OT: Let's talk about Movies and TV Shows, Part XXX (...how can this possibly go wrong)

[rik schau]

I dunno, so far so good, but Villanelle just got arrested after Eve called the cops on her. Is that what changed it? Don't tell me, I'll finish it before the weekend.

If you watched the other seasons,might as well watch until the conclusion,just something was off,not a happy camper how it evolved.

 

[peate]

Great quote from Joe Walsh: "It was way more fun being in my 20's in the 70's, than being in my 70's in the 20's".

I can so relate, especially lately.

 

[DAChampion]

I watched the Resident Evil series on Netflix.

It started off splendidly well, but the last two episodes had too much plot, too much contrivance, etc it fell apart. Too bad, squandered potential.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I didn’t care for episode 9 of BCS, I thought it redeemed itself with episode 10, but I was looking forward to something I was expecting for a few episodes that happened in episode 9 and I didn’t think it was well executed. First time I was a bit letdown. Was still very good though.

 

[GoodKiwi]

Nice

Was contemplating what to watch with my next uber eats order of cineplex pop corn. The John Wick comparison always does it for me

Just out of curiosity... you get many John Wick comparisons?

Only asking because IMO parts 2 and 3 of the series are very unique and I can't think of one film I also saw that compares.

I'm not a fan of the action genre, far from it, but I like self-aware productions that boldly claim - Yeah, this is nuts and you will love it. Very few can actually cross that imaginary fourth(?) wall between it and I where I'm completely enveloped in the action choreography, sound, etc. Yeah the writing can be a little bit of a distraction but only slightly so with the truly great ones.

Anyhow, The Grey Man is perhaps not quite the calibre of Wick 2 & 3, but it's somewhere close I think. I will have to watch it a few more times to be sure. I might like it a little better or less - we shall see.

Highly recommend good sound setup turned up high or a set of quality cans. The soundtrack is a star here - it's fantastic!

 

[GoodKiwi]

Trakt falsely put season 4 of Borgen in my upcoming shows queue and I was super excited for a while. Checked earlier today and it seems like a mistake.

Been mostly watching the usual suspects - Luxembourg's Capitani, Finland's Karppi, then some Icelandic, German productions and the BBC One. repeats.

Think the only two new shows I saw with English audio are Barry and Ozark. Severe lack of time making it look completely barren out there for quality TV.

 

[Kriss E]

Shocked how much I like The Gray Man. This goes straight to my action hall of fame next to Wick movies and some others.

I watch 3-4 movies per year and am very glad I decided to give this one a try.

No, not perfect by any means, but it does what it sets out to do - entertain. Helped to wash the sour taste of the movie I saw before - The Batman. What a disappointment that was, ugh.

I dont know why Hollywood insists on making action movies into completely unrealistic movies...
Like you can make a very good spy/assassin movie without a dumb scene where the guys are still trying to fight while half their plane is ripped off and is freefalling down..Forget for a second how they would all pass out due to pressure, who the hell fights as a plane crashes?
Then jumps off...catches a guy with a parachute...takes it over...
And let's not talk about that car chase...

There's just something that takes it away for me when it's way way way over the top.

Like John Wick is also about this super assassin but it's not borderline cartoon.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I was looking forward to something I was expecting for a few episodes that happened in episode 9 and I didn’t think it was well executed.

The break-up?

 

[GoodKiwi]

I dont know why Hollywood insists on making action movies into completely unrealistic movies...
Like you can make a very good spy/assassin movie without a dumb scene where the guys are still trying to fight while half their plane is ripped off and is freefalling down..Forget for a second how they would all pass out due to pressure, who the hell fights as a plane crashes?
Then jumps off...catches a guy with a parachute...takes it over...
And let's not talk about that car chase...

There's just something that takes it away for me when it's way way way over the top.

Typically agreed, although I don't fixate on any of the above. I'm a script/writing slut. I notice absence of a good one 10-15 minutes in and that's usually the end.

This is why I enjoy movies like John Wiick and The Gray Man that "overpower" me and take me for a ride. It's a much much needed relief, trust me. If I wanted to go back to my "reality" - well, it's grim and hopeless British and Welsh shows I live on.

Why would you want a "grounded action movie"? To treat it more seriously? Nah, it's be worse, much much worse unless cast, camera and writers are competent. Grounded in reality action movies.... Good ones...a rare breed indeed. ...There's The Rock and Neeson stuff of course, but after that....

Got any on your mind?


P.S. Maybe it's just the opposite for me? Although, Wick is in another league when it comes to sheer "human scale". This one boasts budget though. Reeves' horrible acting and horrendous attempts to say even a word in a foreign language, cheesy plot and yet...It holds you. Major props to that series. I tried my best to resist but it knocked me out cold.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

The break-up?

Yeah, the break-up.

 

[GoodKiwi]

My ap[ologies for double posting, but it just came to me.

@Kriss E

Does Gosling's "Drive" fit you criteria of realistic action movies? Did I take off too much or too little, which is it?

Phoenix' You Were Never Really Here?

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Yeah, the break-up.

What about it? It felt off or forced?

 

[ClasslessGuy]

Yeah, the break-up.

Judging by the preview for next week, it's not the end of it yet

 

[Redux91]

It was until the final season,the last season tarnished what was good.

You know you always forget to write "IMO" right?

 

[Kriss E]

Typically agreed, although I don't fixate on any of the above. I'm a script/writing slut. I notice absence of a good one 10-15 minutes in and that's usually the end.

This is why I enjoy movies like John Wiick and The Gray Man that "overpower" me and take me for a ride. It's a much much needed relief, trust me. If I wanted to go back to my "reality" - well, it's grim and hopeless British and Welsh shows I live on.

Why would you want a "grounded action movie"? To treat it more seriously? Nah, it's be worse, much much worse unless cast, camera and writers are competent. Grounded in reality action movies.... Good ones...a rare breed indeed. ...There's The Rock and Neeson stuff of course, but after that....

Got any on your mind?


P.S. Maybe it's just the opposite for me? Although, Wick is in another league when it comes to sheer "human scale". This one boasts budget though. Reeves' horrible acting and horrendous attempts to say even a word in a foreign language, cheesy plot and yet...It holds you. Major props to that series. I tried my best to resist but it knocked me out cold.

Well you mentioned one in John Wick, or some of the Guy Ritchie ones like Gentleman, Wrath of Man, Lock Stock....
If you want a more comedic one, the nice guys or Mr. and Ms. Smith..
Baby Driver, Top Gun..Tons of other ones.
You mentioned Drive but I'd put that as a drama.

I'm okay with some crazy over the top action but I prefer when it's more in a Mission Impossible or 007 style...

Not to say I wasn't still entertained by Grey Man but just thought some things were just too much.

 

[GoodKiwi]

Well you mentioned one in John Wick, or some of the Guy Ritchie ones like Gentleman, Wrath of Man, Lock Stock....
If you want a more comedic one, the nice guys or Mr. and Ms. Smith..
Baby Driver, Top Gun..Tons of other ones.
You mentioned Drive but I'd put that as a drama.

I'm okay with some crazy over the top action but I prefer when it's more in a Mission Impossible or 007 style...

Not to say I wasn't still entertained by Grey Man but just thought some things were just too much.

Wow, you' really find John Wick to be more realistic than The Gray Man? Not mocking, just surprised.

Personally, I'd have to think long and hard to find a movie more over the top than JW2 & 3 (just building on it).

I mean what's our definition of realism here? IMO a movie about pink leprechauns terrorizing rectums of our planet's population and the great battle that the conflict culminates in destroying Earth entirely is about as realistic as Wick getting through yet another 50 dudes with automatic weapons firing at close range. Can I conceive of those firefights happening in real life? No, I'd rather believe in the leprechauns being a real threat. Or at least it's splitting hairs.

By this frame of thought what both of the above make something like Villeneuve's "Arrival" ? A documentary?

Would be really interested to read you frame your point of view as to which criteria you define more "realistic" than another.


Does anyone else have an opinion of one "realism" vs another?

 

[BehindTheTimes]

What about it? It felt off or forced?

I feel like it deserved more attention and it was just sort of fed in there. I dunno, maybe it was me. Didn’t feel at all natural to me. I’ll give another watch and see if I feel any different.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I feel like it deserved more attention and it was just sort of fed in there. I dunno, maybe it was me. Didn’t feel at all natural to me. I’ll give another watch and see if I feel any different.

I kinda feel it's a bit their nature as persons and a couple. They are not overly emotional, to say the least. Only time we've seen them say they love each other is after the biggest crisis of their lives. They're both just not big on actual drama.

Also... have you noticed the credit scene for next episode? Something tells me we might see Kim in the B&W present in the final episodes. I mean, this whole story with Jeffie seems already over, or not, since Jeffie was relunctant to say it was over. There's 3 episodes left...

About Jeffie, it was kinda painful they couldn't keep the same actor. I was kinda thrown off at first, having to wonder, is this the same guy? He couldn't follow-up because of contract obligations. How the **** you don't leave yourself free to be part of one of the best tv dramas of all time??

 

[ArtPeur]

Wow, you' really find John Wick to be more realistic than The Gray Man? Not mocking, just surprised.

Personally, I'd have to think long and hard to find a movie more over the top than JW2 & 3 (just building on it).

I mean what's our definition of realism here? IMO a movie about pink leprechauns terrorizing rectums of our planet's population and the great battle that the conflict culminates in destroying Earth entirely is about as realistic as Wick getting through yet another 50 dudes with automatic weapons firing at close range. Can I conceive of those firefights happening in real life? No, I'd rather believe in the leprechauns being a real threat. Or at least it's splitting hairs.

By this frame of thought what both of the above make something like Villeneuve's "Arrival" ? A documentary?

Would be really interested to read you frame your point of view as to which criteria you define more "realistic" than another.


Does anyone else have an opinion of one "realism" vs another?

Only army guys could probably tell if the shootings are "realistic" or not. It's certainly more realistic than Star Wars as far as shooting goes. But, even then, mass shootings between 2 (or more) parties at close range rarely ever happens. At least, you could say that Keanu Reeves got a lot of training for his shooting scenes to make it more plausible. There's still one question that could be asked: John Wick is a master at shooting because it's.. pretty much is job. Does all the mafia bozos are actually good at shooting?

 

[Kriss E]

Wow, you' really find John Wick to be more realistic than The Gray Man? Not mocking, just surprised.

Personally, I'd have to think long and hard to find a movie more over the top than JW2 & 3 (just building on it).

I mean what's our definition of realism here? IMO a movie about pink leprechauns terrorizing rectums of our planet's population and the great battle that the conflict culminates in destroying Earth entirely is about as realistic as Wick getting through yet another 50 dudes with automatic weapons firing at close range. Can I conceive of those firefights happening in real life? No, I'd rather believe in the leprechauns being a real threat. Or at least it's splitting hairs.

By this frame of thought what both of the above make something like Villeneuve's "Arrival" ? A documentary?

Would be really interested to read you frame your point of view as to which criteria you define more "realistic" than another.


Does anyone else have an opinion of one "realism" vs another?

I don't remember JW 2, didn't see the third...so just going off the first. No I don't think it's a realistic movie per se.
But they're essentially just choreographed real fight scenes. The guy has an answer for every punch/kick/weapon but he isn't jumping off an airplane without a parachute, get tangled in one only to come out of it and steal from the bad guy...or running on the top of a tram going full speed off the tracks into a wall..jumping on the hood of a car besides it, and avoids all the collision..and then just walks it off with a little scratch...

The getting by 50 assault weapons like JW, I don't mind. Just like in Gray Man when Gosling is handcuffed to that cement bench and is avoiding gun fire from every direction...or going through all the men..
That I don't mind. These are the parts I enjoy...Like a Kung Fu Master beating up a whole village.
Obviously unrealistic, but fun to watch. Running on top of a crashing tram way as if this person also defies gravity is too much for me. That's very cartoonish and loses me.

 

[Milhouse40]

I watched the Resident Evil series on Netflix.

It started off splendidly well, but the last two episodes had too much plot, too much contrivance, etc it fell apart. Too bad, squandered potential.

I prefered the story of the past then the one from the present.....but the constant back and forth is like following 2 different series at the same time and it was just start too much at the end cause it was like two finale. It had potential but they decided to be all over the place and developping two weak half-stories instead of one good story.

 

[Doublechin]

Just out of curiosity... you get many John Wick comparisons?

Only asking because IMO parts 2 and 3 of the series are very unique and I can't think of one film I also saw that compares.

I'm not a fan of the action genre, far from it, but I like self-aware productions that boldly claim - Yeah, this is nuts and you will love it. Very few can actually cross that imaginary fourth(?) wall between it and I where I'm completely enveloped in the action choreography, sound, etc. Yeah the writing can be a little bit of a distraction but only slightly so with the truly great ones.

Anyhow, The Grey Man is perhaps not quite the calibre of Wick 2 & 3, but it's somewhere close I think. I will have to watch it a few more times to be sure. I might like it a little better or less - we shall see.

Highly recommend good sound setup turned up high or a set of quality cans. The soundtrack is a star here - it's fantastic!

Not really

However for something way better but international, I highly recommend the Raid 1 and 2. They're master pieces in the genre

 

[GoodKiwi]

I don't remember JW 2, didn't see the third...so just going off the first. No I don't think it's a realistic movie per se.
But they're essentially just choreographed real fight scenes. The guy has an answer for every punch/kick/weapon but he isn't jumping off an airplane without a parachute, get tangled in one only to come out of it and steal from the bad guy...or running on the top of a tram going full speed off the tracks into a wall..jumping on the hood of a car besides it, and avoids all the collision..and then just walks it off with a little scratch...

The getting by 50 assault weapons like JW, I don't mind. Just like in Gray Man when Gosling is handcuffed to that cement bench and is avoiding gun fire from every direction...or going through all the men..
That I don't mind. These are the parts I enjoy...Like a Kung Fu Master beating up a whole village.
Obviously unrealistic, but fun to watch. Running on top of a crashing tram way as if this person also defies gravity is too much for me. That's very cartoonish and loses me.

JW averages 100 kills per movie. Someone added them all up.

Prague scene is probably my favourite of the whole movie. That said, yes, visuals do look odd in two parts - the plane and the tram. I noticed that too. Most of the tram scene isn't jumping explosions - i Love how he deals with the masked militia during it.

What I noticed when it comes to camera work (but it's editing obv) is some sort of a new style I haven't seen before. Not Greengrass' shaky cam, but a variation of it where the viewpoint makes radical shifts in linear paths. The best I can explain it. I'm not even certain it's by design - Gosling struggles here mightily, you can tell if watching carefully. Check for the shoe "double tap" moment on the plain that should've been edited out. So coming back to the cuts this maybe them speeding the roll up even more than usual during hand to hand combat. It's not a turn off but something noticeable.

Doesn't make any difference though - the soundtrack totally washes over these minor points IMO. It's 20+ tracks I think but there are maybe 5-7 I have on a loop in Spotify for 24 hours now. Amazing stuff.

Not really

However for something way better but international, I highly recommend the Raid 1 and 2. They're master pieces in the genre

I am 99% sure I tried watching one of them but just didn't do it for me. The camera there is sped up insanely if I recall. Not my cup of tea.

 

[rik schau]

You know you always forget to write "IMO" right?

I don't like to speak on someone else's behalf but since you want to be included ,will try to accommodate this.

Lot of Keanu Reeves talk and I'd rather, correction, me and @Redux91 would rather have a mohel go postal on us than see one of his films.lol

 

[angusyoung]

Great quote from Joe Walsh: "It was way more fun being in my 20's in the 70's, than being in my 70's in the 20's".

I can so relate, especially lately.

The 70's was a great decade,gone to shit since.