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Aragorn the Elfstone
Tol Eressea
Jun 17 2018, 5:27am
Post #1 of 19
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The Watching Thread: "When angels fall, they also rise."
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Okay, so my quote this week is kind of a cheat, as I didn't actually watch the episode of Lucifer in which the character of Linda says this.
BUT! It is the most fitting thing to say on the occasion of the utterly fantastic news that, following the FOX cancellation, Lucifer has been picked up Netflix!!! 
I was soooo completely elated when that news broke yesterday. The fanbase has been furiously working up a social media storm ever since the cancellation last month, and it's so gratifying to see it all pay off. 
Now then, for things I actually watched this week, first on the list was the Jennifer Lawrence film Red Sparrow, which I actually liked A LOT more than I expected too, given the tepid reviews. I suspect the critical reception was due to the extreme violence (ranging from typical to of the sexual nature), which I can understand. However, for myself, I felt like it was all quite fitting for the story director Francis Lawrence was telling, and I found the film to be extremely involving and impeccably well made, from the acting to the direction, cinematography, music, etc. I don't bother too much with listing my favorite films of the year anymore, but if I did, I have no doubt this would end up somewhere in my top ten.
Also caught up on the last two episodes of Fear the Walking Dead, which I had recorded, but not yet watched. I won't go into specifics here (to avoid spoilers), but I am VERY interested to see where they go from here. This is now a much different show from the first three seasons (which was clearly intentional, given the new showrunners, cast members, etc.). I am loving it all, and I venture to wonder if this won't end up being my favorite of the two "Walking Dead" shows after the cast departures due to come after the next season of the original show.
What are you watching?
"The danger with any movie that does as well as this one does is that the amount of money it's making and the number of awards that it's got becomes almost more important than the movie itself in people's minds. I look at that as, in a sense, being very much like the Ring, and its effect on people. You know, you can kind of forget what we were doing, if you get too wrapped up in that."
- Viggo Mortensen
(This post was edited by Aragorn the Elfstone on Jun 17 2018, 5:28am)
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Ataahua
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Jun 17 2018, 10:29am
Post #2 of 19
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I also watched the last few eps of The Walking Dead.
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Unlike you I think this'll be the last time I'll watch the show. I've kept with it the last two seasons, waiting for it to get better and become invested in its characters again, but it's just not doing it for me anymore. I hope you continue to enjoy it though. :)
I saw Ocean's Eight recently. I got the feeling that the writer and director didn't know what to do with a great cast. There were a couple of twists but overall I think the script was under-done and it lacked energy. A pity - it could have been really good. Anne Hathaway was surprisingly good in It, though.
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.
Ataahua's stories
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Eledhwen
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Jun 17 2018, 2:20pm
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I had a sudden urge last week, and miraculously time free, to rewatch the EEs (FOTR Saturday, TTT Sunday, I managed to get through half of ROTK on Monday and finished it on Friday). It's been a while, but I decided I wanted to rewatch when I was in NZ in January and that desire was reinforced after reading Ian Nathan's book. It still moves me in all the same places and while I don't sob my way through half of ROTK anymore, I was crying a bit by the end. On the other hand, some of the internet memes are now intertwined with the movie ("They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!"). Not that that matters. They're still masterpieces.
And then because I was having Viggo withdrawal symptoms I streamed Captain Fantastic from Amazon last night. Such a great film. It has shades of Little Miss Sunshine and also shades of Hunt for the Wilderpeople, but it's a very moving, often funny film. (Viggo plays a dad bringing his six kids up in the wilderness and most of the film deals with what happens when their mum dies). The cast of kids are exceptional and Viggo is wonderful.
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Jun 17 2018, 6:40pm
Post #4 of 19
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Ocean's Eight - problem with ensembles
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I caught this yesterday and while it's not the BEST film I've ever seen, I found it pretty entertaining. But there's a problem with large ensembles that does remind me of some of the criticism of the "Hobbit" films. Sandra, Kate and Anne obviously had the most to do, while the others were more like cogs in the wheel. They really didn't have much to do, which is sad because I really like Mindy & would have liked to see more of her. Oh well...and then there's Richard. Well he's made a career out of playing villains, but he played a real sleezeball here. But you know me, I'm happy to see him in ANYTHING!
I'm not scared to be seen, I make no apologies - this is me!
from The Greatest Showman
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dernwyn
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Jun 17 2018, 6:59pm
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Saw Oceans 8 last week, it was a fun movie. (spoilers)
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Not the best of the Oceans movies, but not the worst! I doubt anything can ever top the Oceans 11 remake (although the original was clever, but it was definitely a showcase for the Rat Pack more than anything else).
I wish some scenes had been expanded, or further explained (for example: where does Lou find 9 Ball? And I wanted a bit more of her techy stuff, but that's just me!). Or left in (one of the trailers shows Claude realizing he's got a piece of that necklace in his possession, but that's not in the movie, yet it needed to be, as the bridge between the framing and the police showing up).
Anyway, it was a fun, relaxing movie, and it's going on the Netflix queue now for a re-watch later.
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Ataahua
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Jun 17 2018, 7:51pm
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I didn't recognise him!
Maybe it was the lack of flowing locks... 
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.
Ataahua's stories
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Jun 18 2018, 4:42pm
Post #7 of 19
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Yeah, I know what you mean....
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He looks a bit different in real life - taller, perhaps?
But he seems to have kept the beard, at least. I believe he was a last-minute replacement for Damien Lewis, who had to drop out for some reason, but I think he did a great job at playing the back-stabbing ex. Hm, maybe that's NOT a good thing?
I'm not scared to be seen, I make no apologies - this is me!
from The Greatest Showman
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Jun 18 2018, 4:43pm
Post #8 of 19
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Maybe there'll be an extended version
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or at least the deleted scenes, like that one you mentioned. One can hope at least!
I'm not scared to be seen, I make no apologies - this is me!
from The Greatest Showman
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dernwyn
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Jun 19 2018, 1:20am
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Apparently he had only two day's notice before filming, back in 2017 - he reported that he packed his bags, read the script and formed the character on the plane, then headed straight to the Met filming.
It's believed he'd been spending a lot of time with his family. His Mum had health issues, and died last month, which is probably why he had to give up a stage appearance, and much of what he's been doing lately were audiobooks.
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Jun 19 2018, 3:24am
Post #10 of 19
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I follow him on Twitter (imagine that!), and he mentioned it a few times. He wrote a beautiful memorial for his Mom, here:
https://margaret-armitage.muchloved.com/ (Don't know why I can't ever make these clickable on Firefox!)
He also thanked everyone for their condolences and charitable donations in her name. You know, I've heard that actors who play villains are often the kindest people in real life. Alan Rickman was apparently like that, and I've heard Tom Hiddleston is too. Both Tom and Richard seem like wonderful people in their interviews. Anyway, he's got another movie in post-production called "The Lodge," but I don't know much about it. He's currently in Berlin filming "My Zoe," another thing I know nothing about, and hopefully will start season 3 of "Berlin Station" after that. I wish him the best!
I'm not scared to be seen, I make no apologies - this is me!
from The Greatest Showman
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
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Jun 19 2018, 8:49am
Post #11 of 19
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Jjust add (url) at the start and (/url) at the end of the link - but change the brackets to square ones. [ and ]
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.
Ataahua's stories
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
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Jun 19 2018, 11:46am
Post #12 of 19
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Actors enjoy the challenge of playing a personality which is so opposite their own!
"The Lodge" is a psychological thriller. "My Zoe" is the movie which Julie Delpy has been working on for years, she wrote it and is directing it as well as playing the main character. Richard has been involved for a couple of years, as they all waited for financial backers so they could start filming. There's still so much prejudice against women writers and directors. In this case, they were just about to start filming last fall, when a backer pulled out, his lawyer advised him to because "women directors are too emotional". The "MeToo" movement seems to be only the tip of the iceberg.
By the way, if you'd like to see Richard in a role in a small independent and very hard-hitting film, "Urban and the Shed Crew" is available for streaming, and may be out on DVD later this year: https://blenheimfilms.com/...and-the-shed-crew-2/
(Edited to add: whups, sorry, of course - if you're following him on Twitter, then you already know about this, and the awards at the Newcastle Film Festival! )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
(This post was edited by dernwyn on Jun 19 2018, 11:53am)
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Annael
Immortal
Jun 20 2018, 2:06pm
Post #13 of 19
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I've also read that actors are much better at portraying people they are NOT like. Acting is after all being someone different from who you really are, and it makes sense to me that it might be harder to play a person like oneself, because most of us aren't that self-reflective and may not really know what we come across like. (Partners are very good at informing us about this . . . ) But most of us are really good at noticing how other people are different!
Also apparently people who are married don't do well at playing people falling in love. [Your theory here.] And some of the best on-screen chemistry is between people who don't even like each other.
I have an actress friend who got to spend a month in London once at some actors studio thing. She worked with some huge names but said Alan Rickman was her favorite - he really was the nicest guy.
(Kevin Spacey not so much.)
I am a dreamer of words, of written words. I think I am reading; a word stops me. I leave the page. The syllables of the words begin to move around … The words take on other meanings as if they had the right to be young.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
(This post was edited by Annael on Jun 20 2018, 2:09pm)
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N.E. Brigand
Half-elven
Jun 20 2018, 8:20pm
Post #14 of 19
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I saw both films in the theater when they were released (in 1999 and 2012, respectively). Both are worth revisiting. Very minor spoilers follow.
Although I loved The Matrix from the start, I then felt wary of my enthusiasm. The declining quality of the sequels (albeit both have strong parts) solidified that feeling. But the original really holds up well. This time I was particularly struck by the image of the baby farm.
Now as upon my initial viewing, Looper strikes me as a much more modest achievement. But the twist ending hits just the right note, with that haunting image that motivates the hero's final decision: the little boy alone and hurt on the train, angry at being separated from his mother, and planning someday to wreak a terrible revenge on the world.
A hard rain's gonna fall.
Treason doth neuer prosper? What's the Reason?
for if it prosper none dare call it treason.
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Discuss Tolkien's life and works in the Reading Room!
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How to find old Reading Room discussions.
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Jun 20 2018, 11:45pm
Post #15 of 19
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You summed up Walking Dead and its Fear cousin for me:
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"Unlike you I think this'll be the last time I'll watch the show. I've kept with it the last two seasons, waiting for it to get better and become invested in its characters again, but it's just not doing it for me anymore. I hope you continue to enjoy it though. :)"
I've been watching & waiting on both shows, hoping to get re-invested in the story and the characters, but without any luck. Shows can rise up phoenix-like with a new life, so I haven't given up all hope, but I'm back to reading episode recaps rather than invest time in watching them and feeling disappointed.
(This post was edited by CuriousG on Jun 20 2018, 11:45pm)
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Jun 20 2018, 11:49pm
Post #16 of 19
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I rewatched Matrix 1 recently too
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Not all of it, but skipping to favorite parts, which are probably half the show. Still amazed at the Oracle--just love everything about her scene with Neo!!! That movie and its story really hold up well after what--20 years? I didn't care for the sequels, sadly, but the 1st one belongs in the movie hall of fame, IMO. It influenced a lot of movies to follow, not just in plot but also in camera angles, special effects, and fight scenes.
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
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Jun 20 2018, 11:54pm
Post #17 of 19
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I agree with XKCD on The Matrix.
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Have a look at the bottom strip on this page: https://www.xkcd.com/566/
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.
Ataahua's stories
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Jun 20 2018, 11:58pm
Post #18 of 19
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Forgot to add: "Dear White People"
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So, I'm white, and I enjoyed the first season, which was a combination of comedy and drama as black students at an Ivy League school try to combat racism while having all kinds of entanglements in their personal lives (lovers, friends).
While I thought Season 1 was thoughtful and entertaining, I'm finding Season 2 to be more brooding, more bitter, less fun, and maybe most of all, less like normal people talking and more like people making speeches at each other in almost every scene. But only a couple more episodes to watch, so I'll finish it off.
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N.E. Brigand
Half-elven
Jun 21 2018, 12:02am
Post #19 of 19
(853 views)
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Treason doth neuer prosper? What's the Reason?
for if it prosper none dare call it treason.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Discuss Tolkien's life and works in the Reading Room!
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
How to find old Reading Room discussions.
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