Media Notes: Roundup for November 2020

 

 

This is a somewhat random selection of the movies and series on DVD and/or online I watched during November 2020. It feels a bit like I did not watch a lot this month but there it is.


Movies and films (links to IMDB.com for basic information unless noted otherwise). Some of these I watched via TubiTv.com or other online source. The DVDs come from the public library (unless noted otherwise). In addition, I will try to add other trivia notes, such as when a film is based on a book adding the information about the book (at least the WorldCat record if available):

• Ouija (2014. Horror. Thriller). Basic plot: "A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board." This is a fairly slow movie to be honest of the "people should leave well enough alone but they do not genre" in this case the titular Ouija board. After the death of one of the young folks, her best friend drags her friends to a Ouija board session hoping to hear from the dead one. Some creepy stuff happens but nothing major. The movie is about hour and 23 minutes give or take (remaining 6 minutes are the credits, which feature a montage of old photos and a look back at the original house inhabitants), and stuff really starts to happen at about 50 minutes in. I am not saying this has to be jump scares all the time, but not much happens most of the time other than them feeling creepy (and yet for some reason unable to leave the damn board alone). By time they find out the real story, which for a horror movie is quite good to be honest, well, the movie is close to over. It just took way long to get there, even with the somewhat predictable twist at the end.  By the way, notice for some reason it's the Latino housemaid who knows about the supernatural and warns them not to play with the Ouija board. But do the white kids listen? Nah, it will be fine. The movie overall just really drags. 1 out of 5 stars at most. The movie had potential, but it just did not do much with it. Via DVD from public library. On a side note, the folks at Cinema Sins did the movie sins for this movie, and it pretty sums up nicely why this movie was so bad; they even got the thing about the Hispanic housekeeper spot on. I watched the video right after the film, and it was spot on. 
• Outrage Coda (2017. Crime. Drama. Foreign Film-Japan). The conclusion to Director Kitano's trilogy. Plot description: "Five years after surviving the all-out war between the Sanno and Hanabishi crime families, former yakuza boss Otomo now works in South Korea for Mr. Chang, a renowned fixer whose influence extends into Japan. A relatively minor incident causes tensions to rise between Chang Enterprises and the faraway powerful Hanabishi." Otomo rises to settle things once and for all. The incident is not so minor. A Yakuza member of the Hanabishi abuses some working girls in an island resort Otomo works at. The Yakuza, being an arrogant idiot, not only refuses to pay, but he kills a member of Otomo's crew. Things spiral from there. In addition to the "minor incident," there is plotting and intrigues for power in the Hanabishi crime family. The movie builds up a bit slow but soon the intrigues and back room plotting drive the pace. Otomo being the meticulous guy with a sense of duty has to do what he has to do even when others use that sense of duty of his for their ends. I really liked this one, so I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 11/14/2020. If interested, I did watch the previous two films back in February 2020.
  
• Killers, Inc. (2012. Crime. Documentary. Independent). Brief description: "On the evening of March 20, 2012, Gherman Gorbuntsov, a controversial Russian banker living in self-exile in England, entered his apartment in East London. As the door closed behind him, an assassin shot the banker multiple times. Gorbuntsov lived, barely, but the question of who ultimately sent the assassin pointed to Gorbuntsov’s Russian past, and the Kremlin-connected businessmen he once considered his partners." And so the story unravels. A rival claims that Gorbuntsov is actually playing victim to avoid extradition on financial crime charges from London back to Moldova. But is that all of the story? It is a web of financial dark dealings, money laundering, and connections all the way to the Kremlin. This is a pretty straightforward journalistic piece. Some of the images can be gruesome, but it is very interesting overall as you follow the chains of events and the links those involved share. I liked it enough for 3 out of 5 stars. Via YouTube. Watched 11/21.
• Spawn (1997. Action. Horror. Comic book adaptation). Basic plot: "An assassin, betrayed and murdered by his boss, receives the chance to return from Hell--if he helps Satan conquer the world as the Spawn." This movie actually has a decent cast in Michael Jai White, John Leguizamo, and they even got Martin Sheen to play the bad agency boss. It is a very cheesy film. The plot is so-so, and yet I do enjoy it as a guilty pleasure. I also enjoy the comic book, so if all you know about Spawn is this film, you really need to go out and find the comics. The special effects are part of why one watches this film, and to see some of the actors hamming it up. It is one of those silly movies I watch for fun when I do not want to think too much about it. Having said that, this is one that may be due for a remake/reboot/new adaptation of the comics. Not great but I still like it, so willing to give it 3 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 11/27.
• Drug War (2012. Action. Drama. Crime. Chinese film). Plot description: "A drug cartel boss who is arrested in a raid is coerced into betraying his former accomplices as part of an undercover operation." This was a very good crime drama with a bit of action in it. The action sequences are quite good, especially the last shoot out scene close to the end. The boss leads the cops on a cat and mouse game as he tries to escape police custody even as he leads the cops to the rest of the criminals. Overall, a very good film, worth a look. 4 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 11/29.
  

Television and other series (basic show information links via Wikipedia unless noted otherwise). Some of these come in DVD from the public library. Others may be via YouTube, which, as noted before, I keep finding all sorts of other old shows in it, often full episodes:

• Gordon Ramsay's F-Word (2005-2010. Reality. Cooking. Food magazine. British series). I commented on this in the July 2020 roundup. Continue on with the third of five seasons. Via TubiTv for the most part (they have an episode missing here or there, which sometimes I can find the gap in YouTube). 
• Season 3, Episode 8: Time for Gordon to take the sheep they've been raising to the abattoir. Also we learn about champagne, and Gordon goes in search on conger eels. The amateur crew this episode are ex-British army officers. Since Gordon does not waste, even the sheep's poo is used: they make paper out of it, which will be used to print menus when the sheep are served. That was an interesting segment; I learned something new. Warning for sensitive viewers that the end of the episode they do show some of the sheep slaughter process; it is humane but still keep that in mind. Again, part of knowing where food comes from, which is the lesson he is teaching his kids (the kids do not go to the abattoir) as well as the audience. I admit initially not easy to watch initially but then it is interesting to see how the sheep are prepared to be sent to the restaurant. 
• Season 3, Episode 9. End of the third season. Episode features Ricky Gervais. The winners of the amateur crew competition will be cooking with Gordon at his restaurant Claridges. Gordon and his crew will be serving the lambs slaughtered in the previous episode as main course. Janet Porter investigate food labeling, identifying where foods come from. I found it an interesting segment. Overall a nice wrap up to the third season. This episode via YouTube.