Current Watching

[Hot Pepsi]

In the end, I sort of enjoyed Succession. But I can't escape the feeling that it was this extraordinarily beautifully shot, well acted and scripted show that, in the end, didn't have that much to say.

I can understand that.

It was about the people that really run things and how bad they are at it.

I feel like it could have been about a season and a half shorter.

[Hot Pepsi]

I certainly hope they don't.

Everyone seems to be taking it very seriously and I’ve seen a number of comments claiming it’s extremely well-written.

The only one who seems to know what show he’s in is Billy Crudup.

[Cal Alamein]

Hot Pepsi
Well stated re: Reservation Dogs! Just watched the finale tonight and that is a proper way to end a series.

Harjo is an OU alum and kudos for shooting it OK, lots of it in Okmulgee, and having a large Native crew.

As good as series as I have seen. Fantastic cast and equally fantastic casting. Cheese, the cop and the main spirit could have their own spin-off series.

(There's a kid named White Steve because he's white and named Steve. I'm not sure it's ever explained how he ended up there.) That seems like a picture of how the world ought to be.

Remember White Steve was part of the 'gang' that the Rez Dogs were against. Cool that they kept them in for the whole series.

[Hot Pepsi]

Oh yeah, that’s right.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

I got to the end of Boiling Point last night and not sure what the, erm, point of it was as a four-part series. It will maybe make more sense if it gets renewed for a longer run but for a short run there were too many characters and too many storylines introduced and then having to be resolved or dropped by the end of the run - e.g. (spoilers warning), someone's sober / oh no they've fallen off the wagon / oh it's ok they are sober again - two characters are put in a risky situation / the police are here / oh it's ok they got away with it.

[The Red Max]

On Boiling Point - I sought out the film on 4OD and it was very good indeed. Stephen Graham is predictably excellent, and shooting 1 hour and 20 minutes in one single take is mightily impressive.
It might have helped if I'd watched it before episode 1 of the BBC series. I'll give episode 2 a try, and see if I get into it a bit more, knowing the back-stories of the characters.

[ad hoc]

Romanian TV showed the documentary "The Caviar Connection" this evening, about the Azerbaijan regime and corruption and buying off European politicians. Really worth watching. For getting a glimpse into the reality of the system there and the danger that these autocracies pose to any form of democracy for the rest of us

[RobW]

I've watched two episodes of Boiling Point (I saw the film on release and not watched it since). It's making my hungry and anxious but it just feels telegraphed and a little cliched in places. Did enjoy the use of Pastor T. L. Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir though.

[Hot Pepsi]

I watched the original The Exorcist. I realized I’d never actually seen it.
It starts off so slow. The actual demonic possession part is more compelling.

Continuing the tour of pop culture icons I’ve never actually seen, I’m watching Flashdance. Nobody actually sounds like they’re from Pittsburgh.

Incidentally, Jennifer Beals still looks pretty much the same as she did 40 years ago but with less poofy hair.

[Tony C]

I got to the end of Boiling Point last night and not sure what the, erm, point of it was as a four-part series. It will maybe make more sense if it gets renewed for a longer run but for a short run there were too many characters and too many storylines introduced and then having to be resolved or dropped by the end of the run - e.g. (spoilers warning), someone's sober / oh no they've fallen off the wagon / oh it's ok they are sober again - two characters are put in a risky situation / the police are here / oh it's ok they got away with it.

I get that the chef going back to drink then recovering was a bit flimsy but I will give the writers the benefit of the doubt over the “risky situation” you mention. I saw it as a more as a glimpse of what lower paid workers might be tempted to do to supplement their income and the obvious risks involved rather than an extended plot line.

In terms of the series I enjoyed the last two more than the first two so I’d say stick with it if you’re unsure.

[Hot Pepsi]

The end of The Gold sets up for more seasons.

[WOM]

Netflix's The Fall of The House of Usher was much better than I was expecting it to be. Good writing and performances, if stretched out a bit overlong at 8 episodes. Horror just doesn't have that sort of legs, as American Horror Story continues to demonstrate.

[ad hoc]

We watched "The 24 faces of Billy Milligan" on Netflix this week. Frankly I'd never heard of the case before, but it was grimly fascinating (though I feel like it could have gone a bit deeper and really looked into a couple of areas that were touched upon but then dropped (eg the role of publicity and the media in the rise of certain mental health conditions)). Also from time to time the style of the documentary got a bit annoying, but in general this didn't really affect my enjoyment (if enjoyment is the right word). Anyway, I recommend it. Oddly enough it seems to be largely a French production, so after hearing from all the people who actually were involved, occasionally you'll have some French philosopher pop up to randomly offer his opinion

[diggedy derek]

I watched the original The Exorcist. I realized I’d never actually seen it.
It starts off so slow. The actual demonic possession part is more compelling.

Continuing the tour of pop culture icons I’ve never actually seen, I’m watching Flashdance. Nobody actually sounds like they’re from Pittsburgh.

Incidentally, Jennifer Beals still looks pretty much the same as she did 40 years ago but with less poofy hair.

I love how slow The Exorcist is. It starts as some sort of gritty NYC kitchen sink drama and then the malevolence descends and upends all human life

[Hot Pepsi]

Pretty much every TV show or movie made before about 1980 seems a bit slow for me.
My brain was wired by MTV. This is not an original observation.

The Exorcist is one of those films where I'd heard so much about it and seen it referenced in so many other films, as well as The Simpsons, etc, that nothing in it was a surprise or novel. Still, I fast-forwarded through the worst parts.

And I can completely understand how it blew people's minds in the the 70s.

Same with Psycho. I only watched that a few years ago because the surprising bits were not at all surprising any more. It is a very good film still, but I imagine people who saw it with no idea where it was going were freaked out.

I'd never seen The Shining until a few years ago either. It doesn't really matter if you know what happens before you see it because it still doesn't really make sense. It's worth seeing just because Jack Nicholson is on an absolute heater throughout. Unfortunately, we now know that Shelly Duvall wasn't just acting in that. She was really traumatized.

I'm probably the only 50-year-old white man in America who has never read a Stephen King book and I generally don't do horror.

I can sometimes get into stories about ghosts or possession, but I do not want anything to do with horror that is mostly just about gratuitous violence. I've never seen a Friday the 13th or a Halloween or Saw. I hate to be that guy, but I'm not sure the popularity of those films speaks well of our society. I'll see some of the other horror classics just for the sake of pop-cultural literacy, but I don't want to see that. I saw the first Scream, which was supposed to be funny and ironic, but mostly it was just gross.

[Mr Delicieux]

I love how slow The Exorcist is. It starts as some sort of gritty NYC kitchen sink drama and then the malevolence descends and upends all human life

William Friedkin never saw it as a conventional horror film, more that it is a film about faith when a person has exhausted all options and my goodness he played a blinder.

Exorcist 3 is the one to watch for real horror chills and is damn good film in its own right. there are two scenes in particular which sets me on edge even now.
I must clarify that 3 is directed by William Peter Blatty, not Friedkin.

[Hot Pepsi]

I haven’t seen any of the sequels. I heard the new one is not good.

[Mr Delicieux]

I haven’t seen any of the sequels. I heard the new one is not good.

The second one is dreadful, but the third one was directed by the chap who wrote the original novel and is based on 'Legion', which was written as a sequel to the first book.

[Mr Delicieux]

And the new one is basically 'What if the first exorcist, but with two possessed girls instead of one?' And worse than being bad, you know bad to the point where it becomes entertaining, it's just bland.

[Levin]

Is $200 per day plus expenses a reasonable amount or a ridiculously high price?

[Hot Pepsi]

Is $200 per day plus expenses a reasonable amount or a ridiculously high price?

For an exorcist?

[Levin]

For a private detective who lives in a trailer on the Pacific Highway

[ursus arctos]

Quite low by contemporary standards, I'd say

[WOM]

Is $200 per day plus expenses a reasonable amount or a ridiculously high price?

A 1972 survey of recent grads shows a monthly salary in accounting of $848, in 'business' of $737 and in marketing / distribution of $705. That's monthly.
The Bureau of Statistics shows 1974/5 weekly earnings of Manufacturing at $176, Mining at $221 and Finance / Insurance at $141. That's weekly.

Rockford Files was pretty much 1975, so I'd say $200 a day was pretty healthy. Theoretically that's $1000 a week / $4000 month, not working weekends.

[Plodder]

William Friedkin never saw it as a conventional horror film, more that it is a film about faith when a person has exhausted all options and my goodness he played a blinder.

Exorcist 3 is the one to watch for real horror chills and is damn good film in its own right. there are two scenes in particular which sets me on edge even now.
I must clarify that 3 is directed by William Peter Blatty, not Friedkin.

Thanks for the tip. I didn't even know there was an Exorcist III. Watched it tonight and enjoyed it. Though I might have been more scared if George C. Scott's performance didn't keep reminding me of the air traffic controllers in Airplane.

The guy who played the imprisoned killer was terrific.