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scary ghost dog posted:The quality of Whedon's work depends entirely on the power of the premise. No, Whedon's strength has always been his characterizations. I can't think of anything he's done that relies heavily on the premise (except maybe Dollhouse, which I didn't like). His strength is in creating likable characters with just enough depth to be interesting without being overcomplicated. The plots those characters walk around in is incidental, even in his big-screen stuff like The Avengers. Absolutely no one is ever going to praise Whedon for his plots, because his stuff always boils down to "cowboys in space" or "cheerleader versus vampires" or "superheroes punch aliens." And just for the record, I recommend Buffy wholeheartedly despite its shaky first season(s). The back half of that series has two or three of my favorite hours of television ever. Firefly, as sharp as it is, is not quite as sharp as Buffy at its peak.
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Nov 6, 2012 16:27
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Sarchasm posted:No, Whedon's strength has always been his characterizations. I can't think of anything he's done that relies heavily on the premise (except maybe Dollhouse, which I didn't like). His strength is in creating likable characters with just enough depth to be interesting without being overcomplicated. The plots those characters walk around in is incidental, even in his big-screen stuff like The Avengers. Absolutely no one is ever going to praise Whedon for his plots, because his stuff always boils down to "cowboys in space" or "cheerleader versus vampires" or "superheroes punch aliens."
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Nov 6, 2012 17:46
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Hitch posted:Not sure if anyone has mentioned it yet, but Netflix has 17 seasons worth of Top Gear (U.K.) for your viewing pleasure. I am likely late to the party, but I started watching in the 17th season and have loved this show quite a bit. Looking forward to pouring over the previous 16 to see all the shenanigans these Brits get into. The early ones are a little odd and I'd say they don't really hit their groove and widest international appeal until season 9ish. Seasons 10+ are my favorites, and there are some really good episodes before that, but some of it can be a little grating. I never had much interest in the cool wall, or British celebrity segments, for instance. My favorites tend to be the "how hard can it be" and the "buy a X for $Y" challenges. Usually any film where all three of them are in it. I wish I was you though, I've seen most episodes at least three times over by now.
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Nov 6, 2012 23:11
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kuddles posted:Strangely, I feel the exact opposite about him. I always find his premises and scenarios to be more unique and compelling than most other science fiction, and then find myself let down by the dialogue he has written for all his characters I feel nothing for because they all act like the exact same smarmy person. I don't get what people are seeing in those scenarios, but I agree that it sometimes feels like a character (specifically the comic relief guy that appears in every Whedon production) is reused from series to series. It's not a real problem with Firefly and Buffy because the actors that played Wash and Xander had very distinct delivery, but Dollhouse and even Cabin in the Woods both had characters that were trying too hard to be Joss Whedon characters and it was really distracting. Cabin in the Woods is still great, though, despite that one bit of weak writing. And it lives on the strength of its premise, so I guess I can agree with you there if not necessarily on his larger body of work.
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Nov 6, 2012 23:20
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It's weird, well after it was cancelled I heard a lot of talk about Firefly so I picked up the series on sale on DVD. Watched it all, and I really liked it at the time. I decided to watch it again, fully expecting to enjoy it at least as much as before, and it seemed really stupid and lame. If it was something I enjoyed when I was 20 it would make sense, but how could my tastes change that much between 37 and 40?
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Nov 7, 2012 07:30
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Smile Time is better than every episode of Firefly combined.
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Nov 7, 2012 07:33
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Sarchasm posted:Cabin in the Woods is still great, though, despite that one bit of weak writing. And it lives on the strength of its premise, so I guess I can agree with you there if not necessarily on his larger body of work. Whedon only co-wrote Cabin, alongside Drew Goddard (who directed it).
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Nov 7, 2012 20:34
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I find that Whedon's stuff is best in small doses. I feel the same way about Tim Burton and other directors who have a very distinct, overwhelming style to the point where you can tell they did something without ever looking at the credits. I went into The Avengers knowing practically nothing about the production and 20 minutes in I thought to myself "Jeeze, did Joss Whedon write this?" I enjoyed Firefly for its strong premise and memorable characters. It's cowboys-in-space, yeah, but it's cowboys-in-space. I have no interest in rewatching it and I probably wouldn't enjoy it a second time through but the concept still sticks with me. I do think Serenity is an objectively good movie. I saw it before I even knew the show existed and immediately purchased the DVD set afterward. For all of his weaknesses, you can tell Whedon has fun writing the scripts and that energy usually translates well onto the screen even if it can get overbearing in huge doses.
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Nov 7, 2012 21:07
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Yeah, actually, I find that when I want to watch Firefly again, I usually settle for re-watching Serenity. And then by the time I get halfway to two thirds done with Serenity, I usually get really bored or tired of it and turn it off, still having immensely enjoyed that first hour or so of it. Because what I really want to do, in a sense, is just say hi to the characters, you know? Because I miss them. I certainly don't want to watch the entire damned thing again, which would get pretty tedious, but it is oh-so-nice to just get to see them in action one more time. And this is Whedon's strength, to me - he is able to create these really friendly and likable characters to populate his world, and he gives them a very strong and very real sense of community and friendship. That's what makes Firefly work, for me - getting to be a part of that tight-knit crew. And the funny thing is that the characters don't even have to be very well-fleshed out or well-written, and many of them aren't! But it works because the sense of friendship and community that exists between them does feel real and fleshed out. I could keep going with this, because I really think this comes down to the same sort of appeal you find in Japanese RPGs. And in many ways Firefly is like a Japanese RPG turned into a television show. Seriously - it has a lot of the same strengths and flaws.
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Nov 7, 2012 23:35
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Started watching the Sons of Anarchy. Really enjoyed season 1, even though I thought everyone was kind of lovely. I am on season 2 and at this point it is just a constant amount of what the gently caress. Characters have gone from sort-of-lovely criminals who still had some redeemable qualities EDIT:: I forgot to say "to people who are needlessly dicks for no apparent motivation, rhyme or reason. Things just happen to make people evil. They don't even seem to be sadists who enjoy it, its just nonsense bullshit to make things bad." Season 2 has become Clay being a complete conniving rear end in a top hat with an entire subplot about the emotional/physical aftermath of rape. Which isn't really something I was expecting/wanting to watch. It gives me a sad.  . I just wanted trashy entertainment.
Tennis Ball fucked around with this message at 00:39 on Nov 8, 2012 |
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Nov 8, 2012 00:13
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Tennis Ball posted:Started watching the Sons of Anarchy. You think season 2 is bad, just wait till seasons 3 and 4. I just finished 4, and oh boy is it as much of a melodramatic clusterfuck as everyone said. On the bright side, everyone go watch Billy Connolly: Route 66 right away. It's a lovely if cheesy 4 part series where Billy Connolly travels Route 66 high/drunk as poo poo the entire time, laughing with strangers and engaging in troublesome racial/religious interactions. It's beautiful.
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Nov 8, 2012 00:21
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WE NEED TO SHOW GEMMA'S RAPE IN EVERY SEASON TWO OPENER.
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Nov 8, 2012 01:32
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I know a lot of people really enjoyed Winnebago Man, and if you're one of them, check out The American Scream. It's a documentary following 3 families who build amateur haunted houses in their backyards. The payoff at the end is fantastic.
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Nov 8, 2012 03:13
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Tennis Ball posted:Season 2 has become Clay being a complete conniving rear end in a top hat with an entire subplot about the emotional/physical aftermath of rape. Which isn't really something I was expecting/wanting to watch. It gives me a sad. Aside from Henry Rollins, Adam Arkin and Kim Coates, this was actually my favorite part of season 2. I was shocked at how mature they were about it. Then that awful FBI woman shows up and I feel like I'm suddenly watching a different show.
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Nov 8, 2012 03:58
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HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:Aside from Henry Rollins, Adam Arkin and Kim Coates, this was actually my favorite part of season 2. I was shocked at how mature they were about it. Then that awful FBI woman shows up and I feel like I'm suddenly watching a different show. I think they did a good job with it, its just not what I was expecting out of the show/wanting out of the show. Sons of Anarchy sort of felt like Trailer Park Boys minus comedy. Just a bunch of criminals, but a light feel to it. This made it way more serious than I was wanting for what I was using this show for (background noise while working/something to watch casually). Now I am sitting here being all, "SHE IS HAVING A RAPE FLASH BACK. HELP HER. BE NICE. "
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Nov 8, 2012 06:57
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I'm new to this thread and went back a few pages and didn't see it, but I watched Klown last night and laughed my rear end off. People are comparing it to "The Hangover" (uhhh, I guess?) and "Curb your Enthusiasm" (because of uncomfortable humor or something?), but if I had to pitch it I'd say "it's like a Danish Sideways if the main characters were somehow even more unlikeable buffoons and then they get into totally hilarious and awful situations on a canoe trip."
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Nov 8, 2012 18:29
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I highly doubt it would just be his issues. That would be incomprehensibly retarded.
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Nov 8, 2012 18:31
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WickedIcon posted:I highly doubt it would just be his issues. That would be incomprehensibly retarded. ^^ Is this for Bonochat in the movie poster thread?
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Nov 8, 2012 18:34
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Transistor Rhythm posted:I'm new to this thread and went back a few pages and didn't see it, but I watched Klown last night and laughed my rear end off. People are comparing it to "The Hangover" (uhhh, I guess?) and "Curb your Enthusiasm" (because of uncomfortable humor or something?), but if I had to pitch it I'd say "it's like a Danish Sideways if the main characters were somehow even more unlikeable buffoons and then they get into totally hilarious and awful situations on a canoe trip." And the jokes/gag scenes are even more tasteless and impressive than in either of the mentioned movies.
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Nov 8, 2012 18:53
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ClearAirTurbulence posted:If it was something I enjoyed when I was 20 it would make sense, but how could my tastes change that much between 37 and 40? On a similar note, I loved Lexx (also on Netflix) when I was about 20 or so. I mean, loved. It was the first TV show I can recall being obsessed about, and the only show I own every single season of on DVD. But I haven't watched it in about 7 years. In the back of my mind I think I'd still enjoy it, but I can't bring myself to do it.
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Nov 9, 2012 01:10
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The incredible Lockout is up on instant. Stars Guy Pearce in perhaps his finest role.
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Nov 9, 2012 06:30
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Kingtheninja posted:The incredible Lockout is up on instant. Stars Guy Pearce in perhaps his finest role. I actually haven't seen it and I have heard some people say they liked it. Is it actually worth watching?
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Nov 9, 2012 07:03
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Well I just wrapped up my complete watch of Highlander the Series. The first season is a bit weak but really picks up after the transition to Paris halfway through. Seasons 2-5 are quite excellent overall especially once we meet Methos and any appearance by Fitz (Roger Daltry) or Amanda (Elizabeth Gracen) are always great. Season six is really weird. A short season, only 13 episodes and half of them featured new female immortals in one off stories. It appears they were doing a half season of test runs for the then forthcoming Highlander the Raven spin off. None of these episodes were very good to be honest and in the end the actress they picked had to bug out at the last minute so they just went with Elizabeth Gracen. I highly recommend giving the series a shot, if you like the mythology of the films it's a welcome change from how bad the big screen series got.
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Nov 9, 2012 07:11
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Kingtheninja posted:The incredible Lockout is up on instant. Stars Guy Pearce in perhaps his finest role. It's worth a watch because it's stunning in how bad it is.
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Nov 9, 2012 07:19
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Bernie the Richard Linklater film about a nice guy who does something out of character is available now. Very good, with Jack Black playing a different than usual role.
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Nov 9, 2012 08:51
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Kingtheninja posted:The incredible Lockout is up on instant. Stars Guy Pearce in perhaps his finest role. I really got a kick out of this. Pearce plays the biggest smart rear end in the universe, he just never stops making quips.
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Nov 9, 2012 09:08
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I liked it  Worth watching at least once.
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Nov 9, 2012 09:25
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It was bad but I loved it. Mostly because Pearce's has some of the best lines in an action movie. Give it a watch.
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Nov 9, 2012 14:57
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For being Escape From NY In Space it was really forgettable, all I remember is how weird the dude from Misfits looked in it and using sewage and engine oil to disguise the president's daughter as a man.
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Nov 9, 2012 15:09
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snoot posted:Bernie the Richard Linklater film about a nice guy who does something out of character is available now. This is one of my favorite movies of the year. It's an extremely accurate true story. I have a friend who lives in Waco across the street from Bernie Tiede's sister and he says she's pretty cool and had no problem talking with him about Bernie after the movie came out. She told him that she felt lucky the movie wasn't bigger, and no press guys came to interview her. Here's the poster:  This movie is extremely funny.
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Nov 9, 2012 15:11
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scary ghost dog posted:This movie is extremely funny. I've heard this elsewhere but didn't find it that funny myself. Still, worth a watch.
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Nov 9, 2012 15:47
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Kingtheninja posted:It was bad but I loved it. Mostly because Pearce's has some of the best lines in an action movie. Give it a watch. It's fun netflix late night film why I am I watching this film while drinking cheap bourbon.
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Nov 9, 2012 16:07
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scary ghost dog posted:This is one of my favorite movies of the year. It's an extremely accurate true story. I have a friend who lives in Waco across the street from Bernie Tiede's sister and he says she's pretty cool and had no problem talking with him about Bernie after the movie came out. She told him that she felt lucky the movie wasn't bigger, and no press guys came to interview her. Sounds right up my alley.
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Nov 9, 2012 16:08
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I'm going to throw in huge for Bernie. Everybody's seen the scene where the guy at the restaurant explains what Texans think of each other and that (and any scene with the other actual Carthaginians) are worth watching it for. However, I have to single out Shirley MacLaine who does this incredible thing where she goes from sweet as a peach to utter bitch in the blink of an eye. It's so good. She's actually not in the movie as much as you'd expect but her performance is excellent. It just occurs to me that Jack Black is basically playing Seth Galifinakis.
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Nov 9, 2012 16:18
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Rhyno posted:Well I just wrapped up my complete watch of Highlander the Series. The first season is a bit weak but really picks up after the transition to Paris halfway through. Seasons 2-5 are quite excellent overall especially once we meet Methos and any appearance by Fitz (Roger Daltry) or Amanda (Elizabeth Gracen) are always great. This is all pretty much spot on. The show took about a half-season to marinate as a lovely syndicated series before David Abramowitz came on board as showrunner and had the good sense to recognize the potential of the premise. It got pretty terrific, especially when you consider how impressive the period dressing and sets were for the budget. I recall them shooting in some pretty exclusive places, like the Paris Opera House. They'd usually shoot half a season in France, and as a result the show looked unlike anything else on television. Unfortunately, the sixth season is up there as one of the bigger wet farts in cult-show history. It's just abysmally bad, with Duncan relegated to a supporting role while the idiot producers "auditioned" bad actresses for the spin-off--despite the fact Gracen was there the entire time and known to the audience. The finale is okay, though. I know they're trying to reboot the film franchise, but I think Highlander really works best as episodic television. There's just so much potential with the history-hopping and themes about mortality. Also echoing love for Bernie. Lockout is typical Besson Eurotrash. Perfect background noise while you're doing something else with your life.
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Nov 9, 2012 19:20
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Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title Are you a fan of classic comedy like (and specifically) the Dick van Dyke show? If so, then you NEED to see this movie. It stars Maury Amsterdam, Rose Marie and Richard Deacon. It also has cameos by some VERY surprising people! People that I didn't think worked outside of their own franchises. The basic plot is that Maury Amsterdam, who plays a fry cook, gets mistaken for a missing Russian cosmonaut and gets dragged into a world of intrigue and espionage. It's smart, funny and a great watch.
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Nov 10, 2012 17:10
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Safe Driver posted:I really got a kick out of this. Pearce plays the biggest smart rear end in the universe, he just never stops making quips. I ended up really enjoying the movie because of him. It's not just the quips but how he says them and physically moves. Guy Pearce embodies the smart rear end action hero on every note and I love it.
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Nov 10, 2012 17:47
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Decided to watch Bernie cause of this thread today, it was really good. Surprisingly good. I've always liked Linklater but I didn't know if I'd dig this movie, but I definitely did.
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Nov 11, 2012 00:16
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It's not on Netflix, but the CW website is streaming all the episodes of Arrow that have come out so far. Basically, it's a show about Green Arrow. It's not the worst thing I have ever seen so I thought I'd mention it here. Lot's of great action, if they touched it up a bit and marketed it properly I think they could have made a movie out of it. I like it better than Boy Wonder at any rate. Then again, I also really liked Smallville so my opinion might not be worth much to you.
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Nov 11, 2012 21:40
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SolidSnakesBandana posted:It's not on Netflix, but the CW website is streaming all the episodes of Arrow that have come out so far. Basically, it's a show about Green Arrow. It's not the worst thing I have ever seen so I thought I'd mention it here. Lot's of great action, if they touched it up a bit and marketed it properly I think they could have made a movie out of it. I like it better than Boy Wonder at any rate. Then again, I also really liked Smallville so my opinion might not be worth much to you. I just started catching up on this show and it's already leagues better than Smallville. It's got a really nice pace so far which makes me worried they won't be able to sustain it. But right now, it's really good.
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Nov 12, 2012 16:50
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