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~Rate The Last Movie/TV Show You Watched Thread~


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1 hour ago, stepee said:

 

it’s worth it but you need to be sooooo high


No! No it wasn’t! You can quote me and 2 other fellow (very stoned) family members. We lasted 26mins before we switched over to my 4K copy of Into the Spider-Verse. I suggested it for being a fun movie, but mainly because the colours would look fucking amazing. Cats was playing on tv this past weekend, tried to watch some and again a big nope. This time I was high as a fucking kite. I was on 3 different Dr. Prescribed pain meds from pulling something in my back, plus some Cinderella 99 and Golden Tiger. Pills didn’t do much at all for the pain but the weed sure did. Sorry for my rant, but again, NO!

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2 minutes ago, silentbob said:


No! No it wasn’t! You can quote me and 2 other fellow (very stoned) family members. We lasted 26mins before we switched over to my 4K copy of Into the Spider-Verse. I suggested it for being a fun movie, but mainly because the colours would look fucking amazing. Cats was playing on tv this past weekend, tried to watch some and again a big nope. This time I was high as a fucking kite. I was on 3 different Dr. Prescribed pain meds from pulling something in my back, plus some Cinderella 99 and Golden Tiger. Pills didn’t do much at all for the pain but the weed sure did. Sorry for my rant, but again, NO!

 

lol idk maybe you didn’t have the right company man! I watched with my friend and we were laughing a lot throughout it, it’s such a ridiculous and horrible movie 

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1 hour ago, stepee said:

 

lol idk maybe you didn’t have the right company man! I watched with my friend and we were laughing a lot throughout it, it’s such a ridiculous and horrible movie 


I watched with my cousin and her husband, like I did with a good chunk of my stoner viewing back then. We also had a sober person, my mom, who liked some of the music from cats. Yeah it wasn’t working for her either and left us before Spider-verse started. 

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3 minutes ago, silentbob said:


I watched with my cousin and her husband, like I did with a good chunk of my stoner viewing back then. We also had a sober person, my mom, who liked some of the music from cats. Yeah it wasn’t working for her either and left us before Spider-verse started. 

 

ok look fine I just think the cats are hot ok

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[Netflix]

 

I Lost My Body: 8/10

 

I Lost My Body is an animated film about a somewhat troubled guy named Naoufel. Part of the movie follows a disembodied hand the other part follows the life of Naoufel as he struggles through life after his parents pass away seems like his life has been going downhill since. But a chance meeting with someone drives him to change his life, though it seems the bad luck still follows him. I watched it in it's native language, French, but it is dubbed in English if you want to hear Dev Patel and Alia Shawkat instead. The animation is fine, it's kind of a stylized rotoscope type of look (in my opinion) not super realistic looking but a level of detail to keep the film grounded. It's not a movie for kids, that's for sure, and the overall tone is quite somber. The soundtrack puts in a lot of work and is powerful as well. I don't know if you need to be in a certain mood to watch it but going in cold I enjoyed it.

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On 3/30/2023 at 8:53 PM, thewhyteboar said:

Time for another update:

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie 4/5

Jeanne Dielman 4/5

The Flowers of St. Francis 4.5/5 This ruled. I really dug it. I must be secretly Catholic.

Caliber 9 4.5/5 The first of an Italian crime trilogy, and the best by far. No characters carry over, but I liked how the actor who played the villain in the first one, became the hero in the second. And the actor playing the villain in the second became the protagonist of the third.

The Italian Connection 3.5/5

The Boss 3.5/5

The Naked City 4/5 Loved how the narrator pronounced words just like Bugs Bunny--moider.

There's Always Tomorrow 3.5/5 Oof the gender politics of this.

3 Women 4/5 Still not sure what I watched.

April:

Shoot First, Die Later 4/5 another by the same Italian director as the others

The Swimming Pool 4/5 I stand by my assertion that Alain Delon is the most handsome man who ever lived

Body Double 3.5/5 Criterion had erotic thrillers this month, so a bunch of Brian de Palma

Dressed to Kill 4.5/5

Call Me 3.5/5

Crimes of Passion 2/5

A Woman Under the Influence 4.5/5 Peter Falk man

The Last Temptation of Christ 3.5/5

Silence 5/5 the last two were for Easter

Citizen Kane 4.5/5 had never seen it before

Pat Garret & Billy the Kid 5/5 a rewatch and my favorite Western of all time. There's always something new, every time I watch it.

Body Heat 3/5

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[blu-ray]

 

Martian Successor Nadesico: 8/10

 

If you remember some number of months back I had rented the movie of this show without watching the show first. As it turns out Nozomi Entertainment / Rightstuf had actually done a remaster of this series on blu ray back in 2017 (I believe @Kal-El814 inquired about these remasters a while ago too, not this specific show but in general) and it's actually a very entertaining show.

 

At some time in the future Earth people and Jovian lizards from Jupiter are at war, divided over an attack of an Earth colony on Mars. But they both share a love for Gekigangar (a Getter Robo / Voltron-esque parody anime). The Nadesico is the best battleship earth has, or ever made? Led by the female captain Yurika and an eclectic crew they protect the earth and try to uncover the mystery of what happened on Mars. One of the crew members, and the lead character Akito, grew up on Mars and was actually on the planet when the attack happened. He grew up traumatized by the whole event but also motivated enough to be a pilot. Now the pilots in this series don't pilot space ships like a bitch, they pilot giant mechs called aestivalis. In any case the anime is 70% lighthearted and 30% serious. There is a lot of war, fighting and stuff like that. Heck some really somber parts like the death of some characters and the emotion feels very genuine at the moment. But sometimes the show is paced too quickly so there isn't much time to dwell on those emotions.

 

The show and manga came out in 1996 but it's interesting to see how many modern day tropes are on the show. The show has a kind of light harem vibe to it. Yurika was childhood friends with Akito and has an undying love for him even if he doesn't quite reciprocate the feelings. But there are other crew members into him. There are a variety of personality types among the crew. One pilot, Izumi, is a kind of melancholy utsudere personality while one of the main characters, Ruri, is totally kuudere. Would you believe there is a beach episode? I don't count this as a negative, however, it adds a lot of charm to the show.

 

Overall it is pretty cool. Like I said my only gripe is that it is maybe a bit too fast paced at times. I listened one episode of the English VO for those pervs like @Greatoneshere who love their dubs and I couldn't get into it. The characters just sounded bored. A side minor gripe here is that if you watch in English there are no subtitles and it is something you might want on a show like this since Ruri kind of mumbles a lot. On top of that is a lot of overlapping dialogue and signage translation so even if it is subtitled sometimes it is a lot to take in at once. As for the remaster of the show, it looks great, even by today's standards. You would never know this was some old anime that once existed on crusty old VHS tapes. In any case all of this leads us back to...

 

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[blu-ray]

 

Martian Successor Nadesico: The Motion Picture - The Prince of Darkness: 8/10

 

So included on the blu-ray not only is all the episodes of the show but the Gekigangar OVA and the movie. As I mentioned I originally watched the movie and had no idea what was going on. After having watched the show I can confidently say I know what's going on, but now that I do it feels like a double edge sword. Like I said the show is mostly lighthearted fun, a lot of Gekigangar love, and lots of tomfoolery between Akito and Yurika. However, the movie throws all of this out of the window. Akito and Yurika are DEAD (or are they? :] ) there is no mention of Gekigangar (although keep your eyes peeled and I think there is a reference in there) and the show is pretty dark and serious.

 

Ruri, a member of the original crew is now the captain of a new Nadesico. - Note: I gave a plot breakdown of the movie originally though I can give a more clear perspective this time. It seems like the Jovians and Earth are working together now and are being attacked by an offshoot of the Jovians who call themselves Martian Successors. In fact, it is a familiar face if you've seen the show. And they are after an artifact from Mars, and if you've watched the show that artifact plays a big part in the show. So the movie is like getting the old crew back together to go on one last battle which is kind of cool. On the flip side it is kind of off-putting not seeing your favorite characters from the beginning. You're like, "They replaced Minato with this dude with a pink strand of hair?" but it makes it all the more nicer to see them pop up as things go on.

 

Now the first time I saw this was on an old crusty DVD copy and I don't remember much visually. But through the magic of blu-ray the animation here has somehow been enhanced. I thought the show looked pretty good myself but after watching the movie you can clearly see a step up on the level of detail and fluidity of animation. I was actually pretty blown away at how awesome the movie looks. I would totally recommend watching this version. Unfortunately watching the 26 episodes of the anime is a must, so you have to be dedicated to watch the movie. I think I probably mentioned this the first time, and even earlier in the anime breakdown but it's even more true for the movie, the pace of the film is off the charts. It's easier to process for sure if you've seen the show but it would have been nice to let things simmer a bit. In the end, with context, I enjoyed this movie more the second time around.

 

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Thor: Love and Thunder 3D 3/5

Tried to watch a couple days ago but my glasses weren’t charged. They are now and a viewing I went. Overall the 3D was ok in comparison to Ragnarok or even Dark Worlds with minimal beyond the screen moments (several would of worked her with the hammer) I won’t ruin the story but will say that when it wants to take itself seriously, it’s a good to great movie. They let the improve go too much and scenes that should have been serious were played outta context to the character and their previous growth. Still it had enough moments that really entertained and some cool 3D scenes too. The DTS-HDMA 7.1 was overall nice and better with the added overhead layering with Neural X applied. Still the movie is pretty neutered like previous releases and it’s a shame because it had great separation/panning moments for a fun track. 
 

STAR WARS: VISIONS SEASON 2 9/10

 

Another great season with tons of cool new animation styles that all really standout on their own. The season has 9 episodes and only the 7th episode really didn’t work overall for me. I hope they announce a 3rd season very soon, with even more new animation houses to give her a their own voice to the universe. 

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Pieces of Her - 6/10

 

Overall worth a watch if you're just jonesing for a thriller, but not really something to go out of your way for. The pacing sucks. It's a bummer because there are moments in the show where the writing is REALLY fucking good. Like, you'll be just bumbling through an episode and all of the sudden there will be a scene that grabs you by the dick and twists it. Then, just as quickly as the moment came, it went, and you're back to basic potboiler shit with a bunch of characters you don't really care about because the show never gives you a reason to.

 

I get that there's supposed to be suspense and revealing too much about the characters to early makes the plot fall apart, but like you have to give me *something.* We spend a lot of time with Omari Hardwick's character in the first few episodes and he just gets fucking dropped like a bad habit

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[blu-ray]

 

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent: 8/10

 

Nicolas Cage is in many movies these days and it was only a matter of time before he was starring in a movie about himself. The Nick Cage metaverse is real and honestly pretty entertaining. Nick Cage plays himself, or a fictional version of himself, as an actor who's really into himself and so are a lot of other people. It happens that he doesn't land the role of a lifetime and he quits acting. So he's invited to an island in Spain by guy named Javi who persuades him to, of course, un-retire from acting and act in his own movie. On top of that there is some sort of kidnapping plot, CIA thing, you know for the trailer moment. In any case it's quite entertaining and very self aware. If you thought the Mario movie dropped a lot of references wait till you see this! Also, am I going to have to see Paddington 2? :s

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I never wanted to watch the Paddington movie when it came out. I was working for Pepsi and my one driver kept saying how much he and his wife wanted to see the movie. I got that a lot when I saw him at random stores for my merch product drop offs for months. Later that year I saw a blu-ray copy at Walmart for $8 for a Boxing Day sale. Bought and just absolutely loved it, and I even imported the 2nd movie because I wanted a 4K copy. Also got it 2+ months before it got a theatrical release in North America, and it’s one of my best looking discs in my collection. So YES @Keyser_Sozego watch both movies. Depending on the strike, they will start filming the 3rd movie sometime this summer. Different director, but wrote the screenplay again and gives me hope for his next movie, WONKA

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[dvd]

 

Driving Miss Daisy: 8/10

 

This is another one of those well regarded movies I had never seen. It also happens to bee Morgan Freeman's blackest role ever. The film takes place during the 1950s and 60s in Georgia. Dan Aykroyd's mother backs her car over a cliff and he gets worried about her and insurance won't pay for her to drive so he pays Morgan Freeman to drive his mom around. The problem is she's a proud Jewish woman who doesn't want to appear wealthy and wants to do things for herself so she's a bit slow to accept a driver. So the film is basically about her coming to terms with that and then maybe even learning a thing or two about the prejudice and racism around the time. While the film isn't actually about racism or anything like that, it does touch on it briefly and it feels kind of an afterthought, like the impact and revelations for the character (Tandy) feels like it takes place off screen. In the end it doesn't really spoil the movie but it is something to think about. Most importantly the film is very character driven and thankfully well acted by both Tandy and Freeman (Aykroyd isn't too bad either). The chemistry between two take makes for a compelling journey.

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Travelers season 1

 

The premise is some hundreds of years in the future, humanity is fucked, so they developed time travel to unfuck humanity by sending people back in time. Unlike Terminators, they don't send physical beings back, they send consciousnesses back. They find people who were/are about to die, and right before their death their mind gets taken over by someone from the future.

 

It's a pretty sweet premise, tbh. These people from the future take over folks' lives and have to impersonate them so as not to blow their cover.

 

The thing is this show is fucking WILD. And I don't necessarily mean that in a good way. I'm only on episode 12 and it's like there's an entirely new plot every 3 episodes.

 

I'm going to keep watching, but jesus, it's like this show jumped the shark before it could even see the water. Like, imagine if the first 4 seasons of Supernatural all happened in 12 episodes. That's pretty much what the show feels like.

 

edit: forgot a rating - 5/10

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Better Off Dead

 

First time I've seen this in over a decade and it held up way better than I thought it would.

 

Some really great lines but this one tops them: Now that's a real shame when folks be throwin' away a perfectly good white boy like that.  :lol:

 

There was a neat little Easter egg I never noticed til now. At the dance scene, Amanda Wyss was followed by one of the baddie's henchmen, who was wearing a Freddy Krueger sweater. Wyss played Tina, Freddy's 1st victim, in the original ANOES, released the year before.

 

Though knowing what we know, the Dan Schneider parts were extra creepy. The creep even got a happy ending when he wound up with someone younger than Diane Franklin (<3).

 

8/10

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NOBODY 3.5/5

 

Better Call Saul an action star. I can were all the training he did for this movie, would have done to his heart. It is a short film at 90mins (one mid credit stinger) It really plays like a slow burn of a movie with the action getting more complex/violent as the rust slowly starts to come off. It’s like John Wick for sure but I also got a very Office Space kinda vibe too. It’s the mundane daily job/grind and then something happens and sparks that other you too come out. It has some humorous moments that go along with some great action set pieces too. The biggest action scenes literally play out like Home Alone and even said so in the extra bits. I wouldn’t mind a sequel but I don’t know if Bob’s heart would be up for it again, because he gives it his all here. Atmos track was pretty good but needed to up my volume a little higher than normal, but great spacial/tracking moments with the action. Plus the 4K disc looks pretty damn solid as well. 

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[Blu-Ray]

 

The Cat Returns: 7/10

 

Do you like nekos? If so, perhaps you would like this movie. A girl, Haru, saves a cat from being hit by a truck. It turns out the cat can talk and is also a prince, so the Cat King shows his gratitude by... forcing her to marry the prince? A bit silly but fun and brief tale. For a Studio Ghibli movie it feels a bit ordinary. Even though it's about a kingdom of cats, it didn't quite have that magic Studio Ghibli is known for. Despite that I still had a good time watching it. Did not watch the dub, sorry Tim Curry. :rose:

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6 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

The Cat Returns: 7/10

 

Do you like nekos? If so, perhaps you would like this movie. A girl, Haru, saves a cat from being hit by a truck. It turns out the cat can talk and is also a prince, so the Cat King shows his gratitude by... forcing her to marry the prince? A bit silly but fun and brief tale. For a Studio Ghibli movie it feels a bit ordinary. Even though it's about a kingdom of cats, it didn't quite have that magic Studio Ghibli is known for. Despite that I still had a good time watching it. Did not watch the dub, sorry Tim Curry. :rose:

 

Just curious - The Cat Returns (2002) is technically a spin-off of Studio Ghibli's 1995 film Whisper of the Heart (directed by the late Yoshifumi Kondo, who was supposed to be heir apparent to Miyazaki and Takahata but tragically died of an aortic dissection in 1998). Seeing Whisper of the Heart first (a genuinely great film) helps somewhat to enjoy The Cat Returns though the connections are minimal. Also The Cat Returns is Studio Ghibli trying out another director again other than Miyazaki or Takahata with The Cat Returns being directed by Hiroyuki Morita. It's a fun film but agreed, not top tier Ghibli.

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[Netflix]

 

Hotel del Luna: 9/10

 

Hotel del Luna tells the tale of Jang Man-wol, a spiteful woman who had been betrayed in her past cursed to spend her time running the guest house of the moon. This is no ordinary hotel as it only serves dead people. The hotel is a limbo of sorts where restless souls come to fulfill the wishes they could never accomplish while living. Once they are happy they move on to the afterlife, and cross the Samdo river. Another reason people stay at the hotel is because the ghosts harbor grudges and Man-wol harbors a grudge that's over a thousand years long. But there is someone out there who can change that fate. The hotel requires a human "manager" to deal with human matters that ghosts cannot. Koo Chang-sung takes on this task. The show is mostly a tale of the two growing to trust each other but has some type of ghost of the week type things sprinkled in.

The show is well written, very thorough with some lovable characters. It's mostly fun and a tad melancholy basically dealing with grief and sadness a lot of the time, especially with the invertible fate that all of the characters have to face. The budget on this show is obscene. Not only does it take place in the present time, with everyone riding around in Jaguars, it takes place in at least two other eras with time appropriate settings and costumes. IU (Lee Ji-eun) is the lead actress here and she's actually quite good. Overall I can't think of too many flaws with the show. It's a quality production that will keep you looking forward to the next episode.

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Watched the first episode of Arnold's new show, "FUBAR"

 

Eh, could have been fun, but it isn't, at least not so far.   If it's just gonna be angry daughter bickering with daddy all season, that'll get old.  Supporting cast is kinda cringe too.  If you want to watch Arnold be a spy and a family man, just rewatch "True Lies."

 

5/10.

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I've finally gotten around to watching Stranger Things (I know, whatever)

 

First season was fucking dope. Not sure how to rate it, but it's up there.

 

Second season... I haven't finished it yet, but we're halfway through and the plot is still in the first act. I want to scream at the show to get its ass off the ground and start fucking moving. You only have like 10-12 characters, it shouldn't take 4 hours to establish the fucking plot and introduce the stakes. ...steaks? ... stakes? I can never remember which one of those is appropriate. Anyway, halfway through the second season, and I feel like everything that's happened so far could have been one episode. Maybe two.

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[dvd]

 

The Last Picture Show: 8/10

 

It's weird to call The Last Picture Show a coming of age movie since it feels so old. I guess I associate coming of age with more modern movie. A pretty loaded cast including Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Ellen Burstyn and two Bottoms. It takes place in Anarene Texas where the football team can't tackle and gossip travels fast. Sonny and Duane are good friends basically the film follows their journey learning about love, life and all that good stuff. I think it is an interesting movie to see now, when you've got more perspective on life. The parts with Joe Bob for instance was something I could relate to. I knew a "Joe Bob" growing up, people made fun of him, he was slow and people picked on him for fun. The thing in this movie is with all the rotten stuff the characters do you can really see how the characters reflect on their actions. Some feel regret and of course others revel in it. Basically even in 1951, the more things change the more they stay the same.

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THE BAD GUYS 3D 3.5/5

 

Whatever this new animation style Dreamworks is using, I kinda like the look. Characters look sharp, more cartoonish, cel-shaded and yet silky smooth looking. The movie is sort of paint by numbers of their past MegaMind in that bad guy(s) starts to like the idea of being seen as a good guy. Not much to say that won’t ruin the surprises they try to pop into the movie. It was sorta slow for me but has a really fun 2nd half of action. The soundtrack was boosted a little higher then I normally listen to my movies at on my receiver, but boy does is sound good. Lots of car chase action that kept my subs in constant action, to impressive spacial sound panning for 5.1 track. I imported from the only place that got the rights to the film (Random Space Media) in Australia. The movie didn’t have much pop outs but it sure looks damn pretty. Colours were great, separation of characters/objects was impressive with great detail expanding towards the back of the scene. Well worth the hefty import price for the 3D disc I think. Plus I watched it with my 10 year old niece and she loved it.

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Soft & Quiet (Netflix) - Can’t say much about this one. It starts with an elementary school teacher leaving work to go a meeting she’s organized, but before that you saw the Blumhouse logo, so something bad is gonna happen. It’s an interesting feature debut for the writer/director, a lean and mean 90 minute (real-time) drama. 

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[Blu-Ray]

 

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World - (hype) 9/10

 

After seeing that thread about this movie, I had to reevaluate my life since I hadn't actually seen it and it's also a bannable offense by @Commissar SFLUFAN

And I can see why he enjoys it. It's like naval simulator. The film is visceral, bleak and unforgiving. It makes you stare at the screen and wonder why anyone would want to be on one of these ships. There's no super hero Jack Sparrow type stuff in here it's like Saving Private Ryan on the ocean. Moments of joy are quickly stomped out by moments of despair. All that being said it's quite enjoyable. You grow to love the crew through the good times and the bad and that's what the movie is all about.

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On 5/1/2023 at 8:15 PM, thewhyteboar said:

April:

Shoot First, Die Later 4/5 another by the same Italian director as the others

The Swimming Pool 4/5 I stand by my assertion that Alain Delon is the most handsome man who ever lived

Body Double 3.5/5 Criterion had erotic thrillers this month, so a bunch of Brian de Palma

Dressed to Kill 4.5/5

Call Me 3.5/5

Crimes of Passion 2/5

A Woman Under the Influence 4.5/5 Peter Falk man

The Last Temptation of Christ 3.5/5

Silence 5/5 the last two were for Easter

Citizen Kane 4.5/5 had never seen it before

Pat Garret & Billy the Kid 5/5 a rewatch and my favorite Western of all time. There's always something new, every time I watch it.

Body Heat 3/5

May:

  • I Shot Jesse James 3/5 I like Sam Fuller, but this was just kinda meh.
  • Winchester '73 4/5
  • Bend of the River 4.5/5
  • The Man from Laramie 4/5 These 3 are Anthony Mann/Jimmy Stewart Westerns and they are so, so good. It's fun to see another side of Jimmy Stewart--he can be vicious, mean, wrathful, but also selfless and daring to become a new man. The Far Country (I watched that a few months ago), is probably my favorite of their collaborations (the deconstruction of the individualist hero is just incredible), but I really like Bend of the River. So fun to see a Western actually shot in the PNW! I've also been ruminating about an exchange between a settler and Stewart, where the settler bemoans the heel turn taken by a shopkeeper. The shopkeeper has denied the settlers the supplies they need (and have already paid for!) to survive the winter because of a new gold rush. He can sell the supplies to miners and make 10x the profits. The settler says that it's too bad, he thought the shopkeeper had been a nice guy. And Stewart retorts "He was...until they found gold." And I just found it to be such an incisive and insightful look at human nature; we all can be good, but we all have that potential to go bad if the circumstances are there. That exchange, short that it is, is really revealing of the Mann/Stewart Westerns, and how they get human nature (alright, that's enough about Westerns and I doubt anyone cares enough about the genre [but stay tuned, I'm planning on making a big post on Westerns one of these days]).
  • The Wages of Fear 4/5
  • Diabolique 3.5/5 A nice pair of French drama/thrillers by Clouzot.
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[blu-ray]

 

Kandagawa Jet Girls: 7/10 - This show follows a girl named Rin as she attempts to follow in the footsteps of her mother a famous Jet Ski racer She moves to Tokyo and meets Misa, a disenchanted jet racer of sorts, on the verge of quitting. So they team up together, form a bond and begin to trust each other as time goes on and all that kind of stuff. Now the jet ski racing in this is a bit more high tech. Two people ride and one person shoots high powered water bullets at the other racers which can power down their vehicle. Of course it wouldn't be anime if there wasn't some lewdness involved so if a girl gets shot her bodysuit  flies off. Although it doesn't seem to affect much of anything else (and no they aren't naked when it flies off they have some bikini beneath the suit).

 

The show is mostly traditional animation but the races switch to 3D and the effect works well, it doesn't take you out of the action. Although the show is focused on racing maybe 1/3 of the show is actual racing and the rest is character driven story stuff. The writing is pretty standard, mostly revolving around all the personalities of the girls. The Californian girls cracked me up with their way of speaking "my angel!" - And there were some poignant moments surprisingly.

 

Now I was initially interested in this because it was directed by Hiraku Kaneko the man who brought you Valkyrie Drive and Qwaser of the Stigmata, you know lewd stuff. And sure there is some lewd stuff here but it feels very tacked on and dare I say unnecessary? There's nudity, but it seems like every time it happens it's because the character is taking a bath. But overall it's a solid show, not every long, and it's mostly lighthearted stuff. Now I'll just have to play the video game that's based on the show.

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Manifest - 3/10

 

I went into it thinking that it's just junk food sci-fi mystery thriller TV. For the first couple seasons, that's what it is. They also flesh out complex human relationships in a way that doesn't rely on tropes, which is nice. No one is ever a bad guy, you understand and can empathize with everyone.

 

However, starting with season 3, that all goes out the window and it completely turns into "have faith in God or perish." The first couple seasons absolutely had a lot of religious symbolism, but it never felt preachy. In the first couple seasons, the show even wrestles with the idea of blindly following faith. By season 3, it's not wrestling anymore.

 

I kind of dismissed the show because it got cancelled, but after it got picked up again by Netflix, I thought surely there must be something to it. Nope. It got revived simply because it started to appeal to a devoted Christian audience. They'll watch anything that reinforces their beliefs, and by season 3, the message is "it's not your place to question it."

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[blu-ray]

 

The Forbidden Kingdom: 7/10

 

Written and directed by some white guys and starring a white guy from Boston, Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano), The Forbidden Kingdom is a movie that sees the character travel back to ancient China (is this an Isekai?) after some thugs beat him up and shoot his old Chinese friend that works at a video store. Jason is a guy very into Kung Fu movies and regularly rents DVDs from an old shop owner named Hop. He also has a golden staff in his back room he's been waiting to return to someone. On Jason's way home he's harassed by some school kids who force him to go to the store so they can rob him. One of the thugs shoots Hop and and chase Jason down trying to force him to secrecy when he's teleported to ancient China where he can't understand a word of Chinese (shocker!). But luckily Jackie Chan arrives on the scene and can speak English to him. Turns out the golden staff belonged to the Monkey King who was tricked and turned to stone by an evil emperor so the film is about a journey to return the staff.

 

On it's face a Chinese movie written and directed by white dudes sounds like a bad idea, but it seems like much of the production crew is Chinese including the most important part, the fight choreographers. The movie is very much a vehicle to see Jet Li, Jackie Chan and even Li Bingbing duke it out. The story is mostly ho hum and the lead actor is not very good either. The film would have been a lot better off if it was just a period piece about returning the staff outright without the wimpy dude tagging along. In the end Jason is faced with the impossible decision: Does he stay in China or return to South Boston? You will just have to watch to find out! :o

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