Current Watching

[hobbes]

SO She-Hulk and Rings of Dobber both finished last week.
She hulk I really enjoyed. It doesn't hurt that I think Tatiana Maslany is awesome after Orphan Black.
I've seen a lot of blokes moaning about how it "laid on the sexism thing too thick and they could have been more subtle we're not stupid duh" which shows an astonishing lack of self awareness.
And "she-hulk is supposed to be funny but this isn't funny because because because..."
Basically fuck them. It was aces.

Lord of the rings of dobber looked great. And the final 3 eps were pretty good. It held my attention much better than Game of Dobber even if they first few eps were quite boring.
It's certainly better than Amazon's other fantasy epic Wheel of Dobber, despite Rosamund Pike being a much better at being perpetually grumpy that Morfydd Clark.

[Levin]

I've been watching the action films on ITV hub.

Reign of Assassins was a lovely, fun and romantic wuxia film. Not at all what it's title suggested. Although the voice used by (or for) Michelle Yeoh was a little disconcerting.
Goemon, was far too stylised, not at all fun, and everything looked like it was based very much shot for shot on a manga. The action sequences were all impossible CGI things.
I was very impressed by The Swordsman, the no action bits were shot and edited a bit TV style but the action sequences were really well done. As impossible as Goemon, but it looked like real people were doing the action. It also lead to a fun hour or so reading about 17th Century Joseon. Also, big fan of Korean hats.

All I've been wanting to watch are fun, exciting things that aren't too emotionally taxing. Reign of Assassins and The Swordsman fit the bill

Edit: The Swordsman is on All4, not ITVhub. Along with a handful of other really good Korean films.

[Femme Folle]

hobbes my friend the network exec who was responsible for saving The Expanse also gave the green light to Rings of Hobbit. I don't know if she was responsible for Wheel of Fortune, but I actually kinda sorta liked that one. It filled time when I had nothing else like it. I'm looking forward to the new season of The Witcher.

[hobbes]

Your friend saving The Expanse is the sort of thing people should win a Nobel for. Please pass on to them that this Inya will be in their debt forever.

As for Wheel and Rings, yeah, they're pretty entertaining. Silly, but watchable.
I'm with you on The Witcher. I came to it from the games and although Caville is a bit hench, he's got the world weariness and bleak humour nailed.

[Slightly Brown]

The Stranger on Netflix. Australian film based on true events. I shan’t explain what those are because the film itself is deliberately opaque. I had to no clue of the story, so the opening hour is strange, disorientating and intense. This is helped by the performances of Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris. The dialogue, soundtrack and imagery are also stark and suitably weird. Proper slow-burn stuff. I thought it was tremendous.

[Sean of the Shed]

Agree with that. We watched it last night and it's very good. Not something you can watch without being totally focused on it, though.

[Jon]

Been mostly catching up on documentaries lately, some of which have already been mentioned on this thread.

The Bolsonaro one on the iplayer. A three parter. Well worth it but not an easy watch. I have a couple of Brazilian friends and I feel much more informed and ready to have a discussion with them about Brazilian politics than before. The parallels with Trump are uncanny. The involvement of the immediate family. The fact that they were both seen as joke candidates until quite close to the election. The protest vote against the political elite that managed to get them both elected. The refusal to accept defeat once in power. I could go on.

Ali - on the iplayer. The first ever Ken Burns documentary I have seen. Really good and very exhaustive - six episodes, I think; allowing the focus to be on both the boxing and the rest of his life in equal measure.

The Steve McQueen three parter about the New Cross fire and the Brixton riots of 1981. Also on the iplayer. He did them as a follow up to the Small Axe series that he did, which I loved, One of the Small Axe episodes was on the New Cross fire, as I recall. Again, not an easy watch but brilliantly done. Highly recommended.

La Leyenda Blanca, on Amazon Prime. A hagiographical six parter about Real Madrid. For fans only, I would suggest, and not for the casual viewer. I found it strange that, every couple of episodes they spent a few minutes paying lip service to the basketball team with an interview or two with some of their players. I have no interest or knowledge of the team but it just felt crowbarred in. Yes, they share the same name but that is about it, as far as I'm concerned. Apart from that though, I Ioved it. It brought back tons of memories.

[RobW]

The Stranger on Netflix. Australian film based on true events. I shan’t explain what those are because the film itself is deliberately opaque. I had to no clue of the story, so the opening hour is strange, disorientating and intense. This is helped by the performances of Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris. The dialogue, soundtrack and imagery are also stark and suitably weird. Proper slow-burn stuff. I thought it was tremendous.

Ahh good. Was too late to start watching it last night, so I saved it. If I remember, i'll watch it tonight.

[WOM]

The Creedence Clearwater Revival at The Royal Albert Hall documentary / concert film is very good. The front half is all about their first European tour and their rise to fame. It's excellent. The last half is the concert itself, which is fine...depending on your level of emotion for 1970 concert footage. The bands always look really amateur and the crowds half-bored / stoned. Nobody has figured out how to talk to the audience yet, it seems. Worth watching for a few songs, anyway. But the real joy is in the front half.

[Jon]

The Creedence Clearwater Revival at The Royal Albert Hall documentary / concert film is very good. The front half is all about their first European tour and their rise to fame. It's excellent. The last half is the concert itself, which is fine...depending on your level of emotion for 1970 concert footage. The bands always look really amateur and the crowds half-bored / stoned. Nobody has figured out how to talk to the audience yet, it seems. Worth watching for a few songs, anyway. But the real joy is in the front half.

Ooh, where can one see that, WOM? I know Duncan Gardner would be keen to see that.

[Nocturnal Submission]

A bit parochial, I know, but I did enjoy last night's London-based episode of Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy.

I recognised the branch of La mia Mamma as being just down the road from Stamford Bridge and mentally bookmarked it as the venue for an as yet undetermined future celebration or treat.

[Amor de Cosmos]

The Creedence Clearwater Revival at The Royal Albert Hall documentary / concert film is very good. The front half is all about their first European tour and their rise to fame. It's excellent. The last half is the concert itself, which is fine...depending on your level of emotion for 1970 concert footage. The bands always look really amateur and the crowds half-bored / stoned. Nobody has figured out how to talk to the audience yet, it seems. Worth watching for a few songs, anyway. But the real joy is in the front half.

I was in attendance. They were an Oakland bar band, used to playing postage stamp stages in — well, Lodi and similar small towns. They looked a bit lost in the Albert Hall's vastness. Also the support acts were eccentric choices. Early R&B from Wilbert Harrison, was OK, but Quintessence, a stoned out psych-band from Notting Hill with their own in-house guru were very not CCR. But the Fogertys and friends sounded just like the records, so we all went home happy.

[WOM]

Ooh, where can one see that, WOM? I know Duncan Gardner would be keen to see that.

I saw it on Netflix last night. Apparently it's the first time the concert has been released in its entirety. The documentary style footage of them knocking about Europe is gold, and there's some great stuff on their pre-CCR history, which I knew none of. They'd been at it for the better part of a decade by 1969.

And please give Bill my regards.

[WOM]

I was in attendance. They were an Oakland bar band, used to playing postage stamp stages in — well, Lodi and similar small towns. They looked a bit lost in the Albert Hall's vastness. Also the support acts were eccentric choices. Early R&B from Wilbert Harrison, was OK, but Quintessence, a stoned out psych-band from Notting Hill with their own in-house guru were very not CCR. But the Fogertys and friends sounded just like the records, so we all went home happy.

Oh, this is great. Yeah...you could tell they were shitting it a bit and struggling to fill the stage.

[MsD]

Can't see whether anyone mentioned The Sensationalists, but I really liked that. Thought it captured much of the 90s really well.

[MsD]

Apart from that, I went back to watch Breaking Bad, then El Camino and am now on Series 4 of Better Call Saul; it's worth watching a second time through to see all the pieces slot together very satisfyingly. And to appreciate the great acting and the relationships. These characters are so well-drawn and well-acted.

[RobW]

The Stranger on Netflix. Australian film based on true events. I shan’t explain what those are because the film itself is deliberately opaque. I had to no clue of the story, so the opening hour is strange, disorientating and intense. This is helped by the performances of Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris. The dialogue, soundtrack and imagery are also stark and suitably weird. Proper slow-burn stuff. I thought it was tremendous.

Was excellent, as I find a lot of stuff with Sean Harris is.

[Sean of the Shed]

Just finished Peacemaker. It's written and directed by James Gunn, so a similar level of humour as GOTG, and I'd like to think it has been influenced by The Boys as well. Will also be enjoyed by fans of Hair Metal, which was used heavily in the soundtrack.

[Benjm]

We watched and enjoyed Karen Pirie after the endorsements on here. Agree that a young enthusiastic protagonist makes a refreshing change.

Arab Strap providing the title music for an ITV Sunday night drama seemed incongruous but that might just be my age showing.

[Logan Mountstuart]

Is there a Succession thread on here? I'm about 4 episodes in and already feel sorry for poor Kendall. The least terrible of a terrible bunch of people. I'm also intruiged by Marcia. Even have a bit of a crush. Lord knows I'm probably old enough.

[Jon]

Is there a Succession thread on here? I'm about 4 episodes in and already feel sorry for poor Kendall. The least terrible of a terrible bunch of people. I'm also intruiged by Marcia. Even have a bit of a crush. Lord knows I'm probably old enough.

https://www.onetouchfootball.com/for...834-succession

Although that thread wasn't started until fairly recently so I think most of the discussion is of the latest (third) series.

[Logan Mountstuart]

Thank you Jon.

[Logan Mountstuart]

Er, read the first post. Best avoided until I get to the end of series 3.

[Logan Mountstuart]

An impressive, German version of All Quiet On The Western Front on Netflix. It doesn't follow the book slavishly but is a huge improvement on the 80s, John Boy Walton remake, and a better, more realistic film than 1917.

Years ago it was a straight, 3 way toss up between using LM, Katczinsky or Frank Sobotka as my Internet alter ego.

[Hot Pepsi]

Andor is fucking awesome. Tony Gilroy is good at this.