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Got back into the Man in the High Castle- really liking it. Also finally started watching Animal Kingdom- it's like the stirred up every heist movie and put it in a blender... but it's the kind of crazy I like.
 
Got back into the Man in the High Castle- really liking it. Also finally started watching Animal Kingdom- it's like the stirred up every heist movie and put it in a blender... but it's the kind of crazy I like.

Animal Kingdom is based on a good Australian film that is a bit more gritty than the TV series although I really enjoy the series as well. The film was based on a real case I believe.
 
Animal Kingdom is based on a good Australian film that is a bit more gritty than the TV series although I really enjoy the series as well. The film was based on a real case I believe.
There was a Melbourne crime family the Morans that were heavily involved in the gangland wars of the 90s - most of them ended up being murdered.

I think the film is very loosely inspired by them.
 
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Recently I watched most of Clint Eastwood's Hang 'Em High (1968) on broadcast. I gather it is his first lead role in a Hollywood film and the first movie made by his own production company. It was good and I think I would have liked it even more if I had not missed a few key scenes (my wife needed to see the weather on another channel). There was an interesting amount of moral greyness to it--Eastwood's character's thirst for revenge, though understandable, is presented as a bit too driven to be heroic, and his opponents--the posse that mistakenly hanged him--are not cartoony villains. And the movie makes you wonder if the justice handed out at the official court by Pat Hingle is any better. It was also interesting to see Dennis Hopper in a very small role.

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The hanging scene in that was truly awful. People coming to have a party and a day out.
 
I have recently watched a few series.

  • Van Helsing Season 5: Pretty good, I thought it lost its way time-travelling but that fitted into the overall storyline fairly well.
  • Crazyhead: Funny channel 4 demon-horror comedy. short but I enjoyed it.
  • Black Summer: A really good zombie series, based on Z narion, which was itself a really good zombie series.
  • Mortel Season 2: Classy and gritty French Urban Horror
  • Sex/Life: A romantic drama about a woman trying to keep balance in her life
  • You: A creepy thriller series about an obsessive man.
  • Masters of the Universe Revelation: A He-Man remake that might even be better than the first He-Man.
  • She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: A remake of She-Ra for tweenies. I am enjoying it but I prefer the heroes to be adults rather than shouty kids.
 
The hanging scene in that was truly awful. People coming to have a party and a day out.
Yup, executions used to be a form of entertainment and a lesson in many places where people even brought the kids. U.K, US., France etc, basically all over the world. Bring out your food vendors and trinket sellers.
 
The Morans inspired the series Underbelly (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moran_family)

Animal Kingdom was inspired by the Pettingill family (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pettingill_family)
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Underbelly is awesome; looks like most of the series are on Tubi in the US now.

I finished up the last season of The Flash on Netflix. It was mostly kind of meh imho. Neither of the main stories (the "forces" and the Godspeed arc) did much for me. Some individual stories were good, but overall, just there.

I also watched a couple of movies on Tubi. Dark Island is about 11 years old, and is kind of bland sci-fi involving a man-made version of the black oil from X-Files (it's a bit more than that, but along the same lines).

Embedded started off pretty good. It's about a reporter and his cameraman who had covered both Afghanistan and Iraq, but are now doing shit stories (or so they think) because the reporter got it on with the wife of a French diplomat. Sent to Montana to cover cattle mutilations, they think the town is being harassed by a Grizzly. When some hunters get slaughtered, and one cryptically tells the cops "it" took his son before dying of some vicious wounds, the Sherriff organizes a rescue party. Needless to say what's really out there shows up, and mayhem ensues. This is when the movie falls apart. The creature effects are horrible, knocking what was a decent film down quite a bit. The ending was kind of weird too. So starts off decent, and devolves from there.
 
Yup, executions used to be a form of entertainment and a lesson in many places where people even brought the kids. U.K, US., France etc, basically all over the world. Bring out your food vendors and trinket sellers.

I was stunned when I learned some Civil War battles had such spectators. Not because I didn’t already have a low opinion of humanity, but because I never read of any of the audience catching a bullet or getting swept into the battle as the combatants moved about.
 
I was stunned when I learned some Civil War battles had such spectators. Not because I didn’t already have a low opinion of humanity, but because I never read of any of the audience catching a bullet or getting swept into the battle as the combatants moved about.
Lol, yeah if I recall correctly they even have some early photos (Might have been early Mathew Brady photography) of some of those battles with ladies with parasol etc on the sidelines watching like its a horse race or something. Bring your picnic baskets and wine folks.
 
I finished up the last season of The Flash on Netflix. It was mostly kind of meh imho. Neither of the main stories (the "forces" and the Godspeed arc) did much for me. Some individual stories were good, but overall, just there.
If anything, I think you're being too kind. That forces bit was ultimate cringe when they kept referring to Barry and Iris as their 'parents'. I love the actress that plays Nora, and am glad she got some work other than flashbacks, but it was carried to ultimate cringe here.
 
We signed up for Disney Plus again to catch up on some things that premiered while we didn't have it (we only get it for a month or two at a time, since we already have a few other services and can only watch so much at once).

The first thing we binged was WandaVision, which we got through in two days. Overall, I really liked it. Specifically, I enjoyed the first 75-80% or so of it quite a bit. Without going into spoilers, the last portion of it felt too much like paint-by-the-numbers MCU for me, like they had to bring in the standard elements everyone expected after going in a very different direction before that. So I'd give it something like 8/10 or a B if I was giving it a score or grade.

We'll watch the other Marvel Disney series pretty soon as well, especially since we have a long weekend coming up.
 
We signed up for Disney Plus again to catch up on some things that premiered while we didn't have it (we only get it for a month or two at a time, since we already have a few other services and can only watch so much at once).

The first thing we binged was WandaVision, which we got through in two days. Overall, I really liked it. Specifically, I enjoyed the first 75-80% or so of it quite a bit. Without going into spoilers, the last portion of it felt too much like paint-by-the-numbers MCU for me, like they had to bring in the standard elements everyone expected after going in a very different direction before that. So I'd give it something like 8/10 or a B if I was giving it a score or grade.

We'll watch the other Marvel Disney series pretty soon as well, especially since we have a long weekend coming up.

Check out The Bad Batch and the newer Mickey Mouse cartoons. Very good stuff, works for kids and adults.
 
Revisited Tommy which I haven't seen since I was a teen but I saw so many times many of the songs are burned into the lizard part of my brain. In some ways Tommy works better as this crazy musical film than as a record.

 
If anything, I think you're being too kind. That forces bit was ultimate cringe when they kept referring to Barry and Iris as their 'parents'. I love the actress that plays Nora, and am glad she got some work other than flashbacks, but it was carried to ultimate cringe here.
It helps that as the shows get older, my expectations get lower that they will be consistently good.
 
The hanging scene in that was truly awful. People coming to have a party and a day out.

Yup, executions used to be a form of entertainment and a lesson in many places where people even brought the kids. U.K, US., France etc, basically all over the world. Bring out your food vendors and trinket sellers.

Insert obligatory reference to the public spectacle at the execution of Robert-François Damiens in 1757, as described at the beginning of Discipline and Punish.
 
Just watched What If...? S1E4...


... shit just got dark.

I'm so happy because What If...? was not a nice book in most cases. Made the case for 616 being the sacred timeline. They seem to be doing that... the ending with Ego? The Ending with no Avengers and Loki on a rampage? Then this one? And the fact that the Watcher is leaning in... they're going to show the hypocrisy of Uatu- I just feel it.
 
Just watched What If...? S1E4...


... shit just got dark.

I'm so happy because What If...? was not a nice book in most cases. Made the case for 616 being the sacred timeline. They seem to be doing that... the ending with Ego? The Ending with no Avengers and Loki on a rampage? Then this one? And the fact that the Watcher is leaning in... they're going to show the hypocrisy of Uatu- I just feel it.
Man you ain’t kidding. Ep 3. at least left some chance. Ep. 4 was a Twilight Zone lesson. Good to see Captain Carter, I love Hayley Atwell, sucks that her and Steve still won’t be together. I guess there’s going to be more Capt. Carter episodes, so maybe Hydrastomper will show up again. Kind of surprised how well the animators are matching the actors‘ faces in most cases. Looking forward to more of these, especially if they keep getting the actors to voice them.
 
Man you ain’t kidding. Ep 3. at least left some chance. Ep. 4 was a Twilight Zone lesson. Good to see Captain Carter, I love Hayley Atwell, sucks that her and Steve still won’t be together. I guess there’s going to be more Capt. Carter episodes, so maybe Hydrastomper will show up again. Kind of surprised how well the animators are matching the actors‘ faces in most cases. Looking forward to more of these, especially if they keep getting the actors to voice them.

They're going to use Captain Carter as the glue that holds the seasons together, so she'll be back next season. I hope Hydrastomper has upped his tech, though I'm not sure who will be wearing it as Steve will be old. The ones that are using the voice actors really bring me into the world. The ones that are not give it a bit of dissonance, though the guy that voiced Tony had his swagger and everything.
 
They're going to use Captain Carter as the glue that holds the seasons together, so she'll be back next season. I hope Hydrastomper has upped his tech, though I'm not sure who will be wearing it as Steve will be old. The ones that are using the voice actors really bring me into the world. The ones that are not give it a bit of dissonance, though the guy that voiced Tony had his swagger and everything.
I noticed the ones that are voiced by the real actors are animated very close to the actor’s face. The ones that aren’t, don’t. Black Widow, for example does not look like Johanssen.
 
I went and saw Shang Chi yesterday. They had a 3D option, so I went with that. Glad I did. Some of the fights look better (imho) in 3D. The 3rd act feels (to me) like a different movie than the rest of the film, but was still very cool. The two end credit scenes were ok, and hopefully set up stuff for the future. Looking forward to Eternals now
 
I went and saw Shang Chi yesterday. They had a 3D option, so I went with that. Glad I did. Some of the fights look better (imho) in 3D. The 3rd act feels (to me) like a different movie than the rest of the film, but was still very cool. The two end credit scenes were ok, and hopefully set up stuff for the future. Looking forward to Eternals now

I really want to see it, but given everything, I can wait until it's on digital. I'm hoping the box office is low enough that Disney gets the idea they need to (a) keep the hybrid approach and (b) build that idea into their artist payouts.

I didn't hear that they're in danger of losing the Russo brothers because of their greed.
 
I really want to see it, but given everything, I can wait until it's on digital. I'm hoping the box office is low enough that Disney gets the idea they need to (a) keep the hybrid approach and (b) build that idea into their artist payouts.

I didn't hear that they're in danger of losing the Russo brothers because of their greed.
It made 29.7 million on Friday. Projections are 70-75 million by Disney for the 4 day weekend; others have it up as high as around 86 million. For a labor day weekend, that's actually good numbers (and this is only US numbers; what it does outside the US remains to be seen). While I'm in agreement that the Hybrid approach is a better one (and they definitely need to restructure contracts to incorporate streaming revenue), it looks like going straight to theaters for 45 days with this one might just do decent before it hits D+. Guess enough people are willing to risk it. I figured it would do worse, given there was less than 12 people in the theater with my friend and I (though it was an early matinee on Friday)

Plus this was a film I felt benefited from A) being on the big screen and not my tv and B) being available in 3D. It will still likely be great in 2D, but I think 3D really added to some of the fight scenes early on in the movie.
 
The fun podcast Twitch of the Death Nerve had a top 10 animals attack episode and inspired me to watch the Mattei/Fragasso Rats - Night of Terror.

Realizing it may be near unwatchable straight (80s-era Mattei is probably the worse Italian genre director ever) I watched the Rifftrax version on Prime and that was a wise decision as this was really bad and I have a high tolerance for bad movies.





Fragasso is some kind of bizarro genius when he directs (Troll 2, Night Killer are amazing) but every film he made with Mattei in the 80s lacks the gonzo energy of his best work.
 
So I watched season 1 of Irregular at Magic High School, which might be described as the retarded offspring of an illicit liaison between Harry Potter and Ghost In the Shell. I stuck it out to the end but I was fairly unimpressed. The manga it's based on is supposed to be popular and well regarded, but the anime series was pretty shallow and trite. While many of the characters were supposed to be heirs to upper-class families it had a strong theme of unironic authoritarianism, and if this was at all nuanced in the manga, the nuances didn't make it into the TV adaptation. It came across as a pretty banal shonen power fantasy and the fanservice was lacking in subtlety even by Japanese standards. I get these folks are toffs, but what does the incest actually add to the story?
What is, this, Alabama?
 
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Started watching A Girl Like Me on Viki Rakuten. Chinese costume drama, seems kinda romcom/soapish-- when we meet the female lead, she's had a prophetic dream about her third fiance eloping with a girl from the local brothel. She confronts them, berates him... gives her a wedding present... and then she jumps out the window and flies away.

Which is when she meets the male lead and everything turns up to 11.
 
Because I'm a movie masochist I followed up Rats - Night of Terror with Fragasso's Zombie 4: After Death on Tubi.

The Severin print is pristine and it stars the gay porn icon Jeff Stryker, I didn't realize he did 'mainstream' films, but after a enjoyably goofy opening the first hour is an extended bore.



The last half picks things up but this is the definition of generic, although reasonably gory zombie movie. The best thing by far in the film is its silly, very 80s hair metal theme 'After Death.' Only the hardcore Eurohorror fans need apply for the film itself though.

Check out the theme song here. Fans of the Transformers theme take note.

 
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I love old Vincent Price films. That one is a classic

Yeah, he's such a wonderful screen presence - like theatrical molasses. While I've seen him play the hero quite well - in Last Man on Earth and a few others - it's really in onscreen villainy that Price shines, throwing himself into the role with such exuberance and indulgence.
 
Yeah, he's such a wonderful screen presence - like theatrical molasses. While I've seen him play the hero quite well - in Last Man on Earth and a few others - it's really in onscreen villainy that Price shines, throwing himself into the role with such exuberance and indulgence.

For me he is the benchmark for horror movie villainy
 
An interesting role for Price is in the lesser-seen Dragonwyck, which I recently caught on TCM.

A classic gothic tale set in the unusual, lesser-known 19th century setting of the patroons and the anti-rent revolt of New York state.

For the first half he is really effective as a romantic Heathcliff-like figure before the heel turn in the second half. His elegant manner, great height and good looks make him a natural romantic lead.




This makes me want to seek out more of his non-horror roles. My favourite of his horror roles is in The Abominable Dr. Phibes.
 
This makes me want to seek out more of his non-horror roles. My favourite of his horror roles is in The Abominable Dr. Phibes.

I enjoy Abominable Dr. Phibes a lot, but I rate Theatre of Blood just a tiny bit higher, which many consider a homage/spoof of Phibes.

Price did some good comedies in the 50's - Champagne for Caesar comes to mind.
 
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