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Post by Mod City on Mar 9, 2023 23:45:43 GMT -5
Gordon's movies made for some of the best MST episodes ever. Earth vs. the Spider remains an all-time favorite.
Rest well, sir.
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Post by Mod City on Oct 19, 2022 22:41:38 GMT -5
Been too long. Costume: Jacob Singer from Jacob's Ladder, who saw spooky things. Like my Halloween avatar. Avatar:
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Post by Mod City on Jun 9, 2022 0:16:56 GMT -5
Feel like I've posted this before. Don't care.
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Post by Mod City on May 9, 2022 22:00:16 GMT -5
I’m going to squeeze just a little bit about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness while I’m thinking about it. Thanks work laptop! I really, really loved the first Doctor Strange. A lot of that is because I’d never expected I’d actually see a Doctor Strange movie in the modern era. I wasn’t aware of the television movie with Peter Hooten until after the MCU film was announced, and that’s probably a good thing. Haven’t seen that one yet but I do have a morbid curiosity. It was also the first movie that really, for the first time in 20 plus years, got me into going back to the movie theater. Since then I’ve made it to most of the releases in theaters, and it’s been fun. I like Sam Raimi, even though I wasn’t gaga over the Evil Dead films. They were cool enough, but I wasn’t a fanatic or anything. I did really like Darkman when that came out, and of the modern stuff that I can recall seeing (besides the Spider-Man franchise) I thought The Quick and the Dead was fantastic. I didn’t like seeing Scott Derrickson leave the production, but I did like the idea of Raimi coming in to cover it - I loved the first two SM movies like everyone else. He has as much style as Tarantino, just different. This film, at the very least, looked great. I’m going to a Century theater about an hour from home after the AMC plex about 40 minutes from home closed down. I’m glad I made the switch. The AMC theater screens were horrendously dark, something I later learned theaters sometimes do to save electricity costs. No such problem with Century. And really, matinee prices are great, I think I paid maybe $6? I mean, wow. The story is, as I expected, anyway, a bit of a mess. There’s a lot to get in here, and as much as I agree with Torgo that I think Marvel does try to let directors do what they do, their very structure insists that some of the story is going to be decided before anyone puts the first word down on a new script. And that’s fine, so far they’ve managed to make it work pretty well. But it’s also the same thing that would happen in the comics after a while. Eventually, the whole thing gets reset, and that’s annoying. Raimi and crew handle it all pretty well. Olsen in particular is wonderful. She’s been so good in the MCU, even back when the best work she could hope to do with her part was to look cool gesturing while using her powers - and even that was fantastic. For someone who’s said she doesn’t really have an emotional connection to her work with Marvel, her work doesn’t show it. She’s a real pro. Everyone else is good, too. Was glad to see Dr. West return, and McAdams is wonderful and lovely, and had a bigger role than I expected, which was great. Cumberbatch had a lot going on this flick too, obviously, but he juggled it well. I’m glad he’s the one with the Strange reigns, he’s also been good since the start. I’ve tried to introduce a good friend to the MCU. He wasn’t wild about Iron Man, but when I showed him the first Doctor Strange on a whim, he loved it. It would be nice to share this one with him, too, but jeez, there’s no way you get the proper enjoyment out of it unless you’ve seen Strange’s appearances in a half-dozen movies without his name in the title, let alone WandaVision. Coming back to Olsen really quick - she is a fantastic villain, really. Few characters have suffered even close to what Wanda has in the MCU, and you actually feel her motivation. With such strong motherhood themes going on in this movie, it’s interesting I happened to see it on Mothers Day. My mom has been gone since 2007, and when me and my brother were little she was always the one to take us to the movies on a Sunday afternoon. Raiders of the Lost Ark, Empire Strikes Back, E.T., Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Of course the theater has reserved seating, and I had my spot in the middle of my row. My row was filled completely except for a seat on either side of me (I was the first ticket purchased in that row). Room for mom. I didn’t really think about it much until I got home, but that was a nice coincidence that made the experience even nicer. Thanks mom. Miss you. So happy Mothers Day to everyone out there I’m down for the next round of Doctor Strange, and Wanda too! MCU for life.
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Post by Mod City on May 8, 2022 19:27:36 GMT -5
Saw it today. Loved it. I must elaborate but my laptop keyboard malfunctions so bad I refuse to type much on it. Gonna have to put it together on the work laptop when I get a chance Awesome rundown as usual, Torgo. I'll circle back.
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Post by Mod City on Feb 16, 2022 18:25:36 GMT -5
Well, I'll have to add that to my "to watch" list. I remember ads for Basket Case when it came out on the Viewer's Choice satellite PPV service in the early 80s. Sounded awful, but that was before MST3K changed my perspective on movies in general. The GIFs on your blog have my interests piqued, I must say
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Post by Mod City on Dec 28, 2021 16:39:12 GMT -5
Ah, Torgo , you old dog, I thought of you too My only complaint - I hope this doesn’t lead to the loss of Wong to pave the way for Strange to become Sorcerer Supreme. But now that Wong has the title, I’m not sure there’s a smooth way to take it from him to give it to Strange, not without killing him or somehow revealing that he’s not worthy or not as talented as Strange or something like that. Wong has been such a great character, he deserves some time as the Sorcerer Supreme.
The Sorcerer Supreme reveal also explains why Strange doesn’t seem to be in charge in the No Way Home trailers. Wong seems to be bossing him around a bit when he told Strange to not cast that memory spell (a line that was slightly different in the movie than in the trailer, if memory serves). The Suicide SquadCaught this on VUDU the other night. There are quite a few things to like about this movie, but I honestly don’t think it improves a ton on the original Suicide Squad, to be honest. It’s more colorful, lighter in humor and can be downright silly sometimes. That sets it apart from the first movie, but I just don’t think it was organized that well. They clearly gave James Gunn a blank check to do what he wanted to do, and frankly, letting Gunn run wild with his own ideas can be his downfall. Take the scene where Harley kills the president of that country (whoever or whatever his title was). To me, that subplot stopped the movie dead in its tracks. Maybe because, gasp, I don’t like Harley Quinn. I like Margot Robbie, but I don’t like Harley Quinn. Maybe if someone came up with a good idea for her (I haven’t seen Birds of Prey, so I have more homework to do). Also - Polka Dot Man was good stuff, but the whole thing with his mother? I just didn’t find it funny, other than his comment about what happened to those freedom fighters. Then again, other parts were genuinely great. One of the best gags in the movie is Peacemaker and Deadshot taking out that entire village by themselves, trying to one-up each other. The bit where Peacemaker just walks by that sleeping guy and stabs him like six times was genuinely funny. I had heard Peacemaker was a great character, and he was, but I thought he could have been used even better. Having his own TV show might help that, and heck, if I can find a way to watch that without taking on yet another streaming service I might just check it out. John Cena has some comedic chops, to be sure. Star-O was actually a better villain than I expected, and one of the better ones ever employed by the DCEU. Different. When I look at it, with Gunn’s approach, I laughed and I enjoyed myself, but I’m not sure once that I cared when members of this Suicide Squad died. And a lot of them do die. But I couldn’t bring myself to care. I actually liked Diablo in the first movie, and I was disappointed when he bit it. I empathized with him and wanted more of that guy. I can’t say the same for any character from The Suicide Squad that died. Or lived, for that matter. One exception: Rick Flagg. His death surprised me and I didn’t want Peacemaker to be the one who killed him. Credit where credit is due, that was an impactful scene. And as far as I’m concerned, they could have killed Quinn. Maybe then I’d have some emotional connection to her and not just be annoyed by that god-awful overwrought Brooklyn accent she puts on.
For all his faults, and they are myriad, Joss Whedon might be the best director to direct a Suicide Squad movie. He is adept at introducing major characters, endearing them to you before killing them (even if it’s over the course of one movie), doing it gracefully and damn if he doesn’t surprise me almost every time despite the fact I know it’s coming somewhere. These deaths just feel like they were feeding a larger joke, which is fine, but it’s not what I’ve come to want from these kinds of movies. I’m glad I checked it out, but I could watch Ayer’s Suicide Squad and be just as entertained. Makes me appreciate just how well the Guardians of the Galaxy movies have turned out, and they’re still the only Gunn movies I really like.
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Post by Mod City on Dec 26, 2021 21:12:35 GMT -5
Got home a bit ago from Spider Man: No Way Home and figured I’d better get just a few thoughts down before it gets too late. I don’t post around here much because my personal laptop is an iPad and it’s the worst thing for typing in history. Despite my efforts to touch nothing work related this weekend, I need to do this, so I’m using the million-times better, and cheaper, Dell work laptop. Long story short: I loved it. Probably my favorite of all Spider Man outings on film, though the second Raimi movie may be better for what it accomplished in its time (some of that flick looks incredible even today). Either way, I have a lot more appreciation for what Spider Man is than for its entertainment value. I kind of got burned out on him since jumping on the 90s comic book bandwagon, but Tom Holland and the MCU/Sony crew have done a super job of weaving the character back among his Marvel cohorts. Anyway, the last six years or whatever have been fun, and the Spider Man world has been a place worth visiting. Zendaya was an unknown to me in Homecoming, and I thought she was good, but man has she grown on me over three movies. MJ stands out to me among the supporting characters, but they’ve all been good. Ned, Happy, May. Tony when he was around. Heck, Vulture is one of the better MCU villains. It’s a fun world with some occasional really high stakes mixed in. For No Way Home, it comes together pretty nicely. Peter matures and grows considerably over the course of 2.5 hours, and we’re left with a stunningly satisfying, and sad, ending. Impressive. OK, can’t blow my whole Sunday evening on this, so just to add a few points: * Tobey Mcguire and Andrew Garfield return. This was even more fun than I thought it would be. The three Spider Men actors all have really good chemistry, and it was fun to listen to them talk about differences, ask questions, all that. * I liked all three of those guys, but a bit of revelation for me was Garfield. He’s the one with which I’m least familiar (I’ve seen ASM and ASM2 maybe once each, and both years ago). He ended up being kind of the bridge for me between Mcguire and Holland. Great comic timing, good charisma. And his moment saving MJ was poignant and, really, beautiful, even if it seems everyone saw it coming. I’ll have to go back and watch his movies again. * It’s hard to avoid spoilers, but I was hoping I was just hearing noise when the clues that May died bubbled up. It wasn’t noise, and they even faked me out thinking she was going to be alright. Not a peep out of the theater audience. Dead quiet. Heavy scene, and it was performed beautifully. Marisa Tomei broke my heart. And giving her the “with great power…” line that went to Ben in the first two series. Wonderful choice. Especially when you see Mcguire and Garfield’s reaction. * Alfred Molina and Willem Dafoe are both excellent, also better than I thought. It makes you grateful to see just how many talented actors they can get into, or back into, these movies. What a treat. And I loved how, by golly, Spider Man/Men saved them all. I’m assuming we’ll never see these guys again, and I was so happy to have the two big ones back that I was hoping for some non-death closure of some kind. They did it in a surprisingly heartwarming style. * Doctor Strange is a great “sidekick” to Spider Man, or at least he has been in the film iterations. Cumberbatch still has the presence and the commanding authority to bring both groundedness and humor. Per the recommendation from Torgo , I hung out for the final credits bonus - the Multiverse of Madness teaser. So cool and worth sticking around for. Didn’t think of this until right now, but the flying magic saw blade kind of reminds me of Green Lantern (which I actually liked, by the way). I’m down for more of the good doctor, of course. * Also, Torgo and I had this discussion once upon a time, but I was wondering when we’d finally get a new Sorcerer Supreme. I remember commenting that I thought bestowing someone with that title would get some actual screen time, but nope! Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme! That makes perfect sense, as I figure, by the movies anyway, that Wong probably would have been the top candidate if it weren’t for Strange, who had really only shown an incredible natural talent for the mystic arts instead of years of study. I laughed when I heard it, and loved Strange being a little jealous. I love it. All hail Wong, Sorcerer Supreme! * I do wonder if Strange still knows who Peter Parker is. The first time he was casting the spell, he specifically said he would no longer remember Spider-Man’s identity, either. He doesn’t do that with the final spell, though his choice of words before Peter leaves sure seems like that was the case again. I have no reason to think that Strange is not as oblivious as everyone else, making that last exchange between him and Peter hit hard. * Watched Hawkeye, thought it was awesome. The Kingpin! And now there’s Daredevil as Peter’s lawyer! Love both appearances, and it made me realize one thing - finally time to watch Daredevil. Yes, I know. No, I’m not proud. But at least I get to watch it for the first time! Gonna stretch it out, too. Hope it’s good * Oh, and Spider Tom hugging the other two Spider guys. Actually felt like an earned moment. I’m glad I took the time out to go see this in the theater. The MCU is about the only thing that can get me out into the theater anymore, with an occasional exception. Caught Shang-Chi and thought it was fantastic, but I missed Eternals in the theater. Sometimes I hate living in a place where the nearest movie theater is 50 minutes away, minimum. Makes it hard to get there, but I always seem to have a good time. And really, it wasn’t the greatest Christmas, so I need this. On to the next one.
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Post by Mod City on Nov 17, 2021 15:12:42 GMT -5
I've always been a bit lukewarm on Spider Man. I thought the first two Raimi films were fantastic, but I admit I was never that into either the third one or the Amazing Spider Man films. I enjoyed him more in the oversaturated late 80s and early 90s comic realm, when they had a bunch of up and coming artists working on his books. That was pretty cool.
The MCU/Sony coupling with Tom Holland has been quite good, though. And even though I'm not super into Spider Man, I think he's waaaay more interesting than Batman, the most overrated freaking character in comic/film history, with all due respect to Michael Keaton.
All that said, Spider Man: No Way Home looks really good. I love Doctor Strange, and this feels like it's going to be a super-interesting team up, if that's exactly what it is.
Couple of thoughts:
* Zendaya as MJ has grown into such a cool character. I like her more every film. The "please" comment from the trailer made me smile.
* Speaking of which, even though I've barely watched ASM2, the image of MJ falling compared with Gwen Stacy falling in ASM2? Lump in the throat time. Just look at Zendaya's face as she's falling. If that doesn't fill you with dread I don't know what will.
* Continuing to speak of that - I see a lot of people predicting that Garfield's SM saves MJ as redemption for what happened in ASM2. I believe this is a possibility, but it may be a bait and switch. My alternative predictions are: 1. - Ned dies instead (during the same scene) - or 2. - Holland's SM dies saving MJ, but MJ lives (or perhaps in some combination with Garfield's SM saving her). I think #2 is probably unlikely, but it would pack a wallop.
* He was only in one movie, but I loved Molina in SM2. Of course, he wasn't really a true enemy of Peter, but things change. Down deep in there somewhere, he was an ok guy, or at least not evil. Him having a con-combative conversation with Holland and friends makes me wonder just how he plays into this. Dafoe is kind of similar. Damn have there been some good actors in the MCU/Sony Marvel films.
This movie is probably going to be freaking huge. I mean blockbuster blockbuster. I haven't seen Eternals in the theater yet (I want to), but I gotta make it to this one. will be the first SM movie I've seen in a theater, and the implications on the rest of the MCU could be huge.
Sign me up.
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Post by Mod City on Jul 1, 2021 11:21:39 GMT -5
Been enjoying the MCU television shows on Disney+. Loki has been no exception. Owen Wilson and Tom Hiddleston are fantastic together. The latest episode, which came out last night, got a hell of a reaction out of me. Mobius (played by Wilson) is pruned/killed after "waking up" and waxing nostalgic for his jet ski. I literally cried out "no!" when it happened. That doesn't happen much. I hope he's not gone for good. Such a good character and performance. Anyway, these shows have been really good. I also like how they're not releasing them all at once. It's nice to have something to look forward to, or to remember "oh yeah, new Loki tonight!" Good stuff.
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Post by Mod City on Apr 29, 2021 11:05:54 GMT -5
I'm 24 hours in on my second Moderna dose and doing well. First dose just gave me a sore arm and a 'blah' feeling the second day. This one just has me fatigued/tired. Slept like a rock last night, the problem is I could keep sleeping like a rock if I didn't have things to do. Otherwise it's going well. Wish everyone were on board with the vaccine. I don't get the hesitancy. And people like Joe Rogan, who undermine vaccination efforts with baseless horsesh*t are idiots. I used to like that guy until they gave him his podcast/radio show. Now he peddles conspiracy BS for ratings. He's not far off from as bad as Alex Jones. Anyway, tip of the hat to everyone here for sacking up and getting your shots. You're my kind of people
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Post by Mod City on Apr 21, 2021 17:32:19 GMT -5
Time for a new trailer! Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings teaser just came out the other day, and I'm intrigued. I admit I know basically nothing of the character, outside the occasional historic background and issue listings. I knew of the character, just didn't know anything about him, other than he was known as the Master of Kung Fu.
A few thoughts:
* I like good martial arts/kung fu flicks as much as the next guy, but I'm definitely not hardcore (My favorite is Rumble In The Bronx. Saw it in a full theater on a whim with a buddy and it was one of the top 5 movie going experiences of my life. What a blast.) Just make it pleasing and entertaining. It doesn't have to be the greatest kung fu movie ever made, just make it a great Marvel movie where kung fu is a central element.
* I could be wrong about this, but I don't remember another MCU hero that outright rejected their parents'/father's principles of villainy and went on to be a good guy, so to speak. Tony Stark had problems with his dad, sure, but Howard wasn't a terrorist and certainly no bad guy. Now that I think about it, Nebula and Gamora would be examples, but neither headlines her own film.
* "That's not going to happen." A little echo of Captain America's Infinity War defiance in there, perhaps? Love it.
* "Who are you?" A question even many MCU fans are honestly asking, myself included. He answers with a badass pose and cool music cue. That's how you do it.
* Inclusion is damn important. Speaking as a white guy, we need more non-white guys as superheroes (and villains and all roles). For f*ck sake, there's room at the table for everyone. Here's hoping we'll see more of this.
I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I like every MCU movie on some level, but I hope they nail it. May even get me back in the theater. And where the hell is Black Widow? I was excited about that a year and a half ago. Ugh.
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Post by Mod City on Feb 7, 2021 17:01:35 GMT -5
This could go under television, but it's likely going to tie in strongly with the MCU films, so I'll put it here.
I bit the bullet and got Disney+ for WandaVision, and catching up with the first five eps has been great. It's a cool concept, and some of it is genuinely funnny when it's not being weird and spooky.
Paul Bettany brings a typically great performance (his have been the most consistently great performances in the MCU, with perhaps the exception of RDJ), but Elizabeth Olson is fantastic in this. I've liked her take on Wanda in the MCU, but she really shines in moments of WandaVision. She's really excellent.
For the moment Disney+ has been worth it. If I can get it to stop occasionally glitching with my Roku TV I'd be even happier.
And yeah, that big twist at the end of the latest episode is dynamite.
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Post by Mod City on Jan 28, 2021 13:03:19 GMT -5
Outside my appreciation for Gamera and his gallery thanks to MST, I don't have any real affinity for Godzilla or the other monster features. I certainly don't dislike or try to detract from them, just not my thing. I'll admit this does look like a fun time in the theater, or home theater, though. I have no dog in this fight, but that said, I'm rooting for Kong With them saying there is a definite winner in this battle, it feels pretty obvious Godzilla is going to win this. I'm pretty sure he has more fans and drives more fans to the box office.
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Post by Mod City on Jan 20, 2021 14:10:13 GMT -5
I think it happened to Mike Nelson's Twitter account somehow, as well. When he left Twitter years back his account suddenly appeared to be advertising designer/knockoff handbags. Not sure how they managed to get access to his account unless he just gave it to them, but it was weird. I think the account is suspended now.
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