brainee

Run out of sci-fi/fantasy to watch? Never! I did put a dent in my streaming queue and unwatched pile for the genres. I should be able to finish off the time travel anime Stein's Gate (something I blind bought over last year's Black Friday sale) soon (I've watched 12 of 25 episodes). I hope to be caught with the Arrowverse shows to watch episodes the week they air in the fall, but I still have some catching up to do (I just passed the crossover episodes from last season). Doesn't look like I'll get to the classics I own that I thought I might have a chance to rewatch.

LJG765

I suspect most people will be on the side of not getting enough of their unwatched pile watched! I really haven't gotten into the Arrowverse, but hope you catch up!

I'm happy that I was able to get 2 specific films of my own collection watched. One I've owned 10 years, the other 11. They almost always end up on my watch list, but I never got to them or had the desire to watch them.

The first was Jumper and it wasn't bad. It wasn't great either, but watchable. The second will probably be a bit more controversial...Serenity. I watched the show several years ago but didn't love it. I've wanted to get it off the unwatched list, but figured I wouldn't enjoy it that much. I'm about half way through it and it's not as bad as I thought it would be, but still wishing I was further along. I am enjoying the cameos from actors I didn't realize were in it. David Krumholtz from Numb3rs and Tamara Taylor from Bones, for example.

BobO'Link

I'm trying to decide if I want to start the LOTR trilogy this late in the challenge. I normally watch all three in a single day, and that's not likely to happen right now, so splitting them up would feel rather odd.

I still can't quite get into the "New Trek" movies. They're just not "Trek" but more rather generic SF action movies in a Star Trek wrapper. For me, Into Darkness felt like just another retread they've done far too many of with Trek, both old and new.

Run out of stuff to watch? No chance. SF/Fantasy is my favorite genre. Because of that I have enough unopened product on the shelf to do this at least a couple more times before that's exhausted.

Last week, when I realized how close we are to the end, I went through the unopened SF/Fantasy movies and pulled out any that qualify for Horror to save for October. That took at least 25 titles out of the queue and there's still enough left for 3-4 weeks without touching the unopened TV series. There are enough of those to do 3+ months.
I have a couple of movies like that on my shelf. I picked up Terminator: Genisys and 9 from Hastings a year or so before they closed shop. I've said I'm finally watching both this year so we'll see... 9 counts as a crossover title with the Animation challenge so there's that.

I didn't care for Jumper. It was a bit too generic and predictable. It didn't help having Hayden Christensen as the star since I felt he did a horrible job in the SW movies. It certainly colored my opinion going in.

I absolutely love Firefly and hated the way Fox treated the series. It was cancelled far too soon. I was reservedly excited about Serenity, as it was billed as pretty much a wrap up for the series. After seeing it... I really don't care for it much. It does close loose ends but does so rather unsatisfyingly. A lot of that is because at least a season of story is crammed into the movie run time. And there are some tough things to accept with the way it all plays out. Sure, they'd have been tough in the series but those events seemed too quick and unfulfilling in the movie. I rewatch the move once for every 5 or 6 times through the series.

BobO'Link

I watched a couple of favorites last night - new BR upgrades, although I can't say they look that much better than my old DVDs.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986) - a great vehicle for Kurt Russell. Nice martial arts action, magic, mayhem with a side of comedy. What more do you need?

Minority Report (2002) - The *one* SF title from Spielberg I actually like. Based on a story by a favorite author, Phillip K. Dick, it's a good adaptation and, for a change, Spielberg doesn't ruin it.

LJG765

I can see why people would feel that, but I guess I enjoy them enough that I personally still accept them as Trek. Regular Trek did enough time travel/alternative universes so it's not like it's totally out of left field. And most sci-fi/action films now have that glossy, over-the-top look to them so even if they had created a new trek line without re-doing Kirk and crew, it'd still look similar. I kind of like how we expect one thing but they do another.

LOTRs-I usually like to watch them in order, but like you realized I wouldn't have time to get to all 3 extended versions. The third is the one I really wanted to watch anyway, so I just skipped to it. I've seen them all enough before it's not like I'm missing things!

I really enjoyed 9 if that counts for anything. I saw the short first and really liked it, so I watched the movie fairly quickly after it was released. I think it's different which is always hard to do.

Hmm, maybe that's part of why I didn't want to watch it, I don't like Christensen either because of those movies, but honestly, I couldn't have told you who starred in it before I watched it. I picked the DVD up on a sale back when I was splurging a LOT more on my film and buying lots of blind buys. It was watchable, but if someone told me I had to get rid of some movies in my collection, that would def. be on the chopping block.

Firefly definitely got the short end of the stick by Fox. I know the movie was supposed to make up for it, but I kind of felt like the first half was getting viewers up to date who had never watched the TV show before, so they lost a lot of time rehashing what most fans already knew. The ending did pick up for me but, like you, thought it was unsatisfying. Reading the IMDb.com trivia, it seems like they were hoping for a sequel but that just never panned out. Thinking they left things open ended so they could go back and do another film about 'em.

BobO'Link

I have no problem with how they look - the "glossy, over-the-top" you mention. It's the stories that don't feel like Trek stories. I'm also not a fan of J.J. Abrams and his directorial style. Of all of them I like the first the best. The 2nd just rips off Khan, even though it's not exactly a remake, and the 3rd is full of absolutely ludicrous scenes and events. It, more than the other two, is a very generic SF Action movie with Trek grafted on.
I thought I remembered you talking about 9 quite favorably in the past. I believe I purchased my copy on the strength of your comments. In any event, if I don't like it I'm blaming you for the purchase.

LJG765

I can see that. I honestly don't remember the 3rd that much, so you're probably right that it's pretty bland. I'm with you on Abrams. Not my favorite director. Like I mentioned, I'm okay with the Khan story line. I don't mind the retread of it. *shrugs*

Well, if you got the deal I got for 9, ($7.88), I'm not too worried about you blaming me for buying it. Of course, now that I've mentioned it again, you're going to hate it! But honestly, I think you'll appreciate it.

I broke into my Stranger Things: season 2 today. Decided to skip s.1 this year since I have watched the shows and wanted to see s. 2. My original plan was to watch both, but time flies! I'm 1/3 of the way through, 3 episodes down. Liking them so far, though I do wish they stayed longer on certain story lines at a time. Did not realize that Sean Astin was in it. He's not a main character but is getting there. I kind of feel like if there is a show that takes place in the 80s, it's appropriate that he's in it.

Oh! Meant to add that disc 1 has an unskippable ad for the new Lost in Space. It's about 2:40 long, so not horrible, but still annoying!

brainee

Here's a question that is about a horror movie that watching another movie last night had me struggling to remember what it was (and I figure you guys probably watch horror too):

What horror movie had the classic story of a group of people gathering at a mansion for a will-reading, only to start being murdered one-by-one? Yeah, dozens of them, but here was the twist ... the person responsible for all of the deaths was the recently deceased rich guy. He wasn't a ghost or anything, but he was a genius who hated his relatives and he knew them so well that he could set up traps to kill them all before he died. I'm pretty sure it was a late 60's/early 70's movie.

By the way, the movie that had me thinking about this was a 2017 Italian movie called The Laplace's Demon. Which has nothing to do with demons ... "Laplace's demon" is a real scientific concept about the predictability of the universe. The movie was about a group of people who were invited to an isolated mansion by a scientist to participate in an experiment. Once everyone got there, they were locked in and in a video the scientist claims to have found equations that solve "Laplace's demon" for human actions. And to test it ... well, at one point a killer robot is unleashed

shadokitty

BobO'Link

I got mine (DVD) for ~$2.70 ($1.30 for the title, the rest tax & shipping - Hastings before they went under. I really miss that store, especially their online presence).
Thanks for the heads-up on the promo. Did you try the "insert disc 2" trick to skip it?

Trevor

Been a tough month, with so many plans on what to watch, but a hectic month not allowing much viewing. I had planned to finally move beyond season one of Stranger Things. Been too long, so I re-started and enjoyed the first few episodes again.

Then our daughter took a 180 and started wanting to spend time with us again, so I’ve been soaking that up while we can. She told me she was tired of Stranger Things and was super excited about The OA, so I switched to that series.

But then I remembered that our free month of CBS All-Access ends in about a week, so I’ve switched over to Star Trek: Discovery. Hopefully can squeeze both seasons in, but it’ll be close.

BobO'Link

Kids... I have a dozen movies just sitting here waiting for one or another of the grandkids to decide "it's time" to finally watch it with me. Several are unopened and qualify this month...

In spite of not being overly impressed with ST: Discovery I caved and purchased a copy from Amazon during "Amazon Days" when it was on sale for $17 + tax. I don't figure it'll be cheaper any time soon so I gave in to my completist mentality for Trek. It came in yesterday. I'm trying to decide if I want to move it up in the queue and get it watched this year. If I don't there's no telling how long it'll sit on the shelf... I'm still trying to make time for S1 of The Orville (that I purchased release week) and I like it far better than Discovery.

LJG765

Wow, good deal! So, yeah, I think you'll def. get at LEAST 2.70 worth of enjoyment out of the film!

I did not, as I was watching the trailer and didn't think to check right away. I just watched the whole disc (3 epis/disc) and after, I restarted it and tried to get past it. I wrote the trick down in the notes section of Profiler, so I should remember it the next time I want to watch either season!

My original plan was to watch both, but time came into play. I'm glad you got to spend time with you daughter even if you didn't get to ST 2! I think next year I'll be getting either a trial for CBS All-Access or just get it for a month. I've watched to see Discovery but even more so want to see the new Picard series.

Wow, prolific is an understatement! I'll add his name to the list for next year, but am also thinking of adding it to the Animation challenge this year as well...thanks for the suggestion!

BobO'Link

It sounds like a variation on Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians (And Then There Were None) where a group of 10 strangers is invited to a party at a mansion in the Alps. Each arrives expecting entertainment. However, a recorded message from their absent host informs them that each guest has been responsible for someone's death, and consequently each will be killed.

I have no idea what it might be if not that.

coyoteblue

I'm pretty sure the movie is Arnold (1973). It has some interesting kills for the early 70's.

LJG765

So I'm watching Season 2 of Stranger Things and Max's brother, Billy has been bugging me. Then it hit me. They took his inspiration from The Lost Boys. The earring, the smoking, the hair...

Anyway, I'm down to the last 2 episodes and really liking it. They know how to ramp up the energy and I'm very glad I don't have to wait a week for the next episode! Going to be hard to wait until I can watch Season 3!

brainee

The title doesn't sound familiar (though it seems like something easily forgotten), but the story line certainly sounds like what I was thinking of. I'll have to see if I can track down anywhere (besides the used VHS for sale from Amazon for $75).

LJG765

Try your local library. I know I've gotten a lot of out of print movies from mine over the years. My local library is actually connected with every one on this side of the state, so it's not just my tiny local one, but hundreds. Worth a shot especially since you're not 100% of if it's the right movie...

coyoteblue

It's on youtube.

Indy24LA

I finished The Outer Limits (original) and the last two seasons of X Files, so goal achieved. Surprised how much I liked the new X Files, especially after not liking season nine. I think next year I will delve into the 90's revival of The Outer Limits (if it's still on Hulu).

BobO'Link

I finished the Godzilla set a couple of days ago. The last movie, Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) was just about as silly as some of the 70s movies - lots of what looked to be throw-back/homage type moments.

Last night I watched Season of the Witch (2011). It wasn't bad - IMHO better than the IMDB numbers (5.4) would have you believe. I'm not a huge fan of Nicolas Cage but he does a good job here, and it's a genre I think works better for him. Ron Perlman is also quite good. I'd watch it again.

BobO'Link

I watched the Director's cut of Army of Darkness last night. I really like that particular cut and wish they'd made the 4th movie. Oh well...

After that I went very old school with Tarzan: The Ape Man (1932) - an all time favorite that I've not watched in several years. When I was a kid I watched a Tarzan movie *every* Saturday afternoon for over a decade. I followed it with Tarzan Escapes (1936) - another favorite. Those first half dozen with both Weissmuller and O'Sullivan were the best and defined Tarzan for us 60s kids.

LJG765

Reminder! Today is not only the last day of this challenge, but the first day of the animation one. If you're participating in both, today is a double credit day!

davidh777

shadokitty