Movie/TV recommendations

[Brannigan]

The first episode of the Walking Dead showed up on Halloween. I haven't read the comics so I'm looking at it purely as a TV show, and I can see potential, but I'm reserving judgement until it's more developed.

The first episode's ending was pretty awesome, though.

I follow the comic myself. The show is faithful to the comic so far overall. The changes that were made were pretty much all for the better. I loved the first episode and eagerly await the next.

[circadianwolf]

I thought the first episode was very well made, but holy shit the constant patriarchy and violence against women was baffling and horrible. Like I don't pay too much attention to that stuff normally but wow. Although I realize that's a flashpoint issue so I won't say anything more to avoid an argument.

[Brannigan]

Violence against women?

[Ben X]

That's cool. I started looking through the episode list for Season 5, and while I definitely remembered most of the shows, it was only really the Barber Shop Quartet that REALLY stuck out. I did enjoy Cape Feare, though.

I remember Deep Space Homer and Homer Loves Flanders as being great, but it's been a long time since I watched them. A lot of duds on that list though, and some that I haven't even seen - how the hell did that happen?!

[Lu]

I went to see Due Date at the Movie Tavern. Movie Tavern is the best concept ever. Being served dinner and drinks while watching a movie? MORE PLEASE.

Due Date was alright, but I think the Tavern helped. The relationship the characters had made no sense to me, but I just went with it and I enjoyed it.

[circadianwolf]

Fair Game

A film about what happened to Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson. The guy playing Scooter Libby is ace. The scenes at the CIA, with all the evidence getting blatantly ignored, is surreal and so true to reports.

[syntheticgerbil]

That's cool. I started looking through the episode list for Season 5, and while I definitely remembered most of the shows, it was only really the Barber Shop Quartet that REALLY stuck out. I did enjoy Cape Feare, though.

Which episodes are good in Season 5 do you think, so far? I'm really quite interested in all this -- I've even asked about it before.

Hmm... I'll list the half I think are pretty good, but I don't actually think any of them quite stick out as classics like they do (for me) in Season 4. The last season seems to have contained every episode that was genuinely memorable to me plus others I sort of forgot were great. I'm really into the around the house or in the neighborhood type situations, so stuff in Season 5 like Homer going into space or even the Springfield Casino getting built seem way too much for me, even with the movie parody situations added, which I'm not too big on in large doses. Finishing the Season, it's seems like it really calmed back down in the last five episodes, so I'm hoping this will carryover to the next season.

These are great I think though: Homer's Barbershop Quartet, Homer Goes to College (well, until Homer hits the dean with his car, then it's just idiotic I think), Rosebud, Treehouse of Horror IV, Marge on the Lam, Bart Gets Famous, Homer and Apu, Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy, Homer Loves Flanders (except Homer jumping a boat on Ned's car), Burns' Heir, Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song, and Lady Bouvier's Lover.

[Thyroid]

I've seen maybe a couple of dozen Simpsons episodes, but I think I ended-up loving everything I saw of Season 6. "Lisa's Rival" is my favorite so far, though "Lisa's Wedding" and "Bart's Girlfriend" come as close seconds.

[syntheticgerbil]

I vaguely remember Lisa's Wedding but those other two you named were seemed pretty good the last time I saw them, Kroms. I think I'm getting the feeling maybe things get a little more stable again in Season 6, so this should be fun.

[tm_drummer]

Recently, I watched:

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (again),

Saw 7 (so called Saw 3D...) - some pretty brutal traps (more brutal than in any previous Saw movie, actually), some funny parts (yeah...don't know...), filling up the holes in the story...but the ending is still left open for possible sequels....although, horror movies tend to end that way, as an open door, so....who knows....

Also, as a fan of the franchise...I can't say I'm exactly disappointed with this one...but there is something...missing. Can't put my finger on it.

And the classics The Dirty Dozen and Taxi Driver, again.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Recently, I watched:

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (again),

And the classics The Dirty Dozen and Taxi Driver, again.

Any... opinions?

[brkl]

They are quite nice.

[JonCole]

I recently burned through Sanctuary... it actually kinda surprised me. I mostly jumped into it because I finished Stargate SG-1 and I saw Amanda Tapping was in this one. The first season was kinda hokey and cliche, but I still felt the potential was there and barreled through S2/currently airing S3. It's kinda nice when you invest in a show and it actually comes into its own before too long. I'd recommend it to sci-fi geeks.

[tm_drummer]

Any... opinions?

Oh...Well, Scott Pilgrim was already discussed just recently, so I basically had nothing to add...I just mentioned that I watched it again. I can add to the discussion by saying that I liked the comic books more than the movie because the latter, in my opinion, lacks the character progression the comics had, particularly the characters of Kim and Ramona, which I really liked in the comics. However, I really do like the movie a lot, don't get me wrong.

Other than that, I have nothing more to say that wasn't said before.

The same with The Dirty Dozen and Taxi Driver, I just mentioned that I watched them again, after a while. Both great movies. "Quite nice" as brkl said

Also, Taxi Driver (which is one of my favorites) sometimes seems as it was made just recently and not 36 years ago (although some would say that, too, isn't that long ago, but still...).

EDIT: That would be 34 years ago...I instantly wrote 36, while thinking in my head the movie was made in 1976. Thanks, brain.

Edited November 8, 2010 by tm_drummer

[Orv]

I recently burned through Sanctuary... it actually kinda surprised me. I mostly jumped into it because I finished Stargate SG-1 and I saw Amanda Tapping was in this one. The first season was kinda hokey and cliche, but I still felt the potential was there and barreled through S2/currently airing S3. It's kinda nice when you invest in a show and it actually comes into its own before too long. I'd recommend it to sci-fi geeks.

I loved what I saw of the first season on TV, but as usual, never brought myself around to get off the computer/stop reading a book on the right day.

I've recently subbed to Netflix, so I've been catching up on Top Gear (just finished that last night) and my next thing to do is Sanctuary.

Next I'll probably do Merlin, Castle or Buffy:TVS. I likem dem Netflix.

Edit about five seconds later: Oh, they have Pillars of the Earth on Instant Watch. Right, Sanctuary is on hold for a few hours.

Edit5SL#2: Damn! They have Heracles but not Andromeda on instant watch? Heathens.

Hopefully the last edit: What? Dresden Files TV series? With Terrance Mann? DAMN YOU INTERNET, I HAVE THINGS TO DO.

I lied: Far Scape? Babylon 5? MST3K? All three of the last Doctors? Highlander?! Godsdamnit, I'm going to be watching a lot of TV.

[JonCole]

Yeah, I've burned through a pretty horrific amount of content on Netflix recently... I think it worked out to like $0.06 cents per thing I watch last month, if that puts it in perspective

[ThunderPeel2001]

Oh...Well, Scott Pilgrim was already discussed just recently, so I basically had nothing to add...I just mentioned that I watched it again. I can add to the discussion by saying that I liked the comic books more than the movie because the latter, in my opinion, lacks the character progression the comics had, particularly the characters of Kim and Ramona, which I really liked in the comics. However, I really do like the movie a lot, don't get me wrong.

Other than that, I have nothing more to say that wasn't said before.

The same with The Dirty Dozen and Taxi Driver, I just mentioned that I watched them again, after a while. Both great movies. "Quite nice" as brkl said

Also, Taxi Driver (which is one of my favorites) sometimes seems as it was made just recently and not 36 years ago (although some would say that, too, isn't that long ago, but still...).

EDIT: That would be 34 years ago...I instantly wrote 36, while thinking in my head the movie was made in 1976. Thanks, brain.

[Patters]

I loved what I saw of the first season on TV, but as usual, never brought myself around to get off the computer/stop reading a book on the right day.

I've recently subbed to Netflix, so I've been catching up on Top Gear (just finished that last night) and my next thing to do is Sanctuary.

Next I'll probably do Merlin, Castle or Buffy:TVS. I likem dem Netflix.

Edit about five seconds later: Oh, they have Pillars of the Earth on Instant Watch. Right, Sanctuary is on hold for a few hours.

Edit5SL#2: Damn! They have Heracles but not Andromeda on instant watch? Heathens.

Hopefully the last edit: What? Dresden Files TV series? With Terrance Mann? DAMN YOU INTERNET, I HAVE THINGS TO DO.

I lied: Far Scape? Babylon 5? MST3K? All three of the last Doctors? Highlander?! Godsdamnit, I'm going to be watching a lot of TV.

Angel>Buffy.

[Kolzig]

Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, "Cape Feare" was the last episode made by the "original team". Everyone started to leave at the beginning of Season 5.

Looking through the episode list, some faves from S5 leap out:

Barbershop Quartet

Cape Feare

Those two episodes are propably me and couple of my friends ultimate most favourite Simpsons episodes they ever made.

[Garple]

Am I the only person in the world who thinks the Simpsons has always been good? What do you guys want that you only got from them for 5 seasons? I'm not necessarily saying this about you guys (synthgerbil being very experienced and knowledgeable in animated media, for one) but it seems like the kind of idea that has gained so much momentum and been so widely circulated that I'm pretty sure most people just take it for granted.

[Orv]

Am I the only person in the world who thinks the Simpsons has always been good? What do you guys want that you only got from them for 5 seasons? I'm not necessarily saying this about you guys (synthgerbil being very experienced and knowledgeable in animated media, for one) but it seems like the kind of idea that has gained so much momentum and been so widely circulated that I'm pretty sure most people just take it for granted.

I think even in the first five seasons, there are duds. The reason I actually watch the Simpsons, but don't watch Family Guy/American Dad/Southpark, is because while the Simpsons may not always be high-brow comedy, it doesn't do every joke to death, and then explain it to you like you're some sort of comedic imbecile. (Run on sentence, woo!) There have always been Simpsons episodes that just don't click with me. For instance, the Simpsons movie as a whole doesn't do it for me. But there are many individual gags in there that can make me chuckle whole-heartedly.

Dunno, I've never had a problem with the change of writing staff, but it does seem to be running out of jokes.

[Garple]

I guess it's also funny to me that with something as incredibly subjective as comedy, everyone in the world would decide that the Simpsons later seasons are actually "bad" as opposed to just not their cup of tea.

I may actually do the Ewe Boll thing, especially after finding out his first feature is basically a German take on Columbine called (of all things) Heart of America. That's the most audacious and presumptuous title I can imagine a first time director who's not from America giving their movie.

[Orv]

So in my continuing trawl of Netflix;

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

. . .What?

Final thought: Rent it, if only for the interesting "technology".

Edit: Alright, I'm actually bothering to watch the climax (it was just too bizarre/shitty, but I figured why not) and it has a massive submarine battle, which instantly gives it an extra point in my book because of the Aquanox series. Admittedly, the attack subs perform more like aircraft than submarines, but I suppose something made like that could potentially do so underwater.

Still though.

Further editations: I just thought of something. Joe/Cobra, GDI/NOD?

Final edit (for reals this time): WHY WOULD YOU CAST ARNOLD VOSLOO AND TURN HIM INTO JONATHAN PRYCE?! Godsdamned idiotic. (Arnold Vosloo played Imhotep in the new The Mummy movies, if you're a cultureless swine.)

Edited November 14, 2010 by Orvidos

[Roderick]

Due Date: it's Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but then 20 years later! (And also less good). But it's forgettably amusing for what it's worth.

[Kolzig]

I watched during the weekend Anvil! The story of Anvil. It was propably the best metal related documentary movie I've ever seen.

Really touching movie that shows basically couple of Canadian guys in the 50's who don't want to give up on their dream of performing to big audiences after being famous for a moment 25 years earlier and then getting lost and dropping out of people's radars.

What I learned from that movie was that the world is a shitty place, but Japanese people never seize to amaze with their hardcore attitude and honesty.