Ask A Genius 957: Are you not entertained?~!
Author(s): Rick Rosner and Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Ask A Genius
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/06/19
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Well, let me give a brief preface. I work around 14 to 18 hours a day because I don’t sleep much, averaging 16 or so, 7 days a week. However, I no longer stress as much as I used to. I take better care of myself now, which is a significant improvement. Recently, I’ve been watching clips of video games, movies, and TV shows on YouTube. They are so well-made that they almost appear real. You wanted to recommend some content to me, and I appreciate that. I don’t think I should recommend miniseries that run six to ten hours, as you probably don’t want to spend that much time. Instead, I can suggest movies, which only take up about two hours each.
Rick Rosner: Let’s start with Netflix. Do you have a Netflix subscription?
Jacobsen: Yes.
Rosner: Hold on, let’s check Netflix. I’ll go through some options, so there will be some pauses. Alright, perhaps I will recommend some series. On Netflix, there’s “Girls5eva,” which is about a girl band reuniting 20-30 years later. It’s created by the same people who did “30 Rock” – Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. It’s very funny, with a joke every 30 seconds. However, it may not be to your taste. Another series is “The Three-Body Problem,” a well-done alien invasion series with a lot of history, including the Cultural Revolution in China under Mao. It takes you back to 1968 in China. It’s good, although the scientists are portrayed as overly attractive. There’s another show called “The Gentlemen,” directed by Guy Ritchie. It’s pretty fun, though you might not want to invest much time in it. Regarding movies, “The Good Place” on Netflix is highly recommended. It’s a comedy about philosophy and is quite charming. You don’t find much comedy about philosophy, and all the characters are very charming.
Let’s move on to movies. “Burn After Reading” is a Coen Brothers movie featuring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and John Malkovich. It’s from 2008 and very entertaining because all the characters, played by great actors, are portrayed as idiots. “House of Cards” is also on Netflix. It’s interesting how dark and terrible the characters are. The show ran until Kevin Spacey was outed as a sexual predator, and then they had to kill off his character. You might want to sample an episode, although I doubt it. It has a nice tone and grim music.
Just want to sample an episode, though I kind of doubt it. But it does have a nice tone and nice, like, grim music. Let’s see, anything else? There are also the “30 for 30” documentaries. Do you know what they are?
Jacobsen: No.
Rosner: They are half-hour sports documentaries. For example, one is about Lance Armstrong. What’s nice about a 30-minute documentary is that it tells the whole story quickly. “Queen’s Gambit” is about a chess genius who is also very attractive. It might be worth watching, although it’s about six hours long. “Hitman,” a new movie from Richard Linklater, is about a guy who pretends to be a hitman for the cops. It’s mostly a comedy with some suspense.
Jacobsen: Really charming, nice to look at.
Rosner: Let’s see, we might be out of options on Netflix. Let’s move on to another streaming service. Do you have Prime?
Jacobsen: Yes.
Rosner: Alright, let’s check Prime. We [Ed. Carole and Rick] watched all this content so you don’t have to. I’ll pick out some good stuff. One series I didn’t recommend is a superhero series where they spend 12 episodes creating problems for themselves and barely manage to clean them up. Very annoying, I think. You see that in a lot of superhero content. On Prime, if you haven’t seen “Oppenheimer,” it’s worth watching. It’s a historical film done by good actors and a great director, focusing on the development of the atomic bomb. “Fallout,” based on the video game, takes place 200 years after a nuclear war. It might not be worth the time. Netflix has a lot of good stand-up comedy. Do you know which stand-ups are good?
Jacobsen: I like woke and non-woke at the same time. Hannah Gadsby is good. Dave Chappelle is funny. Chris Rock is good.
Rosner: Let’s go back to Netflix and look at stand-up. Good stand-up can be both woke and non-woke simultaneously, as long as the comedian knows how to joke about potentially offensive topics. “Long Shot” is on Netflix, featuring Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron. It’s about a schlubby guy working for the Secretary of State. Every time I see it, I end up watching the whole thing. It’s great, funny, and wish-fulfilling. Of all the content I’ve mentioned, I like “Long Shot” the best. “The Imitation Game” is about Alan Turing during World War II, with Benedict Cumberbatch playing Turing. It’s decent if you like that kind of story.
Jacobsen: Lovely.
Rosner: It’s freaking great. It’s funny and it’s also a wish fulfill-y, you know, kind of thing. So out of all the stuff that I have talked about so far, I like Longshot the best. John Mulaney’s latest stand-up is also good. It talks about his struggles with drug addiction and how he got clean, though it’s a bit angstier than his usual material. If you prefer less angst, his earlier stuff is also good. Hannah Gadsby is also a good comedian if you like woke comedy, if you like woke Hannah Gadsby, on her level.
Rosner: Yes, she’s good. We agree, so moving on. If you enjoy history and gender equality, “On the Basis of Sex,” the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic on Netflix, is worth watching.
Jacobsen: Can’t go wrong with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in my opinion.
Rosner: Although some criticize her for not retiring earlier, which would have allowed President Obama to appoint her successor, thus avoiding the appointment by Trump. Nevertheless, the series is worth watching. For those who like roasts, “The Roast of Tom Brady” is very offensive but funny. There are also explain-y movies like “Dumb Money,” which explains meme stocks like GameStop, and “The Big Short,” which explains the financial crisis.
Jacobsen: Which of those do you think I would like the most?
Rosner: Of everything I mentioned, my favorite is “Long Shot” because it’s funny, the characters are enjoyable, and it’s a bit wish-fulfilling. Plus, it’s always entertaining to see a big-time actor like Charlize Theron do a comedy that requires some dirty humor. Do you enjoy science fiction?
Jacobsen: It depends.
Rosner: On Prime, there is a series called “The Peripheral,” which is a well-done time travel show. It involves traveling back to the present from the future. The future is portrayed very convincingly. Some parts may not make immediate sense, but I like the characters and the visual style. Wait a second, there’s “Upload.” “Upload” is fun; it’s created by the same person who did “The Office.” It’s set in a near future where people’s consciousnesses can be mapped and uploaded into a metaverse. It’s really good because it explores many of the futuristic concepts we often discuss, but in the comedic style of “The Office.” Out of everything you’ve recommended so far, I think “Upload” might be the best choice. It takes high-concept ideas and turns them into a comedy.
Jacobsen: Which ones are your favorite?
Rosner: I keep mentioning “Long Shot,” and I’d also recommend “Upload.” I’m disappointed it might not get another season, though. Alright, let’s see what else they have. There are several “John Wick” films available on various streaming services. They feature a lot of kung fu and gunfights, but they don’t require much thought. “The Boys” on Prime is quite interesting. It’s a very dirty, super-violent show about superheroes who cause more harm than good. For example, one superhero’s power is shrinking, and in a particularly extreme scene, he accidentally kills his boyfriend while inside him. Another character, Splinter, can duplicate himself and is caught in a daisy chain of self-pleasure. It’s very nasty but intriguing if you’re into extreme content. Tig Notaro is fun wherever you can find her. She has stand-up specials on Netflix. Alright, let’s move on from Prime. I wouldn’t recommend “Downton Abbey” or “Bridgerton.” These are historical drama romances, and the plots are too simplistic. They mainly appeal to those who enjoy imagining life in the past, which might not be your preference. Let’s see. Do you have Disney Plus?
Jacobsen: We don’t currently have it, but we have had it before.
Rosner: Do you like “Star Wars”?
Jacobsen: I like certain aspects of “Star Wars.”
Rosner: But since we don’t have Disney Plus, I can’t check its current offerings. It likely has all the “Indiana Jones” movies, which might be semi-interesting to see an 80-year-old Indiana Jones. The best one was the first, and the rest are okay if you’re a fan. Let’s go to Hulu. At least with “The Boys,” the superheroes cause more problems than they fix, but it’s intentional satire. It’s saying that superheroes are more likely to be problematic than truly heroic. This is less frustrating than shows like “Umbrella Academy,” where the characters don’t fix anything, and you’re supposed to overlook that. Let’s see, on Hulu, they’ve got Eddie Izzard’s stand-up. I like him because he challenges gender norms and does what he wants without explaining himself. He sometimes dresses like a woman, which is interesting as he doesn’t feel the need to justify it. “What We Do in the Shadows” is a decent series about vampires who are mostly idiots. It’s by Taika Waititi, who is always good. The show has fun characters, including an energy vampire who drains people’s energy by being boring. I’m being an energy vampire as I go through these shows. Alright, let’s move away from Hulu. Next, let’s check Max. Do you watch John Oliver?
Jacobsen: Yes, he’s funny and thoughtful at the same time.
Rosner: He gets to the point in about 22 minutes.
Jacobsen: He’s concise and does fun stuff on either side of the serious topics.
Rosner: Max also has “House of the Dragon,” a “Game of Thrones” prequel, which might not be worth your time. “The Last of Us” is a decent zombie apocalypse show based on a video game. It explores the zombie concept through a fungus, which is more interesting than typical zombie shows.
Jacobsen: What else is there?
Rosner: Have you seen “Deadpool”?
Jacobsen: Yes, I find Deadpool funny.
Rosner: Deadpool is interesting because he breaks the fourth wall. Both “Deadpool” movies are likely available. I like “Euphoria,” but it might not be worth your time. It’s a high school drama filled with angst and perversion, trying to push boundaries in a soap opera-like fashion.
Jacobsen: It’s not for me.
Rosner: “Hacks” is another show we enjoy, but it might not be for you.
License
In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.in-sightpublishing.com.
Copyright
© Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012-Present. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. All interviewees and authors co-copyright their material and may disseminate for their independent purposes.
In-Sight Publishing 