Movies/Shows you're watching.

[inchemwetrust]

Spiderman NWH: Top flick! Especially when that certain 'interaction' takes place.

Matrix Resurrections: Fans - 'Look how they massacred my boy!'   Warner Bros - $$$

Licorice Pizza: Similar era a few years before Boogie Nights, it's a non-story/event fueled movie where the characters 'life pits' creates a force that bring them together. Still buzzing after I saw this film.

[Bosco]

So excited for all the movies out there! Would like to take on 'Licorice Pizza' as it's been a while since I've watch a PTA flick. Music Box theatre in Chicago is featuring it in 70mm, but I don't think I'll be able to catch the screening during its run.

I did, however, catch the latest Guillermo del Toro feature 'Nightmare Alley' and really enjoyed it! It's his best visual spectacle since 'Pans Labyrinth', and while its run time and plot is a bit hard to be fully invested in, I think the movie will age well or at least gain a very solid cult following with time. If there is an Carnivàle (Hbo Series) fans, or Bioshock fans out there, come on down!

So yeah, that's the first movie I saw since the pandemic started, and thankfully I picked a theatre that was basically empty. Hope to return to the theatre soon and catch up on some more movies!

[sandelic]

It's his best visual spectacle since 'Pans Labyrinth'... Bioshock fans...

You don't say? That got me really exited!

I've seen many movies/series these last few months, but I'm very lazy and don't feel like typing much, so in short, some of them:

Matrix Resurrection - expected very little, pretty much got exactly that
Witcher season 2 - better than first one IMO, contrary to popular opinion
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City - surprisingly fateful to original games (1&2) except they portrait Leon as a total goofball, but meh nonetheless
Automata - SF movie starring Antonio Banderas that has a interesting premise but predictable plot with strong cyberpunk vibes and is pretty good considering budget it had
The Trip - Norwegian dark comedy/thriller I've enjoyed very much, equally unpleasant, hilarious and juvenile
Archer - I didn't know this series existed until Netflix recommended it to me and I loved it! How this went under my radar for so long is a mystery to me
Evil Dead remake - this one I've rewatched because I like it

[Wolkenkrabber]

Matrix Resurrection - expected very little, pretty much got exactly that

I tried to approach it with the same attitude I approached Tenet - just enjoy the action but don't get too bogged down in the logic of the story. Only thing is, the action wasn't as good as it was in Tenet. Nice to see Keanu still knows how to do that "I'm confused...how is this possible?" look which worked so well for him back in the original film. There's a nice Pitch Meeting video on Matrix Ressurections

Automata - SF movie starring Antonio Banderas that has a interesting premise but predictable plot with strong cyberpunk vibes and is pretty good considering budget it had

Saw this. It was...fine but forgettable. Reminded me of other things, can't remember what.

The Trip - Norwegian dark comedy/thriller I've enjoyed very much, equally unpleasant, hilarious and juvenile

So I watched this dubbed from Swedish into English. I struggled a bit with the tone of the film. Thriller? Black Comedy? Both of the above? I agree it was a bit juvenile though. I wonder if it was any better in its original language?

Don't Look Up - worth a watch. It sagged a bit for me around 80 to 90 minutes but then it picked up again. Might have been better if they could have kept it under 2 hours.
Appropriate (I guess) that we've been having one of the mildest Christmas/New Year periods on record in these parts. But we just carry on as though nothing is wrong...

The Last Duel. It's Ridley Scott! Is that still a mark of quality? It wasn't bad actually. One from his Gladiator "corner" of films. Based in the 14th century which wouldn't normally appeal to me. But if I were a Chemical Brother...

King Richard - One of those films where you know the story (Venus, Serena and dad) but it's so easy to watch. Best thing Will Smith has done in some time.

Last Night In Soho. From the director who brought you Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim and Hot Fuzz, something that's not quite as good. Mind you Anya Taylor-Joy is again fantastic here, even though she isn't quite so much the main actor as I thought she'd be.
At first I wondered how they managed to isolate Petula Clarke's vocals on Downtown, then I realised it's Taylor-Joy herself. Not only is she a model turned decent actor, she can sing too:

New Order (Nuevo Orden). Great name for a film! Mexican take on class inequalities which was compared to Oscar winner, Parasite. Not as good as Parasite but worth a watch anyway.

Pig. Nicolas Cage back on form! I expected nothing from this and that perhaps meant I enjoyed it all the more.

[Wolkenkrabber]

Kitten Killer. Adverts You're Watching? Hardly worth starting a thread for. But every now and then, amongst all the dross something pops up that I want to actually watch again. Especially if it has a great tune in it.

Dunlop once did a cool tyre advert using Velvet Undrground on the soundtrack. Director Tony Kaye would go on to direct American History X.

Pirellli did a good one a long time ago with the Doors' Riders On The Storm as soundtrack music too.

There was the Guinness Surfer/Horses advert featuring a then unreleased tune called Phat Planet. I didn't even know it was by Leftfield but I knew I wanted to watch/listen again - every time it popped up on TV.

And there's this which TBH isn't in the same league as the ads above. But I like how they've re-edited Donna/Giorgio.

Which in turn reminds me of this vocal-free acid re-work/re-edit of the track that I heard in a Carl Cox DJ set recently (came out in 2019):

Jens Lissat - Brothers On Acid & Sisters Feel Love ('77 Acid Mix)

[ThePumisher]

At first I wondered how they managed to isolate Petula Clarke's vocals on Downtown, then I realised it's Taylor-Joy herself. Not only is she a model turned decent actor, she can sing too:

[Ben_j]

Matrix Ressurections was... Not uninteresting, but not essential either. The main idea behind it was clever. The rest... I'm not sure.

[ThePumisher]

Saw Spider-Man No Way Home on Sunday. Best nostalgia trip!!!

Yeah that was fun.

Spiderman NWH: Top flick!

Saw it the other day. Nice to watch, definitely the best one of the official MCU movies since Endgame. But i also have to say that there's more hype around the movie. For example, this is the most successful solo-movie in the MCU, with only Endgame, Infinity War and the first Avengers movie before it - and i have no idea why, because there are a lot of MCU movies who are better than NWH (Captain Marvel, Black Panther, both Ant-Man, Doctor Strange and the first Tom Holland Spider-Man).

Spoiler

I also saw Venom 2 and the post credit scene of it. Now with the mid credit scene of No Way Home - is Venom now official part of the MCU but without Tom Hardy? Would love to see Venom in the MCU, but it also would be a bummer if it's without Tom Hardy who does a fantastic Venom/Eddie

Oh, and after watching Black Widow and finishing Hawkeye - who else is up for a Kate Bishop / Yelena Movie (or Disney+ Series)?

[Stefan]

There's an interesting documetary about women who pioneered electronic music in the ARTE mediathek:
https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/104017-000-A/sisters-with-transistors-die-verkannten-heldinnen-der-elektronischen-musik/

[Wolkenkrabber]

There's an interesting documetary about women who pioneered electronic music in the ARTE mediathek:
https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/104017-000-A/sisters-with-transistors-die-verkannten-heldinnen-der-elektronischen-musik/

"dieses video ist in ihrem land nicht verfugbar" (this video is not available in your country).
Though I think I've found somewhere else I can watch it. And I've just had a quick scan through.
Nice to hear Laurie Spiegel in the trailer on IMDB (and in the film). I like Patchwork which I posted once upon a time in Now Playing.
The film seems to start with a clip from a 1993 Fantazia rave in the UK. You can find it on youtube, and in fact I posted it (inspired by TDTYF video) on the forum here (jump about 40 secs in).
The bit where she says "I'm gonna keep dancing forever, me. Well at least til I remember where I put my car" was also included as audio in Nathan Micay's

(which I mentioned here). I wonder if this film is where Micay heard/saw it.

However as far as I can tell, the film never fully links back to Rave/dance culture which seems a shame. They feature Delia Derbyshire who did the Dr Who theme. Could they have perhaps leapt forward to Orbital playing the track at Glastonbury? Similarly with Laurie Spiegel. I'm pretty sure I've heard/seen a Chemical Brother mention her before, and I'd be surprised if she didn't have an influence on Further. So maybe some Chems would have been apprpriate (yes I know this was about women and I've just named two male "brother" duos...so maybe some current female producers/DJ's?). Without any further references to dance/rave in the film, that intro clip from the rave almost seems out of place.
Well maybe I'm nitpicking. It looks like good stuff for purist electronica heads.

*EDIT*.  Re: Below, Those embeds are indeed viewable thanks Pum. That's a shorter version of the film though (no rave footage). The version that I had a quick scan through is 1hr26 long as per the time stated on IMDB

[ThePumisher]

here's a direct link to the vid, maybe this works better for non germans:

and here's the same video, but in french:

[Bosco]

I speculate The Chemical Brothers are linked intentionally (personally influenced) or unintentionally (pre-loaded music software sounds) with Bebe [Wife] and Louis [Husband] Barron. And at the very least, I bet Tom must have the 'Forbidden Planet' Soundtrack in his personal collection.

I've pointed this out several times, but "Base 6" and "Flashback" both have sound similarities to tracks from the Forbidden Planet soundtrack album. I don't think they are samples, but for a lack of a better term, maybe, loose recreations(?).

Spoiler

Base 6:

Flashback:

I'm not a music producer. Are these similar sounding elements something that you find pre-loaded in production software? Please, shut me down from this theory if you know.

[sandelic]

I finally went to see Nightmare Alley.
Only thing I knew about it is what Bosco wrote, and was mightily surprised when I saw the poster for it.
What a cast! Each one of them did their best job in years, if you ask me.

But what I really loved about it - it takes its time. It's been a while since I've watched a movie that doesn't rush and lets you enjoy each frame. That is so beautifully shot.

If you can, see it on big screen. It's simply gorgeous, it oozes atmosphere and actors are at top of their game. CGI is so good you will not be able to tell it's CGI.

Five stars 

[Thesouphead]

Chemical cameo track in the new Jackass movie. 


Watch your balls.

[Born In Planet Dust]

I cannot believe I never saw an episode of Mr. Show until recently.  HOLY SHIT.   

[Bosco]

I cannot believe I never saw an episode of Mr. Show until recently.  HOLY SHIT.   

Me too! I kinda forced myself since I'm seeing Bob Odenkirk come back home to do a book tour.

[satur8]

I'm late to the game, but Ted Lasso is much more entertaining than I expected it would be. And Peacemaker was a riot. I'm not usually into comedy series because I don't like the formulas / templates, but both of these got me laughing when I needed it.

Also, we are watching a full run of Futurama with my 13 year old son. He was familiar with the characters and premise, but seeing him laugh so hard while experiencing these jokes for the first time is quite a positive experience.

[actionjackson780]

Also, we are watching a full run of Futurama with my 13 year old son. He was familiar with the characters and premise, but seeing him laugh so hard while experiencing these jokes for the first time is quite a positive experience.

I love that so much! I think I'm probably about due for a full Futurama rewatch myself now!

[Bosco]

***SPOILER ALERT***

RedLetterMedia Review

Do not watch the above until you've seen the entire season 3 of Twin Peaks--there are explicit storylines explained.

I thought that was one of the best reviews I've seen generally; it's certainly worth watching.

I'm a huge David Lynch fan, and I certainly enjoyed the ride. With that said, I've found David Lynch's cinematic moments to generally fall into two categories: inexplicably profound, and unfortunately enduring. The latter turns most people away from his work, while the former keeps his fans rabid.

Oh, I suppose David Lynch also successfully creates comedic moments from time to time, too. Unfortunately for the jokes that don't hit, we're in that latter category above...

Hey, I finally finished The Return and followed it up by watching the Red Letter Media review!

I just about agree with everything wonderful they (Red Letter Media) have to say about Episode 8. It's such a beautiful episode using unexplainable surrealism to deliver a somewhat order of exposition. David Lynch never fully deciphers anything for the audience, because I'm not sure he can decipher everything he wants to convey to you. That's the beauty of the unexplainable, there's always some incompletion and mystery. So relating to what Pooter mentioned, this is undoubtedly, a moment which can divide a crowd.

Anywho, episode 8 is a great spectacle to look forward to, for those who have yet to watch.

Spoiler

To just show how disorienting this show is, to my surprise, I was unaware episode 18 was the final episode. Part of this is because I went into this season knowing no details, but also because I managed to snag the "Twin Peaks: From Z to A" collectors box and within the contents for Season 3 there is 10 disks. Turns out disks 8-10 are exclusively bonus content, so  before knowing this I was lead to believe I had plenty of episodes to go after Episode 18. LOL

So yeah, I burned through episode 18 without taking it in like many would or David intended. And now I can understand why the long silenced driving sequences within the episode were drawn out.

So may returning actors in both big and small parts. Many at the doorsteps of death (in real life) while making season 3, shows a tremendous respect for David and the love they had being part of this show in the first place.

I also want to echo Jay's (RLM) comments about Jim Belushi best role in like, forever. If you are unaware who he is, his brother is John Belushi who was an original cast member of "Saturday Night Live" and original member of sketch band featured on SNL "The Blues Brothers" which would go on to create the greatest nonsensical music comedy movie ever. John is long deceased and Jim has on/off assumed his brothers role for the continuation of "The Blues Brothers".

Anywho, Jim is a local Chicago celebrity and he's mostly considered an irritant. It's widely thought that his fame and casting is based off his brother, and I don't think that's wrong. Over the years, off-putting stories have come to surface about John and Jim, leaving Jim to take all the flack. He comes off as a nice guy, but for-whatever reason the popular opinion is he's not good people. Yet, he'll show up at just about every major Chicago event and still will be featured to this day (mostly met with groans).

He now is a big proponent in legal Cannabis and also farms it in Oregon. Bit of an interesting guy, despite his reputation and perceived Hollywood nepotism. 

Spoiler

So in comes David Lynch? Who decided to cast him, I hope to find out through the bonus material. But I really loved his scenes once they build a friendship with Dougie.

Really enjoyed the Series. I can't wait to rewatch Season 3 over.

Come for the delicious oddity that is Twin Peaks! I hope some of you can take in the entire series, it's the best damn cherry pie you'll ever have.

[Born In Planet Dust]

Turns out disks 8-10 are exclusively bonus content, so  before knowing this I was lead to believe I had plenty of episodes to go after Episode 18. LOL

"What disk is it?"