I watched:

THE NEWS AND WHY IT MATTERS:
Reruns of this week's eps.

FAMILY GUY:
"You Can't Do That on Television, Peter". Peter creates a children's TV
show after Maggie's Farm is canceled. Meanwhile, Meg interns with an
incompetant doctor.

FAMILY GUY:
"Mr and Mrs Stewie". Stewie meets a little girl who shares his homicidal
tendencies. Meanwhile, Lois gets twin beds b/c she's tired of being
crushed by Peter in his sleep.

FAMILY GUY:
"Leggo My Meg-O". This week was a spoof of Taken. I didn't see the
movie, but it was amusing. Wow, did the father in the movie really find
a bunch of other captive girls and just leave them there?

FAMILY GUY:
"Tea Peter". Peter joins the Tea Party, complete with every tired ol'
leftist lie about them.

FAMILY GUY:
"Viewer Mail #2". The British version of Faily Guy; Peter's touch turns
people into Robin WIlliams; a day from Stewie's PoV. I found his
interpretation of Peter and Louis making love in the next room amusing.

FAMILY GUY:
"Internal Affairs". Peter convinces Joe to have an affair after Bonnie
cheated on him. Argh, another long and pointless fight with a chicken
sequence.

What did you watch?

--
Let's go Brandon!

On 2022-10-16 08:30:41 +0000, Ubiquitous said:

> What did you watch?

I watched three "horror movies" yesterday, but I'm not sure any of the
three actually rate as "horror movies"!! I also finshed out season #1
of TLotR:TRoP.

soaps: DOOL - Thur's and Fri's ep's. These were mostly snoozy - mostly
about the three "sick women" that Orpheus "poisoned". Tripp and NuJoey
(OMG! it's Tanner Stein, who used to play Max's best friend on Nick's
"The Thundermans"!!) show up for Kayla... But, at the end, Kristen
arranges for the "cure" to arrive (which John thinks is another Orpheus
ruse, and is about to destroy!). But there's a catch!! Kristen has
blackmailed Brady for the cure - Brady must dump Chloe, and move back
in with Kristen, or she will let the women die! How dastardly!!

X (Showtime Anytime) - Uh oh! This is distributed *and produced* by
A24! Arthur's already running for the door!!
Actually, for a A24 film, this was relatively palatable for them...
This 2022 flick stars Mia Goth - in a rare "dual role"!! - along
with Brittany Snow, Jenna Ortega, and Martin Henderson(!!) - all of
whom are part of a porn film cast/crew in the (late?) 1970s who head to
a rural Texas farm to film a porno unbeknownst to the two elderly
owners.
The issue?...
As a weird little independent flick (about the "price" of fame,
and/or being in porn?... or the deprevations of aging?...), it kind of
works. But, as a "horror film", it pretty much completely fails - it
pretty much universally fails to build up any tension (only one
sequence with Jenna Ortega comes close), and none of the "kills" are
satisfactory in a "horror movie" way (with the exception of the villain
who gets their just deserts!).
Sidenote #1: Brittany Snow actually gets naked (well, topless) in
this, which I don't think she's ever done before - I've this happen
sometimes with actresses in their (late) 30s, who suddently start doing
nudity when they never have before.
Sidenote #2: I had never noticed this before but Mia Goth has
freckles on *only one side* of her face! I don't think I've ever seen
than before!

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Prime) - "Alloyed" (ep. #1.8).
I can never manage a long review for this show.
I think that's because it's an incredibly frustrating mix of some
decent, almost good, elements, with some elements that are downright
trash (at least to a Tolkein purist like myself).
This season finale dispenses with the Dwarves and the men in the
South (and the orcs) entirely, and focuses Galadriel, Elrond, Halbrand
and the elves, The Stranger and the Hobbits, and a little bit on
Numenor.
The "good" element was the "twist" in the finale - I should have
seen this development coming all season, but I totally didn't!! But
this twist is actually right, and works with Tolkien's lore.
The "bad/horrible" part, as it consistently is, is the
Hobbits/Stranger part, which all on it's own is nearly enough to drive
me from the show. Once again, Hobbits were *irrelevant* in the Second
Age, and shouldn't be in the story at all. And The Stranger is s
straight-up bullshit invention. This storyline is clearly being
dictated by Amazon's marketing department, which can go fuck itself, as
their stupid subplot is killing what is otherwise an... well, I guess,
"mostly OK" (in parts!) show.
So, it's a quandry. I like the Sauron stuff, but the
Hobbits/Stranger storyline is nearly enough to drive me away from
returning for season #2.
It's a quandary.

Halloween Ends (Peacock) - I think I mostly agree with Anim that this
probably the "best" of the new "Halloween" film trilogy - it's
certainly leagues better than "Halloween Kills" which I consider to be
pretty much an abject failure.
However, it's not really a "horror movie" for a good stretch of its
run (though it comes the closest to actually being a "horror movie" of
the three movies I watched yesterday!).
The one problem I have here is that I'm not really sure what the
film was "about". I get what the *ending* was about, obviously.
(Despite that ending apparently completely contradicting "Halloween
Kills" - but it's just better to forget that the latter film ever
existed, anyway!) But I don't really get what the first two-thirds of
the film was trying to say - something about "evil" being a "virus",
like Laurie says, I guess. I'm just not sure I buy it.
But I totally agree with Anim that most of the so-called "victims"
in this final film actually had it coming (with maybe just one
exception), so it was enjoyable to see them get their just deserts!
I also did enjoy (bottle?) redhead Michele Dawson as Allyson's
coworker and work-rival! ;p
The best thing about this film? - It does come to a definitive
ending, and definitely wraps up the trilogy: I won't be expecting any
further films in the timeline of this set of films!!
(Now we just need a sequel to "Halloween: H20"!! :p )

Bring It On: Cheer or Die (recorded off Siffy) - Arthur asked if this
was a "spoof" - well, except for the opening sequence (which definitely
*did* seem to be a "spoof" of the "Bring It On" flicks), this wasn't
really a "spoof".
It also wasn't a "straight" "Bring It On" film. And it wasn't really
a "horror film" either. The closest genre it maybe comes to is
"mystery", though it definitely has "horror comedy" elements.
I guess, overall, this was sort of mediocre.
That said, I still enjoyed it, mostly due to the casting - the lead
is Kerri Medders (best known for "SEAL Team"), and it co-stars Tiera
Skovbye (though she dies *way too early* in the process for my liking),
and includes a couple of "The Next Step" alum (Alexandra Beaton, who is
probably the main supporting actress to Medders, and also Erika
Prevost), a cutie I've never seen before named Madison MacIsaac (I
wonder if she is related to Canadian actress Martha MacIssac?!...), and
Missi Pyle as the principal!!
With a better script, this might have been a lot of fun. As it is, I
only enjoyed it for giving Medders and Beaton something somewhat
different to do.
At least the ending was satisfying (mostly).
They show "backstage clips" over the credits, and they look brutal -
this must have been filmed during COVID, so most of the practice
cheerleading routines were run wearing macks! Yuck!!

--
"Who would ever do this to him!?" - HottCiara on DOOL (04-27-2020), asking
who would stab Victor Kirakis... How about ANYONE WHO'S EVER MET HIM??!!

On 10/16/2022 11:11 AM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
> On 2022-10-16 08:30:41 +0000, Ubiquitous said:
>
>> What did you watch?
>
> I watched three "horror movies" yesterday, but I'm not sure any of the
> three actually rate as "horror movies"!! I also finshed out season #1 of
> TLotR:TRoP.
>
> soaps: DOOL - Thur's and Fri's ep's. These were mostly snoozy - mostly
> about the three "sick women" that Orpheus "poisoned". Tripp and NuJoey
> (OMG! it's Tanner Stein, who used to play Max's best friend on Nick's
> "The Thundermans"!!) show up for Kayla... But, at the end, Kristen
> arranges for the "cure" to arrive (which John thinks is another Orpheus
> ruse, and is about to destroy!). But there's a catch!! Kristen has
> blackmailed Brady for the cure - Brady must dump Chloe, and move back in
> with Kristen, or she will let the women die! How dastardly!!
>
> X (Showtime Anytime) - Uh oh! This is distributed *and produced* by A24!
> Arthur's already running for the door!!

A24 is never a good sign!

>   Actually, for a A24 film, this was relatively palatable for them...
>   This 2022 flick stars Mia Goth - in a rare "dual role"!! - along with
> Brittany Snow, Jenna Ortega, and Martin Henderson(!!) - all of whom are
> part of a porn film cast/crew in the (late?) 1970s who head to a rural
> Texas farm to film a porno unbeknownst to the two elderly owners.
>   The issue?...
>   As a weird little independent flick (about the "price" of fame,
> and/or being in porn?... or the deprevations of aging?...), it kind of
> works. But, as a "horror film", it pretty much completely fails - it
> pretty much universally fails to build up any tension (only one sequence
> with Jenna Ortega comes close), and none of the "kills" are satisfactory
> in a "horror movie" way (with the exception of the villain who gets
> their just deserts!).
>   Sidenote #1: Brittany Snow actually gets naked (well, topless) in
> this, which I don't think she's ever done before - I've this happen
> sometimes with actresses in their (late) 30s, who suddently start doing
> nudity when they never have before.
>   Sidenote #2: I had never noticed this before but Mia Goth has
> freckles on *only one side* of her face! I don't think I've ever seen
> than before!
>

I avoided this in the theater. I recently recorded it after seeing the
trailers for the prequel, which looked like it might be good. I figure
I'll watch the prequel and this back to back one day.

And saving movies on my DVR to watch "one day" is why my DVR is always full!

> The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Prime) - "Alloyed" (ep. #1.8).
>   I can never manage a long review for this show.
>   I think that's because it's an incredibly frustrating mix of some
> decent, almost good, elements, with some elements that are downright
> trash (at least to a Tolkein purist like myself).
>   This season finale dispenses with the Dwarves and the men in the
> South (and the orcs) entirely, and focuses Galadriel, Elrond, Halbrand
> and the elves, The Stranger and the Hobbits, and a little bit on Numenor.
>   The "good" element was the "twist" in the finale - I should have seen
> this development coming all season, but I totally didn't!! But this
> twist is actually right, and works with Tolkien's lore.
>   The "bad/horrible" part, as it consistently is, is the
> Hobbits/Stranger part, which all on it's own is nearly enough to drive
> me from the show. Once again, Hobbits were *irrelevant* in the Second
> Age, and shouldn't be in the story at all.

At first I thought you were just calling them "Hobbits" as a short hand.
It was my understanding those aren't Hobbits. Checking...Oh, they are
one of the three breeds of Hobbits. So I guess technically, they are
hobbits.

And The Stranger is s
> straight-up bullshit invention. This storyline is clearly being dictated
> by Amazon's marketing department, which can go fuck itself, as their
> stupid subplot is killing what is otherwise an... well, I guess, "mostly
> OK" (in parts!) show.
>   So, it's a quandry. I like the Sauron stuff, but the Hobbits/Stranger
> storyline is nearly enough to drive me away from returning for season #2.
>   It's a quandary.
>
> Halloween Ends (Peacock) - I think I mostly agree with Anim that this
> probably the "best" of the new "Halloween" film trilogy - it's certainly
> leagues better than "Halloween Kills" which I consider to be pretty much
> an abject failure.
>   However, it's not really a "horror movie" for a good stretch of its
> run (though it comes the closest to actually being a "horror movie" of
> the three movies I watched yesterday!).
>   The one problem I have here is that I'm not really sure what the film
> was "about". I get what the *ending* was about, obviously. (Despite that
> ending apparently completely contradicting "Halloween Kills" - but it's
> just better to forget that the latter film ever existed, anyway!) But I
> don't really get what the first two-thirds of the film was trying to say
> - something about "evil" being a "virus", like Laurie says, I guess. I'm
> just not sure I buy it.
>   But I totally agree with Anim that most of the so-called "victims" in
> this final film actually had it coming (with maybe just one exception),
> so it was enjoyable to see them get their just deserts!
>   I also did enjoy (bottle?) redhead Michele Dawson as Allyson's
> coworker and work-rival!  ;p
>   The best thing about this film? - It does come to a definitive
> ending, and definitely wraps up the trilogy: I won't be expecting any
> further films in the timeline of this set of films!!
>   (Now we just need a sequel to "Halloween: H20"!!  :p  )
>

Are you a fan of the original film series? I wonder if the divide
between people who like the movie and people who hate the movie are
hardcore fans of the original hate that's it's new and different instead
of more of the same? And I don't mean that as a disparagement of fans
of the original. If someone did a reboot of a franchise I liked and
changed everything I liked about it, I'd be ticked off too.

> Bring It On: Cheer or Die (recorded off Siffy) - Arthur asked if this
> was a "spoof" - well, except for the opening sequence (which definitely
> *did* seem to be a "spoof" of the "Bring It On" flicks), this wasn't
> really a "spoof".
>   It also wasn't a "straight" "Bring It On" film. And it wasn't really
> a "horror film" either. The closest genre it maybe comes to is
> "mystery", though it definitely has "horror comedy" elements.
>   I guess, overall, this was sort of mediocre.
>   That said, I still enjoyed it, mostly due to the casting - the lead
> is Kerri Medders (best known for "SEAL Team"), and it co-stars Tiera
> Skovbye (though she dies *way too early* in the process for my liking),
> and includes a couple of "The Next Step" alum (Alexandra Beaton, who is
> probably the main supporting actress to Medders, and also Erika
> Prevost), a cutie I've never seen before named Madison MacIsaac (I
> wonder if she is related to Canadian actress Martha MacIssac?!...), and
> Missi Pyle as the principal!!
>   With a better script, this might have been a lot of fun. As it is, I
> only enjoyed it for giving Medders and Beaton something somewhat
> different to do.
>   At least the ending was satisfying (mostly).
>   They show "backstage clips" over the credits, and they look brutal -
> this must have been filmed during COVID, so most of the practice
> cheerleading routines were run wearing macks! Yuck!!
>
>

As I continue to work my way through the horror movies in my collection
for Halloween month, I watched:

976-Evil (blu-ray) 1988 horror movie directed by Robert Englund and
starring Stephen Geoffreys as a bullied teenager who falls into the
clutches of an evil supernatural force that transforms him into an evil
monster. The general plot revolves around a 976 horoscope number that
sort of grants wishes, but it's really set up by the Devil (Robert
Picardo). At first Geoffrey's cousin calls the number, but once he
realizes it's evil, he stops calling. Geoffreys on the other hand likes
the power even though it turns him into a homicidal demon beast.

Fright Night (4K disc) 1985 horror classic about a teen (William
Ragsdale) who seeks help from a TV late night horror host (Roddy
McDowall) to do battle against a vampire (Chris Sarandon). Stephen
Geoffreys also stars as a bullied teenager who falls into the clutches
of an evil supernatural force that transforms him into an evil monster.
I should also note that this is a brand new 4K release with Dolby Atmos
sound. This has been one of my most anticipated discs to watch. And
the disc lives up to the great reviews. And of course the movie holds
up great as well. One bit of trivia that I never realized until much
later in life is Tom Holland, who wrote and directed this movie, also
wrote and directed Child's Play and of course Chris Sarandon starred in
both.

On 2022-10-16 19:01:05 +0000, Arthur Lipscomb said:

> On 10/16/2022 11:11 AM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
>> On 2022-10-16 08:30:41 +0000, Ubiquitous said:
>>
>>> What did you watch?
>>
>> I watched three "horror movies" yesterday, but I'm not sure any of the
>> three actually rate as "horror movies"!! I also finshed out season #1
>> of TLotR:TRoP.
>>
>> soaps: DOOL - Thur's and Fri's ep's. These were mostly snoozy - mostly
>> about the three "sick women" that Orpheus "poisoned". Tripp and NuJoey
>> (OMG! it's Tanner Stein, who used to play Max's best friend on Nick's
>> "The Thundermans"!!) show up for Kayla... But, at the end, Kristen
>> arranges for the "cure" to arrive (which John thinks is another Orpheus
>> ruse, and is about to destroy!). But there's a catch!! Kristen has
>> blackmailed Brady for the cure - Brady must dump Chloe, and move back
>> in with Kristen, or she will let the women die! How dastardly!!
>>
>> X (Showtime Anytime) - Uh oh! This is distributed *and produced* by
>> A24! Arthur's already running for the door!!
>
> A24 is never a good sign!

Ha!
You'd probably hate "Climax"!!

>>   Actually, for a A24 film, this was relatively palatable for them...
>>   This 2022 flick stars Mia Goth - in a rare "dual role"!! - along with
>> Brittany Snow, Jenna Ortega, and Martin Henderson(!!) - all of whom are
>> part of a porn film cast/crew in the (late?) 1970s who head to a rural
>> Texas farm to film a porno unbeknownst to the two elderly owners.
>>   The issue?...
>>   As a weird little independent flick (about the "price" of fame,
>> and/or being in porn?... or the deprevations of aging?...), it kind of
>> works. But, as a "horror film", it pretty much completely fails - it
>> pretty much universally fails to build up any tension (only one
>> sequence with Jenna Ortega comes close), and none of the "kills" are
>> satisfactory in a "horror movie" way (with the exception of the villain
>> who gets their just deserts!).
>>   Sidenote #1: Brittany Snow actually gets naked (well, topless) in
>> this, which I don't think she's ever done before - I've this happen
>> sometimes with actresses in their (late) 30s, who suddently start doing
>> nudity when they never have before.
>>   Sidenote #2: I had never noticed this before but Mia Goth has
>> freckles on *only one side* of her face! I don't think I've ever seen
>> than before!
>
> I avoided this in the theater. I recently recorded it after seeing the
> trailers for the prequel, which looked like it might be good. I figure
> I'll watch the prequel and this back to back one day.

Yeah, after watching this, I looked it up, and found out that Mia Goth
is starring in a "prequel" (which may have already been released!). I
will definitely check that out when it comes to... (Showtime?).
Hopefully it will sport more Goth naked nudity!! ;)

>> Halloween Ends (Peacock) - I think I mostly agree with Anim that this
>> probably the "best" of the new "Halloween" film trilogy - it's
>> certainly leagues better than "Halloween Kills" which I consider to be
>> pretty much an abject failure.
>>   However, it's not really a "horror movie" for a good stretch of its
>> run (though it comes the closest to actually being a "horror movie" of
>> the three movies I watched yesterday!).
>>   The one problem I have here is that I'm not really sure what the film
>> was "about". I get what the *ending* was about, obviously. (Despite
>> that ending apparently completely contradicting "Halloween Kills" - but
>> it's just better to forget that the latter film ever existed, anyway!)
>> But I don't really get what the first two-thirds of the film was trying
>> to say - something about "evil" being a "virus", like Laurie says, I
>> guess. I'm just not sure I buy it.
>>   But I totally agree with Anim that most of the so-called "victims" in
>> this final film actually had it coming (with maybe just one exception),
>> so it was enjoyable to see them get their just deserts!
>>   I also did enjoy (bottle?) redhead Michele Dawson as Allyson's
>> coworker and work-rival!  ;p
>>   The best thing about this film? - It does come to a definitive
>> ending, and definitely wraps up the trilogy: I won't be expecting any
>> further films in the timeline of this set of films!!
>>   (Now we just need a sequel to "Halloween: H20"!!  :p  )
>
> Are you a fan of the original film series?

Within the last... 5(? or 7?) years I saw the original for the first
time, and then went out of my way to watch 2, and 4-6, soon after.

I like the original a lot. I found the original "2" (from 1980), except
for one good "kill scene", to be very disappointing. I think "4" is an
interesting attempt to "channel" the original with a new cast (that's
only partly successful). "5" and "6" (esp. "6"!!) are hot messes.

I have also seen "H20" (which I like for the cast, but *hate* the
"reveal") and "Resurrection" (which IIRC is *terrible*!). And I've seen
the first Rob Zombie "Halloween" flick (which I found to be pointless,
aside from a good effort from Scout Taylor-Compton), but not the second.

So, I'm "open-minded" about the new trilogy. I think I thought the
first one was OK, and if they had just left Michael M. burning in the
"trap", it would have been a fine-to-good film. But "Kills" ruins all
that, and then "doubles-down" by going down the same "supernatural" rat
hole that the original "5" and "6" went down! Yikes! So "Ends" redeems
that quite a bit.

> I wonder if the divide between people who like the movie and people who
> hate the movie are hardcore fans of the original hate that's it's new
> and different instead of more of the same? And I don't mean that as a
> disparagement of fans of the original. If someone did a reboot of a
> franchise I liked and changed everything I liked about it, I'd be
> ticked off too.

Well, the new trilogy ignores everything after the original, but IIRC,
so did "H2O", so why would I care about that?! Frankly, I can't be
sure, but I'm not even sure if the original "2" and "4" actually really
follow on the original properly!

--
"Who would ever do this to him!?" - HottCiara on DOOL (04-27-2020), asking
who would stab Victor Kirakis... How about ANYONE WHO'S EVER MET HIM??!!

On 10/16/2022 12:31 PM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
> On 2022-10-16 19:01:05 +0000, Arthur Lipscomb said:
>
>> On 10/16/2022 11:11 AM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
>>> On 2022-10-16 08:30:41 +0000, Ubiquitous said:
>>>
>>>> What did you watch?
>>>
>>> I watched three "horror movies" yesterday, but I'm not sure any of
>>> the three actually rate as "horror movies"!! I also finshed out
>>> season #1 of TLotR:TRoP.
>>>
>>> soaps: DOOL - Thur's and Fri's ep's. These were mostly snoozy -
>>> mostly about the three "sick women" that Orpheus "poisoned". Tripp
>>> and NuJoey (OMG! it's Tanner Stein, who used to play Max's best
>>> friend on Nick's "The Thundermans"!!) show up for Kayla... But, at
>>> the end, Kristen arranges for the "cure" to arrive (which John thinks
>>> is another Orpheus ruse, and is about to destroy!). But there's a
>>> catch!! Kristen has blackmailed Brady for the cure - Brady must dump
>>> Chloe, and move back in with Kristen, or she will let the women die!
>>> How dastardly!!
>>>
>>> X (Showtime Anytime) - Uh oh! This is distributed *and produced* by
>>> A24! Arthur's already running for the door!!
>>
>> A24 is never a good sign!
>
> Ha!
> You'd probably hate "Climax"!!
>
>>>   Actually, for a A24 film, this was relatively palatable for them...
>>>   This 2022 flick stars Mia Goth - in a rare "dual role"!! - along
>>> with Brittany Snow, Jenna Ortega, and Martin Henderson(!!) - all of
>>> whom are part of a porn film cast/crew in the (late?) 1970s who head
>>> to a rural Texas farm to film a porno unbeknownst to the two elderly
>>> owners.
>>>   The issue?...
>>>   As a weird little independent flick (about the "price" of fame,
>>> and/or being in porn?... or the deprevations of aging?...), it kind
>>> of works. But, as a "horror film", it pretty much completely fails -
>>> it pretty much universally fails to build up any tension (only one
>>> sequence with Jenna Ortega comes close), and none of the "kills" are
>>> satisfactory in a "horror movie" way (with the exception of the
>>> villain who gets their just deserts!).
>>>   Sidenote #1: Brittany Snow actually gets naked (well, topless) in
>>> this, which I don't think she's ever done before - I've this happen
>>> sometimes with actresses in their (late) 30s, who suddently start
>>> doing nudity when they never have before.
>>>   Sidenote #2: I had never noticed this before but Mia Goth has
>>> freckles on *only one side* of her face! I don't think I've ever seen
>>> than before!
>>
>> I avoided this in the theater. I recently recorded it after seeing the
>> trailers for the prequel, which looked like it might be good.  I
>> figure I'll watch the prequel and this back to back one day.
>
> Yeah, after watching this, I looked it up, and found out that Mia Goth
> is starring in a "prequel" (which may have already been released!). I
> will definitely check that out when it comes to... (Showtime?).
> Hopefully it will sport more Goth naked nudity!!  ;)
>
>>> Halloween Ends (Peacock) - I think I mostly agree with Anim that this
>>> probably the "best" of the new "Halloween" film trilogy - it's
>>> certainly leagues better than "Halloween Kills" which I consider to
>>> be pretty much an abject failure.
>>>   However, it's not really a "horror movie" for a good stretch of its
>>> run (though it comes the closest to actually being a "horror movie"
>>> of the three movies I watched yesterday!).
>>>   The one problem I have here is that I'm not really sure what the
>>> film was "about". I get what the *ending* was about, obviously.
>>> (Despite that ending apparently completely contradicting "Halloween
>>> Kills" - but it's just better to forget that the latter film ever
>>> existed, anyway!) But I don't really get what the first two-thirds of
>>> the film was trying to say - something about "evil" being a "virus",
>>> like Laurie says, I guess. I'm just not sure I buy it.
>>>   But I totally agree with Anim that most of the so-called "victims"
>>> in this final film actually had it coming (with maybe just one
>>> exception), so it was enjoyable to see them get their just deserts!
>>>   I also did enjoy (bottle?) redhead Michele Dawson as Allyson's
>>> coworker and work-rival!  ;p
>>>   The best thing about this film? - It does come to a definitive
>>> ending, and definitely wraps up the trilogy: I won't be expecting any
>>> further films in the timeline of this set of films!!
>>>   (Now we just need a sequel to "Halloween: H20"!!  :p  )
>>
>> Are you a fan of the original film series?
>
> Within the last... 5(? or 7?) years I saw the original for the first
> time, and then went out of my way to watch 2, and 4-6, soon after.
>
> I like the original a lot. I found the original "2" (from 1980), except
> for one good "kill scene", to be very disappointing. I think "4" is an
> interesting attempt to "channel" the original with a new cast (that's
> only partly successful). "5" and "6" (esp. "6"!!) are hot messes.
>
> I have also seen "H20" (which I like for the cast, but *hate* the
> "reveal") and "Resurrection" (which IIRC is *terrible*!). And I've seen
> the first Rob Zombie "Halloween" flick (which I found to be pointless,
> aside from a good effort from Scout Taylor-Compton), but not the second.
>
> So, I'm "open-minded" about the new trilogy. I think I thought the first
> one was OK, and if they had just left Michael M. burning in the "trap",
> it would have been a fine-to-good film. But "Kills" ruins all that, and
> then "doubles-down" by going down the same "supernatural" rat hole that
> the original "5" and "6" went down! Yikes! So "Ends" redeems that quite
> a bit.
>
>> I wonder if the divide between people who like the movie and people
>> who hate the movie are hardcore fans of the original hate that's it's
>> new and different instead of more of the same?  And I don't mean that
>> as a disparagement of fans of the original.  If someone did a reboot
>> of a franchise I liked and changed everything I liked about it, I'd be
>> ticked off too.
>
> Well, the new trilogy ignores everything after the original, but IIRC,
> so did "H2O", so why would I care about that?! Frankly, I can't be sure,
> but I'm not even sure if the original "2" and "4" actually really follow
> on the original properly!
>
>

When I was a kid there were three big horror franchises, Friday the
13th, Halloween, and Elm Street The first two were already popular
before I was cognizant of movies. But Elm Street came around when I was
old enough to appreciate it. I became an instant fan of Freddy (and
later Chucky). So my horror franchises were Elm Street and to a lesser
degree Child's Play. The others were just generic interchangeable
slasher flicks that I had no real interest in. I think the first
Halloween movie I saw in a theater was H20 in 1998. And the first Jason
movie was X in 2002. But I was always more interested in Jason because
of the crossovers with Freddy, and a few years ago I sat down and
watched all the Jason movies and became of actual fan of the franchise.

But I've never been a fan of the Halloween franchise. Of the originals,
I don't think I've ever seen 4, 5, 6, or 8. I saw the first Rob Zombie
reboot, but not the second. I've actually enjoyed the new reboot of
Halloween, but I honestly had no idea if Michael Meyers was supposed to
be supernatural or not. So removing that aspect (or playing fast and
lose with it) didn't really phase me much. I've also been "open-minded"
with the new trilogy, taking them as they come. And the more I think
about the third one, I think the more I like it, while simultaneously
watching fans of the original series hating it with a burning passion.
But I've always been contrary. My favorite of the original was
Halloween III any way... I suspect all the stuff people hate about III
that I like is the same stuff people hate about "Ends" that I like.

On 10/16/2022 12:01 PM, Arthur Lipscomb wrote:
> On 10/16/2022 11:11 AM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
>> On 2022-10-16 08:30:41 +0000, Ubiquitous said:
>>
>>> What did you watch?
>>
>> I watched three "horror movies" yesterday, but I'm not sure any of the
>> three actually rate as "horror movies"!! I also finshed out season #1
>> of TLotR:TRoP.
>>
>> soaps: DOOL - Thur's and Fri's ep's. These were mostly snoozy - mostly
>> about the three "sick women" that Orpheus "poisoned". Tripp and NuJoey
>> (OMG! it's Tanner Stein, who used to play Max's best friend on Nick's
>> "The Thundermans"!!) show up for Kayla... But, at the end, Kristen
>> arranges for the "cure" to arrive (which John thinks is another
>> Orpheus ruse, and is about to destroy!). But there's a catch!! Kristen
>> has blackmailed Brady for the cure - Brady must dump Chloe, and move
>> back in with Kristen, or she will let the women die! How dastardly!!
>>
>> X (Showtime Anytime) - Uh oh! This is distributed *and produced* by
>> A24! Arthur's already running for the door!!
>
> A24 is never a good sign!
>
>>    Actually, for a A24 film, this was relatively palatable for them...
>>    This 2022 flick stars Mia Goth - in a rare "dual role"!! - along
>> with Brittany Snow, Jenna Ortega, and Martin Henderson(!!) - all of
>> whom are part of a porn film cast/crew in the (late?) 1970s who head
>> to a rural Texas farm to film a porno unbeknownst to the two elderly
>> owners.
>>    The issue?...
>>    As a weird little independent flick (about the "price" of fame,
>> and/or being in porn?... or the deprevations of aging?...), it kind of
>> works. But, as a "horror film", it pretty much completely fails - it
>> pretty much universally fails to build up any tension (only one
>> sequence with Jenna Ortega comes close), and none of the "kills" are
>> satisfactory in a "horror movie" way (with the exception of the
>> villain who gets their just deserts!).
>>    Sidenote #1: Brittany Snow actually gets naked (well, topless) in
>> this, which I don't think she's ever done before - I've this happen
>> sometimes with actresses in their (late) 30s, who suddently start
>> doing nudity when they never have before.
>>    Sidenote #2: I had never noticed this before but Mia Goth has
>> freckles on *only one side* of her face! I don't think I've ever seen
>> than before!
>>
>
> I avoided this in the theater. I recently recorded it after seeing the
> trailers for the prequel, which looked like it might be good.  I figure
> I'll watch the prequel and this back to back one day.
>

There is a third movie in the series in development. 'MaXXXine'.
"MaXXXine is the final chapter in Ti West's horror trilogy that began
with X followed by Pearl. Mia Goth stars as an actress seeking fame in
1985 Los Angeles."

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

Ian J. Ball <IJBall@mac.invalid> wrote:
> On 2022-10-16 08:30:41 +0000, Ubiquitous said:
>
>> What did you watch?
>
> I watched three "horror movies" yesterday, but I'm not sure any of the
> three actually rate as "horror movies"!! I also finshed out season #1
> of TLotR:TRoP.
>
>
> Halloween Ends (Peacock) - I think I mostly agree with Anim that this
> probably the "best" of the new "Halloween" film trilogy - it's
> certainly leagues better than "Halloween Kills" which I consider to be
> pretty much an abject failure.
> However, it's not really a "horror movie" for a good stretch of its
> run (though it comes the closest to actually being a "horror movie" of
> the three movies I watched yesterday!).
> The one problem I have here is that I'm not really sure what the
> film was "about". I get what the *ending* was about, obviously.
> (Despite that ending apparently completely contradicting "Halloween
> Kills" - but it's just better to forget that the latter film ever
> existed, anyway!) But I don't really get what the first two-thirds of
> the film was trying to say - something about "evil" being a "virus",
> like Laurie says, I guess. I'm just not sure I buy it.
> But I totally agree with Anim that most of the so-called "victims"
> in this final film actually had it coming (with maybe just one
> exception), so it was enjoyable to see them get their just deserts!
> I also did enjoy (bottle?) redhead Michele Dawson as

I see about an equal number of photos of her as a redhead or with almost
black hair.

Allyson's
> coworker and work-rival! ;p
> The best thing about this film? - It does come to a definitive
> ending, and definitely wraps up the trilogy: I won't be expecting any
> further films in the timeline of this set of films!!
> (Now we just need a sequel to "Halloween: H20"!! :p )

Here’s a question. Those fingers Michael got blown off in one of the
earlier of these three movies… Have they grown back? Because if they did
putting him through a meat grinder probably isn’t going to get it done.

--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.

In article <tihhgc$36l59$1@dont-email.me>, IJBall@mac.invalid wrote:
> On 2022-10-16 08:30:41 +0000, Ubiquitous said:

>> What did you watch?
>
>Halloween Ends (Peacock) - I think I mostly agree with Anim that this
>probably the "best" of the new "Halloween" film trilogy - it's
>certainly leagues better than "Halloween Kills" which I consider to be
>pretty much an abject failure.
> However, it's not really a "horror movie" for a good stretch of its
>run (though it comes the closest to actually being a "horror movie" of
>the three movies I watched yesterday!).
> The one problem I have here is that I'm not really sure what the
>film was "about". I get what the *ending* was about, obviously.
>(Despite that ending apparently completely contradicting "Halloween
>Kills" - but it's just better to forget that the latter film ever
>existed, anyway!) But I don't really get what the first two-thirds of
>the film was trying to say - something about "evil" being a "virus",
>like Laurie says, I guess. I'm just not sure I buy it.
> But I totally agree with Anim that most of the so-called "victims"
>in this final film actually had it coming (with maybe just one
>exception), so it was enjoyable to see them get their just deserts!
> I also did enjoy (bottle?) redhead Michele Dawson as Allyson's
>coworker and work-rival! ;p
> The best thing about this film? - It does come to a definitive
>ending, and definitely wraps up the trilogy: I won't be expecting any
>further films in the timeline of this set of films!!

Colour me skeptical about this being the final one.

--
Let's go Brandon!

On Oct 16, 2022 at 11:11:25 AM PDT, "Ian J. Ball" <IJBall@mac.invalid> wrote:

> On 2022-10-16 08:30:41 +0000, Ubiquitous said:
>
>> What did you watch?
>
> The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Prime) - "Alloyed" (ep. #1.8).
> I can never manage a long review for this show.
> I think that's because it's an incredibly frustrating mix of some
> decent, almost good, elements, with some elements that are downright
> trash (at least to a Tolkein purist like myself).
> This season finale dispenses with the Dwarves and the men in the
> South (and the orcs) entirely, and focuses Galadriel, Elrond, Halbrand
> and the elves, The Stranger and the Hobbits, and a little bit on
> Numenor.
> The "good" element was the "twist" in the finale - I should have
> seen this development coming all season, but I totally didn't!! But
> this twist is actually right, and works with Tolkien's lore.

I didn't see it coming from the beginning, but by the time it was revealed I'd
well figured it out.

Ng svefg V jnf ba obneq jvgu gur vqrn bs gur thl jub sryy gb rnegu va gur
zrgrbe orvat Fnheba ohg V dhvpxyl qvfzvffrq gung vqrn.

Unyoenaq arire frrzrq dhvgr evtug gb zr naq nf gvzr jrag ba, V fgnegrq gb
guvax ur zvtug raq hc orvat gur Jvgpu-Xvat bs Natzne, gur Ybeq bs gur Anmthy.
Bar bs gur zra jub erprvirq gur avar evatf bs cbjre naq jrer pbeehcgrq ol
gurz. Ohg ur xrcg pnyyvat uvzfrys gur "Xvat bs gur Fbhguynaqf", nyorvg n
eryhpgnag xvat, naq jura gur Fbhguynaqf jrer erirnyrq gb or Zbeqbe, gur
cvrprf sryy vagb cynpr. Ur'f gur Xvat bs Zbeqbe.

> The "bad/horrible" part, as it consistently is, is the
> Hobbits/Stranger part, which all on it's own is nearly enough to drive
> me from the show. Once again, Hobbits were *irrelevant* in the Second
> Age, and shouldn't be in the story at all. And The Stranger is a
> straight-up bullshit invention.

I don't hate it as much as you do, but the Harfoots are a bit tedious. After
five straight minutes of hugging goodbye at the end of the episode, I was
ready to be done with them.

> This storyline is clearly being
> dictated by Amazon's marketing department, which can go fuck itself, as
> their stupid subplot is killing what is otherwise an... well, I guess,
> "mostly OK" (in parts!) show.
> So, it's a quandry. I like the Sauron stuff, but the
> Hobbits/Stranger storyline is nearly enough to drive me away from
> returning for season #2.
> It's a quandary.