Great Movies and Series [Not Sci-Fi]

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The discussion highlights a variety of acclaimed series and films centered around strong female characters, such as "The Queen's Gambit," "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," and "Orange is the New Black." Participants express their enjoyment of these shows, noting their unique storytelling and character development. The conversation also touches on the subjective nature of what constitutes a "great" movie, with some preferring entertaining content over artistic merit. Recommendations include "City of God" and "The Kominsky Method," while debates arise about categorizing certain shows as sci-fi or fantasy. Overall, the thread showcases a diverse appreciation for non-sci-fi films and series featuring compelling narratives and characters.
  • #61
I like "World's Fastest Indian." A good movie for gear heads, and it's mostly true (in a composite sort of way). There are actually even more stories about the real guy (Burt Munro) than they put into the movie. Anthony Hopkins does an outstanding job, IMO.
 
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  • #62
  • #63
Another great film currently on youtube - Ghost World
 
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  • #64
rsk said:
Another great film currently on youtube - Ghost World
We can't watch it on YouTube in the US. :frown:
 
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  • #65
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  • #66
Continuing with the end of the world theme, Last Night was great!
In Toronto, a group of friends and family prepare for the end of the world, expected at midnight as the result of a calamity that is not explained, but which has been expected for several months. [wiki]
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CUQA0SY/?tag=pfamazon01-20
 
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  • #67
Ivan Seeking said:
Another highly creative series that delves into the mystical that I enjoyed was The OA.
Have started binging this.

:))
 
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  • #68
waternohitter said:
Charlie Chaplin is my favorite movie to watch on this list.
Speaking of whom ... I thought that the movie "Chaplin" w/ Robert Downy Jr. and Dan Aykroyd was terrific. I recognize that apparently not all that many people agree w/ me since it only got so-so reviews but I was seriously impressed by Downy's morphing into Chaplin in the early scene where he has to impress Aykroyd, and then later when he takes on the now-famous Chaplin persona of The Little Tramp.
 
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  • #69
DaveC426913 said:
:))
Right??
 
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  • #70
DaveC426913 said:
Have started binging this.

:))
I got to thinking about it and had to start watching it again. It has been awhile and I would have to say it is one of my all-time favorites. It is rare that someone comes up with truly new ideas. And the writing is brilliant.

...and I'm in love with Brit Marling 🥰 BTW, she not only stars in it, she created it!

1626750556264.png
 
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  • #71
Ivan Seeking said:
It is rare that someone comes up with truly new ideas. And the writing is brilliant.
I was going to comment: In the dictionary, next to "formulaic: antonyms", is a thumbnail of "The OA".
 
  • #72
DaveC426913 said:
I was going to comment: In the dictionary, next to "formulaic: antonyms", is a thumbnail of "The OA".
Seriously? I'm confused. Why? Where?
 
  • #73
Ivan Seeking said:
Seriously? I'm confused. Why? Where?
No. It's a saying.
Like, "In the dictionary, next to 'nerd', is your mugshot."
would mean " [you] are the epitome of [nerd] ".So 'The OA' is the antonym of 'a formulaic show'.
 
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  • #74
phinds said:
These days I watch NCIS
Season 11+, Bishop played by Emily Wickersham...does she remind you of a cross between Emma Watson (Hermione Grainger) and Cynthia Gibb (Short Circuit 2, Malone/Burt Reynolds)?
 
  • #75
Ivan Seeking said:
We can't watch it on YouTube in the US. :frown:
If you have VPN and don't mind using it, it definitely works from Spain and UK
 
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  • #76
DaveC426913 said:
No. It's a saying.
Like, "In the dictionary, next to 'nerd', is your mugshot."
would mean " [you] are the epitome of [nerd] ".So 'The OA' is the antonym of 'a formulaic show'.
As soon as you started to explain it I realized... DUH! :rolleyes:

What a wild and crazy ride eh? Are you into season 2 now?
 
  • #77
Ivan Seeking said:
What a wild and crazy ride eh? Are you into season 2 now?
Yup. :))
 
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  • #78
Just started re-watching Leverage, and while it's no longer "cutting edge geek," can't say that for any other shows either.
 
  • #79
DaveC426913 said:
God why?

(That post is old, but I think my question is timeless).

My wife and I watched this and spent almost as much time looking at each other and blinking audibly as we did watching this dreck.

Don't get me wrong - we like Roberts* (and Gere) but we just could not choke back the Kool-aid.

(Best I can figure, we did not see Pretty Woman when it first came out - it was a few years later. And I guess sometimes the freshness of certain films fades quickly).***
Oh my gosh, I have a funny story. You would have spat out your Kool-aid upon witnessing it.

I ended up dating a guy that looked exactly like Richard Gere in that movie. It was hilarious to us, because he’s around 50 and I’m almost 20 years younger. On our first date, every man in the room is about dying and can’t stop looking and smiling- it looked like that sort of thing was going on! We ended up playing on it and having a blast messing with people. He would do weird stuff like drop his glasses under the table to look up my dress and I played on his flower metaphor by wearing a floral one. He would spout out hilarious remarks while waitresses and other patrons could hear it. I’m not sure if he is a millionaire (I think he does programming on nuclear stuff), but he always looked he was and I would get all dressed up for dates. I ended up hurting his feelings during a debate on politics while we were hiking later on, so we broke it off when I wouldn’t convert to his political ideals. I guess I’m no Julia Roberts and will be single forever! 😭😂
 
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  • #80
Fervent Freyja said:
Oh my gosh, I have a funny story. You would have spat out your Kool-aid upon witnessing it.

I ended up dating a guy that looked exactly like Richard Gere in that movie. It was hilarious to us, because he’s around 50 and I’m almost 20 years younger. On our first date, every man in the room is about dying and can’t stop looking and smiling- it looked like that sort of thing was going on! We ended up playing on it and having a blast messing with people. He would do weird stuff like drop his glasses under the table to look up my dress and I played on his flower metaphor by wearing a floral one. He would spout out hilarious remarks while waitresses and other patrons could hear it. I’m not sure if he is a millionaire (I think he does programming on nuclear stuff), but he always looked he was and I would get all dressed up for dates. I ended up hurting his feelings during a debate on politics while we were hiking later on, so we broke it off when I wouldn’t convert to his political ideals. I guess I’m no Julia Roberts and will be single forever! 😭😂
After my ex and I split, through a series of events I never could have imagined, I found myself dating and madly in love with a woman who was 30 years my younger, who was also the most beautiful woman I had ever met. She was a "beach-babe" blonde and absolutely breathtaking. From day one I knew I couldn't keep her forever but we dated for the three best years of my life. I didn't know it was possible to be so happy.

At first we lived in different cities so we would meet half way at a really nice hotel. I always got their nicest suite and we made a big evening of it. Normally we would eat in our room by the fire but for some reason one night we went down to the restaurant for dinner. As was our routine, I had ordered a nice bottle of Champaign to take back to our room after dinner. So was carrying that in an ice bucket in tow with J walking in front of me. But something was being done to the regular entrance to the restaurant. So we had to walk through a large banquet room that was filled with perhaps 40 or 50 middle-age and older men. No women.

As we approached I could hear the normal rumble of a large room filled with people in discussions. But when J walked in the place fell silent. As I entered I saw about 80 adoring eyes on J, which quickly shifted to me and filled with something that was a cross between hate and envy. They were all staring at her stunning beauty, and or me sauntering along with my bottle of Champaign and thinking"Yes boys, eat your hearts out!". We had to walk all the way along the length of the room to the opposite end. Poor J felt soooooo conspicuous. But we laughed about it. It was one of the few times I was definitely the coolest guy in the room. LOL!

After meeting her, every cheesy romance movie and love song made perfect sense.
 
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  • #81
Ivan Seeking said:
After meeting her, every cheesy romance movie and love song made perfect sense.
Aww, I loved this, thank you for sharing! Funny, but made me tear up! Bittersweet. It’s so cruel how life can be so marvelous for a season or so and then it’s all ripped away in an instant or you watch it slowly leaving your life and you have no control to stop it.

Do you write romance novels? You would do well at it!
 
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  • #82
Fervent Freyja said:
Aww, I loved this, thank you for sharing! Funny, but made me tear up! Bittersweet. It’s so cruel how life can be so marvelous for a season or so and then it’s all ripped away in an instant or you watch it slowly leaving your life and you have no control to stop it.

Do you write romance novels? You would do well at it!
haha, thanks. And no, but no man has ever been more in love. I can promise you that! For three years I was completely consumed. She was all I could think about day and night. It took me months after meeting before I could begin to fully function at work again. I dreamed about her almost every night. And when she left I cried every day for months. It really was like something out of a movie or romance novel. And I cherish every moment that I had with her.
 
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  • #83
Ivan Seeking said:
Continuing with the end of the world theme, Last Night was great!
In Toronto, a group of friends and family prepare for the end of the world, expected at midnight as the result of a calamity that is not explained, but which has been expected for several months. [wiki]
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CUQA0SY/?tag=pfamazon01-20
I've seen one along those lines - Los días no vividos by Alfonso Cortés-Cavanillas. I seem to remember it's something to do with a solar flare / em storm or something, but the film is about half a dozen people in Madrid who decide to spend the last night together.

It's available on Vimeo in Spanish. I'm not sure whether there is a subtitled version anywhere.

I liked it and might watch it again.
 
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  • #84
The series Agent Carter on Disney+ needs to be on this list. There are 4 great ladies that dominate the show!
 
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  • #85
fresh_42 said:
Lucifer,
Season 5 wrapped it all up in one complete package; what's the Season 6 "messing with perfection" going to accomplish beyond creation of another banal soap opera?
 
  • #88
I hardly ever watch movies, but my favorite is Cutie Honey (2004). Absurdity played straight. That's just like real life.
 
  • #89
I've enjoyed a Russian series on Netflix called "To The Lake".

"Raised by Wolves" is another good series.

I also like "Resident Alien", which is an alien sci-fi comedy series.

An interesting indie sci-fi comedy film is "Save Yourselves!"

Edit: Since the OA was mentioned I though the No Sci-Fi rule as been relaxed.
 
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  • #90
Jarvis323 said:
I also like "Resident Alien", which is an alien sci-fi comedy series.
 

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