Main Menu

Current TV Boxset Addiction

Started by radiator, 20 November, 2012, 02:23:29 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Recrewt

Quote from: pictsy on 26 November, 2013, 03:38:36 PM
I can't say I'm overly impressed by Star Trek ToS.  Some episodes are enjoyable, some a laughable and some a just plain awful.

When I saw that you were watching Star Trek ToS, this is what I immediately thought.  I bloomin well love ToS and have to say your comments about Shatner are absurd - the man is a legend that has never been equalled in the captain's chair.  But, it is very up and down with episodes ranging from pretty poor to the best stuff I have ever seen. 

Quote from: SmallBlueThing on 26 November, 2013, 02:36:00 PM
What always makes me laugh about trekkers who have a go at Shatner, is that they then claim Patrick Stewart is "a good actor". Let me make this very clear: he is not. But he very very much thinks he is.

Well, as we all know Shatner has a bit of love/hate relationship with Trekkies/Trekkers/Whatever They Call Themselves so a lot of the 'flak' I think relates to this.  He calls them weird freaks and they say Patrick is better.  I dont mind Patrick Stewart - he's the second best captain Trek has ever had.

Tiplodocus

Quote from: TordelBack on 26 November, 2013, 04:48:52 PM
Quote from: SmallBlueThing on 26 November, 2013, 02:36:00 PMShatner's Kirk is an incredible creation- undeniably the most famous hero in a'll of science fiction, and utterly believable from start to his end. ... they then claim Patrick Stewart is "a good actor". Let me make this very clear: he is not.

While completely agreeing with you that Shatner is superb, almost ridiculously so in ToS, I just can't agree about Stewart: he does precisely what he needs to do as in actor in TNG, which is to appear to believe utterly in and treat the ridiculous tosh around him completely seriously, to the stage where it becomes a plot point to have his character want his scientific/diplomatic/humanitarian/military mission to be run professionally, and not as an interstellar daycare centre.  I think his performance is every bit as good as Shatner's in filling and developing the role his character plays.

Stewart even does a good job of the completely-out-of-character Picard served up in most of the Next Gen films. He's aces. Brilliant also in EXTRAS.
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

Daveycandlish

I must admit the only Trek boxset I have is the 70s animated series where Shatners acting ticks are even more pronounced! Still love it though
An old-school, no-bullshit, boys-own action/adventure comic reminiscent of the 2000ads and Eagles and Warlords and Battles and other glorious black-and-white comics that were so, so cool in the 70's and 80's - Buy the hardback Christmas Annual!

pictsy

I haven't seen Shatner in much outside of Star Trek.  Nevertheless, it is my observation that as the series go past he is overacting more and more.  I'm aware that it has been exaggerated in popular culture because it's not as bad as I was expecting (so far) but it's still bad. 

I have no nostalgia for ToS nor do I have any emotional investment in it.  I have no beef with Shatner, either.  Just calling it how I see it.... sorry about that :)

Moving on:

I enjoy Patrick Stewart's performances and I did enjoy his Piccard.  My favourite Trek captain is Avery Brooks' Ben Sisko.  His character actually developed over the years from a traumatised commander to a mystic warrior demi-god.  Even then, I probably wouldn't defend my choice to the hilt - don't really care enough.

In case anyone is wondering, I'm not a trekkie or trekker.  There might be a science fiction franchise out there that I would claw anyone's eyes out for criticising.  I won't say what it is because I suspect the temptation might prove too great for some of you boys ;)

Ancient Otter

Quote from: SmallBlueThing on 26 November, 2013, 02:36:00 PM
I'm literally choking on my biscuits at the suggestion that Shatner was "crap" in Trek! That's a muddleheaded piece of nonsense spread by terrible stand up comedians back in the nineties,and endlessly copied and repeated by office bores trying to appear cool and funny in front of the latest sexy temp. Shatner's Kirk is an incredible creation- undeniably the most famous hero in a'll of science fiction, and utterly believable from start to his end. Shatner is a great actor anyway- check out 'nightmare at 20000 feet' for more of this. What always makes me laugh about trekkers who have a go at Shatner, is that they then claim Patrick Stewart is "a good actor". Let me make this very clear: he is not. But he very very much thinks he is.

SBT

Starring in over 60 pieces by the Royal Shakespeare Company means nothing to you? You are one tough critic SBT.

TordelBack

Quote from: Tiplodocus on 26 November, 2013, 05:21:08 PMBrilliant also in EXTRAS.

"But it's too late.  I've seen everything."

One of several guaranteed methods of de-angrying the wife is to deliver one of the Extras soliloquies in my best Stewart.


Theblazeuk

Quote from: Charlie boy on 22 November, 2013, 04:07:06 PM
I'm going to start buying The Shield boxsets; never watched it but I've heard it goes great once Kurt Sutter is promoted as the man in charge. Anybody here actually watch it when it was on channel5 a few years back?

I am rewatching the Shield in its entirety for something like the 3rd time?

It's a great show with great performances and a photography style that really suits it. It's a little over the top (ok a lot over the top) but it's a fun, dark and satisfying show with an ambitious way of telling stories. Effectively tells one story from beginning to end, nothing ever goes away forever. Worth watching just for Forest Whitaker

radiator

Finally made it to the end of Community Season 4. It improves slightly towards the end of the 13 episodes, but it's instantly forgettable stuff and, unlike seasons 1-3 which I must have watched through 4+ times now, I'll never watch any of it again. Every so often they have a germ of something interesting, but it's weird how off everything still is - even down to how the actors deliver lines - the rhythm of the show is just missing entirely. And of course, it's about 95% less funny than it used to be, and the 'antics' feel incredibly forced - sometimes to a toe-curling degree.

On the plus side, the quality bar has been lowered by such an absurd degree that there's no way the imminent season 5 can possibly disappoint...

Roll on January.

On another related note, I've finally converted some of my friends onto the show, who now love it as much as I do, and it's been a delight watching the old episodes with them. Maybe I can now get my gf to give it another chance.

CrazyFoxMachine

I seem to be constantly Community-converting folk, it's amazing how relatively popular it is how few people have actually seen it!

With regards to four as I said to someone t'other day - now that we know there's probably definitely going to be a good season 5 it just makes that mess look like a bump on the road rather than what it looked like when it aired. Which was a monstrosity of epic proportions. Phheewww.

radiator

I've always found it tricky to get others hooked because the first series - especially the first five or six episodes - don't really represent what the show becomes as it grows and evolves, and the writers get more confident. It certainly didn't click with me until the Modern Warfare episode, and it took me a long time to really warm to the characters. People tend to have very short attention spans these days and tend to judge stuff very quickly - I know that people I have recommended it to in the past didn't make it past the pilot. Their loss.

I pressed the DVD into my friend's hand a couple of week's ago, and gave them a big spiel about it, saying not to judge it too harshly early on, and to maybe even skip ahead to specific episodes, but I needn't have bothered as it turns out they loved it straight away!

I do think it's going to be one of those shows that, like Arrested Development, only gets a big following after its ended. It's staggering how it is almost completely unknown in the UK.

Professor Bear

I polished off the fifth and final season of the original Twilight Zone and there were some great episodes like Nightmare at 20 000 Feet and Number 12 Looks Just Like You, but my favorite was probably The Self-Improvement Of Salvadore Ross, which has some moments of sinister genius like the main character getting younger and younger as he travels from his penthouse apartment to his car, and the black cruelty of the final twist is just fantastic.  There's the odd turd, though, like the nonsensical Come Wander With Me, which I will charitably suggest is about a guy trapped inside a song, A Short Drink From A Certain Fountain, Sounds And Silences, and Black Leather Jackets, but the sexism and racism of isolated episodes like The Encounter and From Agnes With Love aside, it's otherwise a solid season with some standout imagery like the giant fear monster balloon and Robby T. Robot with a pimp cane dissing a 'ho.

CrazyFoxMachine

Honestly I remember watching Community for the first time and not being sold on the first... maybe two or three episodes. But I have a completists mentality about this kind of thing and someone I really trust on these matters had told me it was worth it so that pulled me right through, but even before the paintball one I thought "now this is weird" but Harmon's penchant for sappiness without context threw me right off at the start.

pictsy

Speaking of completest mentalities I have been seriously considering ditching my attempt to watch the original series Star Trek from start to finish.  I don't know how much more of it I can take but I feel obliged to persevere.  I must carry on  and get to the   end.  I can't let it      beat me.  I           just can't.  Don't you                               understand? Ican'tletit     win!

CrazyFoxMachine

I did that last December/January - bought the whole thing for my Trekkie other half and it was, yeah, tough going but some of it is marvellous. Hard to do in one sitting, will break it into season chunks in future!

I've bought her (she doesn't read this board he says hopefully) the original movies for this Crimbo. Much more manageable (and cheaper)

I, Cosh

I'm not the biggest fan anyway, but I don't think something like Star Trek was ever designed to be watched in quick succession like that so it's bound to suffer as a result. Watching the odd episode when it pops up on telly is definitely the way forward.

As for Community, I guess it's destined to be one of those programmes like Seinfeld or Arrested Development or whatever. Beloved of TV critics everywhere and a few lone souls but generally ignored or just never seen. Sorry.
We never really die.