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Current TV Boxset Addiction

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

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radiator

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

I never really cared for the movie - I can barely remember anything about it, honestly - but put this on on a whim, and it is absolutely incredible. I blew through four episodes in one sitting and had to force myself to switch it off so I could go to bed. Much darker and more Games of Thronesy than I would have thought. God knows why Netflix thought it was good business sense to spend what looks like an absolute fortune and assemble such a huge amount of talent, from voice cast* to art department to music to writing, for a prequel to a flop kids movie that is too scary for kids from 30 years ago, but I'm so glad they did. This is something really special.

*and WHAT a voice cast it is. Seriously, you will not believe who they got for this. But for me it's an unrecognisable Simon Pegg that steals the show as the Skeksis Chamberlain.

Also caught the first episode of the third and final season of The Deuce, which is still one of the very best series currently running. The story picks up following another five year time jump to 1985, with the AIDS crisis in full swing. This is going to be a rough watch.

Woolly

Just finished 'Undone' on Amazon.
8 parts, half-hour episodes, rotoscoped animation that at times looks like Lee Carter's artwork come alive.

Don't want to say any more, just give it a watch   :thumbsup::thumbsup:

The Legendary Shark


Legion, Season 3. After an unusually bland start, this does get back up to speed and I bloody loved it. This has to be one of the most imaginative programs I've ever seen - I loved the time-demons, and seeing Oliver again, this time [spoiler]living in a window box and finishing up challenging the Big Bad Wolf to a rap battle[/spoiler], was a real joy.  The only problem is that I can't get "He said, 'Captain?' I said, 'What?'" out of my head.

Excellent telly!

[move]~~~^~~~~~~~[/move]




broodblik

Wu Assassin on Netflix. Very enjoyable show
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

Mardroid

Dark Shadows on Amazon Prime

That's the original 60s show, I'm referring to.

I never watched it before now, aside from parts of episodes which would have been from later series, being in colour.

I struggled a bit with the first episode. I've stuck with it, though, and found it a lot easier going.

It's kinda silly.
Some of the acting is a bit dodgy.
Characters repeat themselves way too much. It's as if the creators back then didn't trust how much the audience would understand and felt the need to spoon feed and hammer the points home.
They needed to cut down, or even cut out Victoria Winters quasi-omniscient* introductions.
Some of the tropes are rather obvious, and predictable, but maybe they wasn't back when the show was created. (I doubt it, though, even then.)

From that list you probably think I dislike it, but you'd be wrong. I'm intrigued to see where it's going, and it is generally enjoyable, sometimes for the right reasons, sometimes possibly wrong. The amount of times characters fluff their lines is extraordinary! I think maybe the budget was so low, they couldn't afford to do another take and figured, meh... Interestingly it does bring a bit of (probably) unintentional realism to the world since, in the real world we stammer and say the wrong thing all the time.

As for the obvious tropes, mentioned above, they do twist them a bit, to make them interesting.

I've got to the bit where a young girl in period costume has turned up. [spoiler]I think it's kind of obvious she is the spirit of Barnabus Collins's younger sister, but we'll see.[/spoiler]

Liking it so far, some boring repetitive gubbins aside. There's a massive amount of episodes to get through, though! I wonder if I'll manage it!

* That's not quite the word I'm looking for. I mean the version of her who introduces each episode seems to know more than the version taking part in events. I don't actually have an issue with this in itself. I just find her speeches a bit obvious and boring and find myself thinking: I get it! Things seem peaceful, but they're not and the shadows hide menace! Get on with the episode already!

I do like her character in the show though. She seems to be one of the more intelligent sensible characters. [spoiler] I've got a feeling old Barney is gonna attempt to replace his current 'Do it yourself Josette'** with her, and due to her love of history, she might actually turn out to be more amenable. Not perhaps to becoming Josette (I think she's too strong for that) but I think she might get turned into a vampire.[/spoiler]

** [spoiler]One of the sillier , but interesting bits of the story. I thought maybe the young lady was actually a reincarnation of Barnabus's old love and he was trying to reignite her old memories, but now I figure he just fancies her and she bears some physical resemblance to Josette, and he just wants to force her to take on the persona. Creepy. Silly. But an interesting watch, bar all the repetition.[/spoiler]

Hawkmumbler

Wait....is all of Dark Shadows on Netflix?! All 1000+ episodes? Damn son, I have a 20 episode boxset covering Barnabas Collins introduction and first story arc, but i've wanted to see more for the longest time. Perfect background noise for the studio.

Mardroid

Quote from: Hawkmumbler on 22 September, 2019, 03:07:22 PM
Wait....is all of Dark Shadows on Netflix?! All 1000+ episodes? Damn son, I have a 20 episode boxset covering Barnabas Collins introduction and first story arc, but i've wanted to see more for the longest time. Perfect background noise for the studio.
I don't think so Hawk. There are 26 seasons on Amazon Prime. That's what I'm working through.

Link Prime

American Horror Story 1984 has me lying on my back while it tickles my belly.

Tiplodocus

So I'm on Season 5 of the Americans and just got to a total wtf moment where they take [spoiler]Paige[/spoiler] to meet [spoiler]Gabriel[/spoiler]. Like, how much will that change things? Wow!

Anyway, me and Mrs Tips counted 12 different plot/relationship threads running through the last two episodes. (Not every thread referenced in every episode but at least ten). And half a dozen tied together at least thematically even if they don't connect directly via plot tissue.

It struck me just how much long form story has come on and television in general from the  "A plot and B plot And everything resets at end of episode". When you come across series like that (e.g. The Mentallist), they just seem almost childish now.

No real point to make other than, it's fucking great, isn't it?
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

radiator

QuoteIt struck me just how much long form story has come on and television in general from the  "A plot and B plot And everything resets at end of episode". When you come across series like that (e.g. The Mentallist), they just seem almost childish now.

Agreed. I have been streaming-only for over five years now and when I happen to catch the odd bit of broadcast TV, it feels like a bizarre relic from another era - both the format and the content of the shows themselves.

Tiplodocus

I suppose some Soap Opera writers will be saying "We're over here. Thanks for catching up with us".

But you know, their shows don't tend to have set piece action, heists, dragons, epic battles as well.
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

Mardroid

The soap opera I'm watching has a vampire and ghosts.

They're kind of silly sods though, but I'm finding it mostly enjoyable.

I saw a camera  pop into shot the other day.

Tiplodocus

State of the Union
Late to the party here but just caught up with this short form "comedy" from Nick Hornby* and Stephen Frears on iplayer. It's in ten ten minute episodes so eminently bingeable in a couple of sittings.

I know there are some Rosamund Pike fans on the board so you'll be glad to know that it's basically 100 minutes of her in conversation with the lazily charming and charismatic Chris O'Dowd.

Each episode is them waiting to attend marriage guidance and seemingly making more progress in the pub than in the sessions. 

The conversation veers off on many odd tangents on the way to discussing the place of love in a relationshop and what may or may not derail it.

The casting is [spoiler]a bit of a giveaway as to the outcome; of course you are rooting for the pair to reconcile. Look at them! Charming, attractive people with forgivable flaws. (Though one act of forgiveness, or rather forgetting, takes a bit of a leap.[/spoiler]

I put comedy in quotes above because this isn't just a gag fest - it does ask some questions and also has both of the leads - and it's a testament to the performances that by the end, they are drawing many more laughs out of the terrible situation.

* I appreciate he is a trigger warning for lots of you.
Be excellent to each other. And party on!

The Legendary Shark


Bishvila Giborim Afim (When Heroes Fly). 10 part Israeli drama about four ex-IDF special forces soldiers who discover that someone they thought was dead may still be alive in South America. So, off they go a-looking and get involved in some nefarious doings along the way. Not your usual shoot 'em up fare but engaging, compelling and very well put together.

[move]~~~^~~~~~~~[/move]




Colin YNWA

Not a box set but The Horror Channel has just started showing Space 1999 from the beginning. I stumbles across is half way through the first episode and loved it. Damn is there a Sci-fi telly show that's as well designed as this, with as good a music? Doubt it. Second episode had some really nice camera direction type things which I loved.

Not seen this for years and now regret that, its on series record.