1. #19411
    JUST DO IT?!?! Postmania's Avatar
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    I'd say with WandaVision I actually enjoy the old sitcom elements way more than I expected to. It's not great art, but I'm comforted/cheered by them. In contrast I think the mystery aspect is pretty clear and I think if you have a certain level of say, comics and genre fiction knowledge you won't be surprised by what happens in that aspect in the first two episodes.

    I'd say its in the third episode it starts to do more with the mystery (not enough but its starting to) and the sitcom elements I liked went down and I noticed their absence, although I did like things starting to be approached (not exactly revealed or spun in the incredibly unexpected ways, but approached).

    And honestly even though I have a pretty good idea on where the mystery is going I've been enjoying actually talking/reading other people's thoughts on what could happen week to week, maybe because I haven't done that for a while.
    Last edited by Postmania; 01-23-2021 at 12:39 AM.
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  2. #19412
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nik Hasta View Post

    There's some really weird (as in unclear and amateurish, rather than narratively engaging) decisions in the filmmaking and how they are presenting the mystery of the thing feels kind of unsatisfying and inconsistent to me. I think the writers had a clear concept in mind but it feels very much like it's been through the executive mill.
    Amateurish in what way?

  3. #19413
    Reborn Samurai Len Ikari145's Avatar
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    Edens Zero: Okay, so Xenolith is Ziggy's old master in the art of Gravity Ether. He was also originally human, which makes me wonder if Ziggy was as well (not to mention there's an implication by Xenolith that Ziggy may be a time-traveler). Mashima is also leaning quite heavily on the Star Wars references this chapter, with Xenolith clearly being a Yoda expy and advising Shiki not to "fall to the Dark Side". Oh, and Muller is the most reprehensible, psychotic, repugnant piece of **** that I've yet to see in Mashima's work. The **** he did to Hermit was horrendous enough, but what he did to Kleene and Jinn is beyond the pale. And he televised and recorded it for prosperity at that.
    Last edited by Len Ikari145; 01-23-2021 at 12:58 AM.
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  4. #19414
    Legendary God of Pirates Nik Hasta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jcogginsa View Post
    Amateurish in what way?
    So, episode one is very tightly made. Every aspect of it, from wardrobe, dialogue and camera style is 50s appropriate. Locked off cameras, affected dialogue, all of that stuff.

    spoilers:
    The only time it deviates is in the choking scene where we suddenly shift from locked off camera work to intimate closeups on steadicam, use zooms and the dialogue shifts into a combination of realism and the fiction of the world being directly compromised as Mrs Heart goes into some kind of audio feedback loop.

    We have a deviation from how things are being presented and then it's right back to normal.
    end of spoilers

    So far, good solid and considered filmmaking. Using the mechanics of the craft to create a status quo via a use of a very restrictive set of filmmaking rules and then reaping a lot of impact from deviating from them. Big thumbs up there.

    However, in the second episode; spoilers:
    they abandon all of that and Wanda is wearing non-period appropriate clothing, the cinematography shifts to something much more conventional with a couple of scenes in the locked off 50s style rather than the previously established default/deviation model that worked really well.

    However, they largely keep the 50s style in their writing and plotting for the most part so it feels kind of messy. There's the moments at the end of the episode with the beekeeper and the shift to Technicolor (and the toy helicopter I suppose) which would have been impactful moments to break those conventions but because they've already done it, those moments feel a lot more flaccid and didn't really land for me.
    end of spoilers

    It feels like they had a really strong idea and stuck with it for the first episode but then, spoilers:
    I don't know, maybe it was too hard to block some of those scenes in a locked off camera style? I don't get why Wanda shifting into non period clothing for that episode just sort of happened? Are they authentically in a 1950s sitcom world as the first episode would have us believe, camera conventions and all, or were they [read: Wanda and Vision] just doing all this 50s stuff in the first episode for some reason? It feels much less clear now because it lacks that mechanical consistency.
    end of spoilers

    Obviously, they can and will shift genre (footage from the trailer confirms that) but this felt like an ugly and clunky way to do it.

    Unlike the first episode, it just felt very messy from a filmmaking standpoint. Like why do all that work in the first episode and establish a cool technique and rhythm for your cinematography and then just throw it away to gain nothing? Rather than drawing me in, it drew me out because I didn't feel like there was a clear plan any more, it just felt a bit random.

    Like I said, I don't think the show is bad and I have every faith, based on the rough trajectory of the plot thus far, that episode three will be stronger but this certainly damaged my experience of the show.

  5. #19415
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    Quote Originally Posted by Len Ikari145 View Post
    So, Bruce Timm is planning on reviving the Batman Animated series on HBO Max. Any thoughts on that?
    While I like Batman the animated series as much as the next guy, I honestly think that they should leave that verse alone.

    The whole DCAU already has some great finales thanks to Justice League Unlimited and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. While they can absolutely make some more interesting stories in it I think that it'll mainly lead to diminishing returns at this point.

    I'd prefer it if he would focus on some new take on Batman. Like give us a Batman Inc. show, or a show where Bruce is retired and in more of a supporting role while Dick is Batman and Damian is Robin (they left that era way too quickly for my taste). Or a Batgirl show with Barbara as Oracle with Steph and Cassandra as two Batgirls. Maybe combine all these things into one show. Just something new.

  6. #19416
    The Weeping Mod Sharpandpointies's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FistofIron View Post
    Glad to hear that you guys are enjoying WandaVision. That’s the marvel show that I’m most interested in. Anyone reading DC’s Future State? I’m gonna check out the Midnighter stuff when I get a chance.
    Thus far Future State is a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the new Superwoman, but the other stuff Ive read has been less good, in both art (some cases) and characters.
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  7. #19417
    Prince of Duckness Beadle's Avatar
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    Star Trek: Lower Decks is officially underwhelming.

    I think we can file it under ‘Trying too hard’.

  8. #19418
    The Weeping Mod Sharpandpointies's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Beadle View Post
    Star Trek: Lower Decks is officially underwhelming.

    I think we can file it under ‘Trying too hard’.
    Was thinking about checking it out, but your taste is similar enough to mine that I’ll thank you for saving me the time.
    Why are we here?

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  9. #19419
    Prince of Duckness Beadle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sharpandpointies View Post
    Was thinking about checking it out, but your taste is similar enough to mine that I’ll thank you for saving me the time.
    I’ll probably watch the whole series, because... well, a combination of lockdown and completist OCD.

    But if you want ‘Star Trek with humour’ then The Orville is much better, and if you want ‘adult humour cartoon based on nerdy RPG-type genre’ then Disenchantment is much better.

  10. #19420
    The Weeping Mod Sharpandpointies's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Beadle View Post
    I’ll probably watch the whole series, because... well, a combination of lockdown and completist OCD.

    But if you want ‘Star Trek with humour’ then The Orville is much better, and if you want ‘adult humour cartoon based on nerdy RPG-type genre’ then Disenchantment is much better.
    Will keep that in mind and probably test out Disenchantment. Thanks!
    Why are we here?

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    "...dropping an orca whale made of fire on your enemies is a pretty strong opening move." - Nik
    "Why throw punches when you can be making everyone around you sterile mutant corpses?" - Pendaran, regarding Dr. Fate

  11. #19421
    JUST DO IT?!?! Postmania's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nik Hasta View Post

    It feels like they had a really strong idea and stuck with it for the first episode but then, spoilers:
    I don't know, maybe it was too hard to block some of those scenes in a locked off camera style? I don't get why Wanda shifting into non period clothing for that episode just sort of happened? Are they authentically in a 1950s sitcom world as the first episode would have us believe, camera conventions and all, or were they [read: Wanda and Vision] just doing all this 50s stuff in the first episode for some reason? It feels much less clear now because it lacks that mechanical consistency.
    end of spoilers
    Well I'm not an expert on the old sitcoms, but I think the idea was that

    spoilers:
    They aren't in the 50s with episode 2. They're in the 60s. Every episode is a different decade.
    end of spoilers
    “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”
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  12. #19422
    Legendary God of Pirates Nik Hasta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Postmania View Post
    Well I'm not an expert on the old sitcoms, but I think the idea was that

    spoilers:
    They aren't in the 50s with episode 2. They're in the 60s. Every episode is a different decade.
    end of spoilers
    Nah, I got that spoilers:
    but they didn't use 60s aesthetics consistently either.
    end of spoilers

    It's not a dealbreaker or anything and, I want to stress, I don't want think the series is bad.

    I just think the second episode was a clumsy affair. I'll be interested in how the third episode goes.

  13. #19423
    JUST DO IT?!?! Postmania's Avatar
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    Just heard this movie existed today.



    Looks wild
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  14. #19424
    She/Her Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Postmania View Post
    Just heard this movie existed today.



    Looks wild
    I'm in.

    /limit
    Yeah, but if you... man, we're getting into weird analogy territory, like if you disintegrated Superman's arms he wouldn't be able to go "fool! Little did you know that my arms and I are one and can be remade from me!" and will his arms back into being from pure nothingness. - Pendaran

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  15. #19425
    This Isn't Home Yun Lao's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Postmania View Post
    Just heard this movie existed today.



    Looks wild
    I really want to like this, but the trailer alone has really made me hate the children protagonist.

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