ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Ben_S: I watched 'Under the Skin' last week. A very odd and pretty tense film with Scarlett Johannson prowling around Glasgow streets as this alien life form. Sounds very strange and it was. But it was also very good and compelling. Recommended!
I watched 'Under the Skin' last week. A very odd and pretty tense film with Scarlett Johannson prowling around Glasgow streets as this alien life form. Sounds very strange and it was. But it was also very good and compelling.
Recommended!
Sounds interesting, I'll have to take a look!
Jeff
I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus.
BeoNut since '75
Enjoying a lazy Sunday morning with some classic Sci Fi action
I watched a very strange horror film, "Three...Extremes." A collection of three separate vignettes all done by different Asian directors, in different languages and taking place in different countries. First is Chinese, language is Cantonese, second is Korean, last vignette is Japanese. Out of these, the first and last were the creepiest, with the last one being by far the most stylish, surreal, atmospheric, and disturbing.
There's something about Asian horror in general, and Japanese horror in particular, that can be quite alien and disturbingly creepy to Western sensibilities. Can't quite put my finger on it, but what comes out of different cultures as "horror' can vary a lot, even if it pings the same human emotional sensibilities.
Sal:Enjoying a lazy Sunday morning with some classic Sci Fi action
Jeff:There's something about Asian horror in general, and Japanese horror in particular, that can be quite alien and disturbingly creepy to Western sensibilities. Can't quite put my finger on it, but what comes out of different cultures as "horror' can vary a lot, even if it pings the same human emotional sensibilities.
To me, a classic example of this is the visceral and cerebral differences between "Ringu" (1998) and "The Ring" (2002)
(As an aside... Good LORD Naomi Watts is gorgeous)
elephant:Go Chewie Go !
ARRRRRrrrRRRRGRRRRRGGGRRRRrrrrarrrrr!
Sal: Jeff:There's something about Asian horror in general, and Japanese horror in particular, that can be quite alien and disturbingly creepy to Western sensibilities. Can't quite put my finger on it, but what comes out of different cultures as "horror' can vary a lot, even if it pings the same human emotional sensibilities. To me, a classic example of this is the visceral and cerebral differences between "Ringu" (1998) and "The Ring" (2002) (As an aside... Good LORD Naomi Watts is gorgeous)
Highly agree with both comments! Same for Ju-on and The Grudge.
Aussie Michael:Has anyone been watching American Horror Story? I'm watching Season 1 on Netflix. Jessica Lange is amazing as is Dylan McDermott
Jessica Lange is amazing as is Dylan McDermott
Definitely. I have finished season 1 and about to start on season 2. Definitely a creepy, demented show! Great acting and it doesn't turn out like you might expect.
Jeff: Aussie Michael:Has anyone been watching American Horror Story? I'm watching Season 1 on Netflix. Jessica Lange is amazing as is Dylan McDermott Definitely. I have finished season 1 and about to start on season 2. Definitely a creepy, demented show! Great acting and it doesn't turn out like you might expect.
You'll love how the actors play different roles. Jessica is great in season 2 with Zach Quinto. Season 2 for me was really amazing and depressing and lets speak when you finish the season :-)
Just watched an amazingly good indie film, "Whiplash." Lowest grossing film ever to be nominated for a best picture Oscar, it won three Oscars, including best supporting actor for JK Simmons. It's about a young kid who wants to be a great jazz drummer and his interaction with a brutal, sadistic, demanding instructor (Simmons) at an elite NYC music college. The description about how this guy pushes the kid to be his best in the movie ad doesn't do it justice, Simmons is brutal to the kids he's teaching. Quite a psychological study, with an ending open to a lot of questions and discussion. Outstanding, nominated for 5 Academy Awards, got three.
we tend to forget there is more to design than designing.
Yeah, Rob Zombie has a definitely twisted mind...can be delightfully bent, but maybe a dinner invite, but not date your daughter (or son) for that mater.
OK, two scifi films:
The Mazerunner - dreadful, illogical, and just bad. Blatant attempt to cash in on the scifi teen angst movies after the success (deserved) of The Hunger Games. Once again, money for SFX but not much for scriptwriting.Kind of like a bad combination of Lord Of The Flies and Cube.
Snowpiercer - overall, same as The Mazerunner, illogical, and generally dreadful. About how mankind tried to stop global warming and overshot, creating another snowball Earth. The only survivors are on a train that circles the globe once a year, self sustaining, with an engine that runs forever. Stupid plot, but there are a couple of scenes that are good, but maybe a couple in a long movie. Tilda Swinton, however, gives an amazing performance, even knowing it's her I still don't recognize her. She plays this buck toothed old maid kind of 2nd in command of the train, just an eccentric and great performance. It's almost worth putting up with the dreck that is the rest of the movie just to see her performance.
elephant:Season twos: True Detective Line of Duty And the movie "100 steps" or something like that - set in gastronomical France
True Detective
Line of Duty
And the movie "100 steps" or something like that - set in gastronomical France
So, how are you enjoying season 2 of True Detective? I'm not nearly as happy with it as with the first season. Too many characters, all too messed up, and a plot that meanders around too much IMO. Good acting, good music and photography, but dialog and such is not as creative or captivating as the first season, which was near the top of best shows I've ever seen.
i am also in between for S2 of True Detective - although I LOVE the music at the start in the Title sequence.
I think it's going to build and build and it's a nice and different take on the series, although i did prefer the First one so far
elephant:Michael & Jeff - I agree with both of you
Although I did enjoy the ex-cop's latest interaction with the sleazy Hollyweird shrink.
Well, I stuck with True Detective to the end. Man the last episode was about one of the most depressing endings I've ever seen.
Watdhed Sharknado 3, great bad movie! What a hoot.
Ran across a DVD in my collection I've not seen in a long while, The Empty Mirror. Fascinating psychological character study, in the movie Hitler is being held prisoner in an underground complex along with Eva Brown, Goering, and Gobbels, while being psychoanalyzed by Sigmund Freud. The movie is really Hitler in purgatory and eventually hell, Freud represents his chance for realizing his self and salvation, the others are there to do the opposite. Just a captivating and thought provoking film.
elephant:We will watch the last episode of TD S2 sometime in the 24 hours. Even E7 had a sense of impending doom so I am not surprised by your evaluation.
Even E7 had a sense of impending doom so I am not surprised by your evaluation.
Would love to hear your opinion once you've watched it. Unlike some other episodes, and unlike all of S1, I haven't rewatched it. It was just so depressing watching it again wasn't even an option, whereas I've rewatched S1 in its entirety, and often if I'm in the living room in the evening reading or using the tablet to web surf, if a repeat of a show I was watching or following comes back on I'll put it on and halfway pay attention, sometimes catch things I missed. With this one I just assume anything I missed would only be even more of a downer.
Jeff:Would love to hear your opinion once you've watched it. Unlike some other episodes, and unlike all of S1, I haven't rewatched it. It was just so depressing watching it again wasn't even an option
I watched a great Western, "Seraphim Falls." Odd in that the two protagonists were played by Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan who both always wanted to be in a Western. Takes place after the Civil War, Neeson plays a Confederate Colonel who's hunting ex Union Captain Brosnan. Beautifully filmed, outstanding scenery, starts out in the high mountains and ends up in the desert, and is not what you think it is at the start. Gets very surreal and spiritual at the end.
Just watched "The Immortal Augustus Gladstone" by Robyn Miller.
A filmcrew discovering a guy on youtube pretending to be 150 years old making a documentary on his life with unexspected results. The movie is immersive enough to make you believe his story. Roby Miller plays the main character. If you have a déjà vu: He is the coproducers of his brothers Rand computergame Myst.
The plot could also have been written by Paul Auster.
I enjoyed this mockumentary.
Just watched "The Immortal Augustus Gladstone" by Robyn Miller (Yes, Rands brother who created "Myst"). A film team discoveres the story of an old man on youtube. He lives in an abandoned hotel in Portland and tells the film crew about his life which began in 1856 (sic!). There even is some "sproof" on https://www.youtube.com/user/augustusgladstone
I enjoyed this immersive story, not only about a man telling he is more than 150 years old but also about the impact of documentation on its subject ...
Learning to dance Disco Finnish style
https://video-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xap1/v/t42.1790-2/1124663_605558519484591_5744_n.mp4?efg=eyJybHIiOjg0MiwicmxhIjoxOTg1fQ%3D%3D&rl=842&vabr=468&oh=11ff432cdc55a6d9cedc513cdcc3d312&oe=55E715D5
Collecting Vintage B&O is not a hobby, its a lifestyle.
Did anybody watch Orphan Black? Just watched the first two parts of season 1. Sara, a petty criminal sees a woman looking like herself behaving strangely at a train station and then committing suicide. She grabs the opportunity and the dead woman's handbag and finds out that all her financial whoes are history. For Elsbeth the dead woman has a nice appartment house and a well filled bank account. But changing identities is not a trivial business. Next morning she finds herself being rudely taken to offce by a chauffeur of a misterious organisation, which is just the police, and she has to act as a detective at a hearing on a fatal shooting. And new problems arise with Sara's and Elsbeth's friends and relatives. Well, relatives: Could Elsbeth be her twin sister? And more sisters are showing up, clones. Let a real mess go on!
I think, the series is worth watching.
The kids are off school and with my in-laws, so my wife and I binge-watched all 10 episodes of The Man In The High Castle over the weekend. Don't believe the great reviews. 2 stars out of 4 from me, 3 stars out of 4 from my wife.
I read the Philip K. Beofilterwilldeletethelastname novel on which it was based many years ago (about 1992 I would guess). Based on my love for all things Beofilterwilldeletethelastname and the multiple rave reviews I've heard and read in the past weeks, I was very eager to see this. My one word review is:
Meh.
My wife loves the Hunger Games, so we binge-watched the first three blu-rays Sunday and Monday and will see the fourth film tonight in the theater.
@elephant...those sound interesting, will look for them.
@Rich...hmmm, the Man In The High Castle is in my Amazon Prime to watch list, hope I like it better than you did, that's one of the few PKD books I've not read so maybe I won't be as disappointed.
Some things I've found recently:
Black Mirror - a UK show, 6 episodes available on Netflix, each a different story, cautionary tales really, about what might happen with technology in a short while if we muck it up according to the producers. Very dark, very innovative and thought provoking, very pointed in their social commentary, all very believable cyberpunk. Honestly, perhaps the best, most thought provoking thing I've seen in decades.
Went to see The Martian, decent movie even though I hate Matt Damon, only covered maybe 15% of the things that went on in the book, which is excellent, but still even with 2 hours and 22 min there's not much more they could have covered. Worth a watch though.
I've also been working my way thru all the Futurama cartoon shows, what a delightfully funny and creative show. I'd only seen an occasional one before, and liked them, starting from the beginning and going thru them has been fun.
Started the 2nd season of American Horror Story. Yikes! The first season was great, seriously demented in a tongue in cheek sort of funny way. Not the 2nd, holy carp, it's dark and twisted, and seriously addictive. It's interesting as they reuse the same actors in each season, so it's interesting to see them in completely different roles.
Jeff: @elephant...those sound interesting, will look for them. @Rich...hmmm, the Man In The High Castle is in my Amazon Prime to watch list, hope I like it better than you did, that's one of the few PKD books I've not read so maybe I won't be as disappointed. Some things I've found recently: Black Mirror - a UK show, 6 episodes available on Netflix, each a different story, cautionary tales really, about what might happen with technology in a short while if we muck it up according to the producers. Very dark, very innovative and thought provoking, very pointed in their social commentary, all very believable cyberpunk. Honestly, perhaps the best, most thought provoking thing I've seen in decades.
Can only echo this, absolutely love Black Mirror. Check out the Christmas special with Jon Hamm too if you like that Jeff. Charlie Brooker is a genius.
Ben
Currently watching two series of brilliant television here in the UK.
Firstly, second series of Fargo which is in my opinion even better than the 1st season. So gripping, brilliantly written and beautifully shot. The acting is also absolutely fantastic. It's on channel 4 over here but I'm sure they are a couple of episodes ahead in the US.
Second, the third season of the Bridge (Swedish/Danish) has just started airing on BBC 4 which is another of my favourites. Interesting premise to this third season and absolutely love watching Saga. Recommended for those who haven't seen the first couple of series, especially for fans of 'The Killing' etc.
@Ben...sadly the Christmas episode is not available on Netflix! When I watched the first one afterwards I went online and looked at the episode list. Was very disappointed that one was missing. I have read that Netflix has commissioned another 12 episodes of it, hope that's true as it's an inspired show.