Thread: Rudy's TV Screen

Youtube One of my favorite Youtube movie reviewers is Chris Stuckmann. Ever since I stumbled upon these videos The Problem with Horror Movies Today and The Problem with Action Movies Today I thought his analysis was pretty spot on and I continue to think he's got a pretty good grasp of what makes a good movie, particularly because he's not jaded and he seems to genuinely love films. Some of them I don't agree with but even then I feel like he's very fair and gives things a chance. Plus, if he's going to tear a film a new one, he does so in a very entertaining and comedic fashion. TV Watching Netflix's new series out Stranger Things. It's good so far! Very interesting but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. It reminds me a lot of movies like Knowing, The Signal, and Maze Runner. Super fascinating and exciting for the first half of the movie. stuff starts ramping up and when the answers start coming...it's a huge let down. Like, the fantasy of possibilities was way more enthralling than what it all actually ended up meaning and I think it's because a lot of times they chicken out. Like all the films I mentioned were spoiler alert revealed to be simplified mastermind behind the curtain orchestrating everything. What is so disappointing is that is pretty much obvious from the get-go. I don't think anyone watching Maze Runner was thinking there wasn't somebody behind a curtain somewhere at the end of that road. But like the Signal, almost like they try to out-Truman the Truman Show, making the fabric of the sky tear away to reveal a studio and lights and cameras behind it the magic is completely lost. In a way, this disillusionment with reality is very true to life, a lot of our preconceived ideas of the world seemingly so horrific and fantastical, only to realize there's a mechanized system to it all and it's literally somebody's day job, no big deal. You feel stupid for being fascinated, for caring. Nobody wants to go from a suddenly the world actually IS a magical place! to and then we set them free in the REAL world...where they got to do ordinary stuff. I guess I just like it backwards, like the Matrix, where the normal is stripped away like peeling wallpaper to reveal the magic and fantastical behind it. I'm worried that Stranger Things will go someplace similar at the end, like they'll get so weird, so out there and then cop out with a psych explanation at the end. It all ends up...so normaaaal...they were all lied to...by everyone...just like...real life... I can hear the director saying in a high on himself amazo voice. ETA Stranger Things turned out to be much more fulfilling than originally predicted! That's all I'm gonna say about it! Absolutely love it to death and really can't wait for the next season to come out! Film Watched Monster and was underwhelmed. I mean, sure, the acting by Charlize Theron was great. Barely recognized her and definitely got a good character vibe from her. The whole thing was...just a straightforward drama, really. You'd think a film about a female serial killer they could juice it up a little. Instead, it was full of this woe is me crap. The killing wasn't interesting because you got the strong sense that she wasn't very smart. It was basically doing what she normally does as a hooker, except ending it with a gunshot instead of orgasm. Her motivations for doing it were not very compelling. Even though her life sucked, I would have liked to see her get more angry about it rather than this desperate ham fisted attempt to make her a victim of circumstance. Her relationship with Selbie was really interesting at first but only because I thought she was going to eventually kill herfor some reason, reading an article a few years back about it, I thought the film was about a female serial killer that killed women. It got real dull really fast when they run away together and Lee tries to go straight. I hated Lee for not being ballsy enough to walk away from Sel's stupid ass, like she fucking needed her but refused to get at all intense about it in any way. I hated Selbie for being a two-faced bitch, putting lesbians in a bad light as she's willing to move on as soon as she feels neglected. Neither of them were likable, I didn't like them being together, I wasn't moved by their sacrifices in the end, it all felt kind of codependent and icky and gross. The killing wasn't interesting because they focused too much on the relationship between the women. The relationship wasn't interesting because the killing was the only thing they really interacted about and it became a bit omg, please, just someone leave or kill the other person. I don't really like dramas and thought this was going to be something other than a straight biopic about someone really stupid and boring. Even fucking Patrick Batemen and Hannibal Lecter were likable, ffs.