What I watched: Dune Part 2. It was really very good. I watched it in the theater—which was the first time I’ve been in a theater since…well…I have no idea how long. I mean, way before the pandemic. Anyway, as a former sound guy, the sound design of the film is incredible. Story line was easier to follow than the first film, and was just generally an enjoyable movie.
What I read: Need to Know by Karen Cleveland. I’m not typically into spy novels, but this was recommended to me and it was excellent. Cleveland is a former CIA analyst so she writes from that perspective. Meaning, no exotic locations, no high-speed chases or fancy gadgets. The entire thing takes place in the DC metro area and half the scenes are in the protagonists’ house. Trust me, the story is great and the pacing keeps you turning pages.
What I listened to: Greta van Fleet put out an album last year called Starcatcher.
Whatchoo got?
After seeing Leslie Uggams in Fallout, I rewatched Deadpool where she plays Deadpool’s blind roommate. She’s funny in a small role.
Deadpool is the big mess I remember from seeing it when it came out. The self awareness has gotten old, and the love story still seems a lot longer than it really is. But it’s got a lot of funny bits and clever action scenes, so it’s still fun.
Leslie Uggams! Good for her. She’s going to be 81 next month. You know who are real workhorses are Maggie Smith and Judi Dench (both born in December, both 89) and they never seem to stop working. I’m sure younger actors are thrilled.
I saw an interview with Maggie Smith (Mags and Jude are both Dames and if anyone deserves the honorific it’s those two) about her continued role on “Downton Abbey” movies and spinoffs and whatever. She gave a very funny answer. It went something like, “In real life I’m far too old to actually still exist. If I keep on with the show how old is my character supposed to be?”
On top of the Deadpool franchise and a major role in Fallout, she had a big supporting role in American Fiction. She’s been very busy.
i got nothing
oh wait…actually i has a gig next sunday
is in my backyard too…well okay its at the lake so 20 minutes walk
liberation day festival….free entry
figure my chances to see them free of charge are rapidly dwindling and i shouldnt pass this up
sides from that…i get jett rebel and la fuente too!
@Farscythe I am envious of your local concert. I especially like the way the band color’coordinates their attire to match the venue/audience. This is the song that I know.
squeeeeeeee!
to put it eloquently like rip would….
i might be a little bit excited
Still watching Fallout (at episode 4). It’s as violent and funny as the games were.
Walton Goggins plays THE (or actually, a) ghoul bounty hunter. I like that his character is so deadly that if I were a Fallout denizen I would not want to face him without a .50 caliber machine gun or anything smaller than a 12 gauge shotgun (which is going to cost me a lot of bottle caps.)
It also touches on the whole class structure where the Vault denizens are a bunch of naive rich noobs who are isolated from the realities of life in the wasteland… kind of like the way many (especially generational) rich folks are these days. They got the nicest toys and cleanest water, but lack the actual life skills needed to survive.
The Brotherhood of Steel is a weirdo cult in a way, but very Klingon or Star Trek Mirror empire where you hurt or kill your way to a better position. Maximus is someone I could despise, but can’t. I guess I would be a naive dipshit in the wasteland too thinking they’re some noble group looking to rebuild civilization instead of some toaster oven fetishists.
The hurt foot plot point hit a bit too close to home this week.
Greta Van Fleet is getting a lot of airtime here. They sound a bit like Zeppelin (well, a few of their songs do.)
The main thing I didn’t like about the original 1984 Dune movie was that it compressed/rushed through a lot of the plot at the back which is my personal main criticism of David Lynch’s direction. Slow at the beginning… too damn fast at the end. One minute Paul’s a fugitive from the Harkonen and then next thing you know he’s hanging out with Jean Luc Piccard, er, Sir Patrick Stewart and leading the Fremen in a guerilla war against the Sardaukar troops and Harkonen.
Sounds like Dune 2 doesn’t do that. They took what was the 2nd half of the 1984 movie and made another movie from it.
Yeah pretty much except the end has me a little confused. I’m not sure if there’s a 3rd movie coming or not.
Lynch was all about making films as confusing as possible.
I’m saving Fallout for when the wife is out of town. Right now we’re watching This is Going to Hurt, which is some Brit show with Ben Wishaw as an ob/gyn who’s dealing with the NHS. It’s very funny and has some dark moments. I like it.
I’ve been listening to Bill Frisell.
I love Ben Whishaw. He’s done a ton of things. Have you ever seen “A Very English Scandal”? It’s about Jeremy Thorpe, the leader of the Lib-Dems in the 1960s, and portrayed in the mini-miniseries (three episodes) by Hugh Grant. Who knew Hugh had it in him. Jeremy Thorpe is long dead (as are the prospects of the Lib-Dems, but that was more Nick Clegg’s fault) but the Ben Whishaw character is still alive and was furious at this treatment of him and his story.
ive just binged this
is good