OMG I can’t wait. We watched Defoe play Nosferatu / Max Schreck in Shadow of the Vampire, which I’m sure was great (I have zero retention for movies or shows past the 36 hour mark, unfortunately).
Heart of Stone (2023) - dir. Tom Parker
There’s something that always feels a little off on Netflix productions. They’ve never been shy about the fact that they try to produce data-driven successes. If the data shows that a spy thriller starring Gail Gadot with a globe trotting plot will be a hit, then they go make that. And so they did, and were left to watch this… simulacrum of a film, where every idea, every line of dialogue, seems to be an imperfect copy of one from a better film. If I didn’t know better, I’d accuse the screenwriters of asking a ChatBot to write a Mission: Impossible script and simply changing the names.
A what we get is a very odd amalgamation of expensive location shoots and impressive stunt work mushed up next to terrible green screening and acting that seemed to have room for 3 takes, max. Gadot has never been an acting powerhouse, and the more roles she takes that don’t involve a bunch of prepared superhero iconography leave her with the screen presence of wet cardboard.
Compare this to another Netflix production, Old Guard (2020), about immortal soldiers who keep the world safe. The same sort of ‘plot from several other films’ dynamic, but this one stars Charlize Theron and works far better than it has any right to.
If you’re in the mood for some female-led shoot ‘em
up, skip Heart of Stone. Charlize is your pick here. There’s also Atomic Blonde which is levels above all of them.
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This isn’t really the usual thing but I’ve watched this through 3 times now.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8TOwmdIBfE/
AI ‘video’ of gymnastics, or at least what gymnastics would look like in a Cronenbergian four dimensional horror universe, well, you go.
I tend to watch The Andy Griffith Show (before the damn color) and Gunsmoke. 'Bout the only two shows I watch regularly.
Just finished it myself.
Totally agree with you. They lost the thread in the last two episodes and just went off the rails.
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Agreed. I kept getting the husband confused. Clothing changes weren’t enough. The screen was so dark most of the time. The box was the fascinating part.
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@Saregama and @Rooster I agree. It would have been so much better if they just stuck with the two Jasons. It got too confusing with the numerous Jasons, and was hard to tell them apart.
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I just finished watching The Bear. There were some excellent episodes like ‘Napkins’ (episode 6), which was Tina’s touching origin story, and the final episode would have been excellent if it wasn’t a season finale. There were also some episodes that could give you PTSD just watching (‘Doors’-episode 3, and ‘ice chips’-episode 8). There were some real raw performances (JLC deserves another Emmy nomination). However there was ZERO resolution to any of the major story lines. It just felt like one long setup for season 4 (which should be awesome if they can resolve most of the major story lines that were set up in season 3).
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David Yetman’s In the Americas series.
Exactly. Not even clear if the wife knew, lol!
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Agree with your assessment completely.
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Scavengers Reign (2023) - created by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner
A single 12 episode season was created for Max and then, as is the way over there these days, unceremoniously cancelled despite a strong following and critical acclaim. That season is now over on Netflix, where all of you should watch it in order to convince them to fund a second season. It’s less than 30 min per episode, so it’s not even a huge time commitment.
The premise is basic. The crew of the star freighter Demeter has crashed on a very beautiful but dangerous planet, full of strange biology and weird, parasitic life cycles. We follow a number of the crew, scattered over the planet’s surface, as they try and make their way back to the ship.
The writing and characters are excellent. It’s so refreshing to find science fiction that’s written for grown ups and assumes the viewer is smart enough to put things together without spoon feeding them every detail.
The art and animation are really beautiful, and put me in mind of a somewhat pared down Moebius, artist for Heavy Metal magazine and production designer for The Fifth Element.
It’s a wonderful achievement and if you appreciate the kind of science fiction that doesn’t involve laser blasts or epic space battles, this might be your new favorite thing.
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Yeah, season 3 and 4 were filmed at the same time. Makes sense that there may be a part I, part II feel to it. Only on ep. 3 myself. So far it’s the Bear being the Bear, not bad at all but want to see some development and a little of the unexpected.
More than two Jasons was certainly a plot twist and believable given the premise of many worlds, but I don’t think they had fleshed out how it would play out after that, which is what led to the chaos of the last two episodes good storytelling turned very messy.
I watched The Night Of again, and aside from it (still) being excellent, it reminded me why I like Bill Camp so much in Presumed Innocent.
Also, there’s some inspiration in the arc from one to the other.
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Two pleasantly entertaining flicks on the flight home (the selection was pretty terrible IYAM): Wicked Little Letters with the ever-present Olivia Coleman & the always fab Jessie Buckley (if you haven’t watched Men you absolutely must), and Anjana Vasan of Black Mirror and We are Lady Parts fame.
I watched the remake of Mean Girls by myself as my PIC had zero interest. I had no-to-very-low expectations, which rather helped a lot. I’d also forgotten that the new version is a musical, but it didn’t suck.
In fact, I found it rather entertaining, not to mention there’s a small appearance of Jon Hamm. Light & frothy — the movie, not Hamm.
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I agree.
Line of Duty, so far Seasons 1-5. Because @Annegrace wrote
He was so great in Line of Duty. “Jesus Mary Joseph and the wee donkey!”
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That show, Seaside Hotel and MI-5/Spooks got us through Covid.
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I used to love MI-5. Didn’t realize for the longest time that they rebranded it for US streaming!
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