Whatcha Watchin'?

[Rumpy]

Watched Lift on Netflix, which is a fun heist movie. But wow, it seems like heist movies have really become ludicrous in their setups with scenarios that would never be plausible in real life. Come to think of it, I don't really know of a heist movie with a plausible setup.

[naednek]

I've been watching Loudermilk on Netflix. Never seen this before and it is awesome.

I just happen to stumble on this show, never heard of it, and it's hilarious.

[hepcat]

Come to think of it, I don't really know of a heist movie with a plausible setup.

You mean other than the numerous heist films based on actual, real life heists?

[Skinypupy]

After ignoring it for years, I finally started watching Rick & Morty. Almost done with Season 3. It's not the funniest thing ever, but amusing in a WTF sort of way.

If nothing else, at least now I know what all the memes and t-shirts I see mean.

[Rumpy]

Come to think of it, I don't really know of a heist movie with a plausible setup.

You mean other than the numerous heist films based on actual, real life heists?

Yeah, those. I mean, while fun, most of these modern heist movies are just pure fantasy.

[Smoove_B]

Carol & The End of the World: With a mysterious planet hurtling towards Earth, extinction is imminent for the people of the world. While most feel liberated to pursue their wildest dreams, one quiet and always uncomfortable woman stands alone — lost among the hedonistic masses.

This was released back in December (I think), and I'm just watching it now. The premise (if you don't want to watch the trailer) is that the world is ending in ~7 months and everyone is seemingly acting like you'd expect - running down bucket lists of things to experience or see or maybe just living their life like they always wanted (SEE: Nudist). Carol is...not doing that and is actually struggling with what's going to happen. It's dry and a bit dark, but I've been finding it really well written. I think it's only ~6 episodes and they're like 30 minutes each so it's low commitment.

[Carpet_pissr]

Argylle is some convoluted, preposterous bullshit. I should have trusted the reviews, but I was bored. Mind you, I don't like Vaughan's Kingsman at all (I only saw the first one). If you dig those films maybe this would appeal to you tone-wise. The CGI is distracting. Very little location shooting. Though I did appreciate Bryce Dallas Howard's beautiful, very human full figure which wasn't once played for laughs.

Coincidentally, the Globe gave this movie their first 0-star review today.

Apple paid $200 million for this entry in the “Kingsman” universe, which explains the overhype. They obviously want their money back. Don’t give it to them. You want a CGI-kitty action movie? Watch 2016′s “Keanu.”

"Keanu" is pretty good.

It's Key and Peele so of course it is!

[Carpet_pissr]

I really enjoyed True Detective season three. Mahershala Ali is amazing. Though it doesn't feel fresh compared to the first season, which I regard as one of my favourite seasons of television ever. But it returns to the tone of the original season after season two got such a bad rap for being so different. But I accept that as a feature of an anthology series (which I usually have trouble getting into). I don't remember season two incredibly well, but I didn't hate it. The characters, tone, and theme make the show interesting. It definitely isn't a police procedural and can't be enjoyed as one IMO. (That's the reason I enjoyed it so much; procedurals tend to bore me even when they have great characters.) But I'd have to go back and watch it again to see what my ten-years-older mind thinks.

Season four is fantastic so far, but again it's because of the tone, mood, characters/acting, and their relationships. It's just in a class of its own. I won't be able to render judgment on the plot until the end of the season. I do have concerns it's venturing too far into the realm of mythology and horror (this was more on the perimeter in season one, and it was spookier for it). But that doesn't mean it's not fantastic for what it is.

I also didn't hate S3. Loved S1, and really enjoyed the next two (though neither were as good as S1)...I guess I am an outlier.

[Rumpy]

Season two got such a bad rap that nobody knew if we'd get a season 3, let alone a season 4. Season 3 in comparison was outstanding.

[hepcat]

Okay, I finished Monsieur Spade earlier and it is definitely one of my favorite shows of the new year so far. Great dialogue, great characters, somewhat confusing when they added the church (still not sold on that subplot), and an outstanding last 15 minutes.

Spoiler:

Why outstanding? Because Alfre Woodward shows up and dominated every single second of the show from then on. Her “Colombo” scene with all the culprits gathered is friggin’ pure entertainment. She decimates them all in a brutal, albeit hilarious at times, manner. I’m pretty sure if you watch closely, you can see Clive Owen trying not to bust up laughing when she’s tearing down all these important members of secret organizations.

It’s got its flaws. The story can get a bit far fetched and confusing at times, and the church subplot, as I said earlier, feels half baked. But damn it, I want more of Owen playing Spade.

[em2nought]

I really enjoyed True Detective season three. Mahershala Ali is amazing. Though it doesn't feel fresh compared to the first season, which I regard as one of my favourite seasons of television ever. But it returns to the tone of the original season after season two got such a bad rap for being so different. But I accept that as a feature of an anthology series (which I usually have trouble getting into). I don't remember season two incredibly well, but I didn't hate it. The characters, tone, and theme make the show interesting. It definitely isn't a police procedural and can't be enjoyed as one IMO. (That's the reason I enjoyed it so much; procedurals tend to bore me even when they have great characters.) But I'd have to go back and watch it again to see what my ten-years-older mind thinks.

Season four is fantastic so far, but again it's because of the tone, mood, characters/acting, and their relationships. It's just in a class of its own. I won't be able to render judgment on the plot until the end of the season. I do have concerns it's venturing too far into the realm of mythology and horror (this was more on the perimeter in season one, and it was spookier for it). But that doesn't mean it's not fantastic for what it is.

I also didn't hate S3. Loved S1, and really enjoyed the next two (though neither were as good as S1)...I guess I am an outlier.

Picked up True Detective season 3 at Goodwill for $3, and just finished it. I liked it even better than season 1. Great series to watch alone in the dark. I loved their transitions from time periods back and forth. I also loved how season three ended.

[Sudy]

True Detective season 4 finale:

I found that really disappointing, frustrating, and confusing. I thought the setup for this season was outstanding, and I was fully on board through the end of episode five despite some concerns and reservations. But from the opening scenes of the final episode, everything just felt wrong to me. I haven't fully digested it though.

There's a lot of controversy around this season for dumb reasons that are drowning out legitimate discourse and criticism. Regardless, it's now in the books and season 5 has been greenlit.

I'm still not going to preach against the series. Despite how let down I am, I was still exceptionally engaged for most of the season and the setting and characters were lovely. But in terms of cohesion, this series is a mess and if it ever could have recovered, it won't now. I'll still give season 5 a look when it comes out, but in my mind this is a wholly disconnected anthology show at this point. (Ironic, as season 4 tries so hard to tie it all together.)


This Vox article breaks it down pretty well. (Obvious major spoilers for the end of the season.)

Spoiler:

But the similarities to that first season are all surface. López didn’t originally plan to create Night Country as a part of the True Detective universe, and her efforts to incorporate callbacks to previous True Detective seasons make that painfully clear.

Well, that explains a lot.

Throughout season four, references to season one recur, but they usually lack context and aren’t justified by anything happening around them. We learn a season four character had a relationship with Rust Cohle’s father; but so what? We learn our evil mining corporation has ties to evil corporate overlords from previous seasons ... and? There are spirals everywhere, but we gain no enhanced understanding of what this familiar motif means.

López picks up on the well-known line, “You’re asking the wrong question.” She has characters repeat variants of this statement over and over again throughout season four until it becomes preposterous, an annoying substitute for meaningful writing. Each reference, from “flat circle” to Funyuns, is purely fan service, a distracting blip on the map that contributes nothing to our understanding of the True Detective universe.

The same goes for Night Country’s over-the-top horror elements, which range from pointless jump scares to spectral phenomena that appear for no reason. Where season two was completely devoid of the supernatural, Night Country is so full of ghosts that they lose all significance.

Perhaps the most baffling choice of all comes in the finale, when we finally learn that the murders of the scientists were facilitated by the women of Ennis, as payback for the murder of the activist — who, it turns out, the scientists themselves murdered and covered up, years ago. The show fully glosses over the improbable way the women learn about this cover-up to barrel toward what’s meant to be a righteous showstopper: They break into the science lab, armed to the teeth, and enact their vengeance, forcing the scientists to undress and fend for themselves in the brutal Arctic night.

This climax comes off as a ludicrous, unearned payoff, with undeveloped cardboard villagers standing in as mouthpieces for larger political stances....

(The season’s second-biggest mystery, Navarro’s fate at the end, gets left deliberately ambiguous in the finale’s closing shot. Did she walk into the tundra for good, following the siren song of the ice goddess a la Frozen 2, or did she come back alive? We can’t be certain, but the idea that she’s now a ghost herself would feel more satisfying if Navarro’s struggle and escalating mental breakdown had felt less like a casual aside every now and then.)

This is the part that just... what? Up to that point I enjoyed the spirituality subplot, but the culmination was just bizarre. I kept waiting for it all to lead somewhere, and where it led was ridiculous. I suspect when I defend this season years down the line it will be because I'll have repressed most of my memory of the finale.

[Sudy]

Picked up True Detective season 3 at Goodwill for $3, and just finished it. I liked it even better than season 1. Great series to watch alone in the dark. I loved their transitions from time periods back and forth. I also loved how season three ended.

This reminds me of why I still enjoy this series so much, despite its disappointments. Also from the season 4 article I linked, but without any spoilers (for any season):

Still, anchored by Mahershala Ali’s pitch-perfect turn as an aging detective who spends decades trying to solve a cold case, season three really clarified the True Detective formula: A labyrinthine mystery driven by deep characterization, replete with hints of a dark otherworldly version of reality, filmed with an attention to aesthetics, and written with a certain literary flourish. Perhaps most of all, True Detective has to have a philosophy — a commitment to engaging with those eldritch horrors, if only to nod to them and be on your way.

[Kraken]

True Detective season 4 finale:

I found that really disappointing, frustrating, and confusing.

+1. Did not like.

[Skinypupy]

After ignoring it for years, I finally started watching Rick & Morty. Almost done with Season 3. It's not the funniest thing ever, but amusing in a WTF sort of way.

If nothing else, at least now I know what all the memes and t-shirts I see mean.

I’m about halfway through Season 6 now and this show has gone from being “weird but very funny” to just being “weird”.

[Jeff V]

Watched the 2 seasons of Almost Paradise on Freebee. Set in Cebu/Mactan Island in the Philippines, it's about an ex-DEA agent retiring there with health issues but getting involved as an asset for local police. It has the expected moments of American-discovering-Filipino-culture, like when he tries balut. The DEA Agent apparently went to the Steven Segal Institute of Awesome Acting, but the Filipino support cast is rather good. The general ambience of the series is rather authentic.

The second season aired last year, no word if a third season is in the works.

[hepcat]

Why are you watching an ongoing tv series? They're not complete, so therefore they're half ass in your view.

[Kraken]

I'm a few episodes into a Netflix sf show called "Another Life." It features Katee Sakhoff, best known as Starbuck on Battleship Galactica. It's a short series but not very good; IDK if I'm going to finish it. It's highly derivative and seems like it's a vehicle for Katee to act badass. In fact, I was going to bail after the last episode but I might stick it out for another episode or two since they killed off my most-hated character. I'd kind of like to see where it's going, even though it doesn't feel like the writers know.

[Rumpy]

Yeah, that series got ravaged. I actually liked the first season, but the 2nd I gave up on when it became clear everyone were acting like children.

[Carpet_pissr]

I've watched more TV recently than I have in decades, maybe ever. This is maybe a good spot to list them just for my own reference!

I've finished two extremely long series that I started years ago:
Homeland
Really REALLY good up until the last two seasons. Well worth watching even if you stop after 5 or so. One of those series they should have ended after 5-6 seasons instead of 7-8.

The Handmaid's Tale
Strangely enough, same as above...first seasons were epic and mind blowing. By the end, it just felt like padding...was in need of some serious editing, and could have easily gotten away with two less seasons IMO.

Highly recommend both of those above to anyone, just know that they both end VERY weakly compared to their first seasons. I think I did more eye rolling in the latter seasons of those shows than I have for anything else I've watched on TV.

More TV watched/finished:
The Boys (finished) - Fantastic series with amazing writing, acting and effects. This show has it all, wow. Not sure why it took me so long to get to it.

Invincible (finished) - Great animated superhero/anti-hero show. Highly recommend.

Young Sheldon (watched most)- only watched this indirectly because my son likes it. I never liked Big Bang Theory, so I was shocked that this drew me in from just watching while I was doing other stuff. Incredibly gifted actors in this, and again, fantastic writing.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (just started) - loved the movie, this so far seems nothing like that. Enjoying it so far, but then I love Donald Glover, so YMMV. Just started this.

Masters of the Air (stopped): Started it, surprisingly hated it (I'm a huge Band of Brother fan), stopped watching it was so bad.

Foundation (stopped): This really pulled me in and I watched I think more than half the show, but it started to get really soap opera-y and I stopped watching. Enjoyed the initial seasons enough to make me want to read the book though.

Poker Face (just started(: Just started this but I will probably be finishing it...the main character (Nastasha Lyonne) is too...charismatic for me to not watch this and see what she can do, acting-wise.

Black Bird (finished): HIGHLY recommend this series with some no-name actors (but also has a fantastic Greg Kinnear in it). The main character is played by someone I've never seen before (Taron Egerton), and I would be shocked if we don't see more of him. (Edit: whoops, he was Elton John in Rocketman (which I have not yet seen).)

AP Bio (currently watching) - fantastic...IF you like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia...because it could easily be called The Glenn Howerton (Dennis) show. To me, that's not a bad thing...so I have been loving it. And the supporting cast is also very VERY tight...including a fantastic role as the principal for Patton Oswalt, who sometimes annoys me, but is brilliant, here. Highly recommend it if you like silly comedies like Community, Arrested Development, etc.

Movies:
Oppenheimer - it was ok, but I don't get the high praise heaped on this one. Maybe it requires a re-watch. Meh.

Puss In Boots - Last Wish (the latest one) - Only watched this because my son wanted to watch it, and I was dreading it because out of all the Shrek and Shrek related movies, that character was by far my least favorite. Hated the follow-up movie(s?). This one so far is freaking hilarious and I am loving it. Only 30m left, but it's already one of the funnier animated films I have seen in a long time. Many many laugh out loud moments. Truly great, hilarious, family friendly movie. Absurdly high rating on RT is deserved here IMO. Must see.

Killers of the Flower Moon - Gah. I sincerely thought this was alt history until I read about it later. Insane acting and writing and story...deserves all the accolades it got, including the 93% RT score. Must see.

The Marvels - Ugh. Both son and I agreed to terminate this one before we finished watching. Just so boring and stale and same ol' from Marvel. Apparently we didn't even get to what are considered to be the worst parts of the movie. Do not recommend.

Society of the Snow - This is a modern, foreign take on the real story of the plane crash from the movie Alive if you remember that one (Chilean sports team, plane crash in Andes, etc). Fantastic acting and production. Highly recommend if you aren't opposed to subtitles.

[Rumpy]

Young Sheldon (watched most)- only watched this indirectly because my son likes it. I never liked Big Bang Theory, so I was shocked that this drew me in from just watching while I was doing other stuff. Incredibly gifted actors in this, and again, fantastic writing.

I've loved this too, despite also not liking Big Bang Theory. To me it felt like the perfect followup to The Wonder Years, with its focus on being a coming of age story. And also, I feel like the whole cast is great. The single-camera format also worked well for it and helped set it apart. There's a spinoff coming based on Georgie and his girlfriend, but they've returned it to a sitcom format and I won't be watching that one.

[gilraen]

Black Bird (finished): HIGHLY recommend this series with some no-name actors (but also has a fantastic Greg Kinnear in it). The main character is played by someone I've never seen before (Taron Egerton), and I would be shocked if we don't see more of him. (Edit: whoops, he was Elton John in Rocketman (which I have not yet seen).)

I take it you haven't seen the Kingsman movies either

[Carpet_pissr]

Dang. I have not.

[hepcat]

Or Rocketman, the Elton John biopic.

[Rumpy]

To be fair, the Elton John biopic feels more like a satire with fantasy elements rather than a straight biopic, similar to the Weird Al biopic.

[Carpet_pissr]

Or Rocketman, the Elton John biopic.

whoops, he was Elton John in Rocketman (which I have not yet seen).)

[Exodor]

The Handmaid's Tale
Strangely enough, same as above...first seasons were epic and mind blowing. By the end, it just felt like padding...was in need of some serious editing, and could have easily gotten away with two less seasons IMO.

Much like Game of Thrones the quality of this show declined precipitously once they ran out of book material. My wife is a huge fan of the book so we watch each season but I'm really, really hoping the next season is the last one and they have some sort of ending in mind.

The Boys (finished) - Fantastic series with amazing writing, acting and effects. This show has it all, wow. Not sure why it took me so long to get to it.

If you enjoyed The Boys watch GenV which is set in the same universe.

[hepcat]

Or Rocketman, the Elton John biopic.

whoops, he was Elton John in Rocketman (which I have not yet seen).)

Whoops, missed that!

To be fair, the Elton John biopic feels more like a satire with fantasy elements rather than a straight biopic, similar to the Weird Al biopic.

I didn't get that from my viewing at all. I mean, there were outlandish costumes and a few flights of fancy scenes, but not to the breadth and width of a satire.

[Daehawk]

Whatcha Watchin'?

Nothing. Waiting on the 3rd season of Strange New Worlds in 2025 or so I guess. I find the way they skip a year is STUPID. In my day it was each year and worked.

Maaaaay watch Reacher while I wait.

[Rumpy]

Or Rocketman, the Elton John biopic.

whoops, he was Elton John in Rocketman (which I have not yet seen).)

Whoops, missed that!

To be fair, the Elton John biopic feels more like a satire with fantasy elements rather than a straight biopic, similar to the Weird Al biopic.

I didn't get that from my viewing at all. I mean, there were outlandish costumes and a few flights of fancy scenes, but not to the breadth and width of a satire.

I mean, it felt like it wasn't taking itself seriously at all and felt more tongue-in-cheek, and I think even Elton himself confirmed there were completely fictional elements.

[hepcat]

To me, it was a movie about a gay man trying to find his place in the world, and trying to find a real connection with someone else at the same time. His parents certainly weren’t helpful when he was younger.

Did it have fanciful scenes? Sure. In addition to struggling with his sexuality, Elton also dealt with drug abuse and alcoholism.

I didn’t think it was a great film, but i didn’t see it as satire.

Wait…I think I see the problem,

[Hipolito]

I wanted something dumb to watch, so I checked out Delicious in Dungeon on Netflix. It's a fantasy anime about an adventuring party that's in desperate need of provisions, until they meet a dwarf who's an expert in cooking dungeon monsters. I like the voice acting, especially the gravelly voiced dwarf and the elf mage who is utterly revolted by the idea of eating things that could eat her. And though I don't have any basilisk meat in my pantry, I just might learn a cooking technique or two.

[Punisher]

I wanted something dumb to watch, so I checked out Delicious in Dungeon on Netflix. It's a fantasy anime about an adventuring party that's in desperate need of provisions, until they meet a dwarf who's an expert in cooking dungeon monsters. I like the voice acting, especially the gravelly voiced dwarf and the elf mage who is utterly revolted by the idea of eating things that could eat her. And though I don't have any basilisk meat in my pantry, I just might learn a cooking technique or two.

I've been watching it since it started and love it.
Not a fan of it being weekly instead of the normal Netflix binge watch though.

[Rumpy]

To me, it was a movie about a gay man trying to find his place in the world, and trying to find a real connection with someone else at the same time. His parents certainly weren’t helpful when he was younger.

Sure, there's that, but it certainly played off with more fantastical elements than most biopics, precisely because it's the kind of story that would have been difficult to play it straight.

[em2nought]

Speaking of Jodie Foster I just watched "Stealing Home" again. It holds up pretty well, kinda the right movie at the right time as I'd just found out an old friend's best friend from way back when had shot herself dead at some point in the intervening years.

[hepcat]

precisely because it's the kind of story that would have been difficult to play it straight.

I see what you did there.

[Rumpy]

precisely because it's the kind of story that would have been difficult to play it straight.

I see what you did there.

lol I wasn't even trying to do that, but I'm also not sure what other word I could have used

[Hyena]

Watching Damsel with Milly Bobby Brown. Gorgeous scenery and effects.

[Isgrimnur]

Just finished the first season of Six Feet Under. I started it back in the Netflix disc delivery days, and never finished it. With it available on Max now, I was actually able to get through thirteen episodes.

[Jaymann]

Watching Damsel with Milly Bobby Brown. Gorgeous scenery and effects.

Saw that last night. Nothing earth shattering, but definitely watchable.