Current Watching

[Guest]

Current Watching

I know, it's weird, last night I heard some people say 'amazing' but quite a few 'urgh if the camera went into one more lamp I was going to kill myself' type comments. They tell me the missing 18 mins or whatever is more of the hallucinations & to be honest I could have watched hours more of that.

and not yet for Winter's Bone, simply because the book has been sitting on my shelf for years and I've somehow not got round to it, so I was going to read it before going.

[Guest]

Current Watching

Check it out, someone I know put most of the credits up as stills. http://is.gd/fzy6C

[Ek weet nie]

Current Watching

That's cool. It's great that 5 seconds into the movie you are thinking wowzers this is going to be an experience.

[Gerontophile]

Current Watching

I stuck with 'Burn Notice', and it turns out that they can act, too. Love it.

Really, really enjoyed the first episode of 'Whites', the Alan Davies vehicle. The guy who plays the sous chef is fantastic, and the utterly incomprehensible waitress (Kiki) is phenomenal.

[Incandenza]

Current Watching

I saw Legend of the Guardians, the animated owl action movie today.

I do not recommend that anyone else do this. Of all the movies I've seen with my kid, I think I've liked this one least of all.

[Guest]

Current Watching

The Town Yes, it's OK. There's not much remarkable about it, but it's solid and it doesn't just peter out in the last third like so many films do - it's absorbing all the way through. I like this genre, the kind of Yards-Departed type thing, & Affleck is pretty good (if ridiculously muscled). Rebecca Hall is luminous, too. The entire story is just bits of other films all layered on top of each other, you've seen it all before, and while Affleck is competent enough as a director, there's nothing special about the photography - until the very last shot, which totally changes how you see the whole thing.

[Gerontophile]

Current Watching

Literally watching baseball on a new TV, fucking hell.

However, I should just throw my hat in again for Burn Notice, as suddenly its not just about the storyline that goes back 2 series, but Gabrielle Anwar has just reminded me what actresses are good at, and the hero (Jeffrey Donovan) is still brilliant, with good back up from Sharon Gless, and the guy who was in the Evil Dead (and looks fucking gorgeous, hang on, google...Bruce Campbell: WOW)

Anyway, the stories are becoming more, real, if you like, because there are emotions, and I am well into it, so it really doesnt matter.

Watching Miami in HD is a sight to behold. If I was straight, my right arm would have fallen off.

[Gerontophile]

Current Watching

Oh, and Whites is pretty good fun too.

Lyra: you still doing the subtitling thing?

Hopefully not Virgin's version...

[Lucia Lanigan]

Current Watching

Finally got to see Enter the Void this afternoon, and it is amazing: the best new film I've seen in a cinema for years. The cinematography and soundtrack (Coil! Throbbing Gristle! Why does none of the press mention this?) are incredible.

Imagine if Lost In Translation wasn't shit, or soundtracked by the worst song off Loveless, was based on the best religious text of all time, was filled with sex and drugs and was edited by David Lynch, and you sort of have an idea of what you're in for.

I do wish he'd been able to make the film he apparently wanted to - much longer, less linear, more time spent moving through light - cause a couple of parts toward the end were a little cute and stupid. But that's scant criticism: just go and see it. (He said, helpfully, a couple of days before it disappears from even London cinema screens.)

[Guest]

Current Watching

Ger - not much any more, a few days' work a month probably now. I don't believe I've ever worked for Virgin...

I keep going to see rubbish. (I know, for shame, in the middle of the LFF which is packed with fantastic sounding films. But there's just too many people it would be awkward to run into). So anyway.
Life as We Know it, for pity's sake, just because it was on. It was OK. Totally formulaic, undemanding. Featuring the ugliest babies ever seen in a film, which is something.

and Buried which is pretty interesting in terms of the conceits, and visually quite inventive - cut in a really show-offy defying its boundaries kind of way. But so fucking depressing.

and The Other Guys which is of course very funny, although I missed bits of it thanks to a/ having to walk half a mile round deserted mulitplex corridors to find someone to tell that the projector had the wrong lens on it and b/ I think I may have fallen asleep a little bit too. So probably ought to wait for the DVD & rewatch.

and finally got round to Zombieland which is a bit of a mixed bag, it's OK, it's funny, it's not without its problems, but a/ Abigail Breslin is adorable and b/ I think you'll agree that one could watch 2 hours of Jesse Eisenberg watching grass grow or reading the newspaper & not get bored in any way. I lurve him.

[hobbes]

Current Watching

Obviously Fringe being back on is making me very happy.
The WalterWalternate - OliviaFauxlivia thing is great fun.

Also on the plane home yesterday. they showed the A Team movie.
This got panned widely if I remember rightly?
It was a bit Hollywood schmaltz in parts, but generally, I really enjoyed. Excellent mindless action fun.

[Guest]

Current Watching

Oh yeah. Thank goodness for all the telly being back. Fringe of course, Bones, Castle, Caprica, Criminal Minds, Lie to Me, Community, Modern Family, 30 rock, Big Bang theory, etc, etc. All that's missing is Parks & Rec which I think is going to be a mid-season replacement.

The worst telly thing I have been watching is Law & Order UK. It's awful. Really, really excruciatingly bad. But, Jamie Bamber, see above re watchability.

[hobbes]

Current Watching

Is Caprica back?
I've been watching SGU and stuck Lie to Me on series link (and House for Pamela) but haven't seen anything about Caprica Season 2.

[Reed John]

Current Watching

Yeah, Caprica has already had two or three new episodes this fall. Greystone has made a devil's bargain to regain control of his company. We learn a lot more about the STO and the monotheists. Zoe and Tamara are trapped in V world and kind of sorting that out.

[Reed John]

Current Watching

In honor of my own birthday, I went to three films this weekend by myself.

Hereafter The reviews were good and it seemed sort of intriguing. It's about a guy played by Matt Damon who actually can talk to people's dead relatives. He used to do it for a living, but always seeing somebody's dead relatives whenever he touches their hand makes it impossible for him to have a proper relationship, so he's given up on that and works in a sugar factory (I think that's what it was).
***spoilers***
It moves very slowly and just when it seems like it's all coming together and something conclusive and interesting is about to happen, it ends. Something kind of interesting happens at the end but it's not very well explained.

Not sure I'd recommend this or not. The acting is pretty good, and it is sort of touching in bits, but it feels unfinished.

The Girl Who Played With Fire. The sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, and part two of the trilogy based on Stieg Larson's books (which I haven't read yet, but I'm told I should). Apparently there's also a TV mini-series in Sweden and they're working on an unnecessary Americanized version, which will almost certainly be worse because I doubt they'll keep all the brutal rape and nastiness stuff that, while brutal and nasty and hard to watch, does help to develop the characters. David Fincher is directing and Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig will play the leads, so I suppose that's encouraging.

It's not Shakespeare, but it is a good mystery yarn with interesting characters and we don't get many Scandinavian films round here, so it's nice change. Subtitled but, not hard to follow.

If you liked the first one, you'll probably like this, otherwise don't bother. I suppose it would be possible to understand this one without seeing the first, but it would be difficult.

These films aren't being widely released here. I saw this at our community theater downtown.

Last night, I decided on a whim to catch the 9:20 (last of the day) showing of Never Let Me Go. This was the first time in my life that I've gone to a film and have been the only person in the theater. There were other people in the building (apparently, lots of cars in the lot), but they were seeing different films. Really. Just me and the screen. And when I left, all of the staff had left too, apparently, but other movies were still going. Perhaps I could have robbed the place.

It was a very appropriate situation because this is an extraordinarily bleak film about, among other things, loneliness and isolation and wishing to stop oneself from getting older.

It's hard to explain without giving it away, but it's kind of sci-fi, but it's about an alternative past in England that is both better and worse than the real one. Mostly worse, it seems. According to the text at the start, in 1952, scientists make a breakthrough that has pushed the average life expectancy past 100. Then it begins as a series of Carry Mulligan's character's flashbacks to her time at especially dreary English boarding school in the 1970s and early 80s. What this great innovation was and the children's role in it is revealed, but not in the usual *cue dramatic stunning music* shocking way, but in a fairly matter of fact way that caused my jaw to drop.

The design of it is remarkable. Britain in the 70s and 80s often looks grim on film, but this one sucks more color out of it than usual. I guess that's why they chose to put it in an alternative past as opposed to the future.

Indeed, the central dilemma is not unlike that of a few other sci-fi films that come to mind, but this portrays it very differently. It is not an action adventure film about characters liberating themselves from the dystopia. It's about them learning how to accept that and make the most of it. And it doesn't waste too much energy on explaining the details of why things are as they are. Just enough so that the audience understands it from the characters point of view.

The ending goes against the run of play by striking some upbeat notes. Perhaps making the silver lining more obvious than it needed to be, but at least it made me glad that I didn't leave part-way through when I was thinking that I wasn't sure if I could deal with anymore grimness.

Definitely recommended.

[Guest]

Current Watching

re the Larsson films, these are the Swedish miniseries, just released theatrically for other countries.

having read the book of Never Let Me Go I'm not sure I can be arsed with the film version.

[Reed John]

Current Watching

re the Larsson films, these are the Swedish miniseries, just released theatrically for other countries.

I see. I can see how it would makes more sense as a TV show.

having read the book of Never Let Me Go I'm not sure I can be arsed with the film version.

Is it a good book? I'm not sure the film would be interesting if you'd read it and already know what's going to happen or, more to the point, not happen.

The Guardian had a thing on the London Film Festival (I think) mentioning that this was good but merely another "period" film and wouldn't it be nice if Britain could do more than period films. I don't think that's what this is at all. Besides, you know, play to your strengths.

[Third rate Leszno]

Current Watching

**Shitloads of spoilers**
Finally got round to watching Big River Man on Sky+ this week. For the uninitiated, it's a documentary of Slovenian long distance swimmer Martin Strel's attempt to swim the length of the Amazon.

The film is narrated by Strel's son, Borut. Strel is initially presented as a confusing mix of National folk hero, alcoholic drink driving gambler and unlikely marathon athlete. He comes across as almost childlike in his innocent enjoyment of long-distance river swimming and the fame it has brought him.

As the swim progresses, events take a darker turn. Sunburnt, masked, drinking heavily and prone to erratic behaviour, Strel increasingly retreats into himself and at one point swims off alone without his support boats in the dead of night. His guide and assistant, a young American called Matthew, becomes prone to evangelical ranting on camera, whilst Borut maintains a fairly deadpan narration throughout what must have been a deeply unsettling experience.

Ignoring medical advice, Strel continues the swim, despite becoming almost catatonic. It felt uncomfortably like voyeurism watching someone descend into such a dark place that he feels it necessary to wire his own head to a car battery. ,Meanwhile, locals receive him alternately as a hero and a 'fishman' spirit creature who cannot be allowed to stay in their village.

Ultimately, Strel remains an enigma - a fat bloke who likes a drink, yet is capable of the most astonishing feats of endurance, he says little of his own motivations but is clearly moved by the ecology and rivers in which he swims. A really excellent piece of film making, if difficult to watch at times.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Current Watching

I love modern family.

[Guest]

Current Watching

Sadly they have cancelled Caprica. Not enough of an audience. What a shame.

re Fringe, it is good so far, but I find the hair distracting. The red wig and the fringe (hah) don't work for Olivia.

[Reed John]

Current Watching

Yeah, I heard they cancelled it. That's shit. What does SyFy have that could possibly get better ratings?

And they are, reportedly, doing another BG prequel series anyway.

[Guest]

Current Watching

Yes. "Blood and Chrome" apparently.
They're saying that they tried everything to get viewers but people didn't like it. Which they would say wouldn't they. I think they are also not even planning to show the rest of the series now, at least not for a while.

[Reed John]

Current Watching

[/url]I watched Nice Guy Johnny The trailer is better than the film.

It's directed by Ed Burns, who is also in it.

I really wanted to like it because the two main leads, Kerry Bishe and Matt Bush are very likeable, but the story is just too, I don't know what the right word is, obvious, I guess.

**spoiler*
It's about a very decent and "nice" young guy trying to become a sportscaster in the Bay Area who is engaged to materialistic shrew. He comes to New York to interview for a job in a cardboard box company that his father-in-law to be has hooked up for him. He's only doing it because his fiance insists he make more money and that they move back to NYC. While he's there, he meets up with his barowner uncle (Ed Burns) who tries to convince him that he needs to loosen up and not do stuff just because other people want him to. Then he meets Kerry Bishe's character (she played Lucy on the short-lived Scrubs V.2). Pretty obvious set-up and it's pretty clear where it's headed, but they could have made it more interesting and less black and white. I mean, his fiance is just awful, so of course he's going to eventually get rid of her, and of course he's not going to "give up his dream" to work in a box factory. Only a complete idiot would see these as tough choices. Were supposed to believe that Johnny is going along with it because he "gave his word" and is trying to do the right thing. I can believe there are guys like that - I was sort of a guy like that - but it doesn't come together believably here. Kerry Bishe is beautiful and manages not to be just be a typical MPDG, although she definitely fits that role in a lot of ways.

[Gerontophile]

Current Watching

hobbes wrote:

Obviously Fringe being back on is making me very happy.
The WalterWalternate - OliviaFauxlivia thing is great fun.

Also on the plane home yesterday. they showed the A Team movie.
This got panned widely if I remember rightly?
It was a bit Hollywood schmaltz in parts, but generally, I really enjoyed. Excellent mindless action fun.

Thank heavens someone else likes Fringe.

Anna Torv (lead female, fab, stunning and Aussie) is wonderful.

Joshua Jackson acting his arse off, and the guy who plays 'Walter'/'Walter' is absolutely superb.

However, it is basically a better class 'X-files', which in itself makes it pretty damned good.

In other shows... Tim Roth continues to chew scenery, brilliantly, as a fuckwit with skill in 'Lie To Me' (see one episode, you will know what I mean), and I have finally, FINALLY, got into 'House'.

Having said all of that, I recently 'came across, a cache of', 'Roseanne' in all her beautiful forms, and ohmyglod, she, and the cast, are something to behold.

I didnt realise that DJ was played by a kid for only one episode?

AND Chapeaux to David Tennant (Single Father): I caught up late with this one, and watched them back to back. Fucking hell. This one will go far... and its one of those things where the 'lead' makes everyone look good? Not in this case, as their performances match up.

Brilliant stuff from ALL concerned.

[Gerontophile]

Current Watching

Oh and back to 'Whites': The guy who plays the sous chef 'Bib/Biv/no idea' should be an absolute star. He was excellent as the 'gut' in Smack The Pony, and he is utterly fantastic as this repressed arsehole in this utterly wonderful TV programme.

AND who knew Alan Davies could act?