TV/Movies Megathread

[Viking]

Shield isn't very good. Though, it has gone from "disappointing" to "average" quality wise. Arrow is the superior Super-Hero Show.

I feel the last couple of episodes and the one coming have upped the quality of the show by a little.  Maybe next year it will be above average, but still far away from shows such as Dracula or Hannibal.

I think Agents had the problem of having to fit into Marvel's movie schedule. The Clairvoyant reveal had to fit with the release of Winter Soldier. Agents doesn't have plots that challenge the audience, it doesn't have believable character decisions and the characters are straight out of a focus group at central casting. I'm still a bit confused if I'm supposed to be pissed that before winter soldier nobody on agents of shield behaved like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or if I'm supposed to be happy that they now are formally Agents of not S.H.I.E.L.D.

Agents of Shield is bearable if you're someone like me with too much time on your hands. Lately it's even been overtaken in the "Why the heck am I watching this crap?" sweepstakes by Believe. It had been first place since I quit watching The Blacklist.

That first episode of Believe was awesome. Since then it's been like an A-Team rip off with a sane murdoch, a charmless face, a stern hannibal and a T less Mr-T.

The CW takes lots of interesting ideas and turns them into shows for teenage girls. It's their stock in trade.

I started watching The 100 on CW.  It has potential, it has interesting ideas, there's something to be exploited, but they're not there yet.  It might be interesting to see how it turns out, though.  It's far beyond stuff like Vampire Diaries, but still below average.

The premise is fantastic. The CW does The Lord of Flies. At least the science in it works. Though I'm starting to get pissed off about the slimy guy who keeps trying to exterminate humanity.

[celedhring]

The Raid: Holy Fuck

I struggle to recall 100 minutes of such unbridled balls-to-the-wall violence, that film makes the 80s action classics look like girly PG films. It's actually quite well shot (aka, no shaky cams or 100 cutaways per second), and the film gives you totally zero respite. It's a hell of a blood-soaked trip.

That said, it has barely a story and almost zero character development, so it can end up being a bit jading (the awful performances across the board don't help you care much about anybody involved). I much prefer Dredd which actually manages to insert a very well done "rookie-seasoned veteran" buddy story in the proceedings, while still having some great action.

[Ideologue]

I'm glad you... liked it?  Maybe?

I thought it had a rather good (if streamlined and arguably cliched) story about the different nature of the brothers and the irrevocability of their choices.

Dredd's characters are better-drawn, certainly, but I ultimately found The Raid more emotional.  (The Raid's also a better social commentary; I get the impression that The Raid is only slightly more cartoonishly corrupt than the real Indonesia.)

[celedhring]

Yeah, I enjoyed it. Although you really have to be into action-for-action's sake.

About the brothers, dunno, it only comes into play in the last 30 minutes of the film, and it's done pretty by-the-numbers (because there's little time left). Would have been better I they had met earlier, and the conflict been present throughout the film.

The film also features a bit too many instances of "idiot henchmen", like how the thugs kindly stop using guns once the protagonists run out of ammo, and engage them mano-a-mano.

[celedhring]

Also, the lack of camera tricks or stuntment makes me feel that a lot of the stunts made in the film didn't follow too many safety rules. Wonder how many proper wounded the production left in its wake 

[Ideologue]

The film also features a bit too many instances of "idiot henchmen", like how the thugs kindly stop using guns once the protagonists run out of ammo, and engage them mano-a-mano.

About that, other than Mad Dog, who was in it for the kicks, I got the feeling that the bad guys didn't have unlimited ammunition either.

Now that you mention it, it's one of the weird thing about Asian crime movies--guns are way less prevalent than in American stuff.  Like, they're usually around somewhere, but from Oldboy to New World, it's 95% guys with pipes and knives and martial arts.  And yet just as many people die.  Looks like those bleeding heart gun control liberals were wrong.

[celedhring]

The film also features a bit too many instances of "idiot henchmen", like how the thugs kindly stop using guns once the protagonists run out of ammo, and engage them mano-a-mano.

About that, other than Mad Dog, who was in it for the kicks, I got the feeling that the bad guys didn't have unlimited ammunition either.

Now that you mention it, it's one of the weird thing about Asian crime movies--guns are way less prevalent than in American stuff.  Like, they're usually around somewhere, but from Oldboy to New World, it's 95% guys with pipes and knives and martial arts.  And yet just as many people die.  Looks like those bleeding heart gun control liberals were wrong.

That's understandable given the tradition of martial arts films in that neck of the woods. Their audiences probably prefer that.

Honk Kong films (John Woo for starters) have been extremely influential in contemporary American gunplay films, though.

[Ideologue]

That's true.  I forgot about John Woo.

[Jacob]

That's understandable given the tradition of martial arts films in that neck of the woods. Their audiences probably prefer that.

Honk Kong films (John Woo for starters) have been extremely influential in contemporary American gunplay films, though.

I think it has more to do with the common armaments of criminals in those parts. John Woo notwithstanding, HK triads use cleavers and hatchets much more frequently in their killings than guns.

[Razgovory]

I saw the movie "The Eagle".  I thought it was pretty good, though the ending seemed to forget the themes that were interwoven in the rest of the film.  What does the Languish film cartel think of it?

[Sheilbh]

I finished Life on Mars and started Ashes to Ashes.

It's wonderful. As the 80s to the 70s it's bigger, brasher, camper and has moved from Manchester to London. It seems a bit less nostalgic and a bit more sharply critical (though a yuppie and cocaine in 81 seems a bit much). And I love the whole dying of the West vibe with Gene Hunt as the last sheriff.

Also Keeley Hawes, of Line of Duty, is an extraordinary actress.

Edit: It also plays brilliantly on how terrifying David Bowie's harlequin costume in the Ashes to Ashes video actually it.

[celedhring]

They might find difficult finding a good Bowie song if they go on making a 90s sequel 

Loved the first one though, wasn't aware they were making an 80s version 

[Ideologue]

Go straight to the 00s.  Slow Burn?

[Josquius]

They might find difficult finding a good Bowie song if they go on making a 90s sequel 

Loved the first one though, wasn't aware they were making an 80s version 

It was years ago.
Life on mars I liked.
Ashes to ashes... It's all rather too meta. Doesn't have as much of the fun time traveling cop stuff of LoM.

I've heard there's a Russian version of life on Mars which sounds rather interesting.

[jimmy olsen]

 
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/WolfCop-Trailer-Craziest-Thing-You-See-All-Day-42735.html