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

[5timechamp]

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: 7/10

 

Now well past  the Amber heard and DCEU universe noise this was a solid film.. nothing earth changing but solid.. Momoa is a lunkhead dudebro almost to the detriment of the movie.. but once Patrick Wilson shows up the buddy comedy aspect kicks in and Wilson dominates the show.. Mateen continues to do solid work as Manta and he carries his part well. The bright visuals and the retro sci fi look of the tech is great, even if the film lacks a “signature” visual moment like the trench scene in the first film.. 

[Greatoneshere]

8 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

All 3 (4?) are on Amazon so I'll probably be checking them all out eventually.

 

Don't bother unless you want the positive view you have of the first movie to be tarnished. The second and third movies have entirely different writers and directors and are incredibly poorly rated. The "fourth" film is a Japanese remake from 2021 of the original film, which is also very poorly rated. The reason the first film is good is because of co-writer and director Vincenzo Natali, who has had an interesting career since. Without him, the movies are bad.

 

1 hour ago, 5timechamp said:

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: 7/10

 

Man, this is very generous. I thought it was . . . pretty bad.

[Keyser_Soze]

1 hour ago, Greatoneshere said:

Don't bother unless you want the positive view you have of the first movie to be tarnished. The second and third movies have entirely different writers and directors and are incredibly poorly rated. The "fourth" film is a Japanese remake from 2021 of the original film, which is also very poorly rated. The reason the first film is good is because of co-writer and director Vincenzo Natali, who has had an interesting career since. Without him, the movies are bad.

 

Too late. I'm already committed and ready to watch some bad movies.

[elbobo]

Civil War (2024)

Excellently shot especially with the "photos". The last 30 minutes is relentless in its intensity. The hopping from car to car scene was clearly forced into the movie to break up the group that it really drew me out for a few minutes. 

 

8/10

[Greatoneshere]

56 minutes ago, elbobo said:

Excellently shot especially with the "photos". The last 30 minutes is relentless in its intensity. The hopping from car to car scene was clearly forced into the movie to break up the group that it really drew me out for a few minutes. 

 

Great movie but yeah, that was the worst part - very forced.

[silentbob]

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY 3/5

 

Streamed from Disney+ 4K/Atmos and was an overall good presentation. The movie does really go for that nostalgia in the opening with a young cgi Indy (good job here) Sadly some of the other CGI could be so-so looking, but movie times of Covid. Phoebe Waller I thought was wonderful, and really was the star of this movie. Surprised at the amount of deaths by gunshot we got in the movie. Some of the chases were pretty good but some cgi ruins the more intense closeup shots. It’s way better than Crystal Skull as I liked his sidekicks here, but the McGuffin was a cool device in the end. Kinda wish Indy got his ending, but it was a nice send off overall.

[Dre801]

Trigger Warning: I didn't expect much, and I didn't get much. - 4.5/10;  Yes, Jessica Alba is still hot as hell though, it's just too bad her beauty and bad assery were not in a much better action film.

[Best]

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3.

 

This might be the very best in the series. Yes, even better than the original.

 

5/5

[thewhyteboar]

My John Ford project.

I have watched 13 John Ford movies this year.

 

When you watch multiple Ford movies, you notice how many actors he reuses. This of course is the famous John Ford Stock Company. Movies are a family act for him, so he uses not only his real family (his older brother), but also his informally adopted family: John Wayne, Ward Bond, Henry Fonda (until a fist fight ended that friendship, a theme that will repeat), Harry Carey Jr. (the son of an actor from Ford’s silent days), Maureen O’Hara, and a host of others. He used Harry Carey’s mother, he used John Wayne’s son, he used his own son. Movies are family, and his movies are community.

 

Community is the major theme of his movies. We have to overcome our differences (racial, class, religious) to form a community. Threats to the community can come from outside or inside—rotten institutions. Community is marked by music and dance and often a church service. Those who interrupt such a sacred act are to be cast out from the community. The hymn Shall We Gather at the River is the official song of Ford’s community. It appears in 5 of the movies that I watched, including twice in The Searchers. 

 

My Darling Clementine 5/5 This is a perfect film. Only John Ford could make a movie about the Wyatt Earp and have the climax be a church social, rather than the shootout. The shootout happens of course, but it is at the end and given quite short-shrift compared to the dance at the church. Why the climax at a church? Because if Tombstone has a church, it is officially not an outpost on the frontier anymore, but rather civilization. The only time Fonda’s Earp looks unsure of himself or doubts his capability is when he determines to ask Clem to dance. 

 

My favorite scene is Shakespeare in Tombstone. An English actor arrives to perform, and when he doesn’t appear on stage, Fonda has to quell a near-riot. He finds the actor being accosted by the Clantons (the venal, backshooting thieves, who are the enemies of civilization and community). The actor is performing Hamlet’s soliloquy, but forgets his lines, only for Doc Holliday to assist. To hear Doc recite “the undiscovered country” is chilling, knowing what will of course be his fate. Doc is the old West, the lonely man bent on self-destruction. Nothing can stop him from going to hell the way he wants to.

 

If women and barbed wire (to quote Jeff Bridges in Heaven’s Gate) are the two civilizing agents in this country, then the cattle-rustling Clantons show the need for the latter, while Clementine would be the former. She’s a New Englander, coming to look for Doc and bring him home. She decides to stay, and will be Tombstone’s first teacher. Tombstone has a church, and a teacher, and Shakespeare. Its time as frontier has ended.

 

I don’t think you will find a better looking black and white movie. The shots of Fonda in front of the landscape could all work as wallpaper. But they also highlight how isolated Tombstone is and its location on the frontier.

 

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 5/5 When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. A sad and pessimistic picture. It recalls Book 11 of the Odyssey—what is the point of achieving fame if you lose everything else on the earth? Ranse is famous, a senator, an ambassador, possibly the vice president. But what has he gained? The fame is based on a lie, his wife lives with regrets, and he knows deep down that she wishes she had chosen a different man.  

It was shot on a budget, so doesn’t have the wonderful landscapes of his other films, but all the interiors have such a wonderful composition. Blocking is a lost art.

 

Stagecoach 5/5 Another movie about community, the community that we make, this time made by the passengers on a stagecoach. Yes, the outward threat is Indians, but the internal threat is prejudice (class prejudice, aimed by a haughty Confederate woman at a prostitute) and corruption (the banker who was absconded with the money, John Wayne’s outlaw with a wrongful accusation over his head). It has some wonderful stunt-work; the famous Yakima Canutt scene still holds up. You can also see the creation of a movie star with the famous push zoom of John Wayne.

 

Wagon Master 5/5 Ford’s personal favorite film. The Mormons have been forced out of town and recruit the services of some quasi-shady horse traders to drive the wagons west. Music looms heavily over this, with several song and dance numbers. The music will be interrupted by the villainous Cleggs, a family of outlaws who commandeer the wagon train. Another movie about the community that we make. The Mormons have been cast out of society due to their beliefs (you know the ones), but also try to keep out a traveling troupe of actors. The actors carry liquor and travel with a woman of ill repute. The Mormons have to reconcile their stiff beliefs with the needs of the less fortunate. Features lots of thrilling moments with Ben Johnson (a real life rodeo star). 

 

The Searchers 5/5 This is just an astonishing movie. Ford takes on his own legacy to deliver an anti-racist epic with his most detestable protagonist. Ethan Edwards is an incredible creation, a man so racist that he desecrates the dead and would even shoot his own niece (possible daughter) because she has been “soiled” by a Comanche. John Wayne can act, and is so good in this role. 

 

Some people don’t like the comedy parts, but they are necessary for the point the movie is trying to make. While Ethan is off chasing Debbie (and not to save her, but rather to kill her), what is happening back at the homestead? Community. Life. People living. Ethan is willfully choosing to avoid that. He has no role in a peaceful community and he knows that. He chases and he stays away because society does not need or want people like him. And the famous final shot makes this clear. He doesn’t want to stay nor do they want him to.

 

The decision to cast a blue-eyed white man as the Comanche Scar draws a lot of criticism. But I believe that Ford did that to show the cyclical nature of racial violence. White men kill Scar’s family. Scar kills Ethan’s family. Scar attacks a white homestead, killing women and children. White men attack a Comanche village, killing women and children. When Scar and Ethan finally meet, even their dialogue is mirrored. They look alike—both blue-eyed and with broad shoulders. Scar is Ethan and Ethan is Scar. If you think Scar and the Comanche are horrible violent savages, then you must feel the same about Ethan and the whites. 

 

The Quiet Man 4.5/5 This is a lovely fairytale, filmed in brilliant greens and blues. It’s not trying to depict an accurate version of Ireland, but rather an immigrant’s return home storybook version. Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne have crackling chemistry. And Victor McLaglen is wonderful as the pugilistic older brother. The centerpiece is a fistfight, that feels like it lasts the entire back third of the film. A very funny movie. Barry Fitzgerald gets the best line when he sees the broken marital bed, remarking “Impetuous! Homeric!”

 

The Long Gray Line 4/5 A very touching movie about the traditions of West Point. I loved the scenes showing the famous Army-Notre Dame game where Knut Rockne breaks out the forward pass for the first time. 

 

Fort Apache 4.5/5 A cavalry movie where the true villains are not the Natives, but a corrupt government agent and a vainglorious WASP. The Indians go off the reservation, but as the movie shows, it is not their fault. The government Indian agent has been cheating them, selling them tainted beef. They are starving, and faced with no other choice.

 

Henry Fonda’s Col. Thursday is shown to be a Custer, a foolish braggart who gets good men killed to support his own ego. Wayne’s York is the professional, who makes a peace with the Indians. The peace is betrayed by Fonda, who seeks glory and a posting back east. That of course gets him and his patrol killed. Wayne is forced to tactfully omit the truth to newspaper reporters, who insist that Thursday is a hero. You can see shades of Liberty Valance here.

 

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon 4/5 A slice of life film, showing the daily routine of the cavalry. Wayne plays an older professional here, days from retirement. Wayne’s Nathan Brittles is a widower, and has some nice tender moments addressing his wife’s grave. Again, try to get past the impersonations that you’ve seen, or the mailed-in later work. Wayne can act, when asked to.

 

The big action sequence here? It’s not a battle between the cavalry or the Indians. It’s a stampede; Brittle’s idea is to chase off the horses, depriving the Indians of their mounts and thus their way to fight. No horses, no battle. I liked the scene between Brittles and the Native American elder, where the elder bemoans that he can’t stop the impetuous young warriors from seeking a fight. Brittles feels likewise, another moment where Ford shows the parallels between the two groups.

 

3 Godfathers 4/5 A sweet Christmas movie, about three outlaws who stumble onto a woman about to give birth. The outlaws sacrifice themselves to save the infant.

 

Rio Grande 4/5 The least important of the three cavalry films, Ford only made it so the production company would green-light The Quiet Man. I think this is the first Wayne/O’Hara collaboration. Ben Johnson is good as always, a superhero on horse-back.

 

Mister Roberts 3.5/5 Good cast, Jack Lemon is funny. The movie that ended Ford and Fonda’s relationship because Ford was constantly drunk and belligerent. 

 

Mogambo 3/5 A fun Ava Gardner role, but nothing special. 

 

He was flawed. Very flawed He was a hypocrite, a drunk, and a bully. He most likely suffered from PTSD due to his war experiences. He craved companionship but would also target someone on set and ride them the entire shoot, sometimes ending friendships in the process. He could be destructive. His movies were contradictory. While sympathetic at times to Native Americans, some of his movies did fall into easy stereotypes. He didn’t care to depict their cultures accurately. Their costumes and appearances were just whatever he thought would look cinematic. He employed lots of Navajo, but did not pay them very well. But despite all this, John Ford is America’s finest artist and its finest chronicler. I don’t mean he is the best artist who happens to be American, but that no other artist knows how to capture America like he did. America is mythology, and contradictions, tradition, hatred and racism, and community. And he captured it like no other.

[Greatoneshere]

The weekend recap (added a few David Lynch films I forgot from previous weekends): 

 

-The Elephant Man (1980; dir. David Lynch): 8/10

-Dune: Theatrical Cut (1984; dir. David Lynch): 5.5/10

-Wild at Heart (1990; dir. David Lynch): 7/10

-Jumanji (1995; dir. Joe Johnston): 7/10

-Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017; dir. Jake Kasdan): 7/10

-Jumanji: The Next Level (2019; dir. Jake Kasdan): 6.5/10

-Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024; dir. Wes Ball): 7.5/10

-Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024; dir. Adam Wingard): 6/10

-G.I. Joe Origins: Snake Eyes (2021; dir. Robert Schwentke): 6/10

-The Iron Claw (2023; dir. Sean Durkin): 7.5/10

-The Bikeriders (2023; dir. Jeff Nichols): 7/10

[Keyser_Soze]

[Blu-Ray]

 

Nakaimo - My Little Sister is Among Them: 6/10

 

Bring out your sicko reactions because the concept of this one is a bit strange. The show follows Shogo Mikadono, a guy who is the heir to his father's corporation after he passes away. However, there is a catch. Shogo must get married by the time he graduates high school. But the catch to that catch is that one of the girls at the school he's attending is the illegitimate child of his father, so basically Shogo's sister. So the show is a harme-esque comedy with some corporate intrigue thrown in. It's mostly silly but gets a bit serious towards the end. Just the odd thing for me was I was wondering if this was actual high school or something else because one of the teachers is like a moe looking girl who could have fit in with the class, one girl owns and runs a cafe, and then there is like a secret agent in the class that can pass herself off as a high-school student (not to mention there is a fair amount nudity). So in that case just strange and confusing, maybe a bit yucky too. Dear Japan, save us the headache and just stop putting things in high school. Thank you.

[EternallDarkness]

Twisters...this sequel/reboot/whatever they call it while entertaining wasn't nearly as good as the original 

[Keyser_Soze]

[Amazon Prime]

 

Cube²: Hypercube: 5/10

 

The first Cube felt like a novel idea. People trapped in a cube full of traps, each person had a purpose for being there in order to solve a puzzle of some sort. But how do you repeat that magic when it's written and directed by entirely different people, well I guess the answer is, you don't. The biggest association with the first movie that Cube 2 has is that it is random people in a cube. However, for the most part there aren't really traps so to speak, there is also really nothing to figure out. So the people in the cube don't really need to work together at all. It's just kind of people losing their minds, or at least just one guy losing his mind. The mystery of who was behind the cube was left a mystery in the first movie while this one's sole purpose seems to be who made this cube.

 

While the first movie's claim to fame was it was made on a small budget, this one seemed to want to repeat that feat by looking even lower budget. Yes there is a story reason for the cube looking the way it does but it's just one white cube after another, at least in the first one there were colors. The acting in the first movie was a bit over acted and hammy while this one felt a bit under-baked. Some characters are alright like Barbara Gordon but the rest of the cast felt like they were acting in a high school movie. This movie isn't disappointing to me it's just underwhelming.

[elbobo]

Beverly Hills cop axel f

 

This is an example of long time gap sequel done right. It helps that Eddie Murphy can pass for 15 years younger than he is. The movie had a 80s feel to it too. 

 

7/10

[Dre801]

Justice League: Crisis of Infinite Earths: Part 2.   Sorry, overall . . this. . .this just hasn't been all that great.  Also, I've never been a huge fan of the Tomorrowverse/Archer style animation they used with this and some other DC animated features.

 

I'll watch Part 3 to complete this, but I'm not excited for it at all.

[Keyser_Soze]

On 7/11/2024 at 12:42 AM, Keyser_Soze said:

Sanctuary: 7/10

 

You know I watched this a couple weeks back and maybe it was a timely thing because there's an actual sumo tournament going on right now. If you watch / watched this show be sure to check out the real deal, call it supplemental material. It's actually pretty hype. And if you're afraid of hearing Japanese like @Greatoneshere Murray Johnson is actually providing the play by play.

 

 

(The picture is the link because NHK doesn't allow embedding)

[Greatoneshere]

The weekend recap, didn't get to too many this past weekend:

 

-Memories (1995; dirs. various): 8/10

-Ema (2019; dir. Pablo Larrain): 6.5/10

-Small Engine Repair (2021; dir. John Pollono): 6/10

-Three Kings (1999; dir. David O. Russell): 8/10

[silentbob]

TWISTERS 3.25/5 (D-BOX/ATMOS)

 

So I just came back from my D-BOX/ATMOS viewing of the film, which I wish I saw in IMAX just because “Damn Nature! You Scary” It follows a lot of the plot of the first movie until the midway mark, thought it started a little slow, but when they switch things it’s a fun rollercoaster ride with one hell of a drop. They really made some people just fucking get sucked away and it looks as vicious as you would expect. Great job with the storm damages and the seamless way it was sometimes done, like a real victim. Love the educational info and the debunked “things you should do” if caught in a real tornado. I thought the D-BOX added to some of the more intense scenes but wish it were also a little more aggressive. The sound was overall well done, but I felt like the theatre was as loud as it usually gets with past shows I’ve seen there. I like the characters, no one was really a dick you hated, but that one guy. Which funny enough is our knew Superman and kept expecting/waiting for him to get Pa Kent away by a Twister.  Chemistry was good between the entire cast, SFX have really come along when they do that last couple of storms, but thought some of the formations happened to quickly with some of the animation. Overall a fun popcorn film, again a little slow at start (minus opening) but make sure you see it on the biggest loudest screen you can for full effect. 

[Keyser_Soze]

[Prime Video]

 

Cube Zero: 6/10

 

Blah blah blah. You know what Cube is by now, but do the filmmakers know what Cube is? In this movie, kind of. Cube Zero corrects some of the things the second movie got wrong while somehow still getting out of touch what made the first one great. In this one the traps are back, the colors are back and even the cube colors are back. The cube is a lot more elaborate looking leading you to believe it's a higher budget than the first two movies. Of course the budget is higher because the second wrinkle of the movie is that it's focused on the people behind the cube, or at least some people who work in a control room of sorts. So the film starts off well, inside the cube, but the movie focuses a lot on these two other people who are just observing people inside the cube and we get to know how the systems work and everything. None of this is what made the first movie fun, it was fun not knowing. Then the second half one of the guys goes rogue to save people in the cube and then the whole movie just kind of falls off the rails from there. It all leads to an "OMG" moment in the end that is just kind of silly anyway. A nice attempt, better than the second movie but just kind of stupid and unneeded.

[Greatoneshere]

The weekend recap: 

 

-Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024; dirs. Adil & Bilall): 6.5/10

-Lost Highway (1997; dir. David Lynch): 7/10

-On the Beach at Night Alone (2017; dir. Sang-soo Hong): 7.5/10

-Love and Monsters (2020; dir. Michael Matthews): 7/10

[Moa]

 

Frieren:

 

I'm a dyed in the wool anime disliker, but sometimes my morbid curiosity gets the best of me and every few years I try watching something with a lot of positive buzz.

 

The first four episodes are fantastic and heartbreaking.

 

Between then and the mage exam is pretty good, I like the world building and the friends we make along the way, but I would've liked a little more focus on Frieren's past and the way her previous interactions with the legendary party inform her current decisions. These are still fun adventures but just generally don't feel as poignant as the first four to six episodes.

 

The mage exam is every trope that keeps me from watching anime, and I was so disappointed when I realized what it was going to be. All the new characters do the dumb anime thing of immediately explaining how their tragic backstory led to their one-note personalities and on theme special attacks. In classic anime style, a test that shouldn't be a competition is structured to be needlessly violent and, as is even pointed out by the test administrators in the show, doesn't actually measure the applicant's skills as mages. When did this show about the sadness of watching others grow old become about idiots killing each other for a bird to get a fancy certificate? Why?

 

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but this is my understanding of things. Frieren doesn't pay attention to the various bodies that claim to govern magic because they don't last very long and it's all whatever to her, but the current body that Frieren claims to not really know anything about was created by her master Flamme, and when Flamme died she had Frieren deliver her will to Serie, asking her to take over. It seems like based on this Frieren shouldn't be so ignorant about all this stuff, also Flamme died like 1000 years before the show, and the organization is 50 years old. However all this fits together, it's not explained very well.

 

Anyway Frieren is too OP, ruins the test, and Serie just intuits who is worthy of the fancy certificate. Seems like she could've just done that from the start, and if she didn't want to give Frieren one she could've also just done that from the start too.

 

Watching this show is the sadness of watching a show about the sadness of watching others grow old become just another anime.

 

7/10 (I really liked how it began)

 

Spoiler

It's impressively non-creepy though.

 

[Greatoneshere]

1 hour ago, Moa said:

Frieren:

 

I'm a dyed in the wool anime disliker, but sometimes my morbid curiosity gets the best of me and every few years I try watching something with a lot of positive buzz.

 

Between at least me, @Keyser_Soze, @LazyPiranha and @Ghost_MH I'm sure we could recommend you some good anime that fit your tastes. Just list the kinds of anime you've liked and not liked that you've seen. I already vet each season's anime releases in full for my own sake so I can end up watching the 3-4 really good ones that drop according to my tastes. If you ever want recommendations.

[Keyser_Soze]

You won't like anything I recommend. Don't listen to me!

[Moa]

I really liked Your Name and rank it in my top 5 movies.

 

I also really like basically everything I've seen from Studio Ghibli, particularly Whisper of the Heart.

 

Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and Redline are also good movies. Two classics, and Redline just kicks ass.

 

As far as series go I think Frieren and Dungeon Meshi are the only two I've felt mostly positively about. I really liked the parts I like of Frieren, Dungeon Meshi doesn't have quite as high of highs but is just generally fun and entertaining.

 

Edgerunners was also good but kind of barely counts.

 

Bojack Horseman is great.

 

I bounced off Attack on Titan but didn't dislike it.

 

Chainsaw Man and One Punch man were fun but got old.

 

Evangelion was not my thing.

 

The 90s/2000s stuff on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim like DBZ, Cowboy Bebop, Yu Yu Hakusho, etc were all fine as I remember them but not something I intend to revisit.

 

Listing it out, I realize I've watched quite a bit more than I thought. I think I have structural issues with most series adapted from serialized manga because the arcs feel like wheel spinning in tension with an overarching plot.

[Ghost_MH]

2 hours ago, Moa said:

 

Frieren:

 

I'm a dyed in the wool anime disliker, but sometimes my morbid curiosity gets the best of me and every few years I try watching something with a lot of positive buzz.

 

The first four episodes are fantastic and heartbreaking.

 

Between then and the mage exam is pretty good, I like the world building and the friends we make along the way, but I would've liked a little more focus on Frieren's past and the way her previous interactions with the legendary party inform her current decisions. These are still fun adventures but just generally don't feel as poignant as the first four to six episodes.

 

The mage exam is every trope that keeps me from watching anime, and I was so disappointed when I realized what it was going to be. All the new characters do the dumb anime thing of immediately explaining how their tragic backstory led to their one-note personalities and on theme special attacks. In classic anime style, a test that shouldn't be a competition is structured to be needlessly violent and, as is even pointed out by the test administrators in the show, doesn't actually measure the applicant's skills as mages. When did this show about the sadness of watching others grow old become about idiots killing each other for a bird to get a fancy certificate? Why?

 

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but this is my understanding of things. Frieren doesn't pay attention to the various bodies that claim to govern magic because they don't last very long and it's all whatever to her, but the current body that Frieren claims to not really know anything about was created by her master Flamme, and when Flamme died she had Frieren deliver her will to Serie, asking her to take over. It seems like based on this Frieren shouldn't be so ignorant about all this stuff, also Flamme died like 1000 years before the show, and the organization is 50 years old. However all this fits together, it's not explained very well.

 

Anyway Frieren is too OP, ruins the test, and Serie just intuits who is worthy of the fancy certificate. Seems like she could've just done that from the start, and if she didn't want to give Frieren one she could've also just done that from the start too.

 

Watching this show is the sadness of watching a show about the sadness of watching others grow old become just another anime.

 

7/10 (I really liked how it began)

 

  Reveal hidden contents

It's impressively non-creepy though.

 

 

Frieren is so good. I consider it near essential viewing for any fantasy fans. There really aren't enough stories that take place in the aftermath of the big bad being defeated; especially not decades later.

 

To your question, this current magic association was created by Serie shortly after the hero party defeated the Demon King, seemingly, out of a curiosity for the interesting magics created by the humans in the leadup to, during, and following the war with the demons. Frieren knew nothing about this association because that's way too short of a period of time for her to care and she was busy doing her own thing following the Demon King's defeat that she had been putting off while on her adventures with Himmel and the rest. Serie is also obsessed with power and the increasingly interesting ways humans come up with to kill each other. She's normally hands off with her certification exam, but only becomes involved when Frieren's ass messes up her tests that were designed to kill 99% of its applicants. Serie is VERY obsessed with her belief that she obsessed with strength above all. Even if Frieren didn't get involved, she still would have interjected if this many applicants got through her exam because of other circumstances.

 

Great series, but I should stress this arc is also just a midway point for the story. Their story is still going with this anime only covering a little less than half of what's out there so far.

[Moa]

30 minutes ago, Ghost_MH said:

She's normally hands off with her certification exam, but only becomes involved when Frieren's ass messes up her tests that were designed to kill 99% of its applicants.

 

Well, that's just no way to run a business.

[Ghost_MH]

20 minutes ago, Moa said:

Listing it out, I realize I've watched quite a bit more than I thought. I think I have structural issues with most series adapted from serialized manga because the arcs feel like wheel spinning in tension with an overarching plot.

 

I mean, this is really key here. I find anime to be far better when they're either originals or based on a manga or light novel that is already complete. It's always best when a story knows where it's going. If you're looking for non-traditional or anime that the avoids bigger anime tropes, I have a ton of them, but it also depends on what genre you're looking for.

 

If you're down for a romcom, I'd suggest Horimiya. If you want more fantasy, I say check out Ranking of Kings. If you want some melancholy, slice of life I'd suggest Kotaro Lives Alone. If you want something that feels like an anime take on an iRobot-world, I'd suggest Pluto. If you have a bit of an inner-furry within and you're down for some drama and mystery, Beastars doesn't get enough respect. I only suggest it because the final season 3 is airing later this year. If you're up for some brutal scifi-adjacent action, I'd suggest Inuyashiki. If you're up for something a biut more jazzy, there's Kids on the Slope.

 

If you're up for series that end in a "to be continued", but still have a very clear end goal it's building toward. Well, in that case if you're up for some riches to rags in a historical setting, you should check Vinland Saga. If you're up for some fun action, Trigun Stampede is a very enjoyable watch.

 

If you'd be up for indulging in a series that is one arc after another without getting very far, but still having fun AND you enjoyed Chainsaw Man and One Punch Man, but thought they overstayed their welcome at times, there is an anime coming out later this year that may be worth checking out. Dandadan. Science Saru is animating the series. They're the studio behind Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. Dandadan is my pick for this year's break away hit. I think Dandadan paces itself more similar to One Punch Man season 1 than the material the second season  covers. The manga the series is based on is forever inventive and never boring. It pulls off the trick because of the way the series is structured. There's an over-arching plot, but each story arc is about a new member of the cast with, thus far, unique backgrounds, skills, and abilities.

 

I could keep going, but I'll stop myself. Let me know if you have any specific genre you're in the mood for. Right now, I'm trying to find a good action series where I don't care about the setting, but the driving force of the story is a very well established and fully explored romance. Is that hyper specific? Yes, but I've already got a few options down from my backlog. What I mean to say is, feel free to just ask about any genre, no matter how weirdly niche it might be. May as well put some of this useless trivia in my brain to use.

[Ghost_MH]

1 minute ago, Moa said:

Well, that's just no way to run a business.

 

I mean, yeah. She thinks she doesn't care about human lives since they're so short, so she's set up an exam that allows her to witness interesting new magic and free herself of the responsibility of interacting with a large number of humans. In theory, even if she is mad at Frieren for allowing so many test takers to survive, she'll probably be less strict going forward because even some of those "destined to die" mages possess interesting magic.

[Keyser_Soze]

[Viki]

 

Times: 6/10

 

I've mentioned it before and I will mention it again here these shows are starting to recycle ideas and this show is no exception. Times is half of a good idea, the rest kind of dull with some frustration thrown in. The idea of the show is that this woman, Seo Jung-in, is a journalist for a giant news conglomerate (DBS) and the daughter of the president of Korea. Lee Jin-woo is another journalist working for a place called Times that does more sorts of investigative journalism. In any case an anomaly occurs at a substation and the two call each other with these one of a kind cell phones. Turns out that he (Jin-woo) is calling her from five years in the past. Jung-in lives in a future where her father is assassinated and asks Jin-woo to thwart the attempt. This of course creates a butterfly effect that changes the future again and they attempt to correct the future again. However, the cell phones can only be used so many times before they break so eventually one future is settled on and the show just kind of turns into a political backstabbing match. It's a bit of a shame because there is a genuine wow moment in there but it's just kind of followed by a lot of political drama. The other problem is these people seem to lack any type of common sense. You would think that after getting double crossed 40 times you might have learned a thing or two. I really think that if the show was reversed (politics up front and time travel at the end) maybe it would have been a bit easier to tolerate. One thing I have also learned from watching all these Korean shows, NEVER cross the street in Korea.

[Keyser_Soze]

[Prime Video]

 

Cube (2021): 5/10

 

Cube is a Japanese remake of the first film from 1997. If you're going to remake one of them you might as well choose the best one right? On top of that it should be fairly easy to be at least as good as the original. Sadly that is not the case. The movie gives a good first impression, it looks nice and modern, maybe the cube looks a bit smaller but otherwise has the cube look. However, things fall apart quickly when you see the cast of characters. In this version there is only one woman and the people seemingly have no purpose to be there other to stand around awkwardly. In the original movie the occupational backgrounds of the characters played a big role in the movie. In the remake it is pretty much ordinary people. One guy is a a convenience store worker while one is a little kid. Females had a prominent role in the original and in this one the lady is just there to have pretty eyes it seems. So there is really no motivation for these characters or any reason why they can figure out the numbers of the rooms or why someone would start going paranoid. There's also some strange child abuse plotline which eh. Basically, watch the original to see how the movie is meant to be. The remake missed the point entirely and is actually quite boring honestly.

[elbobo]

Mars Express

No question that it borrows quite liberally from Ghost in the Shell but it has some really interesting and original concepts too. I would recommend to anyone looking for some slightly out there sci-fi

8.5/10

[Greatoneshere]

3 hours ago, elbobo said:

Mars Express

No question that it borrows quite liberally from Ghost in the Shell but it has some really interesting and original concepts too. I would recommend to anyone looking for some slightly out there sci-fi

8.5/10

 

I just saw this as well, it was quite good - a strong recommend from me.

[silentbob]

SCREAM 5 3.5/5

 

This was a nice return for the series, which I’m still 1 behind on. It becomes what the movie wants it to be, a rebirth/rehash/newish but at the same time old to not alienate the folks who grew up on the series. I was pretty sure of the killers from the early go, but still threw a ton of “think again” moments to try and throw you off the trail. I like the story behind our new main staring cast, as “there’s always links to the originals” The opening it pretty brutal and so were some of the killings. Watched a 4K copy and the movie looked pretty great but that 7.1 DTS-HDMA track I thought was really lacking at times, but the score works pretty well to build the tension. So I would rate this mid of the series, with me rating them 2,1,5,4,3 and will wait to find a cheap 4k copy for #6, which got the Atmos treatment. 

[thewhyteboar]

I've been watching a ton of westerns lately.

 

Jacques Tourneur westerns: 

 

The masterpieces:

Stars in My Crown 5/5 The main character is a parson and nobody gets shot, but it is still an amazing watch. Science or faith, what does a man's soul need?

Canyon Passage 4.5/5 An epic western set in Oregon. Just some stunning shots in there, the rain over a muddy town, the lush green forest. Hoagy Carmichael singing some good songs!

The excellent:

Stranger on Horseback 4/5 (a lean 65 minutes!)

Great Day in the Morning 4/5 A very interesting movie set right before the Civil War, that has a lot to say about violence and greed and the cost of loyalty.

Wichita 4/5 Wyatt Earp before Tombstone, is asked to clean up Wichita but when he does too good of a job of it, the capitalist interests want him out. Has a very unique anti-gun message.

And the kinda blah:

Way of a Gaucho 3.5/5 (though if it's set in Argentina can it count as a western?)

 

I'd put Tourneur firmly in the same tier as Boetticher. Both make very lean and taut westerns, though Tourneur packs quite a lot into his, despite having such short run times. 

 

Then I watched The Hunting Party (2/5) which was just blah. It had such a good cast (Oliver Reed! Gene Hackman! Candace Bergen!) but was just boring and not well done.

 

I also rewatched Bad Day at Black Rock (5/5). Incredible movie, I hadn't seen it since college. Neo-western or crime noir, however you want to classify it, it is just fantastic. Gorgeous to look at too. A dive into the darkness and racism of small-town America.

 

[Greatoneshere]

The weekend recap:

 

-Rebel Moon: Chapter One - Chalice of Blood (2024; dir. Zack Snyder): 5/10

-Rebel Moon: Chapter Two - Curse of Forgiveness (2024; dir. Zack Snyder): 5/10

-Mars Express (2023; dir. Jeremie Perin): 7.5/10

-Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000; dir. Ang Lee): 10/10

-No Country for Old Men (2007; dirs. the Coen Bros.): 9/10

-Genius Party (2007; dirs. various): 6/10