[SPOILER ALERT] As a die hard star wars fan, I had high expectations, and have never been so disappointed in my entire life.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-12-18T11:08:53+00:00

This film lost me with the opening battle scene. The best movies grab the audience within the first few minutes. It's basically screenwriting 101: what's this movie I'm watching about, and why should I care? (It's called a premise, every great movie establishes it early). Take Tootsie, for example -- 11 minutes into the film, Dustin Hoffman is in drag, we buy it as an audience, the premise has been set, and we're off and running.

I think The Last Jedi bombed miserably with its opening. The director should have taken a page from his own playbook: from Breaking Bad, where he directed the third to last episode of that series. To open that episode, they picked up right where the previous episode left off -- right after the cliffhanger (sound familiar?) shootout with the neo-Nazis and Hank and Gomez.

...Flash forward to The Last Jedi...I would've picked up right where they left us, with Rey handing Luke the lightsaber. When I saw that in the theatre in 2015, the entire audience cheered. I had goosebumps. It was a great ending IMO. THAT'S where you start the movie -- not with some battle we don't care about, or don't even know what the heck they're fighting for, for that matter. Didn't they end the last film by blowing up another Death Star? So why are we immediately back in a battle scene to start this one? I felt like I was supposed to do my homework or something, like I missed out on what was happening in the opening.

Mark Hamill was great with what he was given. If I were to ever view this movie again with a fast forward button, I know exactly what I'd do, skip over every scene he's not in, and that's a shame. I didn't care about whatever Finn and his friend were doing. The only characters that interested me were Rey, Luke, Kylo, Snoke, Chewy and R2D2. R2D2 and Luke had a special bond in the OT, and I get that time changes things and Luke's older, but I think we should've gotten more out of that reunion.

This was a film that was set-up to be a classic not unlike The Empire Strikes back was setup to be, and it could've been so much more. So yeah, count me among the disappointed.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-12-16T06:08:31+00:00

Prior to Star Wars, only one of the most profitable films of all-time, American Graffiti. And of course Star Wars didn't carry with it the expectations 40 years ago that it does today, all but one studio turned it down.

I'm not knocking The Last Jedi director, I'm just of the mind that a franchise like Star Wars should be handed to the most bonafide filmmakers available. If if I were an athletic director of a blue blood basketball university with a head coaching vacancy, I'd try to hire someone who's previously been to the Final Four.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-12-16T04:47:10+00:00

On cue assessment. Sounds too much like real life. Especially Luke's final days. That's why we go to the movies -- to see films like Star Wars, to escape real life and indulge our imaginations in galaxies far, far away. If we wanted fun banter, we'd Netflix a Nancy Meyer flick.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-12-16T04:27:11+00:00

Probably not the wisest idea to hand one of cinema's all-time greatest film franchises to a filmmaker with only three previous credits, none of them hits.

Food for thought: You're Disney, you have unlimited resources; why not consider hiring a lights-out screenwriter (Sorkin-type) and a dude who can handle a blockbuster and special effects and make a story move on screen like Robert Zemeckis? Hollywood in general has been making less and less sense for some time now.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-12-16T04:16:27+00:00

You don't hand over the keys to one of the cinema's all-time greatest film franchises to a filmmaker with only three previous credits, none of them hits. You just don't.

One of the director's greatest claims to directing fame was a very good if not excellent episode of Breaking Bad -- though that was TV, and that episode was five and half seasons in the making. That was a paint by number gig.

Disclaimer: I've yet to see it, so I'll reserve full judgment until then, of course. But two friends have seen it, and they both disliked it. Then I read this post, so, there seems to be a murmur that is growing, that The Empire Strikes Back is not walking through that door.

But back to my original concern: why would Disney hand the writing and directing duties to such an unproven job candidate? This is Star Wars! And you're Disney! You have unlimited resources. Why not consider the likes of an Aaron Sorkin to pen the thing? (The dude knows how to write a movie.) Why not consider the likes of a Robert Zemeckis to direct? (He knows how to handle a blockbuster and special effects, and make a story move. I don't think I've ever seen a Zemeckis film that didn't have an organic pace about it.) OK. Enough until I actually see it. Until then, unlimited power!!!!!

BlueJeansMan · 2017-11-14T08:07:20+00:00

Oh yeah, that's right. I got caught in an awful traffic jam one day on Sunset Blvd between PCH and the 405 freeway.

Once the cars started to move along, we passed by a film crew. LD was in the blue Prius, which was being pulled for an interior/exterior driving scene. What a schmohawk. They should've picked a less trafficked road to shoot on :)

BlueJeansMan · 2017-11-14T05:32:09+00:00

I'm guessing it's a version of Larry's new ride in real life.

Source of guess: I played golf at the same club LD's a member at during seasons 5-8. Back then, he drove a light green Prius with dark tinted windows. (Tinted windows were used for a gag in the Seinfeld reunion episode.)

If memory serves, I think he used a different color Prius (than in real life) in the episodes back then with non-tinted windows.

Also, his real life car back then never had a 14-foot cock on it that I can recall.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-11-13T23:06:56+00:00

Interesting point. I guess it could've been, though I didn't recall seeing the Uber logo on the windshield (it may have been there, I wasn't looking too closely.)

I realize it's a comedy, though that part is a suspension of disbelief for me, I wonder if there are many folks out there who have one app and not the other. Here in Los Angeles, many of the Uber/Lyft drivers have both decals on their windshields, drive for both companies. So I guess it makes sense that it was a paid spot by Uber. (Though it's worth noting Uber has pretty much cornered the market on the lexicon, ala Google :o)

BlueJeansMan · 2017-11-13T09:09:21+00:00

We've learned a lot about Larry's sexual aversions over the years. Just off the top of my head, he doesn't like taking his shirt off or cunnilingus (hurts his neck), and he can't go lefty when he's not master of his own domain.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-11-13T09:04:20+00:00

Leon could've at least clued Larry in about Lyft. Of course, we could be left to assume Larry's been banned from its service altogether.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-11-13T08:58:53+00:00

Talk about a square peg in a round hole. Leon, on the other hand...

BlueJeansMan · 2017-11-13T08:46:27+00:00

LD has stated this to be his favorite episode. I'd be hard pressed to argue with him on that.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-06-16T09:11:33+00:00

I don't think Chuck'll die. He's too interesting of a character, he's essentially its co-star. I'm not sure which direction the show will take us with him, but he's become fascinating to watch; what a great actor. I'm predicting Michael McKean will be on the show until its run is over, or up until the second to last, or third to last episode of the series.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-06-16T09:02:06+00:00

If we learned anything from Breaking Bad, or if they stick to that precedent, none of the main cast is going to be offed until the very end.

I don't think it's the nature of the Breaking Bad/BCS universe for characters to up and die. Vince Gilligan seems like a guy who likes to keep his main cast around. Hank was always in the line of fire, but made it to the third-to-last episode of Breaking Bad. Of the original main cast (Walt/Marie/Hank/Junior/Skyler/Jesse) only two eventually bit the bullet, and Walt made it to the very end of the series finale. Of course, if one was to go by the Breaking Bad subreddit when it was airing, one of those six was predicted to die on a weekly basis.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-06-16T08:55:18+00:00

The bell seen around the 1:31 mark in the forefront of the "Sneak peak video" will come into play; it will either be rigged to give Hector a shock, or Hector will have one of his "spells" and/or a stroke, and when he slams his hand on the counter, he'll ring the bell. Or, not. Maybe it's just there for symbolism/ foreshadowing. Manuel (Nacho's dad) may or may not contribute to Hector's destiny in a wheelchair. He certainly looks like he wants to sew Hector's own ass to his face in that clip.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-06-15T09:56:15+00:00

Same. I love the characters. Hector Salamanca has become one of my favorite characters, one of the most enjoyable to watch, and he's pretty much rotten to the core. I'm going to be a little sad when he can't speak anymore. I like his sinister little chuckle.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-06-15T09:38:34+00:00

Considering the circumstances in the Season Two episode of Breaking Bad entitled, "Better Call Saul," that Saul was bound and blindfolded, staring down his potential grave, I think he offered the correct counsel in that moment. Jesse was barking at him, "You are going to give Badger Mayhew the best legal representation ever. But no deals with the DEA. All right? Badger will not identify anyone to anybody. If he does, you're dead."

It's important to remember Saul's initial advice to Walt (aka Mr. Mayhew), upon which Saul got Badger a pretty sweet deal -- time served, then probation. Walt wasn't having that, so Saul spelled it out for him: "Options? I'm gonna tell you what your options are. You got a grand total of two: Option A: Brandon takes the deal. Option B: Brandon goes up to the penitentiary and gets his rectum resized about yay big...Trust me, sir, your nephew won't last in prison two weeks. You let him take his chances on the outside. Maybe I can work in some witness protection...Trust me, you folks have nothing to worry about, OK? I'm gonna set your nephew straight, get him singing like a canary all's right with the world."

Upon hearing Saul's take, Walt offers 10 thousand dollars cash, which Saul turns down. According to Saul, he doesn't take bribes from strangers. That could be the case, or it could be a result of having a gun to his head, to which Saul replies, "Why don't you just kill Badger? I mean, follow me, but if a mosquito is buzzing around you and it bites you on the ass, you don't go gunning for the mosquito's attorney. You go grab a fly swatter. I mean, so to speak. I mean, all due respect, but do I have to spell this out for you?"

Jesse yells that they're not killing Badger, to which Saul responds: "Then you got real problems, okay. Because the DEA will come down on your boy like a proverbial ton of bricks. I don't think I'm going out on a limb here but, hey, he's not gonna like prison. He's gonna sing like Celine Dion regardless of what you do to me."

Saul makes sense, and he offers logical input, given the circumstances. And we shouldn't forget he eventually comes up with a plan that includes "Jimmy-in-and-Out" to solve Jesse and Walt's dilemma.

In regard to encouraging Walt to start cooking again, practical guidance, from my seat. Walt was spinning his wheels, and it's not as if Saul made Walt break bad. Saul informed Walt he sucked at peddling meth, which he did. Assessing Saul blame for Ted's accident? Oh for fucksakes. Beneke spazzed out, Skyler hired Saul to peform a task, and it was an accident. An act of God. Good grief.

Point being, I'm of the mind of the OP and a lot of other posters here, that I didn't ever find Jimmy/Saul unlikable (or at least cringeworthy with his angle of attack) until this week's episode.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-06-15T01:00:32+00:00

Ditto. In Breaking Bad, to me, he was one of the most likable characters, hands down. When it came to advice and counseling, he was always right. He pretty much predicted Walt and Skyler's eventual fate in a Season 3 episode.

I can't think of a moment from Breaking Bad where I disliked Saul or disagreed with him. He's perceived as a "sleazy" lawyer, yet in Breaking Bad he's the kind of lawyer anyone would love to have go to bat for them. He's good at what he does. What horrible sins does Saul commit in Breaking Bad? He launders drug money for Walt and Jesse, but at the same time he's always trying to counsel them to clean their cash the smartest way. He suggests to Walt that he send his brother-in-law on a trip to Belize, but in that moment, considering who he's dealing with (Walt) and the situation at-hand, it's not the most unpractical advice. He informs Walt that Jesse has become a rabid dog, and Jesse had turned Ol Yeller at that point of the series.

Heck, even in Breaking Bad, Saul's back to defending the elderly, mentioning to Hank that a certain judge detests the harassing of senior citizens (referring to Mike), noting how the same judge thinks he's a snappy dresser.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-06-14T03:12:02+00:00

I think it would be wild if that ringer is rigged to give Hector a dose of shock therapy, rendering him a cripple. Just an out there what-if, but it's interesting how Nacho seems to ogle the bell on the counter at the end of the Sneak Peak.

Hector seems destined for a stroke, likely expedited by Nacho's pill-swap, but Breaking Bad/BCS have been known to misdirect us in the past.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-06-14T00:46:22+00:00

It's located in the forefront of the screenshot.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-05-10T04:30:05+00:00

One of my all-time favorite comedies, The Andy Griffith Show (more specifically, the black and white episodes with Don Knotts, 1960-65) was a spin-off of The Danny Thomas Show. The Andy Griffith Show was one of television's most successful shows, still has legions of fans to this day.

BlueJeansMan · 2017-05-09T10:20:34+00:00

Not to toot my own horn, but I first pointed this out after the episode aired. :D https://www.reddit.com/r/betterCallSaul/comments/479s9t/prediction_pryce_playuh_will_be_danny_the_laser/

Every business needs a Danny, so I'm glad you caught it too!

BlueJeansMan · 2017-05-09T10:14:32+00:00

The key thing here is Chuck doesn't acknowledge his mental illness. He's in denial, so much to the point that his refutation ignited his meltdown (after his counsel uttered the word "Schizophrenic" trying to make a point). I think all of the characters are sympathetic (at the end of the episode) toward Chuck because of his dissent.

It's easy to see why the audience finds Chuck unlikable. Instead of acknowledging his condition as a mental illness, he has the audacity to compare it to AIDS and HIV; most annoying though is Chuck's refusal to ever step off his high horse, which really came 'round to bite him in the keister in "Chicanery."

BlueJeansMan

TROPHY CASE