[Mezla PigDog]

Oh I'm such a fool. I did not think this through. One Twilight movie left to go and my Netflix recommendations have gone to shit!

[Macros]

Mez, come in and have a seat. Remember we are all your friends, and are here to help you.

This is an intervention

[Tsundoku]

Mezla PigDog, on 17 November 2018 - 09:56 PM, said:

Oh I'm such a fool. I did not think this through. One Twilight movie left to go and my Netflix recommendations have gone to shit!

Well, no matter how old you get there'll always be one multinational company that treats you like a 12 year old girl.

[Mezla PigDog]

My wretched child keeps yelling "You're an old lady" at me and I don't feel inclined to argue. So I'll happily take that. My top pick is called "The Princess Swap".

[Macros]

Watched The Big Short again.

Great movie but inside watching it makes my blood boil. Really want to fill a sack full of doorknobs and go beat the living piss out of some wall Street bankers

[Macros]

Watched The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the new Coen brothers offering on netflix.

its 6 vignettes, I'd say the headline buster scruggs is the best/funniest. the whole thing was.... a bit odd but entertaining enough

[worry]

Crazy Rich Asians -- this movie is a solid two hours long and doesn't waste a single minute of it. That might sound like it's overly 'busy' but it's not that, it's just really well made -- writing, performances, cinematography, editing are all fantastic. It doesn't set out to subvert rom com tropes or anything, but it does everything (even the more predictable twists) really well. And it manages to be dramatic without being soapy, which I always appreciate. And most of all, it is immensely romantic. I'm not saying it's flawless (I mean, it's about crazy rich people and its only challenge to that really is about open-mindedness vs. closed-mindedness, and from what I've gathered it neglects a lot of the ethnic diversity of Singapore), but otherwise as an emotionally grounded rom-com-dram it's pretty top notch.

[Abyss]

worry, on 19 November 2018 - 07:33 PM, said:

Crazy Rich Asians -- this movie is a solid two hours long and doesn't waste a single minute of it. That might sound like it's overly 'busy' but it's not that, it's just really well made -- writing, performances, cinematography, editing are all fantastic. It doesn't set out to subvert rom com tropes or anything, but it does everything (even the more predictable twists) really well. And it manages to be dramatic without being soapy, which I always appreciate. And most of all, it is immensely romantic. I'm not saying it's flawless (I mean, it's about crazy rich people and its only challenge to that really is about open-mindedness vs. closed-mindedness, and from what I've gathered it neglects a lot of the ethnic diversity of Singapore), but otherwise as an emotionally grounded rom-com-dram it's pretty top notch.

I wanted to eat everything that everyone ate in that movie. The food looked SO DAMN GOOD. The stuff at that food court.... argh....

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 19 November 2018 - 08:03 PM, said:

worry, on 19 November 2018 - 07:33 PM, said:

Crazy Rich Asians -- this movie is a solid two hours long and doesn't waste a single minute of it. That might sound like it's overly 'busy' but it's not that, it's just really well made -- writing, performances, cinematography, editing are all fantastic. It doesn't set out to subvert rom com tropes or anything, but it does everything (even the more predictable twists) really well. And it manages to be dramatic without being soapy, which I always appreciate. And most of all, it is immensely romantic. I'm not saying it's flawless (I mean, it's about crazy rich people and its only challenge to that really is about open-mindedness vs. closed-mindedness, and from what I've gathered it neglects a lot of the ethnic diversity of Singapore), but otherwise as an emotionally grounded rom-com-dram it's pretty top notch.

I wanted to eat everything that everyone ate in that movie. The food looked SO DAMN GOOD. The stuff at that food court.... argh....

I'm waiting to watch this on demand with my wife, but all I keep hearing is how great it is, so I'm excited to see it!

[Morgoth]

Abyss, on 19 November 2018 - 08:03 PM, said:

worry, on 19 November 2018 - 07:33 PM, said:

Crazy Rich Asians -- this movie is a solid two hours long and doesn't waste a single minute of it. That might sound like it's overly 'busy' but it's not that, it's just really well made -- writing, performances, cinematography, editing are all fantastic. It doesn't set out to subvert rom com tropes or anything, but it does everything (even the more predictable twists) really well. And it manages to be dramatic without being soapy, which I always appreciate. And most of all, it is immensely romantic. I'm not saying it's flawless (I mean, it's about crazy rich people and its only challenge to that really is about open-mindedness vs. closed-mindedness, and from what I've gathered it neglects a lot of the ethnic diversity of Singapore), but otherwise as an emotionally grounded rom-com-dram it's pretty top notch.

I wanted to eat everything that everyone ate in that movie. The food looked SO DAMN GOOD. The stuff at that food court.... argh....

Singapore is worth a visit for the food courts alone!

[Gorefest]

I knew they had some quite strict laws in Singapore, but sentencing food seems a bit of a stretch. Do they make a distinction between fast food prisons and solitary dining?





On a side note, I have to ask. What is this?:

[Salt-Man Z]

Gorefest, on 20 November 2018 - 04:16 PM, said:

On a side note, I have to ask. What is this?:

It's how you get these:

Attached File(s)

•  babybananas.jpg (9.66K)
  Number of downloads: 0

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Seeing the new Fantastic Beasts tonight - I enjoyed the first one as switch your brain off fare so hoping for more of the same!

[QuickTidal]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 22 November 2018 - 04:14 PM, said:

Seeing the new Fantastic Beasts tonight - I enjoyed the first one as switch your brain off fare so hoping for more of the same!

I have to find time to get out to see it, so enjoy!

I found the more I watched the first one, the better I liked it.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

QuickTidal, on 22 November 2018 - 04:18 PM, said:

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 22 November 2018 - 04:14 PM, said:

Seeing the new Fantastic Beasts tonight - I enjoyed the first one as switch your brain off fare so hoping for more of the same!

I have to find time to get out to see it, so enjoy!

I found the more I watched the first one, the better I liked it.

It's worth seeing. Looks stunning, Depp actually is surprisingly great as Grindelwald, and as a spectacle it's great.

The story is pretty decent if you switch your brain off and don't think too much about plot holes. However, the big reveal at the end (which I won't spoil) makes me feel we've reached the event horizon where Rowling is messing about with the original story too much. There's more than enough in both films that I feel like Fantastic Beasts would have stood on its own feet absolutely fine without suddenly giving established characters from Potter formerly unbeknownst major secrets.

Also.... I grew up with the books and the running joke of me being Hermione is enough of a truth that I remember a lot of detail and am nitpicky. I'll spoiler because I don't know if it was announced pre-release that the character was in the film...

Spoiler

The fact McGonagall is teaching at Hogwarts BEFORE SHE WAS BORN in the existing canon winds me up unreasonably..... fan service isn't a good reason to mess up your world building.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 23 November 2018 - 08:11 AM

[QuickTidal]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 23 November 2018 - 07:30 AM, said:

However, the big reveal at the end (which I won't spoil) makes me feel we've reached the event horizon where Rowling is messing about with the original story too much.

I know of this twist, I accidentally spoiled it for myself a week before the movie debuted when someone had updated the Potter Wiki for

Spoiler

Credence to include his other name.

I don't mind it to be honest. I always look at it like this: Does the retcon mess with the existing story? I'm not sure it does in any significant way. We already know that Ariana was an Obscurial, so her having a brother who also was one makes a lot of sense. I haven't seen it. Are Aurelius and Ariana twins? If so, this could explain the dual Obscurial nature?

And Ariana's Obscurial lashing out is what killed Kendra (the Dumbledore matriarch) in 1899...so perhaps Aurelius was sent away for this very reason?

I can weigh in better once I've seen it as I don't know the particulars, barring it's Grindelwald who tells Credence of his family, so unreliable narrator and all that I'm sure there is a lot more to it.

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 23 November 2018 - 07:30 AM, said:

There's more than enough in both films that I feel like Fantastic Beasts would have stood on its own feet absolutely fine without suddenly giving established characters from Potter formerly unbeknownst major secrets.

I agree to an extent, but I'm also a big big big fan of this type of late game world building. And I mean Dumbledore was NEVER an open book...considering the entire plot of the HP series hinges on him keeping secrets from everyone...including that he knows from day one that Harry is a Horcrux...and we only find out about Aberforth in what? The 6th book? Dumbledores personal life is a closed book, only pried open during the HP series when it was pertinent to the events as they were transpiring. So I'm more than okay with it.

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 23 November 2018 - 07:30 AM, said:

Also.... I grew up with the books and the running joke of me being Hermione is enough of a truth that I remember a lot of detail and am nitpicky. I'll spoiler because I don't know if it was announced pre-release that the character was in the film...

Spoiler

The fact McGonagall is teaching at Hogwarts BEFORE SHE WAS BORN in the existing canon winds me up unreasonably..... fan service isn't a good reason to mess up your world building.

I heard about this, and I'm 100% convinced that JK has a reason for it. And there are a number of ways to get around it. And I'm convinced that she didn't do this flippantly or mess with her own timeline.

My theory?

Spoiler

The teacher in CoG is a relative (not mother, that's been disproven already) who will die in the course of the series (heroically?), and Isobel (McGonnagal's mother) will name the ACTUAL Minerva after her. There is already precedent in the family for this as McGonnagal's great grandmother is Minerva Ross.

If I had to guess, she's McGonnagal's aunt?

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 23 November 2018 - 02:34 PM

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Huh, all of that is actually really good food for thought. And I agree, it's difficult to not feel a bit dissatisfied at this point with it (having only seen two of the projected five films) but I can't really imagine Rowling did anything without thought and reason behind it (there's some time passed now between me seeing the film and thinking about it further - knee-jerk first reactions are tricky beasts).

I expect I'll like the context of the twist better after the completion of the franchise as well when we've got the whole picture.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 23 November 2018 - 04:20 PM

[QuickTidal]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 23 November 2018 - 04:18 PM, said:

Huh, all of that is actually really good food for thought. And I agree, it's difficult to not feel a bit dissatisfied at this point with it (having only seen two of the projected five films) but I can't really imagine Rowling did anything without thought and reason behind it (there's some time passed now between me seeing the film and thinking about it further - knee-jerk first reactions are tricky beasts).

I expect I'll like the context of the twist better after the completion of the franchise as well when we've got the whole picture.

Indeed. And I'll chime in once I've seen it (looking like I'll get the chance next Friday, possibly sooner).

I'm super curious about the next few films too, since we will be going to Japan, Brazil, and Norway (which is I think where Durmstrang is located?). Got some really interesting world building to get into.

[Mezla PigDog]

Mezla PigDog, on 18 November 2018 - 04:08 PM, said:

My wretched child keeps yelling "You're an old lady" at me and I don't feel inclined to argue. So I'll happily take that. My top pick is called "The Princess Swap".

I'm watching it! Mr PigDog has taken the sprog to look at aeroplanes. I have a cold. Sofa + PJs + terrible film fit for a 12 year old girl. I'm all over it.

[Aptorian]

Watched Crimes of Grindelwald earlier. Not bad. Not amazing. An okay film carried by the fantastic world it takes place in.

I felt like this film was rushing all the way through. I wish there had been more time to just linger abd enjoy Newt's character and his friendship with the pastry chef companion. It's what I enjoyed most about the first film.

Maybe I'm forgetting stuff but I didn't recognize half the characters in this film and as such did not care at all about their relationships or their fate.

This film seemed like the dark middle chapter in a trilogy but there's meant to be many more of these films, right? I feel like they should have started out much softer, letting us get to know this older wizarding world before doing the more mature, dark turn of The Goblet of Fire, which happened half way into the Potter series.