Whatcha Been Watching?

This is the place where you can conflab about all the other stuff besides videogames
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Miririn
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Miririn »

Normally I get really into following the film awards season (I don't like watching sport, so I guess this is my equivalent of following the premier league or whatever), but this year I've not been able to go to the cinema at all, and I've not been able to watch so many of the films yet (I think "Minari" still hasn't been released in the UK, for example) and I feel kind of sad that I can't follow it as well this year (...in today's edition of Miririn complaining about luxury non-problems).

I've been a big Chloe Zhao fan since "The Rider", so I'm really looking forward to "Nomadland". And I think Steven Yeun is a fantastic, often underrated actor (watch "Burning" if you haven't!) so I'm so pleased he's been recognised with a nomination. And finally, I think the new Daniel Kaluuya film "Judas and the Black Messiah" is out on demand in the UK now so I might check that out this week, because I love love love Daniel Kaluuya and it tickles me that Posh Kenneth from "Skins" is the most successful of all the first generation "Skins" actors, along with Dev Patel. Also did anyone else watch "Widows"? Kaluuya is always great in everything he's in but he's so good and so frightening in that film.
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shadowless_kick
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by shadowless_kick »

wanted to try something different and get out of America for a while, so I started a series on Netflix called 'Dogs of Berlin.' focuses on a handful of cops and criminals all connected through one particular football match between Germany and Turkey. (as an American, I'm fascinated by the passion almost everyone else in the world has for the game; it's something we just don't get) every episode seems to cover one day either leading up to or directly following this particular match.

after three episodes, I think I need to tap out. it's a really well-done show, but it highlights such ugly parts of society and of people... perhaps it's no worse than a gritty American crime show, but maybe seeing it through a European lens makes it more impactful for me. I feel like I need a shower after watching it.

I actually recommend it for those with the stomach for it, but I don't think I can take anymore. I had to watch an episode of WandaVision as a palate cleanser :lol:
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DeadpoolNegative
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

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I've been a fan of Channel 4's Friday Night Dinner since it aired on BBC America briefly back in 2012, and I was delighted to recently discover that the first four series had hit Amazon Prime. the show chronicles, well, a friday night dinner in the lives of the Goodman family. Parents Jackie (Tamsin Greig of Episodes) and Martin (Paul Ritter- Yes, Anatoly from Chernobyl), and perpetually in conflict brothers Adam (Simon Bird of the In-Betweeners) and Jonny (Broadchurch's Tom Rosenthal).

Every episode they meet for dinner, and every episode something goes spectacularly, horribly wrong. Usually due to Martin's need to do tasks around the house shirtless or the brothers' need to play pranks on each other. Not helping is the absurdly creepy, OCD afflicted next door neighbor JIm Bell (Big Train and Brass Eye star Jim Heap), who finds a way to insert himself into the Goodman's lives every episode. Jim is the kind of guy who speaks Korean but will say he learned it in Japan. Or purposefully electrocute himself to ensure Jackie will give him mouth to mouth.

Robert Hopper's scripts are well oiled machines, setting up small conflicts in the first act then spiraling out into pure chaos by minute 20. It's not deep, it just gives a lot of good laughs, and sometimes that's all you need.

What's funny is that when you binge the show as oppose dot watching it week to week, the more Martin seems less like a quirky absent minded dad and more like a genuine maniac.

--DAn
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DeadpoolNegative
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

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One Dollar- this was a CBS All Access Orginal- excuse me, a Paramount PLUS Original- that ran for one season back in 2018. Set in the Pennsylvania steel town of Braden (if you were a fan of I Am Not Okay With This there's one house that will look VERY familiar), the show's format would be to follow the owner of the titular dollar and explores their life for an episode, while the larger mystery unfolds in the background.

The first episode features a troubled steelworker and single father, Garrett Dimmer (Phillip Ettinger). One night someones asks a favor of him, and also though the course of the night he winds up crossing the path of local upper class girl Danielle Furbee (KIrrille Berger). The next morning, workers at the local mill discover, well, blood. lots of if. No bodies, some signs of struggle. at least seven people maybe dead, Leaving the police chief Peter trask(Christopher Denham!) to pick up the pieces. And local PI/former police detective Jake Noveer (a delightful Nathaniel Martello-White) has been hired by Danielle's father Wilson (Greg Germann) to conduct his own investigation into the possible murders. And what does the mill's owner/operator, Bud Carl (John Carroll Lynch) have to do with all of this?

One Dollar was an extremely frustrating experience. It's got some fantastic performances and extremely vivid character writing, and the focus on a different character per episode (example: episode 3 the dollar is in the hands of a local schoolteacher, who gets in trouble for disciplining a special needs child, and a few episodes later the dollar winds up in the hands of the kid's father, who was the guy who discovered the blood at the mill) while the mystery unfolds is at least different. But oh man, the overall plot is filled with some extraordinarily strained plotting, characters doing very stupid things just to move the plot along (One character has information that he just... doesn't bother to inform the person who holds his future in his hands. He mutters later that "I had a lot on my mind" but it doesn't really track) And of course, they withhold explaining everything until the finale, and by the end of episode two I was sighing, "Just tell us already. Please. Just tell us." Because it's not hard to figure out who's behind it all and why, because a certain character has REALLY small amount of screen time in the initial episode for how high the actor is billed in the credits.

The story wraps up at the end of the first season, while introducing a new mystery, and interesting arcs for some of the characters. I felt a twinge knowing it wasn't going to come back, because there was something there, and a second season might have cracked the code.

--Dan
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Truk_Kurt
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Truk_Kurt »

DeadpoolNegative wrote: March 19th, 2021, 4:37 am I've been a fan of Channel 4's Friday Night Dinner
I'm a massive fan too of Friday Night Dinner, one of the few comedies in recent years to genuinely have me in side splitting laughter where I have to pause the show to physically recover :D

I found it very odd when the actor who plays the Dad featured as one of the head scientists in Chernobyl, I kept expecting him to come out with one of his FND catchphrases!
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Truk_Kurt
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Truk_Kurt »

I'm a big fan of Boxing films but for some reason had never watched a Rocky film. I rectified that last night by watching the first Rocky.
I came away a little disappointed. It was still an enjoyable film but I felt it lacked in a couple of areas which were done better in other boxing films I've seen.
I liked Rocky as a character but felt his relationship with other characters weren't that interesting or lacking depth. A big appeal of boxing films for me is the relationship between the boxer and trainer and in Rocky I just felt that was really poor. There was a little background between them but it lacked the depth I wanted and the trainer only got a little involved with Rocky's training and giving him tips.
I was also disappointed with the final fight scene, I understand it's not a real fight but it was obvious to me that it was all fake, I could easily see that the punches weren't connecting to the point where I thought that each boxer was successfully dodging the punches, it was only when there faces became blooded up that these punches were meant to be connecting, it was a fight that just didn't feel very visceral at all.
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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

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Truk_Kurt wrote: March 19th, 2021, 9:42 am I found it very odd when the actor who plays the Dad featured as one of the head scientists in Chernobyl, I kept expecting him to come out with one of his FND catchphrases!
Lovely bit of squirrel!
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Miririn
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Miririn »

Alex79uk wrote: March 19th, 2021, 8:12 pm
Truk_Kurt wrote: March 19th, 2021, 9:42 am I found it very odd when the actor who plays the Dad featured as one of the head scientists in Chernobyl, I kept expecting him to come out with one of his FND catchphrases!
Lovely bit of squirrel!
Trevor from Eastenders showing up as a miner with his knob out was what took me by surprise.

Anyone watched "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier"? Wasn't sure what to expect because after the delightful surprise of "WandaVision" it seemed destined to be a bit "back to formula" MCU, but so far it seems like it's trying to explore some interesting themes like PTSD/racism/nationalism. Sam and Bucky are also both likable leads.

I think the way the MCU is continuing to explore the ramifications of the finger snap in its movies and TV shows is really cool and unexpected.

Also spoilers re Bucky and Steve in "Avengers: Endgame" (but not for the new TV show)
Spoiler: show
Come to think of it - and I can't remember if there was a plot mcguffin reason for this like there being only one time travel ticket left - it was a bit mean of Steve to not give Bucky a chance to go back to the forties too seeing as all of Bucky's family and friends are also there and he's not exactly got much going for him in the present.
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duskvstweak
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

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In regards to your spoiler section...
Spoiler: show
I think the Steve resolution brings up a lot of annoying things that you either have to push aside or they just nag at you. For me, I find it hard to think Steve would ever "retire". Though, the writers and directors all seem to have different ideas about how time travel works in Endgame. The ones that say Steve lived in his own timeline saved Bucky, married Peggy and did a bunch of adventures we'll probably not know about. But yeah, stranding Bucky in the present all alone is some real tough love on Steve's end.
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Miririn
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Miririn »

duskvstweak wrote: March 20th, 2021, 4:18 pm In regards to your spoiler section...
Spoiler: show
I think the Steve resolution brings up a lot of annoying things that you either have to push aside or they just nag at you. For me, I find it hard to think Steve would ever "retire". Though, the writers and directors all seem to have different ideas about how time travel works in Endgame. The ones that say Steve lived in his own timeline saved Bucky, married Peggy and did a bunch of adventures we'll probably not know about. But yeah, stranding Bucky in the present all alone is some real tough love on Steve's end.
Yeah when I first watched that film I was jetlagged and a bit drunk so I just accepted it because
Spoiler: show
I was happy they had found a way for Peggy and Steve to be together without erasig all of Peggy's descendants in every timeline
, but the more I think about it the more annoying questions it brings up, particularly regarding Bucky and some of Steve's motives and his characterisation. I'm hoping (naively?) some of the Bucky and Sam fallout stuff from Steve's actions will be addressed in the new TV show in the same way "WandaVision" was used to expand on some of the Wanda stuff "Endgame" didn't really have time to go into.
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

Post by Marlew »

I've been watching some glorious stuff recently. Not enjoyed or watched so many movies in years and years as over these last few months. I've really fallen in love with film again.

Suspiria (1977)

I'd somehow never seen this until a couple of months ago when I got the CultFilms Blu-ray. Absolutely blown away by the atmosphere, the colours and the soundtrack. I then ordered the 4K UHD Blu-ray by Synapse after hearing great things and it's spectacular. The colours and lighting are so rich and bold in HDR. One of the greatest things I've seen. The soundtrack by Goblins is so sinister and playful. The premise of the film is what put me off for years, ballerina discovers sinister goings on at her dance school, but I was a fool. All-time giallo masterpiece.


House (1977)

Another remarkable horror from the same year, this is probably one of the few genuinely unique films ever made. It's the story of a group of Japanese schoolgirls who go on vacation to a spooky house which turns out to be a lot more sinister than they could have ever expected. If that description sounds prosaic as fuck, it doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of this film. It's like a series of psychedelic adverts or a twisted soap opera, but it's simply beyond familiar categorisation. A true one-off which is once seen, never forgotten. The Eureka Masters of Cinema Blu-ray is the one to go for, same excellent transfer as the Criterion Collection release but with more extras.


Coffy (1973)

With the caveat that this is undoubtedly a product of its time, I can warmly recommend this blaxsploitation feature starring Pam Grier and with a glistening jazz-funk soundtrack by Roy Ayers. It is brash, sexualised and violent, but it's also a marvellously entertaining time capsule and Grier is utterly magnetic. Her little sister gets strung up on dope while the ineffectual cops dither, so she takes matters into her own hands with a sawn-off shotgun. She flaunts her assets to get close to the baddies and then puts a couple of slugs through their brains. A great way to round off any weekend and a cracking release on Arrow Video.
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

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Started Gangs of London last night as I kept seeing popping up as something worth checking out. Created by Gareth (The Raid) Evans and yeah, it fits neatly alongside his Indonesian films in that the action is expertly choreographed and incredibly violent to boot.

I'm only a few episodes in so far (9 eps in the first season) but its solid casting (Sope Dirisu and Narges Rashidi are the stand-outs so far) and riveting set-pieces have gotten me hooked very quickly in that this may be one of the better series I've seen over the last couple of years, extremely brutal but utterly gripping stuff.

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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

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JaySevenZero wrote: March 23rd, 2021, 10:57 am Started Gangs of London last night as I kept seeing popping up as something worth checking out. Created by Gareth (The Raid) Evans and yeah, it fits neatly alongside his Indonesian films in that the action is expertly choreographed and incredible violent to boot.

I'm only a few episodes in so far (9 eps in the first season) but its solid casting (Sope Dirisu and Narges Rashidi are the stand-outs so far) and riveting set-pieces have gotten me hooked very quickly in that this may be one of the better series I've seen over the last couple of years, extremely brutal but utterly gripping stuff.

Wow! I just watched the trailer and I’m definitely interested. To be honest the logo and the name made it sound like the most generic programme ever and Sky originals tend to be on the average to poor side of things. You’ve surprised me! I had completely dismissed this.
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

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Simonsloth wrote: March 23rd, 2021, 5:32 pm Wow! I just watched the trailer and I’m definitely interested. To be honest the logo and the name made it sound like the most generic programme ever and Sky originals tend to be on the average to poor side of things. You’ve surprised me! I had completely dismissed this.
I did the same but it kept appearing on lists for the best shows to watch at the moment and I hadn't realised it was created by Evans, which I bloody love his Raid films for their sheer bold-as-fuck action set-pieces, so I figured I'd check out the first episode at least.

One immediately turned into two which then became three! :D
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

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JaySevenZero wrote: March 23rd, 2021, 6:09 pm
Simonsloth wrote: March 23rd, 2021, 5:32 pm Wow! I just watched the trailer and I’m definitely interested. To be honest the logo and the name made it sound like the most generic programme ever and Sky originals tend to be on the average to poor side of things. You’ve surprised me! I had completely dismissed this.
I did the same but it kept appearing on lists for the best shows to watch at the moment and I hadn't realised it was created by Evans, which I bloody love his Raid films for their sheer bold-as-fuck action set-pieces, so I figured I'd check out the first episode at least.

One immediately turned into two which then became three! :D
Watched the first episode tonight with my wife and we both thought it was absolutely brilliant and one of the best things we’ve ever seen on the small screen.

The action sequences are phenomenal (as expected) but the cinematography and narrative are surprisingly equally strong. Some moments were so tense my heart was pounding! I haven’t felt that way since early seasons of game of thrones or 24 in its heyday.

I’m desperate to watch the next episode!
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

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Watched the first episode of Invincible on Amazon Prime. Now, I've read the comics though I'm not a huge fan of them or Kirkman for a variety of reasons (Invincible in particular really exhibits Kirkman's misogynistic streak, which has thankfully dissipated in the past few years). It's a solid adaptation, unsurprising since Kirkman and Skybound are the producers. What's interesting is that Mark's mother (Sandra Oh) Actually has a personality in this incarnation. It's a stellar voice cast, including Steven Yeun, Gillian Jacobs, Walton Goggins, and Zachary Quinto. And there's also Jason Mantzoukas.

Of course, the thing is, Invincible is known as a comic that Has Kind of a Twist On Its Seemingly Straight Up Premise, which is a riff on The Adventures of Superman's Kid. And once you hear who's voicing a certain character, you'll likely know what it is instantly. but nevertheless:
Spoiler: show
Said twist is that Omniman, Invincible's Totally Not Superman Father, murders the living shit out of his Not Justice League, The Global Guardians, in issue #8 of the original run. It turns out his race, the Viltrumites, are actually conquerors and this is pretext for an invasion.

In the Show, this happens at midway through the credits of the first episode. In the comic, the horrific gore that accompanies the scene is offset by Ryan Ottley's clean, simple linework. Seeing it animated, it becomes SO over the top, and putting sonics to the heads being crushed and the necks being snapped and the blood splattering, it stops being shocking or compelling and just becomes pornographic. If you quit after this first episode, I wouldn't blame you.
--DAn
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

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Simonsloth wrote: March 25th, 2021, 10:20 pm Watched the first episode tonight with my wife and we both thought it was absolutely brilliant and one of the best things we’ve ever seen on the small screen.

...

I’m desperate to watch the next episode!
How're you getting on, have you watched anymore yet?
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

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I watched the next 4 episodes. It’s stunning. Absolutely phenomenal stuff. I can’t believe what I’m seeing some of the time. I’ve recommended it to a few people with mixed results as obviously the fight scenes can turn away the more squeamish.

Agree with you on the Patreon pod that it has shades of Game of Thrones via The Raid. I can’t believe more people aren’t talking about it.

My wife watches it from behind a pillow but loves it also. We rarely find a middle ground but this appears to be it!
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

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Watching The Sinner Season 3 and I've come to the conclusion that this is basically Columbo: Special Victims Unit.

--Dan
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Re: Whatcha Been Watching?

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Simonsloth wrote: April 6th, 2021, 9:56 pm Agree with you on the Patreon pod that it has shades of Game of Thrones via The Raid. I can’t believe more people aren’t talking about it.
I think this is the problem with with films/shows that are shown on channels like Sky Atlantic and HBO Max, in that the channels themselves aren't ubiquitous enough to gain a strong word of mouth, even if the shows are of a quality like Gangs.
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