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BSWBRice Offline
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Post: #1
Movies/TV Thread
So as not to gum up the "horse race" thread, gonna put my movie thoughts over here.

Brief Oscar nom thoughts:
Parasite: one of my top 2 movies of the year, probably #1. Really original, well-rounded characters, and some really striking/poignant scenes. Reminded me of Sorry to Bother You in that it just keeps the insanity spiraling until the final frame.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood: The other in my top 2. Kind of a throwback to Tarantino's talkier movies (which I prefer to his more cartoon-y films), so I get why folks who prefer Inglourious Basterds, D'jango Unchained, etc weren't as enthused. Still, loved the banter, loved the look, and everything really fell into place by the end in a way that even a bit touching.

The Irishman: my #3 movie of the year. Scorsese back in his bag. A wonderful coda to his mobster filmography. Crazy long, but it never felt draggy to me, despite being slow. Sounded like Owl#s saw this in theaters, which is great; would've loved to have seen it on the big screen.

1917: If you see this, gotta do it in theaters. The visuals were great, but the one shot gimmick felt a little forced at times. Reminded me of Mad Max a bit: super thin story, basic characters, but the set design and cinematography definitely carried the day. Fun cameos too.

Little Women: folks who love the book/previous movie have been hating on this, but I dug it.

Marriage Story: Kind of a bummer that the scene they kept showing was the one overwrought/super brutal fight. I was worried that this was going to be Revolutionary Road levels of harrowing, but it wasn't at all. Loved all three attorney characters. Happy for the Laura Dern-aissance

Joker: Really enjoyed this and I definitely think Phoenix deserved his best actor win (to be fair, I didn't see The Two Popes or Pain and Glory). The Batman/Wayne tie-ins felt a little forced, but whatever. I didn't think the movie glorified Joker, but I could see how folks would find it a bit distasteful.

Didn't get around to seeing Ford v Ferrari or Jojo Rabbit. Didn't see Judy either, but I heard RZ was fantastic. It seemed fairly pre-determined that she was going to win best actress. Glad she's making a comeback.

TV stuff:
Just finished Bojack Horseman; really happy with the ending.

HBO's been crushing it lately. Succession is probably the best show going. I'm keeping up with The Outsider (really enjoying this) and Avenue 5 (not "good" but it's funny enough to keep watching). Larry David is a genius; Curb in on its 10th season and is still as funny as ever.
02-21-2020 01:04 PM
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RiceLad15 Offline
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Post: #2
RE: Movies/TV Thread
(02-21-2020 01:04 PM)BSWBRice Wrote:  So as not to gum up the "horse race" thread, gonna put my movie thoughts over here.

Brief Oscar nom thoughts:
Parasite: one of my top 2 movies of the year, probably #1. Really original, well-rounded characters, and some really striking/poignant scenes. Reminded me of Sorry to Bother You in that it just keeps the insanity spiraling until the final frame.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood: The other in my top 2. Kind of a throwback to Tarantino's talkier movies (which I prefer to his more cartoon-y films), so I get why folks who prefer Inglourious Basterds, D'jango Unchained, etc weren't as enthused. Still, loved the banter, loved the look, and everything really fell into place by the end in a way that even a bit touching.

The Irishman: my #3 movie of the year. Scorsese back in his bag. A wonderful coda to his mobster filmography. Crazy long, but it never felt draggy to me, despite being slow. Sounded like Owl#s saw this in theaters, which is great; would've loved to have seen it on the big screen.

1917: If you see this, gotta do it in theaters. The visuals were great, but the one shot gimmick felt a little forced at times. Reminded me of Mad Max a bit: super thin story, basic characters, but the set design and cinematography definitely carried the day. Fun cameos too.

Little Women: folks who love the book/previous movie have been hating on this, but I dug it.

Marriage Story: Kind of a bummer that the scene they kept showing was the one overwrought/super brutal fight. I was worried that this was going to be Revolutionary Road levels of harrowing, but it wasn't at all. Loved all three attorney characters. Happy for the Laura Dern-aissance

Joker: Really enjoyed this and I definitely think Phoenix deserved his best actor win (to be fair, I didn't see The Two Popes or Pain and Glory). The Batman/Wayne tie-ins felt a little forced, but whatever. I didn't think the movie glorified Joker, but I could see how folks would find it a bit distasteful.

Didn't get around to seeing Ford v Ferrari or Jojo Rabbit. Didn't see Judy either, but I heard RZ was fantastic. It seemed fairly pre-determined that she was going to win best actress. Glad she's making a comeback.

TV stuff:
Just finished Bojack Horseman; really happy with the ending.

HBO's been crushing it lately. Succession is probably the best show going. I'm keeping up with The Outsider (really enjoying this) and Avenue 5 (not "good" but it's funny enough to keep watching). Larry David is a genius; Curb in on its 10th season and is still as funny as ever.

HBO is my go-to TV producer now. Watchmen was wonderful and deserved all the praise heaped onto it. It makes me want to read the graphic novel.

Just found out High Maintenance is back for Season 4, as it's become one of my favorite "sitcoms" if you can even call it that. The writers are crazy talented, as they're able to engross you in characters you've never seen before, in around 30 minutes, and do so in a way that feels authentic and natural.

And while WestWorld Season 2 tried a bit too hard and didn't always connect the threads, I'm looking forward to Season 3.
02-21-2020 01:12 PM
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Owl 69/70/75 Offline
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Post: #3
RE: Movies/TV Thread
At the seminar I attended in California and referenced on the other thread, the point was made that HBO and others are basically driving the economic boat now. To me, movies have become way too much about special effects, at the expense of characters and plot, although the ones that seemed to emphasize characters or plot in this years crop were about story lines that hold little or no interest for me.

Two totally unrelated things from the trip, and apologies if either one hijacks the thread.
One, right now, friends don't let friends fly to LAX. It's under construction and a disaster. To catch a cab, you have to walk about half a mile. When we were leaving IAH, I was in the jetway with four guys who had been in Houston for work, and they were gushing with praise for our airport. I'd never thought of it as all that wonderful, and I had never thought of LAX as that terrible, so I kind of wondered what had happened. I found out.
Two, the conference ended on Sunday morning. A good friend of mine, David Klasing from Orange County, was there. He is a private pilot, and rather than fighting the traffic, he had flown up from Newport Beach to Santa Monica, Saturday night, I went to dinner with Dave and Anne, and we got to talking about flying and he mentioned how much he hated fog and clouds, because he got disoriented. So conference ends, he heads to Santa Monica to fly back, and a short time later there is this report on the traffic channel that a freeway is closed because an aircraft has crashed in the canyons north of Malibu. My first thought was, oh no, no David. Shortly thereafter. we learned that it was Kobe.

Now apologies for staying, and please nobody take off down either of those rabbit trails so I won't feel remorse for hijacking.
02-21-2020 01:54 PM
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BSWBRice Offline
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Post: #4
RE: Movies/TV Thread
All good! I've lurked long enough to know that the board is pretty loose regarding "hijacking" threads.

I feel you re: special effects in movies. I enjoy popcorn/blockbuster movies as much as anyone, but the novelty has definitely worn off to the point where there needs to be some level of substance if I'm going to see it.

Lad: I loved Watchmen as well. You should definitely read the novel and if you're really into that universe, see the 2009 movie. Lindelof has such a distinct style; The Leftovers is a personal top 5 show of all time.

I haven't seen High Maintenance, will have to scope at some point. I liked season 1 of Westworld fine, but I wasn't jazzed enough to continue with season 2. I just heard that Marshawn Lynch is going to be in season 3 though, so I might try to catch up.
02-21-2020 02:16 PM
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mrbig Offline
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RE: Movies/TV Thread
Avengers: Endgame was magnificent for what it was supposed to be. I get people that some people don't necessarily love superhero movies or movies that lean heavily on special effects and/or action. But for my money, Infinity War / Endgame were masterpieces within their category of film. I mean, they made my teen son tear up and cry multiple times, so that's something. The acting across the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films has been fantastic.

I was really pleased that after the first set of introductory Marvel films all felt pretty similar (Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America), the more recent ones each had a fresh take on the genre and the directors were really allowed to give each film an individual feel (Ant-Man, Dr. Strange, Guardians, Thor: Ragnarok, Spider-Man, and Black Panther each felt unique). Each of those movies really speaks with its own voice.

And while I enjoy a good superhero movie, I'm hardly a fanboy. I didn't see any of the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man movies, I didn't finish the Dark Knight trilogy, I haven't watched any of the Wolverine (and related movies) the past 10-15 years, and I haven't watched any of the DC Universe movies (Aquaman, Wonder Woman, etc.). So I've been pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the MCU movies as much as I did.
(This post was last modified: 02-21-2020 03:30 PM by mrbig.)
02-21-2020 03:28 PM
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illiniowl Offline
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RE: Movies/TV Thread
I am SO tempted to go down one of Owl #s' rabbit trails because (and this ties in with the thread anyway) one of my very favorite TV shows is "Air Disasters" on the Smithsonian Channel (and the related "Mayday: Air Disaster" on the Weather Channel). I mean, I have watched every episode multiple times and if you showed me a picture of any NTSB investigator I could probably give you the name. So when Kobe's copter crashed and I saw the wreckage pattern and heard some of the witness reports of engine sputtering and high-speed descent, I instantly ruled out: CFIT (controlled flight into terrain -- he clearly didn't hit the hills in the fog while flying normally) and fuel starvation (out of gas = no postcrash fire), leaving us with either mechanical failure (rare), pilot incapacitation (even rarer), or loss of spatial awareness leading to either a stall or some other loss of control (bingo).

But I digress!

Parasite was a sophomoric anticapitalist critique but still a great film in terms of technique, storytelling, acting, pace, etc. Absolutely deserving of Best Picture, especially given this year's good-but-not-great field. Case in point: I dig Tarantino, so sure, I enjoyed Once upon a Time etc. but come on, a Best Picture nom? In what other year would this (still entertaining) trifle have been put in the category of movies of substance? Nice period piece, but no masterpiece, and frankly lacking in Tarantino-ness until the last half hour. The Irishman: again, good but not great. A technical achievement, sure, and it did hold my interest throughout (then again I'm gonna love most mob movies anyway) but if you name your 3.5-hour movie after one single character, I would expect to know that character inside and out by the time the credits roll. DeNiro sitting in a chair in the old folks' home and staring into the camera while not really saying much took up too much of this movie.

Succession, like Big Little Lies, is beautiful trash IMO, eminently watchable and instantly forgettable (and I'm a connoisseur of beautiful trash, I watch Survivor and Vanderpump Rules!). Chernobyl was great and McMillion$ is good so far, Curb is a Hall of Famer and laugh-out-loud funny as always, and Silicon Valley will sorely be missed. Avenue 5 is on probation with me, although I fully admit that to expect another Veep (absolute Hall of Famer) is unfair. Better Call Saul returns next week!

Heartily recommend What We Do in the Shadows on FX. Season 2 debuts in April. Based on the Taika Watiti (Jojo Rabbit) vampire comedy movie of the same name. Quirky, raunchy, and hilarious.
(This post was last modified: 02-21-2020 03:42 PM by illiniowl.)
02-21-2020 03:40 PM
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mrbig Offline
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RE: Movies/TV Thread
(02-21-2020 03:40 PM)illiniowl Wrote:  Succession, like Big Little Lies, is beautiful trash IMO, eminently watchable and instantly forgettable (and I'm a connoisseur of beautiful trash, I watch Survivor...).

Right there with you!

(02-21-2020 03:40 PM)illiniowl Wrote:  Chernobyl was great ...

Agree. The 1st episode was remarkably heart-pounding and tense.
02-21-2020 03:44 PM
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Fort Bend Owl Offline
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RE: Movies/TV Thread
I cut the cord years ago and only watch Netflix, Hulu and Disney + these days.

My favorite film of 2019 was Parasite followed by Little Women, which I saw on Christmas with the wife and daughters. I enjoyed Marriage Story, OUATIH and the Irishman but not nearly as much as the first two.

My brother and his twins are much bigger film buffs than me (they are going to film school in California after their gap year/internships are over) and Parasite and 1917 were their two favorites with Jojo rabbit third I think? For tv, I’d put the Mandalorian and Chernobyl as my top.
02-21-2020 04:09 PM
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RiceLad15 Offline
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RE: Movies/TV Thread
(02-21-2020 04:09 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I cut the cord years ago and only watch Netflix, Hulu and Disney + these days.

My favorite film of 2019 was Parasite followed by Little Women, which I saw on Christmas with the wife and daughters. I enjoyed Marriage Story, OUATIH and the Irishman but not nearly as much as the first two.

My brother and his twins are much bigger film buffs than me (they are going to film school in California after their gap year/internships are over) and Parasite and 1917 were their two favorites with Jojo rabbit third I think? For tv, I’d put the Mandalorian and Chernobyl as my top.

I think I might join Disney+ when the MCU shows start. The quality programming that they’ve produced so far is close to mind boggling. Quality show and movie after show and movie.
02-21-2020 10:41 PM
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Fort Bend Owl Offline
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RE: Movies/TV Thread
Their original shows/movies have all been good, but there aren’t enough of them. But since I hadn’t watched hardly any of the Marvel or Star Wars movies, their library alone was enough of a reason to get it.
02-22-2020 07:13 AM
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Fort Bend Owl Offline
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RE: Movies/TV Thread
Katherine Johnson, one of the three NASA mathematicians/scientists immortalized in the movie 'Hidden Figures' dies today at the grand old age of 101. RIP to a wonderful trailblazer.

From a movie standpoint though, I'm not sure I liked Hidden Figures as much as I wanted to. My main problem with the film was that it didn't seem to decide whether it wanted to be a space film, or a civil rights film. Don't get me wrong, it was a good film. But I felt like it would have been better if it had decided to concentrate on one or the other genres. JMHO. Maybe I'd put it third in a list of space historical dramas behind Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff? I'm sure I haven't seen some others that are considered classics.
02-24-2020 10:40 AM
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OptimisticOwl Offline
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Post: #12
RE: Movies/TV Thread
(02-24-2020 10:40 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Katherine Johnson, one of the three NASA mathematicians/scientists immortalized in the movie 'Hidden Figures' dies today at the grand old age of 101. RIP to a wonderful trailblazer.

From a movie standpoint though, I'm not sure I liked Hidden Figures as much as I wanted to. My main problem with the film was that it didn't seem to decide whether it wanted to be a space film, or a civil rights film. Don't get me wrong, it was a good film. But I felt like it would have been better if it had decided to concentrate on one or the other genres. JMHO. Maybe I'd put it third in a list of space historical dramas behind Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff? I'm sure I haven't seen some others that are considered classics.

Apollo 13 screenplay was by one of our own, William Broyles, Jr. Nominated for best adapted screenplay.
02-24-2020 12:07 PM
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illiniowl Offline
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Post: #13
RE: Movies/TV Thread
(02-24-2020 10:40 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Katherine Johnson, one of the three NASA mathematicians/scientists immortalized in the movie 'Hidden Figures' dies today at the grand old age of 101. RIP to a wonderful trailblazer.

From a movie standpoint though, I'm not sure I liked Hidden Figures as much as I wanted to. My main problem with the film was that it didn't seem to decide whether it wanted to be a space film, or a civil rights film. Don't get me wrong, it was a good film. But I felt like it would have been better if it had decided to concentrate on one or the other genres. JMHO. Maybe I'd put it third in a list of space historical dramas behind Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff? I'm sure I haven't seen some others that are considered classics.

Other than First Man (Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong), I think that's pretty much the list...
02-24-2020 02:24 PM
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BSWBRice Offline
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RE: Movies/TV Thread
I think Succession started as "beautiful trash," but took a turn late in season 1 and has been legitimate quality television since. The slow emerging of the siblings' personalities and relationships, the complexities found at the intersection of family and business, and even some commentary on the role of journalism in society/politics I think give Succession a heft that Big Little Lies lacked, even at its best.

For the record, I loved Big Little Lies season 1 (watched the whole thing in a day) and enjoyed season 2 although it felt like a long preface to a potential season 3.

mrbig: I recommend Logan. It's about 20 minutes overlong, but there's some great stuff in there.

I didn't see last night's episode, but it looks like Avenue 5 is settling into "middling farce" territory. I'll finish the season (3 eps left at 25 minutes a pop, it's a small commitment), but I'd be surprised if it got a second season. It's a come down from Veep, but like illini said, Veep is an all-timer.

Up next I'm gonna get into McMillions and hopefully finish Chernobyl at some point. Last night's Outsider was great, if anyone's checking on that.
(This post was last modified: 02-24-2020 02:37 PM by BSWBRice.)
02-24-2020 02:35 PM
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BSWBRice Offline
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RE: Movies/TV Thread
Thank you for reminding me of First Man! That one slipped through the cracks; I need to find it streaming somewhere.

Also, any scary movie fans out there?
02-24-2020 02:36 PM
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RiceLad15 Offline
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RE: Movies/TV Thread
(02-24-2020 02:35 PM)BSWBRice Wrote:  I think Succession started as "beautiful trash," but took a turn late in season 1 and has been legitimate quality television since. The slow emerging of the siblings' personalities and relationships, the complexities found at the intersection of family and business, and even some commentary on the role of journalism in society/politics I think give Succession a heft that Big Little Lies lacked, even at its best.

For the record, I loved Big Little Lies season 1 (watched the whole thing in a day) and enjoyed season 2 although it felt like a long preface to a potential season 3.

mrbig: I recommend Logan. It's about 20 minutes overlong, but there's some great stuff in there.

I didn't see last night's episode, but it looks like Avenue 5 is settling into "middling farce" territory. I'll finish the season (3 eps left at 25 minutes a pop, it's a small commitment), but I'd be surprised if it got a second season. It's a come down from Veep, but like illini said, Veep is an all-timer.

Up next I'm gonna get into McMillions and hopefully finish Chernobyl at some point. Last night's Outsider was great, if anyone's checking on that.

I just watched the first episode of Season 4 of High Maintenance, and it was excellent again. They pulled together a "cross-over" episode with This American Life, and some actual This American Life employees (including Ira Glass) are featured.

It was a very natural collaboration given the anthology-like aspect of both media series.
02-24-2020 03:32 PM
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Fountains of Wayne Graham Offline
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RE: Movies/TV Thread
I'm halfway through Ramy on Hulu and it is really excellent. It's a half-hour comedy about first generation Egyptian-American living in NJ and his best friend who's living with/dying of MS.



02-28-2020 01:58 PM
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