Second season is very good so far. Worth torrenting.Quote:
Originally Posted by PNWbrit
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Second season is very good so far. Worth torrenting.Quote:
Originally Posted by PNWbrit
I watched about 20 mins of the 1st episode and thought it was a lot like Stephen Colbert's schtick, or Ricky Gervais's "let's make them uncomfortable with an inversion". That stuff doesn't work for me unless it's got some snappy comic insight, which the first 20mins didn't carry. Didn't seem to be the "mix of Twilight Zone and satire" that Netflx said, but others might agree with the description.Quote:
Originally Posted by dookey67
Most shows made about politics in the past 3-5 yrs have shown the pols and staffers treating things like twitter trends as the reality of what's happening, the real meat of the people's honest views on govt and society. The mythology this offers the viewer doesn't seem very funny or acerbic, though. It seems like more of that non-irony "irony" that passes for irony in 2014.
T minus 43 daysQuote:
Originally Posted by PNWbrit
http://www.cinemablend.com/m/televis...ser-68370.html
Thanks for the heads up on that, Dooks. I'll check it out.Quote:
Originally Posted by dookey67
Quote:
Originally Posted by creaky fossil
Yo Creaky, methinks you may be looking at tha first ep all wrong. I see it as an ironic nod to Deliverance, but with a PoMo Tech twist...
Maybe -- I did shut it down after 20mins, there's much more to it. But even as a great admirer of absurdist humor, the "you have to fuck a pig Mr Prime Minister or the princess will die" treated seriously, that's not really funny to me conceptually. His wife going apoplectic at what people are saying on twitter isn't a funny twist on reality. Et cetera. As I said, it probably works well for others, the show gets rave reviews from most, it's probably just like mayonnaise as a sandwich ingredient. I hate mayonnaise, while most would rather have it than mustard.Quote:
Originally Posted by dookey67
It could be the premise is ruined by this: when I was in HS I had a golf coach at Univ MD course/range, funny dude who helped me & another guy on HS team a lot, used to let us play for free on Terp 18, would go on the course with us sometimes to teach us course management skills. On one hole he was trying to boom a drive and the ball needed to climb a bit to clear some trees, he called to the ball, "get up you pigfucker!" The Black Mirror show may have triggered golf memories.
I was actually taking the piss. that first episode of Black Mirror didn't do much for me (lack of reason behind the porcine event was annoying). Still, the buzz on the show has me geared up to at least watch the second episode to see if it actually deserves all the hype.
I don't like mayonnaise (or mustard), either.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. really gets cranking around episode 12, once Chet from Weird Science shows up. Talk about a slowburn show that starts to pay off after a really sluggish start. I probably need to pay more attention to all the hidden geek references, too: one character in a later episode made a comment about the seriously B-grade Dolph Lundgren film I Come In Peace (aka Dark Angel), so if they're going that obscure I'm guessing I've been missing a ton of other references.
Black Mirror didn't do it for me. After two episodes, I'm done with it.
Woah, my new plan for this afty.Quote:
Originally Posted by dookey67
Only if you can stream it in 4K. Otherwise, rent the bluray. It's freaking awesome.Quote:
Originally Posted by powtario
Since when are Blu-rays 4k?
(go ahead and enlighten me if they are)
I enjoyed Peaky Blinders.
Most of the ESPN 30 for 30 are entertaining. Boz, Bo, Broke, Lemond etc...
Some good Doc's in there as well. Neurons for Nirvana, Bottled Life, Terms and Conditions.
I tried Arrow and didn't make it far, maybe i should give it another chance...
Creaky and a few others in here- I saw something about this site https://mubi.com. It looks like they have a small collection of movies available at any time (30), but with an emphasis on more interesting movies over a larger time period. No idea if it's any good, I asked a couple friends but haven't heard back yet. I think I'm gonna sign up and see what it's like though. So ilk report back if it's worth anything.
sounds like a decent option if Netflix catalog has nothing of interest. I used hulu when it was free but haven't used it since their model change to 2-tiered free/ads vs subscribed/no ads, and Netflix catalog is starting to seem dry to me, reminding me of early sat TV, 300 channels and nothing worth viewing.
though the Netflix catalog is getting dry, I watched The Horde last night, it was pretty good
I finished Peaky Blinders and look forward to a new season.
I watched McConkey and Valhalla the other night and recommend both.
I like the new Cosmos series with Neil deGrasse Tyson, who is a solid successor to the inimitable Carl Sagan. I watch them with my 8-year old, and we both enjoy it. I'd like to rewatch the original series--if it's still available on Netflix--next.
Runaway Train, Great movie I hadn't seen since it came out, still holds up well over time, gritty action with Jon Voight and Eric Roberts.
Had Message From Space pop up because I watched Cosmos.
I don't even know how I missed this epic. WTF were they thinking?
First two episodes were pretty good IMHO. Twilight Zone style for sure with no story sustained story arc but I like the social commentary. I don't watch much but if I wanted a quick story, I would definitely try next one just to see. It's not Breaking Bad but that was unhealthy for me and I loved every minuteQuote:
Originally Posted by splat
Two Lives was decent, Euro/Scandi in mood & pacing, good acting & chemistry among those involved.
The ads for Netflix's coming soon Marco Polo look pretty good.
i will admit that NF streaming has been hit or miss for me since I started using it two years ago, but I still have close to 200 flicks in my queue and when a film hits, I've been happy (not so much so when they miss, which, sadly, is a little too often). That said, I've posted about a few of these recommendations previously, but here's a list of the films I've streamed (and that are still available) over the past two seasons that I've really dug:Quote:
Originally Posted by creaky fossil
Sushi Girl - a solid "containment noir" with some great B-actors.
Holy Motors - one of my favorite films from 2012. A bugged out entry in the very specialized "limousine movie" genre
Cosmopolis - David Cronenberg returning to his glorious twisted form after a few "mainstream" movies. The dude from Twilight can actually act, too.
B. Monkey - great femme fatale storyline featuring Asia Argento. It's in the league with a lot of those late '80s British noir films like Stormy Monday, not to mention Something Wild.
The Tall Man - Hitchcockian vibe from the director of Martyrs (one of the best horror films of the past decade, if you haven't seen that yet). Forget that Jessica Biel is in this, just watch it.
The War of the Arrows - solid historical action drama about the second Manchu invasion of Korea
Wu Dang - super solid wuxia-styled kung fu action/fantasy/adventure with nods to Indiana Jones, Enter the Dragon, and Game of death. Some of the best fight choreography and cleanest wire work since the over-the-top epics of the '90s (Once Upon a Time in China, Chinese Ghost Story, Dragon Inn, etc.). Way, way, way better'n Crouching TIger, imho.
Tai Chi Zero - over-the-top kung fu mahem that owes a small debt to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. One of the funnest and most creative kung fu films in years.
Tai Chi Hero - the sequel and part 2 of the Tai Chi trilogy.
White Vengeance - another Chinese historical action film, this time about the Chu-Han Contention. Packed with great visuals and Macbethian twists.
The Innkeepers - nice, quietly atmospheric horror film that brings to mind Shirley Jackson's classic The Haunting. This one is directed by Ti West, who, when he is on (House of the Devil, his segment in VHS, this film) is on.
The Thieves - a wonderful Korean/Hong Kong heist thriller
The Cook, The Thief, Her Wife and Her Lover - Peter Greenaway's art house masterpiece
Exam - great psychological thriller
Painted Skin: The Resurrection - solid wuxia fantasy
Kill List - genre bending British film that mixes crime and folk horror in a twisted way.
Cashback - visually cool romantic film (think Garden State, but British)
Girl Walks into A Bar - cool, multi-character romp through L.A.
Sound of Noise - quirkily brilliant Swedish absurdist cops and vandals film.
Comes A Bright Day - interesting British heist/romance
Prince Avalanche - two dudes painting roads in the deep south; PoMo existential bromance par excellance.
The Painting - an engaging little French animated film about the life residing inside a painting.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sur - a cool, comedic adventure yarn from Luc Besson; kind of like a campy, femme fatale Indiana Jones.
All The Boys Love Mandy Lane - although this horror flick sat on the shelf for several years, I found that it worked the "final girl" theme in very intriguing ways.
Beyond the Black Rainbow - one of the more visually stunning and weird sci-fi films I've seen in a long, long time. Great sound design, too.
Only God Forgives - Nicholas Winding Refn's follow-up to Drive got panned, but I loved it. Found that it owed a great debt to vintage David Lynch, Gaspar Noe, and Alejandro Jodorowsky (amongst others). It takes his anti-hero from Drive and turns him into a conflicted mama's boy. Great visuals (amazing use of saturated colors) and an immersive score/rich sound design won me over.
Berberian Sound Studio - a wonderfully creepy ode to '70s Italian Giallo and horror thrillers. Fantastic score by Broadcast and a captivating performance from Toby Jones.
The Grandmaster - perhaps my favorite take on the whole Ip Man legend. This one is directed by Wong Kar Wai (of Chungking Express fame).
London Boulevard - Thought this was a solid modern noir/crime thriller of the British persuasion.
After The Dark - An interesting take on the whole introspective post-apocalyptic genre that's been popular of late.
Man of Tai Chi - Forget about Keanu being in it, the action sequences are brutal and the story ain't that bad in regards to a classic kung fu revenge motif.
Rubber - What really needs to be said about a film where the protagonist is a sociopathic tire that enjoys having sex with women?
Vengeance - Nice Johnnie To directed HK thriller starring Johnny Hallyday (the French Elvis).
I've watched quite a few of those you listed dookey, and the others just aren't triggering my interest for whatever reason, middle age being the most likely one. In my 20s and 30s I was more omnivorously curious about what kinds of movies people made, but 2 decades of adventurous movie watching now find me in familiar grooves of what I like and avoiding what I don't.
Here's a good topic, going to Refn's Only God Forgives, which I watched and semi-enjoyed.
Is Ryan Gosling wildly overrated? He reminds me of this generation's Meryl Streep, praised forever but always playing the same role. I've watched him in 4 movies (Only God Forgives, Lars and the Real Girl, Drive, United States of Leland) and he seems to me the most 1-dimensional actor working today. He's the antithesis of another highly regarded actor, Christian Bale, who actually disappears into his roles.
Also, on this:
I can watch Jessica Biel do anything, but that movie seemed to me a hamfisted plea to modernize and gentrify everything.Quote:
The Tall Man - Hitchcockian vibe from the director of Martyrs (one of the best horror films of the past decade, if you haven't seen that yet). Forget that Jessica Biel is in this, just watch it.
Out of The Clear Blue Sky was a heavy but interesting look at a post 911 Cantor Fitzgerald. It was made by the sister of a CF exec that was killed whose widow was a year behind me and our moms are lifelong friends. I really didn't know who made it until they showed a bunch of clips of Doug at the end. And lost it though never met him. Her dad is a great guy who still skis well into his 70s. He was a rock for her and her kids. Thousands of stories like theirs.
Since so many positive reviews exist for Black Mirror I went back and watched all but one of the remaining episodes. All the ones I watched were superior to the first episode, less obvious, less tired/old ideas. Whitebear was good but a little too Groundhog Day + Sixth Sense + Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge in mashup obviousness. The best episodes were the one about the animated cartoon character & political wrassling, and the one with the memory-record implants. Too much of the show's "Twilight Zone-esque" and "satire" angles are unclever though, it's not satirizing when it's actually portraying what's happening in our culture, that's not satire. Satire requires amplification or other distortion, and the fellow who created this series isn't distorting reality very far. I didn't watch the one episode about communicating with the dead, or whatever similar thing Netflix described it as being.
Watched the first few prisoners of Marco Polo last night. Turns out to be pretty good. I kept trying to figure out if the Khan they portray actually existed in real life. I'll have to do some research. Lots of hot naked Asian ladies too.