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What else are you watching?
My wife calls me away from some modestly boring work homework yesterday (training videos) saying there are two Lower Decks to watch and would I please join her.I'm a little skeptical but go in. She's doing something so asks me to pull it up. I go to Paramount Plus, head to Lower Decks, and as I thought, the ep isn't out yet. She finishes what she's doing and I tell her. She asks me to check again. I show her Ep 3 will be out Thursday. She then wants me to prove that there will be two episodes Thursday. Well, there ain't, there's only going to be one.
That's right, my wife loves this show so much she convinced herself it would be out two days early, and that the "two eps at a time" schedule would continue. That show and SNW are really hitting well.
The new Lower Decks eps were fun. I like how they poked gentle fun at Voyager while leaning into the silliness.The combo of LD and SNW is the best Trek has ever been.
Edit: semi-related - I’m continuing my deep dive into Trek ships for my spaceship names list. I’ve got most of them except for the non-hero ships from novels and comics and boy-howdy are there gobs of ships in that franchise. I currently have about 1,300 names. Star Trek: Picard alone has 96 named ships, and that entire series is barely longer than a single season of TNG. If I’d known there’d be so many I’m not sure I would’ve started adding them.
Just a friendly reminder to everyone that LD season four is not available (legally) outside of US, Canada, UK and Australia.Amazon actually removed season three in Sweden so I only have (legal) streaming access to seasons one and two at the moment with no word on where or when season four will show up.
^ I don't think we've gotten into anything too spoilery so far. I'll try to remember to spoiler protect. It's a little hard when something has been out for a while.
Quick question I'm hoping some of you can help me with: I recently got a 60 day free trial of Apple TV so I could watch a baseball game. I don't plan on renewing, but I still have a few weeks left of the free trial. What movies or TV shows would you recommend on this streaming service that I should check out while I still have access?
I liked the first season of foundation, although others did not. If you want to see what the hype was all about for Ted Lasso, you can check that out. I only watched the first episode of Severance, and liked it but haven’t continued, can’t say why. Others really enjoyed it. For all mankind gets a lot of love around here. I think Silo was more mixed.
As I start going through the list, they really have filled out the number of offerings
RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "Quick question I'm hoping some of you can help me with: I recently got a 60 day free trial of Apple TV so I could watch a baseball game. I don't plan on renewing, but I still have a few weeks lef..."
Definitely For All Mankind. The more you watch the more you’ll want to watch.
You’ll probably like Ted Lasso.
If you like musicals, Schmigadoon! and the sequel series Schmicago! are terrific. Similarly, the Christmas musical Spirited is great fun.
Tetris the movie is great. Highly recommended.
I enjoyed both Tom Hanks movies, the WWII Greyhound and the sci-fi Finch.
Mod
Ted Lasso, Severance, Silo, Invasion, Slow Horses & Foundation are all worth watching.
Servant & See were good early then got annoying.
I am watching Foundation and Invasion. I started Severance but just never finished.
I guess I am the only person who has found For All Mankind increasingly annoying then..? I am really struggling to get through season 3; sometimes it seems more like a soap opera than an alternative history series.I much preferred the "What If..." of the first season, rather than the increasingly distracting personal dynamics of the following seasons.
The end of season 3 is a real kick in the pants.
Trike wrote: "semi-related - I’m continuing my deep dive into Trek ships for my spaceship names list. I’ve got most of them except for the non-hero ships from novels and comics and boy-howdy are there gobs of ships in that franchise."Blood Gnat
Death Dagger
Giant Killer
Mark wrote: "Blood GnatDeath Dagger
Giant Killer"
What are these from?
Trike wrote: "Mark wrote: "Blood GnatDeath Dagger
Giant Killer"
What are these from?"
From the LA Times Syndicate Star Trek newspaper strip, "The Wristwatch Plantation" 3/1/1982-7/17/1982 by Larry Niven and Sharman DiVono
They are the three Kzinti ships that tangled with Kirk and the Enterprise.
Mark wrote: "From the LA Times Syndicate Star Trek newspaper strip, "The Wristwatch Plantation" 3/1/1982-7/17/1982 by Larry Niven and Sharman DiVonoThey are the three Kzinti ships that tangled with Kirk and the Enterprise."
Awesome! On to the list they go!
I added the video games ST: Armada and ST: Shattered Universe last night. Mirror Universe Terran Empire ship names are always hilariously on the nose: Carnage, Malicious, Punisher, Malevolent. 😈
Rumors on the upcoming Doctor Who storylines, should be spoiler protected I suppose...(view spoiler)
RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "Quick question I'm hoping some of you can help me with: I recently got a 60 day free trial of Apple TV..."
Thanks John, Trike, Dave, Jennifer and Steve for your help. Sounds like everyone loves Ted Lasso so I think that should be at the top of my list.
I had forgotten about the Tom Hanks films and Spirited. I'll have to give those a look.
These will also go on the list:
- For All Mankind
- Tetris (?) - although I'm not big on video game films, I'm trusting you here Trike
- Silo - I thought the book was just OK but I do think the idea could make a good series
- Severance
- Invasion
- Schmigadoon? Really? Okay...
Slow Horses and Foundation will probably have to wait until I get around to reading the source material, but I'm glad to hear good things about them.
RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "...Schmigadoon? Really? Okay..."OK, I looked up the trailer. Anything with Martin Short is worth a look. Also, the line: "We're smart; we found our way out of Ikea."
RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "...Schmigadoon? Really? Okay..."OK, I looked up the trailer. Anything with Martin Short is worth a look. Also, the line: "We're smart; we found our way out of Ikea.""
I’m a fan of musicals anyway, and when they’re expertly parodied as in Schmigadoon it adds to the fun.
I started watching the One Piece live action remake on Netflix last night. I didn’t know anything about it other than people whose taste I trust raved about it. (Plus that a second season has been ordered.) I only intended to watch the first episode, but it’s so charming and engaging that I ended up watching the first 4 episodes.So it definitely gets my endorsement.
I tried to watch Wednesday on Netflix and had to stop after one episode. She starts off so accurate by trying to murder teens with piranhas but later starts whining because her father might be a murderer. I thought she would be proud WTH is this crap
Christos wrote: "I tried to watch Wednesday on Netflix and had to stop after one episode. She starts off so accurate by trying to murder teens with piranhas but later starts whining because her father might be a mu..."Yeah, I didn’t like that show, either. I made it through a couple episodes then bailed.
Started S2 of Foundation…and well the Math is hard…and I am wishing for S2 of Silo… I hope this gets better.
Season 2 of the Foundation is excellent in my opinion. All the acting was spot on.
Mod
Foundation is more a story in the Foundation universe. It doesn't really require more than a passing knowledge of the source material.
It doesn't stick very close to any single book(s) of that series. just the overarching themes.
Later Foundation has always annoyed me. The End of Eternity was such a beautiful capstone to Asimov's work, implicitly referencing all his work in intricate subtlety. And then...the Krusty the Klown factor: Someone pulled up a dump truck of money. And the mediocre-at-best followups were born.
Mod
I liked S1 as well, but it got criticism in S1 for having very few aliens.
That has been addressed in S2. Lot of aliens and they are evolving into a more aggressive species. Fun times ahead.
Tassie Dave wrote: "Invasion is really good in S2. I liked S1 as well, but it got criticism in S1 for having very few aliens.
That has been addressed in S2. Lot of aliens and they are evolving into a more aggressiv..."
I am enjoying this as well. Things are going to get ugly for sure !
Having just finished Season 3 of For All Mankind and Season 2 of Foundation, I'm feeling a bit jaded with streaming sci-fi series at the minute. I have to keep reminding myself that Silo also exists (although I am now nervous for Season 2).For All Mankind has devolved into soap opera where everything happens to the same 5 people (despite apparently involving huge multi-national projects spanning multiple decades), and always with suspiciously synchronized timing - and wtf is the storyline about the (view spoiler)?!
Foundation is so far from the original source material that it is basically an entirely different story. Just taking one small but fundamental difference as an example, in the original the Vault is just a theatre; in the series it is apparently (view spoiler). And you have Hari Seldon (view spoiler), which feels almost sacrilegious. Foundation feels like it was written by someone who had heard the main plot points of the original book and then wrote their own version.
Sorry, feeling a bit grumpy about it all...
Mod
I liked S1 as well, but it got criticism in S1 for having very few aliens.
That has been addressed in S2. Lot of aliens and they are evolving i..."
I think this would be a great series to binge.
The only gripe I have with the series is that with 4 different storylines that are being followed we can go weeks without seeing certain characters.
The most recent episode was rare in that we only had a single storyline. We usually swap between 2 of the storylines.
I hope we catch up with the other 3 this week
A binge watch would take away that wait to see what happens.
Tassie Dave wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Tassie Dave wrote: "Invasion is really good in S2. I liked S1 as well, but it got criticism in S1 for having very few aliens.
That has been addressed in S2. Lot of aliens and th..."
I agree this would be best binged and I agree about the story lines. But I will check back in next week . Got to see what happens now. I am committed.
I keep meaning to watch Silo.
I tend to catch up on mainstream movies when they hit streaming. Sometimes it's just to see what the fuss was about. So, figured I'd watch the original Top Gun in anticipation of watching Top Gun Maverick.Well, those plans may be delayed. I know I saw Top Gun decades back. Not sure if it was theaters or video, but I enjoyed it okay. This time I found it dull as dishwater. Obvious plot points, happening right on time. Zzzzzz. A few decent points made about leadership and fellowship, but too little story along the way. Plus, Tom Cruise super-grinning the entire movie really turned me off.
I suppose I'll get around to seeing Maverick before the rewatch fades. But I'm in no hurry.
I watched The Portable Door on Amazon. It’s a charming little Fantasy flick. Not exactly cozy but nothing heavy. 4 stars. On Stan in Australia.Trailer: https://youtu.be/Iu03KHs4_EE?si=n9xmP...
John (Taloni) wrote: "I tend to catch up on mainstream movies when they hit streaming. Sometimes it's just to see what the fuss was about. So, figured I'd watch the original Top Gun in anticipation of watching Top Gun M..."Can’t disagree with your points, but for me it has that comforting nostalgia feel that allows me to enjoy it. Watched it dozens of times as a kid in the 80’s. Last watch was probably about 5 years ago. I do remember realizing about 15 years ago that you really could see the “bones” of the movie. The breaks for the 3 act structure are very hard breaks, and extremely obvious.
I will say that I think Maverick is probably a better movie overall, but the things that turned you off of the original are still present in it. Well, I think Tom is a bit more brooding, and so doesn’t smile quite as much. Bout the rest is still there.
I was wondering about The Portable Door because I keep seeing The Eight Reindeer of the Apocalypse pop up as a recommendation and that book is in the same universe.I may have to check out both. I was getting Christopher Moore vibes from the descriptions.
I finally finished Season one of Loki. I will watch season 2.
I should mention that my wife and I are doing a rewatch of the Pertwee Doctor Who serials. Just finished Frontier in Space about a near-war between humans and Draconians, which leads right into Planet of the Daleks. Exterminate!
Memory was dim and I thought Delgado continued on as The Master. No, Frontier in Space was his last serial, before the car accident that took him from us far too soon. He classed up every episode he appeared in. Pertwee was the star, yes, but Delgado made those episodes. From the remove of 50 years I still feel the loss. Pertwee was to leave Doctor Who after one more year, saying that he could not continue without Delgado. A great loss.
Watched all of Invasion that’s currently available over on Apple TV. It’s… fine. The acting is terrific, but the story is very much “been there done that”. The TV series Falling Skies did exactly this same story 10 years ago, with more, well, everything. More plot, more characters, more storylines, more twists, MORE ALIENS.If you like Invasion, then definitely check out Falling Skies. It stars Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, and Will Patton, with a who’s-who of SFF character actors like Doug Jones, Peter Shinkoda and Matt Frewer. https://youtu.be/JIx8EvxqPug?si=UKm-F...
Oh, also finished One Piece, which was really good. Despite all the mayhem it’s relentlessly optimistic. Full marks.Also watched the short film by Wes Anderson on Netflix, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, and it is absolutely terrific. At just 39 minutes it is the perfect distillation of Anderson’s quirky style. Highly recommended. https://youtu.be/4RdncisZ_QA?si=EDMSN...
Finished with Castlevania: Nocturne. I liked it, especially the finale. Should have guessed what would happen but glad I didn't. Also still following the Wheel of Time. I think the series has finally grown on me.
The Green Death, end of the fourth season of Pertwee's run on Doctor Who. Freaky green slime turns basic grubs into huge maggots with the potential to turn into large flying insects. Big Evil Computer anticipating Pinky and the Brain in its attempt to try to take over the world! Also a silly attempt by the Doctor to confuse the computer with a logic loop; Kirk and Spock did it so much better.Anyhoo, silly fun abounds. A Nobel-Prize-winning scientist tries to feed the world with a protein-rich fungus. He's kinda like a younger, human version of the Doctor. So of course Jo Grant falls in love and runs off with him. My wife pointed out how much the end here matches Tennant's run and his Doctor's conclusion with Rose.
A poignant ending. The Doctor slips out as the group celebrates the engagement. As they toast, he quietly goes out the door, with only Jo giving him a sad glance. For all that Jo Grant was the overacting loud equivalent of Susan, her character had a good run. The Doctor is once again alone, a demigod among humans, knowing that it always must end.
Just watched Top Gun: Maverick, expecting it to bore me, but actually I liked it a lot more than the original. Even if it had the same beats. Some decent character development even if it was telegraphed a mile away. Star Wars writers could learn a lot from this on how to pay tribute to the original while raising the stakes.This flick was pretty much Luke MavWalker doing the Death Star run with a side of escape from Hoth. And the "where you're supposed to be" bit straight out of Star Trek IV where Kirk is made permanently Captain. For all that it was completely derivative it was well done.
EDIT: Oh, and how could I forget? Han(g) SoloMan to the rescue in a way that belies his "self interested" persona.
I watched Lost Bullet on Netflix. It’s a French action flick that combines John Wick with Fast and Furious. It stars a stuntman, so the action is brutal. Decent time-passer.I did continually find it humorous how they kept trying to make these dinky little Renaults, Peugeots and Fiats seem badass. They just don’t have any oomph, y’know? I feel like an F-150 or even a Nissan Sentra could squish them all. XD
I went to the Movie Theater to see The Creator and super glad I did. Hope this makes some good box office totals, acting and action is first rate.
SLOW HORSES RETURNSThe wait is finally over! The new season of Slow Horses has been announced, coming to Apple TV+ on 1st December 2023.
Season 3 will be based on the third novel in the Slough House series, Real Tigers, and follows the slow horses as they navigate a criminal conspiracy within MI5.
Watching Gen V. I think I like The Boys more (better villains) but this is pretty fun.
Saw Lower Decks last night and, well, after some pretty good eps we now have a leading candidate for "worst of the season." Some (small) props along the way for bringing back the voices of Rom and Leeta, and a small introspective moment at the end. Oh, and that was a straight recreation of Quark's Bar from the Star Trek Experience in Vegas, which was fun to see, but that was a five second flash.
On a Stephen King's Holly kick. Watched The Outsider, and Mr Mercedes season one (different actress, and she actually does the Holly audiobook).
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There were so many nostalgia-bait moments which had no purpose other than to remind the audience of the high points of the DC movies that it’s difficult to enumerate them all. And they’re all there simply for the nostalgia kick as they never do anything with them.
Tonally it’s all over the place, and part of that must be due to the edit. It feels like there are important scenes left out, which is weird because it’s a 2-1/2 hour movie. I have to assume the original cut is near 3 hours. It certainly *feels* like a 3-hour movie.
On the positive side I will say that the heart of the movie is really compelling. If they had cut everything else out and just focused on Barry’s attempt to undo his mom’s murder, it would’ve been a terrific film. All the Batman/Supergirl stuff just gets in the way. It still would’ve been a hard sell because the Flash TV series already did this story recently, and they had the room to explore the nuances of meddling with the timestream.
Another positive thing is that I did watch it all the way through. Something I can’t say about Black Adam, which was so dull that I fell asleep somewhere around the halfway mark and have never felt compelled to finish it.
But yeah, The Flash is pretty cynical corporate product and should’ve been either an hour shorter or 45 minutes longer.