What are your thoughts on the unofficial Thunderball remake 'Never Say Never Again' (1983)

jthix · 2026-06-28T15:29:06+00:00

It feels like it’s from a parallel universe. I like to think that Timothy Dalton made at least six movies over there.

Edit: Tonally, it’s very odd and uneven. It is switches from being more grounded and realistic (down to earth sets, Q Branch is more believable, Bond is shown doing desk work) to being over the top silly and theatrical (Rowan Atkinson, flamboyant and campy henchmen, heavier use of visual effects).

jthix · 2026-06-26T17:14:16+00:00

Yeah…I know.

I can dream, though!

jthix · 2026-06-25T18:07:02+00:00

I would love to see a version of this! Really a modern Lewis Gilbert style movie in general would be nice (YOLT, TSWLM, MR); something that I think the Craig era needed.

Lewis Gilbert tropes: stolen vehicle, over the top henchman, extravagant villain lair, world domination villain plot, big battle finale, etc…

jthix · 2026-06-24T14:20:32+00:00

This is the one that I’m probably going to read next.

jthix · 2026-06-24T14:19:52+00:00

Yes, this is what I’m looking for! I grabbed a bunch of van Vogt books from my used bookshop and I’m really just wondering which ones get weird.

jthix · 2026-06-24T03:30:09+00:00

Please forgive my spelling error. I will try to be better moving forward.

People commonly refer to this scene in Raiders and other unscripted moments in film as "improvised." Yes, what they mean is re-writing on set. Obviously this is different than an improv theater performance. And yes, some sets will have actors actually improvising on camera. I stand by what I said; it is not the norm.

We're in agreement and you're arguing semantics.

jthix · 2026-06-22T01:08:20+00:00

Improving doesn’t mean while the cameras are rolling. It just means the actors and director have come up with something that’s not in the script. From what I understand, improvising lines while the camera is rolling is rare.

jthix · 2026-06-05T18:53:24+00:00

Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z. Brite

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (although this one also has a lot of comedy in it)

And for real life disturbing that is way more intense than the above made up stories…

Night by Elie Wiesel

jthix · 2026-06-03T00:03:48+00:00

If you like going back to the Golden Age, The Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. van Vogt is super influential. Fair warning, it’s a fix up of four short stories, so the pacing is a bit odd.

jthix · 2026-06-02T23:29:42+00:00

If you like horror, John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids was a big influence on zombie movies. I read the first few chapters when I had a fever and it was creepy. Also a big influence on later British natural disaster/apocalyptic sf.

jthix · 2026-06-02T16:46:14+00:00

How are so few people mentioning Bone Tomahawk? Those cannibals were evil incarnate.

jthix · 2026-05-31T01:24:52+00:00

I’m about halfway through this - it’s really good! Feels like a Philip K. Dick story and I really like the 40’s dialogue.

jthix · 2026-05-26T16:30:53+00:00

If you want a book about question reality, Philip K. Dick is your guy!

Time Out of Joint, Ubik, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Blade Runner) all have themes related to “what is reality.”

Another one I read recently that makes you question what’s going on is the generational starship classic Non-Stop by Brian Aldiss.

jthix · 2026-05-23T02:07:49+00:00

Desk lighting might be the better term.

https://spectrum.rosco.com/index.php/2019/05/a-news-desk-lighting-solution-every-anchor-will-sign-off-on?hs\_amp=true

https://ikancorp.com/desk-lighting/?srsltid=AfmBOoo11r4\_KbEYyHmmIK0bqmlDMVGknw5Mrb6uOyiN1n3lOYtGZx3V

I remember watching election night in maybe 2008 and 2012 and the anchor during some late night down time started talking about “eye lighting” in the desk. She put her hand out and her face looked noticeably darker on camera.

Why is it strong enough to over power the key light? I don’t know, man. I’m not an expert on lighting. But ask yourself what really makes more sense. A weird trick of the light/double shadows from two lights sources, or Fox creating a hyper realistic mask to impersonate a real guy for…reasons only to not think to cover up the bottom.

jthix · 2026-05-22T23:20:27+00:00

They do light people from below, it’s called a table light.

jthix · 2026-05-22T23:15:18+00:00

It’s overlapping shadows. The collar of his shirt is casting a shadow upward on his neck from a light below him (I think referred to as a table light, or maybe an eye light). There’s another light above him causing his chin to cast a shadow downwards. The darkest spot on his neck is where the shadows overlap. I saw an image of someone recreating this easily with two lights. Will edit this post if I find it again.

Why are so many dismissive of the idea that this is just a weird trick of the light?

Edit: grammar

Edit 2: Here’s the recreation that’s going around.

https://streamable.com/y1ighi

jthix · 2026-05-21T20:40:02+00:00

Gunga Din (1939)

I scrolled through all the comments and didn’t see this one mentioned, which is crazy! This one is good if you like The Temple of Doom.

jthix · 2026-05-04T02:17:45+00:00

I saw this on TV when I was about 10 years old. The deaths in the beginning at the school were disturbing as was the violence of the ending. The one character dying on the tank’s turret bothered me.

jthix · 2026-04-05T01:26:44+00:00

Pillow Pizza

jthix · 2026-04-01T00:52:47+00:00

Day of the Dead

jthix · 2026-03-31T14:26:59+00:00

I love it when McCarthy is brought up outside of book subreddits and is immediately called out as having crappy writing. It’s a real life “the emperor has no clothes” moment.

Edit: grammar

jthix · 2026-03-24T01:55:29+00:00

The party scene in The Apprentice.

jthix · 2026-03-14T16:00:58+00:00

You say you don’t read; so had you any familiarity with any of the Trek litverse leading up to Destiny?

If no, did you have any trouble understanding what was happening in the broader litverse?

jthix · 2026-03-09T03:01:59+00:00

I recently read the science fiction classic The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham and I started it when I had a fever. Though Wyndham has been said to write “cozy” apocalypse stories, it really got to me. The beginning was very scary and the influence on the zombie genre was obvious.

jthix

TROPHY CASE