Box Sets, Mini series, films, etc.

[Slenver]

Masters of the Air just started on Apple TV.

It's the spiritual successor to Band of Brothers/Pacific but set around the US B-17 bomber division in based in the UK.

Seems quite good so far but still can't resist that Spielberg/Hanks quirk of having the English be twats.

I'm really disappointed with this and not a patch on Band of Brothers which I am now rewatching for the 4th or 5th time. The CGI is so bad it distracts from the story and they ripped off some scenes from Memphis Belle almost shot for shot.

Just finished the last episode this weekend.

TBH, I wanted to like it so much... I've got a minor obsession about WW2, and the flying part particularly, and Band of Brothers was so excellent.

I did enjoy Masters, but it wasn't anywhere near the standard of BoB. A lot of cheesy script, and a lot of cheesy characters... one of the two main characters (they had both the same name FFS) was like a masterclass in how to be a clichéd, yet thoroughly unconvincing brooding movie star, and yes, the CGI was just awful a lot of the time.

Plus, it sadly fell foul of that usual WW2 Hollywood trait of portraying the entire war as being goddamned American heroes vs all the baddies, and saving humanity from oppression. Despite the series being based in the UK during the war, literally the only 2 scenes in the full 9-odd hours that featured British servicemen were both of the 'What ho, chaps! There's some bally Yanks in the room. Golly, we're so superior to them!' followed by them being smacked down by the Americans, literally in one case during a one-punch fight that sees the Brits getting a goddamned can 'o whoopass opened on them. I appreciate the primary audience is presumably American and they probably love all that stuff, but it's childish nonsense that devalues it as a decent drama in my (admittedly biased) eyes. And that's before we get into all the usual sentimental stirring violins and clenched jaws every time a goddamned American hero returned from a mission.

There's an irony too, in the fact that as is standard these days, half the cast were British.

But anyway, I digress a bit. It was enjoyable enough and had a nicely epic feel, but if BoB was a 10/10, then Masters was, I guess a 6.

[Taipan]

Gotta love a classic!

[gremlin]

I keep coming across old episodes of 'Allo, 'Allo and, despite feeling I shouldn't be laughing at the old, corny gags, I do find myself watching for longer than I'd ever confess.

[KungFooBob]

I keep coming across old episodes of 'Allo, 'Allo and, despite feeling I shouldn't be laughing at the old, corny gags, I do find myself watching for longer than I'd ever confess.

I watched last night on Yesterday iirc.

First time I took the motorhome over to France I spent the night in a village carpark, it wasn't until leaving (obviously the French have leaving town/village signs to remind you where you've just been) that I spotted I'd spent the night in Nouvion!

[Yorick]

I keep coming across old episodes of 'Allo, 'Allo and, despite feeling I shouldn't be laughing at the old, corny gags, I do find myself watching for longer than I'd ever confess.

How come I'm not even a tiny bit surprised ?

[McNab]

But anyway, I digress a bit. It was enjoyable enough and had a nicely epic feel, but if BoB was a 10/10, then Masters was, I guess a 6.

Yeah, I pretty much agree with all you say (although I am more tolerant of dodgy CGI). For a show called "Masters of the Air" I felt there was a distinct lack of the "Air" in the second half of the series, and I was completely pissed off that we didn't get to see D-Day apart from the one shot that was clearly built for the trailer/titles.

[Horse]

I keep coming across old episodes of 'Allo, 'Allo and, despite feeling I shouldn't be laughing at the old, corny gags, I do find myself watching for longer than I'd ever confess.

Now watch an episode of Secret Army to see how near Allo Allo was (or how bad SA was!).

[Slenver]

But anyway, I digress a bit. It was enjoyable enough and had a nicely epic feel, but if BoB was a 10/10, then Masters was, I guess a 6.

Yeah, I pretty much agree with all you say (although I am more tolerant of dodgy CGI). For a show called "Masters of the Air" I felt there was a distinct lack of the "Air" in the second half of the series, and I was completely pissed off that we didn't get to see D-Day apart from the one shot that was clearly built for the trailer/titles.

I'd like to think I was fairly tolerant of the CGI, but it did seem a bit oddly poor in places for one of the most expensive pieces of TV ever. I'd have thought by now it'd be almost imperceptible, but there was a sort of cartoonish quality to a lot of the plane stuff.

[Taipan]

Delicious...

[Sunny]

In advance of Masters of The Air, we've just re-watched Band of Brothers, which remains simply excellent, followed by The Pacific, which had entirely passed me by when it came out.

To be honest, while it was good, you get flung straight into the action with no time to get to know the characters, which didn't make it half as enjoyable as BoB.

Masters of the Air is next...

[JamJar]

But anyway, I digress a bit. It was enjoyable enough and had a nicely epic feel, but if BoB was a 10/10, then Masters was, I guess a 6.

Yeah, I pretty much agree with all you say (although I am more tolerant of dodgy CGI). For a show called "Masters of the Air" I felt there was a distinct lack of the "Air" in the second half of the series, and I was completely pissed off that we didn't get to see D-Day apart from the one shot that was clearly built for the trailer/titles.

I'd like to think I was fairly tolerant of the CGI, but it did seem a bit oddly poor in places for one of the most expensive pieces of TV ever. I'd have thought by now it'd be almost imperceptible, but there was a sort of cartoonish quality to a lot of the plane stuff.

That was one of my biggest problems with it, almost all of the flying scenes looked like a game cut scene.

[Slenver]

In advance of Masters of The Air, we've just re-watched Band of Brothers, which remains simply excellent, followed by The Pacific, which had entirely passed me by when it came out.

To be honest, while it was good, you get flung straight into the action with no time to get to know the characters, which didn't make it half as enjoyable as BoB.

Masters of the Air is next...

I missed the Pacific too, been meaning to watch it for years!

MotA has a similar problem though, in that there are a ton of characters at the beginning, most of whom aren't particularly distinguishable in any way. They're just all generic yanks wandering around in flight jackets trying to look cool. It's made worse by the fact that they're often behind flight masks and the main two characters have the same name.

Luckily* the cast gets whittled down quite quickly, and they add a bit of characterisation eventually, so by about halfway through it starts to flow a bit better. Though they then throw in some more characters every now and again, many of whom are never mentioned again.

*Not for them, obvs.

[Taipan]

Any one watched the new Roadhouse yet? Not sure the original can ever be bettered tbh...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detai ... FsbA%3D%3D

[Taipan]

Any one watched the new Roadhouse yet? Not sure the original can ever be bettered tbh...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detai ... FsbA%3D%3D

Oh dear! Some real shit CGI/AI effects and just dreadful acting all round. The original was magnificent in its cheesiness but there was at least a plot with some acting and chemistry with the actors. This version really is a bargain basement copy, sorry "reimagining". 3/10. To be fair that would have been higher if it wasn't walking in the footsteps of giants!

[MrLongbeard]

Any one watched the new Roadhouse yet? Not sure the original can ever be bettered tbh...

Yes, it's shite piled upon shite

[Sunny]

Any one watched the new Roadhouse yet? Not sure the original can ever be bettered tbh...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detai ... FsbA%3D%3D

Oh dear! Some real shit CGI/AI effects and just dreadful acting all round. The original was magnificent in its cheesiness but there was at least a plot with some acting and chemistry with the actors. This version really is a bargain basement copy, sorry "reimagining". 3/10. To be fair that would have been higher if it wasn't walking in the footsteps of giants!

Watched it tonight too. Verdict = bubblegum.
Funny seeing how much influence Connor McG had though - I can imagine the contract now 'must not look weak or easily defeated'

[MrLongbeard]

The original was magnificent in its cheesiness

[DefTrap]

Pig.
Slow, ponderous, dull. Awful character development, there's no reason to love or hate any of them.

Another Nicholas Cage stinker, seriously on borrowed time when it comes to being a hollywood draw.

[Taipan]

Well worth a watch...

[Horse]

Anyone watched 'Silo'?

Just reading the book, 'Wool'. (First of a series?)

Weird (kills off several seemingly key characters very quickly!), but becoming quite compelling.