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Post by Rey Kahuka on Apr 10, 2024 14:12:33 GMT
I recently finished rewatching The Shield for the first time in a decade or so. Outstanding television; it seems to be more of a cult classic now, but was beloved and lauded by critics at the time. I'm saddened that it remains relatively underrated and still hasn't had that cultural re-examination that, say, The Sopranos received. For me, the only people who don't have The Shield in their top 10 never saw it because it absolutely belongs with those heavyweights of the 00s, the aforementioned Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood etc. I firmly believe that The Shield helped pave the way for stuff like Breaking Bad - and had it aired in the era of social media it would be recognized at a similar level. Chiklis as Vic Mackey was iconic and Walton Goggins delivered one of the all-time TV performances as Shane Vendrell, one of the best-written characters I can name. Anthony Anderson and Forest Whitaker come in later and they're unforgettable - Anderson in particular totally goes against type with terrifying results. Not to mention that it boasts perhaps the greatest series finale ever aired. There are a few aspects that haven't aged well (one character grapples with his closeted homosexuality and ends up undertaking "conversion therapy") but overall, the plotting and character dynamics were positively Shakespearean by the end (a descriptor that often rings false but definitely applies in this case). I'd highly recommend visiting The Shield if you've never seen it. Never got into it, but I have some friends who swear by it. Maybe I'll get aorund to it someday.
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Post by klawrencio79 on Apr 10, 2024 14:48:27 GMT
I recently finished rewatching The Shield for the first time in a decade or so. Outstanding television; it seems to be more of a cult classic now, but was beloved and lauded by critics at the time. I'm saddened that it remains relatively underrated and still hasn't had that cultural re-examination that, say, The Sopranos received. For me, the only people who don't have The Shield in their top 10 never saw it because it absolutely belongs with those heavyweights of the 00s, the aforementioned Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood etc. I firmly believe that The Shield helped pave the way for stuff like Breaking Bad - and had it aired in the era of social media it would be recognized at a similar level. Chiklis as Vic Mackey was iconic and Walton Goggins delivered one of the all-time TV performances as Shane Vendrell, one of the best-written characters I can name. Anthony Anderson and Forest Whitaker come in later and they're unforgettable - Anderson in particular totally goes against type with terrifying results. Not to mention that it boasts perhaps the greatest series finale ever aired. There are a few aspects that haven't aged well (one character grapples with his closeted homosexuality and ends up undertaking "conversion therapy") but overall, the plotting and character dynamics were positively Shakespearean by the end (a descriptor that often rings false but definitely applies in this case). I'd highly recommend visiting The Shield if you've never seen it. Everyone I know who has watched this show feels the same way you do. I only watched the pilot and it seems right up my alley but I never gave it a fair shake. Work has been so insane the past 6 months so diving into anything has been a fruitless endeavor, but I've always wanted to watch this. Your words have given me inspiration!
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Post by Rey Kahuka on Apr 10, 2024 15:37:27 GMT
Went to see Monkey Man (2024) last week. Let me just jump right in and say Dev Patel hits a home run with his feature length directorial debut. Expertly shot, well acted, with a script that's both straightforward yet complex at the same time. Meaning no offense, it's like John Wick with less guns and mythos, and more brains and heart. A bloody and brutal tale of revenge for a man and comeuppance for a corrupt system-- well, that's still up in the air by the end, we'll get to that. One of those intense but wildly enjoyable R rated actioners featuring a character without a name (credited as 'Kid' according to IMDb), Monkey Man is what you think it will be, but more than that, and how much of the other stuff is necessary is up to the viewer, I suppose. Patel's filmography being what it is, I had a feeling this movie would have layers. The commentary on classism was right in the trailer, but I didn't expect a random trans rights subplot. I'm still not sure it was needed, but Patel has said the movie is very topical regarding Indian politics at the moment, so who am I to argue? Another odd creative choice that stuck out to me: The dialog during individual conversations jumps back and forth in languages, but that doesn't bother me the way it does sdm3 . What I thought was odd, was sometimes within a conversation, there would be subtitles for what somebody said in English. Yes they have accents, but I could understand them just fine, and you didn't bother translating the previous ten lines this character spoke, why that one? Curious as to what kind of test audience feedback led to that decision. It's a detail that's probably not worth the paragraph I'm giving it, but it was in my mental notes, so there you have it. The basic plot synopsis is Patel's character is a nobody from nowhere who's rural community was burned down by the government when he was a child, as he watched his mother get beaten to death. The CO of the operation (and his mother's murderer) is now high up in this corrupt regime headed by a spiritual leader with less than honorable intentions, who is about to give his considerable political endorsement to a conservative candidate running for PM. The whole trans thing doesn't pick up until maybe 2/3rds of the way into the movie, when a group of trans social outcasts take 'Kid' in after he's seriously injured following his first attempt to take revenge. They nurse him back to health, help him regain his strength, and this kind of guru (apologies if I'm playing to stereotypes by using that term, but the guy is Indian and he's a mentor figure who takes Kid on a spiritual journey, so...) sets him back on the path to complete his quest for justice. Regarding the action. I've seen better choreographed fights on screen, but some of the stuff in Monkey Man is excellent for a first time director. The fight scenes are incredibly visceral and visually creative. Jackie Chan popularized the concept of using your surroundings in elaborate fight sequences, and that stuff just never gets old to me, whether a movie is goofing on it or taking it to its most brutal extreme. This movie does a little of both, but leans toward brutal. One particular maneuver toward the end got a 'that was disgusting, but also amazing' groan/cheer out of the entire audience. For an action thriller, Monkey Man leaves a lot of questions unanswered. For starters, though he gets his ultimate revenge on those responsible for his mother's death, it's ambiguous as to whether Kid survives the events of the movie. Also, it's unclear if his actions will help the trans community the movie spent considerable time investing in. The evil guru (again with that word, I know) is dead, but the clearly intolerant candidate for PM is still out there, likely spewing the same hateful rhetoric, if not worse after barely surviving this attack (I forgot to mention the trans group comes to Kid's aid during the final assault). Worse (well maybe not worse, but on more of a personal level for the character), Kid's buddy Alphonso is now a fugitive, after Kid dragged him unknowingly into his web of deception and violence. This is hardly integral to the plot, just an unresolved detail that stuck out to me. Neither here nor there: I realized coming out of the theater that we never learn Kid's name, which got me thinking. It's usually a good sign when the protagonist doesn't have a name, right? 'XXXX' (Layer Cake), 'Narrator' (Fight Club), 'Driver' (Drive), and of course the 'Man With No Name' (Dollars Trilogy). Surely the list goes on, but you see the point I'm making. Monkey Man is a fun ride, I definitely recommend it to fans of R rated action, or Dev Patel fans for that matter. He brings an energy and a presence as a dramatic actor that you rarely see in this kind of role or this kind of movie.
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Post by Shane Falco on Apr 10, 2024 19:22:04 GMT
Went to see Monkey Man (2024) last week. Let me just jump right in and say Dev Patel hits a home run with his feature length directorial debut. Expertly shot, well acted, with a script that's both straightforward yet complex at the same time. Meaning no offense, it's like John Wick with less guns and mythos, and more brains and heart. A bloody and brutal tale of revenge for a man and comeuppance for a corrupt system-- well, that's still up in the air by the end, we'll get to that. One of those intense but wildly enjoyable R rated actioners featuring a character without a name (credited as 'Kid' according to IMDb), Monkey Man is what you think it will be, but more than that, and how much of the other stuff is necessary is up to the viewer, I suppose. Patel's filmography being what it is, I had a feeling this movie would have layers. The commentary on classism was right in the trailer, but I didn't expect a random trans rights subplot. I'm still not sure it was needed, but Patel has said the movie is very topical regarding Indian politics at the moment, so who am I to argue? Another odd creative choice that stuck out to me: The dialog during individual conversations jumps back and forth in languages, but that doesn't bother me the way it does sdm3 . What I thought was odd, was sometimes within a conversation, there would be subtitles for what somebody said in English. Yes they have accents, but I could understand them just fine, and you didn't bother translating the previous ten lines this character spoke, why that one? Curious as to what kind of test audience feedback led to that decision. It's a detail that's probably not worth the paragraph I'm giving it, but it was in my mental notes, so there you have it. The basic plot synopsis is Patel's character is a nobody from nowhere who's rural community was burned down by the government when he was a child, as he watched his mother get beaten to death. The CO of the operation (and his mother's murderer) is now high up in this corrupt regime headed by a spiritual leader with less than honorable intentions, who is about to give his considerable political endorsement to a conservative candidate running for PM. The whole trans thing doesn't pick up until maybe 2/3rds of the way into the movie, when a group of trans social outcasts take 'Kid' in after he's seriously injured following his first attempt to take revenge. They nurse him back to health, help him regain his strength, and this kind of guru (apologies if I'm playing to stereotypes by using that term, but the guy is Indian and he's a mentor figure who takes Kid on a spiritual journey, so...) sets him back on the path to complete his quest for justice. Regarding the action. I've seen better choreographed fights on screen, but some of the stuff in Monkey Man is excellent for a first time director. The fight scenes are incredibly visceral and visually creative. Jackie Chan popularized the concept of using your surroundings in elaborate fight sequences, and that stuff just never gets old to me, whether a movie is goofing on it or taking it to its most brutal extreme. This movie does a little of both, but leans toward brutal. One particular maneuver toward the end got a 'that was disgusting, but also amazing' groan/cheer out of the entire audience. For an action thriller, Monkey Man leaves a lot of questions unanswered. For starters, though he gets his ultimate revenge on those responsible for his mother's death, it's ambiguous as to whether Kid survives the events of the movie. Also, it's unclear if his actions will help the trans community the movie spent considerable time investing in. The evil guru (again with that word, I know) is dead, but the clearly intolerant candidate for PM is still out there, likely spewing the same hateful rhetoric, if not worse after barely surviving this attack (I forgot to mention the trans group comes to Kid's aid during the final assault). Worse (well maybe not worse, but on more of a personal level for the character), Kid's buddy Alphonso is now a fugitive, after Kid dragged him unknowingly into his web of deception and violence. This is hardly integral to the plot, just an unresolved detail that stuck out to me. Neither here nor there: I realized coming out of the theater that we never learn Kid's name, which got me thinking. It's usually a good sign when the protagonist doesn't have a name, right? 'XXXX' (Layer Cake), 'Narrator' (Fight Club), 'Driver' (Drive), and of course the 'Man With No Name' (Dollars Trilogy). Surely the list goes on, but you see the point I'm making. Monkey Man is a fun ride, I definitely recommend it to fans of R rated action, or Dev Patel fans for that matter. He brings an energy and a presence as a dramatic actor that you rarely see in this kind of role or this kind of movie. I will always remember there being a scene in Guy Ritchie's Snatch (that comes out wrong but idc) where Mickey (Brad Pitts character) is going on about dogs and caravans and while its English the accent is so wild the subtitles just put up question marks cuz its gibberish. I miss Jackie Chan movies. Whether it was Rush Hour, Shanghai Noon, The Tuxedo (damn Jennifer Love Hewitt was fine as hell in that film) etc I always found myself enjoying them. Nobody has really taken that mantle. The fact that Jackie is now 70 is mind blowing to me. Outside of MCU movies, Jackie movies were much watch credits for me where you'd get all the bloopers.
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Post by sdm3 on Apr 10, 2024 19:57:38 GMT
I recently finished rewatching The Shield for the first time in a decade or so. Outstanding television; it seems to be more of a cult classic now, but was beloved and lauded by critics at the time. I'm saddened that it remains relatively underrated and still hasn't had that cultural re-examination that, say, The Sopranos received. For me, the only people who don't have The Shield in their top 10 never saw it because it absolutely belongs with those heavyweights of the 00s, the aforementioned Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood etc. I firmly believe that The Shield helped pave the way for stuff like Breaking Bad - and had it aired in the era of social media it would be recognized at a similar level. Chiklis as Vic Mackey was iconic and Walton Goggins delivered one of the all-time TV performances as Shane Vendrell, one of the best-written characters I can name. Anthony Anderson and Forest Whitaker come in later and they're unforgettable - Anderson in particular totally goes against type with terrifying results. Not to mention that it boasts perhaps the greatest series finale ever aired. There are a few aspects that haven't aged well (one character grapples with his closeted homosexuality and ends up undertaking "conversion therapy") but overall, the plotting and character dynamics were positively Shakespearean by the end (a descriptor that often rings false but definitely applies in this case). I'd highly recommend visiting The Shield if you've never seen it. Everyone I know who has watched this show feels the same way you do. I only watched the pilot and it seems right up my alley but I never gave it a fair shake. Work has been so insane the past 6 months so diving into anything has been a fruitless endeavor, but I've always wanted to watch this. Your words have given me inspiration! You won’t regret it!
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Post by Winston Wolfe on Apr 10, 2024 21:02:59 GMT
Everyone I know who has watched this show feels the same way you do. I only watched the pilot and it seems right up my alley but I never gave it a fair shake. Work has been so insane the past 6 months so diving into anything has been a fruitless endeavor, but I've always wanted to watch this. Your words have given me inspiration! You won’t regret it! Only watched it once, nearly a decade and a half ago(!). I own the 7th season on DVD but haven’t touched it since I watched it to make sure it worked properly. As far as I know it isn’t streaming anywhere (I’m not signing up for FX now or whatever)
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Post by sdm3 on Apr 11, 2024 14:31:30 GMT
Anyone planning to see Civil War? I don't think I'll get a chance. Rey Kahuka make sure to ask the ticket girl who plays Robert E. Lee in this one.
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Post by klawrencio79 on Apr 11, 2024 14:42:47 GMT
Anyone planning to see Civil War? I don't think I'll get a chance. Rey Kahuka make sure to ask the ticket girl who plays Robert E. Lee in this one. I'd really like to see it in theaters, though I similarly don't think I'll get a chance. Hopefully it's still playing the week of the 29th, but you never know.
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Post by Rey Kahuka on Apr 11, 2024 15:45:24 GMT
Anyone planning to see Civil War? I don't think I'll get a chance. Rey Kahuka make sure to ask the ticket girl who plays Robert E. Lee in this one. Or talk about how excited I am to see this scene on the big screen again.
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Post by Rey Kahuka on Apr 11, 2024 15:53:11 GMT
Anyone planning to see Civil War? I don't think I'll get a chance. Rey Kahuka make sure to ask the ticket girl who plays Robert E. Lee in this one. I'd really like to see it in theaters, though I similarly don't think I'll get a chance. Hopefully it's still playing the week of the 29th, but you never know. I think I'll pass on this one. It's either a message America doesn't need right now, or it's a message that will fall on deaf ears and/or be interpreted the wrong way by the people who need to hear it the most. What I'm looking forward to is The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, but I might miss it in theaters.
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Post by masterofallgoons on Apr 11, 2024 20:57:48 GMT
Pretty much what I expected, but I did fall for the misdirect. It was pretty enjoyable, and more or less like another episode, not super finale-ish...even though it was. The later seasons were a little overproduced, overly written, and too elaborately silly, but it was still always one of the most enjoyable shows on TV whenever it was on. I started watching from the beginning again, and it's just so great... never gets old. This was a show I had skipped over. I loved Seinfeld but with Curb, I just found Larry David impossibly annoying. I had seen a handful of episodes over the years, all of which were great, but I had never watched it through. Well, finally, a few months ago my friend convinced me to just bite the bullet and dive in and I have to say, what a rewarding experience. Yeah, Larry is annoying, but the show is consistently funny as hell. I'm up to Season 5 and I am so happy that I still have a boatload of episodes to go! I get that. I know a few people who started that way. Yeah, he can be annoying but when you realize that's kind of the point sometimes, and that you're also generally on his side most of the time, he becomes much more endearing. And now you've watched some of the best stuff (I think the Producers season might be the best), have some of the best ahead of you (the Seinfeld season is fantastic...maybe another contender for best) and haven't even met some of the staple characters like Leon and Marty Funkhauser (was he in season 5?). It's hard to imagine anyone not warming to the show. I get the initial apprehension, but if you don't find Susie yelling at Larry hilarious then there's just something seriously wrong with you. I'm just a little jealous that you still get to watch some of the best moments for the first time.
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Post by klawrencio79 on Apr 11, 2024 21:27:19 GMT
This was a show I had skipped over. I loved Seinfeld but with Curb, I just found Larry David impossibly annoying. I had seen a handful of episodes over the years, all of which were great, but I had never watched it through. Well, finally, a few months ago my friend convinced me to just bite the bullet and dive in and I have to say, what a rewarding experience. Yeah, Larry is annoying, but the show is consistently funny as hell. I'm up to Season 5 and I am so happy that I still have a boatload of episodes to go! I get that. I know a few people who started that way. Yeah, he can be annoying but when you realize that's kind of the point sometimes, and that you're also generally on his side most of the time, he becomes much more endearing. And now you've watched some of the best stuff (I think the Producers season might be the best), have some of the best ahead of you (the Seinfeld season is fantastic...maybe another contender for best) and haven't even met some of the staple characters like Leon and Marty Funkhauser (was he in season 5?). It's hard to imagine anyone not warming to the show. I get the initial apprehension, but if you don't find Susie yelling at Larry hilarious then there's just something seriously wrong with you. I'm just a little jealous that you still get to watch some of the best moments for the first time. Yeah man, Marty Funkhauser is around now, but not Leon yet. Susie yelling at Larry has me crying every single time. I can probably watch an hour straight of that.
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Post by masterofallgoons on Apr 12, 2024 3:33:12 GMT
I get that. I know a few people who started that way. Yeah, he can be annoying but when you realize that's kind of the point sometimes, and that you're also generally on his side most of the time, he becomes much more endearing. And now you've watched some of the best stuff (I think the Producers season might be the best), have some of the best ahead of you (the Seinfeld season is fantastic...maybe another contender for best) and haven't even met some of the staple characters like Leon and Marty Funkhauser (was he in season 5?). It's hard to imagine anyone not warming to the show. I get the initial apprehension, but if you don't find Susie yelling at Larry hilarious then there's just something seriously wrong with you. I'm just a little jealous that you still get to watch some of the best moments for the first time. Yeah man, Marty Funkhauser is around now, but not Leon yet. Susie yelling at Larry has me crying every single time. I can probably watch an hour straight of that. I particularly enjoy how quickly she turns. I think Larry declining the house tour is the best example. He comes in and she's all excited and within seconds she's hostile and throwing him out, and it's fucking hilarious.
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Post by Horselover Fat on Apr 12, 2024 4:56:47 GMT
thegoldenhornblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/no-way-out-1987.htmlNo Way Out (1987) Directed by Roger Donaldson. Found on Tubi. Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young. From the book The Big Clock. This is a good thriller. Some people don't like the twist. The black and white The Big Clock is also a good thriller.
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Post by sdm3 on Apr 12, 2024 11:54:43 GMT
Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan as Roy Cohn and Donald Trump in The Apprentice later this year. I'm more interested in it thanks to Jeremy Strong - my wife and I are only two seasons into Succession but I'm convinced Strong was the show's single best weapon. He's terrific.
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Post by Rey Kahuka on Apr 12, 2024 11:56:03 GMT
thegoldenhornblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/no-way-out-1987.htmlNo Way Out (1987) Directed by Roger Donaldson. Found on Tubi. Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young. From the book The Big Clock. This is a good thriller. Some people don't like the twist. The black and white The Big Clock is also a good thriller. I think that's the movie that features one of the all time great background lines ever. They're kissing before she gets into a cab, and a cop walks up and tells them to move along, and the cab driver goes, "Ok, asshole." It's low key one of my favorite movie lines ever, because it has no reason to exist.
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Post by Jep Gambardella on Apr 12, 2024 16:52:35 GMT
thegoldenhornblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/no-way-out-1987.htmlNo Way Out (1987) Directed by Roger Donaldson. Found on Tubi. Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young. From the book The Big Clock. This is a good thriller. Some people don't like the twist. The black and white The Big Clock is also a good thriller. I remember liking "No Way Out" a lot. I should rewatch it one of these days.
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Post by klawrencio79 on Apr 12, 2024 17:58:51 GMT
Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan as Roy Cohn and Donald Trump in The Apprentice later this year. I'm more interested in it thanks to Jeremy Strong - my wife and I are only two seasons into Succession but I'm convinced Strong was the show's single best weapon. He's terrific. I'm going to see Enemy of the People in a few weeks in NYC with Strong and Michael Imperioli in the two leads. I'm pretty stoked for it!
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Post by masterofallgoons on Apr 12, 2024 18:09:26 GMT
Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan as Roy Cohn and Donald Trump in The Apprentice later this year. I'm more interested in it thanks to Jeremy Strong - my wife and I are only two seasons into Succession but I'm convinced Strong was the show's single best weapon. He's terrific. I'm going to see Enemy of the People in a few weeks in NYC with Strong and Michael Imperioli in the two leads. I'm pretty stoked for it! Heard very polarizing things about this production. Haven't seen it myself, and can't say I'm terribly familiar with the play (I think I saw the movie with Steve McQueen a million years ago), but I've heard that the cast is great, but that some of the re-writing of the classic text is rubbing some theater goers the wrong way. I'll be interested to hear your review.
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Post by klawrencio79 on Apr 12, 2024 18:42:37 GMT
I'm going to see Enemy of the People in a few weeks in NYC with Strong and Michael Imperioli in the two leads. I'm pretty stoked for it! Heard very polarizing things about this production. Haven't seen it myself, and can't say I'm terribly familiar with the play (I think I saw the movie with Steve McQueen a million years ago), but I've heard that the cast is great, but that some of the re-writing of the classic text is rubbing some theater goers the wrong way. I'll be interested to hear your review. Theater folks are a tough crowd, I don't consider myself to be an expert on the original play or anything like that, I just love seeing quality actors employing their craft.
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