TV/Movies Megathread

[celedhring]

My issue with Oppenheimer is that it's one of those movies that goes at every scene like it's a climax, which ends up being a bit silly and tiresome at times. But when it clicks, it's great.

[crazy canuck]

2/3 of. Oppemheimer
Final third tonight - I clearly knew nothing of him before hand as honestly I thought he was German.
Interesting accent. Orson Wellsy. Or rather a cartoon character (futurama?) doing an Orson Wells bit.

It's a decent film. The story is just not that interesting. But they make it so with good pacing and use of music.
 Not sure on the random black and white bits though and some of the time line is confused my gf is sure the meeting Einstein by the lake bit where he storms off came before the later Einstein meeting where he is friendly. I disagree.
Also when the son suddenly shows up again after he gave him away. Huh.

It's the same meeting

[Josephus]

For All Mankind. MILD SPOILERS.

So, overall it was enjoyable and kudos for the overall premise but the writers were not that good. Too much soap opera, too little space.

One of the problems is that the first 3 seasons went in hard on societal issues but Mad Men did the same in the exact same time period as the first two seasons, with far, far, far better writing.

And season 4's rush to become The Expanse felt super unrealistic. Also the ending conveniently skipped on closing the storylines of characters who were maneuvered into a dead end by the script.

Also regarding the focus on societal issues and of course with a firm progressive stand, the writers still managed to a) make most of the story be driven by, basically, the toxic masculinity of the main character and b) still have a female character be the cause of many of the problems by her being unable to control her emotions and desires. For me this made the whole societal message forced and insincere.

Overall, 5 Soviet moon landings out of 10.

Yeah it was one of those shows that started off brightly but lost steam with each passing season. The last season was pretty bad

[Savonarola]

I've been watching "The Seventh Seal" and going through the various commentary on the Criterion Channel.  This morning I was rather alarmed to see a gaunt, pale figure dressed head to toe in a black cloak walk by my window.  Before I could go find my chess board I realized it was my neighbor who, like most Floridians, overdresses in cooler weather.

[The Brain]

I've been watching "The Seventh Seal" and going through the various commentary on the Criterion Channel.  This morning I was rather alarmed to see a gaunt, pale figure dressed head to toe in a black cloak walk by my window.  Before I could go find my chess board I realized it was my neighbor who, like most Floridians, overdresses in cooler weather.

I love that movie.

[celedhring]

I've been watching "The Seventh Seal" and going through the various commentary on the Criterion Channel.  This morning I was rather alarmed to see a gaunt, pale figure dressed head to toe in a black cloak walk by my window.  Before I could go find my chess board I realized it was my neighbor who, like most Floridians, overdresses in cooler weather.

I love that movie.

Bill & Ted Bogus Journey? As well you should.

[crazy canuck]

I have started reading the Foundation series.  After the first few chapters I was struck by how fundamentally different the Apple adaptation is.

[Josquius]

I have started reading the Foundation series.  After the first few chapters I was struck by how fundamentally different the Apple adaptation is.

I really like that old classic sci-fi where characters are just necessary objects to push along the world building and/or plot rather than fleshed out people who matter as individuals and have their own stories.

[crazy canuck]

I have started reading the Foundation series.  After the first few chapters I was struck by how fundamentally different the Apple adaptation is.

I really like that old classic sci-fi where characters are just necessary objects to push along the world building and/or plot rather than fleshed out people who matter as individuals and have their own stories.

Yeah, Gaal is, so far, the literary device through which we are introduced to the world, since all the other characters have to explain everything to him.

The political structure of the Empire is also a lot more interesting in the book.  I didn't like the explanation in the adaptation for why the Empire would collapse.  In the first 20 or so pages we get a much more satisfying explanation which still resonates decades after the book was written.

 

[grumbler]

I have started reading the Foundation series.  After the first few chapters I was struck by how fundamentally different the Apple adaptation is.

I really like that old classic sci-fi where characters are just necessary objects to push along the world building and/or plot rather than fleshed out people who matter as individuals and have their own stories.

That was true of Asimov and Heinlein (among others, mostly Campbell writers), but not so much true for Pohl Anderson, Clifford Simak and the others in the stable of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, which aimed at a much more literary style.

The Apple adaptation of the Foundation series was much more focused on the later-written books that Asimov was trying to use to bridge the gap between the original trilogy and his robot series, so as to make a coherent "future history."  The result was a mess. 

[The Minsky Moment]

I just viewed the Apple series as its own work inspired by Foundation and using certain characters and settings. As such, I think its OK. 

[crazy canuck]

I just viewed the Apple series as its own work inspired by Foundation and using certain characters and settings. As such, I think its OK. 

Yeah, I really liked the Apple series.  And I think I'm going to like the books, perhaps even more.

[Admiral Yi]

Mystic River for the 3rd time.  Still tremendous.

[Threviel]

Spoilers ahead:

I think the Apple series fundamentally changed the story. Asimovs original was a scientist finding out how to read the future based on data and how that data should be changed to avoid a bad future. Thus by having an algorithm and introducing the foundation thousands of years of political instability could be avoided.

The Apple series makes the same premise, but the difference here is that the actions of the scientist is more or less the cause of the empire's fall. In this adaptation he has borderline magical powers to predict details centuries in advance, the location of the old battleship, the location of the mother swarm and so on. And based on those observation he more or less orchestrates the fall of the empire.

[Sheilbh]

I have started reading the Foundation series.  After the first few chapters I was struck by how fundamentally different the Apple adaptation is.

I really like that old classic sci-fi where characters are just necessary objects to push along the world building and/or plot rather than fleshed out people who matter as individuals and have their own stories.

As not much of an SF reader that sounds like the negative stereotype of the genre that always slightly puts me off, plus some experiences where it seems to be true.