So, just finished watching every last Bond movie over a 5 day period.
Daniel Craig is THE best bond. For the longest I had Sean Connery as the undisputed champ. But the way Craig portrays bond, as well as the writing showing his maturity from casino royale Til sky fall, nevermind Spectre, Makes it the best era of bond films.
The bond films featuring pierce brosnan were kinda cheesy. Weren’t really feeling those too much.
Looking forward to the new one and which direction it goes, but for right now, Daniel Craig just fits the bond mold completely.
Thoughts?
Also, please post any critiques of movies/tv shows/franchises that you’re catching up on during quarantine.
I’ll be rewatching the lord of the rings movies in a bit.
Great idea for a thread! Our theaters are closed. I have watched some other stuff, or re-watched them. I have finished this week: Draft Day, which is spooky looking back now at "deja vu all over again." I also was delighted to watch the Tribe send-up Major League. I like Shhen and the manager especially. Wife and I also watched The Replacements twice. Love the Cheerleaders!. Another favorite was Forbidden Planet. (I am craving SPORTS!!) We also watched parts of Rocky Horror because we love the toonz and campy B-movie ridiculousness. These are some favorites of mine. Others?
I'm watching Boardwalk Empire again. I loved it the first time I watched it.
I have Netflix, thinking about trying out Hulu. As a side note to your post, I'd love to hear folks' thoughts on the various streaming services and whether or not their worth the coin. What is good to watch on them?
I want to watch Picard but I'm not sure CBS All Access being a good "investment"
I haven't watched a really good show/movie in awhile. Most of what I have seen is been kinda, "meh" so I'd love to hear what folks are watching.
Along these lines, I'm getting ready to one trial HBO again and binge a few shows... Need to catch up on Westworld and Curb, was thinking about Boardwalk as well.
I've been watching Dexter on Netflix, I'm on Season 6 and its becoming a bit tiresome and predictable, but overall its pretty good. The stories are well written, and there's quite a few well-drawn, interesting supporting characters. They managed to make a serial killer a sympathetic character because he only kills really bad guys.
I'm also re-watching The Sopranos even though I already know how much I hate the ending. For comic relief, I'm toggling between Seinfeld, The Office, and Parks and Recreation. Parks and Rec's' Ron Swanson might be my favorite sitcom character since Kramer.
Along these lines, I'm getting ready to one trial HBO again and binge a few shows... Need to catch up on Westworld and Curb, was thinking about Boardwalk as well.
Anything else binge-worth on HBO?
The Outsider was pretty good, ending kinda sucked.
Seasons 1 and 3 of True Detective. Didn't care for season 2.
McMillions is a great story/documentary.
You mentioned Westworld, we are half way though the second season.
Ok, decided not to do lord of the rings, and did the matrix trilogy instead.
Yes, there’s certainly story lines and questions that could be answered with the upcoming 4th installment, but anybody else notice that typically the sequel (2nd movie) of any franchise is the most cheesiest?
Clearly the goal in reloaded was for the graphic designers to unload all of their talent, because the 2nd one felt rushed in its story line.
Neo having to plug into the matrix in order to save Zion is something I brought up in other threads, but the messaging is Pretty good when you give the series a thorough rewatch.
I watched Rocket Man on Sunday night. I really enjoyed it. I’m not a huge Elton John fan but have enjoyed many of his songs over the years. Madman across the Water is a really good album. The only of his I’ve owned. The movie did a great job of using Elton’s music to drive the narrative of his life story. Taron Egerton did an incredible job playing Elton. Even if you’re not a big Elton fan I’d think you’d enjoy the movie. It’s just a well told story. It’s visually dynamic.
I watched ‘The 24 Hour War’ last night. A documentary on the Ford v Ferrari battles at LeMans. Fords’ pursuit to build a car that could win the race. What came out of the efforts was the GT40. (The 40 stands for 40”. The height of the car’s roofline.) Really well made. Great story that Hollywood portrayed in the Ford v Ferrari movie. Which I’ve also heard is really well done. I may check it out now too.
This evening I’m going to watch the documentary ‘Uppity’. The story of Willie T Ribbs the first African American to race the Indy 500. The Jackie Robinson of motorsports. I’ve heard really good reviews.
I’m not a motorsports guy but I like a good documentary and a well told story. These are both produced by Chassis. A production company that Adam Carolla heads. His team does good work from what I’ve seen.
I tried watching Mad Max Fury Road last night, went to bed about a half hour into it. I'll try again since apparently it has good reviews. I'm doubtful.
My wife an I enjoy a good play and usually went to a few a year on Brodaway.
One of our favorites, that Clint Eastwood turned in to a movie was Jersey Boys. It's a great movie.
We saw it on Broadway and a traveling production here in town maybe 2 years ago.
It's the story of the Four Seasons. Italian Jersey Boy's who ended up in the Rock Hall.
I don't care if you are my age or 50 years younger, black, red, olive, white, or green, you have heard the music, be it because you lived it or your parents/grandparents lived it. Good songs are good songs. On a side bar, what ever happened to radio stations that played everything? You know, pop, rock, country, and soul? Even some Gospel now and then. I like a mix of music. Now it is all or nothing., so I tend to gravitate to classic country. It seems to have the broadest boundaries.
Anyway, Jersey Boys is a good view. I give it A. Very entertaining. You will like it.
I love Daniel Craig as Bond. I grew up with Roger Moore as Bond, and he was my favorite by a mile for a long time. I also liked Connery, but he was in 2nd.
Timothy Dalton and Pierce Bronson were horrible, IMHO. I didn't enjoy the Bond films they were in at all.
Craig came along, and he immediately vaulted to the top. I think that I have seen every Bond film there is. (I am 99% sure, but maybe I missed one) To me, Craig takes everything that make previous Bonds great, whether it was the bulk of their performances, or just an aspect here or there, and puts it all together as the best Bond of all time. He is a more human Bond. He relies more on his skills than on having incredible tricks at his disposal. His Bond can be hurt. He knows what it is to suffer loss. He is human. He has flaws. He gets the job done anyway. He's serious about his job, as opposed to the tongue in cheek version played by previous actors. It's like watching the Batman TV show, which was enjoyable in its own way ....and then bringing on the "The Dark Knight".
He plays Bond as a man who could actually do what Bond does. Bond is a killer. He actually has a "license to kill". He looks like he could actually pull the trigger, but would never abuse that power. He just looks like a badass. He's not a Bond who is cracking wise all the time. He takes what he does seriously. I agree with you. I think he is the best Bond.
I don't like the whole, uh, action adventure "suspense" genre of movies, for me, I don't get it.
If something is about to happen, that ee'rbody know woulda in a , I mean like everyone has seen the ole re done scene like a monkey in a diaper is ... or anyone is about to be cut in half by the lumber yard circular saw and it's a race against the clock to free them from being tied up...
and they always play it out, where, oh the saw woulda cut that log in half 3 times over by the time they keep going back and forth to revist the scene, "this is """suspense""" movies,
I don't get it. I don't get em, why make those movies. Somebody likes them. Somebody out there likes them for them to make so many of this lousy type of movie, cause there are tons of em.
For me, that's not art. I tried to watch a terminater movie, maybe 4, 5 6 doesn't matter. I just don't get it, I watched the whole thing, but sure bout 15 minutes in, was like Why do I, why didn't I learn last time.
COMEDY, takes work, it's art, If a good movie can tell a story, I mean anybody can have a car chase, anybody can blow up a building, THAT'S NOT STORYTELLING. That's phoning it in.
I mean.
There's been a couple movies, I got done watching them, I was mad, mad because they were so good they made me rethink how I felt about the world.
Or at least were interesting to see how the end plays out. but if someone makes a movie and I've seen it before, I just don't feel very good about those.
Agree Daniel Craig is/was outstanding. I have yet to see the latest. Sean was "The" Bond for me for 30+ years, different era and different type of movie making then. The new Bond is much grittier and Craig is a perfect fit. Shout out to Dame Judy Dench who is magnificent in anything she ever appears in.
It's been a while - and I don't know what platform - but "The Night Manager" was one of the best short series I've seen in a while.
SaintDawg - Fury Road is sort of Meh. It doesn't stand up to an association with the original - it's too 'hollywood' for my taste.
Plan on watching Green Book after watching that trailer ... thanks!
My wife and I just watched Green Book tonight and we both agreed what a fantastic movie! We both loved it. Thank you for the recommendation as I never would have heard of it.
I love Daniel Craig as Bond. I grew up with Roger Moore as Bond, and he was my favorite by a mile for a long time. I also liked Connery, but he was in 2nd.
Timothy Dalton and Pierce Bronson were horrible, IMHO. I didn't enjoy the Bond films they were in at all.
Craig came along, and he immediately vaulted to the top. I think that I have seen every Bond film there is. (I am 99% sure, but maybe I missed one) To me, Craig takes everything that make previous Bonds great, whether it was the bulk of their performances, or just an aspect here or there, and puts it all together as the best Bond of all time. He is a more human Bond. He relies more on his skills than on having incredible tricks at his disposal. His Bond can be hurt. He knows what it is to suffer loss. He is human. He has flaws. He gets the job done anyway. He's serious about his job, as opposed to the tongue in cheek version played by previous actors. It's like watching the Batman TV show, which was enjoyable in its own way ....and then bringing on the "The Dark Knight".
He plays Bond as a man who could actually do what Bond does. Bond is a killer. He actually has a "license to kill". He looks like he could actually pull the trigger, but would never abuse that power. He just looks like a badass. He's not a Bond who is cracking wise all the time. He takes what he does seriously. I agree with you. I think he is the best Bond.
I completely agree. Craig is so much more believable as a super secret spy guy than Brosnan. I thought he was the worst.
I've been totally engrossing myself in everything 80's for the past week or so. I'm kind of an old soul but whatever. I'm on a Michael Mann, flashy, bold, crime drama kick and its been very good. To Live and Die in LA, Manhunter, and more, can't get enough.
I just started Miami Vice yesterday and I'm loving it!
OMG Its so good! There's just something really stylish about all his movies. Just from the music, the character behaviors, and how everything is shot. The movie Thief with James Caan is also one of my favorites. The diner scene in that movie is like nothing I've ever seen in any other movie, its really heartfelt.
Similar to Mann's work, Friedkin directed To Live and Die in LA in 1985 with William Peterson in it. Willem Dafoe really shines in it has villian Rick Masters. It has such a Miami Vice type feel to it that there was a rumor Mann sued Friedkin because of it, although I thought they were friends.
Had to go back and watch both Scarface and Taxi Driver again. I hadn't see either of them in several years and I must say, I think they both still stand the test of time.
wifey decided that we should all watch The Notebook together as a family.
remember: other than the dog, i'm the only male in the house. needless to say i was the only one NOT crying during the movie.
Do u have no heart bro ... LOVE THE NOTEBOOK and i ain’t ashamed to own it ... GREAT FLICK ...
Having to do with the heartbreaking topic of Alzheimer's, I always preferred the 2007 movie "Away from Her" to "The Notebook". A bit more understated/subtle, but worth a watch.
I like Craig as Bond as well. And I am looking forward to the next film in the series.
Right now I am watching Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on Netflix. Have not seen it before, and I am really liking it. Amazon has the next season of Jack Ryan available so that is next.
I know I'm not the only one watching "A Football Life." I had no idea it started in 2011. I've seen a few episodes so far and Ray Lewis is by far my fav.
Joe Namath's double episode was good.
Mean Joe Green's was just so-so.
Chad Johnson's episode was a fun watch, entertaining. What a loudmouth. Great build, you certainly can tell he still lifts weights.
-That's all that I can remember at the moment, I have a really bad memory. (Tomorrow I'll probably forget I posted this. lol)
Given that we are all trapped in the house,I added Netflix and Amazon Prime..
Over the last couple of days, We've watched the following
Once upon a time in... Hollywood Rocketman Yesterday The Irishman
Once upon a time was funny as hell.. Language is rough but I had lots of belly laughs.... Cracked me up.
Rocketman, I'm not big on Musical Movies, but this was pretty good. The kid that played Elton John was amazing. The music brought back a flood of memories...Lots of fun and scary stuff went on his life.
Yesterday: What a wierd premise. Some kinda black out caused everyone to forget the Beatles ever existed... Crazy, but funny.
The Irishman: How do you go wrong with Deniro, Pesci and Pacino all in staring roles.. Great flick. Long, but worth the watch
If you are a fan of the Beatles and the 60s in general check out across the universe.
I liked Rocket Man but would have preferred it not been done as much of a musical. I liked Bohemian Rhapsody a lot more due to it being more of a story than a musical.
And for those that liked the Insanity/stupidity of Tiger King, check out The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.
Also watched a pretty good documentary about a drug scandal within the analysis labs of Massachusetts called How to Fix a Drug Scandle. It really brings into question our justice system an the cover ups that occur when people on the “good guy” side are really bad.
I watched Knives Out with the wife and kid (she's almost 13). Not too bad for $6 over Amazon Prime (and it was "free" because I defer shipments for rewards).
It wasn't awesome, but a neat little whodunnit. Also Ana is pretty.
Haven't had time to watch many movies. Way behind. No recommendations.
For series, I'd recommend 'The Outsider' on HBO. I'm a Stephen King fan and it is one of the better adaptations I've seen. Ending of the book and show aren't the best, but he's gotten a lot of deserved flack for anti climatic endings.
I'm also recommending a new sci-fi series, 'Tales from the Loop', on Amazon. But also warning that it is very slow paced. It all takes place in one Ohio town but each episode is its own story with some characters overlapping them. If you are a fan of Twilight Zone, Black Mirror, and especially Ray Bradbury, I think you will like it. But prepare for some deep, often depressing stories. I compare to Ray Bradbury's work because it really focuses on the human condition more than the actual sci-fi elements.
I'm trying to find more (much needed) comedy lately. We finally finished 'Veep' on HBO, which I found so hilarious once it hit its stride.
Just finished the newest season of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and it was great as always.
Finally watching 'Parks & Rec' on Netflix. It lives up to the hype.
I want to watch 'Always Sunny in Philadelphia' (already saw half of the first season) and 'Schitt's Creek' (saw the first episode) but my wife keeps saying she wants to watch too but then picks something else. I'm annoyed and about to start without her. LOL
My wife liked the first, never watched the first until last night, and I got into the first one. I really enjoyed the theme of "you find your own happiness."
This second one revolves around what music is superior and things.
I hated where it ended up going.
Click to reveal..
At one point the main theme becomes "out differences make us. Don't make everyone the same style!" Then at the end there's a big song but it's a homogenized pop song that features small elements of the other genre.
My wife is the biggest Wizard fan. We're actually doing a huge puzzle right now lol. Saw it on the big screen again last year. Amazing movie.
Along those lines, and while the Wiz is fresh in your mind ~ Judy was amazing. More than the movie itself, Renée Zellweger stole the show, she won the Oscar for best actress last year for her performance.
I'm watching Boardwalk Empire again. I loved it the first time I watched it.
I have Netflix, thinking about trying out Hulu. As a side note to your post, I'd love to hear folks' thoughts on the various streaming services and whether or not their worth the coin. What is good to watch on them?
I want to watch Picard but I'm not sure CBS All Access being a good "investment"
I haven't watched a really good show/movie in awhile. Most of what I have seen is been kinda, "meh" so I'd love to hear what folks are watching.
Hulu is good. I have the no commercial subscription. I get many of the Network shows with it.
Amazon video is great and included with Prime. You can watch many of the HBO shows without the HBO subscription (Sopranos, Boardwalk, and the best show ever The Wire), They also have good original programming Bosch, Sneaky Pete, and Hand of God.
Good binge worthy shows on Netflix are Peaky Blinders and Ozark.
Watched Rudy with my girls last night. It holds up. Sure, it's not super accurate to the real story, but it's good stuff. I've seen it 50+ times but it was the first for my little girl. She thought it was great.
Amazon video is great if you have Prime and haven't taken advantage. With most services, though, the selection gets stale after a little while. I started watching The Expanse, and haven't figured out if I like it or not. When I decide, that will inform my decision to watch the season that just came out.
I like Hulu because they have an HBO add-on that, I feel, is definitely worth the money. Then, you have a bundle option with Disney+ and ESPN+, so I'm getting a fantastic deal on all 3. ESPN+ is largely useless, though.
Bill Walton reveals his favorite 35 movies of all-time -- a treat amid social-distancing and coronavirus
https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/2020/0...oronavirus.html By John Canzano | The Oregonian/OregonLive Bill Walton sent me his “Bill Walton Movie List” after our recent podcast interview in which we talked about how he’s staying busy during this era of social distancing and coronavirus.
His list of favorite movies is an eclectic jumble with a non-fiction bent. He likes documentaries, obviously. He likes big interviews, obviously. But there are a few surprises on his movie list, including one dramatic comedy that I haven’t seen.
Give the list a look. I found the best part to be that I hadn’t seen very many of them. I’m sorting through them myself, wondering what I might watch.
Walton loves him some Martin Scorcese films. He loves music, too. Also, Ken Burns’ documentary series work. At the very least, Walton’s movie list is an interesting look at the movies the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame player might throw on if you came to his teepee for a stretch.
Walton also gave me his top-book list. I’ll share that later in the week.
Here’s Bill Walton’s movie list:
• Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates (History of the mind and life of Bill Gates)
• Clive Davis – The Soundtrack of our Lives (Music-filled journey of hit-maker’s life)
• The Irishman (Robert De Niro stars, Martin Scorcese directs.)
• 20 Feet From Stardom (Untold stories of back-up singers)
• Searching for Sugar Man (True story of 1970s iconic rock star)
• The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned from a Mystical Man (Comedic icon chases urban legends and myths)
• Quincy (Life and career of Quincy Jones)
• Joan Dideon - The Center Will Not Hold
• The National Parks Series by Ken Burns
• The West Series by Ken Burns
• The Roosevelts by Ken Burns (Documentary)
• Prohibition by Ken Burns (Documentary on Prohibition)
• Free Solo (Documentary about free rock climber Alex Honnold)
• The Dawn Wall (Rock climbers in Yosemite)
• Fire On The Mountain (Grateful Dead-themed action sports film)
• John & Yoko - Above Us Only Sky (Untold story of Lennon’s “Imagine” album)
• The King’s Speech (Rousing period drama starring Colin Firth)
• David Crosby: Remember My Name (Life and career of Crosby)
• Echo in the Canyon (Documentary on how The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas & the Papas birthed the beginnings of a music scene)
• Clarence Clemons -- Who Do I Think I Am? (Documentary on Bruce Springsteen’s saxophonist)
• David Letterman – My Next Guest Needs No Introduction (Interview series)
• Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (Documentary on small bank prosecuted in financial crisis)
• Life Itself (Drama, romance)
• The Big Interview with Dan Rather (Interview series with entertainment bent)
• George Harrison: Living in a Material World (Martin Scorsese’s portrait of the late George Harrison)
• Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation (Documentary on Woodstock)
• Joe Cocker: Mad Dog with Soul (Documentary on the rise of Joe Cocker)
• Icarus (Netflix documentary about doping/sports)
• Immortal Beloved (Biography of Beethoven)
• Amadeus (Biographical drama of Mozart)
• Dirty Money (Netflix series on corporate corruption and fraud)
• Senna (Life of Brazilian motor-racing champion Ayrton Senna)
• Inequality for All (Robert Reich documentary on disparity of rich-poor)
• Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Film (Martin Scorsese chronicles life of Dylan)
• Long Strange Trip: The Untold Story of the Grateful Dead (Documentary)
Later in the week... I’ll post Bill Walton’s book list.
I just finished The Man in The High Castle, I really liked it, but I'm into that stuff. Also, just finished the first season of the Mandalorian and it was awesome. Like a space western.
I've seen a few episodes so far and Ray Lewis is by far my fav.