I feel like that is a pretty normal ratio for fan engagement. Especially when there is a deliberate sabotaging of the main characters (re: Rory's choice in men).Quoting Mara (view post)
I feel like that is a pretty normal ratio for fan engagement. Especially when there is a deliberate sabotaging of the main characters (re: Rory's choice in men).Quoting Mara (view post)
Movie Theater DiaryQuoting Donald Glover
Finished off the first season of Atlanta, which was fun and surreal and wonderful, if at times meandering in ways that didn't always benefit the show's rhythm. Still, the "Juneteenth" episode, and any moment or episode that centered on Van, was wonderful. I'm hoping that Glover pushes Van to the forefront even more in the second season.
Halt and Catch Fire's third season settles into the groove that the second season achieved and the balance between Bishe and Davis is awesome. The eighth episode of this season is stellar, with an amazing voiceover, and if the last two episodes falter just a bit in justifying reasons for these people to accept the burden in coming together, it's worth it for Bishe's final scene in the car. This is a show that struggled to find its footing throughout the first season, but it's the surprising series that makes me completely interested to see where the showrunners go for their final season.
You're the Worst never quite held onto the magic from the second season, with Jimmy in particular struggling to find an angle into this season's drama. Edgar's standout episode ("Twenty Two") delivers on cinematic touches, which Irish notably identified was something that was missing from many of its shots, but the style went back to being more perfunctory afterwards. I will say, however, that the season finale has an incredibly touching moment between Jimmy and Gretchen.
My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is the happy-place show for me while I wait for the Good Place's return. I didn't know how much I enjoyed Rachel and Valencia until now. It might not always work, but the Maya stuff is such easy material, and they're doing good character work while I wait for Greg (or someone).
The Boat People - 9
The Power of the Dog - 7.5
The King of Pigs - 7
I desperately want to like Penny Dreadful, and I just find it boring. First five minutes of every ep is cool, last five minutes are cool, and forty minutes of nothing in between. Wife and I agree, we care far more about all the characters around Eva Green at all. Needs more werewolves, vampires, undead, witches...and far less spiritual exorcismy stuff.
Been watching Black-ish a bit now into season 2, and this has some of the best child acting on television. I love Diane.
Midnight Run (1988) - 9
The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) - 8.5
The Adventures of Robinhood (1938) - 8
Sisters (1973) - 6.5
Shin Godzilla (2016) - 7.5
For sure. I also think Fresh Off The Boat and its young cast might be even better at this point.Quoting Peng (view post)
The most recent one ‒ with Eddie and his girlfriend going to see the Luhrmann Romeo + Juliet, each of their dads tagging along and bonding over it, birthing a forbidden love between houses ‒ was an especially great showcase for the whole cast (and the guest actors!).
Last 11 things I really enjoyed:
Speed Racer (Wachowski/Wachowski, 2008)
Safe (Haynes, 1995)
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (Parker, 1999)
Beastie Boys Story (Jonze, 2020)
Bad Trip (Sakurai, 2020)
What's Up Doc? (Bogdanovich, 1972)
Diva (Beineix, 1981)
Delicatessen (Caro/Jeunet, 1991)
The Hunger (Scott, 1983)
Pineapple Express (Green, 2008)
Chungking Express (Wong, 1994)
I had actually hesitated between starting that and Black-ish before choosing the latter because the critical reception seems to be better and people have said it to be a more consistent show. Still very interested in Fresh Off the Boat though, as an Asian who used to live in America for a year.
I just finished this week's New Girl, and it reminds me that although other sitcoms may be more consistently hilarious and creative (Brooklyn 99), there is currently no other one I like more in capturing the feeling of being among a group of friends hanging out who enjoy each other's company very much.
Midnight Run (1988) - 9
The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) - 8.5
The Adventures of Robinhood (1938) - 8
Sisters (1973) - 6.5
Shin Godzilla (2016) - 7.5
I was disappointed by this recent season. They took an incredible creative risk last year and it paid off handsomely. This year, I wondered if the writing staff had been fired and replaced with scabs.Quoting dreamdead (view post)
There were too many episodes that had classic sitcom style writing (everybody knows Jimmy's dad is dead except Jimmy! Two minor characters get lost in the woods!) or repeated premises from the first two seasons (rando scavenger hunts, "Sunday Funday," etc). There wasn't much energy or interest behind any of that stuff.
Somewhere along the line, this show forgot that if you're gonna make your main characters obnoxious as hell, then all the supporting players have to be much worse (cf: Seinfeld). Otherwise, it ceases to be funny. Half way through the season, I found both Gretchen and Jimmy grating in ways they weren't before.
But I liked the last few minutes of the finale, mostly. On one hand, everything Jimmy did was in keeping with his character. On the other, it felt like a bullshit cliffhanger; conflict for the sake of conflict where there was none before.
Shows I have given up on recently: Mr. Robot, after the 9th episode of Season 1 (twist was dumb, don't care), The Leftovers, after the 4th episode of Season 2 (not going anywhere, doesn't earn its pretentions, and as much as I enjoy Ann Dowd, I hate how the show uses her), Rectify, sometime early in Season 3 (I have an automatic disinterest in sullen, repressed main characters, and nothing else much happens) and Fresh Off the Boat, after about 5 episodes (broad and not funny enough).
Giving up on shows is actually pretty liberating.
Last edited by transmogrifier; 01-07-2017 at 01:27 AM.
Last 10 Movies Seen
(90+ = canonical, 80-89 = brilliant, 70-79 = strongly recommended, 60-69 = good, 50-59 = mixed, 40-49 = below average with some good points, 30-39 = poor, 20-29 = bad, 10-19 = terrible, 0-9 = soul-crushingly inept in every way)
Run (2020) 64
The Whistlers (2019) 55
Pawn (2020) 62
Matilda (1996) 37
The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976) 61
Moby Dick (2011) 50
Soul (2020) 64
Heroic Duo (2003) 55
A Moment of Romance (1990) 61
As Tears Go By (1988) 65
Stuff at Letterboxd
Listening Habits at LastFM
Aw. Like Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, The Office U.S., and any number of comedies before it, Fresh Off The Boat's initial batch of episodes is definitely its weakest.
Easily one of the best network comedies around at this point.
Last 11 things I really enjoyed:
Speed Racer (Wachowski/Wachowski, 2008)
Safe (Haynes, 1995)
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (Parker, 1999)
Beastie Boys Story (Jonze, 2020)
Bad Trip (Sakurai, 2020)
What's Up Doc? (Bogdanovich, 1972)
Diva (Beineix, 1981)
Delicatessen (Caro/Jeunet, 1991)
The Hunger (Scott, 1983)
Pineapple Express (Green, 2008)
Chungking Express (Wong, 1994)
Coincidentally, I'm struggling through the 5th season of Parks and Rec for the first time (I gave up after Season 4 when it was airing). It was around the time of the Anne/Tom thing and just blatantly stupid plots (e.g., why on Earth would Leslie choose (or Ben allow) Andy and April to host a donor's dinner?) I got sick of the forced situations designed to reinforce the Flanderization of all the characters. Season 5 has not improved on this.
Last edited by transmogrifier; 01-07-2017 at 06:13 AM.
Last 10 Movies Seen
(90+ = canonical, 80-89 = brilliant, 70-79 = strongly recommended, 60-69 = good, 50-59 = mixed, 40-49 = below average with some good points, 30-39 = poor, 20-29 = bad, 10-19 = terrible, 0-9 = soul-crushingly inept in every way)
Run (2020) 64
The Whistlers (2019) 55
Pawn (2020) 62
Matilda (1996) 37
The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976) 61
Moby Dick (2011) 50
Soul (2020) 64
Heroic Duo (2003) 55
A Moment of Romance (1990) 61
As Tears Go By (1988) 65
Stuff at Letterboxd
Listening Habits at LastFM
I found recently that I have little tolerance and find almost no enjoyment from low-poverty comedies. When a decent chunk of the humor is that they are poor or that they are in a low income situation so comedy, I just can't enjoy it. So a show like Fresh off the Boat I have a very hard time watching because a decent chunk of the humor is about how they deal with being poor.
Sarah Silverman is in Star Trek: Voyager? I like her better when she's not talking about Jesus farting.
I don't watch The Apprentice but I just found out that Arnold's catchphrase on it is "You're terminated. Now get to the chopper." He makes the losing contestant get on a helicopter and fly away. This is absolutely terrible.
Movie Theater DiaryQuoting Donald Glover
Hey! Sometimes he says "Hasta la vista, baby" instead!Quoting number8 (view post)
Kimmel immediately pointed out that the contestants walk towards a helicopter, then a close-up of it as the door closes, with then the subsequent shot of it flying away is obviously carrying nobody.
Last 11 things I really enjoyed:
Speed Racer (Wachowski/Wachowski, 2008)
Safe (Haynes, 1995)
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (Parker, 1999)
Beastie Boys Story (Jonze, 2020)
Bad Trip (Sakurai, 2020)
What's Up Doc? (Bogdanovich, 1972)
Diva (Beineix, 1981)
Delicatessen (Caro/Jeunet, 1991)
The Hunger (Scott, 1983)
Pineapple Express (Green, 2008)
Chungking Express (Wong, 1994)
Is he gonna do a different quote for each elimination?
"You're terminated. Your clothes. Give them to me now!"
Movie Theater DiaryQuoting Donald Glover
Guys, Janet and Jason in The Good Place are so delightful together. And now Marc Evan Johnson? Come on NBC, renew this already...
The Boat People - 9
The Power of the Dog - 7.5
The King of Pigs - 7
Also, I watched that Bret Easton Ellis miniseries starring a bunch of Vine stars and Instagram models about beautiful teenagers who were engineered by a science experiment to be desperately horny all the time. It's awful.
Movie Theater DiaryQuoting Donald Glover
Anyone watching Taboo? It's good.
I caught the first couple of episodes of Sneaky Pete, with Giovanni Ribisi, Bryan Cranston, and Margo Martindale.
It's fun, if a little implausible. I'm not sure I buy Ribisi as a slick con-man. Martindale and Cranston seem to be playing to type, which on one hand is always entertaining but on the other a little disappointing, too.
Have you seen Poldark or Frontier? I was curious about Taboo and wondered how it compared.Quoting Winston* (view post)
The last 10 minutes of the The Good Place finale are just so good.
AMAZINGQuoting Mr. McGibblets (view post)
I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I went back and rewatched the whole season.
...and the milk's in me.
It's kind of amazing how unexpected it was.
Movie Theater DiaryQuoting Donald Glover
Upon rewatch, it really really works.
...and the milk's in me.
I really didn't find it all that surprising. But i think the reason it works so well is because it's a weak show without it. I thought the show was pretty lame for about half the season, though it got better when Eleanor confessed. The twist really jacked up my enjoyment of everything that came before it and now I'm eager to keep watching; without it I suspect I wouldn't at all.