Discuss and Rate the Last Thing You Watched (non-movies)
- Thread starter Hawki
- Start date
I've read that George Lucas is the luckiest, most successful mediocrity of all time (See Radioland Murders and Howard the Duck). Even if he had a plan for the OG trilogy, it went sideways. Ford was bitching for some unfathonable reason that seems to go beyond simply agitating for more money. ITMT, people saw him as the romantic lead, not Luke. And where the heck did the idea to make Darth Vader Luke's father come from? Lucas would say that Darth Vader is a play on the term, Dark Father. BS. Sounds more like Dark Invader. But it worked out despite any shade one might throw Return of the Jedi. I think the prequels were planned out. And they were not good enough, nor did they justify Vader's redemption arc. (The books did a better job with a sort of do over with, I think, Ben Solo.) Still, for them have to taken a multi billion dollar property and not even planning it out? That was crazy. Just cuz George lucked out with a near indy film in the 1970s doesn't mean one should try it again today.
ZeroZeroZero
Excellent series about international drug trade that ties together an Italian mob family(the customer), the Mexican drug cartel(the supplier) and a family business freight company(the broker). As you would expect things go wrong by betrayals and power grabs but it's all wonderfully told and delivered. It specifically shows how drug trade can corrupt entire societies due to the obscene amounts of money involved. And what happens when entire elements from the state's security apparatus become too seduced by all that cash. And the range of people involved in facilitating the trade from business people to officials to hardened criminals to jihadis. Those Mexican guys in particular just absolutely stop at nothing. Paradoxically the more they try to clamp down on drug trade the more lucrative it becomes. The all powerful supply & demand. I hope they make a second season because it was just really good.
Excellent series about international drug trade that ties together an Italian mob family(the customer), the Mexican drug cartel(the supplier) and a family business freight company(the broker). As you would expect things go wrong by betrayals and power grabs but it's all wonderfully told and delivered. It specifically shows how drug trade can corrupt entire societies due to the obscene amounts of money involved. And what happens when entire elements from the state's security apparatus become too seduced by all that cash. And the range of people involved in facilitating the trade from business people to officials to hardened criminals to jihadis. Those Mexican guys in particular just absolutely stop at nothing. Paradoxically the more they try to clamp down on drug trade the more lucrative it becomes. The all powerful supply & demand. I hope they make a second season because it was just really good.
No story survives encountering reality. Nevermind just the simple fact of the creator doing revisions in their head as a natural part of the creative process, which could change things midstream, (I've had this happen with 2 different novels I am trying to write. where a side character has become more the central focus of my narrative, without really meaning to.), to limitations of technology and budget. To dealing with actors and executives, location disputes and problems, and a myriad of other things. I have no problem with the idea that the stories changed drastically between films, because they did course corrections based on audience feedback, dealing with troubled actors, I doubt Carrie Fisher, being at the height of her coke addiction at that time, was a joy to work with, and apparently Ford was a diva a lot too. Also perhaps realizing that there was no chemistry between Fisher and Mark....possibly because at that time Carrie was actively fucking Ford, so it was a lot easier for them to swoon at each other on camera. Just, a myriad clusterfuck.
I mean I can even believe that he had a "trilogy" planned out in his head. But, that's a really nebulous thing, compared to actually writing it out. Again, *I* I have TWO different trilogies of stories, in my head, that I have "plotted out." But, I mean that's at best, an outline. These key, signature plot points have a basic framework in my head, that's it. I know I want to steer the story to those specific events. But all the twists and turns along the way, that shit gets fleshed out as I'm literally writing it, chapter by chapter, with significant alterations that can pop up mid-sentence. So if he said something like "Yeah I had this image of Luke, standing side by side with Vader, facing a dark robed wizard on a throne....." yeah, I can buy that. How they got there, why they joined forces, etc? No he probably had no clue. But, those kind of little image kernels, those are the things that, at least for me anyway, give birth to the story. A random bit of creative brainstorming, a dramatic image flutters into my brain, and then my brain starts back filling. "Who are these people? Why are they in this situation? What is the conflict going on?" etc etc. This cascade Q&A eventually fleshes out the larger framework, that becomes the story. But, at first, it's just something as small as a young man with a green saber, standing next to a samurai in black armor with a red saber, facing off against a grinning corpse, sitting on a throne in a sea of stars.
Never mind a trilogy. I read the OG script for 40 year old Virgin. In it, for instance, he was supposed to be a buff body builder. As not having a relationship, he distracted himself with weight lifting. I think Pretty Woman ODs and dies in that script. Rocky dies ala "The Champ" too. And more. So, things go sideways in a single story. Tons of movies have alternative endings.
So, before writing a script, they often do a "treatment". Its more like 20-30 pages to outline a story. I'd heard Abrahms did have one for Episode 8 in which Rae is not a Mary Sue, but being guided from afar by Luke Skywalker, when he took time from his wife and kids to send her some guidance with the intent she eventually get to him with his light saber. Well. That idea went sideways.
Edit: fun pic
Attachments
Last edited:
Oh I know, like I said, I've experienced that first hand with 2 first novels I'm futzing about with. Initially, Character A was the protagonist, and I had a framework of the overall plot around them. Character B was an important supporting character....who I had a cool idea for...and another cool idea...and another...and....wait...why isn't Character B the main protagonist at this point? Because all my cool story beats are about them at this point. That was one book, well 2 different first books. But before I even started writing it, I had the idea for the trilogy's meta-arc already in mind. That arc, blooming in my head, was the initial kernel of inspiration. That's all I meant by believing he "had a trilogy in mind" when he was writing the first script for Movie 1. That can be entirely true, but also be the most barebones of outlines. Thus making it also entirely true, that he had no idea what was going to happen, in the moment to moment details, with movies 2&3, and having those details, drastically change, from movie to movie.
Given that doesn't sound very good to me, as summarized at least, I'm glad it didn't go that way.
They did a comic adaptation of the original ideas behind Star Wars, I think its just called The Star Wars. Honestly, differences are night and day.
Anywho, Firefly.
I'm up to episode six, "Our Mrs. Reynolds", and its aged pretty well for the most part. The sci-fi western vibe is easy to get on and groove with, every actor is well cast (though Nathan Fillion steals the show and runs around with it) and the sound/set/costume design has a delightfully earthy appeal to it. Of course the standout takeaway is the dialogue which even for (the fallen from grace) Joss Whedon is remarkably snappy and full of a sort of pseudo western flair.
Only thing that sort of makes me look twice is Simon and River's relationship. I get it, they're brother and sister and they love each other and she's been really badly hurt and he's gone to help her but something just seems off about the way they interact. Could be because of River's more child like state thanks to her, as Jayne colourfully puts it, moonbrain.
Still worth a watch.
I never had an issue with their relationship, in fact, Simon's devotion to his sister, is one of my favorite parts of that show. He's a wonderful contradiction over the course of the series. He's this very prim, proper, upright fellow, from the core worlds, but...he LOVES his sister. She's the single point of "family and home" he has in the universe. And he loved her enough, to give up everything to help her. It's his one Hulk Smash button in the entire show. Most things, he's more than happy to negotiate, discuss, acquiesce to another's desire on how to do something, but if River's safety is in question, all bets are off. He's trying to find his place in this chaotic new world, but also trying to fix his sister, with the most basic of medical care. I love Simon and River, Simon in particular.
IMDB has "Our Mrs. Reynolds" at episode 3. Don't know why. Probably my favorite episode of the series.
People say that moviemaking changes, and that the person to make Star War originally might not have been the right person to make it when the prequels came out.
I say "people say" because I'm not in a position to really judge how true that is, but the idea seems interesting.
I say "people say" because I'm not in a position to really judge how true that is, but the idea seems interesting.
They did deliberately air them out of order originally, for reasons that were never given, IIRC.
Just recently gone through The Boys. After watching Invincible, and watching some youtubers talk about it - I noticed some of them compare it to The Boys so I gave it a shot. It's not really anything like Invincible, but I understand the comparison as both put a twist on the superhero genre.
I always liked the idea of privatized superheroes since I watched Tiger and Bunny, and was wondering if anything else played with the idea. And The Boys does, and instead of it being happiness and fun - they are corrupt as shit and only care about their ratings and profits with the 'heroes' themselves being complete sociopaths. Definitely looking forward to a season 3, whenever that is.
I always liked the idea of privatized superheroes since I watched Tiger and Bunny, and was wondering if anything else played with the idea. And The Boys does, and instead of it being happiness and fun - they are corrupt as shit and only care about their ratings and profits with the 'heroes' themselves being complete sociopaths. Definitely looking forward to a season 3, whenever that is.
Mare of Easttown on HBO
Engaging small town crime drama. It had a great hook. They had me in episode one.
Kate Winslet produced and stars in it and she performs reasonably well. But...
C-
Engaging small town crime drama. It had a great hook. They had me in episode one.
Kate Winslet produced and stars in it and she performs reasonably well. But...
I guess any who done it can fit into the "black box" category. When you find out what is in the box, it better be satisfying to find out. Example: Season One of "Wayward Pines". But in a who done it, how you find out who done it matters as much as who did. In this show? I kid you not: we find out due to the detective obtaining pictures/video that shows us what happened. No clues along the way. Just, "oh, here's an incriminating photo of the bad guy that identifies what you need to know to find out who done it." Engaging but unrewarding.
Last edited:
The Powerpuff Girls (1998): Season 2 (3/5)
This season is weird, least in how it stands in regards to the prior one. On one hand, I think the season's better, in that it has more creative episodes. On the other...well, I don't recall if I brought this up in my review of season 1, but the issue here is clear - a lot of the ideas in these episodes simply can't be fleshed out in the run time given to them.
I'll give one example of this - Speed Demon. In the episode, the girls accidently travel 50 years into the future, finding a hellscape of a world, with people reduced to a zombie-like state of being, the professor desparately trying to replicate his formula to create new heroes, and HIM running the show, apparently invincible. So, you've got eerie imagery, character drama ("why did you leave us...leave us...?"), and potential for character development, and various other ideas. So what do you do? I dunno, but the episode's solution to this is that...um...the girls just travel back to the past. Exactly fifty years. Because they know how to do that apparently, despite the first time being a fluke. So not only is any sense of stakes or gravitas shot down, but following this to its conclusion, the girls can no reverse any defeat via time travel. Yay...
I can give more examples of this, but it's a problem that keeps coming up. What's more, the season has a tendency to recycle ideas. In the same season alone, the idea of 'evil counterpart superhero' is done three times - twice with Morbucks (one time with technology, once when she gets powers), and one other time with random kids. And it's a shame, because like I said, the actual scenarios used in the season are often more creative, such as an entire episode done in rhyme, or a 'rainy day' episode, or various other things, but the problem is that, as stated, the show doesn't have the runtime to explore these ideas fully. Or if it does, the idea is terrible (e.g. the cooties episode...FFS, cooties or not, the boy isn't in the right here, because he's still running around trying to kiss girls whether they want it or not).
Anyway, two seasons in, and I still don't get why this show is so popular.
This season is weird, least in how it stands in regards to the prior one. On one hand, I think the season's better, in that it has more creative episodes. On the other...well, I don't recall if I brought this up in my review of season 1, but the issue here is clear - a lot of the ideas in these episodes simply can't be fleshed out in the run time given to them.
I'll give one example of this - Speed Demon. In the episode, the girls accidently travel 50 years into the future, finding a hellscape of a world, with people reduced to a zombie-like state of being, the professor desparately trying to replicate his formula to create new heroes, and HIM running the show, apparently invincible. So, you've got eerie imagery, character drama ("why did you leave us...leave us...?"), and potential for character development, and various other ideas. So what do you do? I dunno, but the episode's solution to this is that...um...the girls just travel back to the past. Exactly fifty years. Because they know how to do that apparently, despite the first time being a fluke. So not only is any sense of stakes or gravitas shot down, but following this to its conclusion, the girls can no reverse any defeat via time travel. Yay...
I can give more examples of this, but it's a problem that keeps coming up. What's more, the season has a tendency to recycle ideas. In the same season alone, the idea of 'evil counterpart superhero' is done three times - twice with Morbucks (one time with technology, once when she gets powers), and one other time with random kids. And it's a shame, because like I said, the actual scenarios used in the season are often more creative, such as an entire episode done in rhyme, or a 'rainy day' episode, or various other things, but the problem is that, as stated, the show doesn't have the runtime to explore these ideas fully. Or if it does, the idea is terrible (e.g. the cooties episode...FFS, cooties or not, the boy isn't in the right here, because he's still running around trying to kiss girls whether they want it or not).
Anyway, two seasons in, and I still don't get why this show is so popular.
Love, Death and Robots: Season 2-
It was entertaining, though only two of the features really stuck out to me. "Automated Customer Service" which is a woman fighting her Roomba which basically had the "Evil" switch accidently turned on and is a wonderful bit of Dark Comedy and kinda reminded me of Wall-E but if the robots tried to kill people. The other was "The Drowned Giant" which was slow and contemplative and I just kinda dug it. I half wondered if there was gonna be a surprise twist at the end, but nope, it's just contemplations of a dead giant that washing up on a beach and where it came from is never explained.
"Pop Squad" felt just fucking brutal and while interesting, it's really hard to watch. A lot of the worldbuilding was cut which would have made it stand out a lot more. "Life Hutch" felt like it needed more somehow, it's not bad but I feel like I've seen this before quite a few times. "Tall Grass" feels like an SCP entry that's been professionally animated. "Snow in the Desert" was kinda interesting but feels like it needed more worldbuilding. "Ice" is just kinda there and it's fine. "All through the house" is, I guess an unique take on Santa Claus.
It was entertaining, though only two of the features really stuck out to me. "Automated Customer Service" which is a woman fighting her Roomba which basically had the "Evil" switch accidently turned on and is a wonderful bit of Dark Comedy and kinda reminded me of Wall-E but if the robots tried to kill people. The other was "The Drowned Giant" which was slow and contemplative and I just kinda dug it. I half wondered if there was gonna be a surprise twist at the end, but nope, it's just contemplations of a dead giant that washing up on a beach and where it came from is never explained.
"Pop Squad" felt just fucking brutal and while interesting, it's really hard to watch. A lot of the worldbuilding was cut which would have made it stand out a lot more. "Life Hutch" felt like it needed more somehow, it's not bad but I feel like I've seen this before quite a few times. "Tall Grass" feels like an SCP entry that's been professionally animated. "Snow in the Desert" was kinda interesting but feels like it needed more worldbuilding. "Ice" is just kinda there and it's fine. "All through the house" is, I guess an unique take on Santa Claus.
I felt like Snow in the Desert could have been some weird prequel to Pop Squad. Maybe Snow got caught and dissected at one point and that's how they made the immortal juice. Not that it changes anything whether they were connected or not.
I did find Season 2 overall disappointing. Not that I hated it or anything, but it was incredibly short and there was nothing quite at the level of my favourites of season 1. My top 3 being Zima Blue, Beyond the Aquila Rift and Lucky 13.
I guess Season 2 overall felt very shallow, there wasn't too much to think about, it is just what's there. If I had to pick a favourite... "All Through the House" probably. I thought it was fun, though... not very Love, Death and Robotsey. Pop Squad's probably the most interesting one in terms of the themes and ideas it explored.
Chernobyl (NowTV)
Just. Plain. Brilliant. Only downside is I miss Russian accents, but that's a weird guilty pleasure to be satiated elsewhere like Tenet or I suppose just any actual Russian film. The ending somehow pulled that important dose of positivity out of a rather frightening example of industrial disaster too, though that may not be enough for some viewers. The part with the pets was thankfully done as tasteful as I'd imagine it could be done. Best suited to short season also, all the decisions seem in it's favour.
Just. Plain. Brilliant. Only downside is I miss Russian accents, but that's a weird guilty pleasure to be satiated elsewhere like Tenet or I suppose just any actual Russian film. The ending somehow pulled that important dose of positivity out of a rather frightening example of industrial disaster too, though that may not be enough for some viewers. The part with the pets was thankfully done as tasteful as I'd imagine it could be done. Best suited to short season also, all the decisions seem in it's favour.
Watched Modern Love episode 1 & 2 on Amazon. Really good so far. It's an anthology so if you don't like one episode, maybe you'll like the next and vice versa. The episodes are only 30 min or so apiece so they don't over-stay their welcome. B+
EDIT: So the cover picture for this video is from episode 3.
I had just been talking to my family about upcoming challenges to movies as TV can stretch out a story to 100 hours of episodes easy. How can a 2 hour movie compete.
Then I saw this. It was the best 1/2 hour of TV I have seen in a very long time. It gets a 10/10. Starts a little quircky. There's a reason. Stick with it and watch it through.
EDIT: So the cover picture for this video is from episode 3.
I had just been talking to my family about upcoming challenges to movies as TV can stretch out a story to 100 hours of episodes easy. How can a 2 hour movie compete.
Then I saw this. It was the best 1/2 hour of TV I have seen in a very long time. It gets a 10/10. Starts a little quircky. There's a reason. Stick with it and watch it through.
Last edited:
The Sons of Sam
Documentary miniseries that zeroes in on the hypothesis that maybe Berkowitz wasn't just acting alone as Son of Sam (fair enough) but was also part of a nationwide satanic cult orchestrated by Manson (ehhhhhh). Based on the bestseller of some conspiracy crackpot that used to write for the NY Post. Some macabre coincidences and circumstantial evidence make it interesting enough though. And as much as I felt the dude had zero cred by the finish line, the series ends on a very creepy holy shit moment that proves him right about one crucial thing. As right as a broken clock, probably.
Documentary miniseries that zeroes in on the hypothesis that maybe Berkowitz wasn't just acting alone as Son of Sam (fair enough) but was also part of a nationwide satanic cult orchestrated by Manson (ehhhhhh). Based on the bestseller of some conspiracy crackpot that used to write for the NY Post. Some macabre coincidences and circumstantial evidence make it interesting enough though. And as much as I felt the dude had zero cred by the finish line, the series ends on a very creepy holy shit moment that proves him right about one crucial thing. As right as a broken clock, probably.