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What are you watching?

3 years ago
Just thought it'd be fun to have a general chat/review thread for whatever movies and shows you guys are currently checking out. Seems like people are always more willing to get a conversation going about that than some kind of archaic book, for nerds. I don't have much to contribute myself, haven't really had a lot of free time lately. But a couple days ago I watched Chicago at work...I do this every so often when I'm doing repetetive tasks that don't need my attention. In fact, it's almost always Chicago. I'm sure there was a point when I liked it for all the glitz and snazzy musical numbers, but the movie at this point has mellowed into the perfect comfort food for me. (With lots of glitz and snazzy musical numbers...) I also get impressed more and more every time I see it by what a brilliant character study it is. Roxy is a narcissistic monster in just as many subtle ways as obvious ones. Renée Zellweger did an incredible job. (Catherine Zeta-Jones was a great pick for Velma too, brought some incredible energy to the role. Only actor I was kind of meh on was Richard Gere, although I'm not a huge fan of his even under normal circumstances.) Anyway, consider this a place to just ramble a little about whatever you like or whatever you're watching at the moment, unless you're in a mood to attempt some serious reviews here as well.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

I thought Richard Gere was great in Chicago. Definitely glad there's at least one other fan of the big budget Hollywood movie musical around, these troglodytic nerds don't appreciate them enough. 

I've been slogging my way through A Farewell to Arms. I know Hemingway is a beautiful writer and all that but it's execrutiating so far. Will probably prefer For Whom the Bell Tolls because it has communism and macho bullfighting at least 

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I guess the issue could be the writing more than Richard Gere himself. His intro song is the least interesting and the only insight it gives into his character (hypocritically pretending to not be all about the money and having some kind of popular rep built around that) is never actually demonstrated anywhere else.

And I never liked the fact that the big moment of the trial hinges on him literally just faking evidence instead of any kind of brilliant sleazy lawyer trick.

He did have his moments though so it's not like I actually disliked him.

At some point I'd like to sit down and watch a couple of the older versions of these or the play itself, but they'd probably just disappoint without all the movie's razzle dazzle.

But Malk. I fucking love musicals.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

I think I listen to soundtracks from Musicals more than I listen to regular music. Les Mis is probably my worst guilty pleasure. (25th Anniversary Concert if you want the best vocals.)

And I just watched Hamiltion for the first time recently. History is fun when you have songs. ^_^

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I went to the cinema the other day to see The Unholy. It was ok. Wasn't keen on the ending though. Also why is it in a lot of horrors when you have a cursed evil object or a trapped evil soul do the original people not think to lock it away rather than just leaving it in a place someone could easily come across it? Even if they stuck a warning note on the thing it would be an Improvement, but no.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
If people were smart you couldn't have horror movies.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

Me and my boyfriend went to the cinema for the first time in about two years today and watched the Demon Slayer Movie. (Which I'm sure Mizal will appreciate since we all know what a big anime fan she is.) Must say, I am always impressed by anime writers ability to create the most loathsome characters imaginable (think Joffrey x 10) without even trying.

I mean, the logic seems to be; 

"Lets create an underdog character that all of our fans can relate to. What do you guys think?"

"Hmm... How about an unbearably whiny guy who's constantly screaming at the top of his lungs for no reason, runs away from danger at every chance he gets because he's a massive fucking pussy, and on top of that, he constantly stalks and harasses under aged girls. Sound relatable enough?"

"... Yeah, I'd say that sums up about 90% of anime fans."

"Also let's give him a costume that literally looks like a giant packet of Doritos."

"Perfect!"

... Must clense my sould by listening to Cell Block Tango for about ten times straight. ^_^

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I watched the anime series and the movie because my favorite nephew wanted to watch it with me. The animation is really cool, ngl, but the story is meh and I can definitely relate with you about the yellow-haired creep. It's unbearable to watch him whine. Ugh.

I don't think he's my favorite nephew anymore.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

This made me laugh. It's so true. I do enjoy a few anime here and there, but they always have certain character tropes that I hate. Another one is the rapey villains. It's like they sit around the writers table and say, "Hey, is our villain evil enough? No? Okay, lets have them try to rape a 13 year old girl. Yeah, that will do the trick." If it happens once, I'll just pretend I didn't see it, but every villain in every anime? Come on guys...

 

i think some of these tropes come from the Japanese culture that anime's are from. They view certain things differently, anf it makes for some cringe worthy characters/plot lines. 

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Also Tsunderes. Who the fuck invented Tsunderes? Why? Do all Japanese men just have a massive humiliation fetish?

What are you watching?

3 years ago

We can only assume so. They have a lot of things that revolve around romance/dating that I frankly don't understand. Even in good love stories, they pop up.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

I recently rewatched the Japanese movie "One Cut of the Dead" (or "Don't Stop the Camera!" depending on how they decided to translate the title). It's a really fun and familial experience, with a good amount of humor.

One thing I found surprising and very effective is that the humor doesn't stick that much to the Japanese type of humor. For having watched a lot of Japanese movies, a huge part of the humor is really ludicrous or stupid (stupidly fun). I know it's something a lot of people aren't always sensitive to, and may even dislike.

I think "One Cut of the Dead" really bypasses this problem and proposes something that suits any audience.

If you're willing to watch the movie, don't judge it in the first 30 minutes. You'll get it after finishing the movie.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

I'm watching Season One of "Doom Patrol". The writing is eclectic and solid. Plus, I just love DC Comics. Strangest superhero show I've seen in a long time.

   Doom Patrol Hilarious Most WTF Moments - YouTube

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Doom Patrol was great. My wife and I watched it together. The source material (More or less) ties in with the comic books that the old teen titans cartoon was based on.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

I am now going through the fase of reading some older manga, you know the classics. Even I get sometimes a burn-out trying to keep up with trashy shows. So I first thought that I would want to read the most depressing stuff that I could find. I craved for something that could give me the same feeling as I got for Vinland Saga (also has a great anime adaptation by the way) or Berserk (the 1999 adaptation was all right, the manga is a masterpiece). So let's see, 

goodnight punpun

Think of the most pathetic person you have met and double it. Damn, that main character's whole life is a mess. You are kind of forced to follow him from elementary school age to young adulthood. He has literally no spine whatsoever, never makes something of himself and always drifts his mind off to nothingness. He hurts the people who are close to him, is a dirty coward and even drove a person to suicide. God, the main character could be so infuriating at times. At the end of the story, I could feel nothing than emptiness. I guess that this happens when you binge through these kind of things. People say that when you are in your 30s that this kind of stuff will hit harder, so maybe I am not really the target demographic. The art is extremely good. It kind of reminds me of the semi-realistic anime style you usually saw in the 2000s like battle royal (great stuff) or gantz (infuriating piece of garbage that hasn't aged well. No, you don't have to force naked women down my throat every page in order to keep my attention. It's a story that you want to desperatedly like, but it will never live up to its premise. Art's great though.) Some of the pages are so surreal and beautiful that you could make a wallpaper out of them. The main novelty is that the main character is not drawn as a real person, he is portrayed as a crudely drawn bird. I thought that the work overall was pretty charming and a good read though I will advice you to take breaks sometimes. I had to one time.

Bokurano

People say that it's a evangelion ripoff, but I highly doubt it as the story takes a whole different vision. The whole concept of the show is that a group of around 12 children gets the chance to pilot a giant robot in order to save the earth from mass destruction. The catch is that the robot is fueled by life force. When you have finished piloting the robot, you die shortly afterwards. The whole story revolves around children who have to come to terms that they will die sooner or later. Great read, a bit bleak, but I really enjoyed it. I heard that the Anime adaptation is a lot lighter with a happy ending, but I preferred the bleaker ending of the manga more. The art is a little shittier. I dislike the character design purely because of the fact that I couldn't tell most of the characters apart. The robots are really nicely drawn though. 

conclusion

The works weren't necessarily "fun" to read, they were both extremely depressing. Even though neither gave me these emotional highs and lows I was looking for, I think that I preferred Punpun over Bokurano. That's because I think that Punpun had utilised its medium way better than Bokurano did. There were some pages of Punpun that I could vividly remember while I could only summarize some key plotpoints and characters in bokurano. I tthink Bokurano could also be told in form of a novel without losing any of its charm, while Punpun could only work in the medium it is in now. One example was for example the main character who is drawn as a cartoon bird. 

As for tv shows: I spare you the trouble, none of them were that good. Most of them were quite disappointing or simply filthy garbage. Ahum.

As for movies: I tried to watch batman vs superman. It bored me to tears. 

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Go watch Superman Returns, or better yet the original Superman and Superman II, with Christopher Reeve.

Look up Batman: The Animated series if you have the misfortune to have not grown up watching it, like many on this cruel and unjust Earth.

Never speak of mangas in this thread again.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Read Akira mayhaps.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Don't you start.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
It and Ghost in the Shell were pretty huge influences on the Cyberpunk Genre. No analysis of the growth of the genre is complete without them. That would be like forgetting Bladerunner or Max Headroom.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

The black list had been surprisingly good for a long time. It's a bit different from other crime shows because of the criminal storylines of the FBI informant. They also do a good job keeping the over arching plot line interesting while making each individual case exciting. At least, for most of it. I'm on like Season 6. There were a few slow parts.

 

I'm big into the cop/crime shows so I have a few in the category that I like. They are my favorite shows on Netflix now that the big networks took their shows back, haha. Lucifer is another good one. I do think the first half was better than the second, and we are still waiting on the last half a season... but the first three seasons are extremely good. There is a lot of tension between the two main characters because one is the devil (from Christian theology), and the other is immune to his devil powers like temptation. It plays a lot off Christian beliefs with interesting twists (like the angels in the shows being the "bad guys" while the devil is the "hero" so to speak).

What are you watching?

3 years ago
My family and I just finished Deep Space Nine, and it's become one of my favorite shows. I like all the star treks, but this one is definitely my favorite, and among my favorite shows of all time, particularly because of the way the show balances serialized storytelling with self-contained stories and long-term character growth.

Coincidentally with the above reply, we also watched the first two episodes of "Lucifer" last night, though I'm not certain if we'll go beyond that.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
DS9 really is the best Star Trek. TNG and TOS both have some really stand out episodes that became classics in the genre, but many that are awful too. The quality was just really uneven. While DS9 is just consistently good or at least average, there's nothing in the series I find really unwatchable. (Although I find the finale and how they wrapped up the villains to be a let down.)

TV shows with consistent, continuing plotlines weren't the norm at the time, so the fact they were able to experiment with that and break away from the traditional Alien of the Week format went a long way too. All the studio meddling was focused on Voyager, so they had a bit more freedom to do what they wanted.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I started watching TNG mid season 4, so I've seen a number of the best episodes and not so many of the sub-par ones in seasons 1 and 2. We watched a few of the early season 1 TNGs the other day, and they just aren't as good. I don't think the writers had the hang of balancing an A-plot with a B-plot yet, which gives the impression of stretched-out plots, and one-dimensional character interactions.

I think the finale did a great job wrapping up the dominion war, but the plot with the pah-wraiths was just kind of... meh (I ended up outlining an alternate conclusion to that plotline while bored). Dukat and Kai Winn were both excellent villains in their own right, but the confrontation at the end just seemed anticlimactic, particularly after the focus and scale of the earlier half of the episode.

I think the early-serialization shows like DS9 and Babylon 5 (another of my favorite shows) really hit the sweet spot in terms of balancing overarching plot lines with more episodic installments. While I do like plenty of modern television, it can be too plot-focused, missing the opportunity for adjacent storylines and character development. That could be why Discovery never really clicked for me, though I do have yet to see season 3.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

Funny enough I've been going through Voyager all over again and half wondering why I'm doing this to myself.

There are moments when the series is almost okay and some episodes are actually good, but overall man did the writers really horse fuck that show. Lol.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Lol, I've watched a few voyagers here and there, and from what I've seen I pretty much agree with you. I liked a number of the episodes, but it's consistently just not as good as the other treks, and some of the episodes don't seem to have much of a point other than "hey look, this happened!" It seemed like the writers couldn't commit to anything.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

Yeah, Lucifer might not be "family friendly" depending on the family watching. It is really good and has some great character development for Lucifer in particular. Of course, you have to get past the two seasons that he just sleeps around with every girl you see in the show. There is a lot that is sort of... not appropriate. The black list is a similar show that is a bit darker but less "adult" if you want to try that.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I'm 18 (and obviously my parents are both older than me), so all the sex 'n violence isn't a problem in terms of age. Though it did get a bit boring at times, sex-based plot lines don't really interest me. It seems like a clever show in other areas, though.

I remember watching a few episodes of blacklist a few years ago, I know my dad watched several seasons and enjoyed it. It's sort of an FBI crime show where they enlist the help of a top-level criminal, right?

What are you watching?

3 years ago
If you want a light and fun version of that, look up White Collar from 2009. It ran for six seasons and it's one of those shows where the cast is so likeable you don't really care how deep the plot is.

Most shows are all too edgy for me now tbh, i just can't get into them if I don't actually like any of the characters, and I watch movies if I want serious drama....at least they're a self contained deal and can't nosedive in quality after you've gotten invested in them over a period of years.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I was glued to White Collar during its 1st season. I remember trying to get people to watch it, but couldn't get any traction to that end.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Yeah, I have the same problem with a lot of the stuff that's being made recently. It seems like a lot of shows are using edginess as a shortcut for actual plot and character depth, which obviously doesn't cut it.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
You're suggesting that edgeness doesn't cut it? Hmm.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
That was a very sharp pun :)

What are you watching?

3 years ago

Ahh, well if you just don't like it that's fine too. I found it interesting because of the way the devil is portrayed over the entire show. Like I said before, he often steps into more of a hero role than the other Christian figures in the show. It's a fun phycological look at what the devil might be thinking. Sexual temptation just happens to be something very frequently associated with the devil, haha.

 

Yeah that's the one. Ig has a few boring stretches, but I have enjoyed it so far. 
 

Mizal, I remember white collar! That was good as well. Don't know if I ever went back and finishes that one though. The main character was always enjoyable.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I'm definitely liking it so far. It's certainly interesting to see the devil in a different role than usual, and though I've only seen two episodes, whathisname-the-angel has already said some extremely questionable things. His ability of finding out people's desires is a cool plot device too, it's useful, but it isn't overpowered, and the ability alone doesn't make crime solving easy for him.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
On the subject of Super Hero related things, please tell me that you've all been watching Invincible. ^_^

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I watched A Whisker Away on Netflix, it get kinda angsty at times, at the same time it's very lighthearted (most of the time)
And I also some snippets of Bird Box and Us, and my main fandom is Miraculous Ladybug, kinda kiddy, but it's getting adapted to a more mature audience :D Sorry I'm late to the party btw

What are you watching?

3 years ago

Not yet, but I've seen all the memes. I guess I should start to watch it to get the jokes...

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Saw some clips on Youtube and it looked cool. I'll try to binge it on my next day-off.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
It is very bingeable. Lots of violence. Very fun. ^_^

What are you watching?

3 years ago

I watched it. Seemed like a much worse version of The Boys. The least subtle writing I have seen in a TV show in a while.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Wow, I have never seen such a wrong opinion in my life.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Everyone's entitled to their own opinion... No matter how wrong it is. :p

What are you watching?

3 years ago

Yes

What are you watching?

3 years ago

See people talking about animation in this thread so I should mention that Primal on Adult Swim is some of the most entertaining violence I've ever seen in a show. Ridiculously good stuff and surprisingly full of namby pamby things like plot and character development for a show with no dialogue, just manly roaring 

What are you watching?

3 years ago
YES! ^_^

What are you watching?

3 years ago

There was a well-received online animated series named Primal War on Newgrounds from the mid-2000's. I don't know if the Adult Swim TV show was inspired by it or what.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

Yes I'm sure this flash animation (with dialogue) about furries with guns shooting at other furries who are dinosaurs due to an unknown political conflict, heavily inspired this wordless series about a neotlithic caveman surviving in a hyperborean world a decade later.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Lol

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Personally, I think it's just a rip off of The Land Before Time.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

Can't believe they made 14 of those fucking movies.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
And a TV series. >.<

What are you watching?

3 years ago

And video games  >:/

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I was about 14 when I was browsing at a flea market and came across the 13th Land Before Time movie. I was astonished. I had only ever known about the first one. The idea that there were 12 sequels to a movie that I'd grown up loving was strangely difficult to accept. I don't know how many computer games there were. After the second movie nothing of value was added, probably. The eggs song was a absolute jam. Here is very nice remix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1VpWO1xDYY

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I wonder... If the one with a massive boner for eggs has a problem with his brother eating plants... Would an eggplant be considered acceptable?

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I'm sure Strut would also like to know.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

I mean do these dinos just live forever or is it a generational thing?

I mean with 14 movies I'd have to think the original dinos were dead of natural causes or great-great-great grandparents at best.

To say nothing of the whole exinction level asteroid event, but I'm going to guess with 14 movies, that just doesn't happen in this timeline.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Nope, but the original voice actors are dead, of extremely unnatural causes... RIP Ducky. :'(

What are you watching?

3 years ago

Oh yeah, the double murder suicide thing.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Apparently she has "Yep! Yep! Yep!" on her tombstone. :'(

What are you watching?

3 years ago
While I'm sure the intent was to honor her work and character, that's not a very good inscription for a tombstone.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Agreed. >.<

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Yeah that always pissed me off a bit. Nerds just have no sense of restraint in their nerdery.

But tombstones mostly exist for the sake of the family, and...well...

What are you watching?

3 years ago

Welp... I guess some voice actors should just never die for fear of what might end up on their tombstone...

What are you watching?

3 years ago

Votes on best Swchwarzenegger epitaph:

1. "I'll be back!"

2. "Hasta la vista, baby!"

3. "I did bleed, you could kill me."

4. "I had to split."

5. "Come with me if you want to die!"

6. "I'm not into politics, and I'm not into survival.

7. "I've just been erased."

8. "I was a funny guy. That's why they killed me last.

9. "What a pain in my neck."

10. "Hear the lamentations of my women."

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I'm under the impression that each one happens like a month after the last.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

This is the land before time. Time didn't exist back then, so it's not a factor.

I did love those movies though!

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Good point. I'm under the impression that each movie takes place a good moon or two apart.

What are you watching?

3 years ago

Having watched a lot of the Blacklist with my family, we decided to watch Jack Ryan, and wow, I am really liking it. Way more intense and emotional than I expected, so I highly recommend it. The Blacklist, on the other hand, is pretty goofy and stupid.

Also watched Dredd for some cyberpunk inspiration, and it was some pretty cool violence.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Just finished the Constantine translation of Taras Bulba. Breezy, vivid, macho and spectacularly antisemitic. 7/10 I’d say, gonna crack With Fire and Sword as I continue my tour of badass moustaches in world literature

What are you watching?

3 years ago
It's come to my attention I need the 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers in my life, so some time this weekend I'll be trying to make time for that.

Really a travesty I haven't seen it before, from the bits and pieces I caught the other day it is excellent and considered a classic for good reason.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I've been watching Twin Peaks, it took me a couple of attempts to get into it but now i'm hooked! Its been a while since a show has pulled me in like this and I really cant get enough of this eccentric warm feeling everything in the show gives me. The Murder mystery in Twin Peaks is easily one of the best I've experienced with each revelation making questions that are more interesting than the initial "who done it?" mantra with characters feeling real unlike the cardboard cutouts some shows throw.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Season 1 is outstanding. Season 2 is all over the place. I don't know what to say about season 3.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
Literally exactly what Ugilick said. It's a great show and it's hard to even begin to say how much it's influenced other works of fiction that came after it but season 1 is probably the only part of it that is consistently amazing. But if you love the horror parts and unexplainable nonsense then season 3 is for you.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
When you finish, be sure to look up the Psych episode Dual Spires. It brings the original actors in for a homage and besides being just a great and hilarious episode, it feels like a much better send-off than they got in the actual show.

What are you watching?

3 years ago
I followed psych from it's premier till it's last episode, but missed episodes due to uni. I somehow missed that one. I'll check it out.