Quintus

The Terror, first episode. Not great but watchable. Quite boring actually - 45 minutes felt like 90. Visually, it's all over the place, which I suppose is to be somewhat expected for a bigger budgeted maiden voyage (arf!) of a new show, but given it is an AMC production, I still expected better levels of consistency. The exterior shots are generally of a filmic quality, looking awfully handsome and expensive, but then we go back below deck and we're in daytime TV soap territory as the rambling leads disagree amongst themselves about the next plan of action (in a daring and doomed mission to find a sea lane through the Artic, while fending off the presumed psychological challenges that come with it). The differences in the quality of the photography from scene to scene are immersion breaking, but I'll overlook this aspect if proceedings improve in the next episodes - which I've heard they do, thankfully. By the way, for those who haven't seen the show yet but have their preconceptions of what sort of show it is based on the title; well "The Terror" is actually the name of the ship. I liked that.

So I hear the new show is just boring? Multiple sources. Still early days so I wouldn't call it just yet, but the fact that it displays on KIDS Netflix isn't exactly encouraging.

It's very good isn't it. A one-off, I'd have thought, and it really ought to stay that way. But I've heard Netflix is considering an expansion.

A glowing recommendation!

I enjoyed Guardians, it was a 3 star movie. Saw it the one time and never bothered to see the sequel. Should I?

Just when you thought it was safe to start posting again...

Started watching a couple of months ago, didn't get into it. Almost written off by me as being another "edgy" teen drama, it was a bit ponderous and obvious with its commentary smarts (for anyone over the age of 25), but then its conveniently consumable form (at 20 mins per episode) saw it back up on our living room TV when I couldn't really settle on anything else. That was lucky, because after a distinct but directionless opening, something happens later which fires a rocket up the story's arse and what follows is one of those great occurrences where one can feel a marked improvement with every subsequent episode. By the end (just 8 short installments), this comic book adaptation, overlooked on its initial run at Channel 4 but once again picked up by and earning itself a following on Netflix, was easily worthy of my time and I'd rank it favourably against other higher profile but lesser quality shows doing the rounds. A western in Surrey England, veering wildly between moments of humour, quiet and often cynical poetry (break out performance Jessica Barden as Elyssa narrates events with sharp and tragic insight) to sudden graphic violence, The End of the F***ing World is what would happen if Quentin Tarantino and Mike Leigh teamed up to remake Bonnie and Clyde. 4.5/5

Or from heaven.

I'm sure he can direct remotely these days anyway. They have really good Skype and stuff.

Ah of course, it's always been about the money for Spielberg. Dude needs to get paid.

Really? I could never get over how they wasted John Hurt so badly.

I don't mind that he makes whatever he fancies doing, but I do find it odd in this instance considering he's been pretty vocal in his disapproval of "four quadrant" movies dominating cinema lately.

I'd heard this has got gud again, but this isn't the case? Good to know, I was about to give it another look but now I won't bother.

At least it's easily ignorable.

Hmm, I dunno. For me the best, most naturalistic line in the movie is, "Sure great! Don't wait for me!"