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What DVD / Video did you watch last night? (pt3)

Big Wednesday.

John Milius, 1978.

A group of surfing dudes grow up, and the film tracks their progress from 1962 to 1974. Though this was made years before the term "bromance" was coined, this one has that quality in spades. This being Milius, the tone is ra-ra gung-ho-ism, and the cast is almost uniformly white (though it does feature real-life surfer champ Gerry Lopez in a non-speaking role).

There are some beautiful seascapes, and the ocean's drama (and danger) is suitably evoked.

I think if I'm ever reincarnated, I would like it to be as a surfer.
 
After recommendations here, we watched Pandorum. Very pleasing to the SF fan in me, and I'd love to read a book that fleshed it out a bit.

Missus didn't care for it being so jumpy and thought the... um, spoilery thing was obvious.
I didn't find it too scary - most of the jumps are telegraphed way in advance.

So yeah, it was a bit derivative. But I loved it, same as I loved Interstellar despite it getting incoherent at the end. Not enough Big SF out there.
 
The Brothers Grimsby. sort of like Kingsman but in reverse with Sacha Baron Cohen playing Liam Gallagher in the lead role. stupid. highly offensive on many levels. recommended.
 
episodes 1-4 of Dark Matter

its quite good for what it is. A group of people wake up from cold sleep with no memory of who they are. Of course it turns out they are all gunrunners with Pasts
 
Idris2002 said:
Big Wednesday.

John Milius, 1978.

A group of surfing dudes grow up, and the film tracks their progress from 1962 to 1974. Though this was made years before the term "bromance" was coined, this one has that quality in spades. This being Milius, the tone is ra-ra gung-ho-ism, and the cast is almost uniformly white (though it does feature real-life surfer champ Gerry Lopez in a non-speaking role).

There are some beautiful seascapes, and the ocean's drama (and danger) is suitably evoked.

I think if I'm ever reincarnated, I would like it to be as a surfer.
Click to expand...
Saw this film decades ago and thought it was really good
 
Started on Season 2 of How to Get Away with Murder. It's not as good as season one, they are stringing it out a bit, but they did have one good episode about a trans woman in an abusive relationship that managed to address the issues of domestic abuse without really getting too preachy or even relying too much on the character being trans....actually if someone was not paying close attention to the details they might even have missed it altogether...

Viola Davis is still great, but her character is losing my sympathy, and even an anti-hero at the center of a shows needs to keep viewers on side.
 
seventh bullet said:
I have to offer a counter-doc for my point to be valid?

No US-assisted state terror against the southern regime's own citizens in its struggle with the NLF. That organisation isn't mentioned at all. Nothing about the utter devastation wrought by one of the most brutal military onslaughts against a peasantry. Nothing about the many hushed up atrocities of the kind perpetrated at My Lai. It was a lament on the loss of the south to the horrible Commies (like at Hue) and the ruddy brave blokes seeing it out. No northern or southern Communist figures interviewed.

It's of interest to me but you don't need a detailed knowledge of Marxist-Leninist politics in that part of the world or to let the northern Stalinists' own murderous authoritarianism off the hook (because they fought the Yankee imperialists) to see the bias. It's pro-American intervention propaganda with the US merely helping the south out against the evil north, and the heroism in helping a few collaborators escape.
Click to expand...

Propaganda? You clearly didn't watch the same doc.
 
Ran - Kurosawa epic from 1985. Based upon King Lear and historical Japanese tales. Beautiful looking but not AK's best. Also; too much Noh style "acting" which isn't my cup of tea.

Gone Baby Gone - Ben Affleck directs Casey in Lehane based thriller from 2007. Not bad at all. But I'll watch and read anything that Lehane is connected to...
 
It was a film of reaffirmaton for those who want or prefer to believe that American intentions towards the country were only good really, but unfortunately it became a bit of a mess and their southern Vietnamese friends were too incompetent to deal with the situation involving such a dangerous enemy. The narrative is an insultingly simplistic one about the noble fight against the spread of Communism (and has been criticised by specialists in that conflict and journalists who were actually there).

The clock is ticking... The Commies are almost upon Saigon... Such courage in the face of tragedy. We did our best but even in our failure to prevent the Commies from defeating the south it was a Good Thing that we did here. They can interview Kissenger but nobody from the other side? I mentioned Hue because the 1968 battle for that city (one of the bloodiest of the war) was mentioned as an example of Communist brutality in the numbers of people killed by PAVN, but nothing, absolutely nothing about American actions. Look who directed it.

Three million.

Now, your turn.
 
seventh bullet said:
It was a film of reaffirmaton for those who want or prefer to believe that American intentions towards the country were only good really, but unfortunately it became a bit of a mess and their southern Vietnamese friends were too incompetent to deal with the situation involving such a dangerous enemy. The narrative is an insultingly simplistic one about the noble fight against the spread of Communism (and has been criticised by specialists in that conflict and journalists who were actually there).

The clock is ticking... The Commies are almost upon Saigon... Such courage in the face of tragedy. We did our best but even in our failure to prevent the Commies from defeating the south it was a Good Thing that we did here. They can interview Kissenger but nobody from the other side? I mentioned Hue because the 1968 battle for that city (one of the bloodiest of the war) was mentioned as an example of Communist brutality in the numbers of people killed by PAVN, but nothing, absolutely nothing about American actions. Look who directed it.

Three million.

Now, your turn.
Click to expand...

American intentions were not even touched upon. It was a tragedy that was certainly enhanced by not only "communism" but also American involvement. The film made that clear. The US vets made it also clear about their "betrayal" of those left behind in Saigon.

3 million, indeed. Not all killed by your hated America, though.
 
Nothing except for the Americans making a bit of a mess, and there was a great bunch of individuals who helped a few to escape from the clutches of the evil Communists.
 
seventh bullet said:
I haven't done that though. I have criticised the content of the documentary. Your naivety is understandable.
Click to expand...

Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'm clearly incapable of realising the story is told from one viewpoint only and have been hoodwinked by its blatant propaganda.

On another note, Ho Chi Minh used to work in my local.
 
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