Film Flam

[Cain]

So, I have recently been watching Narcos: Mexico on Netflix, and I have questions.

Well, mostly one question really: how long is this planned to go on for? Starting with the formation of the Guadalajara cartel and making Kiki Camarena the focus point of the first season is a good starting point, don't get me wrong. But it's the mid-1980s in season 2, and from what I'm seeing (I'm only a few episodes in) this is dealing with the alliance with the Gulf Cartel and probably leading up to Gallardo's arrest.

Which would bring the timeline up to 1989 for the end of the season.

Given the drug war is still going on right now, and the factions involved can be traced directly back to the Guadalajara cartel's business model, I'm curious where they see this series ending up. Chapo's obviously intended to have a big role, but that story takes the timeline up to 2016 on its own. A lot happened between 1989 and 2016, including the formation of new cartels and paramilitarised "patriotic" groups to fight them, the formation of Los Zetas and their defection from the Gulf Cartel, and the ultimate rise of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel once Chapo was extradited.

That's...a lot of seasons.

[chaotic neutral observer]

"Gee that hurt, Doc.  That hurt plenty."

"This place is full of pain, Calypso.  You're hurt, Collins... Collins and Munsey are dead, and the others...all those others.  Why do they do it?  They never get away with it.  Alcatraz, Atlanta, Leavenworth...  It's been tried in a hundred ways from as many places.  It always fails.  But they keep trying.  Why do they do it?"

"I don't know, Doc.  But whenever you got men in prison, they're gonna want to get out."

"But they'll learn.  They must!  Nobody escapes.  Nobody ever really escapes."

    --Brute Force

[picoli]

"Natural Born Killers"

"The City of Lost Children"

"Die Nibelungen"


i know theres some more i like, but i always have a hard time remembering. (I have more of a musical memory)

I love the last one, would recommend it

[minuspace]

Keeping it classic, xUnbelievable, because Snoop

[Cain]

I have to say, even if I'm kinda "meh" on Doom Patrol so far, I do love Alan Tudyk in a villainous role. In Justified he was the incredibly scary Detroit mafia hitman, Elias Marcos, and even though he was only in a single episode his menacing performance made him one of the most notable characters in the series. Mr Nobody's a very different kind of villain, more chaotic and even whimsical at times, but they both share a certain chilling edge that Tudyk brings to these roles, so I'm happy to keep watching.

[Faust]

Mr Nobody is a really nice guy, and has legitimate complaints.

Season 1, the writing was up and down with each episode. There are great bits, and some really lame bits. Still glad they worked in animal-vegitable-mineral man. Mr nobody's stories in the comics were my favourite, it was hard to surpass that and isnt entirely successful

Season 2, every episode is well written and is part of a coherent overall story, I wasnt that into the dorothy character in the comics, the tv show surpasses the comic portrayal.

[Cain]

I've never read the comics, though knowing Grant Morrison's other work I probably don't need to. So far I'm only halfway through season 1, so I'm glad to hear the writing improves - the stuff with Larry seems fairly good, if perhaps slightly overemphasised when compared to Rita and Jane, but hopefully that's just a consequence of where I am in the season, and those two will get more time as things go on.

I can certainly believe Mr Nobody is nicer than Elias Marcos, at least. That dude has absolutely zero chill...a shame there's not a Youtube clip of the diner scene, for a guy I last saw in Firefly he made a hell of a convincing mob gunman.

[Faust]

Ah excellent if you havent read the comics, the first season largely introduces the characters, and builds on them as it goes. Rita is a slow burn, though her story is gradually coming forth in season 2.
What I like and didnt expect was that they do fill in a lot of the time frame, rita larry and jane have been kicking about since the 50s or 60s
Theve all seen some shit

[Cain]

Incidentally, I tried to upload the diner scene clip I mentioned so now Sony have slapped a content claim notification on me for a 5 minute clip and are probably gonna delete my Youtube account.

I'm disputing it under Fair Use, but it's Sony so, you know.

[Faust]

jesus christ that was fast, I have heard its all automated flagging requests now, there really needs to be a viable alternative to youtube, because the app is worthless, and the site itself is far too intertwined with google accounts for my liking.

[minuspace]

Re: "Meh" I think it was this latest season of doom patrol, had some sort of Jack the Ripper episode that was rather chilling, for me.

[minuspace]

Also, let's see, what's for lunch... "Dust" series on YouTube has a few good ones, "Control-Z" being as good a place as any to start.


[edited to add...]


The "Headcleaner" episode was also a right creeper.

[LMNO]

So, the TCM channel (Turner Classic Movies) is doing a 24-hour Hitchcock marathon, so I was settled in to watch one of his I had previously missed, "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956 version).  It stars Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day.



y'all, this movie is a nightmare.  Xenophobia, racism, brownface, sexism, colonialism, white supremacy, weirdly intentional slapstick routines during fight scenes... and a crucial element to the whole thing is Doris Day's ode to nihilism, "Que Sera, Sera".

I mean, there's a scene where Stewart, who's supposed to be the hero, straight up drugs his wife against her will so she'll pass out right after he tells her their son has been kidnapped and will probably be killed.

The worst part is, I can't get that fucking song out of my head now.

[chaotic neutral observer]

I rewatched Farscape or, Space is Weird: The Adventures of John Crichton, Astronut.

The first season started out rough, glimmers of originality mixed with sci-fi cliche.  It found its stride in the second and third seasons, as it became less episodic and more story driven, and Crichton began his descent into madness (which I find the best part of the show). Cross my heart, smack me dead, stick a lobster on my head.

Then the writing took a sharp nosedive, and by the middle of the fourth season, I not only understood why it had been cancelled, but thought it really deserved it.  Yet in the final few episodes, Crichton jumped on a conference table with a nuclear bomb strapped to his belt, shouted "What am I bid for all the powers of the universe?" and suddenly I liked the show again.

Forty percent of the series could have been cut, and it would have been a drastic improvement.  Also, there was not enough proper sci-fi, and too much "space magic."  What might this have been, with better creative talent at the helm?  That's not a rhetorical question; I really want to know.  Is there another show out there that executes these themes successfully?

The Peacekeeper Wars was terribly written, though.  Talk about ending on a low note.

[Eater of Clowns]

I spent a week or so finding a copies of Harmy's Star Wars Despecialized and have been watching them slowly over the course of a few weeks. It's also my fiance's first foray into Star Wars that she can remember. I won't delve into the HAN SHOT FIRST controversy or anything, but it's been a great revisit. It's Star Wars as I remember them, rented from a beat up video store on the corner down the street on VHS. I recognize that the official versions are what Lucas wanted Star Wars to ultimately be, but I resent that I don't even have the option to view the originals unless it's some badly transferred laserdisc copy. And it's nice not seeing the silly CG critters that were added for no apparent reason, and the extended alien concert in, what was it, Jabba's palace?

I think these have become the definitive edition for me. The visuals are sharp. It looks good. There are a few odd scenes where it's clear they couldn't find updated definitions, quick cuts that are extra grainy and out of place. Worth a watch if you get that urge to revisit the OT every so often.