I made the mistake of watching The Platform 2. A completely unnecessary and pointless sequel that was apparently made to cash in on the success? of the first movie.

Saw Captain America: Brave New World. It was good, but one character was way underutilized and one character didn't refer to themselves by their comic book moniker. The real reason to watch this movie is the dynamic between Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford.

Havent been watching much movie or tv show wise since I have been on vacation - just been watching anime from time to time.

Catching up - got a lot lol

For those with access, Fandango at Home is selling The Wizard for 5 bucks this weekend. I haven't seen it since it released but I have little to no nostalgia for this movie. Even at 13 years old I don't recall thinking much of the movie. It was the first time I laid eyes on the Power Glove though which seemed cool at the time.

I'm not so sure it is worth 5 bucks but then again it doesn't get much cheaper than that for a Nintendo-centric blast from the past.

Speaking of anime, I recently discovered a Netflix series called Pluto. It’s a mature-themed science fiction that has a strong Asimovian influence. If you’ve been a fan of anime since the 1980s, approaching this show without prior knowledge will be incredibly rewarding. However, I recommend avoiding YouTube or other locations, as younger Millennials and Gen Z tend to have a hard-on for broadcasting spoilers for the most intriguing plot twists of new shows (this one is fairly new, 2023) across the Internet within seconds of finishing them, like being the first to spoil is a sport.

Pluto is an 8-episode limited series, with each episode averaging around an hour and a few minutes in length. It's adapted from a comic book series from Japan, with a novel-style plot, so it's not a typical TV show structure.

Here are some details that won’t spoil the twists (and occur in the initial minutes):

• There are similarities to the TV show Hannibal and the films Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs
• The series is set in a world that is comparable to Asimov’s Robot/Spacer trilogy in terms of technological advancement, approximately 2.5 to 3000 years from now.
• Robots in this world adhere to laws inspired by Asimov’s (they can't harm or murder people, or let people die).
• Robot AI is advanced enough to be human-like. They philosophize on earthier or not their emotions are real, can they create art or merely mimic? And so on.
• However, there are anti-robot factions, but robots generally enjoy widespread acceptance and admiration from the majority of the population.
• Some robots possess extraordinary power well beyond Asimov's universe, like super heroes.

Here is a scene featuring the only robot to ever kill human, it is reminiscent of a meeting scene with Hannibal and doesn't spoil any twists

Small tangent (you don't have to read this), the writers fucked up in this scene, calling Pluto the Roman equivalent to the Greek Hades. But this is a common misconception, even among academics. But it is Dis, not Pluto, is the Roman equivalent of the Greek Hades/Pluton. The confusion might have originated because of the two popular Greek names for who is usually considered a single god—and in recent times, because of the former planet named Pluto. Originally, Pluto (Latinized) was the Greek god of the underworld and wealth (due to mining), while Hades was the god of the dead. The two were merged into one because they were both associated with the underworld. And just because something occurs in the Roman Empire doesn't make it Roman - gods like Pluto and Dionysus were popular in the Roman Empire among the Greeks, but their Roman equivalents were Dis and Bacchus.
end tangent

Here is the opening:

The show begins with a series of Hannibal-style murders where the bodies of the victims are adorned with antlers or horns—metal or branches inserted into their skulls (it’s bloody). What makes these murders even more unsettling is that one of the victims (at least by the beginning of episode 1) is one of the seven most powerful robots ever created. He was a revered war hero and beloved by children worldwide, and his death is marked by the removal of his head and the insertion of tree bows into his skull, raising the question of whether the murderer possesses extraordinary power—could it be a robot capable of killing humans?

The story begins and revolves around a murder case being investigated by Gesicht, a detective inspired by Asimov’s R. Daneel Olivaw and Elijah Baley.

I’ve only completed three episodes of Pluto, and I must say, it’s an excellent series so far. It feels quite a lot like anime of the 1980s and 90s, Ghost in the Shell and Akira, with a few elements similar Neon Genesis Evangelion. However, its production values are closer to the more recent Neon Genesis remake.

If you’re a fan of 1980s (and/or earlier) anime and haven’t heard of Pluto, I highly recommend giving it a try. You’re bound to discover a remarkable twist that will leave you thoroughly impressed.

Thanks for tip! Pluto added to my watch list.

Bad AI algorithms that it hasn't shown up in any recommendations, it fits my sci-fi preferences.

Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Serial Experiments Lain, Assimov all favorites, as well a Silence of the Lambs etc.

(Watch Serial Experiments Lain if you can find it)

Never saw Silence of The Lambs, but I should sometime.

Just watched "Ride of the Rohirrim" last night on HBO. It's a terrible movie, I can see why it bombed in cinemas. Hearing Howard Shore's epic score tacked onto this piece made me genuinely sad.