Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Aug 21, 2022 0:15:33 GMT -5
CAPTAIN AMERICA FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Aug 20, 2022 20:19:25 GMT -5
Agree to disagree on Demon Squad. That episode is wildly funny and I felt they utilized that movie to full effect to the point where I've rewatched it several times since it came out. Meanwhile it felt like they coasted on Batwoman and didn't really tap any potential that it offered leaving me wondering why they even bothered to use the movie at all. This one I have very little interest in revisiting, because it's just a very nothing episode. Beyond Atlantis is still Emily's best, definitely agree on that. Keeping it family friendly is something I don't mind, and I don't even want them to go full Spider Island on it. It just gets to the point where it feels like there is a feast on a platter and nobody is biting. Whether a person found it wildly funny or not is beside the point, they went pretty easy on Demon Squad, which is characteristic of the season overall. That doesn't mean these episodes can't be funny, but they are pulling punches. They didn't hit Squad any harder than they did Batwoman. I didn't see them going easy on Demon Squad myself, so I still disagree. It was more playful than it probably could have been, but they still hit very specific openings it was giving them, which is more than what they achieved with Batwoman. That's more my complaint in general here, as they took a movie that offers certain material and they just left it sitting there. With Demon Squad, they went after them. With Batwoman, they seemed to just skim through it and it just came off as a comfort blanket commentary rather than an experience that rings unique to this movie. Have they been doing it all year? I guess. I dunno. All I know is some efforts are working better than others, and Batwoman worked less than Demon Squad for me.
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Aug 20, 2022 19:08:35 GMT -5
One thing I point out on my page but don't make a huge deal of that is probably worth keeping in mind is that I literally got out of RiffTrax Live hours before I watched the episode. I won't say this affected my mood, but I was really exhausted when I hit play and I worked on my entry half asleep. Also while I was at the theater I took in screenings of Beast and Emily the Criminal (both of which are very good) and even found time to watch an episode of Doctor Who to keep me awake while editing*. Then I slept for six hours, rushed out of bed, and watched the livestream, so am I not in the right frame of mind? Maybe. But I watched episode twice and I pretty much thought the same thing both times. That is probably why I watched the aftershow only once though. *That Doctor Who thing is why I ham-fistedly shoved that GIF in there because all I could think of was that line during that segment. And I've been posting live reactions to a first time watch of Doctor Who on Twitter, of which an in-joke became me posting a bunch of GIFs of Jenna Coleman and marking them #ClaraGIF, so I thought it would be a fun topical Easter egg. It started when I was watching the spin-off Class and it sucked so hard that I was tweeting GIFs of Clara to distract myself and it just became a running joke because A) It's Twitter, who cares and B) Jenna Coleman makes the world a better place. And here's me continuing my obnoxiousness during the livestream: Am I only bringing this up to post Clara GIFs in this thread? We may never know. All I know is people wanting me to stop vs. me doing it anyway be like: (#ClaraGIF)
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Aug 20, 2022 17:58:45 GMT -5
Agree to disagree on Demon Squad. That episode is wildly funny and I felt they utilized that movie to full effect to the point where I've rewatched it several times since it came out. Meanwhile it felt like they coasted on Batwoman and didn't really tap any potential that it offered leaving me wondering why they even bothered to use the movie at all. This one I have very little interest in revisiting, because it's just a very nothing episode. Beyond Atlantis is still Emily's best, definitely agree on that.
Keeping it family friendly is something I don't mind, and I don't even want them to go full Spider Island on it. It just gets to the point where it feels like there is a feast on a platter and nobody is biting.
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Aug 20, 2022 13:52:07 GMT -5
We have no way of knowing what material is theirs, and chances are jokes are kept and tossed based on who is delivering them.
But like I mentioned, the script they have doesn't really push what could be Emily's crew's strength either, so there is no telling what would change. There's a legitimate chance that even with Jonah's crew it would be just as sterile and safe. Most of what I'm suggest is just hypothetical experimentation. I'm just throwing out ideas to make the episode more interesting, and more male gaze humor could have done it. My gut tells me that they weren't going to hit this movie very hard with anything anyway, so that's a shame.
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Aug 20, 2022 5:41:49 GMT -5
Hey look. It's a female led Batman influenced superhero movie. That makes whoever made this movie infinitely more respectable than Warner Bros. Hit the surf in your purple bikini and prepare to fight crime, because nanananananananana... The Batwoman! Also, part of the MST fam is in need. Please consider donating and/or sharing the link to Yvonne Freese's medical bill GoFundMe, and let's show her how much we love her.
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Aug 7, 2022 8:36:17 GMT -5
As if anybody needed to learn the Wonder of Reproduction, we get to learn the birds and the bees...from fish! As if that isn't enough, we also get a tribute to upscaling! And Pumaman is here too!
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Jul 26, 2022 17:39:07 GMT -5
Interesting Avengers update: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty just hired a director, Shang-Chi's Destin Daniel Cretton. We did know that they weren't bringing back the Russos, despite all reports saying they had a solid working relationship with Marvel. Joss Whedon was also likely not coming back after the Justice League fallout. Cretton seems like an excellent choice, but my one issue with this is that I was kinda hoping one of the unannounced Phase 6 films was Shang-Chi 2, so it looks like we're waiting a while on that. Shang-Chi will likely be an Avenger anyway, so it's not that big of a deal. (Also I was fantasizing about them handing the Avengers keys to Sam Raimi, but I won't take this W away from Cretton to whine about that) Apparently he has only signed on for Kang Dynasty, while Secret Wars is still without a director. Since the two films are released six months apart, one would think they'd have a single production schedule. But maybe this is a new line of thinking, having the Secret Wars pre-production taking place while Kang Dynasty is in production and then have the cast switch just as they wrap while Cretton finishes his film. Just a thought. www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/1232345-avengers-the-kang-dynasty-director
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Jul 24, 2022 1:18:28 GMT -5
SDCC MCU News:
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever closes Phase 4. Not covered by the timelines they used at the con is the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which I believe is still coming in December.
Phase 5 slate announced in full:
Feature Films Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 The Marvels Blade Captain America: New World Order Thunderbolts
Disney+ Shows Secret Invasion Echo Loki (Season 2) Ironheart Agatha: Coven of Chaos Daredevil: Born Again
(Not covered: Werewolf By Night, which is going to be next year's Halloween special)
They also touched upon Phase 6, but only announced three films. The first was Fantastic Four, which they gave a November 2024 release date. They also announced that Phase 6 will close out with two Avengers movies in 2025, released six months apart: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars.
Phase 4 through 6 is now being dubbed The Multivese Saga.
Stuff we know is in the works that hasn't been announced:
Deadpool 3 (Shawn Levi was hired to direct recently) Shang-Chi 2 (probably still in planning stages, but I believe the director of the first is on board) X-Men (announcement was heavily rumored, especially after Ms. Marvel's mutant reveal, but not a peep) Armor Wars (could be cancelled, but who knows) Spider-Man 4 (depends on Sony and Disney working out another contract, but another Holland Spider-Man seems likely even if it's only Sony producing it) There are also potential second seasons to Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk, but we never hear anything concrete other than they're interested in potentially doing them. They also mention Daredevil will be an ongoing series.
Not Rumored, but likely eyed: Thor 5 Doctor Strange 3
Not Rumored, but likely on the fence: Eternals 2
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Jul 23, 2022 9:16:09 GMT -5
Down here we get the MonsterVerse and we get to see Kong punch Godzilla in the face, but up on the Satellite of Love they're still watching a giant lizard leap limply at a flying turtle. It's the grand reunion we've all been waiting for, as MST showcases Gamera vs. Jiger!
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Jul 19, 2022 3:25:30 GMT -5
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Jul 10, 2022 8:22:15 GMT -5
Hope you had a good night's sleep, because the latest MST3K short is here to teach you how to get 40 winks. Get ready to Sleep for Health, part of their latest (half of a) tribute event, Gamera vs. Guiron!
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Jul 7, 2022 23:35:04 GMT -5
It's that time again. Time to check in with our favorite MCU characters. And Thor too, I guess. But mostly it's a reminder that I need to watch MoonKnight and Ms. Marvel. I started MoonKnight months ago, but then I got sick and I just kinda trailed off and watched Strange New Worlds instead. And I refuse to watch Ms. Marvel until I finish MoonKnight, so it's a slippery slope.
Thor is back, son! And for those of you who loved Ragnarok it's just as Taika Watiti as last time! I did not love Ragnarok though. I thought it was visually striking, but narrative chaos that was never the sum of its parts. I wonder if most of that film's disjointed script came from Marvel already having a story set for the film being disrupted by Taika Watiti wanting to tell an entirely different story resulting in a whirlwind of color and noise. In the back of my head I wanted to see what Watiti would do with a film he had mapped out from the beginning before I were to be too harsh of a judge on him. After all, he directed JoJo Rabbit, which was one of the best movies of 2019.
I had a better time with Thor: Love and Thunder than I did with Thor: Ragnarok, which I largely attribute to it having a more solidified story. That being said, I'm not surprised the reception to the film is muted in comparison to Ragnarok. It's less ostentatiously unexpected, so the surprise of a Taika Watiti Thor movie is no longer there. It's also a more relaxed film with a casual pace, rather than breakneck urgency. It's also very clumsy. But at least it's not careless, which was what really got to me about Ragnarok.
So yeah, Jane Foster is back and now she's the Mighty Thor. How is she wielding Mjolnir after it was broken into tiny pieces? She just is. The narrative doesn't really care about why, though it's alluded it's based in a promise Thor made on his hammer to protect her. After years of speculation, it can be laid to rest that Jane's cancer storyline is intact in the film, and she seeks out Mjolnir in New Asgard because it begins calling to her. Mjolnir bestows the power of Thor upon Jane and now she is a new God of Thunder for New Asgard. Meanwhile OG Thor gets back into shape as a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy but decides to part ways with them as he receives a distress call from Sif, who warns him of Gorr the God Butcher, who has kidnapped the Asgardian children to lure Thor out into the open. Thor, Mighty Thor, and King Valkyrie seek out help from other gods to save the children and all of gods.
Thor: Love and Thunder is almost stylized as a coming of age film, as it is mostly about him finding himself and what kind of man he needs to be. The conclusion to this is a bit of a mixed bag, because while finds a direction, it doesn't quite feel like the direction. And like just about all coming of age films, the journey also involves the awkwardness of finding a connection with someone, which is where Jane comes into play. Jane unfortunately doesn't have much of a storyline by comparison. She's dying and she likes the hammer because it makes her feel like she's not. That's it. It's hard to not feel bad for Natalie Portman in these movies, because she was regulated to generic love interest for two films and in this one she gets to play the hero, but she isn't really given much to do except have Thor faun over her. But she does look good swinging that hammer, so there's that.
I liked Christian Bale as Gorr. He's can get a bit one-note, I think the prologue that gives him backstory is really good and makes him one of the more memorable Thor villains. Russell Crowe has a memorable role as the Greek god Zeus, though one could argue his sequence is a bit too long and slows down the film. That's one of the things about this movie is that it can get a bit ponderous as it wants the audience to soak in its setpieces, but it offsets the pacing in doing so. There is a cool bit where the Thors and Valkyrie enter the Shadow Realm and everything turns to black and white except the glow of their weapons, which reflect color off of what meets the light. It's a cook sequence, but it feels too long.
And of course, you have to expect Taika Watiti brand humor. If you've seen any of his films, let alone Ragnarok, you already know what to expect. When it hits, it's a big laugh. When it's bad, you'll cringe so hard it hurts. But if you thought Ragnarok was a laugh riot, you'll likely do well here.
Love and Thunder is almost an accidental allegory for love itself in a way it surely didn't intend. It's frustrating and messy and it makes you want to scream (and there are times where it's screaming at you...quite literally). But what keeps you going is concentrating on the best of it and wonderful it works when it does. Sure, this movie doesn't clean up after itself, but the sex is great.
MCU Ranking 1. Black Panther 2. Captain America: Civil War 3. Thor 4. The Incredible Hulk 5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier 6. Avengers: Infinity War 7. Doctor Strange 8. Iron Man 9. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 10. Spider-Man: No Way Home 11. Black Widow 12. Avengers: Age of Ultron 13. Captain America: The First Avenger 14. Avengers: Endgame 15. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 16. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 17. Thor: The Dark World 18. Iron Man Three 19. The Avengers 20. Guardians of the Galaxy 21. Spider-Man: Homecoming 22. Captain Marvel 23. Ant-Man 24. Thor: Love and Thunder 25. Spider-Man: Far from Home 26. Ant-Man and the Wasp 27. Eternals 28. Thor: Ragnarok 29. Iron Man 2
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Jul 2, 2022 3:52:10 GMT -5
Got my copy in the mail. The movie looks nice. Very grainy, but natural grain. Audio has some noise to it, but it's an okay track.
The MST episode is one of the better MST Blu-ray transfers. Solid presentation overall.
|
|
Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
|
Post by Torgo on Jun 28, 2022 9:00:09 GMT -5
Thomas Smith slid into my DMs and asked me if I wanted one of their filmmaking tees from the Demon Squad shoot (back when it was called Full Moon Inc). I was like UM YES and it arrived yesterday. Coincidentally it came the same day as a DVD of The Night Shift, which was their first film. Emily isn't the only one who decided to chase the rabbit down a rabbit hole.
|
|