Current Watching

[Nefertiti2]

It’s a Sin, anyone?

[Sits]

On the list

[Uncle Ethan]

Might be just me, but if using Current Watching for recommendations then spoilers are a bit unwelcome. Putting SPOILER in caps just before saying the wife, did it doesn't help much. I avoid threads on specific shows/movies for that reason until after I've seen them.

[Benjm]

It’s a Sin, anyone?

I'm watching as broadcast, so have seen three of the five episodes. The production is slightly flimsy in parts, not always convincing that its world carries on beyond the camera shot. I read somewhere that the episode count had been trimmed too, suggesting budget issues. Overall that is a minor consideration as performances are strong and the characters engaging enough that there is a real emotional kick as events unfold.

[Tony C]

For those of you who haven’t seen ‘Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ it’s on Film 4 at 9.00 pm tonight and I fully recommend you do so.

[Sean of the Shed]

For those of you who haven’t seen ‘Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ it’s on Film 4 at 9.00 pm tonight and I fully recommend you do so.

Seconded.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Having been without Sky Atlantic for many years I've now got access to it again through Now TV (because I'm switching to BT and it comes bundled), so I've got a lot of catching up to do. I cleared Sharp Objects and Succession in, uh, quick succession, but now I'm going to try and have a few different series on the go at the same time, sort of like old fashioned TV watching, rather than hurtle through another full run in one go. Westworld and Babylon Berlin are first out of the blocks, along with Wandavision on Disney+ (though obviously the latter could be cleared in a night's sitting).

I still have a lot to watch from the Virgin box, I presume I can still watch recordings after I stop paying them money but it won't be the end of the world if I lose them.

[Hot Pepsi]

I've tried to watch HBO's The Outsider. It's based on a Stephen King thing. It's not usually my kind of thing, but the cast is great. It starts off really well, but after about episode 3 it just kind of grinds to a halt and nothing is really happening.

****Spoiler***
We get it! It's a supernatural demon thing doing all of this! Why belabor the point? Why drag it out for multiple episodes waiting for all the characters to get on board?
I think I'll give up on it.
HBO did. They didn't renew it for season 2.

[lambers]

For those of you who haven’t seen ‘Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ it’s on Film 4 at 9.00 pm tonight and I fully recommend you do so.

Thanks Tony, I just saw this in time to set the +1 channel on to record.

[hobbes]

I've tried to watch HBO's The Outsider. It's based on a Stephen King thing. It's not usually my kind of thing, but the cast is great. It starts off really well, but after about episode 3 it just kind of grinds to a halt and nothing is really happening.

****Spoiler***
We get it! It's a supernatural demon thing doing all of this! Why belabor the point? Why drag it out for multiple episodes waiting for all the characters to get on board?
I think I'll give up on it.
HBO did. They didn't renew it for season 2.

I really enjoyed The Outsider. And the pacing of it too. It was the typical King thing of building the characters and then watching them bend and snap under increasing pressure. One season was enough for it. The story was told.

[hobbes]

Just watched Space Sweepers on Netflix. Your typical South Korean big budget sci-fi romp* I thoroughly enjoyed it and there were a couple of bits that were genuinely joyous.
It's not hard sci fi, it's 20 minutes too long and by good it sticks firmly to the space adventure tropes, but all in all it doesn't fail because of that.

*This is the first South Korean big budget sci fi romp. But it feels like a genre already.

[Ginger Yellow]

*This is the first South Korean big budget sci fi romp"

Eh, kind of. It's not big budget by Hollywood standards, and The Host was on the same order of magnitude, albeit around half the size. D-War had a ca. 50% bigger budget than Space Sweepers, though it's more fantasy than sci-fi.

[hobbes]

I'd class The Host as a horror/monster movie rather than sci fi romp. I've not seen D-War, but looking at stuff about it, I'd probably say the same.

[pebblethefish]

Watched Greenland yesterday. Disaster movies with Gerard Butler are usually a last resort for us, but Mark Kermode choosing it as his movie of the week persuaded us to give it a shot.
He wasn't wrong. This is no Geostorm, this is probably the best Gerard Butler led film I've seen, and obviously Morena Baccarin can do no wrong.
As disaster movies go this was far more character led than the usual CGIfest you normally get. You care more about what happens to them rather than what gets blown up next. Of course it has the usual disaster movie tropes where the clock is ticking and they somehow make it to the destinations with seconds to spare.
.

Based on this I watched it last night. I thought the exact opposite, I thought it was awful. I disliked all the characters, found the acting very poor, and the plot to be so formulaic as to be laughable.

And I normally like trash.

[WOM]

We watched a Quebec comedy film last night called Menteur (Compulsive Liar) which was two hours well spent. Basically, a shallow corporate douchebag - who lies as easily as you or I breathe - suddenly has to confront each of the 100,000 or so lies he's told in his lifetime. It's comedy, it's fantasy, it's rom-com and it's very funny. Apparently the highest grossing Canadian film of 2019, and I'd never heard of it, which tells you all you need to know about the difference between English Canada film and French Canada film.

[ad hoc]

Just started watching Occupied, Norwegian drama serial about an effective Russian takeover of the country. First two episodes have me somewhat interested so I guess we'll stick with it for a while. Anyone else watched it? There are 3 seasons so it's been around for a bit

[Amor de Cosmos]

Yes, we've watch all three seasons. The first season is, in some ways, the most interesting as it deals with Norwegian/Russian political attitudes. By season two it becomes more about individual characters and right/left politics. Dramatically it has the virtue of not being afraid to eliminate leading characters now and again.

[Amor de Cosmos]

I'm not a particular fan of Kevin Costner, whose name is directly below the title of Prime's Yellowstone. But La Signora wanted to watch a Western and it was what was available, it sure paid dividends. Maybe the best series I've come across over the past couple of years. A sort of mash-up of Bonanza and the The Godfather it features an excellent script and a couple of first class performances. Kelly Reilly, is truly exceptional. I vaguely remember her as Watson's wife in Cumberbatch's Sherlock, and a couple of other British series, but only put two and two together the other day. As Beth, the daughter of Yellowstone ranch, she gives a performance that's terrifying, so good in its scariness I sometimes want to back away from the screen. The scenes of modern ranch life are powerful and even informative, breaking horses, castrating calves, bunkhouse life and so on. Plus the corruption, racism and violence that pervades Montana life and politics drive the plot. Altogether well worth your time.

[San Bernardhinault]

I've really enjoyed watching it, too. Kelly Reilly is great, you are right.

My main problem with the show is the Sons of Anarchy style of escalating and excessive violence. There's just a bit too much, and you get a feeling that in each season if it's not been ridiculously violent yet, then you feel it will be coming.

On the plus side, it has the dynamics of the fucked up rich family. It has stunning scenery and footage. And great performances. Because of the great camerawork, I think of it as a something like a Western Ozark.

[Amor de Cosmos]

My main problem with the show is the Sons of Anarchy style of escalating and excessive violence. There's just a bit too much, and you get a feeling that in each season if it's not been ridiculously violent yet, then you feel it will be coming.

Yeah, I could see that happening. How far in are you? We're approaching the end of series two, I wonder if series four will be a step too far. I also find it a bit irritating that the solution to Yellowstone Ranch's succession problem is so fucking obvious but no one can, apparently, see it. Rip should marry Beth. End of story. I suppose the stupidity of male lineage is part the show's point, but it's a bit frustrating.

[San Bernardhinault]

We've watched all the seasons so far. Apparently they're making an origins story series, for the new Paramount streaming thingy, along with Season 4.

[Uncle Ethan]

Based on this I watched it last night. I thought the exact opposite, I thought it was awful. I disliked all the characters, found the acting very poor, and the plot to be so formulaic as to be laughable.

And I normally like trash.

Same. 2012 without the tongue in cheek approach and endless explosions. Boring as batshit.

Congratulations to Prime for the ability to make The Stand eight episodes long without managing to develop a single character, whilst simultaneously losing significant chunks of plot down the side of the sofa somewhere. It made absolutely no sense to me - and I've read the book twice.

[Ray de Galles]

Watched Greenland yesterday. Disaster movies with Gerard Butler are usually a last resort for us, but Mark Kermode choosing it as his movie of the week persuaded us to give it a shot.
He wasn't wrong. This is no Geostorm, this is probably the best Gerard Butler led film I've seen, and obviously Morena Baccarin can do no wrong.
As disaster movies go this was far more character led than the usual CGIfest you normally get. You care more about what happens to them rather than what gets blown up next. Of course it has the usual disaster movie tropes where the clock is ticking and they somehow make it to the destinations with seconds to spare.

SPOILER
Particularly well done scenes are when the characters have to fight for their lives. These aren't the usual movie fights where everyone can take endless punches and have suddenly mastered kung fu. Butler has to really scrap in the truck scene and when he defends himself with a claw hammer he is absolutely shaken and horrified at taking a life.
My one gripe would be the finale was one scene too many at the end. I'd have preferred it finished with them in the shelter and we were left to make our own minds up about the end of the world, but it seems most movie audiences don't want that.

Er, you might want to put that spoiler alert one sentence earlier! More potential spoilers below.

We saw it tonight and I largely agree with you (though clearly Gerard Butler's best film by some distance is '300'. Bacarrin is definitely a goddess though). An effective, gripping disaster B movie where the CGI is effectively used as the background rather than the raison d'etre of the whole thing.

There are areas where the plot is stretched to implausibility but you can forgive them that in the face of a driving narrative.My main quibble though is that their son is so bloody annoying that I'm not sure he was worth all the trouble he caused them.

Agree on the redundant last scene too, it looked like they were going to be brave enough for a Sopranos style ending initially and I can't help thinking what was tacked on was the result of external pressure on the filmmakers.

[Sits]

It’s a Sin, anyone?

Just finished. That’s quite something.

[Ray de Galles]

Having meant to see the Icelandic film 'Rams' for years but never getting round to it, I watched the new Australian version (I hesitate to use the word "remake") last night. After hearing and seeing a few reviews I thought I'd see the recent one first and then finally catch up with the original.

It's a slow, underplayed film that mixes taciturnity & warmth (literal as well as figurative, at times) and comedy with small-scale drama. Sam Neill's performance is predictably one of low-key brilliance and carries the film as he's in pretty much every scene.

The vistas of Western Australia and it's natural phenomena are breathtaking but it also portrays life in a tiny town and rudimentary farmhouses really effectively.

I was pleasantly surprised how much the two of our teenage children we watched it with enjoyed it, given it's far more aimed at my wife and I's demographic. It was a pretty perfect Sunday night movie really.

I believe the original has some very different elements of style and perspective so will enjoy comparing and contrasting soon.