The Official Last Movie You Saw Thread (Part 2)

[George]

This is must-watch television.

Similar to True Detective but in many ways this is a superior show. Best thing Netflix has ever done IMO.

Not even close. Better than the woeful second season, but not the first.

I thought it was good. Not great. The characters' "subtle" psychoanalysis of one another while they worked to perfect those same techniques as professionals was a little too on-the-nose. Also found it a little too convenient that there was a cop in every town who just so happened to need help with a case that was perfectly suited for their experimental program.

And f*$& that new hire who rats them out. What a tool.

[Joneslab]

Also found it a little too convenient that there was a cop in every town who just so happened to need help with a case that was perfectly suited for their experimental program.

This is definitely true, but I forgave this because the mysteries were well-done.

And ALL these cop shows rely on massive amounts of coincidence and staggering suspension of disbelief. (Minus, of course, The Wire.)

I read Mindhunter when it came out in the '90s, and what the show is is sort of an amalgamation of what they experienced. The show dilutes it into episodes. I've no problem with that because if they didn't do it that way it wouldn't be worth a poop.

[George]

This is definitely true, but I forgave this because the mysteries were well-done.

And ALL these cop shows rely on massive amounts of coincidence and staggering suspension of disbelief. (Minus, of course, The Wire.)

I read Mindhunter when it came out in the '90s, and what the show is is sort of an amalgamation of what they experienced. The show dilutes it into episodes. I've no problem with that because if they didn't do it that way it wouldn't be worth a poop.

But do you really think it's the best thing Netflix has ever done? Better than Stranger Things?

[Joneslab]

But do you really think it's the best thing Netflix has ever done? Better than Stranger Things?

Yes. Probably more because of the fact that it's a little more in my wheelhouse. I'm also fascinated that Fincher was able to take a story about serial killers and turn it into what's essentially a workplace psychodrama.

But Stranger Things is also great. Not much separation between the two IMO. High-level entertainment.

The Alienist looks really good on TNT. Another book I read a decade or so ago and it blew my mind.

[George]

Yes. Probably more because of the fact that it's a little more in my wheelhouse. I'm also fascinated that Fincher was able to take a story about serial killers and turn it into what's essentially a workplace psychodrama.

But Stranger Things is also great. Not much separation between the two IMO. High-level entertainment.

The Alienist looks really good on TNT. Another book I read a decade or so ago and it blew my mind.

Did you like/watch House of Cards? Fincher was responsible for at least the pilot, if not more. Started going off the rails within the last couple seasons, and completely jumped the shark last season. Early on, though, I thought it was a great show, and even the recent stuff has been entertaining, albeit absurd.

[Joneslab]

Did you like/watch House of Cards? Fincher was responsible for at least the pilot, if not more. Started going off the rails within the last couple seasons, and completely jumped the shark last season. Early on, though, I thought it was a great show, and even the recent stuff has been entertaining, albeit absurd.

I didn't care for House of Cards actually. To be fair we only watched maybe five episodes. I'm not sure what the deal was but it didn't hold my interest.

I liked Orange is the New Black a lot. Also liked the first season of Bloodline, but the long, roiling conversations about family strife could get tedious.

Most of what Netflix puts on seems completely uninteresting to me. Does anybody want to watch a show called Suburra: Blood on Rome? What is that title even? I also have a hard time with straight crime dramas, mostly because I know I'm going to have to keep track of 27 main characters. (Again, The Wire notwithstanding.)

Probably another reason I'm drawn more to coincidence-heavy, psychological thriller-style stuff that has no basis in real life. I gravitate to high concept, trippy wildness.

[George]

I didn't care for House of Cards actually. To be fair we only watched maybe five episodes. I'm not sure what the deal was but it didn't hold my interest.

I liked Orange is the New Black a lot. Also liked the first season of Bloodline, but the long, roiling conversations about family strife could get tedious.

Most of what Netflix puts on seems completely uninteresting to me. Does anybody want to watch a show called Suburra: Blood on Rome? What is that title even? I also have a hard time with straight crime dramas, mostly because I know I'm going to have to keep track of 27 main characters. (Again, The Wire notwithstanding.)

Probably another reason I'm drawn more to coincidence-heavy, psychological thriller-style stuff that has no basis in real life. I gravitate to high concept, trippy wildness.

My wife likes OITNB a lot, but I find that it asks far too much of me where suspension of disbelief is concerned. I also like the first season of Bloodline, if only for the last four or five episodes. I can recall more than one moment when I was ready to throw in the towel, but the last quarter of the season really ramped things up and saved the day. The same CANNOT be said for the second season. Painfully slow; couldn't get past the third or fourth episode.

We've sort of passively watched Narcos lately, but it's not that great and I read (and loved) Killing Pablo a long time ago, so I already know how things go down, anyway.

Didn't bother with Ozark. Couldn't stomach another middle-class-white-guy-on-a-budget-turns-to-a-life-of-crime, nor do I trust that it gets anything right with regard to mountain people and culture. And I hate - HATE - Laura Linney, so I couldn't go there if I wanted to.

Then there's the Marvel stuff. Didn't watch Jessica Jones, didn't finish Luke Cage, heard Iron Fist sucked so I didn't watch that, but I'd recommend - highly, actually - Daredevil. I found the street-level crime and grittiness to be a refreshing departure from the rest of the MCU, and I thought Vincent D'Onofrio's turn as Kingpin was pretty excellent (except for the voice at times). The fight choreography is incredible, too. Oh, and Scott Glenn. Scott Glenn's always awesome.

[George]

This is definitely true, but I forgave this because the mysteries were well-done.

And ALL these cop shows rely on massive amounts of coincidence and staggering suspension of disbelief. (Minus, of course, The Wire.)

I read Mindhunter when it came out in the '90s, and what the show is is sort of an amalgamation of what they experienced. The show dilutes it into episodes. I've no problem with that because if they didn't do it that way it wouldn't be worth a poop.

One other thing. When I spot familiar actors, I play a game with myself in which I do my best to resist the urge to search IMDB for his/her name and filmography. The guy who plays Bill Tench had me super stumped for a day or two, then it finally hit me: his name is Robert Paulson.

[KCKUKFan]

I tend to find Netflix original dramas pretty blah.

House Of Cards might be the most overrated TV show of all time. Absolutely absurd, ridiculous show that wouldn't be so infuriating if it didn't play its absurdity with a straight face and self-important pretentiousness.

Orange Is The New Black had a decent first season, but lost my interest midway through the second. An abundance of characters with very little meat on the story.

Narcos is the same pedestrian cops chasing drug dealer drama that I've seen done better in twenty other movies.

Bloodline is a third-rate Six Feet Under.

Ozark is a third-rate Breaking Bad.

The OA is pretentious garbage. Same from the episodes of Sense8 and The Get Down I watched.

Never bothered with the 500 Marvel shows, since they all look pretty dreadful.

The only great one is Stranger Things, and I'm hoping that it wasn't a one season wonder.

Where Netflix has found success is in its original comedy content: BoJack Horseman, Santa Clarita Diet, Master Of None, Love, Dear White People, F Is For Family, Big Mouth. All good to great shows.

[Joneslab]

We watched a little of The OA. Strangeness for the sake of strangeness a lot of times works for me, but that was...something else. I'm always surprised to find that it has a fanbase.

Bojack Horseman is a tremendous idea but the humor sometimes is more of the smirky, I-see-what-they-did-there variety. Not a whole lot of belly laughs. But it's still an interesting show.

I love, LOVE The Good Place on NBC. Best sitcom I've seen in years.

Oh, going back to Netflix: I really liked the first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

[George]

Where Netflix has found success is in its original comedy content: BoJack Horseman, Santa Clarita Diet, Master Of None, Love, Dear White People, F Is For Family, Big Mouth. All good to great shows.

Yes to Master of None. I knew I was forgetting a good one.

Never could get into any of the rest, though. For all the good I've heard about BoJack Horseman, its appeal continues to elude me. I'm not a huge Will Arnett fan, though, so that doesn't help.

And I'm baffled by your inclusion of Santa Clarita Diet, KC. That's one of the worst effin' shows I've ever seen.

[KCKUKFan]

Yes to Master of None. I knew I was forgetting a good one.

Never could get into any of the rest, though. For all the good I've heard about BoJack Horseman, its appeal continues to elude me. I'm not a huge Will Arnett fan, though, so that doesn't help.

And I'm baffled by your inclusion of Santa Clarita Diet, KC. That's one of the worst effin' shows I've ever seen.

Granted, it was pretty terrible, but it entertaining in a B-movie sort of way and I could watch Timothy Olyphant chew scenery in literally anything.

If there was any justice on earth, Walton Goggins and Timothy Olyphant would get a dark HBO comedy together, ala Vice Principals, just without Danny McBride's annoying mugging.

I tend to find BoJack Horseman most appealing when it ditches the broad comedy and goes dark... which it does frequently, especially in the (stunning) second season. The episode in the second season that ditches dialogue completely and follows BoJack in an underwater adventure was an absolute masterpiece. About as good as television gets.

Rick and Morty might be the smartest, most entertaining television show on the air today... I love that its really starting to take off in the cultural zeitgeist. Also, props for The Good Place. High-concept sitcoms are hard to come by, especially ones that are clever and well-written. Good Place is all three... probably the best network sitcom since Arrested Development.

[Joneslab]

Also, props for The Good Place. High-concept sitcoms are hard to come by, especially ones that are clever and well-written. Good Place is all three... probably the best network sitcom since Arrested Development.

The only thing about The Good Place that may end up damning it is that it's very difficult to jump into if you haven't seen it.

I'm of the mind that you couldn't even jump in by watching the last two or three episodes. You pretty much have to go back to the very beginning and get them all in order. That's the only way some of the stuff makes sense.

And really that's another reason I love it. It's like if Lost were a sitcom.

[KevinHall]

This is the time of year my wife wants to watch horror or scary movies. She picked up a movie called Devil at Wal-Mart or some other place for $2.50. She said she had started watching it on one of our movie services but hadn't watched it all, It was pretty good overall. It's a M.Night Shylaman movie with the predictable plot twist at the end. It's about 4 people trapped in an elevator with the Devil in their midst. The acting especially for the lead actor playing the detective could have been better and actually the movie could have been just a bit longer with more character development for the ones in the elevator. It seemed a little rushed. But for $2.50 it was worth it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1314655/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

She also picked up in the cheap movie bin The Creature from the Black Lagoon that was made in 1954. It's dated, obviously, and some of the stuff seemed hoky. But if you looked past some of that it wasn't that bad. The under water photography was very good and was considered cutting edge for its time. Also Julie Adams was a very nice looking lady. I also read she did most of her stunts and all of the swimming. It's worth it just for her.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046876/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Also watched an animated tale called Coraline. Animation is wonderful. I can never get over how good they can do animation now. It's worth it to watch just for that. The story is a little disjointed and I had hard time following it at times. But that was probably just me. The material really isn't for young children at all. This should be for kids over ten or so would be my recommendation. There is some violence too. If you have an hour and half to spend its probably worth your time especially if you like animation. Dakota Fanning is voice for the lead in this one.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327597/?ref_=nv_sr_1

We started watching The Innkeepers from 2011 last night but hadn't finished it yet. Right now I wouldn't rate it too highly. Very slow and not many tense moments yet. Hopefully the last 30 minutes will be better.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1594562/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Not on the horror side, by any means, we watched I am Sam. I had never seen it all before, only bits and pieces of it. I'm sure all of you here have seen it. I thought it was great. Sean Penn was marvelous. If I hadn't know who Penn was I would have thought they had gotten a mentally challenged person to play that part. He was that good.

We also purchased The Fog from 1980 on Amazon Prime. It was $3.99 as I had $1 digital credit on my account. My wife said she watch this a long time ago and remembered it as being very good. We will be watching soon I'm sure.

[Joneslab]

I liked The Innkeepers a lot actually. It's one of the horror films I think about quite a bit.

The critic Kenneth Turan had an idiotic column about horror movies recently that's been getting blasted by a few in the biz:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-mn-horror-kenneth-turan-george-romero-20171013-story.html