Netflix recommendations

Nomadland was watchable but hardly cinema worthy I thought. In fact I’ve totally forgotten about it.

Killers of the Flower Moon Jan 12th on apple+ as part of the streaming fee. This was a very interesting film I thought, but definitely suffered a bit from too much hype and profile. It’s a damn good film but 3.5hrs is simply not necessary, and some of plot loses tension/cohesion part way through. De Niro is great though.

However I want to see how it fairs in the home as it wasn’t boring at the flix. Plenty to go at.

I need a second viewing.

Second viewing of KotFM?

You’re made of strong stuff friend

Just watched…

The Yukon Experiment lovely film about a father and son trip through the Yukon by canoe.  It’ll probably turn out its one of you lot in it. 

Nomadland was watchable but hardly cinema worthy I thought.

Agree – another film bigged up by the critics, which was a bit .. just ok.

Not Netflix but Amazon Prime have Locke with Tom Hardy a brilliant film with only one scene, one actor.

https://youtu.be/98Ys1aI9a_Y?si=oTLQ71APp1EHLnKw coming to apple TV in a couple of weeks.

Been excited about this for a long time, always loved band of brothers, bit I look at the trailer/opening sequence above and can’t help think it’s going to disappoint, too much CGI maybe, somehow looks like it’s going to super hammy, a bit naff.

Hope I’m wrong, not got an apple sub at the moment so will be signing up once it starts anyway.

Edit – Link description not worked for some reason, I’m taking about Masters of the Air for those not wanting to chuck the link!!

We constructed quite a few buildings for Masters of the Air, so looking forwards to seeing them finished

What platform is Fargo on? Can’t see it on Netflix

https://tv.apple.com/us/show/masters-of-the-air/umc.cmc.7bxcni0vwgll9kmicq738k5q2

I watched the first episode of After The Flood last night (ITV1 and available to stream on ITVX).

Mostly cos it was filmed locally to me – some of it actually on my road! – so I feel kind of obliged to watch it. I reckon it’s got potential but it’s quite obviously an ITV budget, not a Netflix budget production…

However I want to see how [Killers of the Flower Moon] fairsfares in the home as it wasn’t boring at the flix. Plenty to go at.

Watched it at home on our not-fancy telly and was hooked. No trips to the kitchen or the toilet.

Binged Echo on Disney – really good. Not for kids.

What platform is Fargo on? Can’t see it on Netflix

Amazon Prime

Finished watching S2 of The Tourist this week and though it was pretty good. I’d say it lost its way a bit in the final episode and a bit, but quite enjoyable – and it was mostly filmed near me, which added some interest

9 years late to the party, but:

Narcos

It’s superb.

Up there with Ozark, better than Breaking Bad.

better than Breaking Bad.

Burn the heretic! now!

Fargo absolutely immense, best watch in quite a long time.

Juno Temple deserves to win everything going, although Jennifer Jason Leigh is magnificent as well.

and available to stream on ITVX

And that’s a no from me…

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Agree – another film bigged up by the critics, which was a bit .. just ok.

Yep, decent enough indie-type film but best movie & director Oscars? Nah.

Narcos

It’s superb.

Up there with Ozark, better than Breaking Bad.

Narcos is amazing. Ozark I found a bit frustrating and thought it jumped the shark in the final season (better not say why).

Last night’s Fargo (ep 9) was a treat

I just wiki’d Juno temple. She’s English and Julian temple’s daughter! I had no idea

I think her Minnesota accent is perhaps a bit less comic  than Martin Freeman’s in S1

Don’t forget Narcos Mexico too.

just wiki’d Juno temple

You gotta watch her in Killer Joe, if you’ve not seen it. She’s brill.

Ozark I found a bit frustrating and thought it jumped the shark in the final season (better not say why).

Ozark has flaws for sure. Darlene Snell and Ruth Langmore both seem to have inconsistent motives depending on what is plot convenient at the time.

Bipolar Ben from S3, on the other hand, was an absolutely magnificent arc; pitch perfect all round, story, character, acting.

Burn the heretic! now!

Honestly, I’ve near given up, half way through S5. It really should have been condensed to three seasons.

S1 was gold dust.

Yep, decent enough indie-type film but best movie & director Oscars? Nah.

I disagree, I thought the film was really rather good, first in its take on the protagonist – an otherwise utterly normal 60yr old woman. It’s deconstruction of the myth of the Western (the drifting loner trope, that freedom of the road, and so on when the reality is just crushing poverty, loneliness and desperation), it kicks into touch Hollywood’s love of the Rags to Riches story, the fact that it follows the immigrants and the poor, the hand-to-mouthness of it all, the fact that in order to survive you need a community around you, and these folks provide that in a way that Western’s of old refused to admit to. But centrally its really about the ‘growth at all costs American dream’ that’s questioned throughout the film.

Ozark started brilliantly and then slowly ran out of steam IMO.

Will look out for Narcos

Ozark has flaws for sure. Darlene Snell and Ruth Langmore both seem to have inconsistent motives depending on what is plot convenient at the time.

Bipolar Ben from S3, on the other hand, was an absolutely magnificent arc; pitch perfect all round, story, character, acting.

That whole season was so desperately tragic, and Laura Linney, Tom Pelphrey and Julia Garner were superb.

Ozark went downhill a bit after that, I think that it just couldn’t follow that, didn’t have any character arcs left to develop, so compensated by messing badly with the ones it had already established, and filling the rest with identikit ‘cartel stuff’.

Bateman was the weaker link throughout, I thought. He’s basically a blank canvas for other characters to bounce off.

There aren’t many of the so-called ‘classic’ series that maintained the quality past about season 4.

4 episodes into series one of Fargo! Think I watched the first two closer to when it first came out but was put off by Marin Freeman and BBT’s hairstyle, it’s so bad! Able to look past both now, probably will watch an episode a night for the next few weeks.

 It’s deconstruction of the myth of the Western (the drifting loner trope, that freedom of the road, and so on when the reality is just crushing poverty, loneliness and desperation), it kicks into touch Hollywood’s love of the Rags to Riches story, the fact that it follows the immigrants and the poor, the hand-to-mouthness of it all, the fact that in order to survive you need a community around you, and these folks provide that in a way that Western’s of old refused to admit to. But centrally its really about the ‘growth at all costs American dream’ that’s questioned throughout the film.

Yeah, but it was a bit flat.

For what it’s worth (very little), I’d give Fargo season ratings (out of ten):

1- 9

2-9/10

3-7

4-6

5-9/10 so far

I can barely remember season 3 other than the main central cop and David thewlis’ odd turn.

Marks reflect hitting the Fargo tropes: Minnesota nice, wintry landscapes, layered cryptic dialogue, out of depth bumblers breaking bad and inquisitive homely cops ,(left loads out ,obvs)

Bateman was the weaker link throughout, I thought. He’s basically a blank canvas for other characters to bounce off

Surely was sort of the point of his character..?

My grandson – four and a half – recommends Peter Rabbit.

Surely was sort of the point of his character..?

Up to a point, but Bateman seems to hold the same perma-expression in everything he’s in, so I assumed it wasn’t deliberate!

Jason Bateman is just one of those actors I find it hard to watch. His acting in Ozark was terrible.
See also Tom Hanks, Bradley Cooper, Bryan Cranston. Just something about them I can’t stand.

I loved Beatrix Potter books.

Saw the trailer for Peter Rabbit… no no no no no no nooooo what have they done

ossify – that’s the benefit of being four and a half; you don’t have a reference point to measure against.

Society of the Snow was excellent. One of the best films I’ve seen recently. It’s such an amazing story I was concerned they couldn’t do it justice in 2.5 hours but I neednt have been.

It was faultless to be honest, it pulled no punches with the crash, the avalanche and didn’t skate over the final act (which ‘Alive’ certainly did)

In fact it p*ssed all over Alive in every way. It is a great example of how far film making has progressed in the last 30 years.

It’s such an amazing story

Two thumbs up for Criminal Record on Apple TV. Peter Capaldi doing what he does and excellent supporting cast. Production you’d expect from Apple and great sense of place – had me hankering to be back in The Smoke. And gripping plot – after 2 episodes you don’t quite know what’s happening.

Just been rewatching Lockwood and Co on Netflix and I can heartily recommend it if you want a fun, intelligent, alt history ghost hunting/supernatural series that isn’t set in the US.  Still can’t understand why it was cancelled after just one season with a cliffhanger ending too (booooo!) as its very good indeed: Seriously good lead cast, great story, characters you care about, Souxie and Banshees, The cure etc. soundtrack… so naturally ripe for culling after just one season .  However have just read that Joe Cornish has been lined up to direct Snow Crash (based on the Neal Stephenson cyber punk novel) so all may not yet be lost.

Oh and just to add to all the comments about Fargo season 5. Its just stunningly good. 

Masters of the Air was partly filmed near to my parents house. They saw Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg in their local pub a couple of times. Also saw Spielberg buying pizza in their local Coop. Big time.