2019.05.08
I was attracted to this because it was by Liu Cixin (刘慈欣), and because its sci-fi.
I loved the Three-Body Problem trilogy, so I had high hopes this would be decent. In the moment, just having watched it, I can't say, but I got through it with no problem, so it had to be at least OK. I feel like I'm at least learning about what memes and tropes work for a Chinese audience (family, sacrifice, working together, etc.), and that's enough reason to watch.
The science is rough, bordering on fantasy, but its easy to excuse it as lost in translation. I read and like so much of the author that I'm willing to suspend disbelief, even if the movie totally betrayed it (as movies so often do). I feel like I'm watching 1950's/60's sci-fi, where its kind of rough but sincere, and I'm rooting for it even as I don't quite buy it.
But, if you aren't already a fan of Liu Cixin, or classic sci-fi, I don't know how you can get through this.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Sherlock series 1-4 (2010-2017)
2019.04.21
Desperate for something to watch, this comes up in some Netflix recommendation list, so why not. It's actually pretty good, better than expected so I'm willing to try more. There are some problems I hope they overcome, but it is the first episode, so I know that often causes strange characterization and writing and acting that can get better over time.
*spoilers*
I like the premise, its kind of a no-brainer to take a successful old franchise and make it new, but its rarely done well, so that's a big early hurdle already overcome. Characters are coming along nicely, I really enjoy the fake intro of Moriarty that turns into real intro of Mycroft.
I like the serial killer and his technique, but I've got a big problem with Watson just murdering him in cold blood and and everyone walking off into the sunset after having a laugh about it. When you update anything, making it harder and edgier is an obvious choice, but this is a mess. Watson sees a stranger and Holmes taking a pill. The audience knows the threat but Watson can not. Watson can't see the danger, and we know he doesn't have near enough info to figure it out on the spot (though Holmes may have, Watson is not being set up as that kind of character). The fake gun is already dismissed and back out of sight. The only way they could have sold Watson taking a kill shot is if he's got the gun trained on Holmes (and Watson thinks he's making him kill himself with a pill). But that's already impossible as Holmes figured out its fake so there's no reason to point it. Maybe if the killer had the gun still in hand, just in hand, so Watson could think its a threat? Otherwise, how to justify a killing shot. Since there's no obvious threat, why not just shoot through the windows, distracting the killer, and letting Holmes take some action. I guess we're supposed to think that Watson thought Holmes was being forced to take the pill, but they could have sold it a little better. It's sloppy because it makes Watson seem like the real psychopath, especially with the whole laughing it off at the end. It was still a good episode, but it missed greatness by just a little bit.
2019.05.08
I'm up to Season 3, about to watch Episode 2.
I don't remember what episode it was, but Watson says we need to call the cops, and Holmes says OK, steps outside (in a nice neighborhood) and fires his gun into the air, and calmly walks back in saying something like 'that ought to do it' while Watson makes his exasperated face. I'm hooked, I'm watching this entire series.
Stories, character, dialogue, it all works well enough, but sometimes it gets so fanciful it starts getting into fantasy territory, but so far not enough to ruin it.
I love the slow trickle of information about the background and history of the Holmes brothers. I wonder if I'd be able to read the source material now, or if I would find it boring.
2019.05.31
Just saw the final episode (of Season 4).
I am in the unusual position of being... satisfied. This happens so infrequently, I'm at a loss. Of course I want more, but I know more could just dilute a solution that is just right. It was nice of them to end it on a note of 'and they went on to have many more interesting adventures', and of course you want to see those adventures, but you don't need to.
I look forward to reading more about the series, and maybe revisiting the source material, but for now, I want for nothing.
Desperate for something to watch, this comes up in some Netflix recommendation list, so why not. It's actually pretty good, better than expected so I'm willing to try more. There are some problems I hope they overcome, but it is the first episode, so I know that often causes strange characterization and writing and acting that can get better over time.
*spoilers*
I like the premise, its kind of a no-brainer to take a successful old franchise and make it new, but its rarely done well, so that's a big early hurdle already overcome. Characters are coming along nicely, I really enjoy the fake intro of Moriarty that turns into real intro of Mycroft.
I like the serial killer and his technique, but I've got a big problem with Watson just murdering him in cold blood and and everyone walking off into the sunset after having a laugh about it. When you update anything, making it harder and edgier is an obvious choice, but this is a mess. Watson sees a stranger and Holmes taking a pill. The audience knows the threat but Watson can not. Watson can't see the danger, and we know he doesn't have near enough info to figure it out on the spot (though Holmes may have, Watson is not being set up as that kind of character). The fake gun is already dismissed and back out of sight. The only way they could have sold Watson taking a kill shot is if he's got the gun trained on Holmes (and Watson thinks he's making him kill himself with a pill). But that's already impossible as Holmes figured out its fake so there's no reason to point it. Maybe if the killer had the gun still in hand, just in hand, so Watson could think its a threat? Otherwise, how to justify a killing shot. Since there's no obvious threat, why not just shoot through the windows, distracting the killer, and letting Holmes take some action. I guess we're supposed to think that Watson thought Holmes was being forced to take the pill, but they could have sold it a little better. It's sloppy because it makes Watson seem like the real psychopath, especially with the whole laughing it off at the end. It was still a good episode, but it missed greatness by just a little bit.
2019.05.08
I'm up to Season 3, about to watch Episode 2.
I don't remember what episode it was, but Watson says we need to call the cops, and Holmes says OK, steps outside (in a nice neighborhood) and fires his gun into the air, and calmly walks back in saying something like 'that ought to do it' while Watson makes his exasperated face. I'm hooked, I'm watching this entire series.
Stories, character, dialogue, it all works well enough, but sometimes it gets so fanciful it starts getting into fantasy territory, but so far not enough to ruin it.
I love the slow trickle of information about the background and history of the Holmes brothers. I wonder if I'd be able to read the source material now, or if I would find it boring.
2019.05.31
Just saw the final episode (of Season 4).
I am in the unusual position of being... satisfied. This happens so infrequently, I'm at a loss. Of course I want more, but I know more could just dilute a solution that is just right. It was nice of them to end it on a note of 'and they went on to have many more interesting adventures', and of course you want to see those adventures, but you don't need to.
I look forward to reading more about the series, and maybe revisiting the source material, but for now, I want for nothing.
Saturday, April 20, 2019
The Devil We Know (2018)
2019.04.21
Scandalous. Shocking. Depressing. Why isn't this a bigger issue? Is it because the problem is so big we don't even know what to do? I'll be thinking about this one for a long time. It should be life changing, but I'll probably do what most of us do and just try not to think about it.
Scandalous. Shocking. Depressing. Why isn't this a bigger issue? Is it because the problem is so big we don't even know what to do? I'll be thinking about this one for a long time. It should be life changing, but I'll probably do what most of us do and just try not to think about it.
Friday, April 19, 2019
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
2019.04.21
Beautifully shot, even factoring in how much I like desert and wild west imagery, its still good enough to watch with the sound off. And maybe I should, because the stories are not compelling. I like anthologies, so a few stories around a theme sounds great, but something about the people and their situations just doesn't work for me. I got about halfway through and got distracted, so I don't know if I'm coming back.
Also, I think my ability to watch westerns normally may be ruined now, as I keep expecting Westworld like situations to pop up in the flow of Old West storytelling.
Beautifully shot, even factoring in how much I like desert and wild west imagery, its still good enough to watch with the sound off. And maybe I should, because the stories are not compelling. I like anthologies, so a few stories around a theme sounds great, but something about the people and their situations just doesn't work for me. I got about halfway through and got distracted, so I don't know if I'm coming back.
Also, I think my ability to watch westerns normally may be ruined now, as I keep expecting Westworld like situations to pop up in the flow of Old West storytelling.
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Kingdom (2019)
2019.04.21
Zombie stories still work, but you have to do something to make it interesting, and setting it in old Korea certainly counts. I don't know much Korean history, but I know a little Chinese and all this palace intrigue seems to ring true. I'm not sure yet what the zombie metaphor is supposed to be, but it is an interesting variation. Still, I only made it through 3 episodes and kind of forget to come back.
Zombie stories still work, but you have to do something to make it interesting, and setting it in old Korea certainly counts. I don't know much Korean history, but I know a little Chinese and all this palace intrigue seems to ring true. I'm not sure yet what the zombie metaphor is supposed to be, but it is an interesting variation. Still, I only made it through 3 episodes and kind of forget to come back.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Murder Mountain (2018)
I like this documentary, probably because it roots it in history and explains how we got here. It kind of starts to lose coherence at the end as it gets closer to the present and the lies and court cases don't yet have the benefit of history to sort them out yet.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
If you've seen even a few seconds of the preview where Mickey Mouse offers his arm to the author who's work has been Disneyfied and she reluctantly accepts at the premiere, you have no excuse to watch this movie and be in any way disappointed or surprised.
Obviously its the courtship of the reluctant author, and its the movie's job to sell it, so you watch this, with your defenses up or down, to see if they can pull it off. Well, the game is rigged. If you grew up with Disney culture and/or with Hollywood culture, the buttons are pre-installed in you, and this movie pushes them in the right sequence. Whether that makes you mad or pleases you is up to you, because you bought the ticket and you got on the ride.
My mom took us to every Disney movie when we were little, so I made it all the way the through the film with hardly a pause. I was predisposed, but the ultimate pitch is Disney's final speech to the author, and you either buy the message of hope or you don't.
I dutifully rode through the movie as one would through a dark ride, but the lack of smoking was as jarring as if someone took out a mobile phone in the 1960s, so it was really nice that they at least threw us a bone and had us catch Disney putting out a cigarette.
Obviously its the courtship of the reluctant author, and its the movie's job to sell it, so you watch this, with your defenses up or down, to see if they can pull it off. Well, the game is rigged. If you grew up with Disney culture and/or with Hollywood culture, the buttons are pre-installed in you, and this movie pushes them in the right sequence. Whether that makes you mad or pleases you is up to you, because you bought the ticket and you got on the ride.
My mom took us to every Disney movie when we were little, so I made it all the way the through the film with hardly a pause. I was predisposed, but the ultimate pitch is Disney's final speech to the author, and you either buy the message of hope or you don't.
I dutifully rode through the movie as one would through a dark ride, but the lack of smoking was as jarring as if someone took out a mobile phone in the 1960s, so it was really nice that they at least threw us a bone and had us catch Disney putting out a cigarette.
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