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cats16
Half-elven
Feb 7, 11:11pm
Post #1 of 35
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A Very Overdue Watching Thread
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2025 has gotten off to an interesting start for many, which perhaps means you've been watching a lot of TV and movies to escape.
It's also awards season already again (somehow)!
A couple of things I've seen lately:
Hard Truths - 81 year old British master Mike Leigh strikes again with his newest movie. Would recommend this to anyone looking for a slice of life drama and doesn't mind very messy (and mean) characters who need to find healing. Sure, real life has plenty of that, but I fear what a world without this kind of drama would be like. Marianne Jean-Baptiste is wonderful, and I wish she had been recognized by the Oscars with a nomination.
Wicked Part 1 - "Unlimited!" as Elphaba says. A really shockingly great and fun time at the theater, at least for us. I saw the show years ago but wasn't a superfan (and could barely remember the basic Wicked story), but was really impressed by the choreography here as well as both Erivo and Grande's performances. I think Ariana was the highlight for me. I'm also a sucker for beautiful sound editing and mixing, which are both first rate here given so much (if not all) was sung live on set.
Eyes Wide Shut - Yes, the infamous Kubrick movie with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. My first time seeing it, actually! Really enjoyed it, and I'm a sucker for a "Tom Cruise gets to act in a serious role" movie.
Birth - This is a really delicate and interesting movie, also starring Nicole Kidman. It's about a woman whose husband dies and she's about to remarry, only to meet a young boy who claims to be her dead husband and seemingly *is* him. That sounds like something that shouldn't work at all on screen (outside of a Disney movie from the 60s), but the movie treats it so seriously and delicately that you really feel for what this woman is going through. Directed by Jonathan Glazer, who made Zone of Interest and Under the Skin, if any of those ring a bell.
So how about you, what have you been watching lately?
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
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Meneldor
Valinor
Feb 7, 11:41pm
Post #2 of 35
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released recently on Hulu. I've never read the book nor seen the original miniseries from the 80s, so it was all new to me. I was impressed. Political scheming is not my bag, but this was compelling. Production values were first rate, and the characters were deep, layered, and believably conflicted.
Be warned that there is rough language, nudity, and gore, but none felt gratuitous.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. -Psalm 107
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Feb 7, 11:51pm
Post #3 of 35
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This is Timothy Chalamet as Bob Dylan in his early musical years, from when he arrived in New York through to the controversy of him going electric. Apart from Chalamet being difficult to understand from time to time (from mimicking Dylan's vocal patterns), it's an excellent movie - the best scene for me was when he unveiled The Times They Are A-Changing at a festival and the crowd gets increasingly invested in the song. Really well done.
I did feel the run-time, though (more than two hours), but it's worth seeing on the big screen just for the high-quality sound system in theatres.
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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CuriousG
Half-elven
Feb 8, 2:52am
Post #4 of 35
(1664 views)
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I've been exploring various streaming sites the past few months, and found Auntie Mame on one of them (Tubi TV, I think), the original Mame with Rosalind Russell. It didn't take long for me to understand why it's a beloved classic! She gave such a powerhouse performance throughout the movie, and it was a good combination of free-spirited woman on the loose in NYC plus humor, history, prejudice, and what makes a family. Somehow she made it all work as a heartwarming movie without ever being sentimental until the end, so I think the "heartwarming" aspect just built up in stealth mode. I had hoped it was based on a real person, but reading about the backstory, it came from a novel where the author *wished* he'd been raised as an orphan by an idealized aunt like Mame.
Wait Until Dark: I'd seen this long ago, and it was a nice refresher on the story plus on how good an actress Audrey Hepburn was (in addition to being enchantingly gorgeous). I'm no expert on blindness, but she convinced me she was blind, and it was also interesting how she became a sort of Amazon warrior toward the end, all while remaining petite and frail--very much NOT an Angelina Jolie type of fighter, but convincing, because she was a cornered, desperate person/animal, and cornered animals can surprise you with their ferocity.
Jersey Shore: I hope that shocked someone as out of place with nostalgia cinema, because it was supposed to. And I'm really not into reality TV, but this one bounces around enough in pop culture quotes and memes that I decided to try the 1st season. Which was enough for me. I felt like the personality types were all very similar: loud, brash, overconfident, aggressive men and women, all of them beautiful, fighting and bragging during a summer together to churn up some drama. At least now I understand some of the references.
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Annael
Immortal
Feb 8, 3:27pm
Post #5 of 35
(1644 views)
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for the fourth time, I think it must be. Brilliant show, both from a psychological and a theological viewpoint. Rewatching the second season of Only Murders in the Building.
Still loving NCIS, hooked on Ghosts and the new Matlock, Crime Scene Kitchen and other baking shows, and recently binged all of XO Kitty. Have been trying to find another fun Korean series, if anyone has suggestions?
Looking forward to the new season of Resident Alien. Going to see Love Hurts in the theater next week.
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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sevilodorf
Tol Eressea
Feb 9, 5:59pm
Post #6 of 35
(1585 views)
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Just got Paramount and back in the actual movie theater
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My cable company suddenly included subscriptions to Paramount, Disney+ and Max at no additional cost..... I am watching emails and bills carefully for the appearance of fees but ....
Went through the 14 seasons of Blue Bloods which I hadn't watched before. Wonder how the heck Danny and Erin manage to keep their jobs.
Then went to the Star Trek collection and dediced to go in chronological (sort of because Discover totally messed with timeline) order -- Did Enterprise with Bakula as Archer -- he was better in Quantum Leap. Did Discovery -- Shomequa deserved the role but my goodness it is the Michael Burnham show. In the midst of Strange New Worlds which lets different people be the narrator of different episodes so lots of perspectives.
At the theater -- (I have an unlimited Regal account and since after six months I have finally adjusted to the cancer drugs and accepted that walking will require the use of at least a walker from now on and I retired after 44 years of teaching --hard to do yard duty using a walker --- I am going to the theater two or three times a week)
One of Them Days -- a bit predictable and the neighborhood is just too clean and for god's sake NO ONE can really find parking in LA -- but it was a fun romp.
Companion -- wild -- bizarre but doesn't treat audience like idiots... same people who did Barbarian and that one is a true whiplash if you haven't seen it.
Heart Eyes -- the hard left ending is just a bit unbelievable but it's a fun romp.On the gory side -- fake blood is EVERYWHERE.
Wollfman -- why oh why was the next door neighbor guy out there in the dark when he KNOWS what's prowling the hills -- oh so he can explain everything... come on work a bit harder ...
Sonic 3 --- my granddaughter insisted and gave an in-depth review of character arcs and the circular nature of the script and how the next villain is already set up....she wants to go see DogMan this week... I am trying to get out of it.
Want to see Love Hurts -- just for the silliness...
New York Times ran an article about theater audiences laughing during serious scenes..... uhhhh well because some of those scenes are just so unbelievable you have to laugh or just walk out. -- too many things that go bump in the night become those Geico commercials with the chainsaws
(when I saw Barbarian in the theater there was only me and two girls and at one point one of the girls says ...Why the hell are they going down in the basement -- everyone knows you don't go down in the basement -- don't believe your audience to be idiots and they won't be laughing during your serious scenes.
Fourth Age Adventures at the Inn of the Burping Troll http://burpingtroll.com
Home of TheOneRing.net Best FanFic stories of 2005 and 2006 "The Last Grey Ship" and "Ashes, East Wind, Hope That Rises" by Erin Rua
(Found in Mathoms, LOTR Tales Untold)
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sevilodorf
Tol Eressea
Feb 9, 6:03pm
Post #7 of 35
(1583 views)
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Timothy Chalamet is becoming a great actor
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He's getting some good roles and handling them well. And he's having fun with it.... crashing that look alike contest back in October...
Fourth Age Adventures at the Inn of the Burping Troll http://burpingtroll.com
Home of TheOneRing.net Best FanFic stories of 2005 and 2006 "The Last Grey Ship" and "Ashes, East Wind, Hope That Rises" by Erin Rua
(Found in Mathoms, LOTR Tales Untold)
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Feb 9, 6:58pm
Post #8 of 35
(1576 views)
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Lucifer definitely holds up on re-watches
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Especially in the Lucifer--Dr. Linda scenes, I caught a lot of little nuances between them that I missed on my 1st watch. They had such great chemistry, as did many pairings on the show.
I watched it for the humor, then came to like all the characters, and then appreciated the forays into theology, ethics, philosophy, and psychology. All of it was lite, unlike "The Good Place," but that was fine with me.
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Meneldor
Valinor
Feb 9, 9:40pm
Post #9 of 35
(1558 views)
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Please don't skip Lower Decks. Sure, it's 'just' a cartoon, but it's better Trek than anything else these days. The first few episodes are a little rough, then it gets better fast, and it grows into its own show which is more than just poking fun at all the tropes of Trek. I really came to care about the characters and am sad that it's over.
Don't watch the Section 31 movie. It's just awful.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. -Psalm 107
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Silvered-glass
Lorien
Feb 10, 12:04am
Post #10 of 35
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I saw several movies, most of which were very overdue rewatches.
The Terminator (the first one) turned out to have withstood the test of time really well. It is a profoundly good movie on multiple levels.
Bram Stoker's Dracula is a very good movie, but back then I didn't realize how girly it is.
I had somehow never seen Robocop before. It is a deserved classic. I particularly appreciated that someone on the writing team had a clue about computer technology, making the film an insightful commentary about man and machine and the limitations of both.
I also rewatched John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy (The Thing, Prince of Darkness, In the Mouth of Madness). Those are all smart horror movies that reward thinking about them. I think I enjoyed Prince of Darkness the most despite it being low-budget and kind of trashy, but that was also kind of the point... It reminds me of Kamen Rider in a non-obvious way. The hidden true plots have very similar themes.
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Annael
Immortal
Feb 10, 2:10am
Post #11 of 35
(1518 views)
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and the crossover episode with Strange New Worlds is worth any amount of waiting for the show to find its feet.
I am a dreamer of words, of written words.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Feb 10, 3:19am
Post #12 of 35
(1497 views)
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I found it ho-hum at first, but like you, I really bonded with the characters and felt a sort of bereavement when they announced the final season--I was losing some great friends, and animated characters, no less! But it was really good: funny, thoughtful, true to Trek, and again, great characters, with several being unapologetic nerds, and then Tendi, who's a warm & fuzzy geek and also a super-ninja. OK, I'll stop gushing now. (But I may start up again soon.)
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Meneldor
Valinor
Feb 10, 4:45am
Post #13 of 35
(1474 views)
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They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. -Psalm 107
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cats16
Half-elven
Feb 10, 8:26pm
Post #14 of 35
(1377 views)
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I've heard really good things!
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Which is great for a show of this scale for season 1, given it can be quite challenging for a big show to "hit its stride" in only a few episodes.
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
Feb 10, 8:28pm
Post #15 of 35
(1375 views)
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I watched it on a whim a few years ago, as I think it was basically unwatchable up until recently due to a restoration (but don't quote me on that).
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
Feb 10, 8:29pm
Post #16 of 35
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I was excited to see this exists, if only to see Ke get another leading role.
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
Feb 10, 8:32pm
Post #17 of 35
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We haven't seen this one yet but would like to catch it in theaters. Interesting about the runtime - it's funny how runtime can be felt in so many ways: you liked the movie but still think it felt overlong, you liked the movie but didn't even think about its length, you hated it and were happy it went by quickly, you hated it but it felt insufferably long....lol.
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Feb 11, 12:12am
Post #18 of 35
(1351 views)
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I was sorta glad I watched Auntie Mame mostly on a whim too, only vaguely knowing it was about a libertine lady and otherwise having no expectations. There aren't many films like it, though Breakfast at Tiffany's comes to mind, but the latter is more about friendship and less about family.
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Annael
Immortal
Feb 11, 3:17pm
Post #19 of 35
(1282 views)
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he was amazing in "Everything Everywhere All at Once," playing so many characters. And it just makes me happy that he's hit big at this point in his life.
I am a dreamer of words, of written words.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Silvered-glass
Lorien
Feb 11, 8:53pm
Post #20 of 35
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In addition to the movies mentioned in the earlier post, I also watched some more Kamen Rider. (Am I really going to watch it all? That would take a long time, and more is being released...)
Kamen Rider Blade is a weird one. The early episodes have a chaotic plot that appears to be sheerest nonsense with bizarre twists and unusual monster designs, but it is all very fast-paced and entertaining nevertheless. Later on coherence starts to develop, but I don't think we're supposed to take the offered (implausible) explanation at face value even if the characters do so. There are a few pretty significant clues (including a callback to Black/Black RX), and a certain character demonstrates that he is a skilled liar...
Kamen Rider Hibiki is a weird one in a different way. It features... highly audible musical ninjas? The first 30 episodes have a strangely calm and peaceful feeling, and despite the presence of the monster fights the biggest source of tension in that part is over whether or not someone will pass his high school entrance exam. I liked watching the show though, despite all those scenes with highly unconvincing CGI giant crabs and equally unconvincing CGI giant spiders. There is a lot of bad CGI. I've only scratched the surface here.
Then later on the tone shifts and conflict appears, which I again liked, because nothing really happening was starting to get a little stale by that point. The biggest plot developments are reserved for the very end but the final episode is too rushed to resolve much.
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Junesong
Rohan
Feb 12, 2:40pm
Post #21 of 35
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Such a great movie. Really stayed with me. It's been years since I've seen it but I really do think of it often. True of all Glazer's work. He's a really, really challenging artist. Worth it.
"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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Annael
Immortal
Feb 12, 3:43pm
Post #22 of 35
(1125 views)
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forgot a couple new procedurals
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Will Trent, enjoying it very much, quite dark at times -- two of the main characters are survivors of abuse & the foster care system, and crimes are very often of the "men violently exerting power over women" type. Will Trent himself is a compelling character and natty dresser who, rather against his own inclinations, has taken in a chihuahua (named Betty) and a trans youth. This season they added Gina Rodriguez, one of my favorite actresses, as a DA and love interest.
High Potential. I've been learning a lot about neurodivergence, and the main character on this show is a neurodivergent woman who notices everything and whose brain never stops obsessing. She has trouble keeping jobs and is working as a cleaner when a murder happens in one of her job sites and guess what, she's terrific at seeing all the clues and solving murders, and gets hired as a police consultant.
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
Feb 13, 1:30am
Post #23 of 35
(1059 views)
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alas I cannot recommend "Love Hurts"
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unless you really enjoy lots of graphic violence. We thought it would be more like a Jackie Chan movie. We stood it for an hour and then walked out. Will probably watch the rest on the small screen when it comes to one of our streaming services, just to finish, but pretty sure I know exactly how it will unfold. Ke was good, it was just too much for us.
Plus we had to sit through half an hour of trailers for other really violent movies.
I am a dreamer of words, of written words.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Meneldor
Valinor
Feb 13, 6:17pm
Post #24 of 35
(961 views)
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They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. -Psalm 107
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Feb 13, 8:09pm
Post #25 of 35
(953 views)
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Moopsy! So sweet, so adorable, so lovable
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Just guard your bones. [Best monster-villain ever, mainly because so irrepressibly cute.]
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