The Movie & Book Review Thread
01-04-2018, 11:34 AM
#141
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Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Lexington, KY
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Who's seen Bright on Netflix? What did you think?
I liked it but wouldn't give it any awards. It was just entertaining enough and the humor was on point. I felt the characters were developed correctly but I could have used some more backstory on the races and their relations to each other. It was like "End of Watch" with a fantastical element.
Moreover I believe the future of entertainment is streaming services and for an A list actor (Smith) to sign onto a "big" budget film knowing it was going straight to a streaming service says a lot about the future direction of cinematic entertainment. I can understand why the "critics" disliked it. It threatens their existence.
I liked it but wouldn't give it any awards. It was just entertaining enough and the humor was on point. I felt the characters were developed correctly but I could have used some more backstory on the races and their relations to each other. It was like "End of Watch" with a fantastical element.
Moreover I believe the future of entertainment is streaming services and for an A list actor (Smith) to sign onto a "big" budget film knowing it was going straight to a streaming service says a lot about the future direction of cinematic entertainment. I can understand why the "critics" disliked it. It threatens their existence.
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01-04-2018, 01:07 PM
#143
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I'm sufficiently amused by Orville, but it's not hardcore sci-fi. Too many are trying too hard to astonish me and coming across unbelievable. At least in the Orville they are letting the tech exist as background to the story and not play it off as "hey look how fancy the CGI artists are" or "how imaginative our writers are" in the foreground.
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01-04-2018, 02:28 PM
#145
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Charlotte, NC
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As someone who trains strongman, I thought the movie "Born Strong" was really well done. Follows four of the best known strongmen getting ready for, and competing in, the Arnold Classic. It just got released on Netflix after previously having to buy it off Amazon.
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01-04-2018, 05:25 PM
#146
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Love The Expanse, more realistic than Star Trek with regard to technology and the fact that people are still arseholes and need to look after their own best interests.
There's a lot of books in this series so there's plenty of material to keep going for years until the inevitable canning by the network when ratings drop.
Give it at least 3 episodes before writing it off if you don't like it initially, it's grittier than most sci-fi series.
I can take or leave The Orville, it's had a couple of comedic moments that I enjoyed but strikes me as being a blatant Start Trek rip-off that's not sure which direction to go, slapstick, serious or mildly entertaining.
Binge-watched Dark Matter over the Xmas break and loved it.
Unfortunately it got canned after the 3rd season when 5 were planned and things look like they're really about to heat up.
Fox should dump The Orville and pick up the rights to the remaining 2 seasons.
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04-02-2018, 12:26 PM
#150
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Location: San Diego
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AAAAAAAAaaaaa.....! CRAP... typed out like 100 movies and then accidentally refreshed browser window.... this was in my copy buffer so it got saved. This sucks....
Netflix stuff:
Icarus - superb, one of top two I've seen last year (by the way - won Oscar in docs). You have to watch this one.
Ozark - meh, very so-so.
Humans - surprisingly good, especially considering that it was kind of low budget.
Westworld - this one is great. The music score alone is worth the gold.
Annihilation (movie) - solid, but takes time to process and appreciate it for more than visual and sound overload.
Ugly Delicious - show about food, really good stuff.
Mute - netflix original sci-fi - great visuals and acting, story and directing are terrible.
Meru - great doc about climbing and climbing Meru specifically
Valley Uprising - one of the best and most entertaining climbing docs I've ever watched
Altered Carbon - pretty, ok story (book is much better), good choice if you got nothing else to watch.
The Cloverfield Paradox - terrible sci-fi. A part of Cloverfield and Cloverfield lane series of feature length movies. Leave your knowledge of physics, logic and story telling at the door before watching.
Black Mirror - superb. nothing else to add.
What happened to Monday - interesting idea, OK premise, slightly cheesey.
Halt and catch fire - solid, takes a few episodes to understand that it is not about what is being shown, but .....(you figure it out). Totally reminded me of the earlier days of the net.
Alien Covenant - garbage, story sucks
Alien Arrival - lame
Gantz:O - this is fun...leave your judgments at the door. Japanese Sci-Fi based on comics, enough said.
Blame! - very nicely done visually, but story could use more work. Japanese style cartoon.
Losing Sight of Shore - great doc, this one was a surprise. An interesting testament to human spirit.
American Crime Story - The people v IJ Simpson - again, this one is a keeper. So well done, surprised the hell out of me. The acting, the story, the details...
Nobel - solid, good for watching after a hard day.
Ashby - pure entertainment, just a good flick
The Way back
Colin Quinn: The New York Story - this is what solid comedy is all about.
Uncanny - starts very predictable, then things change.
OtherLife - yet another take on lately popular idea of digital existence, but has some good fresh points to make
The Way back - should watch, stop bitching about your life.
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04-02-2018, 06:53 PM
#151
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Canberra, sort of
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One of my 'most favourite' films. Back in the day, we used to get a video from the store (remember video stores?), and my kids used to complain 'not that one again', but always sat and watched it. Now that I have been reminded, I think I will dig out the DVD ...
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04-02-2018, 08:15 PM
#152
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One of the "funnest" movies of all time, regardless of how old you are and how many times you see it.
In Australia, one of the Aussie Rules Football programs used to ask interviewed players "What's your favourite movie?" as part of the "Canned 5 questions" and The Princess Bride was surprisingly popular yet none of the players were embarrassed about admitting it on national television.
The other popular answers at the time were The Shawshank Redemption and The Big Lebowski.
On the weekend, The Butterfly Effect was on TV so I watched it again, a great non-formulaic movie that makes you think about the consequences of your actions and what if you'd done something differently.
In Australia, one of the Aussie Rules Football programs used to ask interviewed players "What's your favourite movie?" as part of the "Canned 5 questions" and The Princess Bride was surprisingly popular yet none of the players were embarrassed about admitting it on national television.
The other popular answers at the time were The Shawshank Redemption and The Big Lebowski.
On the weekend, The Butterfly Effect was on TV so I watched it again, a great non-formulaic movie that makes you think about the consequences of your actions and what if you'd done something differently.
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04-02-2018, 10:32 PM
#153
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I ain't skeered. My wife introduced me to the princess bride waaaay back when an now I quote lines occasionally when appropriate.
As you wish.
I don't think that means what you think that means.
And more.
As you wish.
I don't think that means what you think that means.
And more.
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04-03-2018, 08:30 AM
#156
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: OKC, OK
Posts: 3,693
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One of the "funnest" movies of all time, regardless of how old you are and how many times you see it.
In Australia, one of the Aussie Rules Football programs used to ask interviewed players "What's your favourite movie?" as part of the "Canned 5 questions" and The Princess Bride was surprisingly popular yet none of the players were embarrassed about admitting it on national television.
The other popular answers at the time were The Shawshank Redemption and The Big Lebowski.
On the weekend, The Butterfly Effect was on TV so I watched it again, a great non-formulaic movie that makes you think about the consequences of your actions and what if you'd done something differently.
In Australia, one of the Aussie Rules Football programs used to ask interviewed players "What's your favourite movie?" as part of the "Canned 5 questions" and The Princess Bride was surprisingly popular yet none of the players were embarrassed about admitting it on national television.
The other popular answers at the time were The Shawshank Redemption and The Big Lebowski.
On the weekend, The Butterfly Effect was on TV so I watched it again, a great non-formulaic movie that makes you think about the consequences of your actions and what if you'd done something differently.
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04-03-2018, 07:00 PM
#160
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Brisbane, AUSTRALIA
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It's one of those movies that appears to be a children's fairytale and, if you haven't seen it, you'd write it off as such.
After seeing so many "Big Boofy Blokes" name it as their favourite film, I watched it when it came on TV and unashamedly loved it too and tend to watch it again if it's on.
After seeing so many "Big Boofy Blokes" name it as their favourite film, I watched it when it came on TV and unashamedly loved it too and tend to watch it again if it's on.
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