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March 28, 2024, 09:38:55 PM

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Culture consumed in quarantine

Started by Thomas, March 18, 2020, 07:15:41 PM

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Thomas

I'm working from home. As such, I've watched six films so far this week.

- The Cat Returns (2002), a swift 75-minuter about a dashing feline, largely charming but constantly veering into weird romance plots around the teenage heroine; I breathed a sigh of relief when her advances were snubbed by the posh cat.

- Mean Girls (2004), the only rewatch on my list. Not as funny as I'd vaguely recalled. Unsettling to think that I'll never bother to watch it again - it stirs one's sense of mortality to know that you've experienced something for the final time.

- The Death of Stalin (2017), finally. Fantastically funny, ominous, and loosely informative.

- The Last Man on Earth (1964), the story of a man going to Lidl for toilet roll in June 2020.

- Thelma & Louise (1991). Fucking hell, what a film. I could've wept. I yet might.

- and, today, concluding only moments ago, Theatre of Blood (1973). Absolutely marvellous. Grisly and funny, with such a joyous turn by ol' Vincy Price. Lionheart is immortal!

I'm also reading Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class to remind myself that - despite deadly viruses, lockdowns, and economic downturns - there is some bad in the world.

What are you enjoying? Let's keep our culture glands stimulated as we rot in our hovels.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

QuoteMean Girls (2004), the only rewatch on my list. Not as funny as I'd vaguely recalled.

Certainly in the overrated camp.

How bitchy can young women be to each other oh a hahaha... A lot!

Buelligan

I watched the Coen brothers' True Grit remake.  I loved it, of course.

Norton Canes

Seems as good a time as any to finally tackle Perdido Street Station.

Bence Fekete

Tried watching Contagion (2011) for a laugh.

Off after ten minutes.

Pink Gregory

If I have to, might get started on the Gormenghast trilogy.

selectivememory

I have been a bit distracted in the last few days with everything that's going on, but I did start the new Hilary Mantel book last week and I'm looking forward to getting back to it again when I've stopped obsessing about all this and can focus on it for more than five minutes at a time.

Inspector Norse

Quote from: Norton Canes on March 18, 2020, 07:25:08 PM
Seems as good a time as any to finally tackle Perdido Street Station.

I'm not hugely into "that kind of thing" but I loved that and the whole trilogy. Much more so than Mielville's later, more serious and concept-heavy stuff.

BlodwynPig

Catching up with Law&Order SVU - on the "Epstein" double header, but blimey the one before featured a DMT trip ive not seen outside of a Shpongle video - wacky doesnt come near

Pranet

I cannot concentrate on anything like a film at the moment. Mainly watching youtube videos of ZX Spectrum games.

QDRPHNC

Quote from: Buelligan on March 18, 2020, 07:22:17 PM
I watched the Coen brothers' True Grit remake.  I loved it, of course.

Yes, fantastic. Have you seen The Ballad of Buster Scruggs?

I've had a lot of Red Letter Media on, letting YouTube plays its way through Best of the Worsts while I drink tea and sort of work.

Thomas

My housemate has just begun to learn the trumpet (and I do mean in these last few minutes), so I suppose that's another cultural experience.

Norton Canes

Quote from: Pranet on March 18, 2020, 07:51:05 PM
I cannot concentrate on anything like a film at the moment. Mainly watching youtube videos of ZX Spectrum games

Cool. Which ones?

Deyv

Been going through Dial-a-Song videos on They Might Be Giants' youtube channel. There's only one I don't really like, the rest I'm absolutely in love with for psychological reasons.

Been reading a lot of short story collections, Maeve Brennan, Mavis Gallant, George Saunders, Donald Barthelme. They're all really good. Barthelme might be a bit much if you like stories with actual characters, though.

Got shitloads of the original Twilight Zone to get through, too.

Quote from: QDRPHNC on March 18, 2020, 07:53:33 PM
Yes, fantastic. Have you seen The Ballad of Buster Scruggs?

I know you're not asking me, but I tried Buster Scruggs and was really enjoying it but switched off during the Liam Neeson segment because I thought I could see where it was going and it was really stressing me out. I'll complete it one day.

grassbath

Finally tackling Love Exposure. Two hours in out of four. Will get through the rest at the weekend.


Pranet

Quote from: Norton Canes on March 18, 2020, 08:50:20 PM
Cool. Which ones?

Today, Mikie, Green Beret, Commando, Ghostbusters.

Some of the other I remember looking at- Manic Miner, Jet Set Willy, Uridium, Exolon, Feud, Zynaps.

To honest I do tend to give up at some point with the longer ones. It occurred to me that most Spectrum games were so hard there wasn't much point in making the later stages interesting as not many people would ever see them.

Some of them are insane- there is a Tau Ceti play through that lasts nearly 8 hours. (Edit- just noticed a 7 part 79 hour Sentinel walk through). Had a bit of a look at games when I was kid I couldn't really work out like Heavy on the Magick.

chveik

I'm watching some comforting animated series - King of the Hill, Space Ghost Coast to Coast etc.

I have also two short story collections of George Saunders lined up.

Ferris

I watched a pair of Louis Theroux doccos I hadn't seen before, By Reason of Insanity.

They were exactly how you'd expect. I enjoyed them, but turned the second one off because it was a bit too grim so I missed that signature Louis signoff-monologue-over-a-sad-Donovan-song. Might go back for it.

Blue Jam

Suits. Still got 125 episodes to go so I'm sorted. I hope.

Was going to re-read Stephen King's The Stand but decided I can't face it. Need more trashy scandalous unauthorised biographies.

Have barely switched my Xbox on either because I've filled it with all those horrible survival horror games I like. Might do a fourth playthrough of Prey though- I know Talos 1 like the back of my hand so it might feel familiar and comforting even if it is full of black goo aliens.

Norton Canes

Quote from: Inspector Norse on March 18, 2020, 07:43:57 PM
I'm not hugely into "that kind of thing" but I loved that and the whole trilogy. Much more so than Mielville's later, more serious and concept-heavy stuff

The only other one of his I've tried was Embassytown. Really wanted to like it but gave up, it was a bit too hardcaore sci-fi. Hoping Perdido Street Station has a bit more weirdness.

Norton Canes

Quote from: Pranet on March 18, 2020, 09:24:33 PM
Today, Mikie, Green Beret, Commando, Ghostbusters.

Some of the other I remember looking at- Manic Miner, Jet Set Willy, Uridium, Exolon, Feud, Zynaps.

To honest I do tend to give up at some point with the longer ones. It occurred to me that most Spectrum games were so hard there wasn't much point in making the later stages interesting as not many people would ever see them.

Some of them are insane- there is a Tau Ceti play through that lasts nearly 8 hours. (Edit- just noticed a 7 part 79 hour Sentinel walk through). Had a bit of a look at games when I was kid I couldn't really work out like Heavy on the Magick

Jeez. A 43 minute Skool Daze walkthrough was enough for me.

QDRPHNC

Quote from: Deyv on March 18, 2020, 09:06:21 PM
I know you're not asking me, but I tried Buster Scruggs and was really enjoying it but switched off during the Liam Neeson segment because I thought I could see where it was going and it was really stressing me out. I'll complete it one day.

Do whatever you need to do to get the final story, it's worth it.

Pranet

Quote from: Norton Canes on March 18, 2020, 10:04:55 PM
Jeez. A 43 minute Skool Daze walkthrough was enough for me.

Ah, Skool Daze is one I want to do. Jack the Nipper as well.

Blue Jam

Quote from: QDRPHNC on March 18, 2020, 07:53:33 PM
Yes, fantastic. Have you seen The Ballad of Buster Scruggs?

Thanks for the reminder. Got halfway through and enjoyed it, then forgot to watch the rest. Might watch it with Mr Jam because he's a fan of thr Coen brothers' stuff and I can have a giggle when I point out
Spoiler alert
FINCHY!
[close]
to him.

Ferris

^
Spoiler alert
cameo of the year
[close]

QDRPHNC


beanheadmcginty

Al Needham just posted this on Facebook. Not sure if it's already known to the Little and Large thread:

https://youtu.be/HbHZwz-XMSQ

bgmnts

Who needs films when you have Miami Vice and Quantum Leap on Forces TV? Fucking brill.

purlieu

Star Trek: The Next Generation and Portal 2 are the current things for me, although getting a BluRay player for my bedroom means I can finally get cracking on all those Doctor Who box sets I've been buying. I have a 1TB HD full of films and TV to watch so I'll be ok for at least the first third of the lockdown.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Thomas on March 18, 2020, 07:15:41 PM
- Thelma & Louise (1991). Fucking hell, what a film. I could've wept. I yet might.

That's really interesting to hear you had such a reaction to it, I loved it when it was released but I was young, innocent, relatively uncultured 17 at the time and I always felt it might not have the same impact upon me if I watched it now. Might have to give it a go again soon though to see how I do respond.

My culture so far:

The Shaggy Dog (1959) - Excellent, daft fun with a sly line in cute absurdism.

The Shaggy DA (1976) - A sequel with none of the original cast, the first half sees our hero in human form for way too long, but it does pick up a fair bit in the second half.

And coming soon:

The Shaggy Dog (1994) - A Tv movie with Ed Begley Jnr, Jon Polito, Jeremy Sisto and James Cromwell, the cast is great but the imdb rating suggests it's weak.

The Shaggy Dog (2006) - Tim Allen's version which has an even lower imdb rating, but fuck it, I might as well watch it for completists sake.