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cats16
Half-elven
Jan 27, 11:21pm
Post #1 of 21
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What are you watching? Awards Season Edition!
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It's that time of year again - when all of the acclaimed movies you didn't have time to watch last year are back in theaters all at once!  I think one of the theater chains is actually offering a pretty good deal: $40 for a Best Picture pass to see all of the BP nominees.
I have a lot of catching up to do myself, when it comes to 2023 releases that have been getting a lot of praise and attention. Here a few I haven't gotten to see but am looking forward to:
The Holdovers
Poor Things
All of Us Strangers
The Zone of Interest
Past Lives
May December
Our local theaters are playing all of these right now, in addition to some that came out earlier in the year. I'm hoping to catch Oppenheimer again, since we haven't seen it since it came out last July.
A few more miscellaneous things I've been watching:
The Boy and the Heron: Animation legend Hayao Miyazaki's (maybe, who knows) final film. Whether or not it's his last, it's an incredible piece of work: you can feel the master at work, ruminating on his legacy, on what lasts in art, and what art does (and can still do) for the world - especially through moments of tragedy. All wrapped up in a delightfully odd and surprisingly surreal story that carries you along like a sleepy river. Highly recommend.
Mad Max: The original one, that is! I love MM: Fury Road and hadn't seen any of the earlier movies, somehow. The first one is wonderfully low-fi and clearly had zero money behind it, which makes the movie all the more impressive for how fleshed out its world is. Very excited for the Furiosa spinoff movie that'll come out this summer.
Summer Stock & Brigadoon: A couple of sweet and simple little Gene Kelly movies. It's hard to get tired of watching Kelly dance and hop around a room, somehow using every square inch of it as well as every single object he can find.
Escape from New York: Also a first watch! I can only imagine how much more director John Carpenter would have done with this if he had more money. Even still, it's a bit clunky but is very entertaining, and I love having character actors like Harry Dean Stanton in weird sci-fi movies like this.
So what have you all been watching lately?
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
(This post was edited by cats16 on Jan 27, 11:22pm)
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Jan 28, 7:21pm
Post #2 of 21
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I've discovered Space: Above and Beyond on YouTube.
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Every episode of the only season of this mid-90s SciFi programme has been remastered and loaded.
Even when I watched it on release back in the day I knew it was cheesy but damn I loved every minute of it. Now, looking at it with 2024 eyes, the cheese - and budget acting (with some rare exceptions) and played-out SciFi tropes (the mysterious Bad Guy) - are moderately painful, but there are such good ideas in this that I've loved/hated watching it again. I doubt I'll see the entire series but you never know...
If you do hunt this out, skip the pilot episode. It's genuinely terrible.
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
Fantasy novel - The Arcanist's Tattoo
My LOTR fan-fiction
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Jan 29, 1:29am
Post #3 of 21
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Excellent movie. The rowing and competition shots were well-done and made one understand what kind of stamina is required for this sport. We were familiar with the sport, as our high school has a rowing team, so that made it feel a bit more "personal".
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jan 29, 3:33pm
Post #4 of 21
(1438 views)
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Godzilla - Minus One (no spoilers)
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I'm a huge fan of Godzilla, Mothra, Gamera, and all of those films since I was a kid (saw some at the movies!), and I'll admit I was hesitant to see this new release with subtitles. SHAME ON ME! imho... this is the best (if not one of the best) Godzilla movies I've seen! It is definitely a theater-must-see with its beautiful cinematography and must-have monster closeups; but the intimacy, epic action, multi-layered heroic moments are wonderful!! They also don't over-use the classic Godzilla music/themes. Great choices of when to dip us into those familiar sounds! Yesterday, I also just saw the Godzilla - Minus One Minus Color version of the 70th Anniversary homage to the original B&W films. So very cool... but the fantastic visuals really have more impact in colour.
This film is set in the time period at the end of WWII (1945). A prequel to the original 1954 Japanese release as "Godzilla" and its 1956 Japanese-American reproduction as "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" and the subsequent classic films and spin-offs that filled the 1960s and beyond!
What struck me about this film that makes it so unique is how quiet it gets. The filmmaker is not afraid to let silence fill the moment... whether it's the tortured emotions of battle-scarred survivors, anticipation of an attack or reactions to an event... the room they give the characters and events without the influence of a soundtrack to set the tone makes the viewing more intimate for me. And the message of the result of war on the people, citizens and military, and how they respond to this crisis is inspiring.
Yeah... two thumbs up and one of those Must See At The Theater films. And while there are no "extras" at the end of the credits, I still love what they did when it was time to fade to black.
OH, and btw. I got my ticket for Dune II (officially releases Mar 1) for the Feb 29th day show. *twitch* Ticket #1, Row G, Seat 11 (middle 1/3rd away from screen).
We have been there and back again.
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(This post was edited by grammaboodawg on Jan 29, 3:37pm)
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Annael
Immortal
Jan 29, 4:10pm
Post #5 of 21
(1427 views)
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so sad it didn't get a second season.
I am a dreamer of words, of written words.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Annael
Immortal
Jan 29, 4:32pm
Post #6 of 21
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CBS has been showing the first season of "Only Murders in the Building" which was so much fun. Somehow I expected it to be a blatant comedy, given the stars (Steve Martin & Martin Short, plus Selena Gomez keeping up with them admirably), but it's really a pretty straightforward murder mystery that the three amateurs try to solve while doing a podcast about their discoveries. Once again I am reminded that comic actors often turn out to be amazing at playing serious roles. Steve Martin in particular is wonderful as a has-been actor teetering dangerously on the verge of outright agoraphobia who gets forced out of his shell. Highly recommended. Oh, and there's a deaf character, and one of the episodes is done from his point of view with almost no sound except thumps and vibrations, pretty cool.
I binged "Stay Close" on Netflix which was gory and violent (including torture; had to fast-forward those scenes) but so well done. and it reunites Thorin & Bofur - Richard Armitage is a down-on-his-luck photographer who becomes a key witness/suspect in a series of murders being investigated by James Nesbitt. Lots of Strong Female Characters; the lead actress, Cush Jumbo, stands out but everyone is good. The original novel was set in the USA but the scriptwriters did an excellent job of translating it to Britain.
I finally got around to watching "Ghosts" and how did I miss this when it first aired? I love Rose McIver from "iZombie" days and she's a very different but equally fun character here as a woman who inherits a mansion, then falls down the stairs (or was she pushed?), hits her head, and from then on can see and talk to the ensemble of ghosts haunting the mansion, from the thousand-year-old Viking to an 80s financial guy who managed to die without any pants on (including a Revolutionary War colonel who was "close by" when the Declaration of Independence was signed and loathes Alexander Hamilton). Very funny and often moving. They also have been showing the original UK version which is different enough to be equally enjoyable.
I'm going to see "The Holdovers" tomorrow, and I want to see "Poor Things" and "Past Lives." Waiting for "Freud's Last Session" and "Argylle" to come to our theater. I'm looking forward to the return of some of my favorite shows: "Will Trent," "NCIS," and "Young Sheldon" - but whenever they show the trailer for the last season of "Young Sheldon," I tear up because I know what's coming.
I am a dreamer of words, of written words.
-- Gaston Bachelard
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NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Starling
Half-elven
Jan 29, 6:45pm
Post #7 of 21
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My cousin works in vfx and posted this clip of the tiny Godzilla vfx crew. Pure joy!
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Jan 29, 7:21pm
Post #8 of 21
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That makes me wonder: Have you seen the Heisei Era Gamera films of the 1990s?
- Gamera: Guardian of the Universe
- Gamera 2: Attack of Legion
- Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris
What do you think of these movies in comparison to the original film series? Personally, I thought that the trilogy just kept getting better as it progressed. I wasn't all that fond, though, of Gamera the Brave (2006). It was a return to the earlier, kiddified films just with better special effects.
“Hell hath no fury like that of the uninvolved.” - Tony Isabella
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cats16
Half-elven
Jan 29, 8:17pm
Post #9 of 21
(1407 views)
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I feel like I'd be exhausted watching it, as I don't have any exposure to that world. 
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
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cats16
Half-elven
Jan 29, 8:20pm
Post #10 of 21
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I've seen so many great reviews of that one. I should try to catch it while it's still playing! So many people have commented too about how great the movie looks - you wouldn't guess they only made it for $15 million, which is pennies in today's action movie terms.
Glad you enjoyed!
Ooh nice, March 1 (or Feb. 29th in your case!) is coming fast! I'd love to do a double feature while seeing Dune 2 for the first time, just to get back into that world again.
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
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cats16
Half-elven
Jan 29, 8:21pm
Post #11 of 21
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I've not met one person who watched and didn't like that show. And that's great they're airing it on CBS, as I know of folks who can't stream but liked the sound of it.
Let us know about The Holdovers, too!
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
(This post was edited by cats16 on Jan 29, 8:22pm)
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Starling
Half-elven
Jan 29, 9:59pm
Post #12 of 21
(1390 views)
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at the clip I posted for Gramma. The vfx crew consists of only 35 people!
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jan 30, 2:39pm
Post #13 of 21
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I hadn't seen this! THANK YOU!!!
I did the same thing when I saw they were nominated!!!!!! And read articles on how they didn't NEED to go overboard on the FX! Godzilla coming up behind the boat & mines... GOOSEBUMPS!
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jan 30, 2:46pm
Post #14 of 21
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I will! I did watch (again) Godzilla: King of the Monsters 2019 last night. Another one of my favourites! GREAT TITANS!
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jan 30, 3:01pm
Post #15 of 21
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It really is a big screen must! The closest to me was 45 minute drive away after a VERY SHORT stay locally.
I haven't seen Wonka yet because I didn't want Paul to get diluted ;) I'll see Wonka later.
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
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Junesong
Rohan
Feb 5, 12:56pm
Post #16 of 21
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A great comedy I just saw last night (maybe more of an Independent Spirit Awards nominee vs Oscars) but it was called BOTTOMS - and it starred Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) and co-writer Rachel Sennot as two high school seniors who start a fight club to meet girls. It's bonkers in all the best ways. It both pays homage to AND skewers the coming of age high school movies that came before it, and really does a great job all around.
Very fresh and original.
"So which story do you prefer?"
"The one with the tiger. That's the better story."
"Thank you. And so it goes with God."
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cats16
Half-elven
Feb 6, 4:32am
Post #17 of 21
(1185 views)
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I've heard good things about it!
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Glad you enjoyed.
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
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Silvered-glass
Lorien
Feb 19, 9:28pm
Post #18 of 21
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So I watched some more Kamen Rider, and this batch wasn't as good overall as the last one.
First I went with Kamen Rider Kuuga, which turned out to be Kamen Rider: Realism Edition. Kamen Rider sure is varied. This time we don't have the police be completely useless and largely absent but instead showing a lot of competence. Much of the story, and to me the best part, is about the police's coordinated efforts to understand and figure out ways to counter the strange new menace and protect the citizens' lives. (I'm reminded of Shin Godzilla.) The tone is overall serious, but Kuuga the comic relief main character (especially early on when he is very bad at fighting) and his uncle lighten things up a bit. The flaw of the series is that there is a lot of focus on mundane character drama (for example, there is a subplot about a female scientist single mother neglecting her young son in favor of her work) but the characters aren't interesting enough to support that, and the villain group is particularly one-dimensional. For me the best character turned out to be the policeman who is another main character and turns out to have hidden depths if you pay attention.
I then continued to Kamen Rider Agito, which at first appears to go along the lines of Kuuga except with amped-up drama and focus on individual heroism rather than team effort. There are some questionable decisions though, such as the choice of the "impossible murders" gimmick when the murder is always committed by a monster who is shown and fought in the same episode and defeated in the next. Then everything just keeps getting worse (for the story, not for the characters), and eventually I had to ask myself why I was still watching this utter trash. I watched still one more episode and then it clicked: Kamen Rider Agito is a parody of bad TV. This made watching to the end more tolerable, and I found some very funny stuff. (Japan does have this issue with these weirdly subtle parodies. Valvrave the Liberator is another example, which only a few people in the English-speaking areas of the Internet seem to have realized.)
Nevertheless, I still was left with a solidly negative impression of Agito. It has serious flaws in many areas including story structure, pacing, plot, character motivations, monster design, fight choreography, costuming, cinematography, consistency with the real world (such as in relation to the character who is a famous surgeon), handling of religion, consistency of background details, and general common sense, presented with entirely too much seriousness. Agito is something better watched for playing spot-the-flaw (and there are indeed very many to spot) than for laughs like a normal parody.
After Agito I wanted something entirely different and picked Kamen Rider Gaim. Gaim is much newer than the previous two and it shows, and not only in the amount of CGI. The cinematography has something of a Youtube video feel to it, and a recurring character is an Internet streamer. This makes for a light surface tone, but the story itself touches heavy issues and has its share of death and betrayal. The plot involving teenage dance teams and a huge corporation escalates fast, and there are many plot twists. So many, in fact, that by the end the story degenerates into a confusing tangle where the real good and evil are left for the viewer to sort out. It's a lot to handle, and the final stretch made me like Gaim a lot less than I had previously. They had to bring real world religion to it too, and as a Christian myself I don't think it was done well. It was like they were trying to subvert, double subvert, triple subvert, etc. a half-remembered Wikipedia summary. Making sense of the story after seeing it all requires heavy headcanoning, which I managed to do with help from my overarching Kamen Rider theory that I've mentioned earlier. I think I'd like to watch some more series first before revealing it to the public though.
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Patty
Immortal
Feb 20, 10:53pm
Post #19 of 21
(933 views)
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Monarch, legacy of monsters, The New Look
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Gramma, I am a Godzilla fan too! Really enjoying this series. They were smart enough to make it not just about the monsters.. Had to go back and watch the 2014 movie and skull Island again but I have to say not a big fan of Kong.
Am vastly enjoying The New Look. I had no idea that Coco Chanel was a collaborator during World War II. It’s amazing the things that we don’t learn until a TV show puts you on the path to learning more. And I have become a Ben Mendelson fan too. Hoping to see two sets of Emmy for this series.
Permanent address: Into the West
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Silvered-glass
Lorien
Feb 21, 8:11am
Post #20 of 21
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To add, I wonder how much I miss about Kamen Rider Agito due to not being in the intended target audience. For example, I hear the "romantic couple forever separated by a train" scene is a common cliché in the Asian media, so a scene putting a parody twist on that just feels random to someone not used to seeing the usual version over and over.
But then there are those people who take Agito seriously as a serious drama and consider it high quality, which makes me wonder if they pay any attention to what they watch...
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Dwarewien
Rohan
Feb 22, 9:53pm
Post #21 of 21
(725 views)
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition
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This time on Blu-ray, since last time around, I only had them on DVD. Yep, I'm back into the Hobbit movies (and Thorin) and again, it happens on Valentine's Day, just like it did originally (after I saw AUJ for the seventh time). Unfortunately, I didn't keep anything (other than the novel and the Smaug art book) so I have to buy everything over again. Now I kind of regret changing my username, so I put it in my signature (and I changed my avvie back to my original one, since luckily the site doesn't change it on every post like it does with most forums, so it's easy to find it again).
AKA Queen of Erebor
"The Lord of the Rings is one of those things. If you like it, you do. If you don't, then you boo." - J.R.R. Tolkien
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