TV/Movies Megathread

[Sophie Scholl]

The Alienist.  Only two episodes in, but it shows a lot of promise.  Some solid actors, an interesting setting, and seems to be good direction.  I'd give it a solid recommendation to any Languishites who have been debating giving it a go.

[The Brain]

The Wolverine is on the telly. Turns out it's [spoiler]about a human.[/spoiler]

[celedhring]

Trumbo. The story of the most well-known writer of the "Hollywood 10", the writers blacklisted in the days of the 1950s anti-commie witch hunt. Trumbo spent a year in jail for contempt when summoned by the HUAC, and then was unable to find work - resorting to ghostwriting mostly B-movies throughout the 1950s, until he was able to claim credit for "Spartacus" and "Exodus", bringing an end to the days of the black list.

The film is as good as you'd expect when you marry the director of "Austin Powers" and "Meet the Fockers" with this kind of material: not good at all. These Oscar-baity biopics tend to be very flat and safe, but this one takes the prize. It's a really bland, by the numbers hack job. Brian Cranston does a very good job and makes the movie ocasionally bearable, but even him manages to fall into occasional cringe-worthiness due to the terrible dialogue that plagues the film.

There's also a bunch of people playing famous actors in the film. Besides the guy playing Edward G. Robinson, who sorta manages to sell it, the lookalikes are terrible. I mean, it's always going to be hard to find people with the presence of Kirk Douglas or John Fucking Wayne, but Wayne is just some random stocky dude, and Douglas some random boyish dude with a chin dimple. Both have small but important parts in the film, and they are really bad.

The one bright spot, though, is Otto Preminger. And that's because he is played like an Austin Powers villain ("you vill vrite ze film Mr Trumbo, and you vill do it now!"). That's actually the best part of the film, when Preminger crashes at Trumbo's house over Christmas and they write "Exodus". I would watch "Trumbo & Otto", the sitcom.

[KRonn]

The Alienist.  Only two episodes in, but it shows a lot of promise.  Some solid actors, an interesting setting, and seems to be good direction.  I'd give it a solid recommendation to any Languishites who have been debating giving it a go.

Agreed. Good story, good, strong cast and acting. It's a limited series, don't know how many episodes or seasons. I'm assuming one season maybe.

[Sophie Scholl]

The Alienist.  Only two episodes in, but it shows a lot of promise.  Some solid actors, an interesting setting, and seems to be good direction.  I'd give it a solid recommendation to any Languishites who have been debating giving it a go.

Agreed. Good story, good, strong cast and acting. It's a limited series, don't know how many episodes or seasons. I'm assuming one season maybe.

From a brief look at the author's page, it appears there are at least 3 books in the series with 2 more scheduled.  Perhaps options if it proves popular.

[Savonarola]

Loving Vincent (2017)

An animated feature painted entirely in oils (mostly in Van Gogh's style.)  This follows a young man through the French countryside looking for someone to deliver Vincent Van Gogh's last letter to.  Along the way he discovers conflicting accounts of Vincent's last days.  The story isn't really there, but the animation is nothing short of amazing.  This has also been nominated for Best Animated Feature; I don't think it will beat out Coco, but it is well worth watching.

[KRonn]

The Alienist.  Only two episodes in, but it shows a lot of promise.  Some solid actors, an interesting setting, and seems to be good direction.  I'd give it a solid recommendation to any Languishites who have been debating giving it a go.

Agreed. Good story, good, strong cast and acting. It's a limited series, don't know how many episodes or seasons. I'm assuming one season maybe.

From a brief look at the author's page, it appears there are at least 3 books in the series with 2 more scheduled.  Perhaps options if it proves popular.

Alienist back then being someone who studies mental pathology. If there are that many books the show is based on, then there should likely be more shows. Stands to reason  since there would be many crime stories of this type involving alienists investigating.

[Tamas]

Made the mistake of thinking it's a good idea to watch Threads again, as my wife hadn't seen it.

Luckily she wasn't impressed by the movie very much. It freaked me out the first time I watched it and it freaked me out again.

[Eddie Teach]

Threads tv show from last year or movie from 1984?

[Tamas]

Threads tv show from last year or movie from 1984?

1984 movie

[Savonarola]

Marshall (2017)

Story of one of Thurgood Marshall's first major cases.  The case concerns a black driver accused of raping a white woman in Bridgeport Connecticut in 1941.  The film wants to be "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "Heat of the Night;" but instead it's a John Grisham story where two dimensional characters go through predictable plot points.  (My favorite is that Marshall can only find an insurance claim lawyer to vouch for him, so after a series of wacky occurrences the insurance claims lawyer ends up being the one who tries the case.  Oh, Hollywood, you and your hi-jinks.)  In any event in the end we all learn a valuable lesson, that women routinely make up stories about sexual assault for nefarious purposes.  This message brought to you by Harvey Weinstein and the good people at Miramax films.



(Just kidding, it's not really a Miramax film.)

Trayvon Martin's parents have cameos in the final courtroom scene.  The song Oscar nominated song "Stand up for Something" by Andra Day is played over the final credits; but most of the soundtrack is meant to sound like 40s era jazz.

[frunk]

That's Bridgeport, CT.

[Savonarola]

Sorry

[Duque de Bragança]

Made the mistake of thinking it's a good idea to watch Threads again, as my wife hadn't seen it.

Luckily she wasn't impressed by the movie very much. It freaked me out the first time I watched it and it freaked me out again.

I can see why.
There was a cycle some years ago at a cinémathèque about apocalyptic of all kinds and this one made a big impression on me. The earlier The War Game did not lose its bite but Threads. 

[Josquius]

Altered Carbon seems interesting despite the bad reviews. I've watched episode 1. I don't get the point about ai hotels and why they're so bad