Men I Love To Watch

Movie Catch Up 7

5 Comments Posted on June 21, 2017June 18, 2017 by Snoskred

This week we have a Men I Love To Watch trilogy.

Loved

John Wick

“An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him.” IMDB

At first glance this may not seem to be the kind of movie I would enjoy, especially if you look at my previous movie catch up posts. But I am a fan of Keanu – I have been ever since Bill and Ted back in 1990. SO-CRATES. And then there was Point Break and Speed, where he proved he could be an action star.

I would probably not have found my way to this movie at all if I had not gone to visit The Other Half as he was watching it, because it is not my kind of thing. But I walked into a scene that I found interesting, and I spotted more than one actor I enjoy watching in it. So I said I would like to see the whole thing. And wow, was it quite the show!

But I need to offer one word of warning. There is a huge reason John Wick – who had retired – un-retires. And it is probably one of the most difficult things for me to watch when it comes to movies and luckily I knew about it in advance so I did not have a massive sad, which I would have if I had not known. But I really do not want to spoil the movie for anyone who has not seen it yet.

That one I will not spoil it for you event sets John Wick off on a rampage of epic proportions. And because of what that event is, I was right there with him, and likely 99% of the world was as well.

These movies involve a lot of people fake dying and sometimes that is not very pretty to look at however the fight scenes and the John Wick Shoots Every Bad Guy In Sight But Conveniently Misses Innocent Bystanders scenes are so beautifully choreographed, it is almost like interpretative dance. A ballet of death, of sorts. Not a ballet for the feint of heart and there is a lot of shooting, so do not watch this movie if you are offended by violence and shooting.

The movie soundtrack is excellent, my particular favourite was Killing Strangers by Marilyn Manson but there was a lot of great thumping bass songs, too.

I have to credit the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul insider podcasts for giving me a respect for how things are done in teevee and movie land. There were some scenes in here where I was just wow, how much time, effort and work went into that!

Hands down this is the 2nd best action movie (the 1st best will be here next week) I have seen in a long, long time. Some of the shots are SO gorgeous. There are some great names in this cast, everyone from Lance Reddick (seen above, who I love watching in the TV show Bosch) to Ian McShane to John Leguizamo to Willem Dafoe – plus the wonderful bonus of Toby Leonard Moore for us Billions fans.

I really loved that most of the main characters were suited up in very gorgeous menswear suits most of the time. Though if you are a hitman, perhaps there are better colours of shirt than white. And if it is bucketing down rain and you are fighting in a suit complete with waistcoat and tie that might be a bit of a hindrance to your performance in real life but it sure looks great on the screen.

Anthropoid

“Based on the extraordinary true story of Operation Anthropoid, the WWII mission to assassinate SS General Reinhard Heydrich, the main architect behind the Final Solution and the Reich’s third in command after Hitler and Himmler.” IMDB
This movie contains two men I love to watch – Jamie Dornan and Cillian Murphy sporting a haircut that reminded me very much of an early Mark Owen hairstyle. In fact his resemblance to my favourite pop star was mildly jarring to me throughout the entire movie.

Mark Owen from Take That

I really should research these kinds of movies before I watch them but that tends to spoil them. In this case I am very glad I did not as not knowing the outcome ramps up the tension levels for me. If you plan to watch this movie I strongly recommend you do not research this operation either.

I am not going to say anything about what actually happens in this movie other than to say this is an important story which was extremely difficult to watch. I am glad I had no idea what I was letting myself in for or else I may not have watched it at all. Approach with caution is all I can suggest. It might be that I find the Nazi regime more scary than most things.

I will say that I had planned to see this in the cinema when it was released and having seen it now I am very glad I did not. I think it would have been too much to witness all of this on the big screen. I was enough of a mess having seen it on the TV.

The performances are excellent by everyone in the cast, especially Jamie Dornan and Cillian Murphy but they are ably supported here by a truly wonderful supporting cast. The writing is great, the tension is high and for at least the last 40 minutes I was completely freaking out. I understand in real life the events that took place in that 40 minutes went on for 6 hours. That is completely unimaginable to me.

The end result that Sean Ellis directed, co-wrote, produced, operated the camera and was the cinematographer for is an incredible effort. He is someone I will be keeping an eye on, this was so well done. I cannot believe one person was responsible for so much of it. That is a lot of work.

Liked

Come and Find Me

“When his girlfriend goes missing, David must track down her whereabouts after he realizes she’s not who she was pretending to be.” IMDB

The only reason I chose this movie was because Aaron Paul was in it. I have been a huge fan since he was in Breaking Bad. Sometimes even the best actors end up in Not Great movies and this was one such occasion. I think the biggest problem here was the huge amount of flashbacks for no apparent reason. Every time the story began to pick up the pace and you would get comfortable and/or interested in the “now” suddenly the movie would flash back to the “then”.

Garret Dillahunt was the stand out cast member other than Aaron Paul, and an unexpected star of the movie was Canada, where this movie was filmed. Aaron does his usual reliable work, and that was enjoyable, but this is not something I would go back to watch a second time.

Directed and written by Zack Whedon – the brother of Joss and Jed – I also suspect that these two tasks did not mesh very well. Sometimes when you have written something, you cannot see the trees for the forest when it comes time to direct that same something. The story might have been better served if someone else had directed it.

Men I Love To Watch, movies

Lethal Weapon TV Series

2 Comments Posted on January 26, 2017January 25, 2017 by Snoskred

Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans star in Lethal Weapon

Starting Sunday 8pm on Nine is this wonderful new series which The Other Half and I have watched 10 episodes of, together.

Before I say anything about the show, I want you to understand how rare it is that we both LIKE a tv show because our tastes in television are so wildly different.

Out of all the shows we have watched together, there are maybe two that we both genuinely liked and enjoyed – Seinfeld because we watched all the episodes together and in order – and it must be noted, when you do that, Seinfeld becomes an entirely different show from Channel 10 just airing the same 20 episodes over and over – and The X Files.

Sure, he watched Breaking Bad with me because I asked him to, he liked it but he probably did not enjoy it the same way as I did. He does not love “real life drama” which is why The X Files kinda worked for us – that and the fact that we both loved Mulder and Scully.

I watched Rectify – a show I have talked about here on the blog before – and among all the fantastic performances by the cast, there was a standout performance by Clayne Crawford as Teddy, a very flawed man indeed. I hated Teddy at first. HATED him. Like I wanted to murder him myself. But somehow Clayne took this flawed character and forced me to love him. By the end of the series Teddy had become my second favourite character on the show.

So when I heard that Clayne Crawford was playing Martin Riggs – one of the two lead characters on Lethal Weapon – I knew this was a show I had to watch purely because I had become such a fan of the work of Clayne on Rectify. I knew nothing about Lethal Weapon. I do not recall ever seeing the movies, and I still have not seen them. So I went into this show knowing nothing and expecting nothing.

The show did meet with rather mixed reviews in the USA. One reviewer wrote a love letter to the hair of Clayne Crawford. I completely agree, the hair is a sight to behold. Another reviewer spoke of how unlikely and unlike real life the situations were.

My feeling is, most of this show is meant to be fun. It is NOT meant to reflect real life in any way. Absolutely some of the situations are incredibly unrealistic but this is a tv show, not a documentary. The actors are clearly having a great time which is something I enjoy watching.

So, if you can put your expectations aside and just sit back and watch and see if you enjoy it, this show might be one of your favourites this year. The show has been renewed for season two, so you can feel free to get a little attached to the characters. They will be around for a while.

My apologies for any delays 9 will create – NOBODY knows what time 8pm actually is in their world. It is a great mystery.

Men I Love To Watch, television shows

Men I Love To Watch – Aaron Paul

5 Comments Posted on July 10, 2015June 23, 2015 by Snoskred

Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman.

By far, the largest amount of images of any one actor on my hard drive belong to the amazing and brilliant Aaron Paul. Sure, there are also plenty of Bryan Cranston, and when you consider that I have been writing the Rewatch Breaking Bad blog for almost a year now, this really is not very surprising.

Aaron Paul was almost not cast as Jesse Pinkman because Vince Gilligan thought he was too pretty. I forget exactly where I picked up that nugget of info – maybe one of the podcasts, I am guessing.

How does one even begin to talk about this character and the actor who brought this character to life?

We first meet Jesse as he flees the bedroom of a MILF while the DEA raids the house next door, where his cooking partner Emilio was cooking meth. Walter White is waiting in the car and sees Jesse fall off the roof, they lock eyes, and it turns out they know each other – Jesse was a former chemistry student in Walt’s class.

Walter turns up at Jesse’s house later that day and makes him an offer he can’t refuse – to become partners and cook meth. He can’t refuse because, as Walt says “Either that…or I turn you in.”

In case you have never seen Breaking Bad, here is one of my favourite clips from the pilot.

It was obvious to anyone watching the show that Aaron Paul was giving an incredible performance. Over the 5 seasons and 62 episodes of the show, the character of Jesse went on an incredible journey and we were all along for the ride. Fans of the show grew to love Jesse, and by extension, they also grew to love the actor who played him.

Aaron Paul won 3 very well deserved Emmy awards for his role of Jesse Pinkman, for the episodes “Half Measures” “End Times” and “Confessions”.

When the show ended, Aaron Paul decided he wanted to do something fun, and he took the lead role in Need for Speed. It was the first time I went to see a movie that involved car races, and both The Other Half and I truly enjoyed this movie.

Since then I have seen a few more movies that Aaron Paul has been involved with and I am looking forward to several that are coming out soon – most notably Eye in the Sky with Helen Mirren, Triple 9, and the 9th life of Louis Drax.

It has recently been reported that Aaron Paul will be returning to teevee screens in a new show called The Way.

Whether it be on big screens or small, Aaron Paul is one man I love to watch.

Men I Love To Watch

Secrets and Lies US

1 Comment Posted on February 25, 2015June 1, 2015 by Snoskred

A new show is starting in the US this weekend and for once in our lives, we Aussies have seen this show before! It is a new version of a show that aired in Australia on Channel 10 in early 2014. The US version has Ryan Phillippe and Juliette Lewis.

I’m a bit of a secret Ryan Phillippe fan, he is one of the Men I Love To Watch. He was brilliant in Cruel Intentions and he was also fabulous in The Lincoln Lawyer.

You can see the US show on IMDB here, and the home page at ABC is here. The show airs in the US this coming Sunday March 1 at 9|8c – I am not sure if we will see the US version here in Australia on a tv channel at all, but those who have the means know where to look.

Here is the US trailer –

Here is the Australian trailer –

For the record, I quite liked the Australian version of the show until the final episode when they revealed who the killer was. I was not a fan of who the killer ended up being. I do hope the US version of the show changes who the murderer is, firstly to keep it fresh, and secondly because I feel like it should have been someone else.

I’m not going to say who the murderer was just in case the US show follows the Australian version exactly, but if you want to know – bearing in mind that info may or may not end up being a spoiler for the US show – you can read more here. You can also see the Australian cast on IMDB here.

celebrities, Men I Love To Watch, television shows

The Rover – Weirdest 2014 Movie

Leave a comment Posted on January 12, 2015June 1, 2015 by Snoskred

It might be a little known fact about Snoskred, but there are certain actors and actresses whose careers I follow. Wherever they might lead, I am along for the ride. Put two of them together, and I will be at the movies faster than you can blink.

This year, my follow-ment of people – plus the fact it was filmed in South Australia, a place I grew up in – brought me to this movie you may never have heard of. I will not be surprised if you did not hear of it, as it opened in about 2 theatres in Australia. Before I saw the film, the limited release was surprising to me. These are two big name stars that I really love to watch – Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson.

The premise of the film goes like this – from IMDB – 10 years after a global economic collapse, a hardened loner (Guy Pearce) pursues the men who stole his only possession, his car. Along the way, he captures one of the thieves’ brother (Robert Pattinson), and the duo form an uneasy bond during the dangerous journey.

After I saw the movie, the limited release surprised me only in that it got released at all. The second surprising fact is that the car Guy Pearce is desperately chasing is a Holden Commodore. Me, I’ve always been a Ford girl, so this entire premise is alien to me. I could understand if the car were a Ford Falcon.. :)

The premise above is sort of what happens. I’ll tell you below some of really happens, with some screenshots. Now I might venture into spoiler territory in a little bit here, so I’ll put in a read more tag, and if you want to know more, you’ll have to click through. Plus, this will be a long post with a lot of screenshots.

Of course my saying that assumes you might want to see the movie, and there are two excellent performances here in amongst a lot of nothingness and oddness, but having seen the movie I’ve got to say I wouldn’t really recommend it unless you are a serious fan of one of these two actors. Here’s why.

Continue reading →

About Snoskred, celebrities, Men I Love To Watch, Movie Reviews, movies

Hot Or Not?

1 Comment Posted on July 30, 2011May 31, 2015 by Snoskred

What do you think about Prince Harry?

hot1

My thought is, the older he gets the more handsome he is.. :)

Men I Love To Watch, royals

Men I Shouldn’t Like To Watch (but I do..)

3 Comments Posted on June 17, 2008May 30, 2015 by Snoskred

There is something about JayKay. He can really dance. The rumor is he is quite egotistical. And short. And a bit of an idiot. However I don’t know him personally, so I can’t judge based that stuff. He is short (apparently), and he likes cars, he can sing and he can really dance. I’ve always liked Jamiroquai.

I love watching him dance. The video clips are great. I also love that he wears some very odd hats.

Men I Love To Watch, music

An Ode To Antony

6 Comments Posted on November 24, 2007May 21, 2022 by Snoskred

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more brainy and more accurate:
Rough winds do shake the country,
And election night hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the studio light shines,
And often is his laptop power dimm’d;

Dinner is ready to go in the oven.
The cheesecake is in the fridge.
I await my evening of Antony.

Once every four years is not enough.
Who knows what the night will bring?

Whatever it is, Antony will
keep me informed
with his laptop and his pie charts and his
analyst ways.

And then, almost like a dream
he will be gone *sob*
and the election will
be over.

Then the waiting will begin again
another four years
or two or thereabouts, if you are lucky
and he covers your state election.

But wait! What light through yonder Internet breaks?
He has a blog!

(Updated with correct blog link and edited 21/05/2022 to add) – Thanks Antony for all your many years of excellent election reporting. :) You must know how much we all respect you but do you know how much we all love you? There are no numbers that add up to that amount.

Aussie Culture, elections, Men I Love To Watch, politics

Men I love to watch – Rob Lowe

4 Comments Posted on May 16, 2007January 10, 2015 by Snoskred

People asked for it, and now here it is.

Rob Lowe is an excellent example of a man who actually gets more attractive as he ages. Not that he wasn’t cute when he was young. But it is very difficult to find images of him when he was young on the net and I’m not sure why. Maybe it is because the older him is so cute.

However most people now associate him with the West Wing and the excellent job he did on that show. Any fan will tell you he was one of the major characters that made the show what it was, and when he left the show there was a hole not easily filled.

For the Aussies reading this, many of you did not see the West Wing because Channel 9 really screwed around with airing it but you do not have to stay in the dark. The show was brilliant and can now be bought from JB Hifi for less than $35 per season for the first 5 seasons.

For those of you not aware of what Rob Lowe is up to now, he is on a show called Brothers and Sisters. Because I don’t watch commercial TV I had never heard of this brothers and sisters show but it seems like I will have to add it to my must watch list. Callista Flockheart was always one of my favourites, I loved Ally Mcbeal, and now to team her up with Rob Lowe? I can tell without even knowing anything about the show that I will love it.

Here is a clip from The West Wing.

So, Rob Lowe joins Christian Slater as one of the men I love to watch. If you enjoyed this blog, you may also enjoy my movie reviews –

Shakespeare In Love
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Chocolat
Pump Up The Volume
Dead Poets Society
The Pirate Movie

I must get back to writing more of these but at the moment I’m deep into a new project and finding it hard to think of other stuff. :)

Men I Love To Watch, The West Wing

Pump Up The Volume

16 Comments Posted on November 21, 2006January 9, 2015 by Snoskred

Reasons why I love “Pump Up The Volume“.

1. The Hair of Christian Slater

It is almost a character in itself. The way it moves when he is dancing with the golf club.. mesmerizing!

2. The music

There’s a fairly wide range of music played but this movie was my introduction to Leonard Cohen, and I have been a fan ever since.

3. The teenage band of malcontents

While Hard Harry is broadcasting, you see the listeners and their reactions to what he is saying. It’s easy to just accept that at face value, but if you look a little closer you’ll see a lot of details of the lives of these people in the shots.

4. Shep Shepard

– totally the typical stereotype of a reporter – and reminds me much of Shepard Smith from Fox News.

5. Paige Woodward

– who literally nukes her problems.

6. The maggot puswad school principal

– she’s totally evil but karma bites her in the ass in the end. That’s what we like to see in a movie.. ;)

7. Nora

– played by Samantha Mathis.

8. The Search

Nora does what any sane girl would do in a situation where someone apparently goes to her school is a pirate dj who she’s quite attracted to. She sets out on a search to find him, writing down all kinds of little facts about himself that he mentions during his shows. Of course, because he does not realise he’s giving away these little bits of info about himself, she manages to track him down when he mentions he sits in a stairwell reading a book at lunchtime.

9. Billy Morrissette

I don’t know if he is related to Alanis, but he was married to Maura Tierney (you’ll remember her from ER) and has now written and directed a film which starred Christopher Walken – Scotland, Pa.

10. The half naked scene.

11. Seth Green

– making a small appearance with long hair!

12. Christian Slater, again

– it’s a brilliant performance.

The movie has some awesome lines as well, these are my particular favourites –

This is Hard Harry reminding you to eat your cereal with a fork, and do your homework in the dark.

One day I woke up, and I realised I was never gonna be normal. So I said Fuck It, I said So Be It. And Happy Harry Hardon was born.

They think you’re moody, make ’em think you’re crazy. Make ’em think you might snap!

I say rise up in the cafeteria and stab them with your plastic forks.

Sephy reviewed it a little while ago here, which served to inspire me to make something with screenshots. ;)

If you enjoyed this review, you might also enjoy these other reviews.

Pump Up The Volume
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
The Pirate Movie
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Chocolat
Shakespeare In Love
Dead Poets Society

Men I Love To Watch, Movie Reviews