Movies and TV shows (general recommendation thread)

[Xerxes]

Already cancelled Netflix. Couldn't even finish Ozark's last season. It was second attempt to watch it.

I'll be trying "Traitors" and "1899" before my subcription runs out.

 

Traitors (TV series) - Wikipedia

 

This below is by the way a great spy movie on Netflix. Real story on the months leading to the Egypt-Israel war in 1973.

Don't spoil the ending by reading it.

The True Story Behind the Netflix Movie 'The Angel' | Time

 

 

------------------------------

Cannot wait till few weeks from now where I can click on "purchase" on Prime and get a hold of :

 

- New season of Yellowstone

- 1923 => Yellowstone prequal but 1883 sequel 

- Second season of "Mayor of Kingstown" => highly recommend

- Tulsa King (maybe)

 

That's some real TV !  not some algorithem driven top-down manufactur mumbo-jumbo content

[Spekulatius]

1 hour ago, rkbabang said:

 

 

I agree with this lately.  Treason wasn't bad, but it was just mediocre at best.   The other series I watched lately was "The Recruit".  It was probably better than Treason, but not great either, because it wasn't believable.  It was almost a cartoonish idea of how the CIA operates.  I don't know if they were trying to be funny or what, but it ended up just being somewhat dumb.

 

“The Recruit” is definitely satire. think, “The Office” but with CIA instead of Dundee Mifflin paper company. It’s not the greatest show, but fairly entertaining.p for what it is.

[Gregmal]

Tried watching the Netflix Madoff series. Awful. They made it seem like all this guy did was skip through a dark office with a cigar, pointing at people as if he s Will Ferrell.

[ACooke]

59 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

Tried watching the Netflix Madoff series. Awful. They made it seem like all this guy did was skip through a dark office with a cigar, pointing at people as if he s Will Ferrell.

 

Yeah I tried this one last night too - boring - made it through 1 episode and doubt I'll revisit it.

I'm sure some of that's because I already know the story quite well but also - have you really got 4 and a half hours of material there?

 

 

[ACooke]

I've been watching 'Tokyo Vice' as per some recommendations in this thread - great show.

[Spekulatius]

I highly recommend Retrograde - a documentary about the US pullout from Afghanistan in 2020-21 from a soldier POV  (US and Afghan).

https://films.nationalgeographic.com/retrograde
 

It streams on the National Geographic channel on Disney+

[Xerxes]

“Pale Blue Eyes” with Christian Bale is a really good movie.
 

Really well made, you really feel the pre-Edison look of it, even during the day time where most of the lighting comes from the sun when the scenes happens in a room.  

(surprisingly for Netflix)

[Spekulatius]

15 minutes ago, Xerxes said:

“Pale Blue Eyes” with Christian Bale is a really good movie.
 

Really well made, you really feel the pre-Edison look of it, even during the day time where most of the lighting comes from the sun when the scenes happens in a room.  

(surprisingly for Netflix)

I agree. It is much better than the reviews indicate in my opinion. It has an ominous feel throughout with the blueish color palette and the casting is strong as well.

[Xerxes]

^^^ I watched it only because I knew C Bale wouldn’t be in movie with bad writing. Yes based on a book but still writing and directing can be bad. 
 

I finished “Treason” the so-called “spy thriller”. OMG. Who wrote that thing. So cheesy, and predictable. Good actors and good budget but clearly the actors are just there to squeeze a fist full of dollars. Contrast that to “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”, that you need to watch a few times and still not catching the whole plot.  

 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinker_Tailor_Soldier_Spy_(film)

[DooDiligence]

 

[Luca]

Ill throw in some hardcore horror for fans of the genre: Incredibly sophisticated and shocking down to the bone, brilliant acting, unbelievable story. One of the best horror movies i have seen.

 

 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1029234/reviews?ref_=tt_urv

 

 

[Cod Liver Oil]

This is kind of great. You can watch it with your kids. We all cried.

 

 

 

[Spekulatius]

20 hours ago, DooDiligence said:

 

I watched it when released on HBO. It’s a pretty good movie.

 

In the similar genre, I watched the second season of Wiking Valhalla and wasn’t impressed. The first season of Valhalla (and of course the original series) was very good, but this one just didn’t cut it.

 

I scratched Treason off my list. Looked already questionable and generic, so I am not going to put time in it @Xerxes

[flesh]

4 hours ago, Luca said:

Ill throw in some hardcore horror for fans of the genre: Incredibly sophisticated and shocking down to the bone, brilliant acting, unbelievable story. One of the best horror movies i have seen.

 

 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1029234/reviews?ref_=tt_urv

 

 

I highly recommend nobody watches this. There's scenes from this movie.... I saw it shortly after it's release to dvd renting it from blockbusters... that can't forget but I'd like to. It's truly shockingly evil. Something like Hostel is similar but because it's less seemingly real... it doesn't move you like this one. On the other hand if you want to test your ability to remain detached from your visceral innate responses... you could try it with this is front of your face. 

 

One of the problems with media like this is that I can't help but believe that these shows provide a recipe for some of the most deranged in the world and I really don't think they need any new ideas. I wish we could stop making templates for the most unimaginable evils. 

 

If you are still curious and thinking you'll try it, don't read anything about it just watch it. Knowing the twists beforehand ruins it. Dont read synopses or watch trailers. 

Edited January 21, 2023 by flesh

[backtothebeach]

1 hour ago, flesh said:

I highly recommend nobody watches this. There's scenes from this movie.... I saw it shortly after it's release to dvd renting it from blockbusters... that can't forget but I'd like to. It's truly shockingly evil. Something like Hostel is similar but because it's less seemingly real... it doesn't move you like this one. On the other hand if you want to test your ability to remain detached from your visceral innate responses... you could try it with this is front of your face. 

 

One of the problems with media like this is that I can't help but believe that these shows provide a recipe for some of the most deranged in the world and I really don't think they need any new ideas. I wish we could stop making templates for the most unimaginable evils. 

 

If you are still curious and thinking you'll try it, don't read anything about it just watch it. Knowing the twists beforehand ruins it. Dont read synopses or watch trailers. 

Yeah, I’ve never been much into horror movies, but getting older it seems I’ve gotten more sensitive. Especially travel related stuff, like the Netflix series, “The serpent”, which is not even horror, but hits close to home.

 

In 1990 I flew to Jakarta, Indonesia, arriving when it was already dark, and at the airport followed some guy looking for travelers that needed accommodation. Together with some other backpackers we entered a van, taking us to some room in downtown Jakarta, where we slept on mattresses thrown on the floor in a bare, carpeted room. I think for a moment in the van, I had the thought “what if they are criminals”, but I quickly pushed it away lol.

All good, nothing happened. Thinking of it, at the time we had no cell phone or electronics except a pocket camera, no credit cards, little cash, just traveller checks. Different times.

[Luca]

1 hour ago, flesh said:

I highly recommend nobody watches this. There's scenes from this movie.... I saw it shortly after it's release to dvd renting it from blockbusters... that can't forget but I'd like to. It's truly shockingly evil. Something like Hostel is similar but because it's less seemingly real... it doesn't move you like this one. On the other hand if you want to test your ability to remain detached from your visceral innate responses... you could try it with this is front of your face. 

 

One of the problems with media like this is that I can't help but believe that these shows provide a recipe for some of the most deranged in the world and I really don't think they need any new ideas. I wish we could stop making templates for the most unimaginable evils. 

 

If you are still curious and thinking you'll try it, don't read anything about it just watch it. Knowing the twists beforehand ruins it. Dont read synopses or watch trailers. 

I understand your point of view and its certainly not for everybody. In the end there is this question: Why make a film like this and watch it? It starts at: Why watch a normal scary movie, why do we like to feel scared/excited. I think there is the human nature that likes to explore and have an adventure, for that we have the normal thriller on netflix etc.

 

Then we have movies like martyrs etc which just go beyond all borders and take people on a horrific trip that just leaves you bonkers. I think the following reviews capture the essence of the film very well: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Luca]

32 minutes ago, backtothebeach said:

Yeah, I’ve never been much into horror movies, but getting older it seems I’ve gotten more sensitive. Especially travel related stuff, like the Netflix series, “The serpent”, which is not even horror, but hits close to home.

 

In 1990 I flew to Jakarta, Indonesia, arriving when it was already dark, and at the airport followed some guy looking for travelers that needed accommodation. Together with some other backpackers we entered a van, taking us to some room in downtown Jakarta, where we slept on mattresses thrown on the floor in a bare, carpeted room. I think for a moment in the van, I had the thought “what if they are criminals”, but I quickly pushed it away lol.

All good, nothing happened. Thinking of it, at the time we had no cell phone or electronics except a pocket camera, no credit cards, little cash, just traveller checks. Different times.

Its 100% not for the sensitive hearted and i recommend watching it alone or with a hardcore horror friend

[Luca]

2 hours ago, flesh said:

One of the problems with media like this is that I can't help but believe that these shows provide a recipe for some of the most deranged in the world and I really don't think they need any new ideas. I wish we could stop making templates for the most unimaginable evils. 

 

And interesting point that they could be a recipe. I dont think there should be thrillers and murder movies at all if you go along with that argument. Its just a genre and a movie, a shocking one for sure! 

[formthirteen]

No spoilers:

 

Candy - crime mini-series about i*******y

The English - western mini-series about the E*****h, s******s, and I*****s

The Responder - B*****h drama series

The Bear - series about a s*******h shop in C******o

The Old Man - ******

Edited January 22, 2023 by formthirteen

[flesh]

21 hours ago, Luca said:

And interesting point that they could be a recipe. I dont think there should be thrillers and murder movies at all if you go along with that argument. Its just a genre and a movie, a shocking one for sure! 

There's a huge difference to the person dying how they die. Getting shot and bleeding out in a few minutes vs what happens in martyrs is night and day. I'd kill myself and my son if the alternative was that one of us had to be a martyr. 

 

The reason they are martyred while somewhat interesting actually makes the whole idea/movie worse... because now the most evil imaginable... way beyond the holocaust and similar... has been presented with a seemingly interesting worthy reason to do it. 

[Luca]

2 hours ago, flesh said:

There's a huge difference to the person dying how they die. Getting shot and bleeding out in a few minutes vs what happens in martyrs is night and day. I'd kill myself and my son if the alternative was that one of us had to be a martyr. 

 

The reason they are martyred while somewhat interesting actually makes the whole idea/movie worse... because now the most evil imaginable... way beyond the holocaust and similar... has been presented with a seemingly interesting worthy reason to do it. 

Fair enough, movie is not for everyone. It does leave an impression and for you it was a horrible one, perhaps thats why martyrs truly deserves the genre ,,horror,,. I watched it first because i heard from some people how horrific it is and my curiosity won, i also watched and was shocked etc but of course also had some distance because in the end its just a movie. But thats art, not all art makes you feel well, horrific cruelsome paintings are also worth looking at but not for some. Zdzisław Beksiński comes to mind as a ,,horror,, painter:

 

[Parsad]

I still think The Exorcist is the scariest movie I've ever seen.  The character build-up, the sounds, sights, horror, score...still terrifying 40 years later!  Cheers!

[Spekulatius]

14 hours ago, formthirteen said:

No spoilers:

 

Candy - crime mini-series about i*******y

The English - western mini-series about the E*****h, s******s, and I*****s

The Responder - B*****h drama series

The Bear - series about a s*******h shop in C******o

The Old Man - ******

The English (On Prime Video) is a first rate Neo Western. I watch it now and highly recommend it.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Spekulatius

[Luca]

14 hours ago, Parsad said:

I still think The Exorcist is the scariest movie I've ever seen.  The character build-up, the sounds, sights, horror, score...still terrifying 40 years later!  Cheers!

@flesh Perhaps @Parsad should watch martyrs xD

[Spekulatius]

On 1/22/2023 at 7:54 PM, Spekulatius said:

The English (On Prime Video) is a first rate Neo Western. I watch it now and highly recommend it.

I finally finishes this limited neo western series (The English) and think it's a masterpiece. It kept getting better each episode. Highly recommended.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11771270/