Box Sets, Mini series, films, etc.

[Scotsrich]

Three Body Problem. Bit meh. Might be a grower?

Unusually for me I hadn't read the books first (though they are in the to-read stack).

Having read all three, I can't possibly see a way they could make them into a TV series. It would need a budget the GDP of a first world country.

If you do read the books, the 2nd is a bit of a slog. It was translated by a different guy to the first (and third) book.

I've just watched episode 6 of that and am enjoying it so far.

Unfortunately my modus operandi is that I'll probably watch the rest of the episodes in the first season and never watch any more.

[gremlin]

Only an hour long, but fuck me. What a powerful documentary:

Ukraine: Enemy in the Woods

A revealing and moving portrait of lives compromised by war, filmed exclusively by Ukrainian soldiers with extraordinary access to a tightly controlled front line.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001xr50

I urge you to watch it.

It looked like a very amateur militia to me, left to their own devices, some quite disturbing stuff on film. The bit at about fifty minutes when the guy approaches the two Russians lying on the floor and (I think) they were trying to surrender, they certainly didn't have weapons up engaging him, but he unloads a full magazine into them, pulls back and then returns to them when they're clearly no threat and finishes them off whilst they're lying there writhing in agony, weeping and dying.

I don't know what rules of engagement they're using but I'd be putting him forward for a court martial.

All through the film the soldiers are explaining how they see the Russians as rats, subhuman, etc.
This kind of uncontrolled militia murdering people willy-nilly is what started it all in the first place.

I'm not starting a political argument, but it was sickening to watch.

It was interesting that the part you quote was the only section of 'black screen' in the whole hour-long documentary, which clearly indicates that there was serious evidence of war crime there.

[Yambo]

Three Body Problem.

I've just finished episode 3 and whilst I'm enjoying it I can't help but think it's wrongly named.

Seems to me that with 3 suns and a planet getting kicked around like a gravitational football creating the problems for the inhabitants of that planet, the whole thing is a 4 body problem. But hey ho.

There's a total eclipse of the sun in 6 days time, visible across N. America and with the shadow moving from South West to North East is not only a bloody nose for the Flat earth idiots but an example of our very own 3 body problem.

[Horse]

Three Body Problem.

I've just finished episode 3 and whilst I'm enjoying it I can't help but think it's wrongly named.

Is it some sort of Sherlock Holmes reference?

[Hawkman]

Only an hour long, but fuck me. What a powerful documentary:

Ukraine: Enemy in the Woods

A revealing and moving portrait of lives compromised by war, filmed exclusively by Ukrainian soldiers with extraordinary access to a tightly controlled front line.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001xr50

I urge you to watch it.

If you "liked" that have a look at 20 Days in Mariupol. Filmed by Ukranian documentary crew. Got best Doc at the Oscars.

Having been part of a field surgical team in my youngers days I really felt for the medics in hospital running out of everything and operating under artillety/rocket attacks.

[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...

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.

Just finished MotA. It definitely picks up after the first few. Ended up really enjoying it
Of the three, it's a clear second after BoB, with The Pacific trailing behind in third place.

[Felix]

Watched a film last night. First time in a long time so we picked Rocketman. What a pile of shite.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I've been watching the new remake of Shōgun on Disney+.

I've never seen the original nor have I read the book. So far I really like it. I always find subtitled shows compelling (all the Japanese characters speak subbed Japanese, the westerners speak English but in the story English is playing the part of Portuguese), presumably because I have to actually pay proper attention and thus the programme draws me in

[Dodgy69]

Enjoyed "This Town" on BBC iplayer. Only 6 parts so you won't get bored to death with it.

[Sunny]

G'wad on C4 - excellent, funny, short series - recommended

The Beekeeper - I love cheesy action, but this was truly god-awful. Miss it.

Dune Part Two - it's entirely different, but this series puts me in mind of LotR - far too long spent world-building in between plot points. So a passable plot, good characters, but far too long and boring.

[DefTrap]

The Gentlemen (series).

Comes highly recommended, apparently. Suffered episode one. Pretty one dimensional because the whole thing is set up like a continuous farce, there's no opportunity to see if there's any other side to any character, particularly if the acting and actors are a bit shit.

Does it get any better?
Should I have just watched the film instead?

[Slenver]

The Gentlemen (series).

Comes highly recommended, apparently. Suffered episode one. Pretty one dimensional because the whole thing is set up like a continuous farce, there's no opportunity to see if there's any other side to any character, particularly if the acting and actors are a bit shit.

Does it get any better?
Should I have just watched the film instead?

I've not finished it yet but am enjoying it.

It's like all of Guy Ritchie's stuff really, silly but violent crime farce. Yes, the entire set-up is ridiculous, the characters way over-the-top and entirely unbelievable and one-dimensional, but it's just silly fun.

So no, it doesn't really change after episode 1. And in fact it's weirdly sitcom-like rather than a 'normal' drama series, in that each episode is basically the same and starts and ends at the same point, just with a twist on the same plot each time. Definitely not to be taken too seriously.

The connection to the film is odd in itself as the general premise is exactly the same, and some of the characters are reused with different actors and names. Plus some scenes (from both The Gentlemen and other films of his) are borrowed almost untouched and re-used. So if you've seen one, you've kind of seen the other. Would still recommend though, it's a more traditional structure, and if you liked any of his other films then it's more of the same.

[Gregor]

The Gentlemen (series).

Comes highly recommended, apparently. Suffered episode one. Pretty one dimensional because the whole thing is set up like a continuous farce, there's no opportunity to see if there's any other side to any character, particularly if the acting and actors are a bit shit.

Does it get any better?
Should I have just watched the film instead?

Haven’t finished it yet but Episode 3 made me laugh, the part where Jimmy realises he might be overdoing the weed a bit.

[Count Steer]

Enjoyed "This Town" on BBC iplayer. Only 6 parts so you won't get bored to death with it.

Just watched part 2. Pretty good, some good casting/acting/location etc and it keeps you interested.

[Sunny]

The Beekeeper: I love brain-out, suspend-disbelief action films, but really, this was SO, SO bad. I was expecting bad, but entertaining, it wasn't. Don't bother.

Wicked Little Letters: entertaining, sweary, brilliant cast, recommended for when you want something light and funny.

[Count Steer]

Coming out on Prime on 11th April. Looking forward to this.

5* review in Today's Grauniad on-line.

Sounds pretty good + anything with Walton Goggins in gets my vote.

[DefTrap]

Driveway Dolls (fillum, at the flicks). I only went because it was the only VOST fillum in English at our local flicks that night (the real draw was the authentic British chip van - yes as an expat sometimes the draw of proper chips is too great ...).

It's sort of like a modern Thelma and Louise. Ish. Girls roadtrip movie. If the protagonists were lezzers anyway. Quite a lot of comical rugmunching and dildos waved about. Perplexing rather than awful. Acting, cinematography and production were fine but I wouldn't rush to see it again or recommend anyone else do unless this is a genre you're mad about. Has the potential for a cult movie in the spirit of rocky horror maybe.

[Taipan]

Driveway Dolls (fillum, at the flicks). I only went because it was the only VOST fillum in English at our local flicks that night (the real draw was the authentic British chip van - yes as an expat sometimes the draw of proper chips is too great ...).

It's sort of like a modern Thelma and Louise. Ish. Girls roadtrip movie. If the protagonists were lezzers anyway. Quite a lot of comical rugmunching and dildos waved about. Perplexing rather than awful. Acting, cinematography and production were fine but I wouldn't rush to see it again or recommend anyone else do unless this is a genre you're mad about. Has the potential for a cult movie in the spirit of rocky horror maybe.

Never heard of it so I had a google. Looks pretty good tbh and Matt Damon in it for cred?!

[MrLongbeard]

Halo, just finished series 1, it's pretty OK

[DefTrap]

Never heard of it so I had a google. Looks pretty good tbh and Matt Damon in it for cred?!

Yeah the director called in a few favours - Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal cameo in it for a few minutes apiece