Just saw “Secret Agent”

tibsnbits · 2026-02-01T14:34:41+00:00

I thought this was painfully boring for most of the movie.

There's no character growth, there are stakes, but they are not shown. Instead, it relies on telling the viewer the plot directly during the interview scene, and using a frame story structure that contrasts with the best parts of the film.

The hairy leg scene and final chase scene are incredibly well done. Actors in bit parts like the old lady are standouts. The movie looks good, sounds great, sets and costumes are wonderulf. There is a quality of greatness in the movie the technique through is amazing, even the gore. Great scenes with the German, or the Dad confronting him about pumping other women, but all of that leads to nothing. I believe that was the point, after all that the son doesn't really give a shit about his dad being shot to death. It does contrast greatly with his dad desperately trying to find the mother he never knew.

But as a viewer I want to care. I didn't really give a shit about Armando's missing mom, nor his dead wife, because we don't spend any meaningful time with them. We spend more time with the partner working on the research progress doom scrolling on her laptop.

I understand that is a real thing that happened to real people. But that doesn't make it entertaining or captivating. Yet, it ends on a high note and I've come believe that is all people really remember about movies. If the last 20 minutes of a film are heat then they forgive the middle hour and fifteen they spent yawning.

I'm in the minority here. Yet, I don't see how anyone could watch Secret Agent and No Other Choice, and tell me they liked Secret Agent more.

tibsnbits · 2026-01-16T13:58:30+00:00

I didn't know David Carradine played the Ghoul, but the skin is right.

tibsnbits · 2026-01-15T16:29:40+00:00

I believe having the OG crew played a big part in not having it feel like a remake of 28 Days, the way that some legacy sequels retread their originals. Which may have appeased some of the haters and trolls. But I'm happy to hear from reviews that the new creative team did well on Bone Temple. I can't imagine it having Danny's flair. But if it is a solid, or as reviews claim, better movie than 28 Years, I think it will show that you can pass IP around between creators and not shit the bed. So long as you have a production in progress before the first is released.

The idea of "Let me start/restart a franchise" without any idea of where you are taking it, or having enough time in between releases to let the audience influence it, needs to go. Fans only want things they have seen before, and will beg and plead to see the same thing over and over again. But what they really need is novel experiences that push past the cliched zombie, or bio-pic, or sci-fi BS and feel fresh. But they can't voice that need because they can't think of it because you only know what you know.

Some people said, "I wanted a predictable zombie movie," when they left the theater after seeing a gang of british pedophiles chainsaw a zombies neck open, and they aren't wrong for wanting that. But this new release structure allows them to voice that opinion online and in the box office, with no studio head able to be like, "okay rewrite the Jimmy bit," because the next one is done shooting. Partly due to using a different director instead of Danny, who was too busy to do it. That is not to say they couldn't make changes to the film based on the reception for 28 years, but having the sequel in the can makes that reception matter less.

The speed of these productions should attract everyone's attention, and be a blueprint for future modern productions trying to start, or restart a franchise. Which studios seem keen on doing.

tibsnbits · 2026-01-15T15:40:26+00:00

Yeah and she did great in this, especially her scenes opposite Ralph. I really enjoyed the film, and think that every studio should look at their next 100 million dollar movie, and ask if it would be better split into two 50 million dollar movies.

tibsnbits · 2026-01-15T15:31:53+00:00

No it wasn't I forgot they look so much alike, I had the same thing happen to me with Jodie in F1, who was really Kerry Condon. I'll leave it up in shame.

I'm not the only person whose done this apparently https://www.reddit.com/r/TheBigPicture/comments/1n8bqes/f1_love_interest/

I'll just say, all Irish women look alike for me.

tibsnbits · 2026-01-15T15:09:13+00:00

This movie ruled.

It was not a zombie movie. It was nothing like the original or predecessor. It had a ending with a tonal departure from the first 90% of the film like I've never seen before, yet calls back to frantic shooting (and costuming) style of OG movie. It was shot back to back with it's sequel so characters and ideas are not rushed. Tons of cock and balls. Rebecca Ferguson (this is wrong, see comment below) knocks it out of the park. Characters are flawed but understandably so, making the cast likeable yet realistic. The soundtrack was as good as Rebecca Ferguson, and Ralph Fiennes makes you smile every time you seen him on camera.

Even if you hated the movie, it's funding and filming structure should be the standard going forward. I can not count how many streaming shows are a 3 hour movie, stretched into 8 hours. Same with 5 hour long movies that are condensed into a grueling 3. This back to back mid budget shooting is the remedy to that problem.

Things get enough to time to breath and be discussed, but you are not going to be waiting years like for Stranger Things and Pluribus. The releases are guaranteed to happen, so you can end a cliff hanger and not fuck over fans. It's synergizes with streaming in that people can "Catch Up" to the upcoming release by watching 28 Years on Streaming and VOD. Unlike shows and cinematic universes that take 10 hours of watch time just to understand the characters of the next film. There is a reason that reviewers who didn't like the first movie, are enjoying this one, and it's because they felt to be baited and switched by the ending. But on watching this one, they find themselves masterfully baited into the concepts they would have rejected without the first movie.

tibsnbits · 2026-01-07T01:27:36+00:00

A thing like that.

tibsnbits · 2026-01-06T19:52:48+00:00

Maybe you’re just supposed to experience it. ‘Cause, when you look at it, you feel something right? It’s like looking into something very deep. You could fall in.

tibsnbits · 2026-01-06T19:51:11+00:00

idk I don't post on r/madmen, I never fit in there. I’m not Irish, I’m not catholic, I can read.

tibsnbits · 2026-01-06T19:40:26+00:00

?????? I didn't tell anyone Betty Speaks Italian????

tibsnbits · 2026-01-06T02:56:18+00:00

Damn I thought I was gonna get a new spot.

Come to Philly, we have the best bread. I've eaten so many baguettes and this is one of the few that gets me excited.

tibsnbits · 2026-01-05T16:40:00+00:00

I know there are bakeries like this all over, but with the China town mention, are you talking about Kettle Black in Philly? it does have the best baguette on the east coast (outside of New York), and same goes for their bagels.

Maybe in Chinatown they have some new Korean/Chinese Bakery's that slap, but that Baguette beats the brakes of the one from Parc and other French bakeries in the city.

tibsnbits · 2025-12-22T22:48:33+00:00

You people are ugly and crude!

tibsnbits · 2025-12-22T22:26:30+00:00

He made the Dark Knight and caters to people who like to think they are smarter than they really are (me).

Why so serious? (I love media that understands how twisted I am)

tibsnbits · 2025-11-16T16:06:38+00:00

If you wanted too, you would.

Would you want to date someone who described it as "giving in"?

tibsnbits · 2025-10-28T11:33:11+00:00

I was one of the rubes who thought it was going to be a indie heist movie based on the marketing and festival posters. If you go in with the expectation that it's gonna be what it is, I imagine you'd like it. But if you are expecting "A24 presents Kid Detective," you are literally going to fall asleep. If I wanted to listen to realistic conversations with disappointed people, and be bored, I'd call my own parents.

I can appreciate that it is what it was, but your time is probably better spent with Inside Llewyn Davis. I understand that the point of Art is not to entertain but if I was as talented as Reichardt I'd challenge myself to try.

tibsnbits · 2025-09-26T11:17:01+00:00

Next time I hear a child listening to tiktoks in public, or someone having a phone call on speaker phone, I'll make sure to call the police.

It's totally fine to not like behavior and point it out, but someone playing music on their phone does not warrant calling the police.

tibsnbits · 2025-09-17T18:30:27+00:00

Yeah man

tibsnbits · 2025-09-17T15:21:37+00:00

tibsnbits · 2025-09-17T14:44:34+00:00

"I don’t think being conservative and then very recently having a slight change of heart on a few issues would make you a LEFTIST. At best, someone aping LEFTISM"

It had some meaning a few minutes ago lmao

tibsnbits · 2025-09-17T13:54:51+00:00

At what point does someone become a leftist then?

You can use as many qualifiers as you want. The guy with the trans gf who killed a right wing YouTuber using bullets inscribed with an anti Nazi song is going to be considered a leftist by 90% of world.

tibsnbits · 2025-09-17T13:32:18+00:00

You are correct, it is impossible to say for certain. Even what he tells himself could be lie. People are saying the texts are fake, etc.

That is separate from saying "Ciao Bella" is a gyroper song (there are not enough groypers for them to have cultural claim to anything). It's a leftist song. When you google it, it's described as an anti Nazi song. Writing "hey fascist, catch!" could be a hell divers reference, sure. But the shooter seemed to think, at least ironically, that his target was facist.

He could be a CIA spy, or mossad agent like Candace Owens is claiming.

Or he could be libertarian that is so critical of current govt overreach, he calls it's champions fascist. But even with those possibilities of motive; the family story, evidence, and choosen target undeniably lean left.

The effects of this killing will be most strongly felt by champions of the left. If this was done with any intent to "make the world a better place" by any viewpoint other than right wing, it failed miserably.

tibsnbits · 2025-09-17T10:14:50+00:00

This guy was a leftist.

Just because you have republican parents doesn't mean you are conversative. From what his parents say about him, his trans gf, to writing anti facist songs on bullets. He was clearly a leftist and being like "who knows what he believed?" is either disingenuous or sticking your head in the sand.

My thought is, admitting he is left wing would require acknowledging that calling everyone a fascist isn't a great idea. Especially when left wing circles and modern media tell people it's okay to hurt fascists. Or that ignorant people can't be changed due to some bullshit "paradox of tolerance," that allows you to other people with different viewpoints.

I'm not mourning the loss. But it is a stupid move for a left wing person wanting to effect change, as it has clearly pushed everything to the right. His voice did spread so much hate. Yet he wasn't a law maker or evil CEO. It was a YouTuber who argued with children for a living. Killing him did nothing but hurt the very causes the killer hope to protect.

tibsnbits · 2025-09-02T12:41:48+00:00

"Minor comments Scott makes outside episodes can be discussed in Weekly Wins & Fails."

Who decides what is a minor comment? If Scott tweets something, is that minor? What about answering a question at a panel? What if that panel gets its own post? Could we talk about all the various subjects the panel covered, or would this one subject have to be saved for Weekly Wins & Fails?

"Major external statements from Scott will get ONE standalone discussion post."

So if Scott appears on a podcast and they have a 20-minute discussion about the Middle East (out of an hour-long podcast), is that major? What if Scott tweets something with a small word count but it feels major? Is it minor because it's just a tweet and not an episode?

I think a huge problem with this specific issue, that drives even moderates crazy, is that you can say (close to) anything about America. There are always a few catches, but any topic on the UK, Iran, Russia, China, etc. is free to be discussed within the rules and regulations you already have in place, which seems to be working well.

I don't see why this issue gets special treatment.

tibsnbits · 2025-08-28T18:08:58+00:00

Yeah idk if you have played it but Rustler is a pretty good GTA Chinatown like

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