What kind of stuff have you been watching lately?
 

With the pandemic I think it's safe to say most of us have been spending more time at home in the past 10-12 months, which means more time to consume media.

Well, I got back to watching anime regularly thanks to the pandemic. Watched some series I had been meaning to watch for a while and also caught up to One Piece for the most part and even rewatched Cowboy Bebop recently.

I've also watched some movies last year but haven't done that in a while. I mostly watched some stuff I had always been interested in watching but never got the opportunity to do so, like Robocop and Clerks. As for more recent movies, Man of Steel stands out as being pretty good(thanks, Leo!).

Live action TV shows? Not really.

What about you?

I've basically watched 1000+ movies and marathoned anime/TV shows I never watched before from back in 2017 till now. I started off just watching 80's action movies and somehow from that I spiraled out of control to pretty much be watching everything. I covered 5 whole decades of the best movies from the 70's, 80's, 90's, 2000's, and 2010's. I don't really watch too many movies from the 60's or prior with the exception of a few.

Watched the "big" TV shows like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Sopranos, Shield, The Americans, Firefly, etc. Also watched all of The Office.

I watched pretty much a ton of action/sci-fi anime I never seen before like Cowboy Bebop, Black Lagoon, Samurai Champloo, basically all that anime I remember being popular when I was a teen in the early 2000's that I had never seen. Also marathoned all the shows I watched regularly at the time, watching all of Dragonball/Z/GT/Super, all of Sailor Moon, tons of other stuff.

I probably consumed more media in just the last 5 years than I did for the first 30 years of my life.

Nothing really new but watching some anime like Higurashi and Clannad. But reading a lot of manga like catching up to Dr. Stone. Sadly thanks to the pandemic my job has been at its busiest in years so I’ve had less time.

What did you think of Cowboy Bebop?

I feel like I'm the only anime fan left who hasn't watched Samurai Champloo yet.

I liked it. It probably would have had a bigger impact on me if I saw it when I was a teenager, I saw it for the first time when I was 30 I think, so I thought it was good and can see why people really liked it.

As always, I'm closely following fan-subbed content in any way related to the Japanese comedy duo, Downtown, like Gaki No Tsukai, Wednesday Downtown, Documental, etc. Glad there's been a pretty significant stream of material coming out during quarantine. Can't recommend their stuff enough.

My partner & I have been doing a lot of late 80's/early 90's dystopian action films of late, most recently Street Fighter, & Time Cop. Recently saw that new rubber monster movie Psycho Goreman, that was f*cking incredible. Also ran through the new season of Trailer Park Boys: Jail. We marathonned the entire Godzilla catalog across 2019/20 & after a short break from the Kaiju genre, we'll soon return to it with the Gamera series, I'm sure. Really looking forward to the upcoming Godzilla anime, Singular Point.

Speaking of anime, the only one we've been watching lately is Sleepy Princess In The Demon's Castle, it's a lot of fun. Very Dragon Quest inspired. A princess is kidnapped & in her captivity, all she cares about is getting a good night's rest, at the expense of everyone around her. She preys upon the various monster races in the kingdom to source materials that make ideal bedding/sleep aids.

I first saw it when I was 14 or something back in 2004-2005 on cable TV. My memories of it were pretty foggy 15-16 years later, so I felt it was the right time for a rewatch. The series is only 26 or so episodes long. Liked it as much as I did back then. Definitely a classic.

Cowboy Bebop is one of those rare anime series that I'd recommend to someone who's either never watched an anime before or just dislikes the whole subculture.

Most of the time when I'm not playing a game I'm reading or whatever and it's my wife who's watching the TV. She hates switching channels so it's usually settled on a marathon block of various shows - MLP, Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, The Nanny or Married... With Children. So, pretty much the same as ever, really.

I got'chu fam. :tthumbsu: Don't forget to come find me whenever you get around to BvS, we'll have lots to discuss. Just don't bother with the theatrical cut; the 3-hour is the only way to go, that extra half hour adds a lot of important stuff. You know where I'm at! :tgrin:

Speaking of, I just finally watched that one myself yesterday. Had a lot of time to kill while doing laundry at a friend's house (long story) so I figured since they were doing a DC marathon on TNT, I'd watch it. And, not impressed. The action was good, and I liked the addition of WW at the end, and the stuff with Lois, but Supes himself? Eh. I just can't like Cavill, I hated the guy who played Lex, and Bats was just so-so. Overall, it just felt so forced. Like all the DC movies seem to be, save WW(the first one). They seem to try to take themselves way roo seriously ALL. THE. TIME. And it all just feels so fake to me. No real emotion, just pathos for pathos sake. And that just gets very tiresome for me. Especially when they have characters who are canonically more upbeat and friendly, approachable, and HUMAN, who just seem broody in these movies. The best scene for me was Clark and Lois in the bathroom. It just seems more real and genuine than most of the rest of it.

Started Aquaman, too, right after, but had to leave shortly after the sub fight. Right when Mera was asking him to come to Atlantis, in fact. Will have to see it some other time.

Madea movies. I’ve watched 7 out of 9 of her movies so far thanks to iTunes sale.

Tyler Perry is so hilarious. And I’m happy for him that he’s recently declared a billionaire too.

Unfortunately I don't have a ton of free time. But when I do have some time, I like to rewatch various Transformers cartoons on Tubi. I'll rewatch Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, the 4kids TMNT, or Daria on Pluto. And I love catching reruns of King of Queens on TVLand.

As far as new/current shows, I watch the Transformers War for Cybertron trilogy on Netflix, and I'm really looking forward to the Kevin Smith He-Man series. The new seasons of Supergirl and Dynasty will be starting up soon on the CW. Though I'm kind of glad that this will be the last season of Supergirl, as I've found recent seasons to be pretty boring. While South Park hasn't put out a whole lot in the last year, I am glad that they've put out the Pandemic and Vaccination specials. And finally, my wife got us at least a trial of HBO Max so that I can finally see the second season of Harley Quinn.

Not for nothing, but I'd be honest and say it just wasn't made for you at all. Knowing you as I do there was never any chance you'd like it.

Just going by your own past posts and not trying to be disrespectful, your primary DC frame of reference is cartoon shows and you're super-enthusiastic about the MCU stuff. Those two things pretty much guarantee that you wouldn't like something made for an entirely different type of "fan" with entirely different sensibilities. It's purposely not a cartoon.

One person's "forced" and "needlessly serious" is another person's "This is exactly what it should be like." For as much as people are "allowed" to like both movie "universes", it really is almost impossible since they're made for totally different types of people. Like I can watch the first Captain America and Iron Man movies okay, but the rest of the MCU stuff just makes me roll my eyes and I can't watch it. I have no idea what the Marvel comics of the last 20 years are like, but the DC movies are every bit in line with how "serious" their comics have always taken the material, and for me that's all I ever wanted or cared to see.

My wife and I have been watching all the Studio Ghibli movies on HBO Max. We watch one every 2-3 weeks. We also recently checked out Wandavision and Citizen Kane.

That's the thing, though. WW is set in the same universe, with the same sensibilities, tone, etc, but I absolutely LOVED it. And, no, my primary frame of reference for DC was never the cartoons, in fact, the only DC cartoons I ever watched were Batman TAS (also dark and serious) and Batman Beyond and Static Shock, and some Teen Titans. All fairly serious. I come from the older era movies, (yes, that includes Reeve) like the Burton films- a little campy in some respects, but still much darker than any MCU stuff, and I loved those. Same goes for Batman Begins. Didn't care much for the second of those though, and I outright avoided DKR, because it didn't look appealing in any way. But all of those were darker than MCU, and I still enjoyed them. But with most of these new DC ones, I just can't. I can't like the characters. And if I can't connect with the characters, I can't get into the story, no matter how "good" it might otherwise be. I've enjoyed just about EVERY other version of Supes and Bats, except these two guys. Love their take on Diana, but just not THEM. I even liked their Flash and Cyborg. Even Aquaman, which I never thought I'd say. But not THOSE TWO. And since they are always the main focus of DC, I can't get into "their" movies. It's not about only liking cartoons or humor, or having anything to do with liking Marvel, it's THESE TWO GUYS. And Lex. He was not even the Luthor I grew up with in comics OR movies, or cartoons. He was like the F4 Dr. DOOM- he was Lex in name only, imho. If you really knew me as well as you think, you'd know that my favorite Marvel stories are dead serious ones, like the Revelations arc and the first Morlun story in ASM, his 9-11 tribute issue, and the Happy Birthday arc, or the M Day mini series of X-Men. Those were all very serious stories, with huge repercussions that have lasted even to today. Stuff that still gets referenced on occasion, because it wasn't just your everyday romp, but a truly emotional and serious story. Fer crissakes, I've said it several times that the whole reason I started seriously reading comics was that the 9-11 ish MADE ME CRY! That's my sensibility, that's where my perspective is. If the emotions feel REAL and genuine, I will love it, regardless of whether I am a big fan of the characters or not. But if I can't even relate to or FEEL anything for that version of the characters? Then no, no amount of "pathos" is going to sway me, because it won't feel genuine and true to the character. What I really disliked wasn't the story- though I felt they went a little too melodramatic with the Martha bit, just as they did with Zod's death (why was he even needlessly trying to kill that family cowering in the corner? That was just pointless "EVIL") and all of that pulled me right out. It slapped me with "hey, we're being SERIOUS here!" When they could have done it with a lighter and more subtle touch.

Lots and lots of "You Problems". :trazz: Although thanks for the correction on whether it was primarily the DC cartoons or the Burton... "things" that made you a "fan" of some of the DC characters. I appreciate your clarification as well as an attempt to explain your position.

And yet in spite of all that, though... you actually got worked up at that overly-manipulative, schlocky and sentimental 9-11 comic that Marvel put out... the one where DR. DOOM sheds a tear because two buildings got blown up, when he himself has blown up or tried to blow up Lots and Lots of Buildings in his day... well, that's entirely your prerogative, I suppose, all logic be damned. :lol: But it definitely asserts the notion that you have very little room to speak of "misplaced melodrama" when THAT little bit of schmaltz was what tripped your trigger on an emotional level. That book, in my opinion, was the very definition of "emotional manipulation without any logic or reason", and I honestly found it pretty gross. Maybe the attempt was sincere, but I definitely did not take it that way at the time. I know it has a very mixed reputation in general. But for anyone who was ever sincerely "moved" by it, all I can do is shrug and say, "Well... okay, then."

I was too busy wondering if Dr. Doom was all heartbroken because HE wasn't the one who got to kill all those people. :lol: Seriously, what a mess. I am very often accused of being "way, way too sentimental" - I never argue - but that one, to me, felt very, very cynical and manipulative. BUT, "mileage varies" I guess.

Love ya anyway, but yeah, the MCU "This is Funny and Heartfelt Because We Say So, and also We Have Jokes" lane is definitely more your speed, Wonder Woman notwithstanding. DC comics are about super-heroes as modern mythological figures and in turn (some of) the films reflect that. It's not "super-heroes chat over coffee and eat shwarma because How Cute Is That" kinda stuff. And if one prefers one "take" on the concept of super-heroes, they simply don't really enjoy the other. I know some folks have an... "appreciation" for both, but there is always, ALWAYS a strong preference. It's either pathos or yuk-yuk, with no middle ground. There isn't a single person walking the Earth who liked the MCU movies and Snyder's DC movies in equal measure. It's mathematically not possible. So yeah, there was never any universe in which you, with your specific tastes, would ever have liked his movies. Not with how much I've seen you gush over the Avengers stuff. Nobody likes both red AND black licorice. If anything, they Like one and Tolerate the other.

I'm tempted to make a joke about how you liked the "bad" version of Justice League, with its bad jokes, terrible CGI, gigantic plot holes, very obvious reshoot footage, non-existent character motivations for absolutely every single character - and it stands to repeat, the very, VERY bad jokes - and so on and so forth... and how your enthusiasm for that particular attempt has me kind of sighing at everything else... but you know me, and I'm not THAT mean. :trazz:

I kinda really think it is less about "feeling things", and that the real crux of it is, you crave movies that have humor in them to lighten the tone. That's fine. I disagree that it's necessary or preferred. I do not want people cracking jokes when it's time to save the world. I am entirely and thoroughly sick of movies that wink at the audience. You can keep those. Luckily, there's a ton. I don't like 'em, though. I want gravitas and pathos.

Since you asked about Zod, though, to address in brief: Clark "killed" the last link to Krypton by sending everyone else back to the Phantom Zone, and preserving Krypton was Zod's entire purpose of living; ergo, Zod said out loud that he was going to get even by killing Clark's entire adopted race one by one. He said it at least twice. It really wasn't complicated, I'm just addressing it since you posed the question. Yes, he is The Bad Guy. Not all of them need some convoluted "Thanos was RIGHT tho!" nonsense to try and "justify" the bad things they do. Sometimes they're not "conflicted", they're just Bad.

It's okay, you're not the only friend I'd prefer not to ever, ever discuss comic book movies with. :lol: :trazz: We're fine. Just try and use paragraph breaks next time, please, as that was a rough read given the length. Again, no offense, just saying it helps me out.

We've completely derailed the thread, though, so if you do want to continue this I have room in my PM inbox for it. Which is where I prefer to have the more "in-depth" conversations on topics such as this. So by all means, feel free to hit me up there if you're so inclined. I'm about to take a nap, though. :trazz:

EDIT: For the love of all that is holy, unless you want me to literally blow a blood vessel, please refrain from speaking at me about "Supes" and "Bats" going forward; I really, totally, 100% completely cannot stand that and while I acknowledge that it may be in the interest of brevity - which I quite clearly have NO "interest" in at all, but I digress - I find it supremely disrespectful given the characters' status and reputation. They deserve to be spoken of by their full names and not goofy colloquialisms. Spider-Man can be "Spidey" because he's frankly a joke of a character and he has very little status regarded towards him even by the characters within his own universe. That's fine. Nobody who actually respects the characters of Superman and Batman calls them things like "Supes", "Supey", "Bats", "Batsy", or any variation thereof. It simply isn't proper.

Yes, this is a personal hang-up. But Also Yes, I have throttled people for less. "Superman" and "Batman" or please turn in your "fan card". Yes I am very serious, Thanks in advance.

As I hate to watch movies and TV series, I am mostly watching some YouTubers and, as of recently, Vtubers.

I've actually been doing a lot more of that lately, too. I never used to bother with YouTube stuff, but if I'm up early and my wife is asleep and I need something to watch there's a few YouTube channels I've gotten kind of addicted to, like Sega Lord X, Wrestling Bios and Wrestling With Wregret.

I really don't even know where to start with this. I already SAID that it was never the "nyuks", the jokes,or any schlocky goofy material that got me into comics,nor is that what I read them for,or enjoy most AT ALL. It is, in fact, the deeper, more emotional stories that brought me in- and I'm sorry, but if you think Dr. Doom was the most emotional part of that story, or that it was manipulative, you didn't read it. It was the idea that in a time of tremendous pain and loss, of a country weeping for the fallen, even the likes of him, Kingpin, and Octopus could not only shed tears, but could even offer aid. And while he has caused destruction in the past, it was never needlessly, and as a ruler of a nation himself, he understood how terrible such an act of terror was. He is a dictator and a villain, to be sure, but has shown time and again that he is NOT heartless. Unlike the people who caused the disaster, which was the POINT.

Now, I did not say anything about liking the Whedon version of Justice League. In fact, I still feel that, aside from WW and Flash, and perhaps Aquaman, there's a lot about it I simply felt uninterested by. Mainly their choice of villain. He seemed very one-note, "evil invader", to me, but then again, pulling the trump card of reviving Superman (apologies for not realizing you hate name abbreviations) seemed to make him a rather unimpressive threat. I have the same complaints about some of the Marvel villains, but at least I knew who they were, and could dig their personalities.

That's really what my perspective on BvS comes down to, really. Personality. If I can't LIKE Batman (or at least sympathize with him) or Superman, then why would I care about them or their story? I WANTED to like Clark, but he just comes off as having no real personality of his own- just what everyone expects of him. Same with Bruce, he's just Batman, in AND out of the suit, 24-7, with nothing else. They felt too bland and lifeless outside of their respective heroic struggles. As though they really had no LIFE outside of the suits they wore. And that's my real problem with the DC verse. They spend so much time trying to be SERIOUS, to show inner conflict of expectations vs "finding oneself", that they never really seem to HAVE a self to find! It's irritating to me to have heroes so focused in BEING heroes, that they literally have no life outside of that, or any real life to speak of to tie them to the world that makes them want to BE those heroes.

This is where I prefer a more rounded take, not the jokes, or the chats around the table eating schwarma (though it at least makes them seem more HUMAN to actually have "down time") it's the sense that these are real people, with hobbies, interests, friendships, and daily personal problems and habits that give them a spark of life.

- You're on record as liking Superman III. Suffice to say, I don't agree with nor trust your values on what makes a super-hero movie "good". :trazz:

- You're not supposed to "like" Batman in BvS, if anything you're supposed to pity him but he's unlikeable on purpose because That's The Story. He starts in a "bad place" and ends in a more hopeful one. That's the arc. He's not a "good guy" in this movie, he's the Sub-Villain (albeit misguided) until the third act. Don't worry, you're not the only one who Didn't Get It.

- You purposely refuse to accept that These Types Of Movies purposely don't do the whole "Down Time" thing, in favor of Big Hero Action being the main focus. It's literally Apples and Oranges; you can't rightly judge something for not being something it isn't even trying to be. Their approach to super-heroes is more mythical, and they nail that. You're allowed not to like it, but try to appreciate the context, at least.

- If you saw it on TV, you probably watched "the bad version" which had a lot of stuff cut out. That's unfortunate, but I will say it likely would not have changed your mind much, but at the very least there is more "down time" and "humanizing" elements in the scenes that were cut. Just for the record.

- There are other movies more in line with your tastes; by all means, watch and enjoy those instead. I understand we're just making conversation, but you have to understand that when I'm forced to read a giant dissertation about why my favorite (or one of) movies is "no good", for what are ultimately your own completely personal reasons, well... it's going to grate on me.

- You don't follow directions:
We can have this conversation all day long - I fundamentally disagree with almost everything you say and I do feel that you took entirely the wrong things from what those movies were trying to present, which is your prerogative, many agree with you and you're fully entitled to your opinion; but by all means, we can have the conversation - but there's no possible way to do it without completely derailing this thread further with more and more Giant Walls of Text that nobody else wants to read. So again, you have my email and I also have room in my PM box if you're so inclined to continue this particular conversation.

Otherwise, it's simply "I disagree, have a nice day."

Mostly Netflix and YouTube. Been quite a while since I've consistently watched an actual series on tv, though that new one on NBC called "Debris" is decent. Though the amount of commercial breaks makes me wish it was on Netflix instead.