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 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
She’s definitely go solid movie acting chops.

I think I was put off her due to Mike & Molly seemingly sourcing all its humour from “oh look, we’re both overweight, chuckle chuckle chuckle.

You know. Like Rebel Wilson’s career was before she lost lots of weight.

Yeah, she's charismatic and a capable actress. I think she could do way better. But indeed, she seems stuck in stuff that's all about "overweight, haha" or being coarse (because she's overweight!)

Rebel Wilson has WAY more potential to annoy I think. Seeing people in headlines also is annoying, and I just saw her in one the other day. I did enjoy that wedding bridesmaids film with her though and the evil bridesmaids. But that had Kirsten Dunst, so maybe it was just that.



@Aash: Cheers, yeah, I head of the film back then of course. Haven't had a chance to see it yet.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
And after I don’t know how many years….

Tenacios D in The Pick of Destiny

It’s amazing. Quite possibly a film of its time, and indeed of my time (metal head, comedy fan). There’s definitely stuff here which would put folk off, but for me it’s a poo load of fun!

I consider it one of the best movies that have been released in the last 20 years, I've watched it like 10 times. Some of the songs are actually great to listen even as regular standalone songs.

Stargate(1994)

Not much to say but one of the most beloved sci-fi movies of the 1990s. Acting is a bit flat in some places but otherwise the film that Dune wishes it could be.

On Deadly Ground (1994)

That's the one where Steven Segal paid 50 million dollars to make an enviromentally conscious action film of varying grandness. It stars the trio of Dr.Cox, a Marketing Lady and Sir Michael Caine as the bad guys (later supported by Gunnery Sergeant Hartman) trying to do dastardly oil things and Steven Segal's ego, Steven Segal (bearing the very good name Forrest Taft) and Joan Chen have to stop them. It also features Billy Bob Thornton in an early role and Bart the Bear in one of his later roles.

It marks the end of the good Steven Segal films and the begining of the much less good ones (with the exception of Under Siege 2 and Glimmer Man which followed immediately and to an extent Fire Down Below, which feels like a slightly more cheery version of On Deadly Ground). From 2000 on we got the really bad ones.

Forrest Taft is a specialist firefighter who wears a jacket which has his name and logo on the back. His speciality seems to be to make fires go out be exploding them. He's got some undefined super secret military background too. He works for Michael Caine's oil company who wanna get more oil of the ground in Alaska. To do that they built a mega refinery on the lands which decades ago they basically stole from the natives, but the refinery is made of crap parts, they just do it to keep the rights to the land or something. Taft gets wind of the plan, Dr.Cox explodes him, natives find him (after a bear maybe or maybe not dragged him to them), nurse him back to health and think he's the crowbearsomething warrior that's going to help them.


This film boasts a pretty fun cast. Dr.Cox's strength in all these films around the time is that he immediately draws the viewer's attention, no matter the scene he pops up in. Michael Caine and his marketing/PR lady must walk about 200 miles over the course of the film. Each time they're on scene they're walking either through offices or the refinery. As far as silly action films go, this one's pretty sombre in tone. I mean you feel that Segal's heart (and his twisted, twisted mind too) were in the making of this film, and he didn't hold back either. There's a lot of explosions and they make very good use of that helicopter they got.


Don't Watch, unless you're a Segal completionist or you've seen all the good ones and want to have a look at the slightly bittersweet milestone in his filmography.


Started watching a pretty insane sci-fi film in which people travel through time to hunt animals for their DNA because in the future all the animals died out. I kinda like it so far, although it features CGI from hell. It also inexplicably features Heike Makatsch!

In other news, NYPD Blue is as good as I remembered it. Can you believe that just the first two seasons were ever released on DVD in Germany? Even Disney+ just streams 8 seasons. What's going on with that? The few full series DVD boxes available are incredibly expensive.

On Deadly Ground changed the way I view movie making.

That is, ODG is the film where Steven Segal put a floppy disk into a computer upside down. And they left it in the movie.

I was watching with my Dad, and we had to pause to hash it his out. No one on set corrected him. No editor cut the scene or scheduled a reshoot of a hand properly inserting a floppy disk. Not only was the Star of the film so out of touch as to insert the floppy upside down, but he was so hated that the rest of the production was united in their determination to let him look bad even if it affected the quality of their movie.

It opened a doorway to a shadowy world of ego, discord and petty revenge that I had never imagined existed, and the world of film has been a more colorful place for me ever since.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
On Deadly Ground changed the way I view movie making.

That is, ODG is the film where Steven Segal put a floppy disk into a computer upside down. And they left it in the movie.

I was watching with my Dad, and we had to pause to hash it his out. No one on set corrected him. No editor cut the scene or scheduled a reshoot of a hand properly inserting a floppy disk. Not only was the Star of the film so out of touch as to insert the floppy upside down, but he was so hated that the rest of the production was united in their determination to let him look bad even if it affected the quality of their movie.

It opened a doorway to a shadowy world of ego, discord and petty revenge that I had never imagined existed, and the world of film has been a more colorful place for me ever since.

That is an amazing story. I didn't even notice the floppy upside down thing!



The Devil's General (1955)


Classic film starring Curt Jürgens. It set in 1941 in Germany. Jürgens plays a Luftwaffe general (based on Ernst Udet) who made his name as a fighter pilot in WW1 and later helps re-armament efforts as Luftwaffe research and development overseer. He doesn't identify with the new regime, but has a nice job developing and testing new military airplanes.

Himmler's SS, always keen on gaining more influence within the state, try to get close to the general, but he mocks them. Shortly thereafter he is set up and taken away to a Gestapo prison where the SS run a ploy to break him mentally and have him be 'saved' by a friendly SS officer. The general sees through the ploy.

It's a classic based on a stage play by Carl Zuckmayr and showcases the acting chops Jürgens possessed, as he carries the film rather effortlessly. Which in some way sometimes was turned against the film by some critics as they cited that it's all too easy to symathize with the leading character even though he's all about him being am ambivalent figure.

Anyway, Watch It. It should be watched, because it's good.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
On Deadly Ground changed the way I view movie making.

That is, ODG is the film where Steven Segal put a floppy disk into a computer upside down. And they left it in the movie.

I was watching with my Dad, and we had to pause to hash it his out. No one on set corrected him. No editor cut the scene or scheduled a reshoot of a hand properly inserting a floppy disk. Not only was the Star of the film so out of touch as to insert the floppy upside down, but he was so hated that the rest of the production was united in their determination to let him look bad even if it affected the quality of their movie.

It opened a doorway to a shadowy world of ego, discord and petty revenge that I had never imagined existed, and the world of film has been a more colorful place for me ever since.

It bothers me that I want to know if it was a real floppy disc or just a 3.5" hard plastic.

It bothers me as to what kind of horrendous half-assed computer did the props department build that LETS you put a floppy disc in the wrong way around.

I think it was a 3.5”…maybe?

 Flinty wrote:
It bothers me as to what kind of horrendous half-assed computer did the props department build that LETS you put a floppy disc in the wrong way around.

This was a big part of why we had to pause it and double check. We didn’t even think it was possible.

The hard plastic cases were the 3.5”, and they must have installed the floppy drive upside down for that to work.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:


And now, Akira

The first anime/manga I ever saw (well, first one not made for western audiences). But I’ve not seen it for at least 30 years.

There was a new translation around 2000 or so (and who knows maybe more since then) so it's no longer 2 hours of people shouting TETSUO! and KANEDA!

And the soundtrack is awesome, I still listen to it, even chased down some more Baliense (from Bali, not sure I'm spelling it right) music.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
"The Bubble" Netflix

A bunch of dysfunctional movie stars are locked up together to make Cliff Beasts 6 during the pandemic.

I saw it only for Karen Gilam because honestly I would pay to watch her read the phone book. I just wish she'd use her Scottish accent instead of her American. Ah well.

All star cast, predictable pandemic and movie making humor, amusing at times. A great film to paint Mordians by.

@Voss: Yeah IIRC it was a 3,5" disc, but who doesn't call those floppy anyway? (well, we actually call them Disketten of course, but that's beside the point ).

@Kid_Kyoto: Oh yeah, that post-2000 version is the one I got then. I vividly remember these hours of them shouting their names.

"Terrahawks, stay on this channel! This is an emergency!"

Some of the first memories I can recall are of Terrahawks, back in 1983. Zelda was pure nightmare fuel for a three year old child, but Sergeant Major and his Zeroids would always keep us safe from the monsters...




...just finished season 2 and now moving on to season 3. So far its not quite as polished as Thunderbirds nor Captain Scarlet, but it does have a secret weapon in Windsor Davis who frequently steals the show as Sergeant Major Zero. The best bit of the series so far was in "To catch a Tiger" where the gang save a pair of hostages who are "shown" to their quarters by Zero. Davis at his best!

Apparently a new show is in the works under the name "Kate Kestrel & The Terrahawks", and looking forward to it.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

It opened a doorway to a shadowy world of ego, discord and petty revenge that I had never imagined existed, and the world of film has been a more colorful place for me ever since.

Ohh boy, if that interests you, then you should look into the Disney animation studios protests. So, so many of our movies have things animated into them for petty (and, honestly not so petty) reasons.

 Sigur wrote:
@Voss: Yeah IIRC it was a 3,5" disc, but who doesn't call those floppy anyway? (well, we actually call them Disketten of course, but that's beside the point ).

Truthfully it was just the mental image of Segal trying to insert the larger, floppier disc.
I could see that going on for a while, and it seems more amusing.

For the 3.5," I would just assume he broke the drive trying to force it during the first couple takes of the scene.

Several of you are making the assumption that there was even a drive and not just a hole.

SamusDrake wrote:
"Terrahawks, stay on this channel! This is an emergency!"

Some of the first memories I can recall are of Terrahawks, back in 1983. Zelda was pure nightmare fuel for a three year old child, but Sergeant Major and his Zeroids would always keep us safe from the monsters...




...just finished season 2 and now moving on to season 3. So far its not quite as polished as Thunderbirds nor Captain Scarlet, but it does have a secret weapon in Windsor Davis who frequently steals the show as Sergeant Major Zero. The best bit of the series so far was in "To catch a Tiger" where the gang save a pair of hostages who are "shown" to their quarters by Zero. Davis at his best!

Apparently a new show is in the works under the name "Kate Kestrel & The Terrahawks", and looking forward to it.

Tiger Ninestein is a melt!

Relies utterly on the Zeroids, still thinks they’re worthless.

Worst. Manager. Ever.

And he’s got a stupid accent.

Ninestein needs a proper slap the way he talks to the Zeroids! He wouldn't last five minutes in today's television!

Kick Ass

It's on terrestrial right now, I'm not going to pass it up. I can't explain how much I love it or even why. In my opinion it stands with Logan at the pinnacle of superhero films, although clearly for very different reasons.

I feel thick for confessing this but I had never before made the connection with how British influenced the film is - production company, director, lead bad guy, half the cast of Lock Stock, the music play list. Maybe that's why I like it so much. It's Guy Richie doing a tights and capes film.

I watched Carriers (2009) yesterday - starring Chris Pine and friends trying to escape a viral pandemic.

I must admit, I assumed this had been filmed more recently and was one of the expected "COVID apocalypse" wave of movies I am sure will follow.

However, it was filmed in 2006, so pre-Star Trek and long before the dreaded "C" word.

This doesn't take away from the fact that it is a dull, depressing little movie that seems to take all the worst parts from things like The Walking Dead etc but doesn't inject anything new or revolutionary to the genre.

It was disappointing at best and not one I would recommend.

The Craft

Another movie I probably, by all rights, should’ve seen aaaages ago.

It’s really rather good. Certainly a superior teen horror movie, spesh given its more creepy than gory, nearly veering into outright psychological horror.

Douchebags are well written and delivered douchebags. Not so much malevolent, more just unthinking arseholes.

The four centre characters are all completely solid.

Next up will be it’s Latter Day Sequel…

Jungle cruise

Expensive movie about a Disney ride that is trying really hard to be PoTC or Indiana Jones but fails.

Also had The Rock in it…..

I like Honest Trailers’ new trend of calling these kind of light adventure movies that try to be everything to everyone “Red Notices”. I feel like Jungle Cruise is the ur-Red Notice.

Oh dont worry seems panto dame Sparrow will be back on the menu soon (and even putting aside Mr D's recent troubles the Pirate films being diminishing returns money wise time after time)

How is it The Boys is one of the best and more subtle commentaries on the Trump administration I have seen?

I watched the first two episodes of Peacemaker (John Cena plays a superhero), and I think I dislike every single thing about blockbuster tv shows these days. That I thought after the first episode. After the second I kinda just got lulled in and gave up resisting. John Cena making an ass out of himself is amusing to an extent because he's really good at it, and he's fun to look at. It's all so calculated though, isn't it?
The other characters are insufferable in the first episode. At that point in time I decided that I hate characters and exposition dialogue in tv shows. Especially with characters like these.

A few weeks ago I watched the first few episodes of NYPD Blue. The show opens with things happening and characters are introduced via what happens and how they act in the face of these things happening. Peacemaker opens with an impossible-to-decypher summary of what happened in the Suicide Squad film followed by dialoge whilst people sit. Every now and then John Cena falls over or grimaces, between that it's people sitting, explaining what they are 'about'. Emotion is generated by Cena's father being an ass and inexplicably being amused by some abuse story. He's also very overtly racist, watches one of these right-wing/libertarian/whatever of the above sells better atm TV hosts and so on. Later we learn that he's got white supremacy superpowers. And the show is really overt about that, displaying the nazi salute, but the bloody show is too afraid to show that, so they use their left arms? wtf is this? Here we seem to learn about how tv shows prioritize what can be shown and what can't: Graphic violence incl. blood - okay (albeit absurdly badly cut). Women's (not actual character though, just extras) breasts - okay, but keep it to once per episode. Nazi salute - Noooo, even though the actors do it like 20 times and chant "hail white dragon" or something. But maybe there's some comicbook reasoning for the left instead of the right there, I don't know.

The intro. I just can't deal with 'irony' any more, certainly not in a Marvel superhero thing. I don't like people dancing to impress to begin with. Ironic dancing doesn't work. It does probably set the tone for the show and tells us "don't take this seriously, this is just some James Gunn Mavel junk food thing", and I'm probably just old and boring. The eagle looks great though and it did some funny things. Well, "it" probably doesn't exist, so, it doesn't do anything, but the computer program was told to do a funny thing or two.



I also watched Kim's Convenience (episodes 1 and 2), and it looks ....alright? I guess?

They probably use the left arm so that they can even show the episodes in Germany.

I also watched a 2011 anime about sci-fi racing called Redline. At least that is ostensibly what it is about. However, it tries really hard to shove in all the tropes with mecha, kaiju, pompadours, and tropes I am not familiar with enough to name but I know when I see them.

Despite the mess, making no sense, and using a strange out-of-date animation style, it is hard to look away. The frenetic energy of it all is something to behold. In some ways if reminded me of a older anime like Robot Carnival or Galaxy Express: 999 as there is some main characters that drive the story, but they are surrounded by a lot of vignette's of other things.

 Easy E wrote:
They probably use the left arm so that they can even show the episodes in Germany.
...

Aye, that's a good point. Yeah, germans are weird about the Verbotsgesetz (or what ever they call it there). Not that I'm against it; we have pretty much the same law here. Shouldn't be a problem since it's an artistic thingy without propagating national socialism, but oh well.

I too have started Peacemaker

I’m really enjoying it. Who knew squeaky clean John Cena could play such an effective heel, and a gormless loser of a heel at that.

Say what you like, but James Gunn has a knack for taking WWE Superstars and turning them into Comedy Gems.

I mean. He’s two for two. But that’s still a 100% track record

Oh, it was evident that Cena was great at being a goofy dude. And cursing can be done by anybody with half a braincell. But cool thing you're enjoying it, maybe I'll get there too. Who else did Gunn make into a comedic actor? Dave Bautista?


Just looked through James Gunn's work. Seems like he wrote the script for the excellent Dawn of the Dead remake, but otherwise I can't get on board with his oevre.