“There’s pudding in the pillow.” She did that line so perfectly - her tone of voice, her body language, her facial expressions. This is my favorite scene with Majors Burns and Houlihan, and they had a lot of scenes together.
1 Like
2 Likes
Tonight’s Discord movie night was more Black Mirror, but I’m actually glad I watched, because somehow we got three of the happier (?) episodes of the series: Nosedive, Hang the DJ, and San Junipero. The last one was especially sweet, though I still needed Kleenex for the ending… and those 80s fashions and music brought back a load of memories and nostalgia for us “oldsters” in the audience. 
I hear it’s more doom-and-gloom from here on in, except for the “Star Trek” one, which I know I want to see. I might skip the rest; it will depend on how I feel next Sunday night. 
5 Likes
Double your pleasure. Watch a group of people watching a group of people watching a movie.
Special guest appearance by Bees McKeever.
1 Like
I can tolerate Mr. Colbert and a live audience in order to watch the miracle that is Alan Alda.
3 Likes
I used to live right next to that university where his program is set up.
1 Like
alan alda is so great. he’s gotta be quite up there in years now, but he’s still sharp as a tack. and i rather like the return to a live audience, because people get to show the guests the love.
3 Likes
Tonight the weekly Discord watch party took a break from Black Mirror, and tonight’s movie was…
I’d always meant to watch it, but never got around to it. There’s a lot of casual sexism, some homophobia (big surprise, considering the other Jay & Silent Bob movies), a ton of cussing, and some literal toilet humor… but apart from that, I liked it, especially with Linda Fiorentino as the heroine of the story, George Carlin as a rather worldly cardinal, and of course, Alan Rickman as Metatron. (Alan Rickman made every movie better… he is missed.)
It definitely is NOT for everyone-- it’s an irreverent take on God and religion, so anybody who’d be offended at that should steer clear. Though from an ex-Catholic standpoint, I’m not sure it went that far off-base theologically. (I’m not the best judge of that though, so don’t take my word for it.) Despite that, it’s a fairly decent low-brow comedy, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It did wrap up a little too neatly, as if the movie ran out of time at the end, and I really wish somebody had called God out on how messed up her Plans are for us… but the film just isn’t that deep.
7 Likes
amusing, featured on Nestflix, as it contained several embedded, or nested films.
2 Likes
Amusing!? I think that long-winded, rambling film is amazing!
1 Like
I think Marilyn Monroe was slated for this, but she died.
1 Like
I’m binge-watching MAS*H online. These are the Avengers I read when I was a kid (tho a few years after they were published, natch), lol.
https://www.cbr.com/avengers-mash-episode/
1 Like
I’ve started Ted Lasso, which seems like something I would not like at all - sports in Britain, eh? - I resisted it at first. But after a few episodes, I have to say it’s really good. Surprisingly good. Kind of has vibes like My Name Is Earl, but a little different.
The lead character is so optimistic and good-natured (like Mr. Rogers/Bob Ross type of good-natured), and it’s mostly about how his positivity affects the people around him. His sidekick Beard reminds me of Silent Bob, a good balance.
Initially, they all hate Ted and he’s an outsider, some are even actively trying to sabotage him, but his relentlessly positive attitude starts to change them. Even the crowds and the randoms on the street.
With so much negativity in the world, it’s nice to see a show about positivity, and the influence that can have on others. And you get that within just the first few episodes. The other characters aren’t hollow either, they’re solid, interesting characters that start developing pretty much right away.
5 Likes
we’ve heard about it from everyone, too, and like you it sounds to us like something completely outside our area of shows we like – but we are probably going to dive in at some point, and like you i am sure we’ll find it incredibly charming.
on a related note, we watched the opening episode of Schmigadoon the other night, and i am inclined to watch more – but i grew up on the musicals from the 50s & 60s that it is lovingly lampooning, so there’s that. i admire the way they are able to be lyrically modern and self-aware, and yet look and sound so authentically vintage. the camp factor in this one is HIIIIGHHHHH.
3 Likes
Went to watch the latest movie in the Neon Genesis Evangelion series (EVANGELION:3.0+1.01 THRICE UPON A TIME), which helpfully begins with a recap of the previous movies. I had seen the series on netflix…
Wait, I don’t recognize any of this?
Remakes upon remakes, oh my. Ended up seeing Evangelion:1.11 You Are (Not) Alone and Evangelion:2.22 You Can (Not) Advance.
Good story; though the Battling Seizure Robots style is sometimes so very irritating.
I liked how 2.22 redid the same Scenery Censor gag…
3 Likes
The third film is … meh. Necessary back story, but the fourth film has got it all-- poignant human drama, what the fuck gnosticism, and of course, giant robots.
1 Like
This week’s Discord watch party returned to the worlds of Black Mirror with the episodes “USS Callister,” “Crocodile,” and “Metalhead.”
I was mainly there to watch the Trek-style “USS Callister,” though I wondered if it would live up to expectations. It did not; it exceeded them. Like Galaxy Quest, the episode serves as both a love letter to and a critique of Star Trek and its fans, though this is a far more dark and harsh reflection of the much-beloved show than the movie. Basically, an awkward game creator steals samples of his employees’ DNA in order to replicate them in a private realm of a huge space-themed online game. There, the awkward misfit becomes a Captain Kirk-style little tin god… with the power to horrifically punish anyone who won’t play along with the game.
The episode walks a very fine line, showing some of the horrors involved in the situation while implying others… and it works. One of the genuinely scariest scenes in the narrative is one of the characters describing what the evil captain did to ensure his cooperation. The worst part of it is only described by that character, and his expression and tone of voice sell it far better than any visual would have. Of course, since it involved the simulated death of a child, showing it probably wouldn’t have passed the censors… but even so, it’s a sound narrative choice, and effective. I’m not sure whether or not to include a content warning for forced kissing, though again, there’s a narrative reason why it doesn’t go farther than that (the replicated people have no genitals), and it makes a little easier for the viewers to watch. While the story clearly communicates how awful it would be to get trapped in such a terrible simulation, there are enough moments of humor sprinkled in to ease the tension without destroying it. And Trekkies in the audience will appreciate the loving attention to mimicking the details of the original series, from memorable beats from the series (the desert planet location, the wild ride of the climax) down to barely-heard sound cues and musical stings. IMHO, this episode ties with “San Junipero” as best of the series so far, and I’m really glad I had the chance to see it.
After that was “Crocodile.” To be honest, I didn’t have much interest in it and I kind of zoned out. “Metalhead” was better, although very bleak. The choice to film in black-and-white was a good one, and the story was compelling, but in the end, I enjoyed “USS Callister” more. That’s not to say “Metalhead” was bad-- it really was well-done. I think it just comes down to personal preference, and what I was in the mood to see that night. (If I’m honest, I tend to like the ones with happier endings more… which says more about my frame of mind lately than the quality of the work.)
5 Likes
Only watch this if you are ready to become a vegetarian.
An amusing take on the zombie movie, with Aubrey Plaza in the lead role.
3 Likes