Ooh yeah, i strongly second this recommend.
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Mandalorian ep 6 (I think). Richard Ayoade is perfectly cast.
I’ve totally embraced the ‘Mandalorian as a twenty-first century “Kung Fu’’, and I’m enjoying it way more than I was expecting to.
Obviously it has less death by autoerotic asphyxiation and one extra muppet, but it’s great story-telling and it moderates the relentless back-story flashbacks of ‘Kung Fu’.
And it has wonderful moments of Richard Ayoade.
And to quote Richard Ayoade, “my name is Richard Ayoade, or at least that’s how I think it’s pronounced.”
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Hm… maybe spoiler some of this?
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I wasn’t sure which bits were spoilery, but I don’t want to take any chances so I’ve hidden most of it.
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Just caught Rise of Skywalker with the fam. It wasn’t a life changing experience but it was… fine I guess? Certainly pretty to look at. Some first thoughts:
* Boy, there sure were a lot of scenes where Princess Leia was shown from behind for some reason.
* “Hi, it’s me—Dominic Monaghan! You may remember me as Merry Brandybuck from Lord of the Rings and Charlie from Lost. It’s not clear why I’m here but J.J. promised to throw me a bone after the unsatisfying way Lost ended, so…”
* The movie felt like it had maybe 1/3 too many extra characters crammed in and a fair amount of padding, but nothing as annoying as the Casino planet side mission from the last movie.
* The Resistance didn’t have a single tech on the payroll who knew how to jailbreak a protocol droid to translate Sith?
* That factory reset they did on 3-PO was basically the same thing that happened to Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 3, except he rebooted speaking Sith instead of Spanish.
* Chewie mourning Leia was touching. Leia leaving Maz the medal she should have given him 42 years earlier was kind of groanworthy.
* I was totally ready for Chewie and Maz to start making out during the scene where all the surviving resistance fighters were starting to pair off for some victory lovin’ after the final battle.
* I don’t care what anybody says I want a wooly tuskhorse.
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I’m watching The Witcher (haha) and it’s… surprisingly fun? Surprisingly, because going by the reviews I’ve seen I expected a trainwreck, but I’m on episode 4 and so far it’s actually pretty good. Nothing breathtakingly amazing, but it’s competently made (even if the SFX are a bit clunky sometimes, and the colored contacts are so distractingly fake), the actors are fine, realizing that there are different timelines running parallel one another helped with understanding the story so far… basically, as a fantasy show that doesn’t take itself super seriously all of the time, The Witcher is pretty good. So far, anyway. And episode 4 was the best so far.
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My appreciation for that!
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It’s like Grimm but in the Middle Ages
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I’ve seen the first episode and it is enjoyable, the fight choreography is great and i’ve not read any of the books or played the games so i was surprised by the deadpan humour from geralt which was a nice surprise. Cavill seems surprisingly well cast and i know there was some concern about that from fans of the series, i remember those initial promo shots did not look all that convincing.
Also watching the latest christmas carol adaptation with guy pierce which is… an interesting direction. I know many will be outraged by the changes but i like his performance as a properly miserly old bastard which should make the (spoilers!) redemption at the end hit harder. Also, i feel they are doing justice to depicting the sheer desperate poverty and awful working conditions people suffered. I’ve read some complaints about that that it’s too grim but isn’t that the story? That’s what it’s supposed to be like.
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I’ve been rewatching Sapphire and Steel, an 80’s ATV production where existential threats are defeated by Joanna Lumley and David McCallum staring into the middle distance.
It’s really much better than it sounds, honestly.
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I loved it. It’s the 80’s version of The Avengers, the seasons with Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg.
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Possibly if the Avengers were existentialists fighting Time itself
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It’s an aesthetic.
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While looking for art inspiration and to help maintain a lift from my chronic depression, I’ve seen a couple of good recent releases.
The first is based upon a stage play, and leaves out some major events in the painter’s life, such as his relationship to his young friend of the same surname, Carol Lowry. Still, Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Spall. This is what acting is all about.
Next, the less spoilered, the better. Also, considering the production utilized an accomplished working artist as a stand-in, it’s fun to see work being done before your eyes.
It’s an excellent movie, reminiscent of Patrice Leconte, but more feminist in nature. I can’t say it fully passes the Bechdel Test as a whole due to the patriarchal overtones, but the lack of men in the production is notable and refreshing.
Sad to say it’s not in release in the US until Valentine’s Day.
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Just watched up to episode 3 last night… It took me partway through episode 2 to realize that we are on at least 2 different timelines between Yennafer and Geralt, so now I wonder if that’s true with the attack on Cintra by Nilfgaard, and Ciri on the run? I also wonder if they’re going to directly connect Yennafer’s decision to not go to Nilfgaard to that event? Also… I hope they bring back the bard, cause I kind of like the bard…. But don’t tell me.
I too, like it!
We have that on DVD, and have only watched a couple of arcs, so far.
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Now that Baby Yoda is officially part of The Mandalorian’s Clan I’m just going to start calling him “The Yodalorian.” His widdle bitty helmet is going to be ADORABLE.
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I liked Witcher, and think it gets better as it goes along, and it’s best when it’s not being completely serious. Hope it continues to improve and features more songs.
It’s 3 different timelines.
I’m also enjoying it so far, I’m about halfway through.
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Yep, I realized that in episode 4, when they end up in Cintra! I guess that narrative approach has it’s weaknesses and strengths. It lends itself to some serious confusion at first, but it also does a great job of just dropping you into the story and letting the story itself explain what’s happening (showing instead of telling).
Overall, I think it’s a pretty strong first season that is setting you up for the struggle of the second season, where it’s now Geralt and Ciri traveling together, and I assume will have some overlap with Yennefer’s story, now that they are in line with the same goal, protecting Ciri from Nilfgaard. I’m looking forward to season 2.
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I watched Ford vs Ferrari last night while painting, and though it’s a classic/formulaic Hollywood vehicle, it’s a good story.
And man, I love watching Christian Bale work when he’s really into it.
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