Tag Archives: netflix

Setter’s ‘Spectives: Enough With the ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ Remakes!

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Setter Drawing for Blog 082613OK, maybe there has only been one remake of the “classic” Ira Levin tale. But still. The most recent iteration of Rosemary’s Baby (from 2014) just plain stunk.

So why did we watch it? Well, the blame for this falls on Trudi (love ya, Trudi!), who ordered this magnificent piece of garbage from Netflix. Hey, it has Zoe Saldana, Carole Bouquet and Jason Isaacs in it; can’t be bad, right?

Wrong.

A plodding, tiresome wreck of a film, RB slouches along interminably, stopping on the way to showcase tedious dream sequences, a bit of fake blood and bland dialogue. Unconvincing stuff, methinks, which is sad because the original 1968 version directed by Roman Polanski was so involving.

It just goes to show you: Some things do not need a remake. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And so on.

Apparently, this latest version of the story was made for TV, but in this day and age, that’s not necessarily the kiss of death. Plenty of quality television hits the airwaves in this era, much of it on cable, and so there’s no excuse for not churning out a good product on the small screen.

In other words, this flick should’ve been a lot better … especially given its bloodlines. Maybe they should’ve remade Robot Monster instead.

I would’ve watched that.

Skip’s Quips: Up Next on Netflix Is ‘Searching for Sugar Man’

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Blog Sketch 082813I do like a good documentary, though it’s not my normal viewing fare during dinnertime. Tomorrow, however, I expect to watch Searching for Sugar Man, which we just received from Netflix, at the eating hour.

Is it good? I don’t know. It has received strong reviews in general, so I’m cautiously optimistic. I have to admit that I don’t know any of the tunes crafted by this documentary’s subject, the reclusive musician Sixto Rodriguez. But that’s hardly a deterrent; if the film is enjoyable, it’s enjoyable. And I expect it to be well done.

So I’m looking forward to watching this film while munching on some grub. Perhaps it will spur a change in my movie-viewing habits – that I’ll start seeing more documentaries during the evening meal. Not that I sense a trend or anything. But it might be fun to try something different.

Sixto Rodriguez, here I come.

Skip’s Quips: And for Dessert, I Get ‘Seven Samurai’

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Blog Sketch 082813This is why it pays to be nice to your spouse.

A few days ago, Trudi got the Kurosawa classic The Seven Samurai on Netflix, and we watched it together … despite the fact that both of us had seen it multiple times (I about 100 or so). Plus, it’s not Trudi’s favorite movie, though she does like it more than other samurai films. So it was something of a treat for me.

God bless you, Trudi. Thank you for being so good to me.

Oh, it was as good as ever, filled with swashbuckling adventure, heroic deeds and complex characters. I love this movie very much, and I’m grateful to my wife for letting me see it. I get Seven Samurai withdrawal symptoms, you see, and after I go, say, about six months without watching it, I get an incredible desire to view it again.

Trudi and I have different tastes when it comes to films. We don’t always agree on what’s good and what isn’t. But sometimes we do things that one half likes more than the other half – without complaint. That’s part of what makes a good marriage, I think. And it’s just one of many reasons to love Trudi.

Now, the question is: When am I going to reciprocate with a rom-com? Hoo, boy.