Must-See TV
Was gonna put this in the Brit tv thread, but I want a general heads up lookit this cool new show type thread anyway, because I fall in love with a new show every five minutes and dont want to start a new thread every time :P
By new I mean 'new' and/or 'new to me'.
Utopia: a new drama from Ch4. They've been trailing it for weeks. By the time it was broadcast I was thoroughly intrigued. Couldn't watch it on the night, but caught up with it tonight. It was excellent!
Here are the two full length trails. Very mysterious. Very strange. Quirky, dark. Funny in places. Not really suitable for younger viewers.
[YOUTUBE]LVLKWhLNuZk[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]6EaP3cH9d-I[/YOUTUBE]
we're gonna get Ripper Street on BBC America and something else...oh yeah, Orphan Black.
I'm gonna watch them both.
game of thrones starts here 3/31
And Dexter starts in JUNE!!!!!
*happy dance*
C'mon Dexxy!
Sad that it's likely to be the last season, but hopefully they'll change their minds and go to 9 seasons after all...and if they don't, well at least they're going to give his story a solid end.
[eta] Don't know about Orphan Black, but Ropper Street is excellent! Its pretty standard police procedural, but done so well and in the early days of policing. The dialogue in particular I love. It's really well written.
I'm looking forward to all of them.
I thought Dex was gonna do two more seasons. you heard different?
There's some discussion about it apparently. The programme makers had planned to end on s7, but Showtime persuaded them to stretch out the story and take it to 8. The makers are now saying that 8 will be the end, but there are also stories circulating that they mayhave been persuaded to go to 9.
Go NINE! go NINE!
but not if it's gonna suck like the Doomsday Killer season.
that season sucked and just b/c you're Tom Hanks' son doesn't mean you can act.
Now, see I really liked that season.
Now, see I heard about Utopia. Probably because Curtis is in it.
SPOILER!!!
[COLOR="White"]He doesn't make it to the end of the most recent series.
He offs himself because he's been bitten by a zombie. Which he brought back to life. Because that was his fucked up talent. Just so you know.[/COLOR]
Oh that was a Misfits SPOILER btw. Not about Nathan Stewart-Jarret.
That would just be bloody weird.
Now, see I really liked that season.
I hated it. It was a complete waste of James Olmos.
Have you seen the Hannah McKay episodes yet over there?
I didn;t like the first few eps. Fell off the series for a few months then went back and picked it back up. Really enjoyed it from around ep5 onwards. I totally didn't see the big twist coming on Travis and Geller. And the season ending was the best in ages.
[eta] didn;t really like the Hannah McKay storyline. Thought it was a bit of a rehash of that mad cow he dated through AA.
I LOVED Lila (the mad cow) because she was truly a sociopath but I HATED Hannah and would never, ever, ever, ever trust her.
Plus, didn't the woman own a fucking beige bra? All season long I had to look at that black bra thru that see thru white shirt. shit, son. go buy some lingerie.
A couple more Utopia promos, this time full scenes, so we start toget a sense of it:
[YOUTUBE]m_jvWhwhZsE[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]uS1c29imcog[/YOUTUBE]
@ Sundae: lol
The first ep has the best (most realistic) drunk sex scene I've seen in years with his character.
OMG am watching the programme right now, just popping in here in the ad breaks.
Bloody hell, Curtis has a nice bum!
Loving it, thanks for the ref.
Fuck me.
Intense.
Gutted it was shown on Tuesday - I wanted another ep IMMEDIATELY!
Ep 2 tonight!!!!
I am psyched.
Me too.
Already have it in Sky+ because I might not made it all the way to the end tonight (first full day back today and alking in the snow to see the lovely Seb).
Might watch the first ep to catch up again.
Watching through my hands and saying "It's only corn syrup" again.
k. I watched Ripper Street. I'm not some provincial school girl (like I was when I saw Trainspotting) but I understood about 1/2 the dialogue. thick acctents, muddled words, and wtf did he just say?
otherwise, was good. Not great, but good.
Darling I've been to Scotland. You do not have to be thick or provincial not to understand some accents in Trainspotting. I'll try to listen to Ripper Street again with a different ear, but then much of what you don't get is probably London - my family background.
There was a similar joke in Hot Fuzz, where they automatically subtitled the Gloucestershire accent, even in the UK.
But that raises a question. Do you not have subtitles over there?
We use them for everything here. I mean "we" in the broad sense in that anyone I know who has trouble getting the dialogue will immediately switch them on. And "we" as a family. Mum's hearing is sensitive, Dad has two hearing aids and I have trouble distinguishing the spoken word if there is background music when the sound level is at Mum's chosen volume. I also miss plot points and sound effects (leaving me puzzled as to why everyone in the cast looks round in shock).
In Leicester I used them because my flat was on a main road. I could not be arsed to keep flicking the volume up for the speech and down for the music - and adverts. Stick on subtitles, don't miss a thing.
Saving grace I say.
But then I've been watching foreign films since I was 17, so reading and watching isn't an issue. Growing up in Europe is cinematically different than growing up in America, unless you are multilingual. And like most Brits, I am SO not. Altohugh I have a smattering of Merkin now :P
Whay about "Copper"? I saw one season on BBC America and it has disappeared.
I had to look that up, I'd never heard of it.
Turns out it was the first BBC America original scripted programme. Hasn't been shown over here. According to Wiki there's a second season due to air this year.
Re: Ep2 pf Utopia
Fucking hell. I am loving this show!
k. I watched Ripper Street. I'm not some provincial school girl (like I was when I saw Trainspotting) but I understood about 1/2 the dialogue. thick acctents, muddled words, and wtf did he just say?
otherwise, was good. Not great, but good.
As far as Trainspotting goes: I had difficulty understanding some of that. Fortunately watched at home so was able to rewind when necessary to relisten. I hate using subtitles. I'd rather relisten four or five times til I get it :p
Which brings me to Ripper Street. I have to relisten to bits of dialogue several times throughout each episode. Not sure why. Don't usually have a problem with southern accents. And it is something that happens with all different characters including the American doctor. It might be something to do with the sound levels on the show.I think some lines are just a little indistinct at times.
The first episode was good. Not great, but good. I think it gets much stronger as it progresses. I've now watched three episodes and am thoroughly into it. There are a couple of interesting character backgrounds being explored and the stories are getting more intriguing. The first was a fairly standard serial killer mutilating women type story. Not so different from modern detective stories (except for the early days of pornography which was a pretty fascinating angle) but the second is more like something from Dickens.
I will re-watch Ripper with subtitles on---I think you're right about the sound levels, too...and even in 'merica we have tv shows where the actors sound like they have a bunch of mush in their mouths (maybe the dialogue is THAT bad or maybe they muffed the line, whatever) one particular show was the West Wing-people said the sound editing was horrid and they couldn't hear half of what was going on.
Utopia----I'll have to see if that's on BBCAmerica.
Utopia is a Channel4 show, so I don't know which channel might pick it up over there.
It's probably available on some streaming sites though...
Wasn't sure of the second ep to start with. Thought all the draw was in the opener.
But it revved up pretty damned fast.
And OMG. The betrayal.
Worthy of Misfits.
And you know in how high esteem I hold that.
Loving Grant.
I've always had a thing for bad boys. They are probably the only creature apart from kittens that evoke a maternal response in me.
Tril - I'm not sure Utopia is your thing.
But if you can get to see it I'd be glad for you to prove me wrong.
If there is any humour in it (and it has made me laugh) it's black as a tumour.
And there are a lot of squinchy moments. But it has to be like that to carry a fantastical narrative.
I would eat it up with a spoon.
'Cepting I know what it's done.
It's the X Files writ large. Like Romani Ite Domum.
Trust no-one. No. Absolutely fucking no-one.
I need to look up how long this series is.
It is my Wednesday treat at present.
I havent seen 3rd ep yet...I'm gearing up to watch on catch up.
I just DL'd Green Wing. I saw a few minutes of it on Youtube and it looked funny. I think I was searching Daisy Haggard and it came up as a show she'd been on.
Have yet to watch it.
Green Wing was awesome. Shame they only did two series of it. But they told a full story with that (alonside the sketchiness obviously)
Watching the first episode now. The new doctor (Tasmin Greig) reminds me so much of you.
Damn that show is so funny. I love the Scottish HR character.
Green Wing is a stunner. And the cast is stellar.
If you like Daisy Haggard you have to watch Pyschoville. They gift her some very funny lines. Especially about porn dwarves.
Thanks Sundae, I'll check it out. I'm nearly through with Season One of Green Wing. The character development is great. Tasmin Grieg still reminds me of Dana.
I am totally in love with Michelle Gomez's accent. "I don't let the squirrel out for just anybody."
I had a bit of a pervy thing for Dr Alan Statham.
Because Mark Heap played Brian in Spaced. I would have loved to have him under my thumb.
My crush on Mac was wholly justified however.
Oh, you I like. You can definitely stay.
Green Wing
I'm in love with Michelle Gomez. Her accent. The whole show is so crazy. It's funny, when I was younger and slimmer I looked a lot like Boyce.
That guy on the left looks so much like
Fred Armisen to me.
Holy Christ. You Brits are killing me.
[YOUTUBE]tBM1x5DPBXA[/YOUTUBE]
Only two more episodes and I'll be bereft.
I hate you all.
"Yes, yes, that's it you fucking pine knot."
latest episode of Utopia: Wow. I don't think you could get away with putting this out on network tv in the states. The Parents Against Anything Remotely Fun lobby would shit bricks. Could see it working well on a subscription channel though.
Just loving this show. I daren't say anything detailed, in case I accidentally spoilerfy this post...it's funny and dark and delicious. And here look, someone has kindly put the soundtrack on youtube:
Very much gets across the atmosphere of the whole show.
[YOUTUBE]_ZYVb8Q5i9w[/YOUTUBE]
Arby.
Not giving anything away.
I wanted to cry, but the series moves on fast forward.
Oh and in the surveillance scene I recognised, I recognised!
Okay, in this series I am always looking at the background and looking ahead.
But for someone who was able to confuse Brad Pitt with Val Kilmer once upon a time, spotting a man sitting on a bench is pretty damned good.
Although I admit I am having a little trouble tying up all the plotlines and characters.
I need a Letts Guide.
Oh i know!!
What a fucking actor that guy is. The first ep we only heard him say one line. barely speaks, maintains exactly the same facial expression, moves at exactly the same pace throughout, and is utterly compelling to watch.
Sorry, I ETA'd.
For the record the part of the post Dana responded to was unchanged.
latest episode of Utopia: Wow. I don't think you could get away with putting this out on network tv in the states. The Parents Against Anything Remotely Fun lobby would shit bricks. Could see it working well on a subscription channel though.
I'm so curious now. Could you type it in white text, just so I can know whatever crazy-ass thing they did?
I just DL'd Utopia 1-4. Are there any more? I watched the first one.
Holy crap. Not Green Wing.
How the fuck am I supposed to go to sleep?
It reminded me A LOT of Wild Palms.
@ Clod: [COLOR="White"] A young schoolgirl in her school uniform, executes the man she thinks was responsible for her mother's death [/COLOR]
@ Fts: they've only aired 4 eps so far, you's up to date.
@ Clod -[COLOR="White"] in the first ep you see a man being tortured via the eyes. I can't remember the order, something like sand, chilli pepper, bleach... SPOON. Ocular displacement.[/COLOR]
OUCH.
My sig has been quotes from the show for the last four weeks. They mean nothing out of context, but they're the ones which have given me a wry grin or a belly laugh.
In the same way I yelled "SPIDER!" at the pantomime last year.
Made my night.
Story I may tell sometime. Not very funny.
Foots did you ever see Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror series? Three separate but thematically linked hour long dramas. Really interesting. Quite dark.
The second series is about to air.
Trailer for the original set of three:
[YOUTUBE]d0TmXRrDpP8[/YOUTUBE]
And the upcoming set:
[YOUTUBE]sF_kZKVppw0[/YOUTUBE]
Oh, and a few clipsand trailers from the first series :)
[YOUTUBE]rjfw5mr6fQ8&NR=1&feature=endscreen[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]3bFCqK81s7Y[/YOUTUBE]
Bing's speech from 15 Million merits:audio only and nsfw
[YOUTUBE]tY5It0jnD6M[/YOUTUBE]
I'm about to launch into the second half of episode 2 of Utopia. I really have to ration my dark. I take doses of Man/Woman to take the edge off.
I just finished episode 4.
Holy Toledo.
When is the next one up?
Ah Foots.
I don't know why a furriner liking something I am obsessed with makes it better. It just does.
I know Dani and I have similar tastes, so I can just assume we're both twisted. Isolated. But a third makes it more normal.
Dani I saw Blsck Mirror trailed (prob during Utopia!) Is good then? You know I hold Brooker in high esteem.
Is it just my download or are the colors in Utopia all wonky in certain scenes? I am assuming it must be some sort of device to create thematic divisions but I haven't really bothered analyzing it too much since I am compelled by the story line.
I don't know who to trust. I don't know what to believe.
Arby breaks my heart and I agree with Letts.
I always said that under this veneer of bleeding heart liberal I was a a raging right wing Telegrapgh reader. Turns out I am also a genocidal maniac. Kill them all and let history sort them out.
Wilson Wilson bled for nothing.
Foots, I remember Stephen King writing something about the difference between broadcast signals here and in the US. We have more lines? Makes our pictures clearer although not as bright? Bandwidth or frames per second or something. That was years ago though. Oh, it may have been Bill Bryson. No, I don't know what I'm talking about :rolleyes:
All I can say is the show is beautifully shot. I expect the lighting team/ DOP to be up for awards for this. It's cinematic.
Years ago, when tv was analog, the UK had higher resolution than the US. It was a better picture.
But I don't know what the deal is now.
No, I don't know what I'm talking about
Yes you do
Europes PAL = 576 lines, 25 frames per second
Americas NTSC = 525 lines, 30 fps
France SECAM = 625 lines, 25 fps (Frogs, always gotta be different)
Thus NTSC, less resolution but smoother motion than PAL
But it doesn't matter any more because:
Modern HDTV = 1080 lines, 1920 long, 60 fps
And BTW, the next big thing to spend money on will be:
Ultra High Definition (4K) = 2160 lines, 3840 long
Save your shekels for when content is available in this format. You will have to replace all your stuff again.
The lighting and colour palettes for utopia are very distinct. They've used them well to create atmosphere and also pick out certain themes. The use of yellow rapeseed crops on a long shot feels like a kind of scene cue, almost like something out of the graphic novel at the centre of it all.
I havent seen the latest ep yet. Looking forward to it, but also putting it off a little, because there's only two left to the end.
And BTW, the next big thing to spend money on will be:
Ultra High Definition (4K) = 2160 lines, 3840 long
Save your bandwidth for when content is available in this format. You will have to download all your stuff again.
The lighting and colour palettes for utopia are very distinct. They've used them well to create atmosphere and also pick out certain themes. The use of yellow rapeseed crops on a long shot feels like a kind of scene cue, almost like something out of the graphic novel at the centre of it all.
I havent seen the latest ep yet. Looking forward to it, but also putting it off a little, because there's only two left to the end.
latest meaning 4 or 5?
Some of the scenes have what looks like something called 'cross-processing' a look that originated from film days at first an accidental thing, then it became a 'look.' Other scenes have perfectly normal color. Often those differences can imply fantasy and reality. I'll have to watch them over to look at the show more analytically. I'm too into the storyline right now.
btw, have you seen Wild Palms?
Yes you do
Thanks ba. I'm always wary of things I
know I am simply parroting..
The lighting and colour palettes for utopia are very distinct. They've used them well to create atmosphere and also pick out certain themes. The use of yellow rapeseed crops on a long shot feels like a kind of scene cue, almost like something out of the graphic novel at the centre of it all.
It does remind me of
When Will There Be Some Good News bookcover, I admit. And yes, more subtle than M Night Shyamalan, but the themes are there. Not giving away any plot points (because they're not involved) but there are two absolutely stunning shots in this ep, in terms of position and lighting. TV as artwork..
...Save your shekels for when content is available in this format...
Shekels, consider them saved. I haven't bought a new TV since I was married. Which was in the Land of Long Ago. Of all the things I may waste my money on, electrics are not one.
Still, I guess this means there's no point in sending Foots a DVD of Utopia as a Secret Santa gift, right? I'll buy one for Dani then. And watch any extras before I send it [snicker]
ETA I do think of
The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover when I watch Utopia. Maybe it's the Mirren connection (pink hair is all.)
Don't know about Dani, but I've never heard of Wild Palms. I watch primarily British TV simply because it's trailed during the programmes I already watch. They're smart about knowing what tickles their audience's fancy.
Am off to research.
Still, I guess this means there's no point in sending Foots a DVD of Utopia as a Secret Santa gift, right? I'll buy one for Dani then. And watch any extras before I send it [snicker]
Let's not be too hasty. I do have a region free DVD player...
But would a DVD produced here look as purty on your tv??
Still, it's on my possibles list...
Wild Palms was brilliant. I can definitely see how Utopia might put you in mind of that.
Early 90s, iirc. seemed so futuristic at the time... aside from the hologram tv characters in and around your living room it wasn't that far off :P
I own Wild Palms on VHS! Do I win a cookie? I also have a copy of the screenplay in book format with various tidbits of creator commentary, including scenes the network cut because they were too creepy even for Wild Palms.
I own Wild Palms on VHS! Do I win a cookie? I also have a copy of the screenplay in book format with various tidbits of creator commentary, including scenes the network cut because they were too creepy even for Wild Palms.
Your browser won't accept our cookies. :(
Too creepy for WP? I must know.
Spoiler:
[COLOR="White"]Remember the young soldier son who is implied to have died, but they never really explain it, the mom just starts sobbing? In the script they have a scene with him buried up to his neck out in the desert, eaten alive by ants. There were others, but that's the one I remember most vividly. Of course by today's standards it would be no big thing... I'm comparing it to, say, that one drug dealer's severd head on the tortoise's back in Breaking Bad.[/COLOR]
I guess there were still a few shreds of innocence remaining in the late 80s or early 90s.
ACK I just watched Ep 5. They go by too quickly.
Dog Days
'When you stop to consider
The days spent dreaming of a future
And say then, that was my life.'
For the days are long --
From the first milk van
To the last shout in the night,
An eternity. But the weeks go by
Like birds; and the years, the years
Fly past anti-clockwise
Like clock hands in a bar mirror.
Derek Mahon
Also Charlie in TLoG "I've lost whole years, Tony!"
Not as commonly quoted, I admit.
Dog Days
'When you stop to consider
The days spent dreaming of a future
And say then, that was my life.'
For the days are long --
From the first milk van
To the last shout in the night,
An eternity. But the weeks go by
Like birds; and the years, the years
Fly past anti-clockwise
Like clock hands in a bar mirror.
Derek Mahon
Also Charlie in TLoG "I've lost whole years, Tony!"
Not as commonly quoted, I admit.
Ach....lovely.
Well, Steve Pemberton does exude animal magnetism, even in a Blackburn shirt...
just watched finale of Utopia.
wow.
I'm going to dream about a threesome with Fiona O'Shaughnessy and Maxine Peake. I probably won't bother waking up.
I haven't caught up yet :) I still have eps 5 and 6 to watch.
Won't put my final sig line in then.
It's a spoiler :)
I found it oddly calm and slow-paced (in a good way) for a finale.
It was... stately.
Couple of twists. Couple I'd worked out, but happened differently. Some I was just plain wrong.
Yes, I would like the DVD* (and I hope the extras are good) so I can pore over some details that must have been taken care of, but I was not paying enough attention to notice - not knowing they were important. If you get what I mean.
All in all, no plot disappointments.
Just some hurts. Ow. You made me care about you.
Pretty much no gore from what I remember.
The series started with atrocities and ended with sadness.
* will buy in a few months second hand, when people have rewatched and want to dispose!
ETA - wonder how much it cost to make?
We've mentioned the beautiful framing, shots, locations and general cinematic feel. Hope it's been worth it for Ch4. A second series is not entirely impossible.
Yes. Definitely left it open, yet also closed it nicely. I like it when the writers can do that.
Fifth ep of Utopia watched...just the one to go. Awesome awesome telly.
Also: Rippe Street ended it's debut season and word is it's getting a second outing next year, hurrah!
I'm going to really miss Detective Inspector Reid and his little band of crime fighters. I've really taken them to my heart and that's some doing with only 8 episodes.
Some of the dialogue is just brilliant. And the chemistry between the main cast is wonderful.
Oh totally cool! Went looking for some Ripper Street clips and found some little promo vids:
[YOUTUBE]2Rzrk8DeAD4[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]UZpucyjPU6E[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]6qmqgq9Uv_U[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]zE3160PxoJ4[/YOUTUBE]
Anyone watching House of Cards?
We're watching it, but slowly. Have to be in the right mood. We're only a few episodes in.
Well, you might think that.
I couldn't possibly comment.
Loved the original.
Ian Richardson RIP
I just watched the latest Broadchurch. That is such a great story. It's tough having to wait a week for the next ep.
Mum is really grumpy with Broadchurch.
Well, she worked for the Police for years.
"They would never let him be that scruffy, whatever rank he held!"
Waiting patiently, for 30 years, finally the Miami Vice look comes to Broadchurch!
Well, figure on another 30 til it comes to Aylesbury ;)
The 80s is a mini-series documentary on the decade the 80s (natch.)
I watched the first two that were on free entertainment on demand (they actually play on NatGeo) and it was sort of fun. The first thing they talked about was The Miracle On Ice which sort of set the mood for the rest of the 80s: we needed that win over the Russian Red Soldiers and it was a real boost for our nation, during a very chilly part of the cold war.
Ronald Reagan's shooting was, of course, a topic. He handled that so gracefully. The doctors said that he looked around and joked "I hope you're all republicans" and a nurse said "Today, Mr President, we are all republicans."
Then there was a large boom at some presentation he was giving. NOt sure what happened, something fell over or something. He didn't flinch or miss a beat when he said "missed me."
I skipped the Tony Hawk segment but I'm sure that appeals to some. A lot of stuff on Jobs and the computer revolution. Great footage and commentary of the mix of Run DMC and Aerosmith doing Walk This Way.
It could be a little less VH1-y but it's interesteing; especially for a girl who was 15 when the 80s began.
Have you all watched the comedy series "The League"? I'm looking at you, Jim. I swear, you will laugh so hard you'll pee your pants (like a racist.) Watch it now.
The League? *scurries off to wiki*
The Returned.
Although I prefer the French titles Les Revenants.
Gorgeous to watch, cinematic in the location, the quality of the lighting (especially the natural lighting) and the attention to detail.
And I can watch it when I can't sleep because it's subtitled, so I don't even have to worry about waking up the 'rents (it's all about ME, even a TV review.)
It's been suggested that it's about zombies, or at least the undead, but it's much more subtle than that. The people we see returning in episode one seem to look and behave exactly as they did before they died. No spoilers.
You can lose a little on foreign imports, even from countries that speak the same language. It's in the visual shorthand - this family is rich, this girl is an underage drinker, this man has a knackered car, this woman has a common accent. But in general I think more is gained from a totally different style of cinema or programme-making. This series is extremely spare. It's not over-explained, there are enormous gaps in the story-telling and understanding. Which I have no doubt will be drip fed later, unless it's been decided it will leave questions unanswered.
I'm not a Francophile, although I do admire the French. It's just good to hear Fernch spoken on TV (and realise how hopelessly I have lost my ability to speak it) and in such an elegant, emotional and yet quite brutal series.
Eight episodes. Seven to go.
And then Hannibal. For similar yet different reasons.
Like Les Revs, I need to watch episodes more than once. Much is left unsaid, and if it depends on being able to tell the difference between characters I'm at a slight disadvantage. Put people in with the same gender and same coloured hair and I'm unlikely to pick up on plot points because I'm trying to work out who they are.
Lecter's food leaves me drooling, although he does use his fork as a shovel, which I find jarring. This may be my ignorance of dining etiquette across the whole of Europe though, as Lecter is not English (or even Welsh.)
Diz's early morning wake-up calls have me dreaming slightly more coherently than usual. When I watch Hannibal I extend the plot, albeit setting it in my house, or school or anywhere else I used to work. Figs seem to feature quite often, although I think this is because I have also been considering whether the price will drop soon (I like figs and could do with some more fruit in my diet.)
I dreamed in French last night after watching Les Revs. I had to take another peek at it this morning to check that it was set in an Alpine village, not in the Auvergne, and no scenes were set in a high school.
Les Revs again last night.
A little more explanation, a lot more mystery.
The most notable non-spoiler mystery for me is how Anakin Skywalker was cast when there is obviously a whole world of talented child actors out there.
Victor (one of the names I chose for my never-to-be-conceived sons) is exstrawberry.
As is Camille, although she's older.
In fact I had to pause it last night because I was watching Lena's hair.
It's so long. All I could think of was the weight and heft of it. It's how I imagined Clare's hair to be in The Time Traveller's Wife. I've had hair extensions twicet; it takes a while to get used to.
And then Hannibal. For similar yet different reasons.
Like Les Revs, I need to watch episodes more than once.
Yes, very good show. I don't rewatch the episodes, though I'm sure I would catch things I missed if I did.
I've finally caught up with all of Hannibal.
Unfortunately, I tended to watch them on Saturday nights which is when I try to stay up till 6am to switch/start my sleep cycle for the 7:30pm to 6am shift work on Sunday and Monday. I'm usually a bit headachy and stiff from being up for nearly 24 hours, so I'm beginning to be very uncomfortable with the last few episodes watching Will Graham struggling. I'm over-empathizing with his severe discomfort, and its become quite visceral for me.
I'm up to the one with Eddie Izzard in it.
Or at least the first one with him in it (in case he reappears).
No mistaking him, although the accent throws me off a little. I usually substitute facial recognition for voice recognition.
'Rents are at the hospital today, amy rewatch now. I can dally with y'all later.
Les Revs just keeps getting better.
SPOILERS
DO NOT READ BEFORE YOU WATCH THIS
IT MAY TAINT YOUR EXPERIENCE
Okay, you're warned.
Although if I were you I'd have skipped this and watched it.
In fact, you're probably skipping this anyway because who wants to read about something they're never going to watch? :smack:
Anyway.
We now know how Victor died. And who didn't kill him.
The Returned are beginning to come together. To an extent.
What is happening to Lena? I wondered from the beginning if Lena was really Camille, but I think that was a red herring.
When is Victor from? Vivian came back very, very quickly the second time. He's been back before, why did it take so long?
Is Julie Returned?
And what is happening in the dam.
It must be significant, it's in the opening credits and we've just seen all the animals suspended in it.
M Costa went in there. Why isn't he Returned?
Did Simon really kill himself?
I don't expect to have all or even any of these questions answered.
Love the mystery. Love the French.
Love the series.
Hannibal: I'm so impressed with myself that I guessed M Izzard would be making another appearance. Okay, it wasn't that unlikely, but I don't usually think ahead or anticipate storylines unless I am bored with a novel/ film/ TV series. Or puzzling it out.
Last night was Izzard's second appearance and I genuinely expect it was his last. Nothing to do with the story, I just don't see him popping up all over the place in future, unlike a certain ungentlemanly gentleman. In fact just as I was patting myself on the back for being able to tell one character from another, Izzard (or Titus Groan or Caligula McKill or whatever his character is called) looked in the rear-view mirror and I thought, hang on. He looked weird there. Was that just the lighting? Was that just me? Then they got to Hannibal's place and I realised, no. It's everyone's favourite GJH. Phew.
Grisliest & most gristly episode yet.
Ick.
Pico I am feeling for Will Graham too. But I suspect it's only because of your post. You made me see it from a very different perspective. I'm so used to glossing over general angst that I perhaps don't always empathise with genuine suffering. Acted/ written/ portrayed I mean. Betrayal and unrequited love hook me through the throat every time though. The bitter-sweet which is like someone vomiting up popcorn.
I can't believe I am dedicating time to two series that have weekly episodes of nearly an hour.
Of course I Sky+ and ffwd the adverts, but Les Revs is something like 70 minutes.
Oh - update on Les Revs.
Still no answer on Simon's death.
His daughter drew a picture of him shooting himself. I think Thomas said he did too.
So why did the medium/ prostitute see him hanging himself. And we instead saw the couple Camille had been talking to hang themselves in place of what she saw? And while we're on the subject, she is the only person who was shown entering or leaving the town. Of course they won't show all the mundane elements of everyone's lives, but is it significant that they showed her arriving?
What did Serge rub into Lena that healed her back enough that she could run?
Could he do the same for Victor? Because he seems to have the same problem, although why he is hiding it from Julie is unclear; has this happened before? Young chap is a wonderful actor but as time passes I am more and more creeped out by the character. He needs to come over and star in Misfits, stat.
Who are the people hiding out in the woods? Is that why the animals were taking swimming lessons? Why haven't they integrated - or tried to integrate - back with their families? Have they been back a couple of times already and realised it's impossible? How long has this been going on (no, stop singing.)
I thought it was all connected with the dam and the drowning of the village, but it may be a localiased phenomenon. Just one that comes in waves. Sorry, water on the brain.
BBC America is showing In the Flesh. Not a lot of backstory in the first episode but it goes something like, Britain is recovering from a zombie outbreak of about 140,000. However, it is found that with daily medication, zombies can recover brain function and turn into not very sexy pale vampire like (not every undead starts out as an Abercrombie and Fitch model) versions of themselves. The opener is in a British hospital with dozens of recovering zombies in hospital gowns.
The PDS (partially dead syndrome) sufferers are given medicine and counseling and are being reintroduced into society. This includes one angst ridden youth who has flashbacks to being a zombie and eating people. Other than that, he looks a lot like Richie Cunningham. He's also being returned to a rural town that still has a strong anti-zombie militia and is not too happy with the policy. And his kid sister is a member.
Amazon has been trying to compete with Netflix for streaming TV content. They are attempting a "pay per episode" model rather than a monthly fee. Personally, I don't think that's going to work, because people don't like being reminded of the cost every time they watch something, they want to set up a monthly recurring payment and never question whether they're watching enough to justify it, just like the old cable package model.
BUT, I have recently learned that if you are an Amazon Prime customer, which I am, you get a bunch of their streaming content for free. And unlike Netflix, Amazon Prime has the rights to
Tosh.0. (Be warned, video content loads and plays immediately, probably not a good idea at work.) We have been mainlining this liquid schadenfreude every night since.
Oh wow. Les Revenants!
@ Sundae: I avoided most of your posts about it when you were posting, because I was intending to see it sometime and didn't want to go in with any preconceived ideas.
I was slightly put off by the subtitles though, I admit, so hadn't actually bit the bullet and watched any until the two Js basically made me watch the first one :p
I watched the last two eps this evening.
Within first ten mins of episode one I had forgotten I was reading subtitles. Just draws you in so completely. The acting is excellent. The story is compelling.
Definitely Must See TV.
Ooooooh!
Jon Hamm will return to television as the lead in Charlie Brooker’s nightmarish dystopian drama Black Mirror.
The Mad Men star joins One Day’s Rafe Spall and Game of Thrones’ Oona Chaplin in a one-off 90-minute Christmas special, which promises to be “the most mind-bending episode yet, showcasing three interwoven stories of Yuletide techno-paranoia”, according to Channel 4.
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/sep/29/mad-men-jon-hamm-black-mirror-christmas-special-charlie-brooker-channel-4
Very much looking forward to this!
Also, can highly recommend the Black Mirror stories already aired - there have been a couple of series now, each with three or four individual stories. Very strange, sometimes funny, sometimes deeply disturbing.
Here's what wiki has to say about Black Mirror:
Black Mirror is a British television anthology series created by Charlie Brooker that shows the dark side of life and technology. The series is produced by Zeppotron for Endemol. Regarding the programme's content and structure, Brooker noted, "each episode has a different cast, a different setting, even a different reality. But they're all about the way we live now – and the way we might be living in 10 minutes' time if we're clumsy."
An Endemol press release describes the series as "a hybrid of The Twilight Zone and Tales of the Unexpected which taps into our contemporary unease about our modern world", with the stories having a "techno-paranoia" feel.Channel 4 describes the first episode as "a twisted parable for the Twitter age"
-snip -
Charlie Brooker explained the series' title to The Guardian, noting: "If technology is a drug – and it does feel like a drug – then what, precisely, are the side-effects? This area – between delight and discomfort – is where Black Mirror, my new drama series, is set. The 'black mirror' of the title is the one you'll find on every wall, on every desk, in the palm of every hand: the cold, shiny screen of a TV, a monitor, a smartphone."[
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mirror_(TV_series)
Apparently, one of the episodes (The Entire History of You) has been optioned for a film by Robert Downey Jr - might turn out interesting - of all ofthem that's the one which would most easily lend itself toa movie form I think.
But anyhoo -very excited about Hamm being in the Christmas special. I really like him as an actor and I think he'll bring something special to the show.
Here's one of the trailers for the last series (not sure if they'll all play for outside uk):
[youtube]iHgEJeINo-Y[/youtube]
And for some of the episodes:
White Bear
[youtube]z2spS4Lc3CM[/youtube]
15 Million Merits
[youtube]Fay3bevS0HM[/youtube]
I think I probably posted about this show earlier in the year when they aired a standalone pilot.
Babylon
I loved the pilot, so am very excited about the new series, which started this week. Haven't had time to watch it the first ep yet but am just about to!
There are't any non-Ch4 vids on youtube yet, except for a trailer for the earlier standalone pilot. Check it out:
[YOUTUBE]fwh090tct6I[/YOUTUBE]
Marc Maron has a TV show on IFC that is a fictionalized extension of his (very popular) podcast. I watched the first episode forever ago, and found it a little awkward, but not so bad that I wanted to take it off the streaming queue, because you never know when you will run out of things to watch.
Well, this morning I went ahead and watched episode 2. And then over the course of the day I watched the rest of the goddamn season. It's fucking hilarious.
Wow, Black Mirror is dark.
Yup. Which ones did you watch?
I've seen them all except entire history of you. 15 million merits was heartwrenching, the justice park was holy shit I never saw that coming, and the Natioanl anthem one was IDK. Intense.
All in all, three very dark feet up!
Meanwhile impatiently awaiting the next Constantine...
Just watched entire history of you. I love Jodie Whitaker.
Neat take on an old story. (infidelity)
That's one of my favourites.
Not sure if this will play outside UK. But this is a really interesting little Q&A with Brooker and a few others from the team.
[YOUTUBE]hFntkrwLAcQ[/YOUTUBE]
Promo for Christmas special. Again, it's posted by Channel 4 so don't know if it'll play outside UK:
[YOUTUBE]TDFcTmdQqIc[/YOUTUBE]
Not much youtube for the Christmas special that isn't Channel 4, but there is a little thing here about it. Dosn't show any of it, but gives a quick rundown of what it's about
[YOUTUBE]Pdu6gy_axAM[/YOUTUBE]
I know I've asked this before, but I can't recall the answer:P Foots, did you ever watch Dead Set?
It reminds me a little of Black Mirror in a way. Different style, and a longer form (a mini series across 5 nights) but it's got that Brooker feel to it.
It's his take on the zombie apocalypse movie - but it's also about reality tv and our relationship with celebrity. The whole thing is set in and around the Big Brother house, as a series is being made - the zombie attack starts and the contestants in the house. along with a couple of the production people are the only ones left as far as we know.
This is a fanmade promo for it - you can see that same sensibility at work.
[YOUTUBE]R7bUbpt5Xb0[/YOUTUBE]
American tv promo - bit easier to see what's going on.
[YOUTUBE]0xybpLB6NGQ[/YOUTUBE]
I don't think I have. I'll add it to my queue.
Lately the mm has been having terrible nightmares. Last night it was about zombies, though she's never seen one, only heard the song about them by Jonathon Coulton. (Re: Your Brains)
Hehe, oh bless. That's really cute.
Funnily enough, I was meandering about the Amazon kindle collection, looking for zombie novels, as ye'do, and discovered a thriving little children's zombie fiction subgenre. Now - some of them were aimed at older kids and were serious stories - but some of them were for little kids and the zombies were kind of cute.
when the fuck did zombies become kid-friendly? Zombie Kids, The Zombie at the Finish Line...A Zombie Ate my Cupcake. Seriously, how long has this been going on?
Anyhoo - back to Black Mirror...
I watched Black Mirror: White Christmas last night. It. Was. Awsum.
I think it's my new favourite Black Mirror story.
Can't get Dead Set. :(
I am sweeping through the 2nd season of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.
Poor Fitz. Great story arc although at times it gets a little soap opera-ish.
I noticed that all the women characters have on the larger side boobs, Agent May being an exception. Not complaining but it seems a bit conspicuous.
I'm also really liking Constantine and annoyed that I have to wait an entire week for a new episode. I may have mentioned this already, but I think sometimes he's a bit of a dick, especially to his angel friend. Is there more backstory that explains why he's so angry and bitter? It's off-putting.
Watched White Christmas last night. It was great and mind fucking.
Also jsut watched the movie Surrogates. Along the same vein as Black Mirror. Watch it.
I'm also really liking Constantine and annoyed that I have to wait an entire week for a new episode. I may have mentioned this already, but I think sometimes he's a bit of a dick, especially to his angel friend. Is there more backstory that explains why he's so angry and bitter? It's off-putting.
Just within the context of the show, he contributed to the death and damnation of a girl, and got damned himself in the process.
Plus, he is willing to do what is necessary, and sometimes what is necessary is awful, so he wants to avoid having too many friends he might have to be awful to.
As for the angel, he's a representative of the God who damned Constantine, who is demanding that John save the world, and offering little more than cryptic clues to assist. I think Constantine can be forgiven some brusqueness.
Thanks, HM. I knew about the first two points, but your third point clears everything up, it's less that this is his idea of a vocation and more of something thrust upon him?
Occult investigation is his vocation, but the quest against the "rising darkness" is thrust upon him.
Of course, I expect he's always been a bit of a jerk, but circumstances didn't improve that.
What perhaps doesn't come through so well in the show, but came through much more in the movie, was the way in which the ongoing war between God and his Angels and the Devil and his demons (and fallen angels) is being fought with humans as pawns and fodder. And it's a game that is stacked against humans.
In the movie that came through really well - neither side is really 'good' as we might understand it. The angels are sometimes the worst of all of them - because they pretty much despise humans and resent humanity's place in God's affections.
Wow, Black Mirror is dark.
Sat. night, we saw the second episode of Black Mirror.
That show is riveting, but pretty fucked up.
Reminds me a lot of the Twilight Zone how it's a different story each time and messes with you.
Good stuff. I recommend, based on the two episodes I've seen so far.
I watched the first episode a while back.
I still don't know if I liked it.