The Sword and Laser discussion
TV, Movies and Games
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What else are you watching?
I enjoyed last weeks episode of Bad Batch, I feel like they are settling in. Hopeful for tomorrows.
Noomi Rapace seems like a courageous actress, replying to the thread before the last.
Can't remember the last time I post here. Anyway, I watched Rurouni Kenshin : The Final movie at Netflix a couple of days ago. So far I enjoyed the live action adaptation (this is the fourth movie of Samurai X franchise) but I found the latest one to be rather boring compared to the previous ones, especially the Kyoto Inferno.
Watching Babylon 5 Season Five on DVD from the library.Planning to watch the Babylon 5 TV movies next on Amazon Prime Video.
Planning to watch Crusade the Babylon 5 spin-off also, on DVD from the library.
Then I plan to re-watch/watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Rewatching Farscape for the next couple of weeks
I’ve been watching the Shannara Chronicles on Netflix. I’m in season 2, which was the last season produced. I really like it. I purchased the first 3 books to read later.
I finally watched AIR starring Norman Reedus! I’ve wanted to watch it since I first saw a trailer in 2015. I thought it was great I gave it 8/10, but the average score was 5.5 on IMDb.
I watched the new Ice Road with Liam Neeson on Netflix. It's an ok thriller. I was impressed that my friend and mom paid attention to it for once, in comparison to Tenet and In The Heights, which they talked over, so it has that going for it.I'm also watching the old tv miniseries adaption of Lonesome Dove, since it's one of Brian Lee Durphy's favorite books, and it's much faster than reading the book. Man it's grimdark, although it has the cheesy production values of the time. Maybe the cheerful The Pillars of the Earth will be next.
I'll get to the new season of Bosch soon.
Also I finished watching the old Dresden Files tv show on Tubi. It's only one season, and I'll never know if Dresden and Murphy hook up. Now I'm reading the first book.
Mark wrote: "Rewatching Farscape for the next couple of weeks"Oh, I frelling love Farscape.
I've barely seen it. Why should someone watch Farscape?
While I very much enjoyed watching Farscape when it first came out. When I started doing a rewatch a few years ago I was reminded that, like many series, it took a little while to figure out what it was and really get a good thing going.
I watched Farscape week-by-week when it was first broadcast and enjoyed it. I saw a few episodes in reruns over the years, but hadn't attempted a full rewatch until now. I agree with John. It takes a bit longer than I remembered, for the cast to get to know their characters and each other, but once they do they have a lot of fun.The thing I recall best, and which still holds up, are the fantastic creatures and aliens. Even the the little mechanical DRDs (Diagnostic Repair Drones) have some personality.
I watched a couple episodes of Katla on Netflix, which I liked.I watched about half an hour of the 1997 Lost in Space movie, skipping around.
I tried about 30 minutes of Wish Dragon on Netflix, which was a dull version of Aladdin.
I watched episode 3 of Loki, which I enjoyed.
I read 3 books.
But I have spent HOURS AND HOURS designing characters in City of Heroes. Lately I’ve been on a pulp heroes kick. I created versions of Doc Savage, a female Indiana Jones (this design, almost exactly: https://images.app.goo.gl/pU8z1fgbn1k...), Spy Smasher (https://images.app.goo.gl/wbsNxn1rUKg...), and Tomboy (https://images.app.goo.gl/piwxrgtC3yP...).
I’ve played them a little bit, but really I’ve just been messing about in the character creator, which is the still, 17 years later, unparalleled in its robust variety. As someone once said back in the day, “City of Heroes allowed me to be Stan Lee because the game is Jack Kirby.”
The final season of Bosch was only 7 episodes, but it's damn good.
I like Bosch so much I got his dishwasher™.
John (Nevets) wrote: "While I very much enjoyed watching Farscape when it first came out. When I started doing a rewatch a few years ago I was reminded that, like many series, it took a little while to figure out what i..."It does take to about 1/2 through the first season.... But once it starts...just the chemistry of the entire cast and the story telling...
Trike wrote: "I watched a couple episodes of Katla on Netflix, which I liked.I watched about half an hour of the 1997 Lost in Space movie, skipping around.
I tried about 30 minutes of Wish Dragon on Netflix, ..."
Dude, Katla is good. At episode 7.
Jennifer wrote: "Trike wrote: "I watched a couple episodes of Katla on Netflix, which I liked.I watched about half an hour of the 1997 Lost in Space movie, skipping around.
Dude, Katla is good. At episode 7...."
I made 3 more characters in CoH tonight. 9:30 to midnight.
One is based on the Stan Lee and Jack Binder character the Destroyer (https://images.app.goo.gl/H9pLWwnpHHR...), the second is a metal-skinned swashbuckler, and the third is a steampunk robot.
I ain’t got time for TV. 🦸♂️ 🤖🤺
Trike wrote: "...I watched about half an hour of the 1997 Lost in Space movie, skipping around...."Yeah! Matt Le Blanc and Heather Graham! Apollo 440 theme song! Cheese at its finest! "This cold war just got hot!" LOL
I remember thinking Lost in Space (1997) was awesome when it was new. I caught the end a few years ago, & the CGI monster (Smith) looked really bad (dated). But Heather Graham!
I’m also watching Bosch season 7 and you can really tell this was filmed during COVID restrictions. I kind of wish they would have just waited because the locations all feel dead and lifeless with the lack of people.
I’ve also been rewatching The Sopranos and didn’t even know until about halfway through my rewatch that a prequel movie was coming this fall, so good timing. The show is still an all timer.
I've started the old Pillars of the Earth miniseries. Seems good. I like the smart lady people think is a witch.Also in my James Wan pursuit, I watched the first Insidious. I thought it was interesting.
Brad wrote: "I’m also watching Bosch season 7 and you can really tell this was filmed during COVID restrictions. I kind of wish they would have just waited because the locations all feel dead and lifeless with ..."I didn't notice, but I also try not to notice things too much that might ruin my immersion in the story.
I couldn’t help but notice unfortunately, wasn’t looking for it but felt something was off and realized that was it.
The Criterion collection is 50% off until August 1st at Barnes & Noble.https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/50-o...
Thanks to Hulu I was able to rewatch Rocketman. It’s a crime that Taron Egerton didn’t get an Oscar nomination for that role. Not only is his acting spectacular, he actually performed all the songs.Hulu also had the samurai film 13 Assassins (2010 version) which I’ve wanted to see for a while but hadn’t been able to. It’s as good as everyone says. Violent, of course, but not graphic. It takes its time setting up the characters, which few films do these days. By the time you get to the battle, you really know everyone involved.
But the one I really wanted to mention is one that popped up in the recommendations on Hulu, called Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds. This is a South Korean Fantasy movie based on a comic book. It’s about a firefighter who dies on the job and has to undergo seven trials in the afterlife to determine if he’ll be reincarnated. The last person to pass the trials was 422 years ago. He has to go through various hells, such as the Hell of Injustice and the Hell of Indolence, which are all unique and quirky.
I was hoping to get some cool Fantasy action and maybe have a few laughs, both of which I got. What I did not expect was to be crying at the end because of the raw emotion pouring out of the film. There are so many twists and turns along the way that I find it nearly inconceivable that a single movie can contain it all. It’s 2 hours 19 minutes and it never lets up but never feels rushed. It is the best movie I’ve seen in quite some time, no contest.
I have the free version of Hulu, which includes ads, but it’s really only 2 minutes at the start of the movie, with no interruptions.
Trike wrote: "Thanks to Hulu I was able to rewatch Rocketman. It’s a crime that Taron Egerton didn’t get an Oscar nomination for that role. Not only is his acting spectacular, he actually performed all the songs..."Completely agree! One of my favorite movies.
Trike wrote: "Hulu also had the samurai film 13 Assassins (2010 version) which I’ve wanted to see for a while but hadn’t been able to. It’s as good as everyone says. Violent, of course, but not graphic. It takes its time setting up the characters, which few films do these days. By the time you get to the battle, you really know everyone involved."Have you seen another Takashi Miike film, Blade of the Immortal (2017)? Adapted from the manga series.
Louie wrote: "Have you seen another Takashi Miike film, Blade of the Immortal (2017)? Adapted from the manga series. .."I haven’t. Looks like it’s on Hoopla.
Wow, it’s billed as his 100th film. Holy koi fish!
I watched Fear Street Part 1 1994 on Netflix and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t even realize it was a hard R until NIN’s Closer started blaring at the start. The movie felt like if Stranger Things was a slasher flick and there was definitely a big influence by Scream. I would highly recommend it and part 2 is out tomorrow.
I finished watching Mythic Quest earlier this week (before canceling my Apple TV subscription because the trial period was ending). I really enjoyed it. The appearance of Bradbury, Asimov, and Le Guin in episode 6 (Backstory!) was a cool touch.I will probably reactivate my subscription later this year to binge season 2 of Ted Lasso and possibly Foundation, but am not planning to leave it on year round.
I watched How I Became A Superhero on Netflix, which is basically the French version of Project Power. It uses the same elements in a slightly different mixture: street drug gives people temporary superhuman abilities, cop with a secret is investigating, showdown in a lab, etc. It’s pretty good, 3 stars where PP is 4 stars.Also watched The Tomorrow War on Amazon, the Chris Pratt time travel deal, and I liked it quite a lot. It’s in a similar vein to Edge of Tomorrow except without the time loop aspect. Some really cool action scenes and a nice twist in the middle, with an ending that’s different from the usual. 4 stars.
I watched Life (2017) which was OK, nice special effects and some exciting parts, although overall I think I liked it better when they called it "Alien." According to Wikipedia, some folks think this is an "origin story" for (view spoiler). It wouldn't change my opinion either way.
Watched Star Trek - Picard. It was okay and I didn't have the same problem with it as I had with Discovery. Putting it in the future certainly helped with buying what they were selling.Still prefer the events in The Persistence of Memory but now that will never be canon
Viola wrote: "Watched Star Trek - Picard. It was okay and I didn't have the same problem with it as I had with Discovery. Putting it in the future certainly helped with buying what they were selling.Still pref..."
My friend points out that Picard is technically still in the glowing ribbon thingy, so everything that has happened since he went in there (including Kirk’s death) is all in his imagination. That’s why there was a Borg Queen and a Romulan clone, none of which make sense: Picard is dreaming. I’ll add JJ Trek to that, too.
Better than any canonical reason given. Have I mentioned that the new "Star Trek" movies aren't Trek at all? They're not bad space opera. But that is not Kirk / Spock / McCoy etc. I could handle the first one. The take on Wrath of Khan got whacky derivative. And there I stopped, no desire to see more.
Watched Gunpowder Milkshake on Netflix. It’s a fun action flick in the vein of Smokin’ Aces and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, meaning lots of blood, ultraviolence, comedy bits and deadpan humor.The shootout at the doctor’s office with the three guys high on laughing gas is the silliest and coolest shootout I’ve seen in a long time.
Leverage: Redemption is now free on IMDb through Amazon Prime. Reunion of the cast from 10 years ago to continue their tradition of using their criminal skills to steal things back for ordinary people who've been smacked down by the corrupt and powerful. Super fun show with memorable characters and really sharp cons.
Luca by Pixar on Disney+ is a fun little flick.I also rewatched Endgame last night because someone online said that the vest in Black Widow is the same one she’s wearing in Infinity War. I couldn’t tell, but watching the end of IW got me hyped to watch Endgame. So I did.
Renee wrote: "Leverage: Redemption is now free on IMDb through Amazon Prime. Reunion of the cast from 10 years ago to continue their tradition of using their criminal skills to steal things back for ordinary peo..."I liked this show a lot as well, and did not know about the reunion, I will have to check it out. I also liked a British show that had a very similar concept called "Hustle". I think it came out a few years earlier, but the time frames are very similar. One is just more American in style, and the other is very British in style.
I watched with my Mom: Cameron Crowe's "We Bought a Zoo" on Disney+, with Matt Damon and Scarlet Johansson. It's based on a book. I'm a sucker for Cameron's movies, especially the music. This is a newer, lesser known one. This one has a "manic pixie dream girl" (see Wikipedia) like Elizabethtown, but she's really young. (Elle Fanning) It even has Patrick Fugit, the kid from Almost Famous. 20 seconds of courage is all you need.
I needed something fun to watch while I ride my exercise bike so I started watching Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia. I get so absorbed in it, the next thing I know, time is up.I've been trying to watch Star Trek: Discovery but it's so much darker in tone than what I like to watch. Other than Tilly and Saru, I find everyone else unlikeable. I miss the humor from the other Star Trek series.
Trike wrote: "Watched Gunpowder Milkshake on Netflix. It’s a fun action flick in the vein of Smokin’ Aces and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, meaning lots of blood, ultraviolence, comedy bits and deadpan hu..."Watched it last night with my wife. As she put it, she is not a fan of gore and violence, but she does like it when women kick ass. This one made it into the + column.
Normally I really nitpick gun stuff in movies, but this was one where I literally had the following inner dialog:
Gun-nerd-me: "That is ridiculous and unrealistic and in reality, you can't jus-"
Fun-times-me: "Shut up and enjoy the awesome."
It’s like Spider-Man commenting on Cap’s shield: “That thing does not obey the laws of physics!”
^ Yeah, we've got flying hammers, limbo-traveling teleporters and Cyclops' eyebeams coming from the "ruby dimension." So I think that ship has saaaaaaailed!
Watched Babylon 5 Season Five on DVD from the library.Watching the Babylon 5 TV movies on Amazon Prime Video that I bought to stream.
Planning to watch Crusade the Babylon 5 spin-off next, on the DVD set I bought.
Then I plan to re-watch/watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
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Books mentioned in this topic
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (other topics)The Thursday Murder Club (other topics)
Ironheart, Vol. 1: Those With Courage (other topics)
For He Can Creep (other topics)
The Shadow Rising (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
George R.R. Martin (other topics)Robert Jordan (other topics)
George R.R. Martin (other topics)
Robert Jordan (other topics)
George R.R. Martin (other topics)
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For more WTF, check out Rupture (2016), with Noomi Rapace."
I didn't expect what happened in Rupture to happen. It worth the watch.