What Are You Watching

[soulpope]

15 hours ago, paul secor said:

 

Kinuta was right - "Krister Henriksson  is Wallander.

 

Krister Henriksson as Wallander + his labrador Jussi ....

[Brad]

I liked both Branagh and Henriksson and although I've only read a couple of the books, I think the Branagh version may have closer to the books.  Both were produced by the same Swedish production company. 

[A Lark Ascending]

None of them match the books (didn't expect them to). But one of the things that appealed to me about the Henriksson version were the story lines that are not in the books - the series had the confidence to evolve rather than just interpret.  

In the Branagh episodes I saw I felt he overplayed the dour side of Wallander. Perhaps suitable to the end when his illness takes hold but the book character is more rounded. I think I struggled with it being in English - we've become a bit used to hearing Scandinavian thrillers in Swedish or Danish  in recent years that all the British accents sound a bit odd. 

Half way through this - looks very dated but still makes for gripping television. Read the book a long time ago and watched the more recent film earlier in the year (which I also enjoyed). Like the leisurely way the story unfolds here though I'm still not sure I completely understand all the twists and turns. 

Surprised I didn't watch this when it came out (1979?). It was the sort of thing I'd have watched and I was back in TV watching mode after my student years. But I have no recollection of it. 

Edited August 31, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[Brad]

Tinker Tailor is one of the best things I've ever seen. I saw it when it first came out and proceeded to read all the books.  I own the DVD and easily watch it once a year. It's faithful to the book, which I've read a few times.  If you enjoy it, you must get Smiley's People, which is also outstanding.  

The series with Alec Guiness (who is Smiley) were the ones that LeCarre was happiest with. 

I didn't think the film version of Tinker Tailor was all that good; a big handicap was trying to tell the story in two hours plus it suffered in comparison to the TV series.  It couldn't fill those shoes.   

[jlhoots]

Line Of Duty - season 3, episodes 2 & 3

[A Lark Ascending]

16 hours ago, Brad said:

I didn't think the film version of Tinker Tailor was all that good; a big handicap was trying to tell the story in two hours plus it suffered in comparison to the TV series.  It couldn't fill those shoes.   

I can understand that if you know the book/early series well. I often react like that to films of books, films based on real historical events or remakes of earlier series. I watched the film TTSS many years after reading the book and without having seen the BBC series and the film engaged me fully. Context, as ever, has its impact. I had a similar experience with 'Suffragette'. Really enjoyed it but was talking with an old colleague about it a few weeks back. She'd taught the period at A Level (16-18 year olds) and had far more reservations.

Missed this in the cinema. Thought it was excellent. Really tense virtually from the off ('sell the bread, sell the bread'). All sorts of moral questions thrown up without presenting easy answers. 

 

[A Lark Ascending]

'Fleabag' (BBC various places)

Mentioned this a few days back - edgy, uncomfortable comedy with a dark undertone. Watched the last three episodes (30 mins each) back to back last night and the whole thing spiralled into something quite superb. A woman with an 'I don't give a ****' carapace coming apart at the seams - the last episode is searing. Really original comedy with some very well known faces in supporting roles - Bill Patterson, Olivia Coleman, Hugh Dennis. The episode in the 'mindfulness' retreat is priceless (only lacked the adult colouring books).

Highly recommended - it's on the BBC iPlayer for a while.   

Edited September 2, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[jazzbo]

Finished watching "Gotham" Season 2 on Blu-ray, started "Arrow" Season 3 on blu-ray. Feel a comic book show jag coming on.

[Brad]

On September 1, 2016 at 1:22 AM, A Lark Ascending said:

I can understand that if you know the book/early series well. I often react like that to films of books, films based on real historical events or remakes of earlier series. I watched the film TTSS many years after reading the book and without having seen the BBC series and the film engaged me fully. Context, as ever, has its impact. I had a similar experience with 'Suffragette'. Really enjoyed it but was talking with an old colleague about it a few weeks back. She'd taught the period at A Level (16-18 year olds) and had far more reservations.

Missed this in the cinema. Thought it was excellent. Really tense virtually from the off ('sell the bread, sell the bread'). All sorts of moral questions thrown up without presenting easy answers. 

 

I watched this on a flight home from Germany and, too, thought it was excellent.  Gripping. 

[jlhoots]

Finished Line Of Duty - season 3. Looking forward to season 4!!

[A Lark Ascending]

Marvellous. Don't think I've experienced this since reading it (with great reluctance!) at school 45 years ago. Know it mainly from the Britten and Purcell adaptations for the musical world. Very funny production - some moments of genuine laugh out loud (rather than the knowing tittering of the theat-ah). These Globe recordings are marvellous - very different from the big movie versions or grander theatrical productions (which I've also enjoyed), everything working from a plain stage with minimal props. 

On 9/4/2016 at 3:51 AM, jlhoots said:

Finished Line Of Duty - season 3. Looking forward to season 4!!

Easily one of the best series of the 2015-6 UK TV season....and it was a rich season. Have yet to spot anything exciting for 2016-17 but these things often appear out of the blue.  

Edited September 5, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[A Lark Ascending]

BBC2 to compete for Saturday night audience with season of culture

Well, you've got to commend them for going out on a limb in these ratings obsessed times.

Though the programmes highlighted all look a bit "Mwa! Mwa! Darrrrling.' 

Think I might be sticking with my Swedish serial killers.  

[Jazzjet]

4 hours ago, A Lark Ascending said:

BBC2 to compete for Saturday night audience with season of culture

Well, you've got to commend them for going out on a limb in these ratings obsessed times.

Though the programmes highlighted all look a bit "Mwa! Mwa! Darrrrling.' 

Think I might be sticking with my Swedish serial killers.  

BBC4 effectively replaced BBC2 as home of art and culture some time ago so this is welcome news. My worry is that when ratings hit the floor, as they may well do, this will be seen as justification to revert to the lacklustre, repeat-heavy version of BBC2.

[A Lark Ascending]

8 hours ago, Jazzjet said:

BBC4 effectively replaced BBC2 as home of art and culture some time ago so this is welcome news. My worry is that when ratings hit the floor, as they may well do, this will be seen as justification to revert to the lacklustre, repeat-heavy version of BBC2.

Hopefully there will be some music amongst the pomes and dance. And hopefully they'll realise that running it like one of those Newsnight 'Arts' discussions is a sure way to kill it for the broader public ('critics' falling over one another to be the most unimpressed). 

In the BBC 'review' earlier in the year there was a lot of fuss by the government about making more 'distinctive' programmes and not trying to compete with ITV on popular TV. I suspect this is a BBC way of finessing that - so it might be given a long leash. 

Edited September 7, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[A Lark Ascending]

Caught up with the final series over the last week. Utterly harrowing. The way some of the characters get triggered into hostility seemingly out of nowhere brought back memories of my teaching career. The final scenes balancing Lol's wedding and reconciliation with her sister against Milky's angst over what he'd had done to Combo were brilliantly pulled off. 

[duaneiac]

The MST3K version of Gamera Vs. Guiron, which has one of my favorite bits from the whole series:

 

 

[A Lark Ascending]

Didn't much care for this. Action/shoot-out film (with weak romantic sub-plot) overlain on an historical event. To be fair, checking up afterwards (sorry, I get worried about these things) most of the details were actually based on reality (though there's an irritating oversimplification in the first line of the background information that starts the film) - I'd assumed it was movie bunkum.

Cillian Murphy plays his character much like Tommy Shelby at his moodiest in Peaky Blinders - thereby, to my mind, demonstrating the originality and unpredictability of the Peaky Blinders scripts.  

Not a bad film - just a bit routine especially when you consider the potential of the events it is based on. 

[A Lark Ascending]

Fascinating five part exploration of where we all came from and how we got to where we are today, working off some of the more recent evidence. As ever, Alice Roberts is a calm but engaging guide.

Edited September 12, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[JSngry]

Keeping up with Mr. Robot and some of the after-shows...the show fascinates me, particularly as it applies to the nuts and bolts of money, currency, finance. Also, the after-shows have helped me to better understand the tech/code/hacker element. Happy to get some insight into that, because it's not my world at all, that stuff.

This season reminds me of a David Lynch type story, only based almost entirely in facts, things that are all either happening now or could happen any second now. Overlay that with the surrealistic personality fugues and mysterious "project" that appears to be about some kind of either time travel or dimension shifting, and...whoa. It's a lot to handle, but I love it when a TV show goes there. All you need for greatness is an ending that justifies all of it, really ties it all together, not something too easy or something that is obviously left open-ended so the writers can buy time to figure out what to do next.

We know that there will be a Season 3, what I don't know is if that will be a good thing or not. Next Wednesday will tell, hopefully.

[A Lark Ascending]

Really enjoyed this. Heart-warming, sentimental fairy tale of an alternative family forced to confront the real world. Though they're not as 'alternative' as dad likes to think - his cultural choices for the kids would be standard things to be seen reading or listening to at any of The Man's expensive private schools. 

Edited September 17, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[A Lark Ascending]

Not one of the BBC's better moments. Implausible plot line; lots of miserable people getting hysterical and shouting at one another. The only people I recall smiling were the police officer and her daughter. Watchable but forgettable. 

[A Lark Ascending]

I've only ever had a peripheral interest in Joplin's music but can't resist a film about music in the 60s/70s. Thought this was excellently done - told the tale in a plain and simple manner via the people who knew her. What a sad, sad life. The pressure to conform with teenage social norms (reinforced by commerce) can be crushing.   

[A Lark Ascending]

More a series of historical tableaux than a developing drama. Beautiful photography. Enjoyed it. 

Earlier in the week:

National Treasure (Channel 4)

Robbie Coltrane in a drama based around Operation Yewtree and the other such cases running at present. Haven't seen Coltrane in a drama for a while but the opening episode was very powerful. 

As one of the reviews said, why is Channel 4 paying excessive amounts poaching off the BBC when it can produce original drama like this?

[sidewinder]

... and totally wasting their/our money as BBC rejigs Mary Berry into another cooking show and hence trashes the 'Bake Off' franchise/empire/sham.  

Last night - Keith Richards' pirate all-night broadcast on BBC4. Entertaining !

[jazzbo]

Enjoyed a special premier of Falling Water. It's a bit lightweight but also interesting in the LOST category, I think I'll follow it when it starts in a few weeks.

Finished watching Arrow, Season 4 on Blu-ray and am now watching Flash, Season 2. I love escaping into these shows, they work for me, brining out the adolescent in me that is always just below the surface, and feeding him so that he can survive til the next time.

I've also enjoyed the first two weeks of Project Runway because my wife loves it so. It's great to share her joy that a new season is unfolding. I learn a lot sharing what fascinates and energizes her.