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We've been watching Isolated on Channel 4/WalterPresents. Spooky Finnish dram about folks trapped on an island by, spooky goings-on. It's good.
Also, for a bit of 'brain out Saturday evening throw a takeaway in your face and drink a bottle of wine' watching, I can recommend The Union. Action comedy thing with Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg. Stupid, obviously, but fun.
Started 'Down Cemetary Road' on apple - Emma Thompson. I wasn't the biggest Slow Horses fan but mostly enjoyed it.
I'm 50/50 on it, Emma Thomson's part is a bit over acted, maybe the story will explain itself but seems thrown together to start with (coincidence the posh guy was at dinner next to an exploding house that he has skin in the game with, then is at the hospital same time same place as Ruth Wilson....)
But I'm watching it for Ruth Wilson because she has *something* about her I like watching.
Only watched the first episode past night, but I think this could turn out to be a work of quiet genius:
Leonard and Hungry Paul - BBC iPlayer
Yea liking Down Cemetery Road - good actors, nice scenery and quirky characters.
@beinbahn
Thanks for flagging up No 24 on Netflix, I thought it was excellent.
Such an incredible story.
If you haven't already seen them,The 12th Man ( Netflix) and The Gold Run (BBC i-player) are also good.
Looking forward to Trespasses on C4 starting on Sunday. It’s based on one of the best books I’ve read in a while so I hope they do it justice.
Finally found Karen Pirie on the local TV here, it's good. Surprisingly short at 3 episodes though
but I think this could turn out to be a work of quiet genius:
Kind of. I want to like it, but that ‘comedy of awkwardness’ has been a bit overdone. These people who let themselves be interrupted, overridden, agreeing to things because they *should* etc… I’ve never met one in real life so the comedy trope is getting a bit too much.
Regarding the budget, Reeves has already messed the bed. If you cast your mind back to the last disastrously late spreadsheet experience she claimed at the time that particular budget was to fix the foundations and we would never experience another one quite so painful.
Well nothing was fixed and no one swallowed that pill at the time because of the clumsy way few of her ideas came together or even stayed the course.
Also, the amount of speculation on this one with leaks and will she/won't she over taxes shows total and utter lack of actual conviction over her choices. Many, many bad ideas floating around. Her interview with Marr was terrible - tempting everyone with taxe rises in her war speech and then refusing to comment on taxes rises.
Bizarre behaviour. This is core to current Labour's central problems. They simply don't know what they're doing because they are trying to run a government without having to shape society one way or another in response to the far Right's progress.
It really is an amateurish affair and doing nothing to stop our decline.
Omg what was I thinking with the above. Wrong topic.
Apologies.
Getting up too early these days.
Anyway Mayor of Kingstown s4 is fantastic two episodes in.
But you have to like grim, grim and grim. Blue, snowy Michigan has never looked so UK. (The decaying industrial feel is so North of England.)
Jeremy Renner is astonishing - to say he was crushed with a snow plow around 2 years ago, (and these would have been shot about a year ago) you wouldn't have a clue it's the same man.
Storylines are really intersecting now with new crime lord (Linen of Duty's Lennie James - from Nottingham!) and prison governor (Edie falco from Sopranos.)
Again, beautifully shot and delivered but you have to concentrate on the technical prison lingo - takes some following.
The town drug king-pin chief 'Bunny' is a well spoken Brit too. You absolutely would not guess.
Paramount 3 previous seasons to deal with.
Watched “The Woman in Cabin 10” earlier, don’t bother with it
Yup, watched it last night. All I can presume is that there were a number of otherwise excellent actors who must have their pick of projects (Guy Pierce, Kiera Knightly, Art Malik, Hannah Waddingham, David Morrissey...) who had tax bills to pay, cos, by Christ, if Netflix didn't exist it would have been the kind of film where they used to sell the VHS/DVD by the tills in Tesco.
I watched it last night, I'd stretch to a 4/10 at a push. Had the feeling of a Harlen Coben series that didn't have enough material to pad it out to 6 or 8 episodes so they cobbled it together into a 90-minute film.
Harlan Coben attempting a modern homage to Agatha Christie and failing miserably.
Omg what was I thinking with the above. Wrong topic.
Was funny.
I want to watch Pluribus but I don't got Apple TV so I can't.
Anyway Mayor of Kingstown s4 is fantastic two episodes in.
But you have to like grim, grim and grim. Blue, snowy Michigan has never looked so UK. (The decaying industrial feel is so North of England.)
We got through the first 2 series of it and found it quite gripping - not least for the various shots of Toronto, Kingston and Hamilton. Bunny is just excellent as protagonist and antagonist; Aiden Gillen's a bit limited mind, but I wanted to watch S3, but my Paramount+ subscription was up.
But it is griiiiim, and while I'm really bad at feminism, I really didn't like how it treated the female characters. The whole Iris storyline in S2 is deeply unpleasant, but also Renner's mum's character in S2 is painted as this weak woman who needs protecting from the world etc. I also figured out where S2 would end, in terms of main characters, by the end of S1, which was a little frustrating.
Del Toro's Frankenstein dropping on Netflix today, I believe.
Probably saving it for next weekend with GF.
Harlan Coben
I started reading his first book once, and there's an apology from him that it's a bit clunky and poorly written, I never finished it - it was garbage. From what I've seen he's horrendous at writing female characters and or even people with personality (thinking of the 1 episode of the Michael C Hall thing he wrote).
Anyway, when I see he's been involved in something I swerve at all costs.
While we are here, adverts for the Night Manager part 2 popped up last night, the first of these had me shouting at the TV about how poorly written the Elizabeth Debicki character was, I wonder if the second will have had any better writers involved.
Watched the first episode of Riot Women too, has plenty of promise.
I’ve only just discovered Mayor of Kingstown. I’m 3 episodes into the first series and it’s really really good. If I’ve another 3 series to go after this one, that’ll keep me happy.
It is indeed grim, but I’m finding it a lot like The Wire in a lot of ways. It’s compelling stuff
It is indeed grim, but I’m finding it a lot like The Wire in a lot of ways. It’s compelling stuff
Appears you and I like grim!
It does have ring of The Wire to it.
Bunny is just excellent as protagonist and antagonist;
What a great observation.
It is indeed grim, but I’m finding it a lot like The Wire in a lot of ways. It’s compelling stuff
Appears you and I like grim!
It does have ring of The Wire to it.
Bunny is just excellent as protagonist and antagonist;
What a great observation.
Just a reminder to anyone who cares apple+ is 5 with a Barclays account if you jump through some hoops.
Paramount normally does a half price-ish deal around now and march. I've basically ended up paying about 40 a year for the 4k version (as I'm Taylor Sheridan fanboy but he's moving long term to NBC Universal as I understand it.)
He's an incredibly talented writer and director who occasionally disappears up his own cowboy arse.
Reminds me _ Landman season 2 next week I think. Very entertaining, less grim than MoK - but still has its Yellowstone vibes. (Still violent and depressing but very funny in a US conservative way.)
Lioness s3 not until next year I believe. Will miss Zoe Saldaña and her kick-ass A-team nutters.
If you've not seen them I would recommend Sheridan's films Wind River with Renner, and Hell or High Water, and of course not forgetting his writing work on Sicario.
There seems to be a lot of great stuff on Paramount. We got through Yellowstone pretty quick
Have you watched Tulsa King rone? It’s a bit daft but I’m really enjoying it. I’m not sure it’d work if it wasn’t for Sylvester Stallone hamming it up, but he’s excellent in it.
How could I forget that one Binners!
Yes I love it. Bit more on the 'fun' side of crime. Stallone has done a great job here - especially at his age.
Series 3 got off to a good start, slowed a bit and then picked up last week.
Very entertaining.
Sunday night special. 👍
Worth it for Slow Horses and Ted Lasso alone I reckon.
Also The Studio,
..and Silo. But not Lasso.
We're pretty out of good telly. Anything good French or Spanish I might have missed. Watching Disparue atm on Prime which seems pretty good, but could do with another Call My Agent
It's not strictly French @johnx2 - but have you watched etoile? Lots of French people and Parisian scenes as well as some NYC, but not cringey Americans. The Shermer-Palladino's write The Marvellous Mrs Maisel too (and obviously other stuff).
We watched the latest Monsters: Ed Gein thing. Started off curious but then it just got grotesque with the level of violence against women for the sake of it tbh. The previous drama was more fact and had me researching it more, thinking about what actually went on but this ed gein one was ****ed.
There's a new Robin Hood!
Amazon Prime, a series. The first episode is free, after that I think it's trying to get you to sign up to an MGM+ subscription. Sean Bean as the Sheriff of Nottingham. It's got a reasonable amount of sex and violence in it too, definitely not the PG rating of most of the films!
Promising start.
I want to watch Pluribus but I don't got Apple TV so I can't.
I'm watching it right now. It's good.
Lordy, the good ol Beeb and Attenborough have done it again. How they still manage to astound and amaze with footage of aminals in the wild after all this time is.. well amazing. "Kingdom" on Sunday was just terrific. All my fave beasts battling it out in one programme and really stunning photography. And ol Dave is 99 !!
(Maybe I should write that in a letter to the RadioTimes and win a Countryfile calendar or something! 🤣 )
Watched a couple of decent films over the weekend: the Ballad of Wallis Island (rented from Prime), which was actually really good. Felt a bit Alan Partridge at the start, but grew into something pretty heart-warming. And I Like Me, the John Candy documentary, also very good
We're two episodes in to Amsterdam Empire on Netflix and it's worth it for Famke Janssen alone. Lots of other good 'famous' Dutch actors as well.
I want to watch Pluribus but I don't got Apple TV so I can't.
It’s rather bonkers but seems pretty good.
We watched the latest Monsters: Ed Gein thing. Started off curious but then it just got grotesque with the level of violence against women for the sake of it tbh.
It’s telling the story, he was an extremely violent individual.
I don't disagree. But it definitely embellishes it.
I’d say portrays it.
I'm sorting of enjoying Pluribus.
Body snatchers in a New Mexico package?
I do like Vince Gilligan's commitment to scenes with little dialogue. That was the same with Better Call Saul.
However there's also something a bit lumpy about it - that doesn't entirely work - will reserve judgment until I've seen more episodes.
Not sure if it has been mentioned but IT:Welcome to Derry is pretty damn good.
Watched Stephen King's Long Walk at weekend. This is an old story. 1967. Running Man was far better. But this does make some good observations about the states.
It was okay but ultimately it was a largely dull with punctuations of comic violence/gross out scenes.
Thought the dialogue was cumbersome.
Mayor of Kingstown S4 EP3 - things are going really over the edge with that ending. You can't beat a bit of Cartel involvement in a series.
Landman S2 Sunday! It's gonna be a Taylor Sheridan Tulsa King / Landman double bill!
A other good Tulsa King last Sunday. Story expanded nicely with a good payoff. Some good bits of humour from Stallone.
IT:Welcome to Derry is pretty damn good.
In classic "made for Americans by Americans", every single time I see that title I have to double take. No, they don't mean actual Derry, no it's nothing to do with Derry Girls, etc.
Watched Stephen King's Long Walk at weekend. This is an old story. 1967. Running Man was far better. But this does make some good observations about the states.
It was okay but ultimately it was a largely dull with punctuations of comic violence/gross out scenes.
Shame, I first read the Long Walk in my teens and it's stuck with me - I thought it could, in the right hands, be a great film. And The Mist showed what doing it right would look like. I'll still watch it when it comes to streaming, I suspect.
Reviews of the new Running Man are out and middling
Shame, I first read the Long Walk in my teens and it's stuck with me - I thought it could, in the right hands, be a great film. And The Mist showed what doing it right would look like. I'll still watch it when it comes to streaming, I suspect.
Reviews of the new Running Man are out and middling
I was referring to the Running man book as being better in my opinion. Certainly not the god awful Glaser film!
I'm not with the consensus on the Long Walk. My expectations were high. The cinematography or perhaps the grade was unusually drab too. Also I know King is big on profanity but this was swearing broken up with bits of dialogue.
Mark Hamill popping up was a suprise. Didn't know he was in it but totally recognisable.
Make sure you check it out though - it has its moments.
However there's also something a bit lumpy about it - that doesn't entirely work - will reserve judgment until I've seen more episodes.
Yeah, that's my take on it too.
Watched Frankenstein (well most of it) last night... had drunk a glass of wine and kept drifting off during the first half... but when The Monster's Story section started, I was fully engaged and it woke me right up. Really good. Will have to watch again to see the first half properly. I know it has it's own thread, but it's not particularly worthy of that.
Unlike 1917, which of course is SO BAD it should have it's own thread saying so! 🙄
Anyone any thoughts on Down Cemetery Road?
It's all over the shop for me. Don't know whether to quit on it. Did it get better with EP3?
Anyone any thoughts on Down Cemetery Road?
I binned it halfway through episode one. Too much Very Earnest Acting for my liking, the characters were all just annoying, and I wasn't interested enough in the plot to care what actually happens.
Anyone any thoughts on Down Cemetery Road?
We've quite enjoyed it. It's not Slow Horses but it's entertaining enough. However, consider that I wouldn't watch most of what is gushed about on here unless my eyeballs were superglued to a TV screen, so my opinion may or may not be useful to you.