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What are you watching?

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I'll be watching this Nova episode on PBS tonight, even though
1 -- it's available on YouTube, because I prefer to watch it on TV instead of my phone; and
2 -- I've seen it once, but I'm particularly dense!
 
OK I confess: I recently watched "Wyvern" yet again.
A 2009 movie featuring little known actors, an implausible plot, standard premise, and improbable denouement.
Yet for me somehow, it seems to 'have everything.'
The actors deliver their parts well, the characters are somewhat plausible given the nature of the setting overall, and the lacing of tension with humor plays well for me.
It's another great 'background flick' I can put on and ignore while I do more important things. Yet each time I actually focus on it, I again see something new I hadn't noticed before.
It's listed as a 'horror/scifi' genre thing, but there's just enough lightness to it to keep it from being 'dark.' I can't quite get it to 'horror' though it could have been made to be so.
I find it 'pleasant.'
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The original obviously because the new one's trash.
There's always a certain difficulty with 'copycat-ism' isn't there? And it wasn't even really a 'copy-cat.'
I confess, while I try to keep an open mind and evaluate things on the basis of what they really are and provide, I did not find much in the new one to speak to.
Surely there must be something to say something good about, but well - nothing - noting has stuck with me.
 
Yeah, I think the only 'remake' I can give any big kudos to, is the 1939 remake of The Wizard of Oz. (There were two earlier versions made, though I think only one would be considered a real 'film effort.' I'll have to check again.)

In spite of its many divergences from the book, and gaffs within the film itsellf, it 'holds up well' given what it set out to do.
 
Don't forget the 1925 remake of Ben Hur!
Oh yes, sorry. Also a 'superior' effort.

I'm pondering a possibility. Back in those days, the focus seemed to be on making the STORY itself better - more consistent - more 'playable.'
In more recent times, the focus seems to have been to make the "effects" more spectacular - the gruesomeness more gory - the visual effect more dramatic.

I wonder if in part this explains the failure of more recent remakes. War of the Worlds is a classic example of highlighting the gore rather than the story. of course, I must confess to a certain complete lack of appreciation for the skills of the lead actor as well - but I didn't let that cloud my review of 'the rest of the story.' (A Paul Harvey borrowing, for any who know.)

But we start to derail this thread now I suppose, so... back to the basics.
 
Followup on DPR Ian: I mentioned MITO, his DID "protective" alter, on the previous page; here's a short film Ian made about him, using parts of four of his songs in a sort of sampler:
MITO is often shown with wings, or flying; Ian views him as a fallen angel, as portrayed in the first song, "Seraph", where he says "Set my wings on fire". When you see the figure with one blind eye (which is on his finger) that's MITO.
 
I've been trying to watch Stranger Things. I've made it into S2, but I've never been able to deal with horror shows (coward that I am!). However, this August I'm traveling to New York City to meet cousins from the other side of the States, and we've all got tickets to the Broadway production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow. My daughter tells me that even the play is scary, so I'm going to hold onto my seat.

I am, naturally, waiting for the next season of House of the Dragon (December of 2025, I'm told). I can NOT wait for the next season of The Rings of Power, but I'm told they've just started filming it, so who knows when it'll be out?

Am really psyched about watching S5 of You. Just finished Department Q on Netflix, liked it very much. Watched all seasons of Succession, not long ago. It's been out there for a long time, but I hadn't watched it before, and the last S dropped earlier this year.

Ones on Netflix that look interesting to me are Tidelands, Fate, Warrior Nun, and The Protector. Has anybody watched any of them?
 
I've been trying to watch Stranger Things. I've made it into S2, but I've never been able to deal with horror shows (coward that I am!). However, this August I'm traveling to New York City to meet cousins from the other side of the States, and we've all got tickets to the Broadway production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow. My daughter tells me that even the play is scary, so I'm going to hold onto my seat.

I am, naturally, waiting for the next season of House of the Dragon (December of 2025, I'm told). I can NOT wait for the next season of The Rings of Power, but I'm told they've just started filming it, so who knows when it'll be out?

Am really psyched about watching S5 of You. Just finished Department Q on Netflix, liked it very much. Watched all seasons of Succession, not long ago. It's been out there for a long time, but I hadn't watched it before, and the last S dropped earlier this year.

Ones on Netflix that look interesting to me are Tidelands, Fate, Warrior Nun, and The Protector. Has anybody watched any of them?
I pray the new season of Rings of Power never comes out.
 

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