I can't name a movie of the month. I know I saw a good one. I'm sure of it, in fact. I just can't remember what it was.
Last night I meant to watch the Kirsty MacColl doc that E-6 pointed out to me, but with today's work schedule changing, it seemed like a bad idea. I'll try to get to it today.
I did see the fifth season of Arrested Development, which was loads of fun, if a bit of a different show (major characters would go 3-4 episodes without appearing). I'm also way into House of Cards and I'm caught up on Venture Bros., which got stranger than ever in season four.
I've been spending a little more time reading, which is cutting into whatever little time I have for the whole film thing. I should receive Micmacs in the mail soon, though, so I'll get another Jeunet movie crossed off the list. He makes movies so infrequently, I really have no excuse not to be caught up.
Runner daughter took me to Iron Man III for Father's Day, and we enjoyed it.
I love having Venture Bros back for Monday lunchtime viewing.
Miguel Ferrer.
Huh. the Boy took me too, but I didn't see you there. Ditto on the enjoyment.
also,
I just finished Orphan Black over the weekend. Did anybody else watch that series?
I was tempted, but didn't really have the time, and from the promos thought the concept looked better than the execution. What did you think?
It started a little slow but then got really good. It moved very fast and was pretty suspenseful.
My only complaint is that the season finale seemed to offer more questions than answers.
Saw The Impossible. Besides the acting, pretty meh. Also lovely that they got super white Brits to play the Catalan survivors.
Linds and I watched This Is 40 over the weekend. I liked it, but it was sort of a mess. There were moments that felt poorly edited (I can't remember any off the top of my head right now, but there were a couple scenes that just didn't flow at all). It dragged a bit toward the end, but mercifully nothing like Funny People, which went from decent to intolerable over the last hour or so.
Fast and Furious 6 was another Fast and Furious movie, only now they're weird silly Oceans 11-like heist movies, which makes me love the last two SO much. Everything in the movie runs on a parallel track with believability -- the two are never meeting up -- but as long as everything on screen is this much fun, I'll keep watching them as long as they make them.
I'm soldiering on with Battlestar Gallactica. The fourth season annoys me a great deal less than the third.
Yeah, This Is 40 is a huge mess. Definitely some charming and laugh out loud moments, but put together very poorly.
I saw parts of the first FaF movie the other day and I think I was lost. If I decide to watch them, should I start with five?
In so much as characters matter in F&F movies (they do and don't at the same time), you'd probably have plenty of fun watching the fifth one standalone. Maybe the slightly inferior fourth one would be a better starting point, since that's around the time that the franchise decided what it actually wanted to be and started having a storyline that it actually committed to.
BSG - Heh. I remember that feeling. There's an end in sight. And in retrospect I feel like the ending was tight enough, though the path there was... ugh.
I want to know more, and don't at the same time.
I mostly watch BSG when Linds goes to bed, because she has zero interest in (most) things Sci-Fi. As a result, it's slow going.
It's not really a sci-fi show, though.
Eh, I would tend to disagree (FTL, robot people, space exploration,
), but I can see what you're getting at. It's not exactly Star Trek, but it's not just Gunsmoke with a scenic update, either.
Edited to spoiler out something that could conceivably be... you know, a spoiler.
I'd say it qualifies as sci-fi. But like most good sci-fi, it's a very accessible metaphor for non-sci-fi issues.
Also, since we're discussing it, someone go look at a picture of Alex Avila. At the game the other day DPWY pointed out that he looks just like Chief. He's right.
Right, it's more than its genre, which any show should be, regardless of genre.
That's what I was getting at (yes, I just got back to this now).
*smart-ass mode activate*
You saw the fifth season of AD?!
*smart-ass mode de-activate*
Smart?
Turns out I have a time machine.
I've watched the first two parts of Ken Burns Prohibition. I found the first part more interesting because of all the attempts to outlaw alcohol that were made prior to actually getting prohibition through. I still have part 3 to go, probably get to that soon.
I can't think of anything else I've watched, though. I haven't had a chance to get started on AD. I've watched three epsiodes of House of Cards, but its difficult to find the time because my wife likes it as well but usually falls asleep with the Trinket before we get a chance to start an episode.
Arrested.
Was very very awesome. I loved both the references and the new stuff.
I apologize for hitting on you on your facebook page.
Was that you? I thought it was Pete. Of course, I do suffer from facebook blindness.
Same!
I should have figured it was you. After all, Pete has literally 0 friends on facebook. I'm so proud of him.
...
I wonder what would happen if we did a something search of him?
The results would probably be blurred out. Or non-existent, considering his mean wood block skills.
I'm going to assume that this is layers upon layers of AD jokes that just happens to have my name associated?
I think we should vote whether or not Pete-Hound gets to stay in this conversation. But it might get a little complicated, so here's what we do... Of course, Pete-Hound is going to vote that he can stay, so he'll know it was us who voted against him, which could be pretty awkward, so... we all pack a bag, and no talking afterward.
Right. But you should vote for yourself so he doesn't figure out that we were voting for him.
I think we're going to need another voter.
Haven't had much time for movie watching what with a crazy workload and home selling, buying, moving and decorating (painting - every. d@mn. room...ugh).
Zero Dark Thirty - I've been alternately wanting to see this and avoiding it since it came out. I both served in the Middle East in '04 & '08 doing antiterrorism and force protection work, and examined terrorism as student in London during law school.
The study abroad program was a comparative counterterrorism course taught by law professors from both countries - lawyers and barristers mostly - and included members of US and UK law enforcement and intelligence professionals as guest presenters. It focused on both the public/institutional and legal responses to modern terrorism and surveyed the history of terrorism in the British Isles. Being there four years after, and within a short distance of where these happened was a bit surreal.
The Naval service - training for and deploying to the Persain Gulf, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, etc. - was...well, that was a bit beyond surreal. My last deployment in 2007 was leading an embarked mobile security unit. Our primary mission was to provide protection against terrorist attacks on US and civilian ships - basically, deter and/or prevent (or try to) small boat attacks, waterborne IED's, pier-side attacks, or whatever else "they" might attempt. Long hours and more stress than I can accurately recount.
As such, a dramatic recounting of what was happening over the past few years was a little intimidating. Then, the movie percolated to the top of the Netflix list and showed up unexpectedly last week. We watched it on Saturday night and found it to be an intense and wonderfully engrossing film. Everything from the acting and direction to the sound and cinematography grabbed your attention and didn't let go. It contained scenes both brutal and sad, disorienting and compelling and forced me to revisit some of my experiences in the Persian Gulf and London. Forbidden zone rears its head quickly here (and I may use the Forbidden Zone to write more), but I thought it was a really good movie that, if not for my own knowledge of what went on, I would have "enjoyed" more. As it is, I'd recommend it to anyone who hasn't yet seen it. Ms. Bigelow and her cast did a fantastic job.
You would have enjoyed it more because the movie tapped into some emotions the average viewer wouldn't have to deal with or because there were inaccuracies that annoyed you?
The former mostly. For instance, seeing some of the breakdowns in tactics/procedures and strategic failures that lead to operative, troop & civilian deaths was beyond disheartening.
There will always be some of the latter considering the medium, but it mainly rang true. FWIW, my work wasn't intelligence gathering and my studies focused a lot on more of the "after-action" reporting (hindsight being what it is) so seeing the protagonist do her thing was new to me. Don't think I would have picked up inaccuracies in that regard.
I saw The Hangover, Part 3. Whatever it is that they were trying to do with the "closure" didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I appreciate them not regurgtating the exact same pot for a third time, but it was still a completely unnecessary cash grab.
Sheenie and I have basicalled bailed on Cheers and probably haven't watched an episode in two months. It went downhill in a hurry and there's not enough Lilith and Frasier to save the Rebecca/Mr. Drake plots.
I've got a couple of AD's left to watch. The last one I saw was
Also, just finishing up season 4 of The Shield. Why didn't I watch this show when it aired?
I'm not sure which one was my favorite. I definitely need to rewatch. Some of the new characters they introduced were fantastic.
Does it get better? I thought the first episode was funny, if long. And the 2nd episode was just long. And... I haven't felt super-compelled to watch any more.
Sad.
It definitely gets better. I was very confused after the first couple of episodes, but it starts to click around episode 4. I watched the Maeby and George Michael episodes last night, and by this point the season is becoming ridiculously brilliant.
Good to know, I'll plow ahead.
Yeah, it definitely builds. There are episodes that didn't really click for me, but the whole is absolutely spectacular. I'm anticipating a 2nd time through in the not-too-distant future.
Yeah, it's almost a necessary evil that the show doesn't start strongly, because of the way things come together. It definitely flies high late.
Never saw any of the Hangover flics, but if there's pot being regurgitated as you suggest, I'm happy I stayed away. 😛
It's fantastic television. The last three seasons are something really special. I think the show is pretty well regarded overall, but I think that it is not regarded well enough given the quality.
has anyone seen Man of Steel? I am kind of one the fence on seeing it, and the local theater is holding it over for this week. But Ive seen some dreadful reviews.
The last couple of movies I watched (Iron Man 3, Star Trek) have had trailer for Johnny Depps' Lone Ranger. It looks awful.
I haven't really cared for a Superman movie, other than being "okay" with the first Reeves one. This one doesn't seem like the one to change that opinion, but I'll probably give it a go, anyway.
Co-sign.
Heard an interesting story about Lone Ranger and The Dark Tower, which Imagine was apparently going to make, but couldn't get enough money to do properly or something, and Arrested Development.
Lone Ranger doesn't look Wild Wild West bad.
the Boy saw it recently and thought that it was very entertaining, and not nearly so humorless as many of the reviews have suggested. Given how far IM3 exceeded the modal review, I'm prepared to believe him.
After saying that I'd "probably give it a go", I got a call last night from a friend, and we went and watched it.
It was fun. Light on plot, heavy on action. I liked it well enough. It was very well cast, at any rate (Amy Adams is a very good Lois Lane, and casting Michael Shannon is, in general, always a good thing).
Gore Verbinski directing action? I'd be surprised if The Lone Ranger wasn't at least average.
EAR and I watched the recent Anna Karenina (Kiera Knightley et al).
I was unfamiliar with the story, EAR was not.
I was amazed by the staging conceit and a few of the setpiece scenes and didn't care so much for the acting, particularly towards the end. I kept thinking it's like a Baz Lurhmann wannabe or something. (It wasn't Baz himself because there was no pop music and no scenes at 150% speed.)
Knightley does poise in spite of being unsettled well. Not so much for doing unhinged, which is what she needed to do here. I was happy for the ending because I was sick of Anna. Also, Vronsky came off as too slight to win her affections. Perhaps that's how it's written.
Are condoms written into the story?
All in all, I'd just watch it again for the spectacle.
I've been meaning to see that. I read the book last fall and LOVED it. Plus, I thought the same crew did a really interesting job of adapting Atonement to the screen (especially the scene at Dunkirk).
I enjoyed Atonement much more.
The way Anna was filmed would be distracting if it wasn't the best thing about the movie.
If I'd read the book, I might have gotten more out of the story. But I've had poor success reading Russian novels in my life. (Solzhenitsyn excepted.)
Nothing about the movie encouraged me to read the book, other than curiosity about the condom thing, but that may be due to my history with Russian authors.
And under the wire, watched MI III: Ghost Protocol from a library DVD last night. Typical buddy blow-'em-up special gadgets fare.
Anyone been giving the new upcoming season shows any thought? I'd have to say that Almost Human, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and to a lesser extent Sleepy Hollow might get a chance from me.
I will definitely give a chance to the new Ken Tremendous/Frank Pembleton show.
I am excited about the new S.H.I.E.L.D. show, although concerned about Coulson's ability to carry a show, and fully expecting it to fall well short of the mark. But maybe it will be Heroes without much of the stupid stuff that dragged that series down.
oh, wait. It's Joss Whedon? I'm all in!
Two more personal addendums to movie day.
* My wife's cousin got married last week (thus the San Diego pictures that I'm sure a few of you saw on Facebook). It turns out that my wife's cousin's stepfather's brother's mother-in-law is Millie Perkins (best known as Anne Frank from The Diary of Anne Frank). Linds and I were sitting off to the side, and she came up and started talking to us. She's an incredibly personable woman, and we ended up talking about this and that for an hour or so. She played with my nephews, she's just pretty nice in general.
* My brother posted pictures of him holding the Oscar he helped win for his sizable (and credited!) work in Life of Pi.
/namedropping proud older brother