OT: Let's talk about Movies and TV Shows, Part XXXI (now rated PG)

[Runner77]

Watched Dave, a comedy series into its Season 3.

Premise: A suburban neurotic man in his late 20s has convinced himself that he’s destined to be one of the best rappers of all time. Now he must convince his closest friends, because with their help, he might actually convince the world.

Was intrigued at the beginning but halfway into S2, the protagonist became more and more whiny and excessively annoying, so I bailed.

 

[GoodKiwi]

I have no clue what I'm watching. Unless this is triving for Barry level stroke of genius (and failing or is masterful at not revealing anything to the viewer)...

This can't be saved now, I don't see how. This is wild U-turns each episode. This can be the worst script I've ever seen in a big budget series. This can be a bored billionaire trying something he's horrible at. This is a different thing each EP and a clusterf*** of of just epic proportions.

I know nothing about writing, but i'd write a better one. I mean that, you cant f***ing do this level of swinging wildly in the dark.

Or I'm hoping this is a masterpiece, but what can get out of this mess. WTF is this doing, is this a new age thing trying to dig itself a grave as deep as possible to get out of it miraculously? No way, right?

Or this is one horse shit piece of a script. Wow. No way, this can be a fail this massive either, right? This can be shamefully bad, just single digits RT percentage bad. No way, right?

I'm confused but it is keeping my interest.

How can something go from inner cabinet poliical show to Homeland and a plot to launch a mission to Mars later? Cause this is what is basically has been so far.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Watched the Immaculate room on Netflix the other day and It reminded me why I don't watch any of these trash new movies on netflix absolute waste of time

 

[Runner77]

Watching FX 6-part series, Great Expectations based on the renowned Dickens novel. There have been several adaptations of it but was not aware of them until I started looking into this one.

It’s dark and slow paced but find that there is enough to pique interest as the protagonist meets ever expanding moral challenges that expose his great naivety.

The actor playing the part of Jaggers, the corrupt London lawyer, offers a commanding, masterpiece of a performance. Quite simply, he steals every scene he’s in. Not to be outdone, is Olivia Colman, who delivers every line with so much impact.

I’ve gotten through 4 episodes and I’m really liking it so far. It may not be for everyone on account of the pace but the story has me hooked.



I understand that the 1998 adaptation presents a different mood than the current and features Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow — might just have to look into it after I’m through this one.

 

[DougHarvey]

Watching FX 6-part series, Great Expectations based on the renowned Dickens novel. There have been several adaptations of it but was not aware of them until I started looking into this one.

It’s dark and slow paced but find that there is enough to pique interest as the protagonist meets ever expanding moral challenges that expose his great naivety.

The actor playing the part of Jaggers, the corrupt London lawyer, offers a commanding, masterpiece of a performance. Quite simply, he steals every scene he’s in. Not to be outdone, is Olivia Colman, who delivers every line with so much impact.

I’ve gotten through 4 episodes and I’m really liking it so far. It may not be for everyone on account of the pace but the story has me hooked.



I understand that the 1998 adaptation presents a different mood than the current and features Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow — might just have to look into it after I’m through this one.

You should try the 1946 version with Alec Guinness and Jean Simmons and directed by David Lean ( Lawrence of Arabia , Bridge on the River Kwai etc.)

 

[Runner77]

You should try the 1946 version with Alec Guinness and Jean Simmons and directed by David Lean ( Lawrence of Arabia , Bridge on the River Kwai etc.)

That too was on my list. I was going to work my way backwards to it. There are 4 adaptations of it that I found and the one you mention is the earliest. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[rik schau]

Finally got to see it, was ok,not worth seeing in the theater but fine for at home.

The Pope's Exorcist (2023) ⭐ 6.1 | Horror, Thriller

1h 43m | 16

www.imdb.com

 

[the valiant effort]

RIP to the best mayor and talk show host of the last millennium plus 23 years

 

[Runner77]

Watched the first episode of Citadel, it delivers even if I’m not a big fan of the female protagonist. This review picks up the salient elements:

With the arrival at last of high-octane, international spy actionfest Citadel after a troubled gestation (commissioned before the pandemic, rejected pilot episode, replacement of the original director, radical overhaul), Prime Video is now the producer of the two most expensive streamed series of all time. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cost $465m (and that’s clearly without spending a cent on the title) and the new six-episode drama on the block reportedly comes in at somewhere north of $250m. And that’s clearly without spending a cent on the script.

Is it worth it? You betcha. It’s Mission: Impossible meets The Bourne Identity meets James Bond while glancing off Indiana Jones a few times along its irresistible way.

It opens, rather like a Hollywood remake of Bodyguard, with Richard Madden having loo-based traumas on a train. This time he is more chiselled, because people from outside the UK are going to see him, and doesn’t quite save the day. This time he plays Mason Kane (actually, they might have spent 10 dollars on the name) an agent for Citadel, an independent global espionage network comprising people tired of political corruption and criminal infiltration screwing up ordinary espionage and leaving the little people unprotected.

About that female protagonist:

His partner (and ex-wife) is the permanently pouting Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), who looks like Jessica Rabbit …

A little too dolled up and dainty-looking, not who I’d envisage in this type of role. But, they needed someone with name recognition and who can play a lead part.

Citadel review – this absurdly fun spy thriller is televisual crack | Television & radio | The Guardian



As an aside, Chopra is not someone who is easy to work with on set. When she shot in Montreal a few years ago, someone who was there confirmed that she had a man-servant tending to her every beck and call and that she would act entitled and condescending toward the poor guy and anyone who didn’t have a big role in that production.

 

[sandviper]

YYYAAAAASSSSS!!!!!

 

[Runner77]

Fascinating in-depth interview featuring Scott Ryan, the lead actor in a series I loved, Mr. Inbetween: Scott Ryan discusses his life and his hit TV show Mr Inbetween

Ryan’s journey had so many twists and turns that his show wasn’t even going to get done. He isn’t even a trained actor but he can write and this series showed that he definitely has acting chops (won acting awards for his work in the series).

I’m going to rewatch Mr. Inbetween, which ended in 2021 after 3 seasons. If you haven’t seen it, you’re in for a treat.

Also looking forward to whatever new project he might be involved in. He’s the proverbial underdog who earns everything he’s got — can’t help but root for people like him, especially that he’s so talented.

 

[DAChampion]

Sweet Tooth season 2 was really outstanding.

 

[Deebs]

YYYAAAAASSSSS!!!!!

Great series....can't wait

 

[GoodKiwi]

The Diplomat is outstanding. Just brilliant. Masterful writing, very Aaron Sorkin-like. The characters are fleshed out and the dialogue will stand up against any I've ever seen in a TV series.

I'm not sold on how it is all presented, but, it doesn't cast a shadow on just how well this thing is written.

Is this one of my favourites? Not sure, I need more time to decide.

Is this for everyone? Certainly not. I keep stressing this - think about whether you are the target audience. Hardcore political interplay and it won't hold your hand at any point. One common criticism of The Diplomat is exactly that - people overwhelmed by its nuance. Know what you're going into with this one.

But what this has is depth. This can be as deep of a rabbit's hole as you allow it to be. At its surface this can (I think) be perceived as a soapy political drama, but it can offer more if you care to analyze it deeper.

This is memorable, very much so. It's been a very long time since I last felt this way about a show.

One difference, as I already mentioned, is that I can't even say I am fully onboard with its story and how its told. I have never felt this way about a series before. Truly torn, but will watch it several times more for sure.


P.S. As I knew it would be - the leads, and acting overall, is top notch. One can't ask for better performances than those of Kate and Hal characters. FANTASTIC. Keri Russell is a f***ing star.

 

[Runner77]

The Diplomat is outstanding. Just brilliant. Masterful writing, very Aaron Sorkin-like. The characters are fleshed out and the dialogue will stand up against any I've ever seen in a TV series.

I'm not sold on how it is all presented, but, it doesn't cast a shadow on just how well this thing is written.

Is this one of my favourites? Not sure, I need more time to decide.

Is this for everyone? Certainly not. I keep stressing this - think about whether you are the target audience. Hardcore political interplay and it won't hold your hand at any point. One common criticism of The Diplomat is exactly that - people overwhelmed by its nuance. Know what you're going into with this one.

But what this has is depth. This can be as deep of a rabbit's hole as you allow it to be. At its surface this can (I think) be perceived as a soapy political drama, but it can offer more if you care to analyze it deeper.

This is memorable, very much so. It's been a very long time since I last felt this way about a show.

One difference, as I already mentioned, is that I can't even say I am fully onboard with its story and how its told. I have never felt this way about a series before. Truly torn, but will watch it several times more for sure.


P.S. As I knew it would be - the leads, and acting overall, is top notch. One can't ask for better performances than those of Kate and Hal characters. FANTASTIC. Keri Russell is a f***ing star.

Keri Russell was outstanding in The Americans, so really looking forward to The Diplomat.

 

[GoodKiwi]

Keri Russell was outstanding in The Americans, so really looking forward to The Diplomat.

Agreed, although I wasn't a fan of The Americans for reasons nothing to do with her performance.

She's on a whole different level here - this is her best so far IMO. She has (and so does Hal) a very difficult role and she absolutely smokes it.

 

[GoodKiwi]

Speaking of best female lead performances in a TV show of, say, last few decades, who'd be your nominees?

I think it's very safe to limit this to somewhat recent offerings because TV had not been nearly as strong before. There might be outliers, but none that come to mind easily.

I won't say these are my only three (difficult question for sure), but some that immediately come to my mind are shows such as The Handmaid's Tale, Fleabag and Killing Eve.

One more, and this is not a very popular opinion, for me is The Big C.

 

[GoodKiwi]

@Runner77

I don't want to quote your entire post about Citadel because I only have one nitpick. How is it possible to "hollywood-up" Bodyguard?

That thing, although not without its entertainment value, is a bloody poster child for new age BBC drama I keep whining about non stop in recent years.

 

[Runner77]

@Runner77

I don't want to quote your entire post about Citadel because I only have one nitpick. How is it possible to "hollywood-up" Bodyguard?

That thing, although not without its entertainment value, is a bloody poster child for new age BBC drama I keep whining about non stop in recent years.

That thing is basically a mishmash of what’s already been done ad nauseam.

About The Americans, I won’t get into how each side was represented during the Cold War but I don’t think I’ve seen a series that rendered the 80s so well, while ramping up the spy vs. spy tension at every turn. I found it to be incredibly immersive, so much so that I forgot I was watching a series, it felt as if I was there.

 

[rik schau]

If you have kids or will or for that matter ever been a kid,this is a movie that relates. It's with kids about kids but it's not for kids,but it's damn funny and a lot of laughs.

Found a trailer,even the trailer is funny!

 

[rik schau]

Watched the first episode of Citadel, it delivers even if I’m not a big fan of the female protagonist. This review picks up the salient elements:

With the arrival at last of high-octane, international spy actionfest Citadel after a troubled gestation (commissioned before the pandemic, rejected pilot episode, replacement of the original director, radical overhaul), Prime Video is now the producer of the two most expensive streamed series of all time. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cost $465m (and that’s clearly without spending a cent on the title) and the new six-episode drama on the block reportedly comes in at somewhere north of $250m. And that’s clearly without spending a cent on the script.

Is it worth it? You betcha. It’s Mission: Impossible meets The Bourne Identity meets James Bond while glancing off Indiana Jones a few times along its irresistible way.

It opens, rather like a Hollywood remake of Bodyguard, with Richard Madden having loo-based traumas on a train. This time he is more chiselled, because people from outside the UK are going to see him, and doesn’t quite save the day. This time he plays Mason Kane (actually, they might have spent 10 dollars on the name) an agent for Citadel, an independent global espionage network comprising people tired of political corruption and criminal infiltration screwing up ordinary espionage and leaving the little people unprotected.

About that female protagonist:

His partner (and ex-wife) is the permanently pouting Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), who looks like Jessica Rabbit …

A little too dolled up and dainty-looking, not who I’d envisage in this type of role. But, they needed someone with name recognition and who can play a lead part.

Citadel review – this absurdly fun spy thriller is televisual crack | Television & radio | The Guardian



As an aside, Chopra is not someone who is easy to work with on set. When she shot in Montreal a few years ago, someone who was there confirmed that she had a man-servant tending to her every beck and call and that she would act entitled and condescending toward the poor guy and anyone who didn’t have a big role in that production.

Too bad they casted Chopra,she's terrible,how she keep getting parts? Ruined it for us otherwise worth a look,like Tucci.

Fascinating in-depth interview featuring Scott Ryan, the lead actor in a series I loved, Mr. Inbetween: Scott Ryan discusses his life and his hit TV show Mr Inbetween

Ryan’s journey had so many twists and turns that his show wasn’t even going to get done. He isn’t even a trained actor but he can write and this series showed that he definitely has acting chops (won acting awards for his work in the series).

I’m going to rewatch Mr. Inbetween, which ended in 2021 after 3 seasons. If you haven’t seen it, you’re in for a treat.

Also looking forward to whatever new project he might be involved in. He’s the proverbial underdog who earns everything he’s got — can’t help but root for people like him, especially that he’s so talented.

He's a bit of an odd duck in fact but did a good show,there are some good ones down under but far a few between.

 

[GoodKiwi]

Mr. In-Between is great. Totally slipped my mind and I don't think Ive ever mentioned in here how much I enjoy it.

Certainly recommended. One of the best Australian TV shows. It reminds me of Barry for some reason. PLEASE, tempter you expectation (no, it's not as good), but there's something about it that draws similarities in my head. No idea why that is. It's a crime drama noir and a well made one despite operating on much lower budget we're used to this side of the pond.

 

[Milhouse40]

 

[peate]

Speaking of best female lead performances in a TV show of, say, last few decades, who'd be your nominees?]

I think it's very safe to limit this to somewhat recent offerings because TV had not been nearly as strong before. There might be outliers, but none that come to mind easily.

I won't say these are my only three (difficult question for sure), but some that immediately come to my mind are shows such as The Handmaid's Tale, Fleabag and Killing Eve.

One more, and this is not a very popular opinion, for me is The Big C.

I loved Killing Eve, and Fleabag was great and very well written, but I never got into the Handmaiden's tail. Watched a bit of the opener, but never went back.
d
Sandra Oh would get my vote. I loved her in Grey's and she was also Why Killing Eve was good.
I haven't watched enough TV to be a fair judge, but a few I remember: The redhead in Desperate Housewives I loved,

also the daughter in Yellowstone did a great job,

There's a striking resemblance ,. I must like carrot tops.

 

[sandviper]

Saw Guardians last night. I thought it was excellent. Not sure if it was better than the first, but better than the second and I think top-10 among the Marvel movies. Have to make a list, but it was good.