Current Watching

[Ray de Galles]

Just finished The Undoing on Binge, the streamer we’ve joined specifically for Succession.

Provided you’re OK with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant as leads, and Kidman singing Dream A Little Dream Of Me as the theme tune, it’s actually really good. Both of them are excellent, Grant is only intermittently Full Grant, and the final episode is suspenseful and well done.

Oh and support cast strong too, led by the peerless Donald Sutherland, like an old alpha lion.

I thought the final episode was a daft slapstick climax to what up until then had been an enjoyable and compelling show. It wasted the tension that had been generated by the episodes prior.

Agree about the strong performances from all the main cast. The writers' tendency to end every episode with a "Is this the telling clue to who the killer is?!" before starting the next one with "Er, no it wasn't, sorry!" was a bit silly though.

[Discordant Resonance]

Just watched Quo Vadis, Aida which is a dramatisation of the last days of Srebrenica in 1995 - there's a real sense of deliberate helplessness as the Dutch UN troops do little to evacuate civilians and indeed facilitate the Bosnian Serbs in the massacre to come. Of course, in seeing events through one individual's perspective, the pathos is heightened to almost unbearable levels, but sometimes that is necessary to convey the magnitude of events, particularly when they occurred within the living memory of most probable viewers.

[Sits]

I thought the final episode was a daft slapstick climax to what up until then had been an enjoyable and compelling show. It wasted the tension that had been generated by the episodes prior.

Agree about the strong performances from all the main cast. The writers' tendency to end every episode with a "Is this the telling clue to who the killer is?!" before starting the next one with "Er, no it wasn't, sorry!" was a bit silly though.

Fair, I know others who felt similarly about the final, it worked for us.

[Hot Pepsi]

I think Undone worked if you didn't take it all too seriously or care too much about who actually did it.
Certainly, Hugh Grant was well-suited to the role.

[G-Man]

Succession spoiler warnings (or tags if they work) please, people!

That's the problem with this thread: it makes separate threads on shows or movies unnecessary, but you keep stumbling on spoilers.

Why on earth is there no Succession thread anyway? There's so much to unpack after each episode.

[ad hoc]

Yeah it's like the current reading thread, only it moves faster.

[Sean of the Shed]

I love this thread, it's a vital resource for viewing ideas. I do agree, though, that in depth discussion of plot points of a particular series are maybe better confined to a dedicated thread.

[ad hoc]

The problem is that sometimes you might watch something new and want to tell people about it (either to recommend or warn), and you can't always know that a new show or film will go on to be thread worthy. But with the search function so buggered, it would be much easier to have separate threads for each programme / film

[Uncle Ethan]

Station 11 is very much a read the book situation.

Currently rewatching the best of all the Star Wars movies. Rogue One.

[Slightly Brown]

Station 11 is very much a read the book situation.

Currently rewatching the best of all the Star Wars movies. Rogue One.

I second that second statement.

Mrs Slightly and I went to a midnight showing. We both emerged exhilarated and went….

SPOILERS/////////////////////////////


went…did everyone just die? It was so bold. I loved how the film used the force. Not ‘use’ used it, but represented it. K-2SO’s deadpan patter was also a highlight. Seeing stormtroopers on a beach was also a head-shaker. It took nostalgia and elevated it to something new and interesting.

[Slightly Brown]

How the West Was Won is on. I watched it back in the day on my mum’s big fat-backed TV. The ‘Cinematic’ tech made it look weird. Now, though? I mean, my TV isn’t great, but the film looks wild/brilliant. You can still see the joins, but that’s overridden by Hannibal from the A-team telling off a that-choice-hasn’t-aged-well Henry Fonda.

[Lang Spoon]

So we finished Succession and it was godammed magnificent. Might start the new series of Gomorrah next week, though the last was a big fucking drop off, and the Immortale film was just unspeakable.

[Sits]

Finished Stay Close. Still confused, or couldn’t be arsed to pay close enough attention.

[San Bernardhinault]

Just watched On The Rocks. Sofia Copolla, Bill Murray. It seems to be one of those films that has high-critics on Rotten Tomatoes but very average audience. Usually that means it’s boring and self-serious. But I think this time the critics were right. It was charming with some very funny sections and some incredible timing and pacing from Murray.

[Hot Pepsi]

I may revisit that.

I’m finally finishing the last season of Vikings.

Apparently, there will be a sequel series jumping ahead 100 years to Leif Erickson, etc, and the Norman conquest.

[Amor de Cosmos]

SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER!SPOILER!SPOILER! SPOILER!

Ooooo Good! But I thought Floki turned out to be Leif Erickson, guess he beat him to it.

[Hot Pepsi]

Historically, Leif Erickson was a century after Björn Ironside.

The new show is on Netflix.

[Felicity, I guess so]

Started The Tourist - I'm intrigued and entertained, Ms F isn't.

Also went to the Tyneside Cinema for Licorice Pizza. We thought it'd be safe in the biggest screen in the afternoon but while they were literally marshaling punters in the cafe/bar, the seat allocation seemed to lump everyone together. I really liked the film, although it was too long, Ms F was uncomfortable throughout but did find some aspects charming. It was a 35mm screening and I loved the look of it.

She cheered up when we exited as we could hear "Yellow! Yellow!" echoing from Syd James' and got to the car in time for the glorious save and finale on 5live.

[Felicity, I guess so]

It's a shame the cinemagoing was problematic as they have a good 'films of 21' season on in the smaller screens plus haven't seen Titane yet.

[Sits]

Just finished Succession. Fantastic; the final episode is a tour de force.

[Hot Pepsi]

I’m getting into docs about dudes doing absurd outdoors shit. Watching Free Solo.

Jesus. I do not relate to the need to risk ones life just to do something cool. It takes all kinds, I guess.

It feels unright that all of these dudes have beautiful patient wives. But life is like that.

[Slightly Brown]

I’m getting into docs about dudes doing absurd outdoors shit. Watching Free Solo.

Jesus. I do not relate to the need to risk ones life just to do something cool. It takes all kinds, I guess.

It feels unright that all of these dudes have beautiful patient wives. But life is like that.

You should check out The Dawn Wall. Same kinda guys. This one has a great friendship angle.

[Hot Pepsi]

I also watched one - I forget what it was called - about a Canadian guy. ***spoiler***

He dies in the end. Not falling on a free solo but in an avalanche on the relatively easy repel back down. Kinda ironic, really.

These people should have to pre-pay the NPS for the cost of retrieving their body.

[Levin]

The restoration of Wings of Desire is amazing. It all looks so sharp.

It is making me wonder what 1080p streaming actually means given all the compression artifacts you see on surfaces (in general).

[Levin]

Wings of Desire really is amazing. I wonder how much of that Berlin still exists today.

It's a bit of shame that Peter Handke was involved.