What are you watching now?

[George K]

Link to video

I enjoyed the book, though my memory of it is dim.

Don't waste your time on this.

The series gets some of Wolfe's wit and sarcasm. Some.

But all the characters are completely two-dimensional and caricatures. You really don't care what happens to any of them - they are little more than stereotype placeholders for an OK plot.

That said, I like Daniels, even though he over-acts in this role. Also, I've lusted after Diane Lane for a long time.

[Mik]

Me too on Diane Lane. Rrrrrowl….

[Horace]

Spoiler free review of Furiosa that makes me want to see it:

Link to video

[George K]

Is Sugar any good?

@Mik said in What are you watching now?:

Yeah, good characters, very film noir. Writing a bit implausible, but it just keeps getting more and more complicated.

Well, doesn't get more "noir-ey" than that, does it? Love the premise. Farrell is great, and the rest of the cast is outstanding.

The opening scene, in Japan, was great. It establishes Sugar as a conflicted, potentially very violent, and efficient professional. But...I feel like it's getting complicated for the sake of being complicated. The premise is simple - find the girl. But all the extraneous stuff is getting in the way of the narrative.

I'm enjoying the directing and editing. Very creative.

[Renauda]

NHL Hockey playoffs

[Axtremus]

Link to video

[George K]

@George-K said in What are you watching now?:

I feel like it's getting complicated for the sake of being complicated.

Well, that got...weird.

All the complicated stuff got sort of explained. His tolerance of alcohol makes sense in the end.

But, I wish they had just kept it a noir detective story. The character and storytelling are good enough to stop at that.

[Horace]

I was amused to notice that "genre fiction" has now expanded to include "female true crime lovers". There's a Netflix serial called Killing Eve which targets that demographic, with a milquetoast middle aged female true crime lover who becomes embroiled in a real case, tracking a serial killer. It's on season 4 right now, and the main character was working for MI6 by season 1, episode 2. I guess I won't finish it, but I came across it and thought it was a funny expression of genre fiction. Not sure how they expanded it to four seasons.

[Horace]

I watched the first season of a BBC production of an American period drama called Eric. First season. First episode. A white dad, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who is a puppeteer, probably modeled after Jim Henson, and who has rage issues in his marriage, but who is an ambiguous guy, spends a likely day and then his kid gets abducted. His kid is missing. There's a black cop who we think is on the case, he seems like an alpha male black cop type and we think he's on the case, then he visits a guy who's on his hospital bed with some cancer, maybe that's his adoptive dad, or something, but no, the alpha black cop climbs on top of the cancer patient and kisses him deeply, just like old times. I guess they used to be partners?

Man, the writers' room vibes are unmistakable. Taking memes, combining them. All for an audience. Meanwhile, these situations never happened in real life, ever.

[89th]

Just watched 1917 last night, which is now available on Netflix. I was meaning to watch it once available as I know it was up for Best Picture a couple years ago, including lots of talk about the "one shot take" approach. On that point...... wow, wow, wow. Yes there were some "cuts" hidden in there, but in general they were REALLY hard to see. Honestly the first 25-30 minutes I didn't see a single cut. The story itself is ridiculously simple (and in the trailer).... two soldiers are sent to cross enemy territory to stop another brigade from launching an attack that could kill 1,600 of their own men.

[taiwan_girl]

@89th DId you like it?

[89th]

Yes. And it's a movie (just under 2 hours) you really need to try and watch without interruption to get the most immersive experience. It doesn't feel like 2 hours btw... the time flies by.

[Mik]

I cannot say I liked it, but it was really well done.

Started watching S3 of Mayor of Kingstown last night while exercising.

[LuFins Dad]

@Aqua-Letifer said in What are you watching now?:

@LuFins-Dad said in What are you watching now?:

Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart. Unless you’re @Aqua-Letifer , don’t even bother looking it up. And Aqua? I’m a little pissed you never told me it was out.

I have mixed feelings. Haven't seen it yet, but the show went a little too mainstream for me in the past few seasons. I hope they bring it with the movie, though.

I might take it back some. I started watching it with Lucas from the beginning, and the earlier episodes were better…

[Mik]

Watched Hit Man last night. Good flick, lighthearted and original.

[mark]

We just started Season 2 of Mad Men.

[George K]

I keep planning to revisit it. I only watched it for about 2 seasons, and I remember nothing.

[Renauda]

Stanley Cup finals.

[George K]

Binged through about 4 episodes of this:

Dark Matter.

Link to video

A physicist in Chicago is warped into an alternate version of his life, leaving him to fight to return to his life to prevent the alternate version of himself from harming his family.

The first three episodes are "meh." I find "alternate universe" stories not too interesting. So often the writers take advantage of the concept to create deus ex machina explanations for plot lines.

One of the best, IMO was "Counterpart," which, sadly, was cancelled after two seasons. JK Simmons was great.

"Dark Matter" is getting better, once you understand what's going on. However, it takes almost half the series for it to begin to make sense.

Production values are OK, acting is good. I hope the plot line tightens up.

[taiwan_girl]

@George-K said in What are you watching now?:

I find "alternate universe" stories not too interesting.

I actually like these. 555 There are some good Asian dramas which I like which follow this concept.