TODAY I WATCHED (Movies, TV Shows) 2020

The wife and I started in on the Netflix docuseries "Tiger King" last night...



3 episodes (of 7 I believe) in so far. Pretty interesting. 3 main characters. 2 are pro-"Big Cat" enthusiasts, 1 is anti-"Big Cat" ownership and all 3 are vying to see who can out-crazy each other.

I went into this thinking I'd have a clear opinion on who's right and who's wrong, but wacky twists keep things keep changing. I'm curious to see how this all pans out in the end.

tohostudios wrote:

I was thinking about watching that but something about that whole "talking, possessed doll" sub-genre has always really creeped me out.

Y'know, I think the reason it took me so long to get around to "Annabelle" (even though I enjoyed both "Conjuring" movies) is cuz I was expecting it to be a Chucky style "walking, talking killer doll" rehash, but "Annabelle" doesn't go into that -- the doll is silent and doesn't really "do" much, she's more of a conduit for someone/something else, if you know what I mean. The 1960s setting is also nice change of pace. Like I said, it has more in common with oldies like "Rosemary's Baby" than "Chucky."

Honestly, I would suggest you check it out, Toho. I was pleasantly surprised.

Finished binging The Boys on Amazon

"Slave to the Grind" (2018)

No, this is not a movie about the Skid Row album - it's a documentary about grindcore, the ultra-extreme offspring of hardcore punk and thrash/death metal which exploded all over the globe during the mid to late '80s. The genre's long, sometimes bizarre history is examined via vintage clips, photos and interviews with members of Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, Carcass, Agothacles, A.C., Repulsion, and many more. I'm not even a grind guy, but I enjoyed this entertaining, informative doc.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

The wife and I started in on the Netflix docuseries "Tiger King" last night...



3 episodes (of 7 I believe) in so far. Pretty interesting. 3 main characters. 2 are pro-"Big Cat" enthusiasts, 1 is anti-"Big Cat" ownership and all 3 are vying to see who can out-crazy each other.

I went into this thinking I'd have a clear opinion on who's right and who's wrong, but wacky twists keep things keep changing. I'm curious to see how this all pans out in the end.

6 episodes done. Last one tonight. Such a bizarre tale.

I don't know how many here get their TV from Charter/Spectrum but for the first time today I saw an ad from them bragging about how they are making the EPIX and Showtime channels available for everyone until April 19.  I checked and sure enough those channels are now available to me.  Unfortunately I didn't see anything I wanted to watch tonight which is why I dropped Showtime in the first place years ago.  But at least the company is making an effort to make more entertainment available to people while we're all stuck at home.

So if your cable provider is Charter/Spectrum check it out; you might find something to watch (I'm really picky).

Casablanca

Early 1990s sci-fi largely derived from The Terminator, RoboCop, and Universal Soldier.

tohostudios wrote:

I don't know how many here get their TV from Charter/Spectrum but for the first time today I saw an ad from them bragging about how they are making the EPIX and Showtime channels available for everyone until April 19.  I checked and sure enough those channels are now available to me.  Unfortunately I didn't see anything I wanted to watch tonight which is why I dropped Showtime in the first place years ago.  But at least the company is making an effort to make more entertainment available to people while we're all stuck at home.

So if your cable provider is Charter/Spectrum check it out; you might find something to watch (I'm really picky).

Our cable company (Comcast) is doing the same thing. I've looked but nothing really jumped out at me.

The Goldbergs
Schooled
American Housewife

007 wrote:

tohostudios wrote:

I don't know how many here get their TV from Charter/Spectrum but for the first time today I saw an ad from them bragging about how they are making the EPIX and Showtime channels available for everyone until April 19.  I checked and sure enough those channels are now available to me.  Unfortunately I didn't see anything I wanted to watch tonight which is why I dropped Showtime in the first place years ago.  But at least the company is making an effort to make more entertainment available to people while we're all stuck at home.

So if your cable provider is Charter/Spectrum check it out; you might find something to watch (I'm really picky).

Our cable company (Comcast) is doing the same thing. I've looked but nothing really jumped out at me.

Yeah, kudos to the cable companies for trying to give their customers viewing alternatives but so far all it's done for me since I discovered it is remind me why I dropped the premium channel tier and switched to the sports tier (which also isn't doing me any good right now - but it was about $10 a month cheaper).

Thankfully I have literally THOUSANDS of movies and TV shows in the Toho Vault to watch so I can definitely outlast this confinement and lack of sports crap.

I'm about to finish up the final entry in the Criterion "Showa Godzilla" series, "Terror Of Mechagodzilla".



EDIT: You know, I'm watching the last 45 minutes of this movie where Godzilla is getting his ass kicked trying to do hand to hand combat with both Titanosaurus AND MechaGodzilla and something occurred to me that should have hit me a loooooong time ago.

Why does Godzilla even bother engaging in physicality with any of his monster foes when he has that awesome breath?  Why not just incinerate your foe and be done with it?  Unless the opponent has proven to be impervious to that then light 'em up and be done with it.  Of course then most of these films would be about half as long as they are.

"All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records" (2015)


This bittersweet documentary (directed by Tom Hanks' son, Colin) traces the long and sometimes wild history of the iconic record store chain, from its humble beginnings in early '60s Southern California through its growth into a globally recognized music-biz brand in the '70s and '80s, before finally, sadly ending with Tower's demise at the dawn of the Napster era.

Interviews with longtime Tower employees (and famous customers like Dave Grohl, Elton John, and Bruce Springsteen) confirm that Tower was the coolest record store ever to exist in the known universe, as if we didn't know that already.

I know I've said it before, but ... goddammit, I MISS TOWER RECORDS!

Super 8 (2011)



In 1979 Ohio, a group of kids are out late making a zombie movie with a Super 8 cameras when they are witness to a train wreck. Warned by the man who caused the wreck (and somehow survives), the kids leave just as the Air Force arrives. Soon, mechanical parts all over town are being taken and people start disappearing. An enjoyable film done by Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams.

GG Allin : All In The Family

Nightmare At Noon (1988)



A shadowy organization poisons a small Utah town's water supply and effectively cuts the people off from the outside world. Three tourist and the town sheriff must deal deal with the residents, who become highly aggressive and resistant to injury. Basically a take on the Crazies, with the feel of a tv movie containing more adult language and some slight bloody violence.


In The Mouth Of Madness (1994)



John Carpenter's homage to HP Lovecraft, with Sam Neill starring as an insurance investigator searching for a popular missing horror novelist on behalf of the novelist's publisher. He soon goes down a strange and terrifying road and starts questioning his sanity. A rather interesting film (where you're not sure whether things are real or not) that I somehow never heard of.

I've seen In The Mouth Of Madness (I pretty much check out anything with John Carpenter's name on it) but I can't remember a single thing about it.  I do remember that I though it was decent enough.  I guess I need to revisit it and since we can't go anywhere now seems like a good time.

Watched the new Tom Segora special on Netflix last night. Near pissed myself laughing. He may not be for everyone, but damn do I enjoy him.

Ozark Season 3 dropped yesterday. I'm up to the third episode. Great show!

"DOA: Dead or Alive" (2006)

Four lovely female fighters receive invitations to a secret no-holds-barred martial arts tournament on a secluded island, with a $10 million dollar prize for the winner.  
This cartoony kung-fu junk (apparently based on a video game series, with which I am unfamiliar) stars Jaime ("My Name is Earl") Pressly, Devon "Sin City" Aoki, Holly "Neighbours" Valance, and Sarah "Smallville" Carter as our heroines, who pretty much spend the whole movie beating the crap out of an endless stream of bad guys (and occasionally, each other) till they reach the Big Boss, who's played by... (wait for it) Eric "Julia's Brother" Roberts (his presence is *always* the sign of a quality film), who we're supposed to believe is some sort of mega-powerful kung-fu super-villain. Yeah, suuuuuure.  
... this is basically the generic store-brand version of a "Mortal Kombat" flick, with waaay more/better T&A. Therefore I was entertained, even if it was for all the wrong reasons.

The Room (2019)



A young couple (including Bond girl Olga Kurylenko) but a secluded house and while renovating it, discover a hidden room. It's soon discovered that the room will grant any wish. And as anyone who knows anything about these types of situations, nothing good can come from it. Enjoyable, if a bit predictable.

Daniel Isn't Real (2019)



A little lonely boy creates an imaginary friend named Daniel after experiencing trauma. After being coaxed by Daniel to nearly poisoning his mother, the boy "locks" Daniel away. 8 years later, further trauma releases Daniel (now played by Patrick Schwarzenegger) who starts leading the kid down a dark path, and soon a fight over his soul begins. Another rather interesting psychological thriller.

I'm deep into season 3 of the A-Team and enjoying every episode so far. When I was younger I was enamored with Face's coolness and how badass B.A. was. As I watch now, I am seeing what a great actor Dwight Shultz really was and how he gave the character of HM Murdock so much depth. There is a method to the man's literal madness that I didn't get as an 11 year old that is so apparent now at 46. Mr. T was so one dimensional while Shultz was multi faceted with personas, back stories, and accents; and a keen sense of comedic timing.

"Alice, Sweet Alice" (1976)

A tightly wound Italian-Catholic family comes apart at the seams in 1961 New Jersey, when their youngest daughter is murdered on the day of her first Communion and her weird, withdrawn older sister becomes the prime suspect.
For many years this psychological thriller was known mainly as the film debut of a pre-teen Brooke Shields (who plays the murder victim) but over time it's come into its own as a cult classic among horror nerds. The posters may look like just another slasher flick, but "Alice" is more of a murder mystery in the vein of the Italian "giallo" thrillers of the 60s and '70s. Weird, atmospheric and effective, loaded with disturbing religious imagery/symbolism (I'm guessing the director had a rough time in Catholic school as a kid). They don't make'em like this anymore.

mikeinfla wrote:

Ozark Season 3 dropped yesterday. I'm up to the third episode. Great show!

I need to catch up on this. I saw season 3 was out, only to realize we never watched season 2. Not sure what happened as I liked season 1 very much.

The only thing I can think is that we watched the first season, then while we waited for season 2 to come along, we got caught up in something else and just forgot about it.

"Looney Tunes: Back In Action" (2003)

Bugs, Daffy and two human pals (Jenna Elfman and Brendan Fraser) set out on a globe trotting adventure which takes them from the Warner Bros. movie lot in Hollywood to the Louvre in Paris and even to darkest Africa, as they try to keep a priceless treasure away from the evil head of the ACME Corporation (Steve Martin).
Joe "Gremlins" Dante directed this high energy, low brow live action/animation mix which has a lot of funny bits but overall is stuffed with way too many side gags, pointless celebrity cameos and mugging, overacting performances by the human cast (esp. Martin).
Warner Brothers had hoped that this flick would re-introduce the Looney Tunes brand to 21st century kids, but when it tanked at the box office, it sent Bugs and friends back to TV purgatory instead. But hey, at least it's better than Space Jam.

The Walking Dead