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Thread: What are you watching?

  1. #111
    Relaxing and enjoying life MR2 Fan's Avatar
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    Just saw a TV commercial for new movie "Transcendence", Johnny Depp, Kate Mara, Morgan Freeman.

    Looks like it has potential for a sci-fi classic, or at least an interesting take on the idea of merging the human mind with computers.

  2. #112
    Jedi Cam's Avatar
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    Saw The Wind Rises on Saturday. While a beautiful and engaging animated film, I thought it was not quite up to Miyazaki's usual quality.

  3. #113
    Bad Taste novicius's Avatar
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    I went to Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 3D over the weekend. My musings below.

    Spoiler:

    Reviewers paint CA:TWS in the style of political thrillers from the '70s and it is. Unlike a villian-of-the-week plot, the movie was brave enough to address the polarizing stance that pro-police-state factions in our government (S.H.I.E.L.D.) have willingly embraced the tenets of fearmongering fascism (HYDRA). The end result is to enact the remote elimination of U.S. citizens via their voting/purchasing/testing/credit histories (the peaceniks, the atheists, pro-privacy folks, anti-establishment types, everybody who's ever logged into 4CHAN and other assorted free society threats & radicals).

    From reading more than a few movie reviews, it seems that CA:TWS also lets us see what we want to see (and a lot of reviewers see right-wing neocon philosophies at work). But I think that it is *impossible* to suss out the political leanings of the "good guys" (civil liberty types) from the "bad guys" (pro-police-state folks): are the pro-police-state/pro-military-industrialists Republican in nature? Or Democrat due to the socialist desire to effectively/inevitably regulate every aspect of society (given enough time and resources) in the name of safety, security and equalizing opportunity?

    Unfortunately (and I say this as a pro-regulation liberal Democrat), the reality is that Obama has NOT shut down the NSA, his administration is still continuing Bush's surveillance mandates (if not expanding them), and that the directors/writers of the movie have stated that the plot is derived from Obama's own Kill Lists. Our reality -- as well as the "reality" of CA:TWS -- is that People Who Fear are found in both political parties... which allows for our heroes to also be found in both political parties and that's always a heartening affirmation for us groundlings to hear.

    The movie paints a picture. Our own biases apply the labels. It is damn tough to see that distinction amidst all the bullet-flinging and ass-kicking in this flick (it IS, however, refreshing to see Angry White Men shooting at each other vs. subduing yet another group of foreign brown-skinned people!)
    In summary, I like CA:TWS very, very much. A fantastic sequel, better than any other Marvel sequel so far, and on par with The Dark Knight. Personally I would rate this better than RDJ's first Iron Man. I will accept that my opinion on that is in the minority, tho': IM1 came out at the perfect time, had the perfect tone, cast with the perfect actor.
    Last edited by novicius; April 7th, 2014 at 01:24 PM.

  4. #114
    Corvette Enthusiast Kchrpm's Avatar
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    I liked Winter Soldier a lot as well, and think you did a darn good job summarizing the overall arc and meaning

    I am very interested to see how this will effect the Agents of SHIELD universe. They better not just gloss over it like nothing happened, but should they spoil the entire movie like they would need to?
    Get that weak shit off my track

  5. #115
    What does the Bat say? Jason's Avatar
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    The way I see it regarding AoS, I think it might be either late in this episode, or not until next episode, until the plot of Cap 2 is really felt. AoS seems to be happening in it's own little part of SHIELD. SHIELD was really presented as having multiple arms in Cap 2, which makes sense, considering the expansion of "security" they were implementing.

  6. #116
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    I watched American Hustle a few Saturdays ago and was amazed by Jennifer Lawrence. There was one scene at a table and during a conversation her eyes are darting back and forth like she is crazed.

  7. #117
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    Yeah, she utterly crushed it in that movie.
    -Formerly Stabulator

  8. #118
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    Finished the first season of House of Cards last night. Great show. Spacey obviously steals the show but Robin Wright really isn't that far behind.
    I'm very interested to see what season two has to offer, though I'm a little concerned that the show seems to be heading for a well trodden path. I could be wrong though.

    Cap 2 was really fun but I'm honestly surprised that it's been getting the rave reviews it has. It was a very solid, well made action film from the new Marvel universe; a solid 7/10 but best one bar the Avengers? No. The whole plot was blindingly obvious and not hugely original, and the action sequences still had too much shakey cam for me. I didn't really like how the WS character was handled, and there wasn't nearly enough Colbie Smulders.

  9. #119
    What does the Bat say? Jason's Avatar
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    Re Captain America and Marvel....

    Spoiler:
    So I just saw Chris Evans contract with Marvel, and Sebastian Stan's... Evans is "only" contracted for six movies. Cap 1-3 and Avengers 1-3. Sebastian Stan, though, is contracted for 9 movies. So, one might make the assumption that Rogers is going to die at some point, and Barnes takes over as Captain America. Which is a story that happened in the comics. That being said, if that's the case... Stan is going to be in quite a few movies as Captain America, or as a guest in other movies before that turn.

    OR maybe Stan was just cheap to buy, so they contracted him for a lot of movies for maximum story flexibility and the whole Rogers death thing isn't going to happen.


    ----

    Steve, I basically agree with your review. I liked the movie, but I thought the first one was better, and the Avengers was more enjoyable. I did enjoy the plot, it wasn't overly obvious to me, but it also wasn't overly shocking. The action sequences were strong, but the dialog scenes didn't have enough gravitas. Especially, surprisingly, Robert Redford's scenes. I'm not sure if it was directing, writing, or what, that caused that weakness.

    Edit to add:

    Spoiler:
    The scene with them talking to Zola-bot had me almost yelling at the screen... HE'S OBVIOUSLY STALLING YOU NITWITS. Something you'd think Black Widow would recognize, and probably Cap... but I guess... they needed a way to tell the infiltration back story to the audience.
    Last edited by Jason; April 8th, 2014 at 03:24 AM.

  10. #120
    Bad Taste novicius's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kchrpm View Post
    I liked Winter Soldier a lot as well, and think you did a darn good job summarizing the overall arc and meaning

    I am very interested to see how this will effect the Agents of SHIELD universe. They better not just gloss over it like nothing happened, but should they spoil the entire movie like they would need to?
    Well, the first post-CA:TWS episode ("Turn, Turn, Turn") of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was on last night and they did NOT ignore the movie.

    Spoiler:
    Insomuch as these things can be believed, at this point Agents Hand & Triplett are not HYDRA while Agents Garrett & Ward are. The jury is still out on Fitz (eh).

    Ward's turn is especially shocking -- and most welcome! I hope that Trip replaces Ward on the team permanently (just gotta shave that ridiculo chin strap beard off). Going forward, burning out HYDRA elements should take up more than a little story bandwidth, I'd think. This should also mean more limitations on S.H.I.E.L.D. resources, I'd think/hope. I very much like the idea that Melinda May is primed to become the team's real leader, that Coulson is more of a cyborg with a heart of gold, and that Skye's mysterious 0-8-4 origins mean she's a Slayer.

    Also, Skye has been becoming dowdier and dowdier over the season, a change that I approve of. I *hated* the fact that she looked like a Victoria's Secret model while living in a van down by the river.

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