Showing posts with label Television. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Television. Show all posts

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Netflix Chronicles #1

Well I thought I would start posting my thoughts on different things I have seen on Netflix, they aren't new movies, but there are many great movies, and also many great tv shows on Netflix Instant, as well as on demand on the premium channels that I get, and even some movies on DVD that I might have missed watching when they first came out. I just thought I would write about them as I watch them, not everything will get written about, but anything I find interesting. Netflix may be in the title, but this is not really limited to Netflix.

Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil- I watched this movie again recently with one of my friends, and I really enjoyed it, maybe not quite as much as the first time, but I definitely laughed a ton and jumped at the times I was supposed to. I think not knowing anything about the story going into it helps, other than knowing that it is a horror comedy, so there will be some scares and a bit of blood, while there are also some lovable characters. I highly recommend this movie.

Brick- This movie really wowed me, I really don't know where to start with the awesome things that it did. This was the movie that Rian Johnson wrote and directed with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in it because they worked together again in Looper. This movie takes the classic genre of film noir and places it in a high school setting. I still got the feeling that the movie was from another time, other than the semi-modern tech like cell phones. The movie was just simply awesome, and I would advise everyone to check it out. It is available on Netflix Instant, and can likely be found through other means as well, that was just the most convenient for me. I think this move was somewhat of an independent film and did not get that large of a release back in 2005 when it came out, I definitely did not heat about it until much later.

House on Haunted Hill- This is the original with Vincent Price, I had seen at least one movie with Vincent Price in it previously, but I thought another would have been a good taste of history around Halloween. This movie, I believe was likely wonderful when it was released in 1959, there were some very scary moments. I think they chose the right times for scares and the right times for twists, I liked the story, and even some of the effects were good, I just think some of it was just too dated to hold up over the 50+ years since its release. If you want to see a classic, check it out, otherwise I think you can pass on it.

Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23- I honestly can't explain why I started watching this show on Netflix, but I did. I had always thought that Krysten Ritter was funny in a weird sort of way. I think the weirdness is what I really like about this show, you have the party girl, the quiet Midwestern girl, and James Van Der Beek playing himself, or a comedic version of himself in New York. There is a lot of strange and dirty humor in this show, but that is just my kind of thing after all. I would say it is worth watching if you want a short funny show to check out, I think there are only 26 total episodes, and I am almost half way through the series, and it has really breezed by so far.

Drive- There was a lot of hype around this movie when it came out, I guess I never took the time to go and see it in the theater, and for some reason I never really felt an urgent need to see it. I don't know if I just didn't connect with this movie, but it wasn't all that enjoyable for me. I honestly think one of my favorite parts was the opening driving scene, and how that opening chase ended, such a brilliant idea! Other than that part, I felt like the movie was a lot of flash with only minimal bang. I didn't find the story very compelling, and while there were a lot of people I like in the movie, I didn't think the performances were that great. I could be a downer, but I just thought this movie was a miss for me.

Well this concludes the first edition of my ramblings about random visual media consumption that I have to share.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

IFC Shows

I have really loved what IFC has done with their original comedies, in their attempts, they have 3 shows that I really love, and the also have the rights to reruns of several other shows. I just wanted to show a little love for these shows, and I hope they keep making more original content like these shows. These are not the types of comedies that you would see on network television, they each have their own specific style and voice, and I am really glad these types of shows have found a home somewhere.

Portlandia
I think Portlandia is their current flagship show so to speak. It has aired 3 seasons, and the premise is really just examining cartoonish character that are found throughout Portland, Oregon. Every scene has Fred and Carrie in it, in many cases they are dressed up in unusual costumes, and Fred definitely does some cross dressing. There are some characters that appear regularly, and others that are more one off in the show's run. I love the writing of the show, and really the creativity. I also love the theme song that gets stuck in my head every time I hear it. I believe the first 2 seasons can be found on Netflix if you want to check some of it out.

Maron
The first season on Maron aired this past spring, with a 10 episode run that ended a few weeks ago. I am hopeful that it will be renewed for a 2nd season. The show follows a fictionalized version of the shows creator and star Marc Maron. The show follows him through different situations in his life from dating, to dealing with internet trolls. The show definitely has his voice captured well, and it even incorporates his podcast WTF into the plot at times, and also brings in different stars that way as well. Marc Maron has definitely spent a long time trying to find his place in the comedy world, and he is finally hitting his stride with his own very unique voice. For people who are fans of Louie on FX, this show has a similar feel to that show. Hopefully this show will be available in Netflix eventually, but because it is so new, its not yet available there.

Comedy Bang Bang
Comedy Bang Bang is a show that has been in many forms, it was originally called Comedy Death Ray, and was a radio show as well as a weekly comedy show in Los Angeles. The shows changed its name to Comedy Bang Bang, and the stage show eventually went away, the creator and host of the show is Scott Aukerman. Both the tv show and the podcast show have appearances from both real celebrities, and comedians and improvisers playing all sorts of characters. The television show really is an absurdist's take on the normal late night talk show format, with many weird and bizarre moments. The shows band is Reggie Watts, if you haven't heard of him, you should definitely look up some of his videos on Youtube, he is able to create some amazing songs all on his own, no backing instruments at all, he uses tools to loop his own voices to make melodies. On the show Scott will have one celebrity guest and at least one character of some kind, you will see some of the funniest people in the comedy world making experiences. I will admit that this show might not fit everyone's sense of humor, but the weirdness of it really makes me laugh a lot. The first season of the show is found on Netflix, and the 2nd season of 20 episodes starts last night July 12th. I am a big fan of supporting comedy that I like so I would really like to get more people to watch the show if at all possible.

Like I said before, I really like that IFC has taken chances on such unique shows and letting the talents involved with the shows have their own creative control and vision. If you don't interfere too much on the network side, lots of amazing things can be made in television.