Thursday, January 26, 2017

Thursday Movie Picks #133: TMP Television Edition - Science Fiction




Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.


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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is TMP Television Edition - Science Fiction

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First TV edition. Yay! I've been wanting to create a TV edition for some time. I think the last year or so I've been watching more TV than movies. Which is not at all surprising since we are in peak TV, there are so much good stuff to watch and streaming service finally landed on our shores last year (Yes it took that long!) which certainly has given me access to TV shows like never before. My picks today are those that I've seen the past year which I really like.

Orphan Black (2013 - )
A young woman witnesses a suicide of a woman who looks exactly like HER. So she assumes the dead woman's identity to find out what is going on and finds herself in this big secret experiment/conspiracy and find others that look like her - they're all clones! We get Orphan Black on cable here so I've been following it since 2013. I think this year's season 5 is going to be the final season, which is good in that they're working at a conclusion, hopefully a good one. I don't think the show has been consistent throughout; the middle seasons lost me a little but I think the fourth season was good again. Despite its sometimes meandering-ness, Tatiana Maslany as all the clones is always excellent making them all fully lived separate characters.

The 100 (2014 - )
Earth has been devastated by a nuclear disaster and a community of humans have escaped it by living on space stations. In this society, all those found guilty of a crime are put to death (because rehabilitation is not something they have the resource for), except for children under 18. So when the stations' resources become scarce a century later, a group of 100 juvenile delinquents (deemed expandable) are sent to earth to see if enough time have passed for it to become habitable again. Based on a YA novel and airing on the CW (in the U.S.), I don't think a lot of people were keen to check it out, plus from what I hear CW doesn't get a lot of viewers like networks like NBC? The first few episodes of season does feel a little YA-ish but it gets better and I think it's actually good. I'd say it's a little like Lord of the Flies meet Sci-Fi, at least in the first season. The turning point for me was episode 4 of season one when one of the kids kill another. A witch hunt occurs, a known bully is accused and the group is ready to execute him, except that it wasn't him. When the group finds out who it really is, they're not quite ready to serve the same punishment. Do they punish a person for the crime committed or for the person that he or she is? These kids are not quite sure what kind of society they trying to make in the midst of also trying to survive in an environment alien to them. So yeah, if you're just checking this series...give it a few episodes.
 
The Expanse (2015 - )
I'm just going to use the IMDB plot summary - "A police detective in the asteroid belt, the first officer of an interplanetary ice freighter and an earth-bound United Nations executive slowly discover a vast conspiracy that threatens the Earth's rebellious colony on the asteroid belt. " This series airs on the SyFy in the U.S. and I think SyFy doesn't really give a good impression, I mean they did make Sharknado. I sort of expect bad ridiculous plots, bad acting and bad effects from anything coming out of SyFy. But since I heard some good reviews of The Expanse I checked it out when it became available on streaming. I'm not that experience in watching Space Sci-Fi TV series (I mean sure I saw Star Trek but I was to young to know what I was watching), anyway what I'm trying to say is I think it's actually really good. The world feels lived in, interesting characters and an intriguing story. Its plot does take its time to unravel and get the characters storyline to converge, but it's all good and I can't wait for season 2.

The OA (2016 - )
A previously blind woman reappears after a seven year disappearance with her sight restored. I'm going to talk in vague terms here because the less you know of the plot, the more you'd enjoy the series I think. Anyway I enjoyed this series. It has an interesting story and has that very experimental way of storytelling that is appealing, but I do wish it was a little more polished and I could do without the "dance". I understand the purpose of it was for the five to have this little thing that was exclusively their own, but the dance was a little too cheesy for me, like I turn away when they start doing it. If you have seen Brit Marling's other work, Another Earth and Sound of My Voice, I think you'd enjoy this. The OA does share some similarities with them, it has some pretty imagery like Another Earth and has a somewhat similar character, a young woman returning home after a long absence trying to reintegrate back into society. Like Sound of My Voice, the OA has a character telling a story, the truth of which is uncertain and then there's the intricate physical movements performed by the members. I don't think a season 2 has been announced for the OA so I hope it does eventually get renewed since things aren't really resolved.

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Friday, January 20, 2017

Thursday Movie Picks #132: Movies Featuring an Actor/Actress that Passed Away in 2016



Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share three movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.


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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Movies Featuring an Actor/Actress that Passed Away in 2016

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This week's theme is a suggestion by Birgit (BB Creations). I'm picking Anton Yelchin because I think I've watch his films the most (Alan Rickman is probably around the same number as well but like 7 of those are Harry Potter films) and I'm picking his earlier films.

Charlie Bartlett (2007)
A high-schooler becomes a "psychiatrist" to his fellow classmates when he begins dispensing advice and prescription drugs to them. I really wanted to like this movie, the trailer looked like it could be good but I just found it just ok. It's sort of feels like a mash of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Harold and Maude that doesn't quite reach the same level of humor and greatness.

Fierce People (2005)
A massage therapist and her son moves into the guest house of her client, an old billionaire. It's been so so long since I've seen this that I've forgotten so much of the plot and I can't believe it has such a terrible Rotten Tomatoes ratings because I remember liking it and thought the young cast, Anton Yelchin and Kristen Stewart, were pretty impressive in it. And oh...Captain America, Chris Evans is in this as well.
 
Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
The oldest film of the lot, but the one I saw most recently. I like it, I thought it was good coming of age story with a touch of supernatural element. Based on a Stephen King book it's about a young boy that befriends an old man with special abilities.

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Friday, January 13, 2017

Thursday Movie Picks #131: Fashion World



Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share three movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.


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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Fashion World

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I had read somewhere that there was some Fashion Week happening at some fashionable city this time of the year, hence today's theme.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
This movie turned 10 last year! How did that happen? Anyway I'm so not into into the fashion world but this one is great. It's sharp, funny and has crazy costumes.

Coco Before Chanel (2009)
The movie is about her life before her fame, like her formative years and the men in her life. While there were pretty costumes and some pretty shots, I just remember this movie being very very dull. I just didn't care. 

It Boy (2013)
A French romantic comedy which is sort of silly but I enjoyed it so much more that the Coco movie. A workaholic fashion editor in her late 30s is regarded as boring by her colleagues and boss. That is until they think they see her kissing a college student and she sort of becomes the cool modern woman to them. So she decides to play along to see if being cool again gets her a promotion.

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Friday, January 6, 2017

Thursday Movie Picks #130: Legal Thrillers



Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share three movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.


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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Legal Thrillers

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Happy New Year everyone!!! Hope you all had a great holiday. I'm actually glad the season is over, because the TV shows I'm following are coming back from their break. Anyway...back to today's theme. I'm picking the ones I like.

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
Basically we follow a lawyer who works out of his Lincoln car, hence the name, as he is asked to defend some rich guy accused of assaulting a prostitute, but soon finds out that things are not as the guy claims. I didn't think I would like this, but it's quite good and Ryan Phillippe who plays like this preppy country cluby rich guy is so good at being totally hateable.

Michael Clayton (2007)
Love this one. I think it's one of the best dialogue rich movies. George Clooney plays a fixer for a law firm and is tasked to fix "a situation" where one of the firm's own lawyer suffers a public meltdown that may affect they current big case.

The Client (1994)
A boy and his younger brother sees a mob's lawyer commit suicide. While the shock causes the younger brother to go into a catatonic state, the D.A. thinks the older boy may too have seen and heard more than he's telling. The mob pretty much have the same idea and is eager to silence the boy. I have not seen this a long time, but I remember it being very good, especially Brad Renfro who put in a pretty great performance as the older boy.

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Sunday, January 1, 2017

2017 Thursday Movie Picks Schedule [Updated]


We've just entered 2017 nearly an hour ago so happy 2017!

This is going to be quick post; I've selected seven of your suggestions (thank you all) and I've also switched around some of the dates and themes. You can see the updated schedule below and on the Thursday Movie Picks page which you can get to from the top bar menu.

2017 Thursday Movie Picks Schedule

January 5 - Legal Thrillers
January 12 - Fashion World
January 19 - Movies Featuring an Actor/Actress that Passed Away in 2016 [Suggested by Birgit]
January 26 - TMP Television Edition: Science Fiction
February 2 - Movies About Artists (Painters)
February 9 - Prodigy/Genius
February 16 - Shakespeare Adaptation
February 23 - TMP Television Edition: Superheroes/Super Powers
March 2 - On the Run
March 9 - Remakes/Sequels/Reboots (of a movie that hasn't got one) You Want to See
March 16 - Ancient World (3600 BC – 500 AD)
March 23 - The Underdog
March 30 - TMP Television Edition: Period Drama
April 6 - Cars/Racing
April 13 - Rivalry
April 20 - A Disappearance
April 27 - TMP Television Edition: Police
May 4 - Clones/Doppelgänger
May 11 - Deserts (Hot or Cold)
May 18 - The Renaissance (14th to the 17th century) [Suggested by John Hitchcock]
May 25 - TMP Television Edition: Time Travel
June 1 - Tall Buildings
June 8 -  Double Features (Movies that go well together)
June 15 - Movies Based on True Events [Suggested by Katie Hogan]
June 22 -The Woods
June 29 - TMP Television Edition: Medical Drama
July 6 - Summer Vacation
July 13 - Amusement Parks
July 20 - The Chosen One 
July 27 - TMP Television Edition:Non-English
August 3 -  Crime Family
August 10 - Summer Blockbusters [Suggested by Mettel Ray]
August 17 - Rescue
August 24 - The Stage
August 31 - TMP Television Edition: High School
September 7 - Animated Films Geared Towards Adults [Suggested by Brittani Burnham]
September 15 - Financial World
September 21 - Just Not Funny Comedies
September 28 - TMP Television Edition: Family
October 5 - Halloween Edition: Masks
October 12 - Halloween Edition: Dolls
October 19 - Halloween Edition: Body Horror [Suggested by Myerla]
October 26 - Halloween/Television Edition: Horror
November 2 - A Stranger
November 9 - An Adaptation (of a book, comic, game etc that hasn't been adapted) You Want to See
November 16 -Movies with Strong Female Character(s) [Suggested by Birgit]
November 23 - Origin Movies
November 30 - TMP Television Edition: Workplace
December 7 - Ugly Duckling to Beautiful Swan Makeover
December 14 - Small Towns
December 21 - 2018 Movies You're Looking Forward To
December 28 - TMP Television: Friendship
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