Off Topic Thread 5.0

Paul Smeenus

mfceiling wrote: »

I'm going to have to embrace exercise unfortunately. I like cycling and swimming so they will be a staple going forward. To be fair I'm probably carrying between half and one stone too much in weight....I'm 13 stone and could really do with being closer to 12.
So since I turned 40 I've had root canal, kidney stones, a double hernia operation and now a banjaxed knee. Cannot wait to see what my 50's bring.

Jaysis.

"Mfceiling? He's more machine, now, than man. Twisted and evil."

Squidgy Black

MaybeMaybe wrote: »

is the The Mandalorian worth watching for someone who doesn't care much for the movies?

I wasn't mad into the later movies and never bothered watching any of the new ones, started the Mandalorian a couple weeks back and it's unreal.

Paul Smeenus

Squidgy Black wrote: »

I wasn't mad into the later movies and never bothered watching any of the new ones, started the Mandalorian a couple weeks back and it's unreal.

Agreed. It's all the same cinematic universe, but The Mandalorian is a well-conceived, brilliantly executed bit of genre TV, done with verve.

The movies are, well, the movies.

The TV series actually has a much better handle on what actually drew kids into the Star Wars universe.

More cool aliens, blaster fights, space ship chases, mystery and - crucially - genuine emotion, less over-wrought sixth form philosophy.

All the subsequent trilogies have been significant missteps. They've trashed the story and characters from the original trilogy whilst also undermining the primary back story.

The only truly competent film since was Rogue One which still had some issues. I prefer the Han Solo movie to any of the prequels or the new trilogy.

The Mandalorian is solid to good. They rely on certain tropes too much (the last minute save) but plenty to admire and enjoy. They are leaning into fan favourites pretty hard and doing a good

(Ashoka)

to ok

(Boba)

job of it.

It certainly appeals to a wide audience however, my wife likes it and has little interest in star wars and it has taken over my eldest kids imagination entirely.

Synode

Han Solo is the worst Star Wars movie by a long way imo. Very few redeeming qualities. I don't hate the prequels as much as most people. The look and style of them was excellent but the poor story line let them down. They did have some good bits though. The new 3 looked good but felt very repetitive. Still have to finish the first season of The Mandalorian. I was watching it weekly with the kids but we stopped when I got really busy. Will defo give them all a watch over the Christmas.

Dog Botherer

i personally thought that Rise Of Skywalker was unbelievably bad and couldn’t believe Disney approved it for release. and that’s coming from someone obsessed with Star Wars since the rereleases in the 90s. last movie i ever saw in a theatre, bleak.

watched a couple of episodes of The Mandalorian when it first came out but it didn’t grab me at all. expect i’ll get to it eventually

thomond2006

I'm not a big Star Wars fan but I thought Episode III of the prequel was quite good, aside for some ghastly writing for Anakin in particular. I allow a little bit of leeway considering 90% plus of the audience knew the ending going in.

DGRulz

I binge watched through all 7 seasons of The Clone Wars at the start of the first lockdown. Have always wanted to see it but never had access to them pre-D+. They add so much background and lore to the world/galaxy the prequals are set in (albeit retroactively). When I finished I went back and watched the prequals for the first time since I saw them in the cinema as a kid. No where near as bad as people make out but still with some flaws but with the exception of ESB they all have flaws.

Even as someone who knows a decent bit about the world I feel like the one flaw with all the main series Star Wars stuff that's produced for the general public is that the story being told requires you to have some sort of prior knowledge going in. Be it a comic or a series. The sequel trilogy is the worst offender for this. So much happens off screen, especially in TROS, that isn't really explained on screen and I ended up learning about on a random Wiki binge one night.

If the Mandolorian is going where I think it is, it's going to ultimately try to bridge some of those gaps

The Lost Sheep

Tipp getting annihilated by Mayo. 4-12 to 1-5

Cillian O Connor with 3-6

Dave_The_Sheep

The latest episode of Mandalorian might have been entertaining (really was) but it was also really short. I mean I get we're not making these for TV segments anymore, but that was really taking the piss.

Neil3030

What's a mandalorian, is that some kind of Back to the Future spin off?

mfceiling

Neil3030 wrote: »

What's a mandalorian, is that some kind of Back to the Future spin off?

I thought it was the animal that gave us all covid.

Dog Botherer

pretty sure it’s the latest artisanal marmalade to light up discussion in the Leinster thread

Brexit negotiations to conclude by Wednesday regardless, Johnson and Von Der Layden call at 4 and if the internal market and finance bill is called to vote after then it's a guaranteed no deal.

I can only see either a complete UK capitulation (bar maybe some token EU gesture on fish) or no deal.

molloyjh

Neil3030 wrote: »

What's a mandalorian, is that some kind of Back to the Future spin off?

Star Wars spin off. He's a bounty hunter with a heart of gold. Well not really, he just isn't one for the killing of innocent kids. The Mandalorians are effectively a race of warriors with a strict code and a lot of kick ass weapons. Its done in a very Western sort of style. So its like a Western in space basically. With Star Wars stuff thrown in a bit.

molloyjh

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

The latest episode of Mandalorian might have been entertaining (really was) but it was also really short. I mean I get we're not making these for TV segments anymore, but that was really taking the piss.

I'd rather a short episode leaving us wanting more than dragging the arse out of it to fill time. It was short, but in terms of being a fulfilling episode it delivered and then some.

Bazzo

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Brexit negotiations to conclude by Wednesday regardless, Johnson and Von Der Layden call at 4 and if the internal market and finance bill is called to vote after then it's a guaranteed no deal.

I can only see either a complete UK capitulation (bar maybe some token EU gesture on fish) or no deal.

I think you're really underestimating the UK's genuine belief that they hold all the cards here.

Bazzo

Bazzo wrote: »

I think you're really underestimating the UK's genuine belief that they hold all the cards here.

Oh I've no doubt the delusion is strong, I just think that realistically speaking they'll either have to cave substantially or it will be no deal and I'm veering towards no deal. Pound is tanking so the markets seem to think so too.

I really do wonder if the UK cabinet is fully drinking the koolaid and are ignorant to what is likely to happen or if they know and believe they can PR through it.

Either way - playtime is over.

stephen_n

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh I've no doubt the delusion is strong, I just think that realistically speaking they'll either have to cave substantially or it will be no deal and I'm veering towards no deal. Pound is tanking so the markets seem to think so too.

I really do wonder if the UK cabinet is fully drinking the koolaid and are ignorant to what is likely to happen or if they know and believe they can PR through it.

Either way - playtime is over.

The UK cabinet is full of sycophants and ERG members, who quite frankly are a bunch of slightly below average petrol pump attendants. Who are only elevated to the positions they are in, because Bobo got rid of anyone who opposed him. The dregs that were left became the cabinet. They are waiting for Bobo to make his decision and will go with what ever that is.

Dog Botherer

stephen_n wrote: »

The UK cabinet is full of sycophants and ERG members, who quite frankly are a bunch of slightly below average petrol pump attendants. Who are only elevated to the positions they are in, because Bobo got rid of anyone who opposed him. The dregs that were left became the cabinet. They are waiting for Bobo to make his decision and will go with what ever that is.

there is absolutely no reason to demean petrol pump attendants like that.

Squidgy Black

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Brexit negotiations to conclude by Wednesday regardless, Johnson and Von Der Layden call at 4 and if the internal market and finance bill is called to vote after then it's a guaranteed no deal.

I can only see either a complete UK capitulation (bar maybe some token EU gesture on fish) or no deal.

If Boris and co let the fishing industry be the sword they fall on, it'd just sum up Brexit as a whole. It contributes to 0.03% of the UK's economic output but you'd swear it was their lifeline they way they're going on about it.

Never mind financial services which is a massive industry worth closer to 10% of their economic output and has already had well over a trillion of assets withdrawn from the UK, and thousands of high paying jobs relocated to Amsterdam/Dublin.

Squidgy Black

Squidgy Black wrote: »

If Boris and co let the fishing industry be the sword they fall on, it'd just sum up Brexit as a whole. It contributes to 0.03% of the UK's economic output but you'd swear it was their lifeline they way they're going on about it.

Never mind financial services which is a massive industry worth closer to 10% of their economic output and has already had well over a trillion of assets withdrawn from the UK, and thousands of high paying jobs relocated to Amsterdam/Dublin.

Nothing about Brexit makes sense and it's all so tragically emotive that collapsing talks over fish is not really surprising.

It's not the value to the economy - it's the beneficial PR for the party.

Such dysfunctional politics is going to leave the UK in a very bad place, brexit has already cost the economy an absolute fortune and it's about to enter the expensive phase.

Failed state akin to Russia on the way I fear.

Tomtom364

Squidgy Black wrote: »

If Boris and co let the fishing industry be the sword they fall on, it'd just sum up Brexit as a whole. It contributes to 0.03% of the UK's economic output but you'd swear it was their lifeline they way they're going on about it.

Never mind financial services which is a massive industry worth closer to 10% of their economic output and has already had well over a trillion of assets withdrawn from the UK, and thousands of high paying jobs relocated to Amsterdam/Dublin.

`

Fun Fact, Games Workshop aka the Warhammer company is worth more to the UK economy then the entire fishing industry.

pickarooney

Deleted User wrote: »

Brexit negotiations to conclude by Wednesday regardless, Johnson and Von Der Layden call at 4 and if the internal market and finance bill is called to vote after then it's a guaranteed no deal.

I can only see either a complete UK capitulation (bar maybe some token EU gesture on fish) or no deal.

So long and thanks for all the fish

FACECUTTR

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Nothing about Brexit makes sense and it's all so tragically emotive that collapsing talks over fish is not really surprising.

It's not the value to the economy - it's the beneficial PR for the party.

Such dysfunctional politics is going to leave the UK in a very bad place, brexit has already cost the economy an absolute fortune and it's about to enter the expensive phase.

Failed state akin to Russia on the way I fear.

The UK will be sleeping with the fishes.

Neil3030

I vaguely recall reading something a while back, made a point that the Tories really want something else from Brexit negotiations. Was it deregulations or IP rule changes or something? Basic idea is that they are really after sometime highly profitable to a small proportion of them and their mates, something the public won't like, so they'll make a lot of noise about fisheries to create the illusion of a win for the rule Britannia bunting and bulldog cohort.

Podge_irl

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity

Neil3030

Just remembered. State aid rules. UK will need to break those to have any hope of ushering in their own trillion dollar tech industry.

mfceiling

Squidgy Black wrote: »

If Boris and co let the fishing industry be the sword they fall on, it'd just sum up Brexit as a whole. It contributes to 0.03% of the UK's economic output but you'd swear it was their lifeline they way they're going on about it.

I heard last week that their financial services contributes the same in 2 days as the fisheries do in a year. Boggling stuff!!

swiwi_

It’s no mandalorian but I’ll say it again my brilliant friend is bloody awesome tv filmmaking. Sure we are talking subtitled art house but the acting and cinematography is first rate. Maybe it’s because we were near Naples in summer but it really captures the area so well. If you want entertainment there is plenty to choose from but for cinema as art, my brilliant friend i highly rate.