TV/Movies Megathread

[celedhring]

There's a Galaxy Quest series in the works. I love the movie, but I'm not sure you can stretch the joke to 22 episodes.

http://deadline.com/2015/04/galaxy-quest-series-paramount-television-1201413544/

[Eddie Teach]

The Hills Have Eyes. Creepy.

[KRonn]

There's a Galaxy Quest series in the works. I love the movie, but I'm not sure you can stretch the joke to 22 episodes.

That was a great movie, hilarious.   

[11B4V]

There's a Galaxy Quest series in the works. I love the movie, but I'm not sure you can stretch the joke to 22 episodes.

http://deadline.com/2015/04/galaxy-quest-series-paramount-television-1201413544/

[Barrister]

There's a Galaxy Quest series in the works. I love the movie, but I'm not sure you can stretch the joke to 22 episodes.

http://deadline.com/2015/04/galaxy-quest-series-paramount-television-1201413544/

Screw that - they need to get going on another Star Trek series.

[Ideologue]

Battle Royale. Watchable.

I know some of you compared Hunger Games unfavorably to this, but at least HG had a rationale that was better than "wouldn't it be cool to have kids fight to the death" (BR had some retarded shit about children being disrespectful as the reason to have a random class kill each other). The Hunger Games replace the Minotaur, but both those stories are about a powerful, bloodthirsty state ruling their neighbors through fear. You may not buy it, especially in a near future setting, but it is a better pretext than "just because".

It's goofy either way.  BR is just a fun little exploitation movie, HG is a bloated, badly-acted, extremely poorly shot would-be epic with pretensions to greatness that it doesn't live up to in the littlest way.  There's just no contest.

Now, Battle Royale II...

[jimmy olsen]

Battle Royale. Watchable.

I know some of you compared Hunger Games unfavorably to this, but at least HG had a rationale that was better than "wouldn't it be cool to have kids fight to the death" (BR had some retarded shit about children being disrespectful as the reason to have a random class kill each other). The Hunger Games replace the Minotaur, but both those stories are about a powerful, bloodthirsty state ruling their neighbors through fear. You may not buy it, especially in a near future setting, but it is a better pretext than "just because".

Don't know about the live action movie but in the original manga/anime it was basically the same reason as the Hunger Games. A totalitarian government broadcasting it to keep the proles in line.

[Ideologue]

When you say that you're not making The Hunger Games better, you're just making Battle Royale worse.

[Ideologue]

Anyway, iirc, it's explicitly presented as a way to discipline Japan's increasingly unruly teenagers.  So of course the Battle's participants are chosen randomly by lot.  It doesn't make sense and it's stupid, but it also knows it.  No big deal.

[Syt]

Isn't Battle Royale essentially a satire of Japanese high school drama stories?

[Ideologue]

I dunno.  Probably.

[Ideologue]

Bulk Kinemalogue update for any interested parties.

Individual reviews:

It Follows (2015).  Exceptional technique meets a great idea, yet somehow the result is only a very good movie.  B+

The Atomic Submarine (1959).  Cardboard Science returns!  With a perfectly average B-movie.  B

Expanded, slightly more rigorous thoughts on the Harry Potter series:

Part I: Stone, Secrets, Azkaban, Fire
Part II: Phoenix, Prince, Deathly Hallows 1 and 2

The career of David Fincher, ranked and retrospected:

10.  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): D
9.  Alien 3 C+
8.  Panic Room (2002)  C+
7.  The Game  (1997)  C+
6.  The Social Network (2010)  A+
5.  Zodiac  (2007)  A+
4.  Fight Club  (1999)  A+
3.  Seven  (1995)  A+
2.  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)  A+
1.  Gone Girl  (2014)  A+

[Eddie Teach]

I know you've taken flak in the past for giving everything a B+, but this is a bit far in the other direction. Many of those films are quite ordinary, yet you're giving them A+ or D.

[MadImmortalMan]

Isn't Battle Royale essentially a satire of Japanese high school drama stories?

Aren't all Japanese drama stories about high school? Or, you know, battle robots or cities under siege by monsters...all defended by high schoolers.

Seriously, do Japanese people ever get out of high school or is their society built like one big high school?

People constantly tell me manga and anime is for adults, but they're all about high school.

[Syt]

It's a popular trope, but fortunately there's exceptions. I need to rewatch Legend of Galactic Heroes.