Bingewatch!!

Or, "Flicks I've watched part 31". (part 30 here)
And/or, "Literature Review #9". (part 8 here)
And/or "Bigass review #3". (part 1, and part 2 here)

All righty, promised this two weeks ago, (feels like its been longer somehow) so here we finally go.


Shows.

The West Wing (1999 - 2006)

The hugest one of these binges at seven 22 episode seasons.
Good thing it was good all the way through.

Loved it.
One of my all-time favorite shows now.
Quite possibly a masterpiece.

IMO, this show kind of demands to be binge-watched. I can't imagine having to follow all the plot-lines waiting week after week, and then suffering through commercials.

So, how does it stack up against previous favorites?
Tough call, I might even put it up there with "Breaking Bad".

Yeah, somewhere between "Breaking Bad", and "Walking Dead".

Ah, shit, where does that put "Hannibal"?
Um....hmm...
Fuck lists, let's just say it's in the top 5, and those positions shift around depending on my mood.

Anyway, I'd recommend it, but you've gotta schedule the time to get it in there, cuz it's a sprawl.


Dexter (2006 - 2013)

This was about the second longest of the binges.
Eight 12 episode seasons, so, it averages out to about half the length of "West wing".
BUT...cable episodes are longer, so....
Yeah, a bit over half.
Still...

ANYWAY...
Loved it.
Natch.
The premise is right up my alley.
Come on, a good serial killer?
It was tailor made for me. ;-)

Got a kick out of that this show picked up in time right after "West Wing", ended, so, you get to see technology go from the shitty '99 tech of CRT computers, and flip phones with no camera, and only midi ringtones, all the way up to I-phones in the span of the combined 15 years.

Also, Jimmy Smits guest starred for the whole 3rd season, so there's your bona-fide "West Wing", crossover.

Not as quite good as "Hannibal", but close enough, and there's more of it.
Strangely, this has more humor and...heart than "Hannibal".
Odd, I know, you must see to appreciate.


Game Of Thrones (2011 - present)

Yeah, I finally gave in, and got on the bandwagon, and dammit, it's as good as everyone says.

Surprisingly, this is tiny.
Only four 10 episode seasons so far.
Long episodes though.
Still, easy for you to catch up.
Hurry up already.

I've heard it called "Sopranos meets LOTR".
Fuck those people, it's better than both of them.

It doesn't even go on a list, its on its own pedestal with shit like Classic Trek, and Archie Bunker, and MASH.

Peter Dinklage is a fucking rockstar.
Goddamn.

I can't wait for the FCC to die already so TV can always be like this.
Cuz it should, it should always fucking be like this.


The Wire (2002 - 2008)

Five 12-13 episode seasons.
Even shorter than "Dexter".
But not as short as "Game Of Thrones".
Yet, this one took the longest (for me).
About 11 days.
Started it almost as long ago as "stuff coming up the pike".
Think I was somewhere in the middle of "Game Of Thrones", when I posted that.

I dunno, I just kept pausing, and taking 20 minute marker breaks to fuck around on Facebook and shit, next thing I know, it'd be 2 hours later, and I'd grumpily drag my ass back to the TV.
Rinse, repeat, for 11 days.
With no other TV.
Urgh.

Don't get me wrong, it's a GREAT show.
Possibly the best cop show ever.
I wouldn't have stuck with it otherwise.
It's just very slow paced, and deliberately lacking in the phony stage-y bullshit of network cop shows.

If you watch this, and like it, and go all the way through it, the "Law & Order", shows will look like bad Saturday morning cartoons to you afterward.
You'll spit at the sight of them.

Best character?
Omar.
There isn't nearly enough of him though.
Could have done without the gay sex scenes though...
Meh, whatever.

Oddly, the early seasons have a lot of fucking (of all proclivities), then the fucking tapers off somewhere around season 4, then everyone becomes monks/nuns.
*Shrug*

Oh, and here's the crossovers.
The dude who plays Littlefinger in "Game Of Thrones", is in seasons 3-5, and in season 5, someone is watching Dexter and puts in a blatant plug for it.
So, that's all 4 of these linked together.
Little compulsion of mine....

So, those were the biggest chunk of why the blog has been so slow.

Now, the flicks...


Movies.

The Lego Movie (2014)

Just wonderful.
Loved it.
Deep down inside in the squishy bits.

Tough call between this and "Wreck-It Ralph".
Let's call it a tie.
If you loved one, you'll love the other.

Oh, and Christian and conservative groups cried about this, which made it imperative that I see it.
Having seen it, they're idiots.
But, what else is new?


Robocop (2014)

See here, here, and here.

Surprisingly good!
Don't expect it to be the Paul Verhoven one, you'll give yourself a seizure.
Just let it be what it is.
You'll be entertained.

Its got more soul than the Michael Bay Transformers franchise, I'll give it that much.

Oh, and the flesh hand thing?
Not satisfactorily answered.
Just...go with it.

Also, the dude who plays Omar in "The Wire", is in this as neo-Lewis.


Son Of Batman (2014)

So, we're 3 4ths of the way there for this year's slate.
The others being "Flashpoint Paradox", and "Justice League: War", and the final upcoming one being "Batman: Assault on Arkham".

Finally, all 5 Robins have been onscreen now.
Dick Grayson in "Batman The Movie", "Batman Forever", "Batman and Robin", and "Batman: Sub-Zero".
Jason Todd in "Under The Red Hood".
Tim Drake in "Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker".
Carrie Kelly in "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns".
And now, Damian Wayne in this one.

Anyway, plot is, Batman fucked Talia Al Ghuul 10 years prior, now she shows up with his secret bastard to take care of, and take under his wing.
Slade/Deathstroke is the looming villain they have to take on.

This one's kinda grim, possibly as much if not moreso than "Flashpoint Paradox".
Violence, death, and blatant sexual references, definitely not for little kiddies.

Damian is...kind of like Hit-Girl, but without the potty mouth, or humor.
He might be my second favorite Robin after Carrie Kelly.

Anyway, I liked this flick a lot.
Definitely one for the collection.


Ginger Snaps Trilogy (2000 - 2004)

See here.

Always been curious, finally seen 'em.
Damn, goth chick werewolves, what the fuck took me so long?

Anyway, quickie rundown.
First one, great, second one, meh, third one, barely watchable.

The first one feels like an update of that Freddy movie vibe.
Y'know, likable teens in a freaky situation.
Oughties goths instead of 80's rocker kids, but the formula still works.

Second one, carried by the charisma of the starlet, cuz you wanna see more of her character, but, outside of the high school context, a bit of the magic is gone.

Third one, where it's a period thing, the topical lingo is gone, without that, the humor is gone, and it butchers history, so you don't even have that.
It's not even a good prequel, it butchers the continuity.
Avoid that one.


Zombie (1979)

A.K.A. "Zombi 2".
There is no "Zombi 1", overseas, that was just the title for "Dawn Of The Dead".
And this wasn't intended to be a fake sequel, that was marketing too.

Anyhoo, I'd always heard about this one in the same breaths as "Night Of The Living Dead", and "Evil Dead", and there's even a  Lucio Fulci tribute in the GPK zombies cards, so, I finally caved in, and watched it.

It's actually pretty damned good.
Better than the poster suggests.
Up there with early Romero, and you got that famous eye-poking scene.
A must-see for zombie junkies.


The Passion Of Ayn Rand (1999)

You wanna see the founder of objectivism get plowed missionary, doggie style, cowgirl, and piledriver?
And make her hubby a cuckold?
Well, have I got the flick for you!!

I almost followed this up with the "Atlas Shrugged", movies, but I couldn't bring myself to it.
Even fans hate the things.
So I'm told.

Anyway, there's nothing libelous in here, this crazy bullshit all happened.
Rand's husband Frank is about the only sympathetic figure in this mess.
Best line in the flick, Franks takes a swig of whisky, and says "(of objectivism) I don't understand any of it. I never did".
Second best line, the new boyfriend of Nathaniel Branden's ex-wife says "(of "The Fountainhead", and "Atlas Shrugged") I liked them, they were nice stories. A bunch of people sitting around telling themselves how smart they are. Of course, real life doesn't work that way".

I dunno why I watched this.
Guess I was always morbidly curious about the rise and fall, but didn't want to read a book about it.


Creepshow III (2006)

I was right, "Tales From The Darkside The Movie", is Creepshow 3.

This is an abortion.
I've seen high school film projects better than this.
Troma does better than this.
The Asylum does better than this.
Youtubers do better than this.
Electronics unpacking videos are better than this.
A redneck on meth with a flip-cam could do better than this.
At least the redneck might either witness or partake in a real Darwin award happening.

Run screaming from this putrid monstrosity.


American Psycho 2 (2002)

Has no relation at all to the real "American Psycho".

Much like "Creepshow 3", to the first two.
No, exactly like that.

So, the alternate title is "All American Girl", and it's really that film, but somehow, they got the rights to use the "American Psycho", title, added some narration that mentions Patrick Bateman, and whammo.

Stars Mila Kunis before she became somebody.

Okay, you know the "Family Guy", episode where Meg goes crazy, and holds Brian hostage?
Pretty much that for an hour and a half.
Crazy-Meg: The Movie.
With a script written by a 6th grader.

I actually think I saw this back at Halloween, or maybe around Christmas, but it didn't fit in with a category, or something.
Yeah, it was after "Silent Night Deadly Night", and maybe I didn't have a category for it to go into, and the superhero thing drowned it out. I think it might have even been in the same batch as "The Hangover".

Nope, after looking those 2 up, those came together.
Man, I detested "The Hangover", so "American Psycho 2", must have been truly wretched for me to go "fuck it, I ain't even reviewing it".

Anyway, it goes perfectly with "Creepshow 3", that's why I dug it up from the memory hole.

Don't watch either of them unless you have some friends over who can gang up on 'em, and do a proper MSTing of that shit.
No, fuck it, leave nothing to chance, hire the actual Rifftrax guys to come to your house.


Books.

I Am Legend (1954)

Fucking great.
Now, a lot of people, indeed most people, say that none of the movies have lived up.
So, I had a burning curiosity to read the book finally.
As burning a curiosity as I had to track down the Re-Animator stories.

I dunno, I thought the Vincent Price film came 98% close.

None of them had the balls to do the exact book ending, but otherwise, I thought the Price one was pretty dead on.

So, yes, the book is the best incarnation so far.
Even though I though the Chuck Heston flick was a blast.


And....IT'S OVER!!!
Bingewatch is over!!!
*Collapses and sobs*

See you next time, kiddies.