Today I Watched...

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Netflix’s Ragnarok.

An excellent (although slow at times) series about the re-incarnation of the god Thor in a young Norwegian teen. He and his brother (who while looking and acting like a prime example for Loki - it’s never implied that he is infact an re-incarnation of the trickster god) and their mother move back to Edda, Norway. While such a town doesn’t exist by name, the location of filming is in Odda, Norway. Perhaps making the scenes and imagery more compatible with the plot of it being the final battle between the gods and the giants. While the gods are apparently all dead (betrayed as one teacher says), the giants still exist and are now rich and famous from years of industry. In mythology, the giants were referred to as Jötunn. In the show, their family name is Jutul and they are Jötunn masquerading as humans.

The show is filmed in Norwegian dialect but can be watched in English dub. I watched it for about 10-minutes in English dub and changed the settings back to Norwegian with English subtitles. As with many translated-to-English shows, the script and meanings can be changed or lost entirely. At least in subtitles, you can get a somewhat better idea of what’s meant. Example: in English dub, the main actor, Magne, is said to be dyslexic. Dyslexia is a reading and speaking disorder in which words are processed by the brain in reverse or random order. Magne is said to have learning and focusing issues and uses an sensory relax-n-figit toy to calm his anxiety and stress, making me believe he’s actually considered autistic, not dyslexic. A possible translation or choice the English writers made to be P.C. as there are so many autistic Children & people in the world today.

The show seems to have an heavy-tone of environmental warnings and pollution issues which are a byproduct of the Jutul industrial workings, but it doesn’t detract too much from the story about the coming conflict between the remaining giants and their arch enemy, Thor.

As far as special effects go, the show has very few FX scenes.... which can sound unappealing except that it’s not! (To me anyways!) In a day and age where movies and shows are just special effects galore and lack of story, having a mini-series which doesn’t go overboard on visual effects, is a nice change! (Again, maybe just to me)


Last bit.
The show is short, only having 6 episodes in season 1. You can literally watch it in an afternoon -> evening. Season 2 is green lighted but won’t be out for an undisclosed time. So enjoy the first season in anticipation of the coming second.

[T'Pau]

Miss Congeniality (2000)

This was a silly film that was enjoyable due to Sandra Bullock's comedic timing, and how she played off of Benjamin Bratt and Michael Caine. There are some moments that still make me laugh after many viewings over the years.

For all the Trek fans: Bill Shatner is featured as a long in tooth host of the beauty pageant. He uses his ability to over act in every moment he has on screen. Bonus: he still can open his eyes, a nice departure from his later in life Squint Eastwood look. (Side note about his over acting: he voiced an opossum in an animated film 'Over the Hedge', where he was teaching his kid how to play dead... with a flourish! Pure Shatner, 100% gold!!)

The sequel to MC, MC2:Armed and Fabulous: was awful in sooo many ways, but it featured both Sandra Bullock and Regina King, both Academy Award Winners (not for the film)...who'da thunk it??

[Varthikes]

Today, I watched Thunderbirds (2004).

Based on Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation series, and directed by Jonathan Frakes.

Starring Bill Paxton as the father, Jeff Tracy, and Ben Kingsley as the antagonist, dubbed "The Hood". Probably a coincidence, in the series (1965-66), Jeff Tracy is a retired astronaut, one of the first people to walk on the Moon. One of Paxton's previous roles was Fred Haise--one of the Apollo 13 astronauts. Jeff runs International Rescue from a secret base on an island in the Pacific with his four sons and a few others as support crew. The Hood and his minions invade their island and steals Thunderbird 2, which he intends to use to break in to the biggest banks in the world, starting with the Bank of London (which actually appears to be the National Gallery), destroying the reputation of the International Rescue in the process.

Not as bad as some reviews make it, but also not great. Over-the-top dialogue and overacting get annoying after a while. The series, along with Gerry Anderson's other shows, can be silly at times, but they still respected their younger audience with quality writing. I do like that they give a little more backstory--the rivalry between Jeff and The Hood and what happened to Jeff's wife, which I don't recall the series ever touching on.

[IanKennedy]

Miss Congeniality (2000)

This was a silly film that was enjoyable due to Sandra Bullock's comedic timing, and how she played off of Benjamin Bratt and Michael Caine. There are some moments that still make me laugh after many viewings over the years.

For all the Trek fans: Bill Shatner is featured as a long in tooth host of the beauty pageant. He uses his ability to over act in every moment he has on screen. Bonus: he still can open his eyes, a nice departure from his later in life Squint Eastwood look. (Side note about his over acting: he voiced an opossum in an animated film 'Over the Hedge', where he was teaching his kid how to play dead... with a flourish! Pure Shatner, 100% gold!!)

The sequel to MC, MC2:Armed and Fabulous: was awful in sooo many ways, but it featured both Sandra Bullock and Regina King, both Academy Award Winners (not for the film)...who'da thunk it??

Loved that film. The sequel didn't quite hack it though.

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Miss Congeniality (2000)

This was a silly film that was enjoyable due to Sandra Bullock's comedic timing, and how she played off of Benjamin Bratt and Michael Caine. There are some moments that still make me laugh after many viewings over the years.

For all the Trek fans: Bill Shatner is featured as a long in tooth host of the beauty pageant. He uses his ability to over act in every moment he has on screen. Bonus: he still can open his eyes, a nice departure from his later in life Squint Eastwood look. (Side note about his over acting: he voiced an opossum in an animated film 'Over the Hedge', where he was teaching his kid how to play dead... with a flourish! Pure Shatner, 100% gold!!)

The sequel to MC, MC2:Armed and Fabulous: was awful in sooo many ways, but it featured both Sandra Bullock and Regina King, both Academy Award Winners (not for the film)...who'da thunk it??

Yeah, Sandra had some great comedy rolls in the late 80’s -> the 90’s. She could definitely pull The humor actress off. Her role in MC was enjoyable. Also see her acting in demolition man. While not the primary character, she has some good one-liners and humor for her character.

[AlexMcpherson79]

Was MC2 the one where she looked face-botoxed to hell?

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Was MC2 the one where she looked face-botoxed to hell?

Botox’d or photoshopped. Puffy... chubby? Lol. Maybe she didn’t learn from the first films message about models starving themselves and gorged herself at an All-You-Can-Eat restaurant.

[00111010 01000100]

Episode #1 of Star Trek discovery. Idk what made me decide to get the first episode on Amazon... but I can see why lots of ppl hate the Klingons. The intro speech was cringe-worthy. Will add to this after I finish the episode...

**episode 1 completed.
So if I leave the Klingons out of the review, it’s not a bad episode. There is an elevated sense of danger and mystery. The tech is too new but I understand that if they used pre-TOS configurations for things in these modern times, no one under the age of 30 would watch it.
Things I question and go.. “hmmm..?” about.
<cons for me>
*There seems to be a lot of drama too but it’s kept in the dark as to what and why.
*The federation and klingons have had an no-contact policy for 100 years.
*The science Officer is a coward but made it through Starfleets Psychological testing and fear simulations.

Things I like so far!
<pros for me!>
*the transporters digital Disintegration effect is cool
*the creature/alien effect on the beginning planet is very good quality.
*the In-Warped space travel scene showing the gravitational visual distortions on the hull and surrounding tunnel were impressively made.
*for once, a part Vulcan/part human hybrid without the ears... IT IS POSSIBLE! Lol.

It’s enough to move me along to episode #2.

[AlexMcpherson79]

She's human, adopted by sarek, not his biological daughter.

[T'Pau]

Hubble: 30 years of Discovery (the 2-4AM showing on Science Channel)

WOW! Visually stunning and jam packed with interviews and information. Really terrific!

[IanKennedy]

Today, I watched Cats (2019).

It was very good. I can't see what all the moaning was about. It was a pretty decent version of the stage musical.

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Today, I watched Cats (2019).

It was very good. I can't see what all the moaning was about. It was a pretty decent version of the stage musical.

That damn magical cat mistoffelees! How does he do those things he does!?

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She's human, adopted by sarek, not his biological daughter.

Yeah I’ll just admit I was mistaken (she’s not a hybrid - apologizes) and not correct the original post.

She had the haircut going for her, the attitude, the scenes of being in the school training bubbles w/other Vulcan kids... I really thought she was half-n-half. Someday they’ll have a Vulcan without the ears... I just have to be patient.

[00111010 01000100]

Hubble: 30 years of Discovery (the 2-4AM showing on Science Channel)

WOW! Visually stunning and jam packed with interviews and information. Really terrific!

Did they go over the “oops... mirror issue” when it was initially launched?

[T'Pau]

They covered every problem related to the actual device, every mission to repair and/or update components, every astronaut that was part of the program, etc. Super detailed program all the way round.