Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Anthony Wright30 said:I suppose I was also there during the summer. I found myself being quite a bit better off on a boat; navigating through those coastal inlets is, I think, a rather lovely experience.

frane moreplovac

Honestly, Ad Astra was such a massive letdown for me—definitely one of the biggest cinematic disappointments I've dealt with in years. There was way more hype surrounding it than there was for the US national soccer team, yet the actual performance was just as underwhelming.

I caught Gravity in the theater, and man, what an absolute trip. It’s a total masterpiece on the big screen, but watching it on a small screen? It just doesn't hit the same.

Ad Astra is absolute garbage, and honestly, I’ve seen just about everything the sci-fi genre has to throw at us... this one sits right at the very bottom of my list, buried under a mountain of other mediocre stuff...

I’m just sitting here waiting, but I honestly don't see an end in sight. They've been pushing this absolute deluge of superhero movies at us for 13 years now. It's just endless. You get a hundred different versions of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Avengers, and then they just cram every single franchise imaginable into one screen. Suddenly you've got the Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, and Iron Man all sprinting past you, and to top it off, you've still got Wolverine, Magneto, and dozens of X-Men characters thrown in there too. Not to mention the constant stream of reboots and prequels.

🤮

William Gomez5 said:The first Rambo is an absolute masterpiece

It’s got nothing to do with the rest of them

This isn't even directed at you, it's for nimbleranger52 😁

I mean, if you just watched the first one and someone told you there were sequels, you’d probably be like, "Wait... but... what's the point?" 😁

Rambo from 2008 is easily the most convincing sequel out there...

Try to change my mind. ☕

brightpilot6 said:Bas Ali 🤣

But what can you do? That train has already left the station.☕

I might be ready to try again during the second round😁

X-Men
X2
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men: First Class
The Wolverine
X-Men: Days of The Future Past
Deadpool
X-Men: Apocalypse
Logan
Deadpool 2
Dark Phoenix

Tobey Maguire
Spider-Man
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 3

Andrew Garfield
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Tom Holland
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Far From Home

Hulk
The Incredible Hulk
Iron Man
Iron Man 2
Iron Man 3
Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: Civil War
Thor
Thor: The Dark World
Thor: Ragnarok
Avengers
Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Avengers: End Game shown in two parts
Doctor Strange
Black Panther
Black Widow
Ant-Man
Daredevil
Punisher
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Batman Begins
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight Rises
Superman Returns
Man of Steel
Batman v Superman
Green Lantern
Justice League
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Watchmen
Suicide Squad
Wonder Woman

There have been 59 superhero movies from 2000 to this point. Things really picked up speed after Iron Man in 2007. We're talking an average of almost three superhero flicks every single year. That average is actually skewed lower because they were released much slower between 2000 and 2007, but lately, they're dropping five or more a year.

It's insane. I honestly feel like these are the only movies left in theaters. There’s nothing else decent to watch anymore.

Kaeš is honestly just counting down the seconds until this whole thing wraps up

Matthew Young35 said:I’ve been doing some quick mental math, though I might have botched the numbers—it’s late, and I’m just typing this from bed before turning in.
If we assume a mortality rate of 0.2% and there have been 83 deaths from this virus, that implies roughly 40,000 infections. Yet, the official count shows just over 2,000 cases.
The discrepancy is massive.
That would mean the actual number of infected people is twenty times higher than what the government is reporting.

Look, math is one thing, but the reality on the ground is something else entirely.

@Henry

Who is forcing you to watch them?

I watch these movies—sometimes even in theaters—because they can be fun blockbusters. I’m not some fanboy, and I don't consider them the pinnacle of cinematic art. But sometimes you just want to switch your brain off and relax. You can stick to European or Asian cinema, or those few directors still working in Hollywood who can actually pull off a good film, but I don't get why you couldn't enjoy a superhero movie if it's solid. Honestly, Marvel has some great stuff, even if they are starting to feel repetitive. As far as I recall, you aren't exactly a huge fan of Schwarzenegger or Stallone or those old-school action icons, right? How many similar low-value flicks have they churned out? A mountain of them, or the whole Fast & Furious franchise. I’d say those are even lower quality than the current Marvel movies, but whatever.

When it comes to Sci-Fi, my favorites lately have been Arrival and the new Blade Runner. That's why I'm looking forward to the new Dune since it's the same director; I really hope it comes out this year despite COVID-19.

If we're talking about other greats, Edge of Tomorrow, District 9, Ex Machina, and Moon are also pretty good. I think Interstellar is masterpiece-level in certain parts, though it irritates me how Christopher Nolan feels the need to explain everything; some of the dialogue between characters in his films is just plain stupid. Still, that movie is much better than Inception, which is probably the biggest cinematic scam ever, alongside The Dark Knight Rises.☕

Nobody’s forcing my hand here, and I haven't even made it past the fifth movie on that list, but people are definitely overhyping it. It feels like they just keep hitting the same one over and over again.

Noah Roberts46 said:@Henry

Who is forcing you to watch them?

I watch these movies—sometimes even in theaters—because they can be fun blockbusters. I’m not some fanboy, and I don't consider them the pinnacle of cinematic art. But sometimes you just want to switch your brain off and relax. You can stick to European or Asian cinema, or those few directors still working in Hollywood who can actually pull off a good film, but I don't get why you couldn't enjoy a superhero movie if it's solid. Honestly, Marvel has some great stuff, even if they are starting to feel repetitive. As far as I recall, you aren't exactly a huge fan of Schwarzenegger or Stallone or those old-school action icons, right? How many similar low-value flicks have they churned out? A mountain of them, or the whole Fast & Furious franchise. I’d say those are even lower quality than the current Marvel movies, but whatever.

When it comes to Sci-Fi, my favorites lately have been Arrival and the new Blade Runner. That's why I'm looking forward to the new Dune since it's the same director; I really hope it comes out this year despite COVID-19.

If we're talking about other greats, Edge of Tomorrow, District 9, Ex Machina, and Moon are also pretty good. I think Interstellar is masterpiece-level in certain parts, though it irritates me how Christopher Nolan feels the need to explain everything; some of the dialogue between characters in his films is just plain stupid. Still, that movie is much better than Inception, which is probably the biggest cinematic scam ever, alongside The Dark Knight Rises.☕

Since we're talking about Tom Cruise, I have to say Oblivion is an absolute banger. It's seriously underrated.

Matthew Young35 said:Sweden is Sweden. Different people, different climate, different social norms.
Without any interventions at all, it is entirely plausible that everyone would have been infected.
Look, I’m not claiming this is a certainty; I’m saying we simply don't know what would have happened, much like how we still don't have a definitive grasp on the mortality rate.
And let's not pretend mortality is the only metric that matters.

Furthermore, if Sweden had 3,000 deaths, that scales down to about 1,000 here when you look at the population ratio. Do you honestly believe we would see significantly more than that without any measures in place?

The notion that widespread infection is an inevitability is a stretch; I am honestly unsure where that premise originated. If anything, Belarus serves as a living testament to this. They have avoided strict mandates, yet we haven't witnessed a total collapse of society.

The remainder of your argument strikes me as somewhat alarmist, focusing exclusively on immediate concerns while overlooking the profound, long-term repercussions—consequences that may persist for an entire decade.

Ultimately, the strategy seems to be: shut everything down, devastate the economy, and discredit or censor the vast number of dissenting voices. It appears the singular priority is preventing a spread of a virus that, in its current state, carries a level of danger comparable to a severe influenza outbreak. 🙂

Elizabeth Mendoza said:Look, math is one thing, but the reality on the ground is something else entirely.

Well, yes and no.
Just look at the USA, Italy, Spain, or France. In those places, we're talking about tens of thousands of deaths.

I gotta say, when I first saw Inception, I thought it was absolutely mind-blowing. But looking back at it now? I realized a huge part of that "wow" factor was just me being totally lost. I thought it was deep because I didn't actually get what was happening.

Every time I rewatch it now, the only thing I really notice is how gorgeous the cinematography is, but honestly, there's just no substance there. It’s all style, no meat.

If you want the good stuff, go with District 9, Arrival, then Edge of Tomorrow—in that exact order. Don't get me wrong, they're all great, just different vibes.

I know steelharbor9 is a massive fan of Ex Machina, but personally, it didn't really do it for me.

As for Marvel, they've got a mixed bag. Ragnarok is actually a hilarious comedy (Korg is a legend), The Winter Soldier is basically a top-tier spy thriller (plus, it's got that Redford vibe), but Thor: The Dark World is straight-up garbage. Period.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:I’m just sitting here waiting, but I honestly don't see an end in sight. They've been pushing this absolute deluge of superhero movies at us for 13 years now. It's just endless. You get a hundred different versions of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Avengers, and then they just cram every single franchise imaginable into one screen. Suddenly you've got the Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, and Iron Man all sprinting past you, and to top it off, you've still got Wolverine, Magneto, and dozens of X-Men characters thrown in there too. Not to mention the constant stream of reboots and prequels.

🤮

That is a disgraceful post. Truly disgraceful.

I bet you're absolutely thrilled that Iron Man is dead. And how wonderful it is that Captain America is just some old man who decided to settle down for a normal life with his beloved. Don't worry, you won't have to watch them anymore. As for that damn Thanos, honestly, it brings me nothing but joy that they finally took him out.

American Made is a top-tier movie, and I actually hadn't heard a word about it. I just stumbled upon it by accident, so if anyone hasn't seen it yet, maybe give it a shot.

Matthew Young35 said:Well, yes and no.
Just look at the USA, Italy, Spain, or France. In those places, we're talking about tens of thousands of deaths.

So because they're seeing massive death tolls and facing total disasters, that somehow means every other country is in the same boat? Especially here in America, right?

Sending some support to Henry. If I had to pick just a few superheroes to actually root for, it would probably just be Batman and the X-Men.☕

Elizabeth Mendoza said:I’m just sitting here waiting, but I honestly don't see an end in sight. They've been pushing this absolute deluge of superhero movies at us for 13 years now. It's just endless. You get a hundred different versions of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Avengers, and then they just cram every single franchise imaginable into one screen. Suddenly you've got the Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, and Iron Man all sprinting past you, and to top it off, you've still got Wolverine, Magneto, and dozens of X-Men characters thrown in there too. Not to mention the constant stream of reboots and prequels.

🤮

It feels like someone is basically forcing you to watch them. I guess? Maybe just my take! 😁

You can find top-tier movies as far as the eye can see. I mean, sure, if you decide to limit yourself only to new releases—which, honestly, I don't get why anyone would bother doing that—then your options shrink a bit, but even then, there’s still a massive amount to choose from!

I personally love watching Marvel movies. I mean, they aren't exactly cinematic masterpieces or anything—they definitely lack that high-brow quality—but the entertainment value is just so good! It’s honestly such a blast to watch, especially if you’ve been sitting through heavy arthouse films lately. You kind of need that total shift in spectrum, you know? I guess it just hits different. As for Star Wars, I never really get into it. It just never clicked for me. I mean, sure, I might sit down and binge the whole thing in one go eventually, but today is just not that kind of day! 🤷

Oh, and if you’re ever in the mood to catch some top-tier movies on the big screen, you can actually find a ton of great stuff at the local independent theater near the suburbs every single week—including all the new releases! 😁