Octopus Overlords

Rumpy wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 3:38 pm I've had it on my list, so thanks for saving me the trouble. I'm not in the least bit surprised. It's a Netflix Original they're tantamount to direct-to-video releases, and Netflix seems to be signing them with little care to their quality just to say they've got more original movies than any other service. Very rarely has a Netflix Original movie actually wowed me.

For the most part, I agree. But the Netflix original series are usually quite good.

Well, Original Series are another matter. I really like their original series for the most part. I feel it's like the Original movies don't even factor quality into account like their original series do.

What Happened to Monday was fun.

I liked Bright. I though it had sequel/series potential.

See, I feel Bright is a perfect example of Netflix's average movies. Concepts that are amazing but fail on execution. I loved the concept and wanted to like it, but felt it was such a mess of a movie. It ended up feeling so so average to me despite the potential it had.

Mute is another one of those seemingly big budget movies that felt desperately short of its potential. So many Netflix movies fall down on their execution, it's curious. I'm convinced that if a director were to ask for money to shoot a movie about nothing that he'd get it.

Rumpy wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 7:01 pm but felt it was a putrid movie. It ended up feeling so so average to me despite the potential it had.

So which one is it, putrid or average? You realize they aren't they same thing? What you are experiencing is an expectation gap. Saying it's putrid is hyperbole. It wasn't poorly made or bad in any way. I can see if you thought it was bland or boring at times, but putrid? Come on. That's fake news.

Says you, maybe. But there are plenty of comments that would agree with me. I could see why you like it. I just stated why I felt it wasn't

Ok, I realize that calling it putrid is harsh. I just found it very average which is quite typical of Netflix movies overall.

Rumpy wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 7:13 pm Says you, maybe. But there are plenty of comments saying otherwise. I could see why you like it. I just stated why I felt it wasn't

Ok, I realize that calling it putrid is harsh. I just found it very average which is quite typical of Netflix movies overall.

Apology accepted!

Actually, I think your opinion that its average is valid although I don't share it. It definately had it's average moments and wasn't a five star movie but I did end up liking it overall. Enough to recommend it here for instance. I can see how someone would end up on the disappointed end of the spectrum if they had a high expectations. The trick is to go into it with low expectations and then you end up enjoying. Good advice for most things really.

Oh and sorry. I edited out "putrid", changing the language just as you were quoting me, in case you were wondering.

And yeah, I hear enough from people who do like it, so it's 50/50. But the thing is, I actually went into it with low expectations and was still disappointed. That's what I've learned to do with Netflix movies. I didn't mean to disparage it though, but mostly using it as an example of their originals and where they stand. That one's one of their higher profile originals along with Mute that have both received very mixed reviews. And the thing is, Netflix is quickly becoming known for putting out below-average movies.

I didn't like Bright enough to give it a thumbs up. I did find it better that I expected. I didn't hate it for sure.

Orbiter 9 for another example of a good Netflix Original movie.

Yeah, I thought Orbiter 9 was pretty decent.

I haven’t seen it yet, but Mudbound got fantastic reviews and was nominated for a few Oscars.

I thought it was not bad in terms of filmmaking, but not remarkable either. Very dreary and depressing, particularly as you can see things a mile away.

Bright is another film where I agree more with the critics than I do audiences. The average audience reviews are in the 80s on RT, but the critics place it in the mid 20s. I felt it was a low 40s movie at best. They wanted to make Shadowrun the movie, but it felt like it was made by people who didn’t like the genre.

Netflix Orders World War II Animated Series The Liberator

The Liberator will utilize Trioscope technology, which blends CGI and live-action elements. Jeb Stuart, who co-wrote films like Die Hard and The Fugitive, created the series and will serve as a writer and executive producer.

Based on the book The Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey by Alex Kershaw, the animated series will consist of four parts, all of which will be directed by Grzegorz Jonkajtys. Jonkajtys is best known for his visual effects work on films like Solo: A Star Wars Story and Avengers: Infinity War.

Zaxxon wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 5:22 pm What Happened to Monday was fun.

Well?

naednek wrote: ↑Thu Nov 15, 2018 5:55 pm

Zaxxon wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 5:22 pm What Happened to Monday was fun.

Well?

Parser error.

Zaxxon wrote: ↑Thu Nov 15, 2018 5:58 pm

naednek wrote: ↑Thu Nov 15, 2018 5:55 pm

Zaxxon wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 5:22 pm What Happened to Monday was fun.

Well?

Parser error.

What happened to Monday?

Quite a lot, actually.

hepcat wrote: ↑Sat Nov 10, 2018 9:48 pm About an hour into Outlaw King and I’m not quite sure Chris Pine is aware he’s actually in the movie.

We watched it last weekend. Not much of a movie, and not really based too much in reality.

But my wife did enjoy seeing a lot of Chris Pine.

See, I knew Unagi’s wife was lying to him.

But yeah, it’s like a high school drama class recreation of Braveheart.

So, Buster Scruggs is a bit of a mixed bag. The trailer makes it look so much better than it really is.
Don't go into it expecting miracles and maybe you'll like it? I think in terms of Cohen Brothers, it's not particularly noteworthy. I came away from it feeling rather underwhelmed.

Yea, New seasons of The Last Kingdom and Narcos are on Netflix!

Rumpy wrote: ↑Sat Nov 17, 2018 3:36 pm So, Buster Scruggs is a bit of a mixed bag. The trailer makes it look so much better than it really is.

Spoiler:

Six short stories, all unconnected. At best, I'd say 2 of them were worth seeing, the others not so much, my favourites being Tom Waits as a Gold Prospector, and the story of those travelling via the Oregon Trail. I could see the two of those made into full-length movies. At first, I thought with Buster Scruggs being the title (which returns to the Ladykillers style comedy with tedious exaggerations), that he'd be a balladeer singing about the things he'd seen on his travels and narrating those other stories, but nope. And the problem with most of them is the rambling. Some tend to ramble on into pointlessness, like the last one with the travellers conversing in the coach, which just isn't very entertaining and really isn't much a story in itself.


It's like they had an itch to go back to the Western genre after their success of True Grit and had a bunch of miscellaneous underdeveloped old west stories laying around, throwing those bits and pieces together into an anthology. It is what it is.

Don't go into it expecting miracles and maybe you'll like it? I think in terms of Cohen Brothers, it's not particularly noteworthy. I came away from it feeling rather underwhelmed.

I liked it. The last story was odd. But I now know where the term "Pot-Shot" came from!!!!

$iljanus wrote: ↑Tue Nov 20, 2018 3:08 pm Yea, New seasons of The Last Kingdom and Narcos are on Netflix!

I'm binge watching them both this week. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I'm enjoying Narcos: Mexico.

Don Neto needs his own series.

hepcat wrote:

$iljanus wrote: ↑Tue Nov 20, 2018 3:08 pm Yea, New seasons of The Last Kingdom and Narcos are on Netflix!

I'm binge watching them both this week. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I'm enjoying Narcos: Mexico.

Don Neto needs his own series.

I do like Don Neto's chill perspective on things.

I only watched the first story in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs so far (I rarely get to watch a movie in one sitting). Good Lord that was fantastic. It was damn near perfect.

I’m a massive Coen brothers fan, so I’m looking forward to watching this.

$iljanus wrote: ↑Wed Nov 21, 2018 9:09 pm

hepcat wrote:

$iljanus wrote: ↑Tue Nov 20, 2018 3:08 pm Yea, New seasons of The Last Kingdom and Narcos are on Netflix!

I'm binge watching them both this week. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I'm enjoying Narcos: Mexico.

Don Neto needs his own series.

I do like Don Neto's chill perspective on things.

He’s the Hispanic Grandpa Munster.

THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES is a lot of fun in a super cheesy Christmas movie kind of way. I confess the only reason I watched it is to see Kurt Russell playing a Kurt Russell version of Santa Claus. And I was not disappointed.

Only watch with alcohol in hand and a good sense of humor because this movie contains all the Santa Claus movie tropes: Christmas in jeopardy of being ruined if Santa can't fix his sleigh, meddling kids, adults being surprised when Santa knows their name, evil corporate villain, squabbling siblings who together find the joy of Christmas, etc.

Also make sure you are at least slightly buzzed when:
I keep making alcohol references because I feel like this movie may one day be a classic holiday drinking game.

I haven't been following any news or development on the show at all so the notification that 6 new episodes of MST3K were out was a very happy Thanksgiving surprise. We watched the first two episodes, "Mac and Me" followed by "Atlantic Rim". Got a lot of laughs out of both, moreso than any episode from last season which was a big improvement for us. Not that we didn't like last season, but it was just OK. Anxious to watch the other 4!

They've slowed the joke pacing down considerably. The first season of the reboot never paused for more than a second or two between riffs. It was exhausting and (for me at least) not as funny as it could have been. The timing is much, much better now.

I watched Lords of the Deep and had more than a few laugh out loud moments on Thanksgiving.

Moat_Man wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 5:56 pm I liked Bright. I though it had sequel/series potential.

They are planning a sequel.

$iljanus wrote: ↑Tue Nov 20, 2018 3:08 pm Yea, New seasons of The Last Kingdom and Narcos are on Netflix!

Yes to The Last Kingdom. Binged on it last night when it popped up. Great show and I think this season was the best. And even better, it has been approved for a Season 4 already. I really love this show, sort of a Dark Ages Anglo-Saxon Game of Thrones

I finished The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. While the last segment was the low point, there were some amazing segments and I give this a big thumbs up (if I'm the only one, would it be "thumb up"?).

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, All Gold Canyon, and The Gal who Got Rattled were just fantastic.

Is it me or did Billy Knapp look and sound like Keanu Reeves?

I also watched The Ballad of Buster Scruggs the other day. I wouldn't say it's my favorite Coen brothers film, but I still enjoyed it a great deal. The first and second tales were hilarious, while The Gal Who Got Rattled was just heartbreaking. Zoe Kazan really made it work, as did the actors playing Billy Knapp and Mr. Arthur. I had a bit of a tear in my eye after that one, I'm not ashamed to admit.

The other stories felt more like Chekhov plays in their approach to character studies. Not a negative, but I can see why the show isn't that well liked by others. It's a slow burn.

I also binged watched Narcos: Mexico and The Last Kingdom over the space of a week.

I love both, but Narcos is the show I admit to watching in public, while The Last Kingdom is more of a guilty pleasure. Its approach to its historical subject matter is rather ridiculous, and the main actor just cannot deliver a line in whatever accent he's trying to deliver it in without making me giggle at times, but I still enjoy the hell out of the show.

I didn't think any segment would top Buster Scruggs, but the Gal who Got Rattled did. Powerful.

Narcos - Mexico was good? I've heard mixed things about it and it's under a pretty big shadow of the first.

Most Coen brother movies for me are hit and miss if I like it. Buster Suggs is pretty much the perfect example of this. Some of the stories I loved, others, were quite meh. I'm about half way through.

McNutt wrote: ↑Mon Nov 26, 2018 12:34 pm Narcos - Mexico was good? I've heard mixed things about it and it's under a pretty big shadow of the first.

I enjoyed it. I always enjoy Michael Pena's portrayals, and Diego Luna is an equally strong actor. But more than that, the evolution of the Mexican drug business from small "plazas" being run by street gang level bosses, to a full blown Cartel is fascinating.

I do think they spent a little too much effort on humanizing Diego Luna's character. I appreciate that they want to portray these people as living, breathing humans who are more than just the drug business, but I think they may have gone too far in their efforts with Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (thank you copy and paste). He comes across as a hero more than once.

Also, it's all about the Don Neto. His final scene is one of my absolute favorites from the series, hands down.