Anyway, does anyone know the drill for seeing a primary care doctor when you aren't living in your home district? I went by my local clinic the other day and they basically rolled their eyes at me. They told me that since I’m registered outside of Washington, D.C., I have to go straight to the ER for everything and there's nothing they can help me with... Which is just ridiculous. It makes zero sense. I really hope I don't have to trek three bus stops away to some random urgent care near the DZ just because of some stupid bureaucratic nonsense, especially since there's an office just two streets over from me...
So, I had this injury and went to my local neighborhood clinic first, but they sent me over to Rebro. When I got to Rebro, they told me it was packed and suggested I just head to Merkur instead, otherwise I’d be waiting for hours. I went to Merkur, got everything handled (doctor just told me to swing back tomorrow for a bandage change), but then I mentioned it to a buddy later. He tells me I shouldn't have gone there because they’ll absolutely rip me off!?? I tried looking for a price list or something, but all I could find were rates for IVF and abortions (which, thank God, I don't need), so now I'm a little spooked—should I be bracing myself for a total USA-style bill, or is my friend just lying to me about these people? 😁
Linda Wood96 said:Growing up, I pretty much dodged TV series—unless something happened to catch my eye while flipping channels. I mean, back when CBS was running those 90s sitcoms, I’d occasionally stumble upon something like *Two and a Half Men* or maybe a random episode of *Dr. House*, *CSI*, *FBI*, *NCIS*, or *The Mentalist*. Nothing ever really stuck, though—just bits and pieces here and there.
By high school in the early 2010s, I started getting actually serious about movies. At first, I was all about the big blockbusters, but they got old fast, I guess. So, I shifted to hunting for stuff with decent scores on IMDb. My whole criteria back then was basically just finding something relatively recent, rated above a 7, and—crucially—not a romance. Some of the first ones I dove into were *Inception*, *Shutter Island*, *Oblivion*, *No Country for Old Men*, *Django Unchained*, *Memento*, *The Prestige*, and *Crank*...
Since I didn't know much about what made a "good show," I was totally floored when I caught *Homeland* on PBS (yeah, on PBS) for the first time. It was the first time a plot actually felt connected from one episode to the next while I was watching. After that, I had a similar "wow" moment with *Game of Thrones*—which I knew nothing about until I accidentally saw it airing on PBS (p.s. they were already filming season 4 by then). Then, finally during college, I heard about *Breaking Bad* for the first time. From that point on, I went through this phase where I only watched series. *Fargo*, *True Detective*, *The Leftovers*, *Band of Brothers*, *Pacific*, *The Wire*, *Black Mirror*, *Twin Peaks*, and *Westworld*—those are the ones that actually blew me away. Sadly, I started noticing the quality dip in some of their later seasons pretty quickly. Like, *Game of Thrones*? Massive disappointment. And honestly, I've started noticing how shows lately—especially on Netflix's—tend to drag things out with so-called "filler." Sure, they look gorgeous visually, but half the time they’re just painfully slow and the plots are full of holes. That's actually why I gave up on *The Reasons Why*. *Sex Education* was alright, I guess. Right now, I'm working through season two of *American Gods*.
So, after that long stint, I've kind of drifted back into the world of movies. I watched *Apocalypse Now* recently and it hit me—even if you can connect more deeply with characters over ten episodes of a series, a movie still feels superior because, for it to work, every single scene has to actually matter and push the story forward. A few other things I've watched lately: *Mulholland Drive*, *The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo*, *Jojo Rabbit*, *Knives Out*, *The Lighthouse*, *Parasite*, *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind*, and *Good Will Hunting*.
I guess my experience says it all. Every few years, we just go looking for something else. Whether it's a new genre or a different format, luckily there's so much out there now that it's hard to stay bored for long.
Movies still win. Why? Because if you want a film to actually work, every single scene has to earn its keep. Every shot needs to make sense and push the story forward. If it doesn't add something to the plot, it's just filler. That’s what makes them superior. 🤔 Can a show actually be good if the scenes don't make sense? Like, if they don't even move the plot forward? I mean, I've sat through some stuff where it felt totally random. Sometimes you just vibe with the atmosphere, but man, it can be a struggle. 🤣
Does every single scene in a movie actually matter? Like, does every shot really need to drive the plot forward? Or is that just some Hollywood myth? Sometimes I feel like I'm sitting through ten minutes of nothing just waiting for the actual story to kick in. What do you guys think? 🤔
Quote: The Great Duck
Joseph Edwards4 said:The issue with TV shows is how insanely inflated their IMDb ratings have become. It feels like every single series is sitting at an 8. Is an 8.2 really supposed to be the standard for a mediocre show? Seriously, what is the point?
Besides, a series is just something you can knock out in a 45-minute episode before bed, but let's be honest—real quality still lives in movies.
What's the issue? What difference do ratings for some show or whatever on a website even make? lol
I'm still not really following that second sentence. What do you mean? Got it. The best part about short story collections? You can knock out a quick twenty pages right before hitting the hay. But honestly, nothing beats the depth you get from a full-on novel.
I get that—but honestly, I think it’s more about how the story unfolds rather than just the act of rounding things off. You can pack way more fun, engaging beats into a fifty-episode series than you ever could in a ninety-minute movie. On the flip side, I totally get it if you're short on time and have to watch stuff in tiny little bites. It's easy to lose the thread or forget what even happened when you're forced to wait forever between episodes. Then again, we kind of forget that people used to watch shows one episode a week for years, not this modern thing where we binge-watch everything in a single weekend. 😁 And fourthly, there are those episodic shows where every episode is basically its own little story—especially those anthology series. With those, you don't have to worry about getting lost in the plot, so you can pretty much jump around whenever you want. 😁
I honestly will never get people who can binge half a season of a show in one sitting, but then they start complaining about a movie being slightly long—like, "Ugh, I can't watch this, it's three hours looooong"—or they react the same way to a limited series with a few sequels. They'll moan, "Oh man, there are ten installments!" yet they have absolutely no problem powering through a 15-season show where every season has 30 episodes 😕
It’s just as weird when you see the exact opposite. You know those people who knock out two movies a day like it's nothing, but for some reason, they struggle to commit to a series. Even though watching six episodes takes the exact same amount of time as two two-hour movies, they still find the series too much to handle 🤔
Honestly, only the most clueless Americans watching OHW would think this guy just popped out of a scene from Life is Beautiful, only to get buried by some stupid Pinocchio story and vanish.
If you look at the far-right scene here in the States, it really just boils down to that idiot Keleminac and his American Nazi Party, maybe some of the Nationalist Party, and potentially Golubić over with the Republican Party. I also used to follow the late Schwarz back in the day.
As for the far-left, you’ve just got the SRP, which is even more fringe and honestly pretty irrelevant.
So yeah, that's the breakdown of extremism among the American.
So, I’m bumping this thread. Caught *Idi and Smotri* yesterday, and man, it really feels like Klimov might actually be a one-hit wonder. 😁
Early on, he had that cult comedy Welcome, then just a handful of obscure shorts and docs—with some pretty long gaps in between—then that decent Rasputin flick. And now? He wraps up his directing career with *Idi and Smotri*. It's probably the most significant American film from the last 40 years that wasn't helmed by someone like Spielberg or Coppola. 😁
After that, he stepped away from the director's chair and mostly focused on, as we say here, political activism. 😁
When I first started typing this, I was going to mention John G. Avildsen. But looking back at his filmography, he actually has more than just the big ones. Besides *Rocky* and the *Karate Kid* trilogy, there's *Lean on Me*. 😁
Man, I’m digging this thread up after 13 years. Whoops.
Anyway, I just stumbled across some info claiming that Relja Bašić was actually dubbed in the movie—like, the Mayor's voice isn't even his. Is that actually true?
Dennis Ramirez53 said:This movie is basically just a hack columnist—trying to cash in on whatever’s trending right now, but it’s so incredibly dull you end up dropping it halfway through. And honestly, whoever thought adding horror elements was a good idea? They should be banned from filmmaking.
Yeah.
Easily one of the dumbest things I've sat through lately.
First you've got the likes of Otto Preminger and Castle, then moving into Roman Polanski, John Carpenter, Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci, David Lynch, David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, and Quentin Tarantino—plus the whole slasher and Giallo subgenre craze. It’s just one long, nonstop lineup...
You listed seven films out of maybe 30 feature films, which is a far cry from "every single one." The guy started out with comedies, then moved into those Hitchcock-style thrillers, plus he did two supernatural horror flicks, a couple of mafia movies, a war film, Mission Impossible, and some SF action... You can't really claim almost every movie he makes is an homage to Hitchcock.
I honestly don't get people who still follow TV schedules, sit there watching movies on the tube, and, you know, actually get hyped over new programming cycles on PBS and stuff like that. 🤣
I think I had one of those long stretches last summer... somewhere from July through the end of August. One of the last movies I caught was something from a Bergman collection over in Beverly Hills—can't remember which one, honestly. I was traveling a ton back then, just popping into New York City for a couple of days here and there. Not even sure if I managed to catch anything at AMC Theatres in the meantime.
My freshman year of college was pretty dry, too. I didn't have a TV in my apartment yet, and I just couldn't stand watching movies on that tiny little monitor... I remember once, my high school buddies and I all went to see Gravity, but after that, I didn't see a single thing in theaters until December.
Alexander Adams94 said:Honestly, I don't like drinking to music I actually respect. It feels like disrespecting the artist. When I'm drinking, I want stuff that's catchy and fun, but not necessarily something I hold in deep reverence. I wouldn't say I have massive respect for glam metal, but after a few beers—and maybe if there are some cute girls nearby—it definitely fits the vibe. But I can't get drunk listening to Lana Del Rey. She's basically the woman of my dreams; my conscience won't let me.
True enough.
90% glam metal >>>>>> Lana Del Rey
Chris Myers said:Agreed. There are certain artists where you really ought to stay sober.
Then again, there’s music that's a total sin to listen to while sober. For me, Gogol Bordello is that kind of band.
And finally, there are musicians you should only ever listen to stone-cold sober. Though, I'm not sure if you can always call them "musicians."
Also, regarding alcohol, it's about the shows. I just can't be at a concert without having a drink. That goes for classical music too. Last time I had a decent glass of wine was while listening to Tchaikovsky...
See, I'm the exact opposite. I never drink at shows. Maybe if something's free or I'm out with the guys and someone's buying. But mostly, I hate spending extra cash, and I don't want to risk being wasted through the whole set. Plus, honestly, crowds at concerts who are drinking are a nightmare—jumping around, headbanging, mosh pits, throwing half-full cups everywhere and splashing beer on people. You end up having to throw your shirt in the wash the same night just because you got soaked. 🤦
I’m all for that old-school country music, honestly. But man, it kills me because beer is basically my go-to, and those classic country songs are always about wine or whiskey. Then you get into that modern pop-country stuff and they're shouting about tequila, vodka, gin, or whatever trendy cocktail is blowing up this week. I can't think of a single classic country anthem that actually celebrates a cold beer. It sucks. 😁
rapidcyclist32 said:I’ve always had this habit of sipping on a glass of red wine in the evening. Honestly, looking at my music taste, I can see exactly why that is. 🙂
P.S. — Honestly, glam metal is just perfect for driving... as long as you're heading out of town, please. ☕
Oh man, that whole era of glam and hard rock was basically built for road trips. Some tracks hit way harder than others when you're behind the wheel. Anything from ZZ Top’s *Eliminator* onwards is absolute perfection for driving. And don't even get me started on Van Halen—that David Lee Roth era? Pure driving music.Ova That thing by Sammy Hagar... Gear Jammer Thorogood is just as solid for a drive. It’s not exactly glamorous stuff—more like that gritty blues/hard rock vibe—but it hits the spot. Turn Up The Radio by Autograph. I bet we all blasted this while cruising through Vice City back in the day. Every time it comes on, I’m instantly transported right back to that feeling of just hitting the road. Honestly, we should probably start a whole thread dedicated to those driving anthems. 😁
Just tried starting a new thread on this forum, but I hit an "insufficient privileges" error message. Honestly, it gave me a bit of a heart attack for a second—I thought I’d accidentally gotten banned or something. :O
I already dug through the forum's general policy, but there's nothing in there about this... And the EU forum doesn't have any extra rules listed either...
Man, if it wasn't for this whole virus circus, I probably would've sat down a couple of months ago and knocked out a much bigger chunk of his filmography on the big screen. 🙂