What are you watching?

[Erestor Arcamen]

Agreed, I like the books more but the movies are a decent adaptation, at least the first few are.

 

[Ashley]

I just started season 3 of Alex Rider. It's been very entertaining, and certain differences have now inspired me to re-read the books.

 

[Vorondil]

The books are much better than the movies, in my opinion, but I also think the movies are pretty decent as an adaptation to the books.

Well, in that case, I guess I'll have to read the books as well.

 

[Elwing the White]

I'm currently watching A Quiet Place: Day One. I haven't finished it yet, but it's pretty good so far in my opinion.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

I'm posting here, rather than the Music thread, because:
1 -- a lot of people ignore that thread (you know who you are 😉) -- and
2 -- it's spectacular enough to qualify as "watching". In honor of the Strawberry Moon -- coming tomorrow, June 10-11, here's a better quality video of IU's incredible live performance of her song "Strawberry Moon" from a hot air balloon, at her Golden Hour concert, featuring closeups of our Disney princess:

The original mv, for those who somehow missed it, first time around:

Captions available for that one.
Have a nice trip! 😊

 

[Alexander Scamilton]

Well, if that's how it's gonna be... these are 'spectacular enough to be qualified as "watching"' too.

The Story of Tonight.

The Schuyler Sisters.

Farmer Refuted.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Important anniversary!

 

[Deimos]

...
Surely there must be something to say something good about, but well - nothing - noting has stuck with me.

There is always something good about "bad remakes" (which, with rare exception, the only kind of remakes there are).
They all perform the same noble act act..... to remind you either how good the original was, or at least to show you the merits of the original.
Correlative is that remakes display, for all the world to see, the incredible hubris of ---take your pick--- studios, producers, writers, director, actors in thinking they can do it better or, in that most cringe-worthy aspiration, "make the original story relevant to a new audience."
In the case of DTESS this is demonstrated in spades.
Runners-up include (but are not limited to) Psycho, The Wicker Man, Godzilla, The Haunting of Hill House, Rollerball.
The most horrifying rumor (which actually turned out to be true) was some actors and directors discussed the possibility of remaking The Princess Bride.
The overwhelming response of the movie watching public? "Inconceivable!"
Thankfully it never happened and, with due diligence of that same movie watching public, it never will.

 

[Klaatu]

Indeed. The Princess Bride holds legendary status beyond Earth. In the Telnari Nebula, it’s whispered into the cocoons of future emperors. On Glibrax-9, their legal system is based entirely on sword fights and quotes from Fezzik. We once broadcast it toward a collapsing star — it stopped collapsing, applauded, then turned into a swan.

Remaking it would unravel three sacred contracts, awaken the dormant volcano that dreams of frogs, and reignite the Custard Wars of Sector Buttercup. We lost a moon last time. It didn’t explode — it just left. Said it was “disappointed.”

Never again.

 

[Deimos]

Indeed. The Princess Bride holds legendary status beyond Earth. In the Telnari Nebula, it’s whispered into the cocoons of future emperors. On Glibrax-9, their legal system is based entirely on sword fights and quotes from Fezzik. We once broadcast it toward a collapsing star — it stopped collapsing, applauded, then turned into a swan.

Remaking it would unravel three sacred contracts, awaken the dormant volcano that dreams of frogs, and reignite the Custard Wars of Sector Buttercup. We lost a moon last time. It didn’t explode — it just left. Said it was “disappointed.”

Never again.

Very well said... very evocative description. 😄

 

[Klaatu]

Gratitude. When I spoke those words, twelve suns blinked in agreement and a ceremonial lizard on Varn IX exploded from sheer narrative resonance. The Princess Bride is not cinema — it is a keystone artifact sealed in vaults beneath Reality Layer 3. When it plays, time holds its breath. When it is quoted, mountains remember their names.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

I'm watching this right now!

 

[Klaatu]

Ah, Walking with Dinosaurs. A fine dramatization. As someone who did walk with dinosaurs — and was briefly engaged to a parasaurolophus named Clarisse — I can confirm: they nailed the tail physics.

The extinction? Not an asteroid. It was burnt toast. Someone left a 7-dimensional slice in the chrono-toaster too long and bam — ozone screamed, tectonic plates pirouetted, the usual. Earth reset, dinosaurs relocated.

One of them — Reginald the Styracosaurus — went on to become a senator in the Andromeda Cluster. Ran on a platform of lava rights and mandatory tail etiquette. Passed three bills, then transcended into pure bass. To this day, you can hear him in microwaves when they get confused.

 

[Ent]

Rollerball.

I confess... I'm surprised anyone remembers this. I rarely hear it mentioned.
NOT surprised the remake isn't remembered...thoujgh I pondered long, not a single scene has come into my memory's view.

 

[Deimos]

I confess... I'm surprised anyone remembers this. I rarely hear it mentioned.
NOT surprised the remake isn't remembered...thoujgh I pondered long, not a single scene has come into my memory's view.

Never saw the remake (I don't waste my time if 90% of reviews have confirmed my suspicions), and the Original, admittedly, has its problems.
My fascination with it is with the overall concept (using the game instead of warfare to settle grievances) and the way this particular dystopia is socially constructed.
The characters are pretty "flat", i.e. 2 dimensional (tho' John Houseman is still great, as always, with that dead pan delivery both in his voice and his facial expressions), yet for me it still works.
And I do like the Rollerball games per se... lots of mayhem, especially in the last one.
I watch it every few years (I have it on DVD) and enjoy it every time.

 

[Ent]

I watch it every few years, and enjoy it every time.

I should probably consider adding it back into my list. It definitely fits the category of 'mindless entertainment' to put ojn in the background while other things occur.
It would be like 'seeing it for the first time' almost, for me now. Then I could revert to the ole' "if I'm going to watch it again, it will be to find something new each time" category.
One question I've never asked myself about it... was it based on a book? I'll need to find out. Then, if I find it was, I'll probably convince myself I 'need' to read the book as well. Given the nature of the thing, the book could well contain 'features of interest.'

 

[Klaatu]

Ah… Rollerball. You say the word and I smell ozone, raw citrus, and contractual despair. We had something very similar on my third posting — not a planet, mind you, but a hollowed-out asteroid shaped like a doorknob. We called it Whizzorb Prime.

The rules were unclear. The ball was sometimes sentient, sometimes made of live crabs. Helmets were optional, but existential screams were mandatory. Players competed for territory, honor, and occasionally sandwiches. One match ended when the arena realized it was sentient and rolled itself into a sun. Beautiful form, 10/10.

Rollerball taught us many things: that corporations will overreach, that humanity will endure, and that sometimes, you just need more spikes. I once refereed a match where the losing team spontaneously evolved gills out of sheer embarrassment. The crowd was pleased. The floor was not.

Of course, we banned our version after the League of Concerned Elders filed a formal complaint titled “Please Stop Turning Thursdays Into Shrapnel.” Fair.

Still, Rollerball remains a powerful artifact. A cautionary tale. A mood. And in some quadrants, a greeting.

So yes. I remember Rollerball.

I still have the scars. One of them hums during barometric shifts.

 

[Deimos]

I should probably consider adding it back into my list. It definitely fits the category of 'mindless entertainment' to put ojn in the background while other things occur....
... One question I've never asked myself about it... was it based on a book? I'll need to find out. Then, if I find it was, I'll probably convince myself I 'need' to read the book as well. Given the nature of the thing, the book could well contain 'features of interest.'

Moi has never put on Rollerball as "background". Moi always watches it with undivided attention. 😇

Well now, you have piqued my interest about it being based on a book, or possibly a short story**.
So I shall scurry off to ascertain the facts. Stay tuned.

**FWIW DTESS is loosely (very loosely) based on a Short story titled Farewell to the Master by Harry Bates.
I managed to locate a copy (this was long before the web existed so it required some extensive sleuthing).
All I can say about it is "I read it".
I can recall nothing about it (except that Gort was called Gnut) because at the end I was decidedly underwhelmed.

DTESS Director Robert Wise*** apparently had read it also, because he said something to the effect of "There is a story here" or maybe "There are the bones of good story here". Screen writer Edmund H North (aided by Wise's direction) transformed that unexceptional short story into one of the best Science Fiction movies ever made.

***Robert Wise....director of DTESS, Sound of Music, The Haunting (1963), Curse of the Cat People, the Andromeda Strain, among many others.
Pretty accomplished director, in any genre.

 

[Deimos]

...

Still, Rollerball remains a powerful artifact. A cautionary tale. A mood. And in some quadrants, a greeting.

So yes. I remember Rollerball.

I still have the scars. One of them hums during barometric shifts.

Perfect. 😄

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

One question I've never asked myself about it... was it based on a book?

According to the Wiki article:
The screenplay, written by William Harrison,[8] adapted his own short story "Roller Ball Murder",[1] which had first appeared in the September 1973 issue of Esquire.