It isn’t a perfect Lovecraft movie that’s for sure.
Had a bit of a break from TV (I am reading more novels and preparing more D&D) but on the weekend the sky opened and there was not much else that we could do, so after the better half returned from a Harvest Festival (Harvest as in a sponsor, it is spring here) where she sampled a lot of wine, she was in the mood for some cheap movies.
I found BloodSport on Amazon, and seeing JCVD at his physical prime was enticing enough. The acting is so bad, and the fighting has aged so-so, but I still love the aesthetics and the different styles of combat shown, plus Bolo Young does a great job (mainly with his pecs) playing a deranged baddie.
In the evening the last fumes of wine went away, and we remembered we had A man named Otto on the catch up list. We loved it, it is definitely one of my favourite movies from the last few years. I haven’t seen such a “feel good sad movie” that I liked this much since probably Benjamin Button…
We put the girls to bed and somehow the conversation derived onto Sean Connery, so we watched Dr. No (she loves James Bond movies). Refreshing in its simplicity compared to modern movies with more complex plots, but gosh, how has it aged. Some effort is needed to translate early 60s motives and behaviours into 2020s. Still, I think Sean Connery remains the best Bond. He looks dangerous enough and sophisticated in the right measure. I really like most of Craig’s movies, but he hasn’t got Connery’s charisma.
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Finished season 2 part 1 of invincible having not read the comics I’m enjoying it. Realising Robert Kirkman applied his what if we let the comic/movie keep going in real time schtick to the superhero genre. Enjoying it though.
As it’s Christmas and I never finished it I’ve started watching Hawkeye this gives me die hard and Hawkeye comic book vibes and I’m loving it!
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We had an accidental Apple TV subscription and so we watched both seasons of Foundation.
We thought the casting was very good and the actors portraying Cleon are doing an incredible job with all the nuances of the various incarnations and also how they sync up for the same one. It is just fun watching them and Demerzel. And the finale of Season 2…
I need to reread the books. I think last time I read them was more than 30 years ago. A few years back I tried and failed to get beyond the first 50 pages but that was during my awful reading slump and now with the show fresh on my mind I just want to dive back into that world—I know there are vast differences… and I want to compare.
But first I have to finish Malazan (5.2 books to go for that one, unless I do the Dancer trilogy as well then 8.2)
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I really enjoyed Hawkeye, it was a really fun romp mixed with some good character development for him and Hailee Steinfeld is a delight as Kate Bishop.
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Indeed makes me want to watch true grit again bc
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Florence steals the show for me
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Yes, she’s great too!
Currently watching The Weakest Link, because I like quiz shows and it will pass the time before Dr Who comes on. Yes, I’m trying to actually catch a live TV transmission on terrestrial TV like we were in the pre-streaming age.
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Finished Season 1 of Ted Lasso - what a great show!
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I love it and I miss it. Season 2 and 3 only get better. It’s amazing.
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I had another session of old school Bond, this time with From Russia with Love. I used to think that the train sequence was so long on this movie, but this time I found it better balanced overall. There are a few scenes that have aged badly (as in the gipsy camp “girls fight”, wtf?) but overall I did enjoy it more than Dr. No. You can tell they had way more budget for this movie, Dr. No looks like it was filmed while on holidays in Jamaica, while here there is plenty more shooting on iconic locations.
Then yesterday evening I was just fooling around with Prime (Amazon) and I found one of my favourite movies from my childhood, The Beastmaster. I watched about half of it and had to stop for other reasons. What really amused me was how the main character learns sword fighting by fooling around with a sword like a kid would do (the scene where he runs on the river swinging his falchion left and right is something we all have done on the beach with an old stick).
The male-female dynamics also have aged badly: protagonist pervs on main girl while bathing, plots with his black tiger (poor thing, they must have spray painted it) a fake rescue, and that gives him the right to steal a kiss. You have to love the 80s… I will probably finish watching it tonight… if I can put up with more of that.
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I’ve heard so many people rave about Ted Lasso, I should really get around to trying it. The pitch doesn’t pull me in and it’s fairly devoid of names I’m interested in. Shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, I know.
Meanwhile I’ve been watching the new Frasier, which has varied in quality but never reached the heights of the original - I don’t think it’s awful though (my wife does).
Doctor Who is back, and with one of my favourite doctor and companion combos! Mind you it feels quite fanservicy but I guess that’s inevitable.
Next up is the director’s cut of the OG Star Trek movie (the original of which I have not seen). I’ve never really done much of the original series honestly but had this one recommended to me by a friend, so I’ll give it a watch. Also I’m keen to watch the Scott Pilgrim series on Netflix, but I’m a little concerned it’ll make me feel old… But Edgar Wright, so I must. Personally I’d love someone to take a crack at Seconds (O’Malley’s followup comic), I rather enjoyed that one. In the same way that Scott Pilgrim takes me to my early twenties, Seconds does for my late twenties and early thirties (which I’m still in). Though it never took off the way SP did, so seems unlikely.
There’s far too much to watch right now - I still haven’t finished the latest series of The Mandalorian, and have barely touched Ahsoka (plus I missed Andor entirely) and season two of Loki I should probably watch also. I did really enjoy the first season (surprisingly given how jaded I’m becoming about the MCU… There’s just too much of it!). And the latest Archer, and Rick and Morty. Gosh, there’s a lot to watch.
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Just got back from a showing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, back in theaters for it’s 48 1/2th anniversary! Not only that, it was a “quote along”, so various bits had subtitles for the audience to say the lines along with the film. Which I barely needed, though I haven’t seen the film in something like 16 years.
So, you had most people who would say the lines along with the subtitles, a few who would say some other lines that they knew when it seemed like they should have been subtitled, one guy who kept saying the lines ahead of time, and usually incorrectly, and then a few crazy folk who would say the lines in approximate voices and accents, with gusto. I fell into the last category. My wife had the out-of-sync guy two seats to the other side of her, the poor dear.
Beyond that, we recently finished the new Scott Pilgrim series, which was nothing like I expected, but was really enjoyable. Then we started Ahsoka, which upon hearing Hera speak, my wife asked, “Is that Ramona,” and sure enough it was. :). We are two episodes in so far, and I am enjoying it.
On Ted Lasso, we watched the first episode a long while ago during dinner, but with kid distractions we felt it wasn’t one we wanted to try to watch at the table, and we just never got back to it. Would like to give it a try at some point, but there is just so much we need to catch up with.
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I didn’t really know anything about anyone in the series before I watched it. But it is delightful. It neatly mixes nice gentle (and occasionally quite cutting) humour with some great relationship dynamics and warmth.
Meanwhile I’ve been watching the new Frasier, which has varied in quality but never reached the heights of the original - I don’t think it’s awful though (my wife does).
That is what I am worried about - I loved the original so much but one of the things I liked most about it (Niles) isn’t even in the new ones!
There’s far too much to watch right now - I still haven’t finished the latest series of The Mandalorian, and have barely touched Ahsoka (plus I missed Andor entirely) and season two of Loki I should probably watch also. I did really enjoy the first season (surprisingly given how jaded I’m becoming about the MCU… There’s just too much of it!).
This is how I feel - I have sooooo many series on my watchlist for the various channels that it just makes me feel like I’m missing stuff all the time. And I’d say watch Andor as a priority over the other Star Wars properties.
And does anyone know if you need to have seen the latest Antman film before watching Loki 2? Just wondering if any of the plotlines crossover?
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Funny thing.
I am not much for Sports movies but for some reason Disney was down last night (We still haven’t finished Only Murders in the Building)
And so we returned to Apple and Ted Lasso popped up.
I said “everyone keeps saying this is so good, let’s just watch the first episode”
We watched 4.
It was just nice. And funny. I am sure we’ll try to watch as much as we can before my accidental subscription runs out 
I hope you are saying that after having watched it all. Because often shows turn vicious after the first season and … I really liked that gentle niceness of it all.
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I now have 6 months of AppleTV free (plus one week freebie). I guess I have to watch Ted Lasso
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3 episodes into the 2nd series. Still seems to be going that way so far!
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My wife’s reaction when she heard that there was a new version coming was “oh, they threw out the good parts and kept the crap. “. We have not watched any of it, and aren’t likely to. Without David Hyde pierce and John Mahoney, why would we?
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