TV/Movies Megathread

[Barrister]

The last episode of Lower Decks was awesome. Some really got stuff and we finally get to see [spoiler]the teased Ceteacean Ops (which was originally supposed to be part of TNG).   Those belugas were a bit horny, for Rutherford, though. [/spoiler]

That was a really satisfying season ender.

Other than the bit Syt mentioned, it was happily pretty light on the fan service type references, and just told a good story.  We see character growth from all of our characters, it tells a good action story, and yes it ends on a cliffhanger.

There was one reference that flew miles above my head: the Captain of the Archimedes, Captain Gomez, was actually a bit character from the TNG Season 2 Episode Q, Who.  The then Ensign Gomez was nervous and spilled hot chocolate on Captain Picard (which explains her comment about embarrassing herself in front of "more intimidating captains".  And you know of course they brought back the same actress to voie the part.

My boys really got into this show, so I'm excited that Star Trek Prodigy is coming out in just a couple of weeks.

[Syt]

There was one reference that flew miles above my head: the Captain of the Archimedes, Captain Gomez, was actually a bit character from the TNG Season 2 Episode Q, Who.  The then Ensign Gomez was nervous and spilled hot chocolate on Captain Picard (which explains her comment about embarrassing herself in front of "more intimidating captains".  And you know of course they brought back the same actress to voie the part.

I missed that, too and didn't realize it till I watched the Trekculture video about the episode.

[Barrister]

There was one reference that flew miles above my head: the Captain of the Archimedes, Captain Gomez, was actually a bit character from the TNG Season 2 Episode Q, Who.  The then Ensign Gomez was nervous and spilled hot chocolate on Captain Picard (which explains her comment about embarrassing herself in front of "more intimidating captains".  And you know of course they brought back the same actress to voie the part.

I missed that, too and didn't realize it till I watched the Trekculture video about the episode.

Same - down to the same Trekculture video.

[Savonarola]

House (Hausu) 1977

A trippy Japanese take on an Old Dark House movie.  Seven nubile Japanese maidens (named Gorgeous, Mac, Prof, Sweet, Fanta, Kung Fu, and Melody) visit Gorgeous's aunt in the countryside.  Some of the girls disappear; have they simply stepped out to enjoy the Japanese countryside, or is there something more sinister in the works?

The director's ten year old daughter said that horror films were stupid because grown ups thought they had to make sense.  He took her advice on how the girls die and they are one of a kind - for instance one girl is eaten by a mirror.  What makes the film even better is that the sets sort of look like "Yellow Submarine" come to life.

This is a slasher movie; and while it's setup is different from an American one (no token minority, no horny couple who sneaks off to have sex) you can figure out the order that some of the girls will die in.  The fat girl has to die first (I think that's one of the bylaws of the writer's guild); the pretty girl has to either survive or die last (she sort of does both); the smart girl has to be among the last to die so she can explain to the audience what has happened; the fraidy-cat has to outlive the smart girl so that she can be vindicated.  The other three characters (warrior princes, musical prodigy and Martha Stewart?) order of death seems more random to me, but probably make sense to the Japanese.

[Sheilbh]

Mark Kermode was quite keen on the new Venom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aAB-WiQ454

Although it is certified 15 here so he doesn't really touch on how young/appropriateness.

[Syt]

Lower Decks mentioned a Rubber Ducky room. Turns out it's a reference to a small joke in tech manuals.

[Josquius]

A niece was over on Monday for Thanksgiving (Canadian). We were out in the backyard and she wanted to play a game. What game is that? I asked. She said Green Light Red Light. "You spin around and say Green Light and then when you say Red Light I have to stop moving. If you see me move, you shoot me in the head."

Well. She knows the rules.
Parents have any explanation?

[Eddie Teach]

I'm getting pretty weary of Squid Game memes and parodies. It's the new Among Us. 

[Liep]

Robert Pattinson as The Batman. Yeah I'll see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqqft2x_Aa4

[Threviel]

Watched the teaser trailer for Wheel of Time. Felt like Xena with CGI and a higher budget and makes me fear the LotR-series since both are Prime. 

[celedhring]

Watched the teaser trailer for Wheel of Time. Felt like Xena with CGI and a higher budget and makes me fear the LotR-series since both are Prime. 

The budget for LOTR is much, much bigger, and the behind-the-camera team has some pretty reputable names. It can still suck, but I think there's a higher floor.

[Threviel]

Good to hear.

[Syt]

Watched the teaser trailer for Wheel of Time. Felt like Xena with CGI and a higher budget and makes me fear the LotR-series since both are Prime. 

Still not sure how you make a full TV show about a Blind Guardian song but ok.

[Threviel]

Watched the teaser trailer for Wheel of Time. Felt like Xena with CGI and a higher budget and makes me fear the LotR-series since both are Prime. 

Still not sure how you make a full TV show about a Blind Guardian song but ok.

It would probably be better...

Thinking a bit more on the trailer and why it rubbed me the wrong way. I don't think it's about money more than it's about how you choose to show the world being imagined. WoT apparently thinks that the main characters spends their childhood in some kind of Disneyland where the neighbouring 50 or so villages are taxed solely for the purpose of supplying the hundreds of candles lighting up the local inn every night. And so on and so forth...

Which can be contrasted with the Prancing pony in FotR. Presumably a sameish budget to build a wooden medievalish inside to look like an inn, but one show chooses to make it silly and unrealistic and the other doesn't. I might be wrong and all the candles are hiding something that can't be hidden in darkness, but I doubt it.

Of course, WoT might be a kids series, like Xena and Hercules and then it's ok I guess. I don't really know much about the target audience of it.

[Sheilbh]

Venom is fun. I think it's the right length for its level of seriousness (90 minutes; low). It clocked the best thing about the first film was Tom Hardy having a lot of fun and leans into that, while ditching the stuff that made the first film drag.

Harrelson is a little less scary than he seemed in the trailer andt there were kids in the screening I went to. I feel like I'd still say it's probably appropriate for kids over 12 but I'm aware that I'm a little bit of a prude