OT - Movies thread

[HFrog1999]

I lasted 1 1/2 episodes. Stupid characters, woke casting and stereotypes, ghastly dialog, all was pretty awful save for the action sequences and some nice camera work. I mean, the books weren't exactly great literature, but that was some ham-fisted stuff...

I didn’t read the books, we watched the entire series and really enjoyed it.

 

[HFrog1999]

Binge-watched "Reacher" on Prime Video. I give it two thumbs up.

Think fans of the book series will find this version of Reacher more suitable than Tom Cruise.

Spoiler

There are boobies, too

Spoiler

and a fat dead guy’s pee pee

 

[ShadowFrog]

Just rewatched Ex Machina again. Brilliant film.

And scary.

 

[BrewingFrog]

I didn’t read the books, we watched the entire series and really enjoyed it.

It's probably because I didn't sit still long enough for the boobies...

 

[FrogCop19]

It's probably because I didn't sit still long enough for the boobies...

It actually got much better. I thought they nailed the casting for Reacher much better this time. He plays the character's aloof-yet-good guy routine pretty well, and NAILS the [ Arschloch] parts of him. (phrasing...)

 

[Bizarro Frog]

It actually got much better. I thought they nailed the casting for Reacher much better this time. He plays the character's aloof-yet-good guy routine pretty well, and NAILS the [ Arschloch] parts of him. (phrasing...)

The techniques in the Reacher fight scenes are pretty solid. Lots of direct strikes with the closest tools (hands, knees, feet, head, elbows, weapons) at hand and not a lot of wasted movements or frilly stuff. He makes good use of his surroundings and objects he can weaponize. He also headbutts like the Smashing Machine Mark Kerr, very brutal and effective.

 

[BrewingFrog]

It actually got much better. I thought they nailed the casting for Reacher much better this time. He plays the character's aloof-yet-good guy routine pretty well, and NAILS the [ Arschloch] parts of him. (phrasing...)

I had no problem with the lead. It was the cookie-cutter stereotyping of all the other parts he was dangled into. It is a groan-inducing narrative mechanism, to me at least, to see a character and within a few beats know precisely what kind of part he will play. People aren't like that in real life, as any person who interacts with people on a daily basis knows quite well, and stereotyping is always dangerous. Subtlety and the slow teasing out of details are the intriguing aspects of conversation, but they don't have time for that. So, stereotyping is the order of the day. No thinking involved. The second you see some characters, you immediately know their entire arc for the series. It's just sloppy and predictable writing, done by sloppy and predictable writers.

Oh, and YouTube showed me what I guess is a Climactic Fight later on, with a bunch of naughty guys in a dark mansion and Our Hero eliminating them one by one. Until the last guy, who somehow managed to stay attached to a crowbar. With this crowbar, he delivers manful thwacks to Our Hero about the arms and head. A good dozen or so. Now, I don't know about you, but I have done enough demo work to know that a crowbar as shown is 1.) Heavy, 2.) Made of tough steel, and 3.) When swung at full tilt, will crack right through a little arm bone, and outright shatter the delicate bones of the face. I don't care how Big and Tough Our Hero is, after the second or third manful thwack, he'd be done for the evening.

Sigh. It's that sort of thing that tends to prevent the willing suspension of disbelief.

 

[FrogCop19]

The techniques in the Reacher fight scenes are pretty solid. Lots of direct strikes with the closest tools (hands, knees, feet, head, elbows, weapons) at hand and not a lot of wasted movements or frilly stuff. He makes good use of his surroundings and objects he can weaponize. He also headbutts like the Smashing Machine Mark Kerr, very brutal and effective.

Agreed. If you've read any of the books, that's how they are there, too. He is nothing if not brutally efficient. I also liked how he didn't come out of the fights unscathed, either. LOL'd at the comment when he said, "I'd have killed them in less than 10 seconds."

Twice.

 

[FrogCop19]

I had no problem with the lead. It was the cookie-cutter stereotyping of all the other parts he was dangled into. It is a groan-inducing narrative mechanism, to me at least, to see a character and within a few beats know precisely what kind of part he will play. People aren't like that in real life, as any person who interacts with people on a daily basis knows quite well, and stereotyping is always dangerous. Subtlety and the slow teasing out of details are the intriguing aspects of conversation, but they don't have time for that. So, stereotyping is the order of the day. No thinking involved. The second you see some characters, you immediately know their entire arc for the series. It's just sloppy and predictable writing, done by sloppy and predictable writers.

Oh, and YouTube showed me what I guess is a Climactic Fight later on, with a bunch of naughty guys in a dark mansion and Our Hero eliminating them one by one. Until the last guy, who somehow managed to stay attached to a crowbar. With this crowbar, he delivers manful thwacks to Our Hero about the arms and head. A good dozen or so. Now, I don't know about you, but I have done enough demo work to know that a crowbar as shown is 1.) Heavy, 2.) Made of tough steel, and 3.) When swung at full tilt, will crack right through a little arm bone, and outright shatter the delicate bones of the face. I don't care how Big and Tough Our Hero is, after the second or third manful thwack, he'd be done for the evening.

Sigh. It's that sort of thing that tends to prevent the willing suspension of disbelief.

I can 100% agree with you on that scene. I just commented on another person's post about how he didn't come out of any of his fights unscathed, but I distinctly remember thinking, "Ok, how is he gonna get up from that? Both his arms would be broken, and he'd AT THE VERY LEAST have a nasty gash on his head, if not a crushed orbital bone."

But I guess I'm a sucker for action scenes, and I have little trouble suspending disbelief. To each their own, and I'll admit I'm just an easy sell.

 

[Bizarro Frog]

Agreed. If you've read any of the books, that's how they are there, too. He is nothing if not brutally efficient. I also liked how he didn't come out of the fights unscathed, either. LOL'd at the comment when he said, "I'd have killed them in less than 10 seconds."

Twice.

I will add I am only a few episodes in so there could be some suspended belief fight scenes ahead. Either way it's not the most creative writing or plot but my wife likes seeing him without his shirt on so she is all in.

 

[Bob Sugar]

I am a huge fan of the books and have enjoyed the Reacher series so far.

 

[PurpleBlood87]

Watched a movie on Prime titled "The Last Witness" about the cover up of the Russians killed 20,000 Polish soldiers and others in 1940.

 

[FrogCop19]

Watched a movie on Prime titled "The Last Witness" about the cover up of the Russians killed 20,000 Polish soldiers and others in 1940.

There's a GREAT book called Between Shades of Grey about the Russian purge of Lithuanian people during WWII. Follows a young girl and her family as they get sent from camp to camp in Siberia and all the horrific things they go through. It's pretty amazing.

(Yes, I know the title sounds familiar, but I promise you it's not what you're thinking...)

 

[tcudoc]

I am a huge fan of the books and have enjoyed the Reacher series so far.

Who wouldn't love to have a friendly Reacher 'round when getting assaulted from behind?

 

[JugbandFrog]

I lasted 1 1/2 episodes. Stupid characters, woke casting and stereotypes, ghastly dialog, all was pretty awful save for the action sequences and some nice camera work. I mean, the books weren't exactly great literature, but that was some ham-fisted stuff...

I’m watching it cuz the action is good, but yeah, thw dialogue is no bueno. It has been hard to get through, but I want to know how it ends.

 

[PurpleBlood87]

There's a GREAT book called Between Shades of Grey about the Russian purge of Lithuanian people during WWII. Follows a young girl and her family as they get sent from camp to camp in Siberia and all the horrific things they go through. It's pretty amazing.

(Yes, I know the title sounds familiar, but I promise you it's not what you're thinking...)

I read a book at TCU that was titled I think "Across Russian". It was about the Czech Legion after Russians surrendered in World War I and how they made their way from the front lines in Russia to Siberia.

 

[PurpleBlood87]

I've been watching "All In The Family" on IMDB.
It is so funny and s obviously so politically incorrect.

 

[PO Frog]

Who wouldn't love to have a friendly Reacher 'round when getting assaulted from behind?

This is amazing. Well done

 

[BrewingFrog]

Watched a movie on Prime titled "The Last Witness" about the cover up of the Russians killed 20,000 Polish soldiers and others in 1940.

Will take that in soon. Thanks!

I truly wish a film would be done on the Miracle on the Vistula, but somehow I don't see how that would fit in with current Hollywood values...

 

[What Up Toad]

Sean Penn peaked with Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which also was probably a better soundtrack than movie, but it was a decent movie for a few reasons.
Likely just nostalgia on my part and the fact they were both double albums, but Heavy Metal and Fast Times are two of my all time favorite movie soundtracks. Big stars and almost all original tunes that were not found elsewhere.

My favorite Sean Penn movie is probably Mystic River.