slothian

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Posts posted by slothian

  1. Episode 1028

    in Earth-2.net: The Show

    Posted

    1 hour ago, batguy10 said:

    The scene in question went on for several minutes (but what felt like an eternity), and in my opinion, was absolutely disgusting, unnecessary, and idiotic. I do not understand why this scene was put to film or what purpose it served. It felt so disgusting to watch, and it really coloured my opinion regarding the rest of the film, knocking it down several positions.

    Yes, it is a Rob Zombie movie after all.

    And that was the version I watched. But if I had delved too deeply into the Zombie can of worms, it wouldn't have made great content. And bear in mind, this is the best film of Zombie's in my opinion - sort of by default as Halloween II and The Devil's Rejects are right at the foot of my Flickchart, but it isn't as bad as them.

  3. Random wrestling thoughts

    in Sports

    Posted

    For my part, I think Cody's arc up to the dog collar match has been excellent. I don't think winning the title back buries Brodie, nor his wins over Cassidy buries OC's post-Jericho momentum, but I think we're in a holding pattern until Cody's next opportunity comes around.

    I say that because he's positioning himself as the RVD of AEW. Which is to say, he doesn't need the main belt to be on the card and would rather explore storylines as the 2nd/3rd billed singles storyline on the card. It helps him, it helps his opponents (see the TNT open challenge) and it frees up space for AEW's main event scene. My own theory is that he loses the title to Darby, turns heel and then looks to work with upcoming faces proper (a full programme with Jungle Boy, Will Hobbs, heck even putting over the upwardly mobile Hangman Page).

    At the very least, I think he'll book himself better than his wife books herself. And I say that hoping/without thinking Brandi has full creative control of her character.

  6. Every film you've watched in 2020

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    21 hours ago, The Master said:

    I really want to read those books, but never have I heard a good word about Hannibal. If you can set aside the retroactive disliking of the series, are Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs good books?

    I honestly can't remember. My brain wants me to think that the SOTL film was such a success that Harris just went into full fan fiction mode with his own damn characters.

  7. Every film you've watched in 2020

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 10/7/2020 at 4:49 PM, The Master said:

    The handling of Buffalo Bill's sexual identity is coldly clinical and exceptionally wrongheaded. Maybe by 1991 standards it was considered acceptable to question Bill's sexual identity and gender, but that does not fly nowadays.

    I am by no means the guy to speak with any authority on trans issues, but I'm willing to bet this is more on Thomas Harris than the filmmakers. I read the Hannibal trilogy in my teens and the actual Hannibal novel is SO appalling in terms of characterisation, that I retroactively dislike the preceding novels.

  10. Every film you've watched in 2020

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I did an early career Kevin Smith marathon (Clerks to Jersey Girl) when I first subscribed to a mail-order DVD rental agency about 9-10 years ago. I'd be interested to first watch J&SB Strike Back to see if it holds up as a film where I don't really remember the early film call-backs, then actually watch the early films again. Clerks may not hold up, I despised Mallrats at the time anyway and I have to assume Chasing Amy is as dated as Mike makes out. Turd-monster aside, you'd think Dogma would hold up and Jersey Girl is more meh than offensive IIRC.

    It's almost a Flickchart Forum project, but I have less than zero interest in watching Tusk.

  11. Every film you've watched in 2020

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    4 hours ago, Molly said:

    Red Dragon: I saw this in the theaters when I was like 17, and I don't think I've seen it since. I really liked it then, times change. Since then, uh, Hannibal happened. 

    I don't want to say that Hopkins' Lectern seems like a caricature of a pervert played in the broadest strokes possible compared to Mikkelson, but the thought occured. 

    I don't know if another movie exists that is so incompetently designed and directed, but forced into some sort of cohesion by a bunch of really really good actors. 

    Ralph Fiennes, Emma Watson, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Harvey Keitel are all busting their asses here, swimming against the current of Brett Ratner's directorial ineptitude. 

    Edward Norton is... fine, I guess. Norton is a very strong actor who's well cast, but it also seems like he couldn't give a shit. 

    And Hannibal. 

    I'm not going to compare Hopkins and Mikkelson further, it's apples and oranges. I recently sat down and watched Silence of the Lambs, and while Hopkins still has the edge of a pedophile with sweets in his pocket, his performance is miles more nuanced. Here, he's chewing the scenery like his life depends on it. It's... not his best work.

    Beyond the acting, there are some baffling choices from the DOP and hair and makeup.

    This is not a good movie. 

    Hannibal is a shitty book to begin with - Harris buys into the success of the Silence of the Lambs film adaptation, and basically goes nuts. Terrible, indulgent story and I have to assume the movie is bollocks too. If it was half-decent, you would assume that Jodie Foster would reprise her Oscar-winning role, but clearly it wasn't.

  12. Random wrestling thoughts

    in Sports

    Posted

    11 hours ago, Molly said:

    Mark my words, barring injury or scandal, Sonny Kiss will be AEW Champion before the decade is out. 

    Definitely TNT Champion. And I think if the stars align, then Sonny could definitely be the main champ in the next 9 years. The Fight for the Fallen shot at Cody and Sonny's entrance clearly suggest that AEW are fans, but are going for a more organic groundswell push. By which I mean, Sonny is not currently on the Jungle Boy trajectory (which is slow enough as it is), but enjoying finding some footing in teaming with Janela (who has more of a ceiling). Or more concisely, Jungle Boy's a regular on Dynamite, Sonny is a regular on Dark.

    I think with AEW, not only have they not had a full year's TV but most of it has been in the COVID era, they are front-loading the angles they wanted to do (Moxley taking on inaugural champ Jericho/Inner Circle, Hangman Page clashing with the Elite/the impact this has on FTR/Young Bucks, Cody's betrayal at the hands of MJF). Now that only the tag angle is still playing out, it's going to be interesting to see who gets pushed. There's inevitable singles runs for the likes of Page, Omega and Darby; there's recent signees such as Brodie Lee, Brian Cage, Lance Archer, Ricky Starks and Eddie Kingston to work in; you still have upper midcarders such as MJF, Cody and the absent Pac to consider, and finally, up-and-comers such as Jungle Boy, Sammy and Scorpio Sky. I think Sonny is behind all of them in the pecking order, but once crowds are back to give immediate feedback as to who they want to see more of, we'll have a better idea of likely booking in that AEW does react to fan perception for the most part.

  14. The All-Purpose Flickchart thread

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    10 hours ago, Donomark said:

    Shit, that's tricky.

    Blade has way more style, which lately has been used as a negative in describing films. But it's style used to maximum effect. 

    It's dark and moody but juuust superhero genre enough that it's fun. Snipes infuses Blade with tons of personality, even if he's often stoic and taciturn. Leaving us with great lines and moments.

    Stephen Dorff's best performance..?

    A film with black leads in both male and female but it doesn't contrive to the genre expectations of romance like, say, Aquaman for instance.

    Top tier action.

    I would say that...Blade is a better movie because of the time it came out. Comic Books movies were not only mostly not good, they were rarely that good. Having re-watched Blade a couple months back, you have to both squint and be in a bad mood to find something truly, objectively wrong with it as a film. 

    Winter Solider's one of the best MCU films, and one of the best CBMs as well, but Blade's style puts it over IMO. It tells a more layered story, but Blade's simplicity gives it more efficacy. 

    Very well put!

  16. Random wrestling thoughts

    in Sports

    Posted

    The bit that truly shocks me is WWE insisting they have the rights to wrestlers' actual names, notwithstanding 95% wrestle under a WWE-chosen name so that they can own the rights to that moniker. I have NO idea how that is enforceable legally, even without knowing the nuances of American Intellectual Property law.

  19. Random wrestling thoughts

    in Sports

    Posted

    22 hours ago, Dread said:

    Rumour I heard is Aleister Black (who's rad) is coming back with a new gimmick.

    Yeah, my understanding is that Vince actually likes Black (unlike Riccochet and other Heyman projects) but thinks that his current gimmick is "limiting". So, I'm steeling myself for Aleister Black, the clog-dancing Dutchman*.

    *I'm not really - I don't watch WWE anymore as I refuse to give it money.

  24. The All-Purpose Flickchart thread

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, The Master said:

    Just rewatched the moment in question, and the second my 42-year-old eyes saw the machine my five-year-old self went "Nope" and hid in the corner.

    Therefore, Superman III has two things going for it at least: the Clark vs Supes duel that everyone remembers, and that fucking moment which mortifies everyone.