What Movie Are You Watching?

[Eric]

I watched Infinite on Paramount + so you didn't have to.

You're welcome.

If you like the movie Wanted somehow more than me, then think of this as the sequel they had no intention of making, along with borrowing from the Matrix. This movie should NOT have happened with Mark Wahlberg as the lead, no matter how badly he wants to be considered an action movie star. No. The only saving grace was Chiwetel Ejiofor. Someone evidently told the man Covid caused a Ham shortage, so he stepped up to the task of bringing the world all it will need for awhile.

Streaming services with "big budget" movies that don't get released, will become the new Blockbuster.

I know he was young but his racist past and the fact that he beat two Asian men always lingers with me. I just have no interesting in seeing his movies.

Just one of the witness statements when he asked to be fully pardoned

“I don’t think he should get a pardon,” Kristyn Atwood, 38, of Decatur, Ga., told the Associated Press. She was a Boston fourth grader on a field trip to the beach when Wahlberg and his partners-in-crime threw rocks and yelled racial epithets, including the n-word, at her and her classmates.

“I don’t really care who he is,” she said. “It doesn’t make him any exception. If you’re a racist, you’re always going to be a racist. And for him to want to erase it I just think it’s wrong. … It was a hate crime and that’s exactly what should be on his record forever.”
The attack left a scar, she said — and trauma that won’t fade even if the actor’s record is wiped clean.

(sorry to hijack your post with this, I just can't watch the guy)

 

[Edd]

I know he was young but his racist past and the fact that he beat two Asian men always lingers with me. I just have no interesting in seeing his movies.

Just one of the witness statements when he asked to be fully pardoned

“I don’t think he should get a pardon,” Kristyn Atwood, 38, of Decatur, Ga., told the Associated Press. She was a Boston fourth grader on a field trip to the beach when Wahlberg and his partners-in-crime threw rocks and yelled racial epithets, including the n-word, at her and her classmates.

“I don’t really care who he is,” she said. “It doesn’t make him any exception. If you’re a racist, you’re always going to be a racist. And for him to want to erase it I just think it’s wrong. … It was a hate crime and that’s exactly what should be on his record forever.”
The attack left a scar, she said — and trauma that won’t fade even if the actor’s record is wiped clean.

(sorry to hijack your post with this, I just can't watch the guy)

Can’t say I “like” him but have admired performances (Boogie Nights, The Other Guys, I Heart Huckabees).

I’ve gotta believe in redemption though. No idea if he’s being genuine about no longer being racist. He does seem like no fun: no booze, churchy, insane daily workouts. He is tough to like.

 

[Alli]

I was planning on watching In The Heights yesterday, but my BFF texted and asked if I wanted to go to the fancy theater on Sunday to watch it. I told her my chairs reclined too, so why doesn’t she just come over here on Sunday and we’ll watch it (for free) on HBO Max and order a bunch of food. She liked that idea.

 

[ronntaylor]

I was planning on watching In The Heights yesterday, but my BFF texted and asked if I wanted to go to the fancy theater on Sunday to watch it. I told her my chairs reclined too, so why doesn’t she just come over here on Sunday and we’ll watch it (for free) on HBO Max and order a bunch of food. She liked that idea.

We're planning to watch it at home on Sunday as well. Originally planned to view today, but we're dead tired after meeting two different friends for lunch, then dinner at a restaurant for the first time since early 2020.

 

[Alli]

I watched Infinite on Paramount + so you didn't have to.

Watched it anyway. But I’m a sucker for Chiwetel Ejiofor. He is always just magnificent. Other than the ending with the sky dance, I rather enjoyed it. It had plots from several other movies but wound together nicely. Can’t say I knew diddly about Mark Wahlberg on a personal level, but I don’t have to work with him.

 

[JayMysteri0]

I know he was young but his racist past and the fact that he beat two Asian men always lingers with me. I just have no interesting in seeing his movies.

Just one of the witness statements when he asked to be fully pardoned

“I don’t think he should get a pardon,” Kristyn Atwood, 38, of Decatur, Ga., told the Associated Press. She was a Boston fourth grader on a field trip to the beach when Wahlberg and his partners-in-crime threw rocks and yelled racial epithets, including the n-word, at her and her classmates.

“I don’t really care who he is,” she said. “It doesn’t make him any exception. If you’re a racist, you’re always going to be a racist. And for him to want to erase it I just think it’s wrong. … It was a hate crime and that’s exactly what should be on his record forever.”
The attack left a scar, she said — and trauma that won’t fade even if the actor’s record is wiped clean.

(sorry to hijack your post with this, I just can't watch the guy)

I've made the separation of his past from his profession. He's put so much effort into convincing others he's changed & I haven't heard of another incident since then. I'm more morbidly fascinated because he's such a try hard for success, that his characters always have to be "best ever" in his attempts at action films, and he doesn't come across as the "best ever". I have to commend him for his work ethic.

The problem is basically there's no reason for Wahlberg in the role, except for imagined name recognition. In the original material his character is like 30 some years younger I believe. The character didn't benefit from being older, instead I argue it makes the character more unbelievable. Also we were scratching our heads over the optics of the ONLY Black guy in the movie, is the villain reincarnated from previously being a White guy. It was like, did someone NOT notice from your own cast list. I would have at least run with the Bad guy having had to live as a PoC possibly lean into his outlook that motivates him. Instead it was just us watching going...

That reminder of a running joke I've had for years of "there can only be one", and we aren't talking Highlander.

I was also really interested in the concept because I've considered it as an idea myself. Where one has access to past lives to help them in the present, giving one several lifetimes of experience & knowledge to draw on. The film doesn't account for muscle memory or the degradation of physical abilities from his age & stated history of instances. Where they went with it, making it "Wanted: the sequel" and using scenes from the Matrix, it's like they didn't have enough faith in their own idea so they copped from so many other works.

Watched it anyway. But I’m a sucker for Chiwetel Ejiofor. He is always just magnificent. Other than the ending with the sky dance, I rather enjoyed it. It had plots from several other movies but wound together nicely. Can’t say I knew diddly about Mark Wahlberg on a personal level, but I don’t have to work with him.

Like I said, Eliofor just seemed to say F' it, someone's going to enjoy this film, and he decided it was him. The film is one of those films where I spend time thinking how it could have been better, that it hurts my brain trying to watch it, & imagine improvements. I just spent too much time taking the film apart as I watched it, to enjoy it.

Honestly though for the price, I really can't complain too much. I still hope that if there is a third modern Kingsman film, they find a way to bring back Roxy.

 

[DT]

I was planning on watching In The Heights yesterday, but my BFF texted and asked if I wanted to go to the fancy theater on Sunday to watch it. I told her my chairs reclined too, so why doesn’t she just come over here on Sunday and we’ll watch it (for free) on HBO Max and order a bunch of food. She liked that idea.

It's really fun, just beautifully filmed and really takes advantage of things you can't do in live theater. They also do a great job of moving from spoken to musical parts, that can be tricky in "movie musicals", the whole movie has a really fun sort of musical cadence to it, even the non-singing portions. The cast is pretty fantastic, there's a couple of stunningly beautiful musical numbers.


Dascha Polanco made me feel funny ... and by that, I mean like this ...

 

[Huntn]

I watched Infinite on Paramount + so you didn't have to.

You're welcome.

If you like the movie Wanted somehow more than me, then think of this as the sequel they had no intention of making, along with borrowing from the Matrix. This movie should NOT have happened with Mark Wahlberg as the lead, no matter how badly he wants to be considered an action movie star. No. The only saving grace was Chiwetel Ejiofor. Someone evidently told the man Covid caused a Ham shortage, so he stepped up to the task of bringing the world all it will need for awhile.

Streaming services with "big budget" movies that don't get released, will become the new Blockbuster.

I’m not countering what you are saying, but really liked Wahlberg in Sniper And The Departed.

 

[Alli]

It's really fun, just beautifully filmed and really takes advantage of things you can't do in live theater. They also do a great job of moving from spoken to musical parts, that can be tricky in "movie musicals", the whole movie has a really fun sort of musical cadence to it, even the non-singing portions. The cast is pretty fantastic, there's a couple of stunningly beautiful musical numbers.

They did a great job with it. I did cry during Abuela’s swan song. And towards the end. The performance was spectacular, but I’ve loved most of them in other shows before.

 

[Thomas Veil]

​

"Constantine". Not what I consider a great horror movie, but far from a mediocre or bad one. It's certainly a unique take.

 

[DT]

​

"Constantine". Not what I consider a great horror movie, but far from a mediocre or bad one. It's certainly a unique take.

You may not know that this is based on a DC Comics character, who was British, blonde (his appearance was inspired by Sting), and very salty. Some spectacular runs of his own comic (I still have in storage), Hellblazer, he originally appeared in Swamp Thing.

As you might imagine, phanboyz got cranky over the casting choice of Keanu, but even as a huge fan of the original source material, I thought the movie was solid, in my head, it's kind of a "inspired by" vs. a film version of the comic. The other casting is so good, Peter Stormare, Djimon Hounsou, Tilda Swinton.

Matt Ryan - who is absolutely the comic version of the character - has played John Constantine on TV in his own [short lived] series, and guest starred on Arrow (the DC show about Green Arrow), and has provided the voice for the character in some DC animated movies (that are awesome).

 

[Thomas Veil]

I did know it was based off a comic, though I’d never read it. Regardless of looks, I thought Keanu did a fine job as the world-weary character.

And what I liked best about the film was the way it mashed up horror movies like “The Exorcist” and noir thrillers like “Dark City”.

One thing I didn’t get…maybe I missed it, but how does Constantine make a living? It doesn’t look like pursuing demons puts food on the table.

 

[DT]

One thing I didn’t get…maybe I missed it, but how does Constantine make a living? It doesn’t look like pursuing demons puts food on the table.

They did in the movie, but he's a bit of a grifter Here's a pretty good explanation:

How does John Constantine earn a living?

As far as I can tell, we don’t see John Constantine earn any money for his work as a “master of the dark arts”, but he somehow supports a lifestyle with a large home, an extensive collection of rare

scifi.stackexchange.com

 

[Thomas Veil]

They did in the movie, but he's a bit of a grifter Here's a pretty good explanation:

How does John Constantine earn a living?

As far as I can tell, we don’t see John Constantine earn any money for his work as a “master of the dark arts”, but he somehow supports a lifestyle with a large home, an extensive collection of rare

scifi.stackexchange.com

Heh. I like this comment:

In the comics, I recall him stealing money from corpses...

It reminds me of the series Dead Like Me. The grim reapers in that series sometimes take day jobs, but some of them just crash in empty apartments and rifle the wallets of those they have just ushered on to their just rewards.

 

[Alli]

They did in the movie, but he's a bit of a grifter Here's a pretty good explanation:

How does John Constantine earn a living?

As far as I can tell, we don’t see John Constantine earn any money for his work as a “master of the dark arts”, but he somehow supports a lifestyle with a large home, an extensive collection of rare

scifi.stackexchange.com

The Constantine character has become one of my favorites in Legends of tomorrow. (My favorite, though, is Mick Rory.)

 

[Thomas Veil]

​

"Ted" (HBO) surprised me by being better than expected. I didn't think I'd be crazy about what sounded like a one-joke premise--a raunchy, foul-mouthed teddy bear--and my suspicions were largely borne out by the humor. There were one or two laugh-out-loud gags, but when most of the jokes are scatological, the cumulative effect is juvenile.

Luckily the movie has a cute and engaging story about having to make choices in life, even if it wimps out at the end by trying to have it both ways.

Hasbro gets a hilarious name drop, although you have to wonder whether the company appreciated being mentioned in this way.

 

[Huntn]

The Inheritance (2020)- American inherits a creepy haunted mansion in Ukraine, where some family member was murdered, family intrigue. She is supposed to settle the Estate. Mobsters or mobster-like thugs, husband is a shit. I just did not care.

Not really a horror movie per say, artistic and tried to be suspenseful as the secret is revealed. You have to care first. At least my wife picked this one, she hated it too, and it was only 90 minutes.

 

[Huntn]

Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)- watched on Netflix. Clint Eastwood in his prime. Just a guy who is a pretty good shot trying to live the American dream, gets caught up in the North South conflict after his family is killed.

​

 

[Huntn]

The Vanished (2020)- starring Thomas Jane and Anne Heche. This is a drama that comes across almost as a dark comedy, about a couple’s child who disappears at a camp site, with a twist at the end, but not worth it for me. Ehh.

 

[Hrafn]

Rambo:Last Blood. Meh, another Rambo film, this one with an unsatisfying end.