Ribisi. Got me intrigued now, where do I watch this? Will I have to dig it up online somewhere?

 

[Runner77]

I was in on Sebastian Maniscalco from when he started. Even got on his mailing list, before he exploded to the name brand comedian he is now.

I don't tend to like a lot of comedians but there is another one I have liked for several years and whose act is not getting old by any stretch. He was on Fallon earlier this week: Mark Normand. Hoping you enjoy him:

 

[Kriss E]

Re-watched Fight Club last week with my bestie and we started talking about how there wouldn't be a major studio who would do that type of movie today and it would probably get loss among the millenials if they ever did.

Mind you, that was Bill Mechanic running Fox Studios in those days and he loved to take risks.

There are so many great books that are just waiting to be made into great movies, but studios are too risk averse because it's big money now.

The studios are seriously overdoing it with all that superhero junk. So much so that when there's a decent movie out there that's different like The Shape of Water, it gets nominated...or did it win?
And for scary movies...holy crap do they ever suck and are all the same. They did what 8 Saw movies? There are 4 Insidious movies...For f***'s sake, they are creating a 3rd Annabelle!!
Those guys have lost their minds.

Hollywood lacks so much creativity right now it's insane.

 

[Redux91]

Started to watch the 10 episodes series of The Vietnam War: A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.
Episodes are between 80 and 150 minutes. Very good footages and loaded with information. Make me want to visit Vietnam, their women are gorgeous.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, im a pretty big vietnam film buff (weirdly enough) and this has been mindblowingly good, so much footage, so much insight, from BOTH sides to boot, love it, cant believe its like Ten 1 hour and a half documentaries

 

[mariolemieux66]

The Florida Project is a must watch.

 

[Mrb1p]

Unsolved is pretty damn good until the later episodes. Tupac and Biggie are really good in their roles. Once they move away from there though... its average.

 

[G0bias]

Just watched the first episode of Sacha Baron Cohen's new series, Who is America? First half of the episode I thought was hit or miss but the second half picks up and is pretty much classic SBC/Ali G.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

The studios are seriously overdoing it with all that superhero junk. So much so that when there's a decent movie out there that's different like The Shape of Water, it gets nominated...or did it win?
And for scary movies...holy crap do they ever suck and are all the same. They did what 8 Saw movies? There are 4 Insidious movies...For ****'s sake, they are creating a 3rd Annabelle!!
Those guys have lost their minds.

Hollywood lacks so much creativity right now it's insane.

Money. Ruins. Everything.

Creativity means taking risks. Taking risks can affect the bottom line. If the bottom line is the most important thing, creativity and risk-taking both take a back seat.

Although, I know you're not a big fan of superhero movies to begin with, to me, they are far from the most significant problem. As a (ex) comic book aficianado, i remember a time when all I could watch from the comic world were a handful of superhero movies or animated TV series.

The genre was ripe for the picking once CGI became affordable. The early success of the Dark Knight trilogy, the first Spider-man trilogy and the first Marvel studio movies (IM & TIH) was bound to create a cookie-cutter industry that would milk the proverbial cow to the last drop.

Marvel Studios started the project to produce and self-finance their own movies in 2004 with a budget close to 500 million. As of today, the 20 movies they have produced in the 10 years since Iron Man and Incredible Hulk started the ball rolling, have grossed over 17 billion at the box office. It's staggering.

Success breeds comfort and complacency. As a fan I see the product getting thinned out, so I can imagine what it would be like for someone who's not into the genre.

Still, there are a few stories Im eager to see. There's still some good stuff to be done, because the comic book world is vast. Very vast.

My beef with Hollywood is more about the constant recycling of ideas, style and storytelling. It's formula-driven to such a high degree that it is incredibly predictable. The intense focus on aesthetics serves to gloss over the limitations and redundancy of the storytelling and also acts as titillation of our most basic instincts, catering to the highest number of people. This is hollywood as if Eddie Bernays was in charge. His ethos and ideologies taken to it's extreme to create one of the biggest profit machine the entertainment world has ever seen.

I miss the days when a movie would enthrall me, put me in a state of awe and wonder.

I read a lot. I love good stories, first and foremost. There are so many books out there, and among them, some really great stories to inspire the making of great movies.

Like Laurentide said, hollywood is just like Les Canadiens. They're all about making profit. Anything else is secondary.

 

[Kriss E]

Money. Ruins. Everything.

Creativity means taking risks. Taking risks can affect the bottom line. If the bottom line is the most important thing, creativity and risk-taking both take a back seat.

Although, I know you're not a big fan of superhero movies to begin with, to me, they are far from the most significant problem. As a (ex) comic book aficianado, i remember a time when all I could watch from the comic world were a handful of superhero movies or animated TV series.

The genre was ripe for the picking once CGI became affordable. The early success of the Dark Knight trilogy, the first Spider-man trilogy and the first Marvel studio movies (IM & TIH) was bound to create a cookie-cutter industry that would milk the proverbial cow to the last drop.

Marvel Studios started the project to produce and self-finance their own movies in 2004 with a budget close to 500 million. As of today, the 20 movies they have produced in the 10 years since Iron Man and Incredible Hulk started the ball rolling, have grossed over 17 billion at the box office. It's staggering.

Success breeds comfort and complacency. As a fan I see the product getting thinned out, so I can imagine what it would be like for someone who's not into the genre.

Still, there are a few stories Im eager to see. There's still some good stuff to be done, because the comic book world is vast. Very vast.

My beef with Hollywood is more about the constant recycling of ideas, style and storytelling. It's formula-driven to such a high degree that it is incredibly predictable. The intense focus on aesthetics serves to gloss over the limitations and redundancy of the storytelling and also acts as titillation of our most basic instincts, catering to the highest number of people. This is hollywood as if Eddie Bernays was in charge. His ethos and ideologies taken to it's extreme to create one of the biggest profit machine the entertainment world has ever seen.

I miss the days when a movie would enthrall me, put me in a state of awe and wonder.

I read a lot. I love good stories, first and foremost. There are so many books out there, and among them, some really great stories to inspire the making of great movies.

Like Laurentide said, hollywood is just like Les Canadiens. They're all about making profit. Anything else is secondary.

Well said, but actually I am a big fan of superhero movies. It's precisely why I'm so disappointed and annoyed with them. They're ruining all these cool things.
Black Panther is one I am most disappointed with. Such potential to do something amazing and they dropped the ball entirely for me. Same boring style of humor, same general outline, rushed storylines to the point they don't make the slightest bit of sense. But hey, it was refreshing from a social standpoint so big popular praise, but really, it was garbage imo. I thought I was harsh initially, so I rewatched it last week and man, thought it was even worse.

They're not incapable of doing different things. I think Deadpool was great. Guardian of the Galaxy (didn't watch the 2nd yet) I also liked. So they can do good ones, but most of them are just repeatitive junk.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

The studios are seriously overdoing it with all that superhero junk. So much so that when there's a decent movie out there that's different like The Shape of Water, it gets nominated...or did it win?
And for scary movies...holy crap do they ever suck and are all the same. They did what 8 Saw movies? There are 4 Insidious movies...For ****'s sake, they are creating a 3rd Annabelle!!
Those guys have lost their minds.

Hollywood lacks so much creativity right now it's insane.

The wife and I left the theatre during "The Shape of Water", but agree on the super hero dilution, its gotten silly.

 

[AboveandBeyond]

Just looked it up on RT -- fantastic ratings. I know GoodKiwi is very bullish about the lead actor, Giovanni Ribisi. Got me intrigued now, where do I watch this? Will I have to dig it up online somewhere?

Ribisi is excellent in the show . I’m pretty sure it’s an Amazon Original show but I watch it on my android box . If you don’t have one you can always download the torrent at eztv which is my favourite place to do so. If you have amazon prime you can watch it there too . Hope that helps