What Are You Watching

[A Lark Ascending]

Makes the late-60s look very tawdry; and the Stones come across as near inarticulate. Maybe just inhibited by the cameras and the ugly events at Altamont. 

Pleasant BBC period drama in the regular Sunday night slot for such things. Seems to be de rigueur to have the relevant hunk showing off his chest whilst doing the scything. Never read the book or seen the 70s film so can't compare. 

Edited September 21, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[kinuta]

 

Makes the late-60s look very tawdry; and the Stones come across as near inarticulate. Maybe just inhibited by the cameras and the ugly events at Altamont. 

Pleasant BBC period drama in the regular Sunday night slot for such things. Seems to be de rigueur to have the relevant hunk showing off his chest whilst doing the scything. Never read the book or seen the 70s film so can't compare. 

Re the '60's, whatprogramme othaonabart?, as we say in Sheffield.

[A Lark Ascending]

Sorry, didn't notice the image did not appear. Think it's there now. A DVD hired from Lovefilm. 

[kinuta]

Sorry, didn't notice the image did not appear. Think it's there now. A DVD hired from Lovefilm. 

I'm afraid there's still no image.

I also watched The Go Between. I thought it was a straightforward, satisfactory version that would be sufficient to stand in it's own right providing you hadn't seen the 1971 Joseph Losey/ Harold Pinter version, which is much superior.

The supporting cast were good but my main problem was the rather lifeless Joanna Vanderham, not in the same league as Julie Christie, and the tepid portrayal of her relationship with the fancy man: agree about the voguish ripped torsos, glistening with sweat. The camerman was way too enamoured by overuse of lens flare. If you liked it, I'd very much recommend finding the Losey/Pinter/Christie/Bates version.

I was quite disappointed as I really love the original and was eager to see a different take on it.

An Inspector Calls is easily the best of the three so far. 

[A Lark Ascending]

Sorry, didn't notice the image did not appear. Think it's there now. A DVD hired from Lovefilm. 

I'm afraid there's still no image.

I also watched The Go Between. I thought it was a straightforward, satisfactory version that would be sufficient to stand in it's own right providing you hadn't seen the 1971 Joseph Losey/ Harold Pinter version, which is much superior.

The supporting cast were good but my main problem was the rather lifeless Joanna Vanderham, not in the same league as Julie Christie, and the tepid portrayal of her relationship with the fancy man: agree about the voguish ripped torsos, glistening with sweat. The camerman was way too enamoured by overuse of lens flare. If you liked it, I'd very much recommend finding the Losey/Pinter/Christie/Bates version.

I was quite disappointed as I really love the original and was eager to see a different take on it.

An Inspector Calls is easily the best of the three so far. 

Not seen The Inspector Calls. Will try and catch it on iPlayer given your recommendation. 

Given that Julie Christie was in the original The Go Between I'm surprised I haven't seen it! 

[kinuta]

This Is England 90

I'm really enjoying this final season. The trip into the country was beautifully done, one of the best bits of tele I've seen for a while.

It's set in the place I lived from the age of ten to twenty. It wasn't as run down then.

[A Lark Ascending]

An Inspector Calls BBC

Excellent, I thought it was as good as the Alistair Sim version.

Thanks for the tip, kinuta. I thought this was excellent. Not at all what I expected. Rather 'A Christmas Carol'! And very pertinent to current events. Ken Stott is one of my favourite actors - like Kenneth Moore, Pill Patterson and Bill Nighy, I always feel safe when they are on screen! 

I've never read any Priestley but can see I need to correct that. What I would like to get my hands on is a long programme he did in 1960 about 1940. I had it on video but it got chewed up. Very much English mythology but only 15 years after the event that's hardly surprising. I don't think I've seen anything on those events with so much contemporary footage - Priestley is there as a voice guiding you, not jumping around in front of the cameras all the time.

Talking of which, a couple of nights back:

Operation Mincemeat - BBC doc from some time back I found on my digibox, based on the best seller. Vaguely knew about this but found the details fascinating. A bit sceptical about the 'this one deception changed the course of the war' angle but TV documentaries tend to need angles like that. Suffered a bit from the 'what do we show on the screen whilst the tale is being told?' problem - so some rather silly reconstructions. But overall a good programme.

For some reason I've completely missed 'This Is England' - will wait for the DVDs to appear in a few weeks and hire from Lovefilm. I need a good, lengthy series to get my teeth into having found nothing that caught my fancy since I finished The Good Wife and House of Cards. All recommendations welcome!  

 

[kinuta]

An Inspector Calls BBC

Excellent, I thought it was as good as the Alistair Sim version.

Thanks for the tip, kinuta. I thought this was excellent. Not at all what I expected. Rather 'A Christmas Carol'! And very pertinent to current events. Ken Stott is one of my favourite actors - like Kenneth Moore, Pill Patterson and Bill Nighy, I always feel safe when they are on screen! 

I've never read any Priestley but can see I need to correct that. What I would like to get my hands on is a long programme he did in 1960 about 1940. I had it on video but it got chewed up. Very much English mythology but only 15 years after the event that's hardly surprising. I don't think I've seen anything on those events with so much contemporary footage - Priestley is there as a voice guiding you, not jumping around in front of the cameras all the time.

Talking of which, a couple of nights back:

Operation Mincemeat - BBC doc from some time back I found on my digibox, based on the best seller. Vaguely knew about this but found the details fascinating. A bit sceptical about the 'this one deception changed the course of the war' angle but TV documentaries tend to need angles like that. Suffered a bit from the 'what do we show on the screen whilst the tale is being told?' problem - so some rather silly reconstructions. But overall a good programme.

For some reason I've completely missed 'This Is England' - will wait for the DVDs to appear in a few weeks and hire from Lovefilm. I need a good, lengthy series to get my teeth into having found nothing that caught my fancy since I finished The Good Wife and House of Cards. All recommendations welcome!  

 

Longmire might be up your street. A Wyoming cop with brains , interesting stories interlayed with life on the Cheyenne reservation, tribal law and mythology, a good cast and something more to say than just another take on the usual tough guy thing.

I recommend it.

[A Lark Ascending]

Merci - will keep that one in mind. 

[jazzbo]

Watched Minority Report, Fox. Not bad, I give any PKD material a chance, and it sure isn't hard to watch Meagan Good.

One episode to go of Heroes, Season 4, just in time for Heroes Reborn premiering tomorrow.

Also watched Fast 'n Loud. Wish they would go back to completing cars in one episode.

[A Lark Ascending]

Actually went to the cinema for the first time in about 10 years this afternoon (a wonderful feeling knowing a former colleague was teaching my nice but awkward Y10s (now Y11s) whilst I relaxed!):

A lovely film of a marriage rapidly unravelling when the past catches up. Especially liked the scenery of a gloomy, overcast Norfolk. I lived there for 6 months at the end of 1977 and it looked exactly as in the film.

Had quite forgotten how much better things look on a large screen. 

[erwbol]

Later tonight, Black Mirror season 1 episode 1. 

 

[Shawn]

Gotham.  They finally added this one to Netflix and I've been watching it over the past week.  Pretty good comic book derived series that seems not wholly sure whether it's serious or camp but has fun regardless.  Not nearly as good as Netflix' "Daredevil" but worth a look.  

 

[HutchFan]

Last night, my wife and I finished watching Season 1 of Sense8.  I enjoyed it. It's an interesting premise.

[uli]

stumbled on this on the tube.  much fun as Peter Giger is from the same town as i. very nice shots from bern and wengen , silberhorn and Eiger. even some personal acquaintance/friends appearing.

Edited September 24, 2015 by uli

[A Lark Ascending]

"Dr Foster" - a pretty standard TV story of marital betrayal and revenge. Not the sort of thing I'd normally watch but I'm rather partial to Suranne Jones. She does seem to play much the same character as in Scott & Bailey - nervy and impulsive with explosive consequences. 

Never read the book, largely through not being keen on magical realism or fantasy in general (Wagner excepted!). But enjoyed this. You got a real sense that a long, complex book was been whizzed through and I'd imagine admirers of the book would not be taken with it. Great soundtrack. 

[jazzbo]

Watched Heroes Reborn, which is a welcome return, already better imo than Agents of SHIELD. Also watched the premier of this sesason of Scandal, which was a waste of time. And started watching the final season of Leverage on DVD.

[Shawn]

I watched season 1 of Scandal, then about 2 episodes into season 2 I started to ask myself "why am I watching this soap opera bullshit?" and turned it off and never looked back.  Trash tv for frustrated horny housewives.  

 

 

[jazzbo]

Yeah, I mostly watched it for Kerry Washington, I think she's gorgeous and I like watching her. . . . I also like Guillermo Diaz.  But after Season 1 it hasn't been as good.

[Shawn]

Doctor Who - The Witch's Familiar.  The conclusion of the opening two-parter was a great episode, very much in the spirit of the 1970s Tom Baker era.  I love Capaldi as the Doctor, he's perfect.  

 

[A Lark Ascending]

Cider with Rosie

Soft-centred and sentimental but I rather enjoyed this...especially the views of the English countryside, mythologised by the camera into unreal loveliness. I read the book when I was about 12 and living in Gloucestershire. Found it a bit racy at the time! The teenagers seemed to be played by much older actors - Rosie looked like a 20 something! 

Can't find anything about the music - sounded like Spiro or Three Cane Whale, contemporary folkies with a slightly minimalist spin on the music.

In fact minimalism seems to have become the default soundtrack approach of recent years - all those motor rhythms and repeated melodic patterns. Where did that start? The Piano, The Draughtsman's Contract? Even something olde Englishe like Downton Abbey has one of those. Whatever happened to the plaintive oboes and soaring violas? 

Edited September 28, 2015 by A Lark Ascending

[kinuta]

Ray Donovan  .

A great finale to a great season.

Cider with Rosie

Soft-centred and sentimental but I rather enjoyed this...especially the views of the English countryside, mythologised by the camera into unreal loveliness. I read the book when I was about 12 and living in Gloucestershire. Found it a bit racy at the time! The teenagers seemed to be played by much older actors - Rosie looked like a 20 something! 

Can't find anything about the music - sounded like Spiro or Three Cane Whale, contemporary folkies with a slightly minimalist spin on the music.

In fact minimalism seems to have become the default soundtrack approach of recent years - all those motor rhythms and repeated melodic patterns. Where did that start? The Piano, The Draughtsman's Contract? Even something olde Englishe like Downton Abbey has one of those. Whatever happened to the plaintive oboes and soaring violas? 

Will be watching it later.

[A Lark Ascending]

Spectacular. High body count! 

I got curious about this because of Takemitsu's role in providing the music. Had me riveted. I need to watch some more Asian films - remember seeing a few excellent historically based films from China in 80s when I lived in walking distance of an independent cinema.

[kinuta]

Minority Report TV episode two

A travesty of a classic film, awful cast, acting, script.

I found it almost but not quite unwatchable.

 

[jazzbo]

Watched last night's Gotham. Alfred remains my favorite character. They are really pulling no punches this season. Liked that they played Coltrane/Ellington "In A Sentimental Mood" in the bar scene.

Watching Minority Report. . .. I seem to like it more than others, it's okay.

Edit to add: I finished watching the episode. I like this series so far. Casting seems okay to me. Biggest drawbacks: set so far in the future and doesn't seem to be that far in the future to me, but that is necessary because of the "grown up and free" aspect to the lives of the pre-cogs; done in Canada with that look that all those shows so produced have. . . takes me out of the settings even further so to speak.

But I like the theme of the three pre-cogs dealing with their lives and gifts in their way. I know I am going to tire of the "murder of the week" bit but see that at least at this point it's necessary. I think this could grow to be the new "Fringe" for me.

Edited September 29, 2015 by jazzbo