EmperorPenguin's recent activity
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Comment on Dune: Prophecy | Official teaser in ~tv
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Comment on The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power | Season 2 official teaser trailer in ~tv
EmperorPenguin Link ParentThis is actually a good take supported by scholar interpretations of Tolkien. It reminds me of something I read on the Wikipedia page for The Simarillion: Right now there aren't a lot of Tolkien...I see Tolkien's Middle-Earth stories in general as a mythology, and the movies and Rings of Power are simply a retelling/different version of it.
This is actually a good take supported by scholar interpretations of Tolkien. It reminds me of something I read on the Wikipedia page for The Simarillion:
The Silmarillion was commercially successful, but received generally poor reviews on publication. Scholars found the work problematic, not least because the book is a construction, not authorised by Tolkien himself, from the large corpus of documents and drafts also called "The Silmarillion". Scholars have noted that Tolkien intended the work to be a mythology, penned by many hands, and redacted by a fictional editor, whether Ælfwine or Bilbo Baggins. As such, the scholar Gergely Nagy considers that the fact that the work has indeed been edited actually realises Tolkien's intention.
Right now there aren't a lot of Tolkien adaptations, and one of them is particularly excellent which raises the bar really high. Some of the others are very underrated (I've seen the OG Hobbit cartoon and it's worth a watch). Stories being reworked and remixed into new canons is very much in the spirit of the stories that inspired LOTR in the first place. Once Tolkien's work eventually enters the public domain, there will be a lot of slop cash grabs that are far worse than this show, but also a lot of cool stuff, and we'll be better off for it. His work is so foundational to western fantasy it would probably be the best and most natural addition to the public domain since those old mythologies. People have pretty much taken as much as they were legally able for years and it's hard to imagine modern fantasy without that.
That being said, the show did make a lot of mistakes, and there's a lot of room for improvement for season 2. We could do without scenes like "The Southlands are Mordor now" and the scene where someone tells a master blacksmith about metal alloys. But it is REALLY cool that a second age LOTR show was made and shows stuff like Numenor on screen. Worst case scenario, some people enjoy season 2, I don't, and the books and Jackson trilogy still exist.
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Comment on Dune: Prophecy | Official teaser in ~tv
EmperorPenguin Link ParentWell, this was ordered in 2019 before Villeneuve had released the first part (as JackA said). Villeneuve was still working on book one, and was interested in making Dune Messiah as well. It...Well, this was ordered in 2019 before Villeneuve had released the first part (as JackA said). Villeneuve was still working on book one, and was interested in making Dune Messiah as well. It would've been weird to step on his toes for book 2, or to adapt book 3 or 4 out of order, wouldn't it?
Prequel stuff can be released at any time, but a show adaptation of Children or God Emperor should wait until the Messiah movie.
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The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power | Season 2 official teaser trailer
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House of the Dragon | Season 2 official trailer
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Comment on This YouTuber has been uploading Half-Life 3 ‘updates’ every day for over six years in ~games
EmperorPenguin Link ParentAlyx did that though, but it left a new cliffhanger for HL3.Alyx did that though, but it left a new cliffhanger for HL3.
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Comment on Warner Bros. to release new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ in 2026, Peter Jackson to produce and Andy Serkis to direct in ~movies
EmperorPenguin Link ParentWhat's funny is someone showed me the trailer for that game right after I made that comment.What's funny is someone showed me the trailer for that game right after I made that comment.
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Comment on Warner Bros. to release new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ in 2026, Peter Jackson to produce and Andy Serkis to direct in ~movies
EmperorPenguin Link ParentI don't hate the show, I just think it could've been much better. I recognize a lot of things it did badly, but there were a lot of aspects that I did really enjoy. It looked excellent as you...I don't hate the show, I just think it could've been much better. I recognize a lot of things it did badly, but there were a lot of aspects that I did really enjoy. It looked excellent as you said, but then there were moments like someone suggesting the concept of metal alloys to a master blacksmith.
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Comment on Warner Bros. to release new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ in 2026, Peter Jackson to produce and Andy Serkis to direct in ~movies
EmperorPenguin Link ParentThat is true, but I really think the premise is pretty hard to make a decent story out of. And no matter how good of a story you do make, you could've made something a lot more successful a lot...That is true, but I really think the premise is pretty hard to make a decent story out of. And no matter how good of a story you do make, you could've made something a lot more successful a lot easier if you just used a different character. Strider is a badass, so you could make an action game about him easily. Hobbits are wholesome and cozy, you can make a farming sim about The Shire very easily. Gollum is a pretty depressing character who lives in a cave doing nothing for 500 years, so he doesn't lend himself to main character status very well. The one good idea I can think of would be a horror game, but I think there's a lot of other ideas for other characters that would have broader appeal.
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Comment on Warner Bros. to release new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ in 2026, Peter Jackson to produce and Andy Serkis to direct in ~movies
EmperorPenguin LinkWow, the movies just made the same mistake that the games just made! We got a Gollum spinoff game, and it was... gestures at how critically panned it was, and how the studio shut down ...not good....Announces Lord of the Rings Spinoffs
Starts with a Gollum spinoff
Wow, the movies just made the same mistake that the games just made! We got a Gollum spinoff game, and it was... gestures at how critically panned it was, and how the studio shut down ...not good.
Normally I say "there's no bad premises, only bad executions", but Gollum just isn't a good place to start for LotR spinoffs. He's a pretty boring and grounded character, and LotR and The Hobbit really gave us all of him we needed to see. Gollum's big claim to fame is how good the CGI for him was and that Andy Serkis gave a great performance, not that the character is super interesting. The only reason to make a movie about him is that Serkis is involved. You could say "money!" but I bet a lot of other LotR movie premises would get more butts in seats than this.
It makes way more sense to focus on a cooler character, or to adapt a larger story arc using the appendices. For solo movies, there's a lot of other LotR characters, Strider or Legolas for example, that are much better ideas. The Amazon show, for all its faults, has a decent premise: to show the second age in live action for the first time. The execution of the show was pretty bad, but the premise is solid, and there was a certain novelty to seeing stuff like Numenor on screen.
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Fear the Mad Catz - The worst video game controllers ever
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Comment on The world owes Spider-Man 3 an apology in ~movies
EmperorPenguin Link ParentThis is one of the things Joel Haver addresses in the video. Joel's an indie film director with specific tastes, so he will get different things out of a movie than general audiences would. He...It’s got classic villain bloat issues that means it’s juggling too much crap to care about any of it
This is one of the things Joel Haver addresses in the video. Joel's an indie film director with specific tastes, so he will get different things out of a movie than general audiences would. He doesn't really get the problem with there being too many villains. Each villain reflects a different aspect of Peter's current life: his personal relationships, his career, and his past trauma with Uncle Ben. Peter's dealing with a lot of shit as he gets older, as do we all, so Spider-Man's life gets more complicated too.
Joel also mentions how he really likes a lot of other things people make fun of, like the Emo Peter scenes or Tobey being really expressive in a way that people like to meme about. Emo Peter shows how he's letting this power go to his head and make him a cringe and disrespectful person, and when there's something dramatic happening Peter will yell and get mad and upset rather than being a stoic superhero that only shows a little bit of emotion. He finds these make Peter more relatable and human than other blockbuster movie protagonists. He also finds the state of Peter and MJ's relationship at the end of the film very interesting and bittersweet.
Seeing Joel Analyzing Spider-Man 3 in this way really makes sense if you've seen how he talks about his own films or how he criticizes other films. He really likes seeing down to earth aspects in something larger than life, or seeing something banal portrayed cinematically, or when movies show emotional vulnerability or other relatable human emotions. From this lens, there's a lot more emotionally going on in Spider-Man 3 compared to 1 or 2, which are more normal Hollywood superhero movies. He does mention the relationship between Peter and his landlord's daughter in Spider-Man 2 as one of these less fantastical elements that he really likes.
Of course, issues like being badly shot or badly paced can be a bit subjective, and those don't necessarily ruin a film if someone otherwise really likes it.
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Comment on The world owes Spider-Man 3 an apology in ~movies
EmperorPenguin LinkSometimes hating certain things becomes a meme, pineapple on pizza or the Star Wars Prequels, for example. With how much everyone online loves hating things, sometimes it's refreshing to hear...Sometimes hating certain things becomes a meme, pineapple on pizza or the Star Wars Prequels, for example. With how much everyone online loves hating things, sometimes it's refreshing to hear someone take a moment and say "this thing is pretty good, actually. Maybe we were too hard on it..." Or, at the very least, giving these hated things credit for what they actually are instead of just laughing at it.
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The world owes Spider-Man 3 an apology
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Comment on ‘Snowpiercer’ season 4 moves to AMC after being scrapped at TNT in ~tv
EmperorPenguin (edited )Link ParentIf you liked the symbolism in the movie, I think you'll enjoy the show. The struggles the society on the train and the train itself run into very effectively work as a microcosm for the real...If you liked the symbolism in the movie, I think you'll enjoy the show. The struggles the society on the train and the train itself run into very effectively work as a microcosm for the real world. As hobbes said, the show constantly makes you realize these things happening in this show really happen, just with a larger number of people involved. It's just that, unlike the film, capitalism isn't the only thing being criticized, they're able to criticize other concepts like the judicial system, socialism, democracy, etc. because they have a lot more time to use the setting.
Edit: so, in the end of the movie,In the TV show, they find out similar information, but *it's not the end of a movie,* and there are a lot of caveats to that information. Also,Movie spoilers
they find out the weather has gotten warm enough for life to survive outside the train.Researching it further, or acting on the research, is very dangerous and a big political question in-universe.Movie and TV spoilers
the train hasn't crashed, so there's thousands of lives at stake.This is where I think the show goes beyond the movie; it has a lot more time to explore the metaphors.
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Comment on ‘Snowpiercer’ season 4 moves to AMC after being scrapped at TNT in ~tv
EmperorPenguin Link ParentIn both versions, the train was created by a psychopathic capitalist, and the ice age was caused by trying to solve global warming with an invention that made the world colder rather than stopping...In both versions, the train was created by a psychopathic capitalist, and the ice age was caused by trying to solve global warming with an invention that made the world colder rather than stopping pollution directly. Classes are divided into how expensive of a train ticket they or their parents bought, with the stowaways being the lowest class. But the movie shows a fight from the back of the train to the front, where each class is almost a video game level. The show actually takes 3 seasons to live in that world, so it shows a lot more societal commentary. There's good guys, bad guys, and morally gray characters in each class, including the stowaways and the people running the train. Sometimes even the non-capitalists who are into democracy can make morally questionable decisions "for the greater good".
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Comment on Mufasa: The Lion King | Teaser trailer in ~movies
EmperorPenguin Link ParentMy sentiments exactly. I'm really upset whenever something starring women/people of color/LGBT has genuine flaws that were big and avoidable. It's especially bad when it's part of a series where...Which is very disappointing. I want to see female-led superhero movies do well.
My sentiments exactly. I'm really upset whenever something starring women/people of color/LGBT has genuine flaws that were big and avoidable. It's especially bad when it's part of a series where the other entries are good, or at least serviceable, but they fucked up that one in particular.
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Comment on Mufasa: The Lion King | Teaser trailer in ~movies
EmperorPenguin Link ParentIt's really sad, though, that the "highest grossing animated movie" is one that everyone refers to as "live action", which would've been made in live action if possible, and exists to compliment...It's really sad, though, that the "highest grossing animated movie" is one that everyone refers to as "live action", which would've been made in live action if possible, and exists to compliment Disney's live action catalogue. The film's success reminds me of recent musicals or two-parters which don't tell you they're musicals or two-parters on the tin, you find out after you're already watching it. Similarly, people went to see an animated movie, but they had to be lied to and think of it as a "live action" movie to actually go see it.
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Comment on Mufasa: The Lion King | Teaser trailer in ~movies
EmperorPenguin Link ParentThere's other things that contributed a lot to that fall off: two of the main characters in that movie required you to watch 2 TV shows to know who they are. One of those shows was advertised as...There's other things that contributed a lot to that fall off:
- two of the main characters in that movie required you to watch 2 TV shows to know who they are.
- One of those shows was advertised as more of a young girl show, while the MCU as a whole is a much wider audience than that, so lots of people didn't see it and didn't know who Ms Marvel was.
- The other show featured Monica as a tertiary character who's pretty forgettable compared to Wanda, Agitha, Vision, the boys, etc, and she hasn't had a solo outing yet. She's not really a household name and lots of people didn't know she existed before The Marvels came out.
- Captain Marvel 1 released in between a 2-part Avengers movie, which made it seem like it was going to be an important lead-in to part 2, which it wasn't. Lots of people who normally wouldn't see a Captain Marvel standalone film probably saw it for that reason.
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Comment on Keanu Reeves joins 'Sonic 3' as Shadow in ~movies
EmperorPenguin Link ParentWhen I saw this announcement, I realized just how many edgy roles he's been in. Fighting robots to save mankind while dressed in signature Matrix black coats and sunglasses is basically the height...But yeah, also, to the edgy brooding stuff. Which, honestly, Keanu can definitely do.
When I saw this announcement, I realized just how many edgy roles he's been in. Fighting robots to save mankind while dressed in signature Matrix black coats and sunglasses is basically the height of edge. He's also John Wick, a man who's a legendary assassin in a series where it seems everyone and their mother is an assassin. He's also played a demon hunter and the son of The Devil.
Shadow is just another role for the pile.
Dune (before the 2021 movie of course) was in a bit of an odd place in terms of being "obscure" or not. Everyone had surely seen content that parodied it (such as South Park episodes) or content inspired by it (like Star Wars), but only the types of people who, well, read sci-fi novels had read it, and were familiar with it beyond the surface level memes like "The spice must flow!" That doesn't include general audiences: the Star Wars, MCU, and Jackson LOTR film fans. How many of those MCU fans read comic books, or how many Jackson trilogy fans read the books? To those audiences, Dune was pretty obscure. Pretty much any series that exists solely as books is obscure compared to movies and TV, with the exception of successful YA novels, which promply get a much more popular adaptation. ASOIAF existed before Game of Thrones, but I sure didn't hear about it until the show.