Whatcha Watchin'?

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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by hepcat »

Toast of London you mean? :wink:

And that sucks that it's leaving on 8/31. I was going to do a rewatch someday in the not too distant future.

P.S. if nothing else, jump ahead to the Jon Hamm episode (Hamm on Toast) in season 3.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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Isgrimnur wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 1:52 pm
Smoove_B wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 1:39 pm Toast of the Town (thanks hepcat!),
* Toast of London
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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hepcat wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 1:52 pm Toast of London you mean? :wink:
Yeah, already fixed. My brain is on overload. YES. Yes. yES. Yesssssssssss.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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hepcat wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 1:54 pm
Isgrimnur wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 1:52 pm
Smoove_B wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 1:39 pm Toast of the Town (thanks hepcat!),
* Toast of London
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:D
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by hepcat »

Instead of BAM for Issie, from now on I'm just going to write...Ray...Bloody....Purchase.
Smoove_B wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 1:54 pm
hepcat wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 1:52 pm Toast of London you mean? :wink:
Yeah, already fixed. My brain is on overload. YES. Yes. yES. Yesssssssssss.
P.S. when you've finished the brilliant Toast of London, take another trip down Matt Berry lane with the equally fantastic Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. All episodes apparently on Youtube.


https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... dark+place
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by Smoove_B »

Finished S1 last night. It took me an episode or two to get into the pacing and tone, but I've had consistent chuckles at various elements - particularly the really random bits. British humor can be a hot/cold thing for me, but this is enjoyable. Would never have found this otherwise, so thanks. As someone that briefly dated a woman that was wearing a police ankle monitor, I greatly enjoyed the second episode of S1. Brought back good memories. :D

Related - apparently another season was given the greenlight back in February, The Toast of Tinseltown - focused in America.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by Sudy »

This is the first time I can remember actually laughing at someone getting hit in the nuts.

This is kind of like an absurdist English version of Curb Your Enthusiasm where everyone can be self-absorbed yet somehow isn't an asshole. The wordplay and ludicrous elements are played refreshingly unaware.

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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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There's a quick, throwaway scene in season 1 that sums up the show for me. Matt Berry's Steven Toast is sitting at the kitchen table talking with his roommate...while buttering an insanely small piece of bread. It's just a fully formed piece of bread cut from a loaf obviously, but it's just very, very tiny. And it's so ludicrous and out of place that I spit up my drink when they showed it.

Also, the show is just rife with quotable lines that I still yell out from time to time.

"Yes I can hear you, Clem Fandango!"

"Ray...bloody....Purchase!"

"Benedict Cumberbatch! Who?"

"Yeessssss"
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by Smoove_B »

The last episode of S1 where he's playing James Bond (well, trying) was hilarious. S2 feels like they elevated it a bit more or maybe I'm just enjoying the recurring jokes. Even though I know what's coming, I crack up every time when he's doing audio and the Clem exchange happens. I think it's because he's getting angrier and angrier every single time and the actor playing Clem is still playing it straight as an arrow.

The one bit that got me good was when he asked a woman to meet him for a cocktail and the quick jump to the actual pub had him sitting in front of a glass that was like 3' tall.

And yes, tons of little quotes. I might need to add "Thanking you!" to the end of every phone call now. :lol:
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by Holman »

I'd never heard of Toast before OO clued me in.

Hearing that it was leaving Netflix was the spur I needed to binge the whole series this week. So glad I did!
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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Jaymann wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 10:08 pm Just rented Color out of Space, based on the H.P. Lovecraft story. Nothing like a little Nicolas Cage freak out in a B horror movie!
I just watched this. Holy crap, that was great. So weird, so creepy, so lovecraftian.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by Smoove_B »

That's on my list!

I just started watching Norsemen on Netflix. It took like 2 or 3 episodes for me to finally "get" what they were going for, so I'm going to continue watching. Definitely has a bit of a Monty Python feel to it, which I wasn't expecting.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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Smoove_B wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 1:55 pm That's on my list!

I just started watching Norsemen on Netflix. It took like 2 or 3 episodes for me to finally "get" what they were going for, so I'm going to continue watching. Definitely has a bit of a Monty Python feel to it, which I wasn't expecting.
On a different, but related note, we've been watching Ragnarok (not the MCU film, but the Norwegian series). 2 seasons of 6 episodes apiece. We're 5 eps in and it's been fun so far. Very different feel, a bit of a slow burn, but with only 12 eps it's not a huge commitment.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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That's how I feel about Norsemen - it's three seasons with 6 episodes each -- all ~30 minutes. I can do that. Plus, I think this is my first Norwegian comedy. :D
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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Smoove_B wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 3:09 pm That's how I feel about Norsemen - it's three seasons with 6 episodes each -- all ~30 minutes. I can do that. Plus, I think this is my first Norwegian comedy. :D
It's funny, because we are watching Ragnarok with the English dub, which is using Norwegian actors speaking in English. Which exposes just how spot-on the Norsemen sing-song accents are.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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With Britbox currently on sale for 99 cents a month for two months, I'm seriously considering finish rewatching Blake's 7 (which recently got added), like this guy:

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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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Smoove_B wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 3:09 pm That's how I feel about Norsemen - it's three seasons with 6 episodes each -- all ~30 minutes. I can do that. Plus, I think this is my first Norwegian comedy. :D
Norsemen is fantastic. Fun fact: They filmed it twice for every episode. Once in Norwegian, then again in English.

I could watch Orm trying to fit in with the other Vikings all day long.



Sadly, it was cancelled. :(
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by Smoove_B »

Yeah, I'd seen it was done which was (sadly) my motivation for watching - it had a definitive end point. I just watched his bachelor party and it was so awkward (and hilarious).

I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the third season as it's a prequel, but it's very smartly done with all the references to the first two seasons. Random comments or interactions with side characters that had jokes or small scenes in the earlier seasons. Really clever stuff. I didn't really know what to expect from this show, but it's been really enjoyable. The Trump references at the end of the second season really took me by surprise. :lol:
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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Just watched the first episode of HULU's Only Murders in the Building, a Steve Martin & Martin Short vehicle that unexpectedly adds Selena Gomez to the mix.

The previews really didn't sell me on it, but it's funny and fun. It's perhaps a bit slow-paced, but that's fine, and I can't think of any scene that bored me. Reviewers seem to agree.

It's very much a love letter to various New York types, and there's plenty of middle-aged pathos with the comedy.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by Jeff V »

Today I made the mistake of watching ep.1 of Godfather of Harlem on Epix. The free preview turns into a pumpkin tomorrow, and there's 20 hours worth of this show to watch. If it maintains, it's really, really good. Forrest Whittaker is already one of my favorite actors, and as a mob boss in Harlem around the time I was born, he is equal parts compassionate and ruthless. I guess I'll watch what I can now and pick up the rest next time the free preview comes around.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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I'm already getting hooked on "Kim's Convenience" after just three episodes. This has the potential to rival "Schitt's Creek."
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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Holman wrote: Wed Sep 01, 2021 6:06 pm Just watched the first episode of HULU's Only Murders in the Building, a Steve Martin & Martin Short vehicle that unexpectedly adds Selena Gomez to the mix.

The previews really didn't sell me on it, but it's funny and fun. It's perhaps a bit slow-paced, but that's fine, and I can't think of any scene that bored me. Reviewers seem to agree.

It's very much a love letter to various New York types, and there's plenty of middle-aged pathos with the comedy.
I don't know if it is just middle-aged pathos. I think every main character is desperately lonely, including Gomez's character.

I did really enjoy this and they are parcelling out the mystery in just the right amount along with character backstories. Very polished, very fun.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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Kraken wrote: Wed Sep 01, 2021 9:50 pm I'm already getting hooked on "Kim's Convenience" after just three episodes. This has the potential to rival "Schitt's Creek."
It really is fantastic, start to finish.

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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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I like it because it really evokes the feeling of downtown Toronto and some of its suburbs.

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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by Smoove_B »

Yes, we enjoyed the series quite a bit.

I just finished watching The End of the F***ing World on Netflix the other night and really enjoyed it.



Fair warning, it starts off dark - really dark. It's continues to stay a dark show, but it takes some comedic turns you likely aren't expecting. It's only two seasons and 16 episodes (that are 20-24 minutes each), so it's not a big commitment.

If she looks familiar, it's because the lead actress is from S3 of Penny Dreadful.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by Jeff V »

Jeff V wrote: Wed Sep 01, 2021 6:13 pm Today I made the mistake of watching ep.1 of Godfather of Harlem on Epix. The free preview turns into a pumpkin tomorrow, and there's 20 hours worth of this show to watch. If it maintains, it's really, really good. Forrest Whittaker is already one of my favorite actors, and as a mob boss in Harlem around the time I was born, he is equal parts compassionate and ruthless. I guess I'll watch what I can now and pick up the rest next time the free preview comes around.
Sadly, I never finished season 1, and Comcrap has the first handful of season 2 episodes for free. Not sure if I should skip what I missed and catch up to what I can...I'm not sure I'll be paying attention next time Epix comes up for free preview.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by $iljanus »

This happened to pop up on Hulu:



Mads Mikkelsen as a soldier returning home to care for his daughter after wife dies in a train accident. The accident, however is not an accident and now it’s time for revenge. And did I mention it has Mads in it? Getting revenge? Helped by a very quirky group of guys?
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by Jeff V »

I noticed today that we had another free week of Epix. And again, I noticed it on the last day of that free week.

Finished up Ep 12 of Godfather of Harlem. It's a damn good show, if I had the means right now, I'd subscribe just to finish it.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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$iljanus wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 8:31 pm This happened to pop up on Hulu:


Mads Mikkelsen as a soldier returning home to care for his daughter after wife dies in a train accident. The accident, however is not an accident and now it’s time for revenge. And did I mention it has Mads in it? Getting revenge? Helped by a very quirky group of guys?
You had me at Mads.

Seriously, is there anything that guy can’t do? And it’s weird because he’s not your typical actor. He’s so stoic in almost everything he does. I first saw him in the Pusher series of films and he was far more emotive in those days, so it’s not like he can’t do that kind of role. He just chooses to be more understated in his performances.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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hepcat wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:18 pm
$iljanus wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 8:31 pm This happened to pop up on Hulu:


Mads Mikkelsen as a soldier returning home to care for his daughter after wife dies in a train accident. The accident, however is not an accident and now it’s time for revenge. And did I mention it has Mads in it? Getting revenge? Helped by a very quirky group of guys?
You had me at Mads.

Seriously, is there anything that guy can’t do? And it’s weird because he’s not your typical actor. He’s so stoic in almost everything he does. I first saw him in the Pusher series of films and he was far more emotive in those days, so it’s not like he can’t do that kind of role. He just chooses to be more understated in his performances.
The movie is described as an action comedy and it is pretty funny. But not in a oh how cute sort of funny but a dark comedy that foreign films pull off so well. I do want to see his movie Another Round where he’s a completely different character.

And as the movie proceeds it really is rather hysterical and it’s not just Mads carrying the film.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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hepcat wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:18 pm
$iljanus wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 8:31 pm This happened to pop up on Hulu:


Mads Mikkelsen as a soldier returning home to care for his daughter after wife dies in a train accident. The accident, however is not an accident and now it’s time for revenge. And did I mention it has Mads in it? Getting revenge? Helped by a very quirky group of guys?
You had me at Mads.

Seriously, is there anything that guy can’t do? And it’s weird because he’s not your typical actor. He’s so stoic in almost everything he does. I first saw him in the Pusher series of films and he was far more emotive in those days, so it’s not like he can’t do that kind of role. He just chooses to be more understated in his performances.
+1

(I knew hep would be in. :) )

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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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$iljanus wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 10:03 pm
hepcat wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:18 pm
$iljanus wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 8:31 pm This happened to pop up on Hulu:


Mads Mikkelsen as a soldier returning home to care for his daughter after wife dies in a train accident. The accident, however is not an accident and now it’s time for revenge. And did I mention it has Mads in it? Getting revenge? Helped by a very quirky group of guys?
You had me at Mads.

Seriously, is there anything that guy can’t do? And it’s weird because he’s not your typical actor. He’s so stoic in almost everything he does. I first saw him in the Pusher series of films and he was far more emotive in those days, so it’s not like he can’t do that kind of role. He just chooses to be more understated in his performances.
The movie is described as an action comedy and it is pretty funny. But not in a oh how cute sort of funny but a dark comedy that foreign films pull off so well. I do want to see his movie Another Round where he’s a completely different character.

And as the movie proceeds it really is rather hysterical and it’s not just Mads carrying the film.
I was waiting for the Facial Recognition guy to say "What? I like playing shooting games." or something at the end. But it cut off.

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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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What if I told you there was a film with both Mads Mikkelsen and Christoph Waltz?
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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:scared-eek:

:angry-screaming:

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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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I recently learned of The Two Jakes (1990), which I never knew existed. I'd seen Chinatown years ago and enjoyed it, though didn't understand why it was quite so well liked. I started by re-watching it, and find that I appreciate it more now. I then moved on to The Two Jakes, and it's not bad! It doesn't measure up to Chinatown, of course not. And it isn't always believable, or easy to follow. (Definitely a good thing I started with a Chinatown re-watch.) But Nicholson was up to the acting job, even if he seemed a little too much like "weird old guy" Nicholson by this point. It misses Dunaway and Huston, but Tilly and Blades are especially great. It has a wonderful late-80s/early-90s Hollywood feel. Too bad the second sequel never happened, even if Robert Towne claimed there were no such plans.


I also saw 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984) for the first time. I knew of it, but had never seen it except for excerpts on TV a couple decades ago. (About all I remember is John Lithgow's sweaty mug.) I opted not to begin with a re-watch of 2001: A Space Odyssey in this case, instead just watching a Youtube synopsis and skimming its Wikipedia article. I was surprised by how closely this follows the narrative of 2001. I always knew the film was a big tonal departure (Peter Hyams is no Kubrick), but also that it followed Clarke's novels. What I didn't know or remember was that his initial novel was written concurrently with the production of the first film, and Kubrick did away with most of the narrative structure. Here, the narrative is much more traditional and grabs you right away. Roy Scheider is a huge part of that--he's just fantastic here outside of a couple ham-fisted lines that seem outdated even for 1984. He's also present for the most earnestly human moments in the film as well as speaking its best quips.

If the film is outdated, I feel it's more because of its Cold War theme than its simplistic looking computer displays. Its message may be universal (if trite, even back then?), but it's definitely spoken by the lips of another era. The film is fascinating for that reason alone--to see 1984 envision a 2010 in which the Cold War still existed. But what makes the film watchable is that it's just good science fiction (mostly). Even though if, by the end, little has actually been resolved, which it certainly has in common with its predecessor. There's also some head-scratching stuff that's obviously in there only for drama. I don't think audiences would be so lenient in 2021. E.g. the announcements on the Russian ship are in English even though it's been established the Russian crew don't all speak English, how fast those swirls appear to be moving on Jupiter's surface, how Lithgow was possibly approved even for this rushed mission when he had massive spacewalk anxiety, how Balaban gives himself only 20 seconds (lol) to escape the Discovery at the end , pretty much all the A.I. logic stuff with Hal. But most of the effects seem fantastic for 1984. That was 37 years ago!

I think it can be argued that 2010 detracts from 2001's mystique. It explains (or comes closer to explaining) things that were better left a mystery. But it's very watchable in its own right.

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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by Kraken »

Sudy wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:05 pm I opted not to begin with a re-watch of 2001: A Space Odyssey in this case, instead just watching a Youtube synopsis and skimming its Wikipedia article.
I'm glad this still exists, as it's the best 15-minute synopsis I've ever seen.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by Daehawk »

Anyone watching Big Sky? When I saw previews I thought it looked like it might be good. But I dont watch tv so paid no more of it. Then last night I was resting my back and flipping through my 3 channels and came across what appeared to be ep 2 or so of it as it was talking about stuff that had already happened.

Anyways I really enjoyed it. I wouldn't mind seeing more. Without a dvr Ill have to remember it and be there to see it. If I miss it no big deal but it does seem good. One of the leads is the actress who was the blonde haired viking girl in the tv show Vikings.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by Rumpy »

Just started watching Bad Blood tonight via Netflix. Not sure how many are familiar with this show, but it's a Canadian show about organized crime in Montreal, and it feels like Narcos: Montreal, in all but name, even down to the pseudo-doc feel of the narration. Almost like they'd pitched a Canadian version of Narcos to Netflix at one point, but failed to get a deal. It's got Kim Coates starring in it. Quite good from my limited look at it so far.
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

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I watched Alexander (2004) for the first time, the final cut (the longest one). I think I remember being excited for it back then, but being turned off by the low review scores.

This is a vibrant spectacle of a film with some good performances. Somewhat surprisingly, Farrell won me over. He and the actor playing the younger version of Alexander did a great job mirroring one other. The narration and bookending by Anthony Hopkins play a critical role. The scale of some of the battles and ancient cities is breathtaking. I don't think the visual effects would have held up nearly so well if the film had been produced just five years earlier.

But on the negative side.... Vangelis's score is uneven. Parts of it are sweeping and spellbinding, and much more textured than, say, a Hans Zimmer score. But some of the synthesizer themes come off as dated and corny (and would have in 2004, also). The story... meanders. I imagine the theatrical cut was tighter, but I doubt it was any more cohesive. While the flashbacks tell an important part of the story, the frequent time hops throughout are distracting. (But at least they tend to be thematically relevant.) The movie also has an accent problem, with some actors putting on an accent and others using their native one.

The battle scenes are spectacular, but there are fewer of them than you'd expect. I struggled to hear a fair bit of the dialogue, but there's a fair bit of moping about by various characters so it rarely felt important. The cast is huge, but I struggled to pick up on half the characters' motivations. The evident ones are often overwrought, especially the main character's. I get what the movie's Alexander wants and is trying to do, but the actions taken often seem aimless. I remember a lot being said about Alexander's sexuality at the film's release and people questioning how accurate of a portrayal it was (as if we could really know). It didn't bother me; that aspect of the story was interesting and made perfect sense within the framework the film established. (Most movies in this subgenre only showcase the main character's one great love.) However, the amount of time devoted to it and sexuality in general often feels gratuitous.

Overall, I don't regret seeing this one bit. I do regret waiting seventeen years. But it's not nearly as tight an experience as the better films in this genre. Though I would say it has the feeling of an epic from the 60s-80s that you just don't see anymore. It might have been much better as a 6-10 hour miniseries.

I saw a commercial on late night TV. It said, "Forget everything you know about slipcovers." So I did. And it was a load off my mind. Then the commercial tried to sell me slipcovers, and I didn't know what the hell they were. -- Mitch Hedberg
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hepcat
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Re: Whatcha Watchin'?

Post by hepcat »

Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell on Hulu. So wrong, but so funny. It was an Adult Swim show that I overlooked because it seemed too weird even for me. But its view of hell as a place filled with middle management dweebs is hilarious.

Did I mention it’s so wrong?

Covfefe!
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