A24 4,333 Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 First season was fun. And not only just fun, but it also made you wonder who the true bully is. Third season is available now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Daniel seemed like an annoying jerk in the movies anyway. Johnny seems more like a bloke you'd wanna hang out with at the pub and share a yarn or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,333 Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Sure, but in the movies Daniel-san is pushed forward as the hero, like he's the Rocky of karate, while Johnny was definitely corrupted by the dark side of the fighting sports. This dynamic completely changes in the TV series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Horrible! Accept it and move on to something worthwhile- like UNCUT GEMS😜😝😛😅 What about the constant product placement for automobiles? The show is one big car commercial! Yuk!😰 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 We get it, you don’t like the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,333 Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 23 minutes ago, bruce marshall said: Horrible! Accept it and move on to something worthwhile- like UNCUT GEMS😜😝😛😅 What about the constant product placement for automobiles? The show is one big car commercial! Yuk!😰 Terrible! That movie is a constant marketing stunt for diamonds. Ugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 1 minute ago, AC1 said: Terrible! That movie is a constant marketing stunt for diamonds. Ugh! I agree 22 minutes ago, Koray Savas said: We get it, you don’t like the show. I'm done 😉 I just liked tweaking our fearless leader😛 A24 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 Cobra Kai is like the ideal companion piece to The Mandalorian. Watch one while the other is unavailable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,441 Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 Because both are based on film franchises from the 80s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 No because they're both really good, mindless entertainments. And the episodes are short - like The Simpsons! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 Yeah I like how they aren't dragged out to an hour each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 9 hours ago, The Big Man said: Yeah I like how they aren't dragged out to an hour each. There has been a bit of a comeback for thirty minute dramas. And that's a good thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 My wife is binging Netflix period drama Bridgerton. If I had to watch it with her I'd claw my own eyes out. I cannot fathom how people can actually endure this kind of stuff, it's unbearable to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,527 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 @Quintus I've not seen this, Lee, but it looks a bit like some sort of prequel to DOWNTOWN ABBEY, at least in style. A quick flick through Wiki, and...it's Regency, so lots of corsets and heaving bosoms, plus political intrigue, an sturdy English cast, good production desi- Julie fucking Andrews??!!! Whoa! It's probably worth it, to see her, alone. Watch it, Lee, and I guarantee you'll get some, afterwards. @Quintus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Richard, from what I can tell Dame Julie is only the narrator (and she still manages to somehow chew her way through it), and woke agenda is the show's modus operandi. That's a hard pass for me. Plus, it's like 90% shagging. Was there loads of that in Downton then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Oh god my friend nagged me to watch Bridgerton tonight and I was like nah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,527 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 44 minutes ago, Quintus said: ...it's like 90% shagging. Was there loads of that in Downton then? Can't say. I've never seen a single minute of Downtown. You got something against shagging? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 In the shows I watch, yes. I can't stand that softcore erotica bollocks in dramas or thrillers, it was the worst aspect of Game of Thrones for me and has me reaching for the remote. Bridgerton is clearly aimed at the Fifty Shades of Shite crowd: women in lockdown. Which is fine, I guess. Naïve Old Fart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 It's their Youporn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,527 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 All that "softcore erotica" in GOT has me reaching for something, but it's not the remote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Just watch actual porn instead! It's better. Naïve Old Fart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,527 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Good point. When I get the chance, I'll check the "porn" section, at my local thrift shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Period pieces are best for female nudity. Natural bodies😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 been watching a lot of Night Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 The Undoing Heh, David E. Kelley shows are barely recognisable now from Ally McBeal or Boston Legal. But he still can't resist a good courtroom scene or two. Decent whodunnit. This time, the butler really did do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Quintus 5,399 Posted January 13, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted January 13, 2021 Finished the Queen's Gambit. After quickly binging the main brunt of the series, we slowed down almost to a halt for the last couple: once you've seen five chess match montages you've sort of seen them all, and the novelty of the elegantly stimulative though decidedly one note underscore begins to wear off. Still, the score and the handsome filming works hard to make an otherwise boring game seem quite exciting and even a little glamorous, and I think that's actually the biggest most impressive accomplishment of this show. The actor who plays older Beth is obviously the other big main draw (not to play down the earlier scenes of the terrific younger Beth), and she is excellent in this major breakout role; but also, at least for me, a little bit too distracting. See, this girl is beyond strikingly beautiful to look at (doesn't this show's director know it), and in the end I just don't buy it - that a chess prodigy could ever be as impossibly gorgeous and glam as the character depicted in the Queen's Gambit. One could probably build a decent argument that says the whole thing is fantasy drivel based solely on that aspect, but it'd take a real misery guts to do that. It was Madonna who said Rita Hayworth gave good face, but in the later episodes Anya Taylor-Joy takes that concept to a level where every single shot of her could be a Vogue cover, and it actually begins to erode my immersion in the story a little. I've never had my suspension of disbelief broken by outright sheer beauty before, so this was a bizarre first, and I think this somewhat minor misgiving wouldn't have presented itself had they cast a more "convincing" face in the role. This is chess - where the absolute masters have the appearance of serial killers! People no doubt would consider this a strange criticism to make, but I've personally always had this meta problem with small-town America serials whereby the cast look like models. For eg, I couldn't get into The Leftovers for the same reason. With all that said, Anya Taylor-Joy does flex her considerable personal acting talents (including her beneficial aesthetic attributes) to great effect in this series, and she deserves the plaudits for going all in on the role. The climatic shot of her, staring mesmerisingly into the camera as she achieved the clarity she sought, the unrelenting swirl of the music reaching its crescendo, was a wonderful and legitimately cinematic moment. A satisfying end to the grand chess master storyline that would have Rocky Balboa punching the air. But then it carried on after that, the story of Beth's success doubling down, almost to the point of narrative betrayal, on its desire to leave audiences with a sugary sweet aftertaste in their mouths. All her problems apparently just washing away. It seemed a bit odd to abandon those mechanically high effort threads so casually. Ultimately, it was a bit off. Nevertheless, Queen's Gambit is a semi great Netflix effort, one that is very easy to recommend. Because the good parts are as good as anything in seen in TVs best. Wojo, Naïve Old Fart, bruce marshall and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 Did Q actually quote Madonna?!😳 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 Check out this haul from my library! Should cut down on my JWFAN posting😅 For awhile. 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 Anyone else watching The Vow about that creepy multi-level marketing sex cult where that nut from Smallville would brand women with her initials? Mum said "notice all these idiots are white?" I said "I dunno maybe black people can't afford to sign up for these scams?" The shit they taught in these groups was really weird and neurotic. Nothing you couldn't get from your K-Mart bargain bin for $4.99 though if you need a little motivation. The United States is a fertile breeding ground for this sort of self-help culture, mainly because it's all designed to make you think you can become a more effective salesperson in the business world, and its crossover into sales culture is notorious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,481 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 Sex cult, sorry I received an alert. What? KK 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rough cut 1,714 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 The Terror S1 https://m.imdb.com/title/tt2708480/ Some time ago, I read the book by Dan Simmons and it’s a good read if you have the patience for it (it’s 784 pages long!), and now I finally caught up with its cinematic interpretation produced by Ridley Scott. The show has a lot of people praising it for various reasons, and I can agreee: good actors, a well written script and beautifully filmed. It has some fantastical elements and is a bit of an adventure but it’s a drama more than anything else and it moves slowly in terms of story development. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just how it is. So is it worth seeing? It depends. It’s amazing to consider the aspects of the story that are true (how the hell did they go to the arctic 150 years ago, on those majestic shops, carrying 133 men, equipment, food, whisky and rum!). It doesn’t follow the book beat-for-beat, but the broad strokes are there. Some omissions I really missed and I don’t agree with all the changes but it was done well enough. Especially the ending had a different spin to it that made more sense in the book (as did any ‘supernatural’ elements). But I guess that if you haven’t read the book you don’t know what you’re missing so you’ll be the none the worse off from it. My guess would be that if you’re a fan of submarine movies, then this is right up your alley. Soldiers trapped in a tight place with no where to go. It’s claustrophobic, lots of human drama and is a constant fight with the elements - all the while being visually pleasing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 Really good slow burner. Although I never bothered to watch the second series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rough cut 1,714 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 No, I haven’t come round to that one yet either, I hear it’s a much more “surface level” story (cash grab spin off on the heels of the success of its predecessor?) compared to S1. But I’m curious to check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,333 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 I really liked The Terror S1 but S2 (which is a different thing altogether) is pretty bad. Ridley Scott and I were particularly impressed with the 'The Dive' scene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 Yeah I saw you chatting about it together over zoom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,193 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 2 hours ago, rough cut said: The Terror S1 I checked that out, among other things, by watching the first episode when I had a Prime trial subscription. It was one of several series I've found that I'd very much like to watch in full and would be happy to buy on Blu-ray for a reasonable price. Apparently there's an R1 release, so perhaps there's hope for a European version as well (I can play R1s, but I usually watch series on my TV in bed, and I'd have to move & reconnect the R1 player for that). (Un)availability for non-subscribers is one of my main worries about the fragmented world of streaming platforms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rough cut 1,714 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 Just get Prime for a month or two and then unsubscribe. It’d be about the same price as a BD-disc and I doubt you’d ever watch this again, considering how much content we have nowadays - both current and old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,193 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 2 hours ago, rough cut said: Just get Prime for a month or two and then unsubscribe. It’d be about the same price as a BD-disc and I doubt you’d ever watch this again, considering how much content we have nowadays - both current and old. I find the Prime interface (on the PS4 at least, which is the only version I have hooked up to my TV) horrible, and I sometimes take a break in the middle of watching a series when I get distracted by another shiny thing, so I'd feel stressed if I had to watch something on a deadline - plus on some days the quality is noticeably worse than usual (and it's never that great to begin with). And while you're right that there's no time to watch and re-watch everything that's interesting, unfortunately I do tend to re-watch stuff (and with a streaming platform you can't even be sure it's still there when you want to watch it again, although admittedly that's probably a small risk for stuff produced by the platform providers themselves). I'm unhappy enough to be "dependent" on Netflix, and I'd rather buy stuff if I know I like it - I've got both Fringe and STTNG on Blu even though I could stream it. I've got a price watch set for a complete Mr. Robot box set (another one I've watched one episode of). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rough cut 1,714 Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 Yeah, I get what you’re saying, I am also one for re-watching stuff I like (and sometimes re-watching stuff I don’t like, just to be sure. I saw TLJ three times, hated it every time!), but all I am saying I’s that this show might not be one to re-watch. The Terror is good. But it’s not that good - I think. Others might disagree of course and then my whole argument falls apart. ; ) But from that point of view, it might be worth forking up 10 dollars - horrible interface or not - to see a thing you really want to see. But I do understand your evaluation of the situation. Marian Schedenig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 Caught WandaVision the other day - so far it's OK, if anything is praiseworthy, it's how faithful a reproduction it is to the sitcoms of the 50's, with the tropes, sets, effects all largely done in the same vein. Yet, beyond that - and I know it's only two episodes so far - they flew by without anything meaningful happening until the end of the second episode. Some elements reminded me of the film Pleasantville with colour returning with the growth of the characters beyond their scripted, B&W TV lives. Wanda and Vision are perhaps the least interesting MCU characters along with Hawkeye- woefully underdeveloped in their films to the point Thanos's quip in Endgame is kind of a meta jab at how bland and forgettable Wanda is. Hopefully this show can retroactively correct this and give these characters a fair go, and to be honest, how could they compete in an Avengers film with fifty characters all struggling for equal screen time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 Seven eps into SAUL. I hate all the characters which makes it hard to enjoy, no matter how well made. That story arc about Mesa Verde and Barry Corbin was WTF? . I enjoy the show EXCEPT for the scenes with Kin and Jimmy. Never bought her going with him. Like her boss said " She could do much better"..Still.... Must watch tv despite the flaws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 14 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said: I find the Prime interface (on the PS4 at least, which is the only version I have hooked up to my TV) horrible This sentence is horrible. Why do people feel the need to interrupt their sentences with obtrusive brackets instead of just saving that shit for the following sentence? bruce marshall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rough cut 1,714 Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 Wandavision - Probably, a lot of people ”caught” it. 😉 So the first two episodes... It was well made, but interesting only because you know the characters from the MCU. There was no plot, no story. No propulsion. If it didn’t have MCU-characters in it, I probably wouldn’t have made it past E1. And people will say, “yes, of course it had plot, of course it had story”. No, not really. Spoiler The radio blurting out “Wanda, who’s doing this to you” and crazy bee-man showing up is not plot, those are merely plot-elements. I mean, we get it because we not morons, she’s trapped in a coma or something and somebody has her trapped in her mind to extract information (or she’s doing it to herself to protect her mind). I could be wrong, I’m only guessing. Which is a problem. Because even after one hour I (or any body else) still has no idea what the show is about or what the story is. Compare it to Mandalorian. First two episodes set up character and story and drama. Who is Mando? Will he find the “asset”? Why is the asset a kid? What will they do to him? What will Mando do with the kid? Or how about comparing it to plain old classic story telling, get from point A to point B to achieve X. Very linear. And very compelling for the audience. Propulsion. Wandavision had none of that. The sitcom bits didn’t really hold up in my opinion, it wasn’t really funny as I kinda think they meant it to be. Not ironically, as a parody or at face value. So what’s left? Not much. But we kinda know where it’s going. And I like the MCU, I am invested in it after seeing a bazillion movies, for good or ill, so I’ll keep on watching. I just hope it picks up some pace. It might very well come together in the most awesome way, and the pay off will blow our minds, and it’ll be groundbreaking storytelling and TV, but it’s impossible to say after two episodes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayesian 1,363 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 On 1/17/2021 at 1:51 AM, rough cut said: Wandavision - Probably, a lot of people ”caught” it. 😉 So the first two episodes... It was well made, but interesting only because you know the characters from the MCU. There was no plot, no story. No propulsion. If it didn’t have MCU-characters in it, I probably wouldn’t have made it past E1. I agree with you about the propulsion aspect, but for now it doesn’t bother me because the show’s setup is so different from anything I’ve watched in a long time and that’s been enough to keep my interest. If E3 doesn’t start getting into the plot, my interest might wane. The novelty of 60s era TV sitcoms in a present-day show will start wearing thin. But I don’t think that’s going to be a worry; I just remember the trailer and the action-y bits it teases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo 2,453 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 I have zero interest in Wanda vision. Neither character is interesting enough to carry a show on their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 On 1/17/2021 at 9:40 AM, The Big Man said: This sentence is horrible. Why do people feel the need to interrupt their sentences with obtrusive brackets instead of just saving that shit for the following sentence? I do it all the time, it's a deliberate stylistic choice useful for staying on track while providing [hopefully] snappy extra details. It's my forumite prose. I can't speak for Marian's reasons though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wojo 2,453 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 On 1/16/2021 at 1:49 PM, Marian Schedenig said: I find the Prime interface (on the PS4 at least, which is the only version I have hooked up to my TV) horrible The Prime interface on my 8 year old blu-ray player is absolute garbage. But on my three year old smart TV, it's very nice. Not as good as Netflix but close. The Disney+ interface is still hot garbage. The continue watching menu is buried many rows down, and even clicking on a show on the front page takes you directly to the next episode itself, not the menu for the show itself. Sometimes Disney+ forgets what episode you are actually at, and starts you several back. So you need to hunt for the menu for the show to reevaluate where you are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 On my 3 year old Sony Bravia the Prime app is fiddly crapola, especially compared to the slick Netflix app. Actual streaming quality on Prime blows Netflix away though. I can't fault Amazon's fidelity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 The Amazon 4k fire stick solved a lot of problems for me, especially with the malfunctioning apps on my Samsung tv. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 The interface with duplicate entries and shoddy labelling around what's actually available with Prime membership and what isn't really blows though. Quintus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now