Last Movie You Watched

[Kevin Christensen]

Recently watched the film about C. S. Lewis, as The Most Reluctant Convert, based on a play based on his book, Surprised by Joy, which I read a few decades back.  We bought it off Prime and streamed it.  Very nicely done, with Max McLean as the elder Lewis, narrating his life, with younger actors doing the youth and young adult.  Well written, well performed, and very thoughtful.

FWIW,

Kevin Christensen

Canonsburg, PA

[Tacenda]

Loved "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris"! 

It has the feels all over it, good moral to the story too. My top 10 now! And men would like it too, I think. 

[bluebell]

13 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

Loved "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris"! 

It has the feels all over it, good moral to the story too. My top 10 now! And men would like it too, I think. 

I saw the previews and thought it looked super cute.

[Amulek]

Crazy Rich Asians

I know I'm probably a few years late to the party on this one, but I thought it was a pretty solid rom-com. Not the greatest by any means, but a refreshing addition to the genre.

 

[Chum]

My lesser-known scifi rewatch list:

Persons Unknown

The Lost Room

Wayward Pines

Falling Water (p/u by Amazon)

The Leftovers

Suggestions?

In the "not dead anymore" category: Glitch, Resurrection

Standards: Lost, Twin Peaks, Fringe, Heroes, The Prisoner, Jericho, Revolution - (B side: Falling Skies & 12 Monkeys)

Indigenous drama not scifi: The Red Road, Trickster

Shows I can't get into: The X Files, most stuff with zombies/vampires/marvel.

Shows I haven't seen yet: Carnivale, Steven Spielberg Presents Taken, Harper's Island, Top of the Lake, This Is Not My Life & (maybe) Wild Palms

Edited July 30, 2022 by Chum

[Chum]

Uhura died. dang.

[Amulek]

On 7/29/2022 at 6:38 PM, Chum said:

Suggestions?

For sci-fi shows? 

Firefly usually tops my suggestion list on that front. It's one of the few sci-fi shows that even my wife enjoys. There's only one season, so you can binge through it pretty quickly if you want; and, if you like it, there's a feature length film which kind of wraps everything up (note: the movie - Serenity - is pretty accessible even if you haven't watched the show, but it's much more enjoyable if you watch the series first).

Next would be Battlestar Galactica (2004-209, obviously). It also managed to pass the Amulek's wife test - though she thought there was a bit too much Tricia Helfer (only in one scene, but it gets repeated a few times through flashbacks). 

The Expanse is also great, and it's wrapped up at this point so you can watch the entire series without having to wait to see what happens next - though they did leave it open for more (which would be great).

If you are looking for something older, or maybe just a bit less popular, I thought Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles was good (though short lived). And Netflix had what I thought was a really interesting thing going with The OA, until they pulled a Netflix and cancelled it after its second season (it really needed a third).

And if you want something a little Star Trek-like (but not actually Trekie) then Farscape ought to scratch that itch.

I saw that they are planning on rebooting Quantum Leap here soon, so maybe a trip down memory lane with Scott Bakula and the original series might be worth revisiting.

 

[Chum]

38 minutes ago, Amulek said:

For sci-fi shows? 

Well, suggestions for lesser known scifi shows. Firefly, The Expanse and BSG are so prominent even I've heard of them.

I hadn't thought of Farscape in a while. I might have wrote it off as a 90s-esque series like all the endless Stargates[1] or as series that aired in precivilization times like Blake7. I'll reconsider it.

I once watched some Sarah Conner something but I don't think it was the same show. Spinoffs don't often appeal to me but T2 earned rare, durable cred. I'll check that out.

I don't remember why I dismissed the OA. Will look again.

I couldn't get into QL when it first aired and might be biased against a reboot. However, BSG showed that reboots can improve on the orig, so maybe.

[1] Stargate Universe is an exception. It's a favorite; belongs on my list. It also shows how a series based on Pohl's Gateway novels could work.

[Calm]

Rolling Stone has a list I am finding interesting. 

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/best-science-fiction-tv-shows-of-all-time-65434/humans-2015-present-149249/

I very much enjoyed Now And Again (there is another series with the same name, this had John Goodman as the everyday man stuck in a new body iirc) when it came out (assuming still available, I am not seeing it, if someone finds it, point me to it, please)

Edited August 1, 2022 by Calm

[Calm]

Eerie, Indiana…horror sci fi, but with a light touch on the horror.  Eons since I watched it, but I remember it being fun.  Quirky, just one season iirc. Just saw it listed on Amazon.

Edited August 1, 2022 by Calm

[Chum]

11 minutes ago, Calm said:

Eerie, Indiana…horror sci fi, but with a light touch on the horror.  Eons since I watched it, but I remember it being fun.  Quirky, just one season iirc. Just saw it listed on Amazon.

I haven't heard of that one at all. Thanks!

[Chum]

26 minutes ago, Calm said:

I very much enjoyed Now And Again

Sounds familiar. Will check it out.

27 minutes ago, Calm said:

I am not seeing it, if someone finds it, point me to it, please)

Pirate streaming sites typically provide better selection than major streaming services. However I don't link to series there unless I know people have good ad blocking.

[Amulek]

1 hour ago, Chum said:

Well, suggestions for lesser known scifi shows. Firefly, The Expanse and BSG are so prominent even I've heard of them.

Well, you ought to have heard of them; Firefly and BSG are like the Breaking Bad of the sci-fi world.

There's just so much lousy sci-fi out there that there's practically no excuse to miss out on any of the good stuff.

If you are specifically looking for lesser known though (or maybe just less popular?), then something like Killjoys probably fits the bill. I would say the Netflix foray into Lost in Space maybe satisfies that as well.

If you are wanting to look back a little farther in time, I seem to remember Alien Nation being somewhat enjoyable; same with the original version of V.

You said you weren't really into any of the Marvel stuff. Does that mean nothing like Heroes or (better yet) Alphas either? How strictly sci-fi are you wanting to keep this?

 

[bluebell]

3 minutes ago, Amulek said:

Well, you ought to have heard of them; Firefly and BSG are like the Breaking Bad of the sci-fi world.

There's just so much lousy sci-fi out there that there's practically no excuse to miss out on any of the good stuff.

If you are specifically looking for lesser known though (or maybe just less popular?), then something like Killjoys probably fits the bill. I would say the Netflix foray into Lost in Space maybe satisfies that as well.

If you are wanting to look back a little farther in time, I seem to remember Alien Nation being somewhat enjoyable; same with the original version of V.

You said you weren't really into any of the Marvel stuff. Does that mean nothing like Heroes or (better yet) Alphas either? How strictly sci-fi are you wanting to keep this?

 

I loved the original V mini series.  They ruined it when they tried to do the reboot.

[Calm]

Anyone watch British tv Humans?  There was Orphan Black, I believe Canadian. Haven’t watched them yet, was wondering if worth it. 

[bluebell]

3 minutes ago, Calm said:

Anyone watch British tv Humans?  There was Orphan Black, I believe Canadian. Haven’t watched them yet, was wondering if worth it. 

I haven't watched it but it has quite a few seasons doesn't it?  That usually means that it had a following.

[Chum]

23 minutes ago, Amulek said:

Well, you ought to have heard of them; Firefly and BSG are like the Breaking Bad of the sci-fi world.

If you are specifically looking for lesser known though (or maybe just less popular?), then something like Killjoys probably fits the bill. I would say the Netflix foray into Lost in Space maybe satisfies that as well.

I've watched Killjoys a few times. It's almost well-enough known to be a standard. Almost.  As for Lost In Space, that got a stupid amount of publicity. Moses has probably heard of it. I watched the first season but couldn't stay with it. Same with Stranger Things.

It might be that all their publicity flipped a switch in me. FM playlists are physically painful for similar reasons.

27 minutes ago, Amulek said:

I seem to remember Alien Nation being somewhat enjoyable; same with the original version of V.

Those two are on my 'couldn't get into it' list. IDK why. Did they feature 1970s style superhead aliens? That would do it.

30 minutes ago, Amulek said:

You said you weren't really into any of the Marvel stuff. Does that mean nothing like Heroes or (better yet) Alphas either?

No. I liked both of those. It's just that Marvel has one formula and it's done to death, to afterlife, eternity, and the next eternity.

40 minutes ago, Amulek said:

How strictly sci-fi are you wanting to keep this?

No rules. For example I really liked Legion and it's technically Marvel. I liked Midnight Texas because it hid it's vampires until a few episodes in - but the combo of vampires and YA audience proved too much for me. 

I'm fairly inconsistent in my genres. For example, I'm not magicy but I leaned hard into WoT books/show. I lament Motherland: Fort Salem is written for so young an audience because I really like it's alt history premise. But youth can have shows too, I guess.

[Chum]

8 minutes ago, Calm said:

Anyone watch British tv Humans?  There was Orphan Black, I believe Canadian. Haven’t watched them yet, was wondering if worth it. 

Didn't bite on Humans. I consider Orphan Black a guilty pleasure. You can't make me admit it's a favorite.

[Chum]

Since we're covering supernatural series, I'll put out there that the first season of Preacher may be the finest show ever. Even better than Stan Against Evil.

[Amulek]

25 minutes ago, Chum said:

I'm fairly inconsistent in my genres. For example, I'm not magicy but I leaned hard into WoT books/show.

Season one of WoT was bittersweet for me. There was much I liked about it, but quite a bit I didn't as well. I'm hoping season two ends up being much stronger.

If you are open to a bit of magic then I would recommend checking out The Magicians. I believe it was originally on Syfy, so maybe you have seen it already. It is very good, and very underrated - though I wish they would have ended with Season 4.

Also, Good Omens might be worth checking out. It's a bit irreverent, but who doesn't like the idea of a demonic Bentley which is capable of changing virtually anything you try to play into a Queen song eventually.

 

[bluebell]

49 minutes ago, Chum said:

I've watched Killjoys a few times. It's almost well-enough known to be a standard. Almost.  As for Lost In Space, that got a stupid amount of publicity. Moses has probably heard of it. I watched the first season but couldn't stay with it. Same with Stranger Things.

It might be that all their publicity flipped a switch in me. FM playlists are physically painful for similar reasons.

Those two are on my 'couldn't get into it' list. IDK why. Did they feature 1970s style superhead aliens? That would do it.

No. I liked both of those. It's just that Marvel has one formula and it's done to death, to afterlife, eternity, and the next eternity.

No rules. For example I really liked Legion and it's technically Marvel. I liked Midnight Texas because it hid it's vampires until a few episodes in - but the combo of vampires and YA audience proved too much for me. 

I'm fairly inconsistent in my genres. For example, I'm not magicy but I leaned hard into WoT books/show. I lament Motherland: Fort Salem is written for so young an audience because I really like it's alt history premise. But youth can have shows too, I guess.

What about Midnight Mass on Netflix?

[Calm]

I vote for Good Omens as well. Sure it is more or less blasphemous, but all in good fun.  

[Tacenda]

20 minutes ago, bluebell said:

What about Midnight Mass on Netflix?

That was a good one, something I didn't think I'd like. But the ending stays with me still.

[bluebell]

1 minute ago, Tacenda said:

That was a good one, something I didn't think I'd like. But the ending stays with me still.

Me too.  It was so well done.

[Chum]

2 hours ago, bluebell said:

What about Midnight Mass on Netflix?

Got to look that one up.