Current Watching

[San Bernardhinault]

I’m watching Jack Ryan Season 2. It’s entertaining fluff. As usual, I’m totally chilled out about the lack of plausibility until one tiny thing gets me: in this instance, it’s a fairly low-ranking CIA officer staying in the St Pancras Hotel when he’s visiting London. I’m not that bothered by the weird geographical jumping in London. I’m not bothered by the fact that he’s allowed to carry a gun in London. I’m not bothered by the fact that nobody’s freaked out about the body count. I’m bothered by his hotel choice.

[Hot Pepsi]

I want to go and see that. The trailers, though, had something nagging at me:

Ford have to be the least plausible Davids in a David vs Goliath story since the US was one in Miracle on Ice. At least in Miracle on Ice, the Goliath was the Soviet Union. In this story, the Goliath is an Italian car maker.

I know they’re both genuine Davids vs Goliaths, but thinking of the US and Ford as the minnow upstarts who you hope will succeed against the odds doesn’t come naturally.

Yeah, that part isn’t well-developed. They show how Ford tried to buy Ferrari and how Enzo, supposedly, thought Ford made ugly cars in ugly factories and didn’t like Henry Ford II. That, in turn, motivated Ford to beat Ferrari. But the Italians aren’t really characters in the film. It’s mostly about Miles and Shelby and the conflict is more between them and Ford’s marketing guy who thought Miles wasn’t a good pitchman.

[ad hoc]

Series 2 of The Kominsky Method. It just keeps getting better.

[Balderdasha]

I just watched "The Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists" with the kids. Why is this known as "The Pirates! Band of Misfits!" in the States? Would people not let their kids go and see a film if they thought it had scientists in?!?

[danielmak]

Late at night after hours of Euro qualifiers and CAN qualifiers, I've been watching Taxi on Amazon Prime in the US. It's not a show I watched the first time around, but I'm digging it. One thing that bugs me, though, is that Amazon has some holes so far (I'm in Season 1). It's bizarre that various users can upload episodes to Dailymotion but Amazon couldn't get episodes (or the studio didn't have these episodes). Often these gaps are a product of music rights (this seems to be why Northern Exposure isn't re-running anywhere) but I don't remember hearing any music when I watched the missing episodes on-line.

[Hot Pepsi]

I just watched "The Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists" with the kids. Why is this known as "The Pirates! Band of Misfits!" in the States? Would people not let their kids go and see a film if they thought it had scientists in?!?

I haven’t heard of it with either title. Neither is good. I would have gone with simply Pirates & Scientists!

[ursus arctos]

danielmak, looking at the relevant page on Amazon Prime, it appears that virtually every commentator is enraged by the gaps.

I wonder if someone is trying to preserve sales of the DVDs (which are presumably the source of the uploads).

[Amor de Cosmos]

Series 2 of The Kominsky Method. It just keeps getting better.

Do you think so? I thought s2 was quite a bit weaker. Mainly because it's less of a Douglas/Arkin two hander. The addition of more characters has pushed the show into traditional sitcom territory. It's not that they're bad in themselves, but they've diluted what made the show special.

[Hot Pepsi]

Watching The Crown. I’m not sure if I’d not heard of the Aberfan disaster, or if I’d chosen to forget I knew about it.

[ad hoc]

Hmmmm. No, I think the structure that frames the Douglas/Arkın bits helps it to be honest. I mean I quite agree that those bits (especially Arkın) are the laugh out loud bits but it's almost too much when it's just that. Too much rapid fire dialogue. I feel like the other stuff gives it a setting. Effectively there's only one extra character (Jane Seymour replaces "Eileen", so it's just Martin who is additional really).

[Amor de Cosmos]

Hmmmm. No, I think the structure that frames the Douglas/Arkın bits helps it to be honest. I mean I quite agree that those bits (especially Arkın) are the laugh out loud bits but it's almost too much when it's just that. Too much rapid fire dialogue. I feel like the other stuff gives it a setting. Effectively there's only one extra character (Jane Seymour replaces "Eileen", so it's just Martin who is additional really).

Eileen is still in it though, and so is Lisa. Also Mindy and Phoebe have expanded roles. I'll still watch it, but the signs aren't good, it's heading toward something much more conventional.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Watching The Crown. I’m not sure if I’d not heard of the Aberfan disaster, or if I’d chosen to forget I knew about it.

It was huge at the time. Mainly, IIRC, because that attempted rescue was broadcast live on TV, it might have been the first time a catastrophe like that was covered in that way.

[ad hoc]

Up to episode 6 of 8 where I am, Mindy's role is decreased I'd say. Phoebe slightly expanded but she's barely in it. Eileen was there once extremely briefly. And Lisa has been in it about the same amount

[Hot Pepsi]

I’m sure it was a huge deal, as it should have been.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Watching The Crown. I’m not sure if I’d not heard of the Aberfan disaster, or if I’d chosen to forget I knew about it.

One of the two great British social traumas of the 1960s along with the Moors Murders.

[Jon]

Watching Rhythm and Flow on Netflix which is essentially X-Factor for hip hop hopefuls. Judges are Chance the Rapper, Cardi B and TI. For the hip-hop minded among you, it is a must watch. Only got to episode 5 though so no spoilers please.

Also Comic Book Men on Amazon Prime. A reality show based in Kevin Smith's comic shop in New Jersey. Very formulaic but a nice easy watch and worth watching if you are a comics fan.

[Amor de Cosmos]

The early seasons of Comic Book Men were really good (it ran on AMC for several years) it kind of wore itself out eventually, too many gimmicky quiz, costume and celeb bits.

[Jon]

Well Prime have series 2 - 7. I have seen all of series 4 and today started series 2. It'll be a struggle to get through them all though as it's as much about toys and collectables etc than it is about comics and I have zero interest in any of that. But the staff clearly are big comic fans of a certain age so it does scratch a certain itch for me once or twice an episode.

[Wouter D]

We're six episodes into the final season of The Man In The High Castle, and it's a blast.

[danielmak]

danielmak, looking at the relevant page on Amazon Prime, it appears that virtually every commentator is enraged by the gaps.

I wonder if someone is trying to preserve sales of the DVDs (which are presumably the source of the uploads).

That makes sense, but I wonder how many people are still buying DVDs or Blu-Ray these days versus the amount the production companies make through streaming. Anyway, thanks for the report about the response from other viewers.

[ad hoc]

Watched The King over the weekend, a sort of amalgam of Shakespeare's Henry IV pts 1 and 2 and Henry V. The main reason i watched it is because it features my daughter's favourite actor (or, as she would term it, bae), Timothee Chalamet (as the eponymous hero) and she wanted me to watch it with her (she'd already watched it twice). Anyway, it was actually pretty good, and Chalamet is actually a good actor and turns in a fine performance as the reluctant, manipulated king. (The worst acting is provided by fellow teen idol Robert Pattinson who turns in a fucking shocking performance as the Dauphin. Luckily he is not in many scenes so he doesn't totally ruin the film).

Overall I'd recommend it (it's on Netflix).

[Hot Pepsi]

That makes sense, but I wonder how many people are still buying DVDs or Blu-Ray these days versus the amount the production companies make through streaming. Anyway, thanks for the report about the response from other viewers.

Supposedly, DVD sales have cratered and it’s making it a lot harder to get midbudget movies made.

[Satchmo Distel]

Series 3 of 'The Crown' is excellent and I'm loving the scenes between Olivia Colman as the monarch and Jason Watkins as Harold Wilson (who I initially thought was going to be crap but he's really grown into the episodes).

[slackster]

Bonham Carter is also having a ball as Princess Margaret in S3 (I’ve only watched a couple so far). The tension between the sisters is one of the highlights of The Crown, though I’ve no idea how true that was.

[Lang Spoon]

Been watching Dublin Murders. After the first two it's watchable, but full of implausible bollocks. Even the Gardai can't be as thick as they seem here with recruit vetting. Also very jarring that the little brother of our piss poor housing minister is the lead, and now he's older and thinner faced than he was in Love/Hate, is a ringer for the bastard.

I do like the way they've made the location shots (bar docklands/Blackrock) as generic "big bad city" as possible, I still can't work out which building is masquerading as Garda HQ.