Recently Seen Movies - 11 - Page 38

One of the quirkiest self-deprecating takes on Hollywood culture. It is a scathing critique of networks, television deals and the whole nine yards. The series gets meta as it goes along. The series finale culminates in the most meta way. Get prepared to see Matt LeBlanc in a whole new light.

Words are insufficient to describe how phenomenal this show is. This is perhaps the smartest sitcom out there. The premise of the show is unique. Kudos to the creators who came up with such a wildly different idea to base a show on.

Moral philosophy of ethics is not the most exciting subject on the planet. A show about ethics would seem to be a dull documentary. A guaranteed snoozefest. But here is a show with ethics at the core, that manages to be rip-roaringly funny. Every situation our beloved characters get into is familiar, relatable, outrageously hilarious, but also provides food for thought.

After the way events unfolded in season one, I was curious of what season two would be like. I assumed each season would follow the same format of setup and reveal. But season 2 goes in a breathtakingly refreshing new direction. The problem with TV is that it's too formulaic. Take the Walking Dead - a great show bogged down by a repetitive formula. The Good Place could have perhaps carried on a few more seasons without switching the formula. But by not sticking to a formula - they move the plot and characters forward meaningfully and not as a sudden hail mary.

This is hands down the cleverest, funniest, and worthwhile comedy on these days. I highly encourage people to watch it.

So glad someone else here watched it. I've not seen the second season yet and was waiting so badly for it this past year. The best thing I like about it, more than than it has dealt with ethics in such an interesting way, is that the format of the show is unpredictable. Like you said, there seems to be no formula to it. Another show I thought was similar was Dirk Gently in that it is so weird and unpredictable. Hope to catch the second season soon. Great review!

S2 is on Netflix now.

Dirk Gently is another show on my watch list. So many people have recommended it. I just haven't got about to see it.

Alexander ( 2004 )


Nothing could be a bigger topic for making a movie than Alexander the great , one of the greatest conquerors of all time . To be honest there were greater conquerors than him , like Genghis / Changez Khan and Tamarlane / Timur the lame . But they were barbarians !! On the other hand , the march of Alexander was the march of civilization . Even he killed many , but he created more than he destroyed . A string of cities named Alexandria were founded as he marched . And he married and had a son from an Asian queen as his heir in order to make his Asian subjects co partners in his empire .

The movie begins showing his mother ( played by Angelina Jolie ) having a horrendous relationship with his father , who royally ill treats her and leaves her forever plotting his demise among the myriad poisonous snakes she cohabits with . But both the father King Philip and the mother love Alexander . Philip anoints Alexander ( Colin Farrel ) as his successor , but mother fears that other queens that Philip has married and who have their own children will plot to usurp Alexander's birthright to kingship .

So when Philip is murdered by a man who he has had dishonoured in a party , Alexander suspects his mother behind this and confronts her . She claims that he is son of Zeus and descendant of Achilees . And like Achilees his destiny is that of being a great warrior .

Alexander plans to exceed all his mother's expectations . He first marches against Persia against the manifold greater army of the great king Darius ( Darayavaush ) . At the start of the battle he rides his horse in front of his assembled troops reminding his doubtful but valiant soldiers that even though the Persians have a larger army it is composed mostly of slaves , while the Greeks are all free men . And claims that the Greeks are a superior civilization , something that has been shown to have been taught to him by his tutor in childhood .

His stirring words enthuse his forces and they fight gallantly against the Persians . And Alexander is among them , right in the thick of battle . And he attacks the chariot of king Darius himself , forcing Darius to flee . The victorious Greeks march on to Babylon which the capital of the Persian empire . Here lie immense riches and many beautiful women including Darius' daughter . But Alexander is more interested in Darius' boy...and herein begins the long saga of homosexuality in the movie .

Yes , Alexander was partly gay , but there are simply too many scenes of homosexuality in the movie . Even though Alexander is known more as a conqueror , the director Oliver Stone also highlights his sexuality too much .

His men now want to return home to Macedonia , but Alexander uses Darius's escape as an excuse to push further into Asia to chase him . Truth is that his ambition is boundless . As his forces march into the steppes of central asia they are marching into remote uncharted territory . But the great conqueror is unstoppable and seemingly invincible .

Here he marries the princess Roxana , an Asian . She is eager to love him and her father promises that she will protect him with her life . But on their first wedding night Roxana discovers that Alexander has gay lovers and she resists his advances . So Alexander has to force himself upon her , and their love scene is more like a wrestling match with the completely nude Roxana's big boobs hanging like giant udders as they wrestle .

From central asia to bactria in Afghanistan and from there to India crossing the hindu kush mountains . But in India the army that has swelled to 150000 is confronted with new diseases and new animals . On the other hand riches are hard to find . His men are homesick and his best friend is sore that he will never see his homeland again as he has been made satrap ( governor ) of bactria . The friend insults him loudly when drunk and has to be killed . Alexander deeply regrets this later .

Alexander urges his veterans to advance one last time as India is thought to be the end of the world . His forces run headlong into the army of Indian king Porous ( Pavarava ) . It is a moment in the movie that I was proud of , for my countrymen gave Alexander his bloodiest battle as the movie frankly admits . Porous' smaller army has elephant battalions , and they are used fully to attack Alexander's hordes .

It is glorious sight to see the Indian elephants charging the enemy , and this charge of several war elephants has been filmed well . Porous bravely fights on his war elephant and Alexander's troops are shown being mauled by his elephants trumpeting and trampling the Greeks under their feet . Alexander personally charges Porous's war elephant and the elephant and Alexander's horse raise their front feet at the same time , the horse neighing and elephant trumpeting . Great photography or special effects of that scene . And Porous discharges a javelin that severely injures Alexander . Ironically the wounding inflames Alexander's soldiers and they recover from their mauling and defeat Porous' soldiers .

But the severe handling of his forces by the Indian troops and his personal wound have chastened the conqueror and as son as he recovers Alexander orders the march back to home . But he is destined to never see his homeland again . First his gay lover is struck down by typhus in Babylon bringing Alexander to grief . He blames his wife Roxana for this even though she pleads that she is carrying his child and heir to the empire . But soon he himself is on his deathbed .

It is left to his friend Ptolemy ( Anthony Hopkins ) to complete Alexander's history in old age . His wife Roxana and child are killed by his generals , who divide his empire after his death .

The film has many flashbacks of childhood as Alexander marches on into the unknown , and particularly well filmed is the shot of him taming and riding a horse his father had rejected as too wild . Overall the photography and colours of the film are good . Acting is decent , particularly by Val Kilmer as King Philip . He brings out his brutality well . Music is enthralling and worth a separate hearing . War scenes are decently filmed too . But the gay scenes put off many people are the film received bad ratings in reviews .

But I did feel it had an epic quality about it and watched the full three and a half hours long version of it . I felt it did do justice to the life of the great warrior---Alexander .

Verdict---Decent .

Three stars out of five .

not quite legendary as Jumanji

A movie set in 1946-48 era, touches upon the effect on Partition of India on people, separation, atrocities, societal 'norms' of the day and so on.

I liked it.. wish the direction/screenplay was better, and that the scope of the story was broader.

It's a sad movie, just sad, can't believe humanity has been through such hard times. Urmila's sobbing is ringing in my ears, my brain's not working lol.

Coming straight out of the theatre. Shittiest horror movie ever. Harshness is more due to the anticipation and hype factors around this movie. They capitalized on the character of Valak. Extremely stupid history of Valak was shown. Same typical story. They showed ducking zombies as a ghost. A demon is trying to kill a nun by strangling her. Seriously? It didn't even have legit scare jumps at least unlike in Anabelle Creation which I used to think is the shittiest until now.

The character of Frenchie provided some sort of subtle humour and the personification of Valak was somewhat good and few drone shots were amazing. Few good things about the movie.

I regret watching it.

Hereditary was so much better, believable and fear shown was somewhat relatable.