Thursday Movie Picks #246: TMP Television Edition - Non-English

Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five titles and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.

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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is TMP Television Edition - Non-English

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If you think you've seen this theme before, you're right. We had one last year. This is one of those themes that I plan to do yearly. The past year though, unlike the previous year, I have less to choose from. Still here are the ones I've enjoyed.

Deutschland 83 (2015) & Deutschland 86 (2018)  

The Gist: The German drama follows Martin Rauch an East German border guard who is forcibly recruited to infiltrate the West German army. This is so interesting. If you like cold war spy action drama thrillers I highly recommend it. The first season takes place in 1983 and mostly follows Rauch in his attempts at gathering West German and NATO's military secrets. The second season takes place in 1986 and while it continues to have all the spy stuff, it also has a more expansive story exploring everything from the AIDs crisis and the East Germans dealings in African for ideological and economic reasons. I thought season two was stretching itself with all the different stuff that is going on but it was still an interesting eye opening watch. My guess is the producers of this series anticipate that some of the stuff that was covered in season 2 is not as well known as it has a companion documentary exploring how East Germany, on the brink of bankruptcy in the 80's, tried to stay afloat. I'm not sure but I vaguely remember reading somewhere that this is getting a third season titled Deutschland 89. Looking forward to it. 

Black Spot (2017 - ) 

The Gist: The small police force of a small French town on the edge of a mysterious forest is overwhelmed by the high crime/murder rate. I usually do not like the a-crime-an-episode sort of series, but there's something about this one that stands out from the rest. It's dark, suspenseful and continually has hints of a supernatural element. There's also an ongoing storyline that threads the episodes together involving the disappearance of the police inspector when she was a teenager, she retains no memory of her missing days, and the present day disappearance of the mayor's daughter which she thinks is linked. This is getting a second season though I am not sure when it will air. 

Money Heist  (2017 - )

The Gist: A Spanish series about a group of robbers robbing the mint. The robbers' plan is very complicated and involves them continually outmaneuvering and outwitting the authorities which made this a very entertaining action thriller. The third and I think final season is airing this year.

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Thursday Movie Picks #245: Private Eye

Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share your movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.

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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Private Eye

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When I came up with this theme, I thought I had a few choices to choose from, I was wrong. I really haven't seen that many, but here are the ones I like.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
I have not seen this in a long time, so I can't remember much other than it's is a murder mystery set against the showbiz world. I do remember liking it and finding it funny and would like to rewatch this again some time.

 
Gone Baby Gone (2007)
This is one of my more recent watches. I totally did not guess the turn the story took.

The Nice Guys (2016)

I really enjoyed this. The banter between the characters are funny. I think that this could actually make a good TV series if they can cast decent actors to fill the roles played by Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in the movie.
 

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Thursday Movie Picks #244: Movies You Thought You'd Hate But Ended Up Enjoying

Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share your movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.

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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Movies You Thought You'd Hate But Ended Up Enjoying [Suggested by Brittani]

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Today's theme is a suggestion from Brittani.  I think because, I usually avoid those that I think I won't like, and even if I do watch them out of curiosity, rarely would it ever end up with me really enjoying them, so it's quite a surprise to come up with three today.

 
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Being not really into musicals, I was very reluctant to see this and because it had been someone else's movie choice, I was sure I was going to have a terrible time and hate it. How wrong I was! I loved it from the very first scene. 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

I don't think I thought I would hate it but I didn't think I was going to like it either. The Planet of the Apes story had not interest me before so I had not watch the original nor the Time Burton remake, which did not look good. Anyway, only the good buzz from this one persuaded me to watch it and I loved it.
  
Dredd (2012)
Dredd is familiar to me in name as that Judge Dredd movie featuring Sylvester Stallone, not that I watched it. Movies with overly muscular hero guys are not my thing and Judge Dredd had just looked awful. Anyway, I watched Dredd because of the positive buzz and out of curiosity but didn't think I would actually like it, but I do.

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Thursday Movie Picks #243: Cold War

Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share your movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.

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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Cold War

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I haven't seen that many cold war movies, so my choices today are limited. I am picking the ones I like.

  
Barbara (2012)
The Gist: Set in 1980's East Germany, flagged as a potential defector, Barbara, a doctor, comes under the surveillance of the Stasi and is fearful that her neighbours and colleagues have also become Stasi informants. This one was quiet and quite scary with its atmosphere of suspicion and distrust.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)  
The Gist: An insane paranoid general deploys a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. I've picked this one several times before and once again here. There are not many, if any, cold war comedies; somehow Dr Strangelove manages to take a situation that is terrifying, it's still terrifying but also make it funny. This is one of those must watch movies.
 

Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)
The Gist: News reporter Edward R. Murrow challenges Senator Joseph McCarthy and expose him for fear mongering. It's been a long time since I've seen this so I don't remember much other than I had liked it and found the story interesting. 
 
 The Lives of Others (2006)
The Gist:A Stasi officer conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover becomes increasing absorbed by their lives. Once again it's been a long time since I've seen this so I don't remember much of this now, but I do remember liking it. I'd say watch this and then Barbara.

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