Whatcha Been Watching?

This is the place where you can conflab about all the other stuff besides videogames
User avatar
Angry_Kurt
Member
Posts: 395
Joined: May 1st, 2020, 2:53 pm

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Angry_Kurt »

Has anyone been watching the Spurs documentary All of Nothing? I've really enjoyed what they have put out so far, a great insight into the dressing room and training ground or a football club. You see how mundane the life of a footballer can be and because of this you see how gutted they are when they can't play. The training ground is such an amazing facility, it reminded me of an old school Bond villain lair, absolutely pristine everywhere with everyone walking around in purple suits. It was also interesting to see how Jose and the players deal with criticism, I found it quite surprising how they have sports radio and Sky Sports on in the training ground canteen with all the rumours, praise, criticism blaring out the speakers for everyone to here. Worth a watch if you have an interest in football and much more interesting than the Man City doc.
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Alex79 »

No, but I've started watching the Micheal Jordon/Bulls doc, The Last Dance, on Netflix, because apparently I'm only interested in basketball at the moment :lol:

I even watched an NBA Playoff game on Sky Sports last night... (whilst playing myCareer mode on Switch).
User avatar
SludgeWizard
Member
Posts: 115
Joined: February 25th, 2016, 1:33 am
Location: NYC

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by SludgeWizard »

Alex79uk wrote: September 2nd, 2020, 11:15 am No, but I've started watching the Micheal Jordon/Bulls doc, The Last Dance, on Netflix, because apparently I'm only interested in basketball at the moment :lol:
I just finished this last night. I'm surprised how much I liked it, considering I'm not really a basketball fan. I mean I like it fine, I just don't watch it or follow any teams.
My girlfriend started watching it a little while back and I quickly got sucked in and watched pretty much the whole thing with her over the next week.
It's very well made and a good watch, but I found the chronology to be kind of hard to follow. Maybe because I missed it right in the beginning, but I felt like it kept jumping from 85 to 98 to 89 to 97 to 98 to 91. Other than that though, rock solid.

Side note: thank god MJ got into basketball because he would've ended up a dictator or serial killer if he didn't.
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Alex79 »

SludgeWizard wrote: September 11th, 2020, 2:22 pm Side note: thank god MJ got into basketball because he would've ended up a dictator or serial killer if he didn't.
Or a baseballist!

(Not watched all of The Last Dance yet so no idea if they cover this!)
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Alex79 »

Watched the first couple of episodes of Long Way Up last night. I really enjoyed it, but I've seen some very mean spirited reviews of the show so far. The Telegraph described it as a "midlife crisis without any of the fun", which was particularly unkind, I thought. I mean the show is about Ewan and Charley riding their bikes across South America, in an identical format to their previous two adventure shows over a decade ago. Several reviews have pointed out that they felt there was a sense of smugness, with them choosing to ride electric motorcycles, and the dichotomy between their 'eco' message, and flying several thousand miles to film it. But its a TV show. You could level that criticism at just about any nature show or similar.

Some reviews seemed to have an issue with the fact McGregor is a movie star. I don't get that. That's just what he does. But he really loves motorbikes too, and this show is the culmination of decades long ambition to ride across South America, I just think they're being not very nice, quite needlessly.

Personally, I love these adventure type shows. I've watched everything Charley Boorman has done on his own, and after a relatively unsuccessful movie career he's made a living out of these types of shows. All in all, if you enjoyed the first two series, this is essential viewing. If not, well, OK.
User avatar
DomsBeard
Member
Posts: 3689
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 5:03 pm
Location: Doms Chin

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by DomsBeard »

Finished season one of Cobra Kai and wow it totally nails the balance between the nostalgia and a new story. Totally relevant too.
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Alex79 »

DomsBeard wrote: September 19th, 2020, 12:39 pm Finished season one of Cobra Kai and wow it totally nails the balance between the nostalgia and a new story. Totally relevant too.
Oh cool, it's on my list, so glad it's worth watching.
User avatar
Angry_Kurt
Member
Posts: 395
Joined: May 1st, 2020, 2:53 pm

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Angry_Kurt »

Gutted to hear about Mindhunter series 3 not being likely to happen according to David Fincher. It’s by far my favourite original series of any of the streaming platforms.
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Alex79 »

We just watched Disappearance at Clifton Hill on Netflix. A rare acting job for David Cronenberg, the film is pretty decent, and has a real film noir feel about it. Despite not being directed by the man himself, it's full of Cronenberg touches throughout. It's worth a watch.

Non spoiler plot: girl witnesses a kidnapping at Niagra Falls, aged 7. Returns 25 years later and begins to piece together what happened.

However, the real highlight for me was the absolutely brilliant soundtrack, real moody low-fi Jazz, classic black and white private investigator type tunes.

Marlew
Member
Posts: 244
Joined: August 22nd, 2020, 11:00 am

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Marlew »

Alex79uk wrote: November 14th, 2020, 9:27 pm Disappearance at Clifton Hill
That sounds intriguing, and I really like the soundtrack. It reminds me of the J.B. Harold visual novels on the Switch, a late late night TV movie version of classic 50s noir. The games are a bit crap so I wouldn't get excited but that atmosphere pushed me through. The premise of the film sounds interesting, too, I'll defo add it to the list.

I just started watching A Brighter Summer Day, a film by the late Edward Yang, recommended by a guy called Daisuke Beppu on YT. He's a big movie fan and a collector of Criterion and laserdisc, but it's not about showing off the collection or collecting for the sake of it. He clearly just loves movies a great deal. Very interesting to listen to, very articulate but comes across as so polite and humble. Probably my favourite YT channel these days, after Summoning Salt.

Anyway, A Brighter Summer Day. It's a coming of age epic set in 50s Taiwan after thousands of Chinese families had fled the mainland, and it's as much about a teenager's search for identity and meaning as it is an exploration of the national psyche. But besides that, you can just enjoy it for the rollicking narrative. Gangs, rock 'n' roll, forbidden love, friendship, the mad journey of growing up. It's also an absolutely beautiful film, shot after shot. It feels like a real labour of love, and the film was inspired by a real-life crime which affected the director as a boy. Thoroughly recommended.

Image
User avatar
Flabyo
Member
Posts: 3576
Joined: August 8th, 2013, 8:46 am
Location: Guildford

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Flabyo »

Angry_Kurt wrote: September 2nd, 2020, 9:47 am Has anyone been watching the Spurs documentary All of Nothing? I've really enjoyed what they have put out so far, a great insight into the dressing room and training ground or a football club. You see how mundane the life of a footballer can be and because of this you see how gutted they are when they can't play.
In the same vein, I can recommend the Netflix one ‘Sunderland till I die’.

Different kind of club in very different circumstances, but a lot of the same things crop up. It’s also a good demonstration of just how much a club can mean to the community it’s in.

(Also, as someone who is a fan of a completely different lower league team, it’s hilarious to watch them screw up so much)
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Alex79 »

Did anyone ever watch that Sheffield United documentary series on TV in the late 80s or early 90s? I remember watching it as a kid with my dad.

EDIT: Ah-ha, 1990.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_(TV_series)
User avatar
Angry_Kurt
Member
Posts: 395
Joined: May 1st, 2020, 2:53 pm

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Angry_Kurt »

Flabyo wrote: November 16th, 2020, 2:56 pm
In the same vein, I can recommend the Netflix one ‘Sunderland till I die’.

Different kind of club in very different circumstances, but a lot of the same things crop up. It’s also a good demonstration of just how much a club can mean to the community it’s in.

(Also, as someone who is a fan of a completely different lower league team, it’s hilarious to watch them screw up so much)
I loved Sunderland Till I Die, particularly the first season which is probably my favourite football documentary. I haven't seen the Sheffield United one, maybe it's on Youtube. I was also a fan of one called Being Liverpool which followed Liverpool during Brendan Rodgers first season. I'd also recomend the Leeds one on amazon prime, but maybe I'm biased because in the final episode Derby beat them in that infamous play off semi final haha.

It's a shame that there aren't any other football team docs in the works at amazon or netflix, not that I know of anyway.
User avatar
Angry_Kurt
Member
Posts: 395
Joined: May 1st, 2020, 2:53 pm

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Angry_Kurt »

Apparently the new owners of Wrexham, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, (yes you read that right) want to make a documentary at the club. I found out yesterday that Netflix pay between £500k-£800k per hour for their sports docs. So that would be a huge amount for a club of Wrexhams size
User avatar
ratsoalbion
Admin
Posts: 7918
Joined: August 28th, 2012, 9:41 am
Location: Brighton, England
Contact:

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by ratsoalbion »

Yeah it's such a curious story. A documentary would be fascinating and, as you say, be a big boost to the club's finances.
User avatar
DomsBeard
Member
Posts: 3689
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 5:03 pm
Location: Doms Chin

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by DomsBeard »

As a Spurs fan I haven't the stomach to watch Nothing or nothing. Pretty much the crappest year for my team in many :)

On the final season of Schitts Creek and after a slow start in season one it is now full of characters I'm going to miss. It is undeniably stupid but it knows it stupid but heart warming.
User avatar
paulag
Member
Posts: 9
Joined: June 17th, 2020, 1:04 pm

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by paulag »

One of the best dramatic series I’ve seen past years. It’s just about flawless in every respect: writing, acting, set design, cinematography, etc. can’t recommend highly enough, even if you’ve never played chess in your life.
Start watching I Know This Much Is True released earlier this year. Smart, unexpected and very human based on a brilliant novel.
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Alex79 »

paulag wrote: November 22nd, 2020, 1:39 pm One of the best dramatic series I’ve seen past years. It’s just about flawless in every respect: writing, acting, set design, cinematography, etc. can’t recommend highly enough, even if you’ve never played chess in your life.
Start watching I Know This Much Is True released earlier this year. Smart, unexpected and very human based on a brilliant novel.
Watched the first episode a while back, but my GF wasn't in to it and I meant to watch the rest on my own but never got around to it.

Added to my list, behind Deadwood, Sopranos and Mad Men :lol:
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Alex79 »

I've been watching Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. Its an odd one, I'm against fishing, but the program is heart warming in many ways. Not for the fish, though. Either way, it's just very low effort nice viewing.
Marlew
Member
Posts: 244
Joined: August 22nd, 2020, 11:00 am

Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Marlew »

Still watching movies more than gaming at the moment, and I've picked up some absolutely brilliant stuff.

First up, I got the Godzilla Showa Era Criterion Boxset a little while ago when it was on sale, like a third off. I'd never seen any Godzilla and assumed it was crap. It kind of is crap, but in a wonderfully sincere way that I find very charming. It's not 'so bad it's good' at all. It's just really good. Committed and creative. The original movie is still superb. Chilling, spectacular, thought-provoking, and a bloody good B-movie sci-fi romp. There are a few duds in the set, but it's a fascinating, generous collection and the evolution of the 'character' is really interesting. The packaging and essay book and artwork are absolutely superb. It feels like a real labour of love for the 1000th Criterion release.

This led me to importing the Heisei Era boxset on DVD from the States. This covers most of the movies released during the 80s and 90s, where there was an overarching narrative, and they are a return to the darker tone of the 1954 original before Godzilla became more of a kids thing. 1991's Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah is quite magnificent. The human side story is really quite goofy, but again, there's a commitment rather than an ironic wink, and the sincerity goes a long way. The action sequences are brilliant, and while the effects do look quite Power Rangers, there's an intensity and almost wanton nihilism to the devastation that surprised me.

While I have plenty more Showa and Heisei to watch, I felt sufficiently invested to research what the supposed greatest Godzilla films are and while the original tops almost every list, I kept seeing high praise for the 2001 release of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. Easily in my top three straight away. Fantastic lead, brilliant synth soundtrack and great kaiju action. Godzilla is back to being the antagonist with Mothra, King Ghidorah and Baragon all teaming up to save Japan. It doesn't feel especially allegorical or like it has an awful lot to say, besides 'never forget the sins of the past', but it's just a cracking 'blockbuster' within its own remit. Some great action sequences, a truly venomous Godzilla and a fine balance of the human and monster narratives, which interlink much better than most.

I may well look back on this period of my life in years to come and wonder what on Earth I saw in these films, but for now, I'm exhausted, I've done little but work for the past eleven months, and I'm really enjoying the escapism and unadulterated, sincere, unashamed fun of Godzilla.
Post Reply