A random thread for small entertainment things not warranting their own thread..

[Kim]

Agreed, it's entirely possible to completely handwave the science of, say, faster than light travel in a way that isn't jarringly ridiculous.
With The Matrix I kind of hoped the human battery thing would be revealed to be a deliberate ruse, it was so clearly nonsense. Shame they never made any sequels...

[Kim]

Things I didn’t know until very recently #28948: the Wachowski brothers are now the Wachowski sisters.

The Matrix is thinly veiled transgender allegory, a theory anyone who knew any trans people in the late 90s will no doubt have encountered.  Since confirmed by the Wachowskis, I believe.

It makes the modern use of 'red pill' deliciously ironic.

[T42]

Agreed, it's entirely possible to completely handwave the science of, say, faster than light travel in a way that isn't jarringly ridiculous.
With The Matrix I kind of hoped the human battery thing would be revealed to be a deliberate ruse, it was so clearly nonsense. Shame they never made any sequels...

Hook them up in serial, as it were.

[ian]

I confess, I never put much thought into the science of The Matrix and I'm not about to start, it's just a bloody good film. I did go a beer festival last night and came home and fired it up. It's still awesome from Trinity's start sequence to the Neo vs Agent Smith western stand-off in the subway station finale. The special effects still work, they don't really date, because they're more about style than realism. It's just one classic scene after another.

I think that if I had to name the my top three movies that I can remember right now, it's The Matrix, Fight Club, and Aliens. I'm never to going to win any prizes for my elevated aesthetic sensibilities. I watched a movie with subtitles once and didn't immediately die.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I think that if I had to name the my top three movies that I can remember right now, it's The Matrix, Fight Club, and Aliens. I'm never to going to win any prizes for my elevated aesthetic sensibilities. I watched a movie with subtitles once and didn't immediately die.

This is why those FOREIGNS, who live in ABROAD, are so intellectual. Even when they're watching a Hollywood blockbuster, it's with subtitles.

[citoyen]

With The Matrix I kind of hoped the human battery thing would be revealed to be a deliberate ruse, it was so clearly nonsense.

I never thought it was meant to be taken seriously as science. It's so clearly allegorical. (I never picked up that it was specifically transgender allegory, but more general not fitting in with The System.)

Shame they never made any sequels...

Yes, there was so much scope for exploring the ideas in interesting directions, it's surprising they never took the opportunity to follow it up.

[Mr Larrington]

Not only did they not follow it up in the immediate aftermath of the success of the original movie, but another non-sequel is definitely not scheduled for release just before Christmas.

[ian]

The sequels would have been alright as generic scifi actioneers, but they flabbed all over the place with endless sequences – the week-long 'rave in a cave,' fight sequences that never seemed to end, kicky kicky kick kick bang bang, since no one really dies it just meh, they get up and get kicked again – no peril – it's just an excuse for a couple of special effects. Plus they totally misplaced the je ne sais quoi of the original and ended up with a generic mess. That said, if you've had the misfortune of seeing the dreadful Jupiter Ascending, you'll know they could have been even worse.

[spesh]

The Matrix sequels are a cinematic equivalent of the Guns 'n' Roses Use Your Illusion albums in that if there had been people on hand with the ability/guts to say "no" to the Wachowskis/Axl Rose respectively, a lot of filler could have been excised and instead of two films/albums being less than the sum of their parts, you could have ended up with one really good film/album.

But here we are...

[ian]

I think the adage is that took the material for half a movie and stretched it to two.

[T42]

I think the adage is that took the material for half a movie and stretched it to two.

That's pretty good compared to The Hobbit's three - practically homoeopathic.

[Kim]

That said, if you've had the misfortune of seeing the dreadful Jupiter Ascending, you'll know they could have been even worse.

I thought that one was pretty and fun, though clearly partially arsed.

[ian]

It was one of those films assembled out of a series of parts. The sort of plot that could be written on a post-it note. Comedy bad guy who looked like a bunch of primary schoolers could have taken him down. Actors made out of cardboard. They'd obviously thrown some money at how it looked and forgot the rest so the result was a nicely painted turd. Any lingering sense of whelm left the cinema well before I did.

[Mr Larrington]

During a game of Wikinaccurate Golf I found myself on the page for Tim Buckley's “Song To The Siren” and realised that I had never knowingly heard the original.  Yoicks!  What a dirge.  I had to revisit Half Man Half Biscuit's cover, recorded for a 2002 Peel Session and described as “shambolic" by some Grauniad hack, after that.  It's done at about four times the speed, and segues into “Vatican Broadside”.

[Auntie Helen]

Song to the Siren was also done by This Mortal Coil with Liz Fraser singing it in a very dirge-like manner.

[Jaded]

I first heard SttS by TMC on  plasterer’s radio in Cheltenham. It blew me away.

[fd3]

"New" Bowie Album, Toy, due for release (officially this time) in Jan.

[T42]

During a game of Wikinaccurate Golf I found myself on the page for Tim Buckley's “Song To The Siren” and realised that I had never knowingly heard the original.  Yoicks!  What a dirge.  I had to revisit Half Man Half Biscuit's cover, recorded for a 2002 Peel Session and described as “shambolic" by some Grauniad hack, after that.  It's done at about four times the speed, and segues into “Vatican Broadside”.

Dirge, right. Points for imitating an "attack imminent" siren, though.  T'other bugger can't sing or won't, and shouldn't try.

[Beardy]

Strictly Come Dancing, proof that you can have too much of a good thing.
<deity> but it goes on…

[Kim]

Strictly Come Dancing, proof that you can have too much of a good thing.
<deity> but it goes on…

My twitter feed is full of people squeeing about it.  I remain unconvinced.

[hellymedic]

I'm such a hopeless dancer, I take little heed of Strictly.
I also don't have a TV or Licence.

I have been in awe of Hannah (dead name Matthias) Schlubeck.

https://www.youtube.com/user/SchlubeckPanfloete/featured

Has very vestigial upper limbs so plays the pan pipes.

Came out as TS last year.

[Ham]

Rhiannon Giddens - who she? - had a cameo appearance in a "Playing for Change" vid, as she was using a fretless banjo, I thought she might be worth looking for.

Turns out, I was right. If your interest would have been piqued by that, you'll probably enjoy this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYuqnUs9gP8

[jsabine]

She's rather good - seen her a couple of times.

Playing in Dublin this week if anyone happens to be in that side of the Irish Sea

[andrewc]

Final series of "The Expanse" coming in December.   https://youtu.be/4PJpkGPtAHE

[T42]

Final series of "The Expanse" coming in December.   https://youtu.be/4PJpkGPtAHE

Too late, I've forgotten sari-lady's name. Begins with an A - no, don't tell me.