Current TV Boxset Addiction

[Jim_Campbell]

I've always felt that the problems with the prequels was that Lucas tried to make an entire movie in post production.

There are plenty of articles online about the extensive use of practical effects over CGI in the prequels — here's just one.

[TordelBack]

He should have built more complete sets instead of hanging up some green drapes.

This had a knock on effect to the shoot, where actors had to wrangle awkward dialogue while having very little to physically interact with.

This really wasn't the case until Attack of the Clones*,when Lucas started shooting entirely in digital - almost all the sets in TPM are built (and almost all the spaceships and other vehicles both full-size and scale models, despite the hype), where they weren't actual locations (Mos Espa and the Theed Palace, for example). Generally Lucas only extended sets digitally - everything around the characters to head-height was there (apocryphally he had to rebuild several sets to accommodate Liam Neeson's height).

Other than battle-droids, Sebulba and many of the Gungans all the CGI characters were performed in costume on set.  This would change for Attack of the Clones, where he famously refused to have a single Clone costume built (there were full-size maquettes, but supposedly they were never used on set).

None of this takes away from Mister Pop's central points though - Lucas was reportedly a woeful Director on set, shooting endless takes with little constructive guidance, preferring to assemble scenes in post-production out of a line here and a line there, in the process sucking whatever life there was in the performances right out into space.

As regards the dialogue, I know my main reaction on my first viewing (which I loved, but still...) was "15 years to write a script, and it's this...!?!".  But I don't think he was particularly interested in dialogue - it seems like he was still imagining the staid delivery of clichés in the Republic serials that he was trying to recapture (other evidence: his choice of very dodgy Yellow-Peril style baddies).

I remain yours, a Phantom Menace apologist.

[Colin YNWA]

Well bugger me Black Sails Season 4 gets off to a blindin' start!

Shame its the last one. I'll be back soon for advise to about what to watch next - have it narrowed down I think - but til then I'll enjoy this while it lasts.

[Jim_Campbell]

Well bugger me Black Sails Season 4 gets off to a blindin' start!

It does. I miss Black Sails, and I'm sorry it's finished, but I'm also glad — as you'll see — that they decided that they'd reached the end and not to do three more pointless seasons before the network cancelled them on a cliffhanger.

It's four seasons of properly brilliant TV and I'm so glad I was leaned on to stick with it through the first half of S1 which is, frankly, a bit of a slog.

[pictsy]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season One is finished.  I always forget how quickly this show gets good.  Aside from a somewhat clunky, but appreciable finale, the last lot of episodes are interesting, with great ideas and setting the tone of what is to come.  It's the shortest of all Seasons, but it definitely has value.

Season Two is always a joy because... well... Spike.  I like him.  He's a good villain and a good anti-hero.

[TordelBack]

Space Force.  I'm not a massive fan of Steve Carell, but here he has terrific chemistry with John Malkovitch, whose own performance is so mumbly-good that I actually forget he isn't really a despairing space scientist. I also enjoyed the parodic triumvirate of Shumer, Pelosi and Ocasio-Cortez, and the convoluted chimp spacewalk sequence. Gently entertaining, if very predictable, rather than laugh-out-loud, but sometimes that's enough.

Amused to see that this is being accused of glorifying the US military, because with the exception of one helicopter pilot, every single military character is an incompetent gung-ho moron, and every goal and project a risible disaster. Although TBF as it goes along I do begin to see the argument for the actual Space Force...

[Radbacker]

Agree with Space Force watching an episode a night and really enjoying it, was the war games one last night.  Also greatly enjoying Snow Piercer series l, wasn't sure if it would be different enough to the great movie that came out a few years ago but it is plus Jennifer Connley 😘 unusual for a Netflix show it's getting an episode each week so if you want to binge your going to need to wait till it's all dropped.

CU Radbacker

[Citi-Def_Joe]

Said the same thing about Space Force last night to my wife. We have been enjoying an episode a night and while its not  "binge the whole series in a weekend" its kind of subtle and gentle and Carrell and Malkovich are so great together.

Have also been watching Titans series 2, while i wish it wouldnt jump back and forth quite so much i do like it and of all the DC TV shows this is the one I have stuck with

[Smith]

Sopranos. Man,I forgot how good it was.

[pictsy]

I could never get into The Sopranos.  It just failed to hook me.  Many of these bespoke programmes had that effect.  Ended up getting bored with the likes of Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones.

[Mardroid]

Black Sails

On series 3 already, and really enjoying it, although I wish there was a bit less swearing. I found my mental eyes rolling a bit [spoiler]when three of the attractive female lead characters turn out to be bi-sexual and have lesbian romps. I understand that modern programmes want to show more representation, but have you noticed that it's usually women portrayed as gay or bi? Rarely the men? And when you get three at once I wonder if it's less about representation, and more about male titillation and a touch of female objectification.

But suddenly there was a twist when it turned out one of the male lead characters had a homosexual relationship in his past too, so fair does I guess. (He appeared to be having affairs with both the man and his wife. With both aware and blessing it. The rascals.)

The male gay stuff was tastefully done with nothing explicit though, while the lesbian stuff was full on steamy so I think my point about titillation and objectification still stands. On the other hand the female leads are strong character also, so that does even things out a bit.[/spoiler]

It's a lot more political than you'd usually expect a drama about pirates to be, and in the first series they were mostly in their homebase on Nassau, but there's plenty of ship stuff later. And the politics is interesting.

Overall a really good watch. The main characters are interesting and complex, even the full on murderers. The characters do bad things but you can empathise somewhat, and the point -these are men/women not just monsters is valid. The authorities back in England at the time are hardly paragons of virtue, leading these people to turn to piracy in the first place. I think most here would like this programme. (Actually I think it was comments on here that recommended it to me in the first place, so likely I'm likely late on-ship as it were.)

Before Black Sails I binged Once Upon a Time. I'd put it off previously as I was worried it would be corny and twee. I wasn't entirely wrong there, but that's not ALL it is. It plays with some of the corny stuff to comedic effect but certain evil characters who ham it up in places end up showing quite a bit of complexity, and goodie goodie characters do questionable things. Very funny in places, quite dark in others (not out of place for something based on fairy tales) and a bit silly as well (not always a bad thing). And yes, sometimes corny, but it subverts certain tropes too.

It's not perfect by any means but I found it enjoyable, if somewhat of a guilty pleasure. The final resolution to the last series didn't particularly work for me, but overall a good if somewhat meandering watch.

Oh and it's got a somewhat complex pirate character in it too, although Hook is a bit cheesier than the characters from Black Sails.

[Colin YNWA]

Black Sails

I've got two to go - so avoid my next post here!

[Mardroid]

Black Sails

I've got two to go - so avoid my next post here!

Thanks for the heads up, will do! I'm guessing you're enjoying it too, if you made it they far?

I forgot to say in my post above, I really like the title sequence music and that beautiful weird imagery too. I rarely skip over it, even when binging.

[Colin YNWA]

Thanks for the heads up, will do! I'm guessing you're enjoying it too, if you made it they far?

Well your damned right there and a big thank you to the folks on this board who not only encouraged me to watch it, but to stick through it during the first season which just isn't as strong.

Black Sails lands the ending quite fantastically. I have to admit coming into the final episode I was lost as to how it would do it, but it does... kinda.

One thing that annoyed me, aside from the 3 episode wounds - don't look at the spoiler Mardroid - is the way[spoiler] the Spanish are sweep under the carpet[/spoiler] - I assumed I'd missed something and read around after watching the last episode, but haven't yet seen a decent explaination. Still small potatoes because of course this was about the fate of the characters and it handles that really quite superbly.

What struck me is how this is built like Brink... no work with me. I mean its far more meladramatic and its scale - on the surface at least - is so much bigger (Black Sails that is) and Black Sails grabs you by the scruff of the neck and drags you along at such incredible pace that you can't catch breathe to notice the plot issues, where as Brink is so much more grounded and delicately paced.

No what did strike me is how much both are very clearly built so that story is essentially constructed on a series of conversations between two people. Conversations that develop plot and reveal character and move things on. Both do this very overtly. In Black Sails those 'chats' are always very pointed and bound by illustration and pointed tales, the point they make is clear and underlined by dramatic glares and gritted teeth. They both might do it so differently, but they both also do it so very well.

As Jim said below that they drew the line after 4 seasons was so right. All the characters where in place to move into the sequel that's cashed in by some Robbie Louie Stevens or some such.

Fantastical telly.

[broodblik]

I enjoyed Black Sails as well it was a fantastic TV show.