Saturday, March 25, 2017

Weekend Open Thread

Find someone who looks at you the way Michael Sopkiw looks at a baby deer.

Movies! Talk them up! What are you watching? What's on your mind?

59 comments:

  1. I hope we'll get a write up of the marathon this week... just checking Twitter and it's a great group of films.

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  2. Blastfighter look fun. where can i find it?

    right now i'm watching Resident Evil Last The Last Chapter. it's over the top, crazy and make almost no sens, but it's very fun.

    after that, my weekend is dedicated to Mass Effect Andromeda.

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  3. Surprise, surprise, Power Rangers is lame. I don't know what I was expecting, but there you go. Somehow it even reached boring territory.

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  4. - Life is entertaining, but it's nothing we haven't seen a dozen times before.
    - The original 1933 King Kong is great.
    - Sin City: A Dame to Kill For was a little disappointing.
    - I'm excited to see The Untouchables for the first time and in 35mm on the big screen on Monday.

    That's about it.

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  5. I finally watched Cheap Thrills last night and I freakin' loved it. I thought all the performances were terrific, but I agree with pretty much everyone, in saying that David Koechner steals the show. I liked Patrick's observation in his review that something about his humour has always felt "off," and that this movie "understands that his off-ness is masking something dark." I don't think this is a spoiler, but when he says "I'm going to call you a cab," and then, mostly to himself, "because I'm a good host" I could not stop laughing, especially after everything that's come before. If you haven't seen this movie, it's on Canadian Netflix right now!

    I also saw I Don't Feel at Home in this World Anymore (great), Logan (great), and Kong: Skull Island (boo). I rewatched Starship Troopers for the first time in years and, holy shit, that may be my second favourite Verhoeven. Just brilliant. I also watched They Came Together for the seventh time in one year, and discovered one joke that I'd missed, so I count that as a win.

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    1. Andrew, if you liked Cheap Thrills you may enjoy a similar movie that came out around that time: Would You Rather. It has an incredible Jeffrey Combs performance (if you aren't already a fan, you will be after watching this).

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  6. Power Rangers - Succeeds in character development, but fails in action. I really liked the characters but once they become Power Rangers it's pretty lame.

    Life - Honestly guys, I loved this movie. I thought it was super intense and actually scary. So well done!

    The Belko Experiment - Grim, bleak, and unpleasant. It certainly isn't bad, but I really didn't enjoy my time with it. Plus I really didn't think it had anything to say that hasn't been said a dozen times.

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    1. I think Life is OK if taken strictly on its own, but it is hard to recommend when other movies have covered similar territory more effectively. I liked the direction it took with the ending.

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  7. Busy week in movies for me while procrastinating on other things:
    Song to Song - Terrence Malick gets an A-list cast to make a student art film. I am tempted to see it a second time for the sake of artistic expression.
    Personal Shopper - Kristen Stewart is subtly great playing a medium trying to make contact with her deceased brother. A European art film where the performances are relatable and believable despite the supernatural subject matter.
    Life - Alien meets Gravity without the emotional weight of either.
    Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome - Not especially good, but interesting in relation to Fury Road.
    Being John Malkovich - This quirky comedy holds up extremely well. Another gem from 1999.
    Young Adult - Charlize Theron plays an adorable monster.
    Gucci: The Director - An interesting but not particularly in-depth look at the creative director of the Italian luxury goods and apparel company.
    Rogue One - Opening night at the discount cinema and the 3D showing was way too dark.
    True Grit (2010) - An entertaining Cohen brothers drama. I was not expecting the character relationships to be so prickly.

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    1. Darkness would have helped for me with Rogue One because of — SPOILERS for Rogue One — the Moff Tarkin character. When Peter Cushing's face appeared, I let out a little "eep" of joy. Fantastic, thinks I, what a great little CGI cameo and tribute to one of my favourite actors. But then he just keeps coming back, and the more he does, the worse it is. He's too big for a start. Cushing wasn't Warwick Davis height but nor was he the giant he is in this movie. He had a slight build and was under six feet. And the face is just too... big and in your own face. The movie makers seemed a bit too in love with their creation. I had to squint my eyes after a while whenever he came on screen, like I do if ever there's an Adam Sandler trailer before a movie I've gone to see. I've never figured out how to squint my ears, sadly.

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    2. Darkness would have been less boring than Rogue One.

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    3. Rogue One was fine during first viewing in the science center's huge IMAX theater, but it was much less interesting at a normal screening -- especially with the projector's gamma curves all screwed up.

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    4. Closed out the weekend with Bill Paxton in Traveller and revisited The Usual Suspects. Also watched Personal Shopper again to figure out whodunit.

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  8. Hit the century mark for movies last weekend. I don't have a personal goal, but I've never kept tabs and I'm looking forward to the final tally and rejog my memory of what's been great, mediocre and forgettable.

    So far this weekend:
    Train to Busan - Very good if a bit overlong (I still dig zombie movies though)
    Prevenge - Really fun and well made
    Hostel 2 - A first rewatch since it originally came out. I think it's better than the first.
    We Go On - an interesting take on ghost/haunting movies. Hits some different territory, but also falters with conventions.

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  9. I've been keeping a list of every movie I see for a couple years now, and it's fun to go back at the end of the year. I use IMDb, so it's easy to order the list by my score, year, genre etc.

    I'm at 73 so far for this year.

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    1. i beat you, but who's counting :)

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    2. Hey Mikko, is there a release for Lake Bodom in Finland?

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    3. Yeah, it's been out on BD and DVD for a couple months, but unfortunately they don't seem to include English subtitles.

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    4. That's what I figured. Hopefully it will make it's way here eventually. Thanks man!

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  10. Hello everyone. This might seem a bit of a cheeky request, but I would be interested to know what other movie podcasts you guys subscribe to. I began listening to F This Movie a few months ago after having avoided it because of the title. It sounded like one of those shows where a bunch of bros sit around making lame, off-colour jokes, chugging beers, and offering no real insight into the films they review (I'm looking at you, We Hate Movies).

    Boy was I ever wrong. Patrick's programme is fantastic, hitting just the right balance of sagaciousness (screw you, spell checker, it is so a word) and humour. The Doug episodes (I will never not find it really sweet that Patrick always introduces Doug as "My best friend") are infectiously silly at times as these guys riff off each other, but every one of the contributors is smart and funny. I guess I'm not telling F-Heads what they don't already know. As with great movies and TV shows, great podcasts make you want to spend time in these people's company, and that's what F This Movie provides. I'll stop gushing now.

    My problem is that, to paraphrase Inspector Harry Callahan, I'm shit out of episodes. I'm now down to one a week and it simply isn't enough to satisfy my jones. What I'm after, I suppose, is smart, funny film podcasts that have a similar sensibility to Patrick's show.

    I enjoy How Did This Get Made?, particularly the live episodes and mainly because of Jason Mantzoukas, and I'll listen to The /Filmcast if I'm desperate. It's okay, but host David Chen is kind of a stiff; anyone who makes a joke and then feels compelled to say he was only joking isn't someone I can easily deal with. I know you were joking, Dave; I got it from the context. And have a bit of a sense of humour about your religion, dude. It's fine that you're a Christian, but smart people can laugh about their beliefs. I checked out The Canon a while ago and thought I'd found a show I could get into, then made the mistake of doing a Google search to see why it had been on hiatus for so long, and... oh boy. So that's off the table. The aforementioned We Hate Movies: It's okay if you're in the mood for that sort of thing, and you can play a drinking game based on how many times Andrew Jupin says "whatever" in a given episode. Expect a cirrhosis diagnosis somewhere down the line if you do, though. Heather Wixson has let me down by not having a podcast of her own, because I could listen to the Wicked Wix of the Web all day long. As Patrick has said, most horror podcasts are terrible, so it would be nice to have a good one.

    I think that's it, and sorry for the long post. Any suggestions are appreciated, Well, not any; I don't think I'd appreciate it if someone suggested I boil my bottom or take a swim in that lake in Creepshow 2, or just watch Creepshow 3 again. Wow, some of you people are mean. What have I ever done to you?

    Keep on effing, guys.

    Sagacity, maybe?

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    1. In small doses I occasionally listen to Filmspotting, Film Junk, and The Science Fiction Film Podcast. The first can be a little haughty, and the latter two are a little too bro-cast for me. Also try Nerdist and WTF for A-list interviews.

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    2. Shock waves podcast at blumhouse is great

      Also it's first iteration as Killerpovov

      Pure cinema podcast
      And also Movie crypt

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    3. Thanks, guys. I'll check 'em all out.

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    4. Would add Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers which are friends to this site. There's also a small, up-and-coming one called The Watching Machine that was started by an F-This Movie commenter. Always good to support fellow F-Heads!

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    5. Is Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers the one that Patrick encourages people to go to and just write "Blob" on the forums? I think it might be. Thanks, Chaybee.

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    6. Bad Movie Fiends (bmfcast.com) is pretty entertaining. They review "bad" movies, but not primarily to diss on them, they love "good bad movies" and wear their love on their sleeve. And I love the sliding scale they use to score the movies, good bad movies get 1-5 jox (inspired by Robot Jox) and bad bad movies get 1-5 bags (as in douchebags, inspired by Twilight). I think those two were the first movies they ever reviewed.

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    7. Holy shit!!! Thanks for the mention, Chaybee!! The Watching Machine is my podcast, which has been going through some growing pains since I lost my regular co-host, and haven't found a replacement yet. We'll have a new episode up on Monday morning on Life, though; in fact, one of guests is going to be fellow F-Head Nichole G, who I met through these comments sections, before I discovered she lived in my area.

      I'm a fan of Alternate Ending, but only the episodes with Tim Brayton co-hosting; he writes all the reviews for the site, and is a truly great critic, but only occasionally gets in on the podcast portion of the site.

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    8. Hello, E.S.A.D.D.

      I'm the person who asked about other users' favourite movie podcasts. I created a profile because it seemed rude to keep commenting anonymously. Thanks to Mikko for the recommendation, by the way. And a special thankyou to Chaybee for suggesting your programme. I must confess I was expecting something pretty bad when this user spoke about a small, up-and-coming podcast by an F This Movie contributor, but I thought I'd do you a favour and subscribe out of kindness. Throw an effer a bone, thought I. It won't be any good but it's the least I can do.

      Damn my preconceived notions. Yes, damn them. I apologise for the profanity, but, to quote Homer Simpson, this thing is really, really, really... good. This is exactly what I meant when I said I was searching for another podcast with a similar sensibility to Patrick's show. I'm delighted that I've found one within the F This Movie! family.

      I've only listened to the Cabin In the Woods and The Babadook/Least Favourite Scary Movies to Watch in the Dark episodes so far, but I'm already hooked. It would have been nice if you guys had talked about The Babadook or scary movies one shouldn't watch in the dark, but that's a minor quibble. You have a great voice, both literally and metaphorically, I could not be more surprised or pleasantly impressed... strike that, reverse it... right now.

      I was going to offer some patronising advice about how you should number episodes and make sure the title of the movie you're discussing comes first in iTunes, but I won't.

      It's really great, E.S.A.D.D. Nicely done, and please stick with it through the lean times. Gold always floats to the top. I'm not sure if that's metallurgically (fuck you, spell checker, you work for me) accurate, but it should be. You have a fan in this little mouse.

      Several demerits for the Mistery joke, though. And apologies for again talking about a podcast that wasn't F This Movie!

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    9. Addendum/correction. While you do have a 'great' speaking voice, only time will tell if it's a great voice in the other sense. I can be a little too effusive at times.

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    10. Oh man oh man oh man, N.M., so this is what is feels like... when Logan cries doves out of his chest like that kid in Holy Mountain (what?) This is the most gratifying thing ever; I must have read your post five times over before I was grounded enough to write anything back. Thank you!!! Thank you! As you can see from the number of plays on my soundcloud page, we are a nothing show, with very few listeners, so earning a comparison to Patrick's show is the highest honor I could hope for. Of course, I can't fully accept the compliment, and keep thinking to myself, "Oh, N will get to the bad episodes eventually, and realize he/she was completely wrong, and I suck hard." But, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, I guess! Thanks again, so much, for trying our show out and for saying such nice things! I'll keep giving it my best!

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    11. And, without making any presumptions, if you were referring to my show when you said "downloading now", Patrick, many, many thanks to you as well for giving us a shot!

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    12. Calm down, dude, and don't ruin Logan for me; I haven't seen it yet. I don't even know what Holy Mountain is. Your podcast is excellent. I paused the Moana episode to reply to your comment. You're not a nothing show. From little acorns... Have confidence in your product. Based on the three-and-a-bit episodes I've listened to, you've already superseded We Hate Movies in my estimation. That's pretty impressive, because I do like that podcast, and they've done hundreds of shows. May I please now get back to Moana?

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    13. Acorns? Acorns?!?!?! How dare you?? :)

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    14. Even Dwarfs Started Small. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Better?

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    15. Welcome to the site, Nonnymouse. I'm glad you made a "profile", because there are various anonymous posters, but we're a friendly community, and it's good to know it's you!

      Even Dwarfs Started Small...Haven't though about that in years!!! Those years were the days I drank too much cough syrup and watched Herzog movies. Good one though.

      We Hate Movies is okay in small doses. Eric is the funniest of the bunch. He has two spin off podcasts which are Blame It On Outer Space (which I think is pretty much defunct, but is my fav podcast of all time. Yes), and Hooked on T.J. Hooker, which he just recently started doing where they recap episodes of the TV series T.J. Hooker. Both spinoffs have co-host Ben Worcester who is THE BEST. TJ Hooker is a police drama show with William Shatner as the star. I've never seen it, but can relisten to the podcasts endlessly.

      Again, Blame It On Outer Space everyone should listen to!!!! Start with the middle episodes, because the first few have a good, but different feel, as they got their legs.

      E.S.A.D.D. didn't know you had a podcast. Will definitely check that out.

      Other movie podcasts? Most I've listened to have already been mentioned, and faults already been pointed out. Film Junk is just way too long. Projection Booth, too long too, only can listen for movies I love. The only other movie podcast I listen to is Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers which is amazing.

      For other podcasts, I've been listening to The Dollop a lot. Caustic Soda (long since defunct) is good too.

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    16. Thanks for the welcome, Paul.

      I agree about Eric Szyszka on WHM. I downloaded all extant episodes of Blame It On Outer Space some time ago but haven't listened to any of 'em yet. I'll check out the T.J. Hooker podcast. That show was a little before my time, but I do have a vague memory of a corseted William Shatner inelegantly sliding across the hood of a cop car in the opening credits. Shatner appeared in a movie with Robert De Niro that I haven't seen. The latter plays a police officer who gets acting advice from the former, and in the trailer, Shatner says something like "This guy is the worst actor I've ever seen," mocking his own... unique acting style. God, I love that Canadian bastard.

      Yeah, Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers is great. I started listening to it a day or so ago after people here recommended it in response to my query. The Halloween III: Season of the Witch — ♫Happy, happy Halloween, Halloween, Halloween. Happy, happy Halloween, Silver Shamrock♫ — episode is an odd one, though. One of the hosts (I haven't got their names down yet) goes into an extended bit about handkerchiefs in the underground gay subculture in the seventies, because... Dan O'Herlihy wears a hanky in his pocket or something? I was half-listening to another episode today in which Patrick's name came up. I think he might have appeared on something else those guys did, and they spoke about hopefully having the birthday boy as a guest on a future sleepover. I've found that this is a good way to get to know about good podcasts while avoiding the garbage: look for guest appearances by podcasters you like on other shows.

      E.S.A.D.D.'s cast is well worth checking out. I've only listened to three episodes so far (the third having been very rudely interrupted for half an hour. Hmph! Nicholas Parsons doesn't pop out from behind my radio when I'm listening to Just a Minute), but it seems smart and insightful so far.

      Thanks again to everyone who shared their favourite non-F This Movie movie podcasts. I should have enough interesting stuff now to block out the reality of the world (He's not president, he's not president, he's not...) as I go about in it for quite a while to come.

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    17. Ha ha! It took me until just now to realize what you were getting at, because I don't know who Nicholas Parsons is at all. (Not looking so smart or insightful now, is I, wiseacre?! FACE!!)

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    18. Ah, Nick is marvellous, E.S.A.D.D. I know what that stands for, young man. Just a Minute is a BBC Radio 4 panel game that's been running continually for over fifty years. Nicholas was the host from the start and he's never missed an episode. I don't know if you're familiar with the Miss Marple films of the early-to-mid 1960s with Margaret Rutherford as the spinster sleuth, but he appeared in a couple of them, basically playing his own doctor father. Those movies are great. Best. Marple. Ever.

      I listened to the Dead Alive episode of The Watching Machine (we need to talk about that title, by the way; I have some thoughts) today. I liked it. Arrival is next up, I've just decided. I'm crossing my fingers that you guys don't praise the effing awful denouement. That shit made me want to set fire to the cinema.

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    19. The "Fan vs. Noob" episodes were all recorded before I joined the show, which means I despise them even more deeply than the episodes recorded after I joined. Justin left after the first "proper" episode of the show, and Andrew just left a couple months ago, when, in a state of ecstatic lucidity, he realized he had more important shit to do. :) The podcast's title is non-negotiable. It stays or I walk. And if I leave, good luck finding someone else to host a podcast called The Watching Machine... what kind of moron O.K.'s a name like that, anyway?

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  11. Fun weekend fact

    Andrew Divoff is the only actor to appear in both an Xtro movie and a Wishmaster movie, me and Riske somehow are connected like in Unbreakable

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  12. Pizza Hut and Predator 2 on a Saturday night. What more needs to be said ��

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    1. This is only second best to "Sex...breakfast of champions"

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  13. Watched Rio Bravo for the first time last night. So freaking good. It's one of those movies that can just hit so many beats, action, suspense, drama, romance, comedy, a freaking musical number. I rarely feel so wrapped up in a story. I might watch it with the John Carpenter commentary next weekend. Anyone seen that? Good?

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  14. Watched "A Monster Calls". I like how many topics were covered and it wasn't preachy and in for your face.

    also watched "From a House on Willow Street". I actually really liked this! Went in blind and was pleasantly surprised with a decent take on a couple specific horror sub genres, some great make-up and practical effects (also some decent CG). I think there were too many jump scares but I'm basically immune to them now so it's hard for me to say.

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    1. Just to be clear...this film isn't "good" in a traditional sense but to me it's great. I'd go as far as saying it encompasses a lot of what I love from 80's horror without intending to. Which is A+ in my opinion.

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  15. Happy B-Day Patrick & Heather. I also had a B-Day this week. I am now lined up with Chaybee, and I think shortly Patrick. Anyways, everyone wanted to be social but I really wanted to just watch some movies. I got the best of both worlds and played hookie from work and shut out all light during the day and enjoyed some 80's slashers that I heard good things about but hadn't watched.

    Sleepaway Camp - I new basically what was coming but it was still a ton of fun. The last shot did not disappoint!

    Favorite Kill - Bee's

    The Burning - Didn't know anything about it at all. Great opening (the nurse/intern hazing scene was great) followed by some really good character development for an 80's slasher. Then you knew if they were going on a camping trip while at CAMP the double down was REALLY happening. Maybe I was just in the mood, but while method of kills were pretty much repetitive, the movie threw in enough twists to keep me excited all the way through.

    Favorite Kill - Sleeping Bag Surprise! Maybe Kayak Craziness!

    Blood Rage - I just knew this was the Thanksgiving slasher, but it was so much more than cranberry sauce. We got got twins (spoiler 1 evil), insane asylums, people trying to get laid (college kids and single parents), babysitting and strange desire to play tennis! So much fun. If you're the only other person in the world who hasn't seen it, watch it.

    Favorite Kill - Tie for the First, Fiance and the Last kill.

    May you all be lucky enough to string together a three peat this successful this week!

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    1. I suggest checking out the FTM commentary tracks for Sleepaway Camp and The Burning next. They're hilarious.

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    2. I've know about them but resisted. Gonna be in my first week of 2017 SMM!

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    3. You don't really have to wait. Every month is a bit scary.

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  16. just rented Future Shock! The Story of 2000AD on Google Play. great documentary on the legendary comic publisher

    and now i'm browsing amazon for judge dredd comics.

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    1. I don't know comics at all, but my one friend who does says the Dredd ones are among the best.

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  17. Less Than Zero is on Netflix and it is quite interesting. I read the book a few years ago as I was going through a Bret Easton Ellis obsession period in my life. I knew that film version existed, but I never seeked it out and I also never knew that it featured a cast that I knew pretty well. Robert Downey Jr., James Spader, Andrew McCarthy, and Jami Gertz are all familiar faces. I think it's interesting just as a time capsule type of movie, but it doesn't do the book justice. It doesn't capture the vibe of the book and tries to 'adult John Hughes' too much. If that doesn't make sense, I understand, but that's how I saw it anyway. I would love to hear a podcast on this movie someday, but maybe this is better suited as a 'Book vs. Movie' podcast, idk. Is it just me or is Andrew McCarthy really bad in this?

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  18. Sunday, March 19
    Captain Fantastic(2016) - beautifully shot, Viggo was terrific

    Monday, March 20
    I Don't Feel at Home in this World Anymore(2017) - Macon Blair's debut was great, started off slow but ends well

    Bridge of Spies(2015) - Decent movie, shot incredibly

    Innocent Prey(1984) - Low-budget slasher has it's moments

    Tuesday, March 21
    Black Mass(2015) - Not bad, not great, nothing new

    Satanico Pandemonium: La Sexorcista(1975) - pretty boring nunsploitation, couple of ok kills

    Wednesday, March 22

    Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural(1973) - Kinda creepy kid's nightmare story, part zombie, part vampire, not terrible

    Terminator: Genisys(2015) - Silly but fun, didn't hate it

    The Babysitter(1995) - huge waste of time, men are bad, we know

    Thursday, March 23
    God's Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand(2006) - Japanese horror/fairy tale, had a blast, seek it out

    Victor Frankenstein(2015) - I love McAvoy in anything, even in this less than great take on Frankenstein, forgettable





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    1. I watched GLH,DRH during scary movie month, and was honestly kinda disappointed... I don't read a ton of manga, but I happened to be a fan of the comic this particular movie was based on, which I thought was horrifying, and the movie's low production value prevented it from being particularly anything besides campy; I'm not a "the book was better" person normally (I hate books), but in the case of this particular movie and Uzumaki, IMO, the filmmakers really missed out on their opportunities to make something electrifying.

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    2. I can see that. I have never read any manga so I don't have anything to compare it to. I'm okay with the low budget and I thought what happened at the end made up for some of its weak points. It's not perfect but I still think it's worth checking out.

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    3. I really liked Genisis (spelling? who knows, who cares, I just know they spelled it wrong).

      I really liked Bridge Of Spies too. Surprised this movie doesn't get more love, but maybe I need to see it again. Although I think it's a case of Speilberg being taken for granted (as was mentioned in one of the episodes).

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