• What Did You Watch? 2026-06-24 (Wednesday)

    From Ubiquitous@weberm@polaris.net to rec.arts.tv on Thu Jun 25 04:30:41 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    Before D&D Night, I watched:

    I Turned Jupiter Into a Star. What Happened to Its Moons? | Universe
    Sandbox
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkoyJU_0ucY

    Sneak peak at the original Star Wars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc6ty_wJDTk

    SuperFLOP - Reviews are in and Even SHILL MEDIA Can't Defend this
    SLOP!!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOggIQeqOhM

    Toy Story 19 Trailer
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I92cjTGHFJg

    WORST MOVIE OF THE YEAR? u Supergirl is Getting DESTROYED by Critics...
    James Gunn is DONE!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V13GZpenOIU

    What did you watch?
    --
    Democrats and the liberal media hate President Trump more than they
    love this country.

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  • From Ian J. Ball@ijball@mac.invalid to rec.arts.tv on Thu Jun 25 09:46:07 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    On 6/25/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:

    What did you watch?

    Monster Hunter (Hulu) - Milla Jovovich. Is. MONSTER HUNTER!! (Well,
    that's mostly true because she gets the rest of her team promptly killed!!)
    If you've been wondering what Paul W.S. Anderson has been up to
    since the "Resident Evil" film series, the answer is this 2020 film, and 2025's "In the Lost Lands". While I had my problems with "In the Lost
    Lands", it was a MUCH better film than "Monster Hunter"! At least "In
    the Lost Lands" made a stab at things like world building and crafting somewhat interesting characters.
    OTOH, I thought "Monster Hunter" was mostly a dreary bore of CGI
    nonsense.
    It doesn't help that this flick dates to the late 2010s, when co-productions with the Chi-Comms were at their peak (this flick is
    definitely a Chi-Comm co-production).
    Cast-wise, this should have been OK, starring Jovovich and Tony Jaa,
    with a corpulent Ron Perlman slumming it, and with Meagan Good and Tip "T.I.!!" Harris among others co-starring. Or, they would have co-starred
    if they lived long enough!
    Anyway, this wasn't good - When a film like "Rampage" looks like
    high art compared to this film, you've missed your mark.
    Worst of all, the ending is inconclusive, clearly trying to set up a sequel that will certainly never happen.

    Flight Risk (HBO Max) - This 2025 thriller, directed by Mel Gibson! was actually pretty good, I thought. It may actually be a little underrated.
    It's pretty much a three-person piece - starring Michelle Dockery(!?
    - odd choice for an American pic!) as the... FBI agent? federal marshal?
    (I admit, I missed this detail!), an underappreciated Topher Grace as
    the protective witness, and Mark Wahlberg (playing against type here!)
    as the charter airline pilot who may or may not be what he appears to be
    (take a wild guess!!). Also appearing are the voices of Leah Remini and
    Paul Ben-Victor! (and Maaz Ali!)
    Anyway, this was a pretty good "bottle show" potboiler. I enjoyed it
    for what it was.

    I also watched:

    The Gilded Age (HBO Max) - More episodes of season #3.
    They seem to be going all out in making Bertha and George the
    "villains" this season.
    I also didn't like that they had Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) knuckle
    under to her mother. In a storyline I already find problematic, because
    this show's "Duke of Buckingham" is wholly fictitious (whereas many
    other characters in this series are actual historical figures - so to
    have one very, very obviously fictional character like this is jarring).
    Meanwhile, they seem to be upping their game in giving Christine
    Baranski (and to a lesser extent Cynthia Nixon) great one-liners this
    season. :)

    And I am keeping up with soaps - in Monday's ep. of GH, Jenz Sidwell blackmails Willow into letting him hide out at her place while he evades capture as a fugitive! (Willow just needs to kill his ass!!)


    What did you watch?


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  • From anim8rfsk@anim8rfsk@cox.net to rec.arts.tv on Thu Jun 25 10:02:43 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    Ubiquitous <weberm@polaris.net> wrote:
    Before D&D Night, I watched:

    I Turned Jupiter Into a Star. What Happened to Its Moons? | Universe
    Sandbox

    Boy, the jokes just write themselves.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkoyJU_0ucY

    Sneak peak at the original Star Wars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc6ty_wJDTk

    SuperFLOP - Reviews are in and Even SHILL MEDIA Can't Defend this
    SLOP!!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOggIQeqOhM

    Toy Story 19 Trailer
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I92cjTGHFJg

    WORST MOVIE OF THE YEAR? -u Supergirl is Getting DESTROYED by Critics... James Gunn is DONE!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V13GZpenOIU


    TheyrCOve started advertising it on the fire stick. And I thought I was sick
    of ads for the vampire Lestat!


    What did you watch?

    --
    The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.
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  • From anim8rfsk@anim8rfsk@cox.net to rec.arts.tv on Thu Jun 25 10:02:44 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    Ian J. Ball <ijball@mac.invalid> wrote:
    On 6/25/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:

    What did you watch?

    Monster Hunter (Hulu) - Milla Jovovich. Is. MONSTER HUNTER!! (Well,
    that's mostly true because she gets the rest of her team promptly killed!!)
    If you've been wondering what Paul W.S. Anderson has been up to
    since the "Resident Evil" film series, the answer is this 2020 film, and 2025's "In the Lost Lands". While I had my problems with "In the Lost Lands", it was a MUCH better film than "Monster Hunter"! At least "In
    the Lost Lands" made a stab at things like world building and crafting somewhat interesting characters.
    OTOH, I thought "Monster Hunter" was mostly a dreary bore of CGI nonsense.
    It doesn't help that this flick dates to the late 2010s, when co-productions with the Chi-Comms were at their peak (this flick is definitely a Chi-Comm co-production).
    Cast-wise, this should have been OK, starring Jovovich and Tony Jaa,
    with a corpulent Ron Perlman slumming it, and with Meagan Good and Tip "T.I.!!" Harris among others co-starring. Or, they would have co-starred
    if they lived long enough!
    Anyway, this wasn't good - When a film like "Rampage" looks like
    high art compared to this film, you've missed your mark.
    Worst of all, the ending is inconclusive, clearly trying to set up a sequel that will certainly never happen.

    Flight Risk (HBO Max) - This 2025 thriller, directed by Mel Gibson! was actually pretty good, I thought. It may actually be a little underrated.
    It's pretty much a three-person piece - starring Michelle Dockery(!?
    - odd choice for an American pic!) as the... FBI agent? federal marshal?
    (I admit, I missed this detail!), an underappreciated Topher Grace as
    the protective witness, and Mark Wahlberg (playing against type here!)
    as the charter airline pilot who may or may not be what he appears to be (take a wild guess!!). Also appearing are the voices of Leah Remini and
    Paul Ben-Victor! (and Maaz Ali!)
    Anyway, this was a pretty good "bottle show" potboiler. I enjoyed it
    for what it was.

    I also watched:

    The Gilded Age (HBO Max) - More episodes of season #3.
    They seem to be going all out in making Bertha and George the
    "villains" this season.
    I also didn't like that they had Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) knuckle
    under to her mother. In a storyline I already find problematic, because
    this show's "Duke of Buckingham" is wholly fictitious (whereas many
    other characters in this series are actual historical figures - so to
    have one very, very obviously fictional character like this is jarring).
    Meanwhile, they seem to be upping their game in giving Christine
    Baranski (and to a lesser extent Cynthia Nixon) great one-liners this season. :)

    And I am keeping up with soaps - in Monday's ep. of GH, Jenz Sidwell blackmails Willow into letting him hide out at her place while he evades capture as a fugitive! (Willow just needs to kill his ass!!)


    What did you watch?




    Hey, thanks for asking!
    I have the HBO Max and keep forgetting to look for anything but animation.
    --
    The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From The True Melissa@thetruemelissa@gmail.com to rec.arts.tv on Thu Jun 25 13:43:02 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    Verily, in article <1525852040.804099656.266069.anim8rfsk- cox.net@news.easynews.com>, did anim8rfsk@cox.net deliver unto us this message:
    Hey, thanks for asking!
    I have the HBO Max and keep forgetting to look for anything but animation.


    Do you like dramedy and/or showbiz shows? HBO Max has both Hacks
    (excellent) and The Other Two (amusing at first, though it turns silly).

    I'm sure there was something else I was just about to start when I lost access, but I've forgotten what it was.
    --
    The True Melissa - Canal Winchester - Ohio
    United States of America - North America - Earth
    Solar System - Milky Way - Local Group
    Virgo Cluster - Laniakea Supercluster - Cosmos
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  • From shawn@nanoflower@notforg.m.a.i.l.com to rec.arts.tv on Thu Jun 25 14:34:14 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    On Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:46:07 -0700, "Ian J. Ball" <ijball@mac.invalid>
    wrote:

    On 6/25/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:

    What did you watch?

    Monster Hunter (Hulu) - Milla Jovovich. Is. MONSTER HUNTER!! (Well,
    that's mostly true because she gets the rest of her team promptly killed!!)
    If you've been wondering what Paul W.S. Anderson has been up to
    since the "Resident Evil" film series, the answer is this 2020 film, and >2025's "In the Lost Lands". While I had my problems with "In the Lost >Lands", it was a MUCH better film than "Monster Hunter"! At least "In
    the Lost Lands" made a stab at things like world building and crafting >somewhat interesting characters.
    OTOH, I thought "Monster Hunter" was mostly a dreary bore of CGI
    nonsense.

    I thought it was an okay movie. Mostly because it tied in fairly
    closely to the games. Not something I would hunt but if it's on then
    it's something to watch.

    It doesn't help that this flick dates to the late 2010s, when
    co-productions with the Chi-Comms were at their peak (this flick is >definitely a Chi-Comm co-production).
    Cast-wise, this should have been OK, starring Jovovich and Tony Jaa,
    with a corpulent Ron Perlman slumming it, and with Meagan Good and Tip >"T.I.!!" Harris among others co-starring. Or, they would have co-starred
    if they lived long enough!
    Anyway, this wasn't good - When a film like "Rampage" looks like
    high art compared to this film, you've missed your mark.
    Worst of all, the ending is inconclusive, clearly trying to set up a
    sequel that will certainly never happen.

    Flight Risk (HBO Max) - This 2025 thriller, directed by Mel Gibson! was >actually pretty good, I thought. It may actually be a little underrated.
    It's pretty much a three-person piece - starring Michelle Dockery(!?
    - odd choice for an American pic!) as the... FBI agent? federal marshal?
    (I admit, I missed this detail!), an underappreciated Topher Grace as
    the protective witness, and Mark Wahlberg (playing against type here!)
    as the charter airline pilot who may or may not be what he appears to be >(take a wild guess!!). Also appearing are the voices of Leah Remini and
    Paul Ben-Victor! (and Maaz Ali!)
    Anyway, this was a pretty good "bottle show" potboiler. I enjoyed it
    for what it was.

    I also watched:

    The Gilded Age (HBO Max) - More episodes of season #3.
    They seem to be going all out in making Bertha and George the
    "villains" this season.
    I also didn't like that they had Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) knuckle
    under to her mother. In a storyline I already find problematic, because
    this show's "Duke of Buckingham" is wholly fictitious (whereas many
    other characters in this series are actual historical figures - so to
    have one very, very obviously fictional character like this is jarring).
    Meanwhile, they seem to be upping their game in giving Christine
    Baranski (and to a lesser extent Cynthia Nixon) great one-liners this >season. :)

    And I am keeping up with soaps - in Monday's ep. of GH, Jenz Sidwell >blackmails Willow into letting him hide out at her place while he evades >capture as a fugitive! (Willow just needs to kill his ass!!)


    What did you watch?


    Nothing but Plants vs Zombies (a game I play to pass time) and Youtube
    videos.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Arthur Lipscomb@arthur@alum.calberkeley.org to rec.arts.tv on Thu Jun 25 19:36:26 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    On 6/25/2026 9:46 AM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
    On 6/25/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:

    What did you watch?

    Monster Hunter (Hulu) - Milla Jovovich. Is. MONSTER HUNTER!! (Well,
    that's mostly true because she gets the rest of her team promptly killed!!)
    -a-a If you've been wondering what Paul W.S. Anderson has been up to
    since the "Resident Evil" film series, the answer is this 2020 film, and 2025's "In the Lost Lands". While I had my problems with "In the Lost Lands", it was a MUCH better film than "Monster Hunter"!

    I hope I'm not forced to revisit these two movies. Not that I remember
    them all that well, but I could have sworn "In the Lost Lands" was worse
    than Monster Hunter.


    At least "In
    the Lost Lands" made a stab at things like world building and crafting somewhat interesting characters.
    -a-a OTOH, I thought "Monster Hunter" was mostly a dreary bore of CGI nonsense.
    -a-a It doesn't help that this flick dates to the late 2010s, when co- productions with the Chi-Comms were at their peak (this flick is
    definitely a Chi-Comm co-production).
    -a-a Cast-wise, this should have been OK, starring Jovovich and Tony Jaa, with a corpulent Ron Perlman slumming it, and with Meagan Good and Tip "T.I.!!" Harris among others co-starring. Or, they would have co-starred
    if they lived long enough!
    -a-a Anyway, this wasn't good - When a film like "Rampage" looks like
    high art compared to this film, you've missed your mark.
    -a-a Worst of all, the ending is inconclusive, clearly trying to set up a sequel that will certainly never happen.

    Flight Risk (HBO Max) - This 2025 thriller, directed by Mel Gibson! was actually pretty good, I thought. It may actually be a little underrated.

    I skipped this in the theaters. I didn't realize it was available to
    watch now.

    Added to the list.



    What did you watch?





    This is a multiday catch up. Over the last few days, I watched:

    Paddington (Peacock) 2014 movie based on the Paddington Bear books. I
    am really not familiar with Paddington Bear, and had no interest in the
    movie. But over the last few years I kept hearing again and again how
    great Paddington 2 was. And I honestly couldn't tell if the praise was serious or mocking because Paddington 2 was the worst piece of junk ever
    to hit the screen. I finally had the opportunity to watch Paddington 2,
    but first I had to watch Paddington 1. Anyway this first movie has a
    cast of mostly well known Brits and revolves around a small talking bear
    from Peru who moves to Britain and winds up moving in with a reluctant
    family. Wackiness ensues. There were a lot of "Marry Poppins" vibes,
    minus the singing and dancing. Peter Capaldi shows up as a nasty
    neighbor who doesn't like Paddington. And Nicole Kidnman stars as the
    film's over the top, scene stealing villain, who wants to capture
    Paddington and have him stuffed, and placed in a museum. Overall, the
    movie was surprisingly amusing and gave me hope the sequel would be
    pretty good.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WLYRP3c1ds


    Paddington 2 (HBO) 2017 sequel which picks up with Paddington now
    happily living with the British family and fitting in the community,
    more or less. Hugh Grant costars as an evil actor who frames Paddington
    for a theft of a treasure map. Paddignton then spends a surprisingly
    large chunk of the movie in jail, while his family try to prove his
    innocence. But there are lots of prisoners for him to befriend, so
    wackiness ensues. It wasn't the best movie ever or anything, but it was
    OK. Grant got to chew the scenery, Capaldi was amusingly still hating
    on Paddington, and they even managed to squeeze in an action sequence.
    There is a third movie out there, but I haven't checked if it's
    available to stream for free or not.


    Taken at a Basketball game (lifetime movie network) 2025 TV movie
    starring D.B. Woodside as a father whose daughter is Taken at a
    Basketball game. But what the kidnappers don't know is Woodside very particular set of skills. Skills he acquired over a very long career.
    Skills that make him a nightmare for traffickers. But to make matters
    even worse for the kidnappers, Woodside's daughter also has a very
    particular set of skills. Skills she acquired over a very long career of
    being Woodside's daughter. Skills that make her a nightmare for
    traffickers too. This was a pretty good one.



    Supergirl (theatrical) New movie based on the 2021 comic, "Supergirl:
    Woman of Tomorrow." Following the same plot of the comic, a young girl
    named Ruthye watches her entire family murdered by an evil space pirate
    named Krem. Ruthye then swears a blood vengeance against Krem and
    enlists Supergirl to help her hunt him down and kill him. Supergirl and Krypto happened to be off world on a planet with a red sun so Supergirl
    could get drunk for her birthday. At first Supergirl had no intention
    of helping Ruthye but after Krem does a thing or two to get on her bad
    side, she changes her mind. It's basically an interstellar road trip
    movie. Overall, I liked it. It wasn't an epic movie or anything, but
    it was OK. I think the main problem was the villain was the week link
    in the movie. I also didn't like seeing Supergirl depowered so often,
    but when she was fully charged, it was always fun watching her do her
    thing. And this may be obvious, but Supergirl is not Superman. Her
    character sees Superman as a na|>ve goody-goody. Superman would not go
    on a vengeance quest to kill a dude. Supergirl would. And that
    distinction is what makes this an interesting watch IMO.


    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From anim8rfsk@anim8rfsk@cox.net to rec.arts.tv on Thu Jun 25 20:43:09 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> wrote:
    Verily, in article <1525852040.804099656.266069.anim8rfsk- cox.net@news.easynews.com>, did anim8rfsk@cox.net deliver unto us this message:
    Hey, thanks for asking!
    I have the HBO Max and keep forgetting to look for anything but animation. >>

    Do you like dramedy and/or showbiz shows? HBO Max has both Hacks
    (excellent) and The Other Two (amusing at first, though it turns silly).

    I'm sure there was something else I was just about to start when I lost access, but I've forgotten what it was.


    Thanks
    --
    The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Adam H. Kerman@ahk@chinet.com to rec.arts.tv on Fri Jun 26 04:48:27 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    Arthur Lipscomb <arthur@alum.calberkeley.org> wrote:

    Paddington (Peacock) 2014 movie based on the Paddington Bear books. I
    am really not familiar with Paddington Bear, and had no interest in the >movie.

    I loved them, reading them all as a child. That's why I had no interest
    in the movie.

    But over the last few years I kept hearing again and again how
    great Paddington 2 was. And I honestly couldn't tell if the praise was >serious or mocking because Paddington 2 was the worst piece of junk ever
    to hit the screen. I finally had the opportunity to watch Paddington 2,
    but first I had to watch Paddington 1. Anyway this first movie has a
    cast of mostly well known Brits and revolves around a small talking bear >from Peru who moves to Britain and winds up moving in with a reluctant >family. Wackiness ensues. There were a lot of "Marry Poppins" vibes,
    minus the singing and dancing. Peter Capaldi shows up as a nasty
    neighbor who doesn't like Paddington. And Nicole Kidnman stars as the >film's over the top, scene stealing villain, who wants to capture
    Paddington and have him stuffed, and placed in a museum. Overall, the
    movie was surprisingly amusing and gave me hope the sequel would be
    pretty good.

    You'll be shocked SHOCKED if I tell you that this has nothing whatsoever
    to do with the original stories.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WLYRP3c1ds
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Ian J. Ball@ijball@mac.invalid to rec.arts.tv on Thu Jun 25 22:02:38 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    On 6/25/26 7:36 PM, Arthur Lipscomb wrote:

    On 6/25/2026 9:46 AM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
    On 6/25/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:

    What did you watch?

    Monster Hunter (Hulu) - Milla Jovovich. Is. MONSTER HUNTER!! (Well,
    that's mostly true because she gets the rest of her team promptly
    killed!!)
    -a-a-a If you've been wondering what Paul W.S. Anderson has been up to
    since the "Resident Evil" film series, the answer is this 2020 film,
    and 2025's "In the Lost Lands". While I had my problems with "In the
    Lost Lands", it was a MUCH better film than "Monster Hunter"!

    I hope I'm not forced to revisit these two movies.-a Not that I remember them all that well, but I could have sworn "In the Lost Lands" was worse than Monster Hunter.

    "In the Lost Lands" at least has characters, and a plot, which
    immediately puts ahead of "Monster Hunter:.

    At least "In
    the Lost Lands" made a stab at things like world building and crafting
    somewhat interesting characters.
    -a-a-a OTOH, I thought "Monster Hunter" was mostly a dreary bore of CGI
    nonsense.
    -a-a-a It doesn't help that this flick dates to the late 2010s, when co-
    productions with the Chi-Comms were at their peak (this flick is
    definitely a Chi-Comm co-production).
    -a-a-a Cast-wise, this should have been OK, starring Jovovich and Tony
    Jaa, with a corpulent Ron Perlman slumming it, and with Meagan Good
    and Tip "T.I.!!" Harris among others co-starring. Or, they would have
    co-starred if they lived long enough!
    -a-a-a Anyway, this wasn't good - When a film like "Rampage" looks like
    high art compared to this film, you've missed your mark.
    -a-a-a Worst of all, the ending is inconclusive, clearly trying to set up >> a sequel that will certainly never happen.

    Flight Risk (HBO Max) - This 2025 thriller, directed by Mel Gibson!
    was actually pretty good, I thought. It may actually be a little
    underrated.

    I skipped this in the theaters.-a I didn't realize it was available to
    watch now.

    Added to the list.

    I suspect you'll like it...


    Supergirl (theatrical) New movie based on the 2021 comic, "Supergirl:
    Woman of Tomorrow."-a Following the same plot of the comic, a young girl named Ruthye watches her entire family murdered by an evil space pirate named Krem.-a Ruthye then swears a blood vengeance against Krem and
    enlists Supergirl to help her hunt him down and kill him.-a Supergirl and Krypto happened to be off world on a planet with a red sun so Supergirl could get drunk for her birthday.-a At first Supergirl had no intention
    of helping Ruthye but after Krem does a thing or two to get on her bad
    side, she changes her mind.-a It's basically an interstellar road trip movie.

    So, they don't even bother with flashback scenes of "Supergirl's" origins?!

    If so, that's a huge "own goal" and I already don't like where this is heading...

    Overall, I liked it.-a It wasn't an epic movie or anything, but
    it was OK.-a I think the main problem was the villain was the week link
    in the movie.-a I also didn't like seeing Supergirl depowered so often,
    but when she was fully charged, it was always fun watching her do her thing.-a And this may be obvious, but Supergirl is not Superman.-a Her character sees Superman as a na|>ve goody-goody.-a Superman would not go
    on a vengeance quest to kill a dude.-a Supergirl would.-a And that distinction is what makes this an interesting watch IMO.

    You are not convincing me!!

    (FTR, I will watch this when it inevitably comes to HBO Max (probably
    sooner rather than later now!!). But I'm not expecting to care much for it.)


    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Arthur Lipscomb@arthur@alum.calberkeley.org to rec.arts.tv on Fri Jun 26 07:55:50 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    On 6/25/2026 10:02 PM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
    On 6/25/26 7:36 PM, Arthur Lipscomb wrote:

    On 6/25/2026 9:46 AM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
    On 6/25/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:

    What did you watch?

    Monster Hunter (Hulu) - Milla Jovovich. Is. MONSTER HUNTER!! (Well,
    that's mostly true because she gets the rest of her team promptly
    killed!!)
    -a-a-a If you've been wondering what Paul W.S. Anderson has been up to
    since the "Resident Evil" film series, the answer is this 2020 film,
    and 2025's "In the Lost Lands". While I had my problems with "In the
    Lost Lands", it was a MUCH better film than "Monster Hunter"!

    I hope I'm not forced to revisit these two movies.-a Not that I
    remember them all that well, but I could have sworn "In the Lost
    Lands" was worse than Monster Hunter.

    "In the Lost Lands" at least has characters, and a plot, which
    immediately puts ahead of "Monster Hunter:.

    At least "In
    the Lost Lands" made a stab at things like world building and
    crafting somewhat interesting characters.
    -a-a-a OTOH, I thought "Monster Hunter" was mostly a dreary bore of CGI >>> nonsense.
    -a-a-a It doesn't help that this flick dates to the late 2010s, when co- >>> productions with the Chi-Comms were at their peak (this flick is
    definitely a Chi-Comm co-production).
    -a-a-a Cast-wise, this should have been OK, starring Jovovich and Tony
    Jaa, with a corpulent Ron Perlman slumming it, and with Meagan Good
    and Tip "T.I.!!" Harris among others co-starring. Or, they would have
    co-starred if they lived long enough!
    -a-a-a Anyway, this wasn't good - When a film like "Rampage" looks like >>> high art compared to this film, you've missed your mark.
    -a-a-a Worst of all, the ending is inconclusive, clearly trying to set
    up a sequel that will certainly never happen.

    Flight Risk (HBO Max) - This 2025 thriller, directed by Mel Gibson!
    was actually pretty good, I thought. It may actually be a little
    underrated.

    I skipped this in the theaters.-a I didn't realize it was available to
    watch now.

    Added to the list.

    I suspect you'll like it...


    Supergirl (theatrical) New movie based on the 2021 comic, "Supergirl:
    Woman of Tomorrow."-a Following the same plot of the comic, a young
    girl named Ruthye watches her entire family murdered by an evil space
    pirate named Krem.-a Ruthye then swears a blood vengeance against Krem
    and enlists Supergirl to help her hunt him down and kill him.
    Supergirl and Krypto happened to be off world on a planet with a red
    sun so Supergirl could get drunk for her birthday.-a At first Supergirl
    had no intention of helping Ruthye but after Krem does a thing or two
    to get on her bad side, she changes her mind.-a It's basically an
    interstellar road trip movie.

    So, they don't even bother with flashback scenes of "Supergirl's" origins?!


    They do! There are lots of flashbacks to her origins. She comments at
    one point that her outlook on life is so different than Clark's because
    he only knows a happy life on Earth while she was forced to experience
    the slow death of her people. And the movie shows the slow death of her people.

    "Krypton didn't die in a day. The gods aren't that kind." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqdAEdkHrwo



    If so, that's a huge "own goal" and I already don't like where this is heading...

    Overall, I liked it.-a It wasn't an epic movie or anything, but it was
    OK.-a I think the main problem was the villain was the week link in the
    movie.-a I also didn't like seeing Supergirl depowered so often, but
    when she was fully charged, it was always fun watching her do her
    thing.-a And this may be obvious, but Supergirl is not Superman.-a Her
    character sees Superman as a na|>ve goody-goody.-a Superman would not go
    on a vengeance quest to kill a dude.-a Supergirl would.-a And that
    distinction is what makes this an interesting watch IMO.

    You are not convincing me!!

    (FTR, I will watch this when it inevitably comes to HBO Max (probably
    sooner rather than later now!!). But I'm not expecting to care much for
    it.)



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  • From BTR1701@atropos@mac.com to rec.arts.tv on Fri Jun 26 17:47:48 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    On Jun 25, 2026 at 10:02:38 PM PDT, ""Ian J. Ball"" <ijball@mac.invalid>
    wrote:

    (FTR, I will watch this when it inevitably comes to HBO Max (probably
    sooner rather than later now!!). But I'm not expecting to care much for it.)

    I was amazed to find that MANDO & GROGU movie is already available to watch
    for 'free' (i.e. no extra rental charge) on the Hulus.


    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From anim8rfsk@anim8rfsk@cox.net to rec.arts.tv on Fri Jun 26 13:09:19 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:
    On Jun 25, 2026 at 10:02:38 PM PDT, ""Ian J. Ball"" <ijball@mac.invalid> wrote:

    (FTR, I will watch this when it inevitably comes to HBO Max (probably
    sooner rather than later now!!). But I'm not expecting to care much for it.)

    I was amazed to find that MANDO & GROGU movie is already available to watch for 'free' (i.e. no extra rental charge) on the Hulus.


    TheyrCOd have to pay me to watch Pedro Pascal.
    --
    The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Ian J. Ball@ijball@mac.invalid to rec.arts.tv on Fri Jun 26 15:02:21 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    On 6/26/26 10:47 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

    On Jun 25, 2026 at 10:02:38 PM PDT, ""Ian J. Ball"" <ijball@mac.invalid> wrote:

    (FTR, I will watch this when it inevitably comes to HBO Max (probably
    sooner rather than later now!!). But I'm not expecting to care much for it.)

    I was amazed to find that MANDO & GROGU movie is already available to watch for 'free' (i.e. no extra rental charge) on the Hulus.

    Are you sure that's not the "preview" film thing-ie? A lot of the
    streamers have been doing those lately, esp. Hulu/Disney.


    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From shawn@nanoflower@notforg.m.a.i.l.com to rec.arts.tv on Fri Jun 26 19:13:22 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    On Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:02:21 -0700, "Ian J. Ball" <ijball@mac.invalid>
    wrote:

    On 6/26/26 10:47 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

    On Jun 25, 2026 at 10:02:38 PM PDT, ""Ian J. Ball"" <ijball@mac.invalid>
    wrote:

    (FTR, I will watch this when it inevitably comes to HBO Max (probably
    sooner rather than later now!!). But I'm not expecting to care much for it.)

    I was amazed to find that MANDO & GROGU movie is already available to watch >> for 'free' (i.e. no extra rental charge) on the Hulus.

    Are you sure that's not the "preview" film thing-ie? A lot of the
    streamers have been doing those lately, esp. Hulu/Disney.


    It's the full film. Just checked and multiple versions are available
    on the gray so it must have been officially released in the last day
    or two.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Ian J. Ball@ijball@mac.invalid to rec.arts.tv on Fri Jun 26 19:05:01 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    On 6/26/26 4:13 PM, shawn wrote:

    On Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:02:21 -0700, "Ian J. Ball" <ijball@mac.invalid>
    wrote:

    On 6/26/26 10:47 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

    On Jun 25, 2026 at 10:02:38 PM PDT, ""Ian J. Ball"" <ijball@mac.invalid> >>> wrote:

    (FTR, I will watch this when it inevitably comes to HBO Max (probably
    sooner rather than later now!!). But I'm not expecting to care much for it.)

    I was amazed to find that MANDO & GROGU movie is already available to watch >>> for 'free' (i.e. no extra rental charge) on the Hulus.

    Are you sure that's not the "preview" film thing-ie? A lot of the
    streamers have been doing those lately, esp. Hulu/Disney.

    It's the full film. Just checked and multiple versions are available
    on the gray so it must have been officially released in the last day
    or two.

    Damn, so tonight I have to choose between this, and "Undertone" which
    just turned up on HBO Max.

    [Hmmmmm....]


    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Arthur Lipscomb@arthur@alum.calberkeley.org to rec.arts.tv on Fri Jun 26 22:12:51 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    On 6/26/2026 7:05 PM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
    On 6/26/26 4:13 PM, shawn wrote:

    On Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:02:21 -0700, "Ian J. Ball" <ijball@mac.invalid>
    wrote:

    On 6/26/26 10:47 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

    On Jun 25, 2026 at 10:02:38 PM PDT, ""Ian J. Ball""
    <ijball@mac.invalid>
    wrote:

    (FTR, I will watch this when it inevitably comes to HBO Max (probably >>>>> sooner rather than later now!!). But I'm not expecting to care much >>>>> for it.)

    I was amazed to find that MANDO & GROGU movie is already available
    to watch
    for 'free' (i.e. no extra rental charge) on the Hulus.

    Are you sure that's not the "preview" film thing-ie? A lot of the
    streamers have been doing those lately, esp. Hulu/Disney.

    It's the full film. Just checked and multiple versions are available
    on the gray so it must have been officially released in the last day
    or two.

    Damn, so tonight I have to choose between this, and "Undertone" which
    just turned up on HBO Max.

    [Hmmmmm....]



    Wait, wasn't "Undertone" just in theaters, like yesterday? I guess I'll
    add it to the watch list.

    Now that I think about it, this is actually pretty good timing. I'm
    planning on watching the "Evil Dead" movies tomorrow. I might just be
    able to squeeze it in too.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From anim8rfsk@anim8rfsk@cox.net to rec.arts.tv on Sat Jun 27 07:57:52 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    Arthur Lipscomb <arthur@alum.calberkeley.org> wrote:
    On 6/26/2026 7:05 PM, Ian J. Ball wrote:
    On 6/26/26 4:13 PM, shawn wrote:

    On Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:02:21 -0700, "Ian J. Ball" <ijball@mac.invalid>
    wrote:

    On 6/26/26 10:47 AM, BTR1701 wrote:

    On Jun 25, 2026 at 10:02:38 PM PDT, ""Ian J. Ball""
    <ijball@mac.invalid>
    wrote:

    (FTR, I will watch this when it inevitably comes to HBO Max (probably >>>>>> sooner rather than later now!!). But I'm not expecting to care much >>>>>> for it.)

    I was amazed to find that MANDO & GROGU movie is already available
    to watch
    for 'free' (i.e. no extra rental charge) on the Hulus.

    Are you sure that's not the "preview" film thing-ie? A lot of the
    streamers have been doing those lately, esp. Hulu/Disney.

    It's the full film. Just checked and multiple versions are available
    on the gray so it must have been officially released in the last day
    or two.

    It was available to me on the Plex yesterday as well.


    Damn, so tonight I have to choose between this, and "Undertone" which
    just turned up on HBO Max.

    [Hmmmmm....]



    Wait, wasn't "Undertone" just in theaters, like yesterday? I guess I'll
    add it to the watch list.

    Now that I think about it, this is actually pretty good timing. I'm planning on watching the "Evil Dead" movies tomorrow. I might just be
    able to squeeze it in too.

    --
    The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From anim8rfsk@anim8rfsk@cox.net to rec.arts.tv on Sat Jun 27 16:24:39 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> wrote:
    Verily, in article <1525852040.804099656.266069.anim8rfsk- cox.net@news.easynews.com>, did anim8rfsk@cox.net deliver unto us this message:
    Hey, thanks for asking!
    I have the HBO Max and keep forgetting to look for anything but animation. >>

    Do you like dramedy and/or showbiz shows? HBO Max has both Hacks
    (excellent) and The Other Two (amusing at first, though it turns silly).

    I'm sure there was something else I was just about to start when I lost access, but I've forgotten what it was.


    Both added to my watchlist along with the hacks podcast, thanks again
    --
    The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From The True Melissa@thetruemelissa@gmail.com to rec.arts.tv on Sat Jun 27 20:43:05 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    Verily, in article <1952829574.804278994.104478.anim8rfsk- cox.net@news.easynews.com>, did anim8rfsk@cox.net deliver unto us this message:

    The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> wrote:
    Verily, in article <1525852040.804099656.266069.anim8rfsk- cox.net@news.easynews.com>, did anim8rfsk@cox.net deliver unto us this message:
    Hey, thanks for asking!
    I have the HBO Max and keep forgetting to look for anything but animation. >>

    Do you like dramedy and/or showbiz shows? HBO Max has both Hacks (excellent) and The Other Two (amusing at first, though it turns silly).

    I'm sure there was something else I was just about to start when I lost access, but I've forgotten what it was.


    Both added to my watchlist along with the hacks podcast, thanks again

    I hope you enjoy them. Let me know what you think.
    --
    The True Melissa - Canal Winchester - Ohio
    United States of America - North America - Earth
    Solar System - Milky Way - Local Group
    Virgo Cluster - Laniakea Supercluster - Cosmos
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From shawn@nanoflower@notforg.m.a.i.l.com to rec.arts.tv on Sat Jun 27 20:50:51 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    On Sat, 27 Jun 2026 16:24:39 -0700, anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net>
    wrote:

    The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> wrote:
    Verily, in article <1525852040.804099656.266069.anim8rfsk-
    cox.net@news.easynews.com>, did anim8rfsk@cox.net deliver unto us this
    message:
    Hey, thanks for asking!
    I have the HBO Max and keep forgetting to look for anything but animation. >>>

    Do you like dramedy and/or showbiz shows? HBO Max has both Hacks
    (excellent) and The Other Two (amusing at first, though it turns silly).

    I'm sure there was something else I was just about to start when I lost
    access, but I've forgotten what it was.


    Both added to my watchlist along with the hacks podcast, thanks again

    HACKS is good. Well worth watching. Not that it tells you much I saw
    that it won 19 Emmys in a video I saw over on the Twitter. Not a bad
    haul.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From anim8rfsk@anim8rfsk@cox.net to rec.arts.tv on Sat Jun 27 23:07:05 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    shawn <nanoflower@notforg.m.a.i.l.com> wrote:
    On Sat, 27 Jun 2026 16:24:39 -0700, anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net>
    wrote:

    The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> wrote:
    Verily, in article <1525852040.804099656.266069.anim8rfsk-
    cox.net@news.easynews.com>, did anim8rfsk@cox.net deliver unto us this
    message:
    Hey, thanks for asking!
    I have the HBO Max and keep forgetting to look for anything but animation. >>>>

    Do you like dramedy and/or showbiz shows? HBO Max has both Hacks
    (excellent) and The Other Two (amusing at first, though it turns silly). >>>
    I'm sure there was something else I was just about to start when I lost >>> access, but I've forgotten what it was.


    Both added to my watchlist along with the hacks podcast, thanks again

    HACKS is good. Well worth watching. Not that it tells you much I saw
    that it won 19 Emmys in a video I saw over on the Twitter. Not a bad
    haul.


    :)
    --
    The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From marika@marika5000@gmail.com to rec.arts.tv on Thu Jul 2 02:07:07 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv

    anim8rfsk <anim8rfsk@cox.net> wrote:
    Ian J. Ball <ijball@mac.invalid> wrote:
    On 6/25/26 1:30 AM, Ubiquitous wrote:

    What did you watch?

    Monster Hunter (Hulu) - Milla Jovovich. Is. MONSTER HUNTER!! (Well,
    that's mostly true because she gets the rest of her team promptly killed!!) >> If you've been wondering what Paul W.S. Anderson has been up to
    since the "Resident Evil" film series, the answer is this 2020 film, and
    2025's "In the Lost Lands". While I had my problems with "In the Lost
    Lands", it was a MUCH better film than "Monster Hunter"! At least "In
    the Lost Lands" made a stab at things like world building and crafting
    somewhat interesting characters.
    OTOH, I thought "Monster Hunter" was mostly a dreary bore of CGI
    nonsense.
    It doesn't help that this flick dates to the late 2010s, when
    co-productions with the Chi-Comms were at their peak (this flick is
    definitely a Chi-Comm co-production).
    Cast-wise, this should have been OK, starring Jovovich and Tony Jaa,
    with a corpulent Ron Perlman slumming it, and with Meagan Good and Tip
    "T.I.!!" Harris among others co-starring. Or, they would have co-starred
    if they lived long enough!
    Anyway, this wasn't good - When a film like "Rampage" looks like
    high art compared to this film, you've missed your mark.
    Worst of all, the ending is inconclusive, clearly trying to set up a
    sequel that will certainly never happen.

    Flight Risk (HBO Max) - This 2025 thriller, directed by Mel Gibson! was
    actually pretty good, I thought. It may actually be a little underrated.
    It's pretty much a three-person piece - starring Michelle Dockery(!?
    - odd choice for an American pic!) as the... FBI agent? federal marshal?
    (I admit, I missed this detail!), an underappreciated Topher Grace as
    the protective witness, and Mark Wahlberg (playing against type here!)
    as the charter airline pilot who may or may not be what he appears to be
    (take a wild guess!!). Also appearing are the voices of Leah Remini and
    Paul Ben-Victor! (and Maaz Ali!)
    Anyway, this was a pretty good "bottle show" potboiler. I enjoyed it
    for what it was.

    I also watched:

    The Gilded Age (HBO Max) - More episodes of season #3.
    They seem to be going all out in making Bertha and George the
    "villains" this season.
    I also didn't like that they had Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) knuckle
    under to her mother. In a storyline I already find problematic, because
    this show's "Duke of Buckingham" is wholly fictitious (whereas many
    other characters in this series are actual historical figures - so to
    have one very, very obviously fictional character like this is jarring).
    Meanwhile, they seem to be upping their game in giving Christine
    Baranski (and to a lesser extent Cynthia Nixon) great one-liners this
    season. :)

    And I am keeping up with soaps - in Monday's ep. of GH, Jenz Sidwell
    blackmails Willow into letting him hide out at her place while he evades
    capture as a fugitive! (Willow just needs to kill his ass!!)



    It is almost as if Jens lost his mind. Why stay in GH when there are so
    many countries with no extradition.

    What did you watch?




    Hey, thanks for asking!
    I have the HBO Max and keep forgetting to look for anything but animation.



    A show I recently finished on Max- Hacks. Worth it.

    I am fixing on The Pitt next




    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2