There’s a handful of movies that, if I'm channel-surfing and encounter one, I stop and watch, no matter how many times I've seen them and no matter how much time is left.
The "grievance commercial" culture really blows my mind. It's hard to believe anyone who wasn't alive, say, ten-fifteen years ago, isn't more aware of how radically different (and pointedly agendafied) commercials are.
It's so bizarre that there's such coordinated effort in media-academe to do these things, only thing more bizarre is people's lack of outrage about it when it's so bleedingly relentless.
Peter, have you watched Patriot on Prime? Not only does it feature quietly competent men but also deals in themes of the erosion of masculinity in an era that treats it as ‘toxic.’ It’s so good!
I liked Reacher for the reasons you describe but then the star turned out to be a woke tosspost and now I can’t watch it anymore LOL.
I have not watched Patriot, but will give it a go. Thanks - always looking for new stuff to watch.
Reacher Season 1 was better than 2, but both seasons faced the problem of turning a laconic loner who spent a lot of time in his own head into something filmable. And, yeah, the lead's politics are annoying.
One of my favorite "quiet cool" characters is James Arness' Matt Dillon in the old TV show Gunsmoke. Chuck Conniors' Lucas McCain (The Rifleman), Richard Boone's Paladin (Have Gun, Will Travel), and Clint Walker's Cheyenne are three more worthy of mention. It's characters like those that make the shows worth watching and enjoyable.
In almost every modern show, the men are bumbling idiots (especially if they're husbands), and the women are beyond perfect in all they say and do. I used to say Political Correctness ruins everything - Woke is the steroid-pumped, roid-raging outgrowth of PC.
I love old westerns and watch them all the time. But one I never knew about until recently was Have Gun, Will Travel. It's an intellectual Western, which seems oxymoronic but isn't. Also dig Maverick.
I didn't like westerns much when I was younger (I watched Lone Ranger as a kid). But I have grown to love them. I recall my father mentioning Have Gun, Will Travel back then, but had never seen it. You are right, it is definitely an intellectual western - far different from most in its class.
IIt's hard to find a worthy role model for our young sons in cinema these days. The saturation of woke influence is gag worthy. Back in the day I held Gregory Peck as Atticus in the highest esteem.
I know you weren't soliciting additions but I'll add a few to your list of put down the remote movies. Animal House, Caddyshack, Blues Brothers and Clerks. A Few Good Men, Minority Report, Dr. Strangelove, True Grit (the original), most Clint Eastwood and Woody Allen flicks and pretty much all Cohen Bros. movies. Fifth Element and Lynch's Dune (I realize I'm an outlier on this one but there's no accounting for taste). Princess Bride, Holy Grail, Spinal Tap and Blazing Saddles. I'll stop there.
Hear, hear, sir. Well said as always.
The "grievance commercial" culture really blows my mind. It's hard to believe anyone who wasn't alive, say, ten-fifteen years ago, isn't more aware of how radically different (and pointedly agendafied) commercials are.
It's so bizarre that there's such coordinated effort in media-academe to do these things, only thing more bizarre is people's lack of outrage about it when it's so bleedingly relentless.
People are scared of being called names. So, they just roll their eyes at the hamfistedness of it all.
I was just thinking about this last night!
Peter, have you watched Patriot on Prime? Not only does it feature quietly competent men but also deals in themes of the erosion of masculinity in an era that treats it as ‘toxic.’ It’s so good!
I liked Reacher for the reasons you describe but then the star turned out to be a woke tosspost and now I can’t watch it anymore LOL.
I have not watched Patriot, but will give it a go. Thanks - always looking for new stuff to watch.
Reacher Season 1 was better than 2, but both seasons faced the problem of turning a laconic loner who spent a lot of time in his own head into something filmable. And, yeah, the lead's politics are annoying.
One of my favorite "quiet cool" characters is James Arness' Matt Dillon in the old TV show Gunsmoke. Chuck Conniors' Lucas McCain (The Rifleman), Richard Boone's Paladin (Have Gun, Will Travel), and Clint Walker's Cheyenne are three more worthy of mention. It's characters like those that make the shows worth watching and enjoyable.
In almost every modern show, the men are bumbling idiots (especially if they're husbands), and the women are beyond perfect in all they say and do. I used to say Political Correctness ruins everything - Woke is the steroid-pumped, roid-raging outgrowth of PC.
I love old westerns and watch them all the time. But one I never knew about until recently was Have Gun, Will Travel. It's an intellectual Western, which seems oxymoronic but isn't. Also dig Maverick.
I didn't like westerns much when I was younger (I watched Lone Ranger as a kid). But I have grown to love them. I recall my father mentioning Have Gun, Will Travel back then, but had never seen it. You are right, it is definitely an intellectual western - far different from most in its class.
IIt's hard to find a worthy role model for our young sons in cinema these days. The saturation of woke influence is gag worthy. Back in the day I held Gregory Peck as Atticus in the highest esteem.
I know you weren't soliciting additions but I'll add a few to your list of put down the remote movies. Animal House, Caddyshack, Blues Brothers and Clerks. A Few Good Men, Minority Report, Dr. Strangelove, True Grit (the original), most Clint Eastwood and Woody Allen flicks and pretty much all Cohen Bros. movies. Fifth Element and Lynch's Dune (I realize I'm an outlier on this one but there's no accounting for taste). Princess Bride, Holy Grail, Spinal Tap and Blazing Saddles. I'll stop there.