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Mr. Hakujin

Sr. Hondonian
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Everything posted by Mr. Hakujin

  1. Anyone catch the Keeley Jones vs Don Draper goodness with S5? Probably the best since S1. But they've all been good.
  2. Larry is saying this is the final season frfr. So far its off to a decent start. Mocha Joe's doppelgänger as the lawyer was outta left field yet wonderful.
  3. Did you ever put that Lego Optimus Prime together? I’ve almost picked him up a couple of times. He was even on sale around Black Friday, but I ultimately pass. I’ve still got LEGO Voltron in his box and I bought that thing like three or four years ago.
  4. That McFarlane Super Powers line is just *chef’s kiss* all around. But that Batwing is a thing of beauty unto itself.
  5. Got that Carbonized Boba & Retro-card Kingpin myself. Nice figs.
  6. Trailers made it look interesting. I get the overall impression it's good but not great. Now that S1 is over I'll hopefully be able to binge it soon. I believe it's renewed for S2.
  7. The Old Guard [Netflix] B Netflix action film starring Charlize Theron with a by the numbers plot (that’s clearly meant to be the start of a franchise), which I predicted its outcome within the first 15 minutes. Despite its predictability, there was an engaging cast and some decent action. Honey Boy [Amazon Prime] A- If you’ve no prior knowledge of Shia Labeouf’s career or personal life, this will probably be a less moving or emotional experience. There is some disappointing lack of resolution for the two main characters and some uneasy scenes to witness (sex & drugs) but those scenes resonate more when you know of LaBeouf’s meteoric career and turbulent personal life. Onward [Disney+] A- This was a B to B+ Pixar film for me up until the end. Oh damn, that ending was just so beautiful, so many feels. It was one of those endings that really I should have seen coming but totally didn’t, so it blindsided me in the best possible way. Trumbo B The weight of the subject matter is serious, and this film lets you know it. I honestly never knew anything about Dalton Trumbo, but I have of course heard of the shameful McCarthy trials and “Commie witch hunts” of the 1950s. This film puts a very real, very engaging face to this particular dark time in American history. The film’s flaws are in the less than dynamic direction and the script that tries but just falls short of capturing both the darkest time in Hollywood history and a portrait of a great writer caught up in the fear & prejudice of the times—times which have changed and yet, in so many unfortunate ways, still remain the same. Extraction [Netflix] B Based on a comic about the kidnapped son of a Mexican drug lord, the film moves the setting to Bangladesh. It’s got paper thin characters (written by one of the Russo Brothers) but that’s ofset by great action sequences and solid performance of Chris Hemsworth as the lead guy shooting errybody up. It’s overall a predictable but mostly entertaining addition to the genre. Bad Education [HBO] B+ This is a streamlined “based on a true story” scandal flick that has a familiar tongue-in-cheek aspect to it. The directing is capable but kind of clunky, and the script is adequate. What really elevates this film his Hugh Jackman’s performance. He has a scene in the third act of his film that is something almost every teacher has felt and wanted to say at some point in his/her career. And Jackman totally nails it. It’s like the park bench scene Robin Williams had in Good Will Hunting—Oscar worthy. Green Book B+ It’s a surprisingly mediocre film for one that won Best Picture, Screenplay, & Supporting Actor Oscars. But there is an uplifting quality to it overall; it’s a feel-good film. The fact it is based on a true friendship is really what elevates this to a B+ from a “B” for me. Breakfast At Tiffany’s A- It’s a classic of its genre. What more can I say? I am kinda surprised it hasn’t been remade since it hasn’t aged well in a lot of ways. Also, all these years of seeing posters of Audrey Hepburn from this film and I never knew her character was a big ol’ ho. This explains a lot about at least two of my exes. Active Measures [Hulu] A- I’ve avoided watching this for over a year because I knew it’d just upset me. I had no idea how terrifyingly right I was. There are so many names, dates, and facts, to keep track of that it’s not an easy watch. However, the evidence the documentary lays out in relation to Putin & Russia’s ties at destabilizing the democratic societies of the world, and how Putin is slowly rebuilding the USSR with the aid of Donald Trump, is shocking. How Trump wasn’t removed from office during his impeachment defies logic. Spaceship Earth [Hulu] A- The Bioshpere-2 project was a media frenzy in the early 90s, even inspiring the classic(?) comedy Bio-Dome. This documentary is the behind the scenes story of the extraordinary goup of people who made it happen.
  8. Yeesh. Three strikes so far. Hopefully Larson is just rusty at it and will hit some home runs in the near future.
  9. Okay, let's see. Yep, your temperature is only 100.2. You're good to enter, sir.
  10. Come into a thread about Billie Eilish and the last post in said thread is about the Alabama Shakes. *breathes in deeply* This is the Hondo's I love! * I honestly do not get how Eilish became so huge or garnered so much acclaim, but I am glad she did. In a modern world dominated by such mediocrity on the pop charts with such utterly disposable "artists" it's refreshing to see true artists like Malone & Eilish become so huge. It gives me hope for the yewts of Murica--Eilish much more so than Malone. * Alabama Shakes are great. "Hold On" is an instant classic. Brittany Howard's solo album JAIME is also well worth your time if you're an Alabama Shakes fan. * Eilish's music is hit or miss with me, but both she and her brother Finneas seem like truly great young adults, ones who have earned their success. I really wish them both long and healthy careers. I'm gonna preach on Howard Stern here again. He did an epic interview with them and their parents. Spoiler: Eilish finds out in the interview she was conceived through IV. No lie. They go deeeep. Also her yearly interview on Vanity Fair is truly wonderful.
  11. It's working in Chrome, @Donatella. Give that a go. If you don't have Chrome on your iPhone, you need that anyway. Security is better than Safari. At least that's what I read recently on Forbes. Edit Um, never mind. I can see the messages, but it wants me to login to discord to participate. Eh...
  12. Watched the four episode UNORTHODOX miniseries on Netflix yesterday and damn, what an engaging and emotional roller coaster. The lead actress had a supporting role on a similar show about orthodox Jews in Israel, also found on Netflix, called Shtisel. (I tried to get into that one, but oi vey, not for me.) Anyway, back to Unorthodox, the acting by the Berlin cast of college friends is spotty, but everyone on the Satma Hassidic end of the story is excellent. The guy who plays Yanky gives one of the best understated performances I've seen in a long time. But the real star is the lead actress, Shira Haas. This girl has no ass. Why? Because she performed her ass off, y'all! Seriously, she has the stuff. Future Oscar winner stuff. I also dove deep into the woman whose memoir this is based on, Deborah Feldman. She has some great interviews out on YouTube and a truly fascinating life that wasn't completely touched on in the mini-series. I've a feeling this show, which I hope it continues with future episodes, is going to be similar to Orange is the New Black in that it will use the memoir as a springboard into other stories and themes that the original memoir touched on yet didn't actually occur in real life.
  13. Krasinski is back at it, now with Robert DeNiro dong the weather. 10/10 feels.
  14. I'm seriously trying to wean myself off of Legends. I've just already got so many and so little display room. It's getting outta hand over here. These newer waves are making it easier to pass on stuff. I'm gonna need AOA Darkbeast, Sunfire, & Apocalypse though. I managed to pass on the FF wave so far--except for Doom & She-Hulk. Ditto for the latest Spidey wave--except for Vulture. And @The NZA, I finally got me a Kingpin! Traded a guy at our second comic-con back in February some LEGO for the complete BAF. So only four new Legends figs acquired in the last three months. Pretty good for an addict. However...
  15. @Donatella you are in for a treat because prettymuch every show they're putting out there is first class, cream of the crop HBO. (Except for Ballers and anything after S2 of True Blood. Ha!) @alive she cried Iannucci left VEEP a few seasons before it finished, but the cast was so damn solid that the show did not lose a beat. He's got a new show on HBO that wrapped up S1 called Avenue 5. It's similar to VEEP in that it's mostly about people, and especially people in authority, being dumb and behaving poorly. Just this time it's set in a future sci-fi world instead of politics, and the authority figures are CEOs and management instead of politicians. However, Avenue 5 gets muuuch darker much more quickly than VEEP.
  16. The campaign manager seemed mostly normal, but he became suspect for me when he started talking out of both sides of his mouth about Joe. Like 95% of the people interviewed he was lying on screen. Travis, yeah, that's another story. He's a tough one for me to classify as a "bad guy," too. But much like the campaign manager, he had some dubious actions that make it hard for me to firmly put him in the "good guy" category. Travis'death was certainly tragic. His funeral and memorial service were almost equally as tragic. However, he was an adult (granted, a young one) who made lifestyle choices on his own. Those choices included some very bad ones, such as doing drugs while misusing firearms. A grown man mishandling firearms like that reaps what he sows. Based on what I saw from the doc, I feel like Travis' death was not a suicide.
  17. Legion S3 actually wrapped up in 2019. I just wasn't able to watch it until it hit Hulu last month.
  18. Easy enough mistake since in the doc he wasn't referred to by his preferred gender. I just saw the Spade interview before I posted, which is why I knew. Saff is laid back about the error in the documentary--which goes to my original point: Saff was one of the good guys, if not the best guy in the doc. He got an arm amputated and was back at work five days later. He ain't got time to be upset over honest mistakes and misused pronouns. Saff is a legit BAMF.
  19. All of these films are currently available on streaming services [Amazon Prime, HBO, Hulu, & Netflix]... Miss Americana: Taylor Swift B I found this an interesting yet incomplete look into arguably the biggest pop star of a generation. You can tell Swift got approval on the final cut as there are some, for lack of a better word, chunks missing. She also takes herself a bit too seriously, but is clearly passionate about women’s rights and equality. The fact she resisted pressure from family and business advisers to speak out on her political beliefs and risk alienating a large part of he fan base showed she has some real character. Marriage Story B+ Well damn, that was heart-wrenching. If everyone is the hero of their own story then how does that play out in a divorce? How does a schism create a whole? This film examines these questions in a fairly satisfying way. The Two Popes A How much of this film is fiction and how much is truth? I do not know. But I do know as someone who was raised Catholic, and still believes things like the papacy can do more good than harm in the world, this film is what I hope the unprecedented transition of power from one living pontiff to another was really like. Also, the direction and performances are impeccable. Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez A- I’m not much of a true crime buff, but Netflix keeps making these compelling doc films broken up into three or four one hour episodes. I knew nothing more than the headlines when it came to Hernandez’s story, and wow, what a compelling modern day tragedy his life is. Very well edited, especially the prison audio tapes and surveillance camera footage, which are a key part of the film/series/whatever you wanna call this thing. Mel Brooks: Unwrapped B HBO doc that edits together different BBC interviews over 30+ years between Brooks & BBC muckity-muck Alan Yentob. Brooks goofs off and adlibs throughout with a Robin Williams-esque energy. Despite it’s haphazard and less than cohesive structure, the doc reveals a few sincere tidbits about Brooks that he lets escape, like the passion he has for singing (he idolizes Sinatra), playing drums, and the “seriousness” of his films. I’d say this is mostly entertaining for Brooks fans only and not the best intro to the man and his work. Long Shot B- Decent enough rom-com. Formulaic, though it does some gender reversal for a few conventions of the genre, and light despite the political backdrop. Hearts Beat Loud C+ It’s one of those movies about music with original songs that are good. It’s one of those films that has a lot of talented, likeable people, like a great new actress who can sing well, Toni Collette, Ted, Danson, Blythe Danner, & Nick Offerman. Has to be great, right? Nope. It’s one of those films with a great premise but a paper thin script and milquetoast direction. It’s one of those films where the parts are greater than the whole. Also, it has a kickass poster. Just sayin’. Spenser Confidential C+ Another film based on a television show, which was based on a series of novels. But I have fond memories of watching Robert Urich & Avery Brooks solve crimes on Spenser: For Hire, so I was looking forward to this film directed by Peter Berg. Unfortunately Berg phones this one in. I think he was like, “Pshh. It’s a Netflix movie, not a real movie.” Mark Wahlberg stars as his typical blah self. The real shinning moments in this film come from Winston Duke as the underused Hawk, and Iliza Schlesinger as Spenser’s sharp tongued ex. Worth a look for some mindless mediocre action and a few decent laughs. National Lampoon’s Dirty Movie D It’s basically a bunch of dirty (meaning heavy on the sexism, racism, and pedophilia) jokes strung together as short sketches. It also has a bit of debate on "what is funny," a heaping helping of gratuitous nudity, Robert Klein & Christopher Meloni. But no gratuitous nudity of Klein & Meloni.
  20. Finally finished S1 a few days ago. S1E7 was so damn great. This is what I hope we get more of in S2. S1E09-10 though were just a total shit show. The absolute worst of this show was on display in the two-part finale--story/plot points totally ignored or left unanswered, characters behaving in ways contradictory to previous behavior, bat-shit illogical actions by characters--just piss poor writing and continuity overall.
  21. I just finished OZARK S3E1 and it was so damn perfect I almost don't want to watch anymore of the season because it can only be downhill from here. Here are some quarantine binges I've completed: so far * Tiger King [Netflix] - If you haven't seen it then what are you waiting for? The memes in your feed do not do it justice. It must be experienced. * The Outsider - S1 [HBO] - Great for binging. A detective procedural mixed with a tinge of the supernatural. X-Files vibes. Cynthia Erivo steals the show. * You're The Worst S1-5 [Hulu] - Binged the complete series. I watched S1 when it first came out years ago, but somehow lost track of it and never picked it back up. Once all the FX show became available on Hulu I dove back in. It's got drama, comedy, sex, and an awesome theme song. Highly recommended. * Legion - S3 [Hulu] - If you have slept on this show, then now is the time to jump in! Highly binge-able show. This is a story in three parts and the whole series is now available, three seasons totaling 27 episodes. As an X-Men fan, I was highly pleased by this series. The astral plane and what it means to be a telepath were uually my favorite stories in the comics. It's got a perfect cast as well, led by Dan Stevens & Aubrey Plaza. * Single Parents - S2 [Hulu] - The creator of New Girl is co-creator of this show, which is one of the main reasons I stick with it despite it being so mediocre. It's mostly background TV for me. But the guy who plays Jimmy from You're The Worst pops in for the final two episodes of the season, which was nice. * Ugly Delicious - S1 & S2 [Netflix] - Chef and restauranteur David Chang host these hour-ish long episodes, which feature way too many guests to name, based around exploring food and its effect on culture. Highly entertaining and informative.
  22. You're approximately correct here. I think there are at least two, maybe only two, good people in this doc. Reinke, the guy who was missing both legs, was one. And maybe the best person in this doc is the guy who lost his arm to a tiger, Saff. He gave a great interview with David Spade recently.
  23. Corona19 quarantine life got me writing more opinions no one asked for about movies. So grab some popcorn and your favorite quarantini, we're going to the movies... Uncut Gems A Adam Sandler’s performance along with the editing and music make this a suspense film driven solely by one man’s obsessive, self destructive behavior to constantly get a “better deal” in all aspects of life. It’s riveting from start to finish. 1917 [IMAX] B+ The film is beautiful and the gimmick of “one continuous shot” sold me on seeing it in IMAX, but really it didn’t feel as epic in scope as I’d hoped it would. The character development was minimal and the plot not so original, however, the film’s overall pace kept me engaged. The Gentlemen B Great performances and a well paced little crime plot, but not as many laughs as were advertised or anticipated. Enjoyable but mostly forgettable. Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn C This was definitely trying to be the DC version of Deadpool, but they didn’t go full on comedy. They tried to cram too many ancillary characters in. There were a lot of fight sequences, but they all felt choreographed. And worst of all, they tried to make you believe someone treating other people like shit (usually via theft) was an acceptable moral path to life. It’s a giant mess. The fact I like Mary Elizabeth Winstead (who was wasted in this) and Margot Robbie as performers as well as their characters so much (as portrayed in other media) is the only reason this film gets this high of a grade. The Call of the Wild B- I love, love, love the original Jack London novel. This film mostly gets the protagonist, Buck, correct. It expands greatly on John Thornton, but changes him in some unnecessary ways. And the film also totally shits on the tone and theme of the classic book. London wrote about the violence and unpredictability of nature, and why it should be respected—survival of the fittest. His book is stark, brutal, and violent. This film is all about the magic of nature—it Disney-fied London’s novel. If they wanted to make a “man and his dog go adventuring in the wilderness” movie, then fine. The CGI dogs were fine. Harrison Ford is fine. Dan Stevens is fine. Calling this movie Call of the Wild—not fine. Parasite A- This Korean satire about the wealth divide in South Korea seems applicable to all forms of classism, meaning the themes are nothing new. However, the real poetry here comes in the direction and cinematography. The third act has some surprises and some disappointments, but it’s overall a beautiful, and darkly humorous film. Terminator: Dark Fate B+ The TERMINATOR franchise is just a hot damn mess. But all the nostalgia buttons and member berries were working at full capacity seeing Linda Hamilton kick ass on screen again. Seriously, the first 10 minutes alone are worth it for any T2 fans. The script is bonkers, just so many weird plot holes and leaps of logic. However, the action and pacing are outstanding. Mackenzie Davis is also fantastic as the soldier from the future. (Marvel should recast her as Carol Danvers in Phase 4. Just sayin’.) I was surprised how much I enjoyed this film. It’s better than it has any right to be, and it’s definitely worth a look if you passed on it in the theaters.
  24. It's . . . uneven. It really wants to be Inglorious Basterds the TV show in the sense it takes Tarantino's cinematic style and penchant for rewriting history. It reminds me of the Marvel Netflix series in a lot of ways--great premise, cast, and production but an oft-times meandering story with uneven characterization and tone as well as repetitive character beats/moments.
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