What Are You Watching

[Dave James]

If you haven't seen this one, you're missing a cracker jack film. Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, Zachary Quinto and even Demi Moore give bravura performances in a story about one New York firm's last day run-up to the 2008 financial meltdown. I've seen it twice. Exceptionally good.

Edited May 21, 2012 by Dave James

[Valeria Victrix]

Started rewatching 'Rubicon'. I thought this was brilliant and really don't mind the fact that it was axed after one season.

Short but sweet is sometimes a good thing.

I've heard about this one, and am looking forward to checking it out. AMC are reaching HBO levels of consistently lately. I thought that James Badge Dale was great in The Pacific. (And, on a side note, I think it would be super awesome if someone were to do a BOB/Pacific style treatment of the War on the Eastern Front. Wolfgang Petersen showed how it could be done with Stalingrad, but alas I don't think the budget - or the sympathy - would be available to do it in the style which it would deserve.)

[Dave James]

I thought that James Badge Dale was great in The Pacific. (And, on a side note, I think it would be super awesome if someone were to do a BOB/Pacific style treatment of the War on the Eastern Front. Wolfgang Petersen showed how it could be done with Stalingrad, but alas I don't think the budget - or the sympathy - would be available to do it in the style which it would deserve.)

I'd be all over a BOB/Pacific treatment of the war on the Eastern Front. Problem is it doesn't involve the American army or even the Brits. I'm afraid that might make it a ptetty tough sell to HBO or an HBO-like underwriter.

[Valeria Victrix]

I thought that James Badge Dale was great in The Pacific. (And, on a side note, I think it would be super awesome if someone were to do a BOB/Pacific style treatment of the War on the Eastern Front. Wolfgang Petersen showed how it could be done with Stalingrad, but alas I don't think the budget - or the sympathy - would be available to do it in the style which it would deserve.)

I'd be all over a BOB/Pacific treatment of the war on the Eastern Front. Problem is it doesn't involve the American army or even the Brits. I'm afraid that might make it a ptetty tough sell to HBO or an HBO-like underwriter.

But exactly! Man what an incredible spectacle it would be. If I were a billionaire looking to squander some cash, that's what I would do. Hire the best guys'n'gals in the business and give them carte blanche to wetf they want. "Go crazy kids!" I'd tell 'em. "Now's that chance you've been waiting for. You could probably use Guy Sajer's The Forgotten Soldier as foundation material.

Actually, wait a minute, stop the presses! I just wiki-ed The Forgotten Soldier, and apparently "Dutch film director Paul Verhoeven has discussed with Sajer the possibility of turning The Forgotten Soldier into a film."

Now I happened to think that Starship Troopers was - amongst other things - a great war film (stop laughing in the back there!), and featured great visual flourish. I think Verhoeven might make something interesting of the material. Here's hoping he gets the backing - although as you point out - there is precisely zero sympathy for the poor Landser and precious little interest or empathy for the heroic Ivans amongst audiences in the West.

Edited May 21, 2012 by Valeria Victrix

[kinuta]

House finale.

Over lunch we talked about possible endings. All were wrong. I wonder if they've left the door open for a Chase spin off ala Morse and Lewis.

Mad Men

Hare Krishna, what next ?

The Killing

The original storyline now long abandoned it's come into it's own and has gone far beyond being just an English language version of the original.

[jazzbo]

The House finale. . . sort of disappointing.

Mad Men is continuing to be very interesting this season. Looks like the themes for the finale are set up nicely.

Almost finished with Season 1 of Suits, one more episode to go.

[A Lark Ascending]

The new 'Lewis' series. Nothing to upset the apple cart but as comfortable as an old pair of slippers.

[Shawn]

[kinuta]

Started rewatching Homeland tv copies.

Now on episode six.

[mikelz777]

I watched the season (& series) finale of "Awake" last night. I'm disappointed that this show was cancelled. While it wasn't a "can't miss" show, I thought it was well done, it held my interest and kept me watching each week. I thought that Jason Isaacs was excellent as the lead character Michael Britten. I really wanted to find out what was going on with his flip-flopping realities and his two psychiatrists denying the reality of the other but I guess that will never be.

[jazzbo]

So what was going on? I'm still trying to figure it out. But it was a fun ride.

[mikelz777]

If you figure it out, let me know!

[jazzbo]

Until I watch the last few episodes again, I'd say there's two possibilities. I favor the first, which is that the whole accident, dual realities, and the drug dealing conspiracy run by his superior and associate was just a big anxiety dream. I know that is in a way a cheap shot, but it's really the only answer that doesn't have weird dangling ends that don't really make sense.

My gal thinks this next answer is the right one: he lost his wife, he invented the fantasy world of red/brown to have her still be alive, and he was so unsatisfied with that that he invented the whole fighting back against those who killed his wife in the red/brown world to get satisfaction and then retreated into a NEW delusion where his whole family can be together.

Of course it could be something else.

A nice wild ride. So glad they at least resolved it to this junction.

[mikelz777]

I'm wondering if neither reality is true and that both his wife and son are dead. Both of his psychiatrists insist that the other is not real and that he is creating the other reality in his head. Maybe we should take them at their word, conclude that neither is real and that he's creating both "realities" containing either his wife or his son in his head and/or dreams. Both psychiatrists who insisted that the other was not real came together in the last episode discussing their client with each other. Would that have happened if either were real or did it only happen in Michael's dream or created "reality"? Maybe all of these commonalities he's finding between the two realities which have been aiding him in his investigations aren't as serendipitous as they seem. Maybe these coincidences are there because both of these realities only exist in his head and that they are just showing us how procedurally, either consciously or subconsciously, he's putting evidence strings together. I don't know if this theory fits with everything in the show but it has me wondering if there isn't something to it.

Edited May 25, 2012 by mikelz777

[jazzbo]

That could be possible. The creator of the show said this ending was supposed to serve as an end to season one and a bridge to season two. I'm glad it ended though, I think the whole thing would have gotten tiring for another season and more. Because it was left open for another season, there is a lot of ambiguity, and there are several possible answers here and I think it's best to just choose the one that suits one the best.

Edited May 25, 2012 by jazzbo

[mikelz777]

I would have been interested to see where they would have taken it. I was a bit surprised that the story line with his superiors' wrongdoings was resolved. I thought it would have carried over into an anticipated 2nd season. I wouldn't have wanted to see more of the confounded partners/parallel reality coincidences aiding in the investigations thing to continue. That would just be boring and repetitive. I would have hoped that they would have maintained the what is real and what is not thing in some creative way. In a way I agree that maybe it's better that it ended. That way, it still has me guessing, it was entertaining and it didn't decay into some kind of disappointing rut.

[kinuta]

I suspect the final episode was cobbled together when the writers were told the show would not have a 2nd season.

Maybe the end was his mind creating a new third reality where the wife lives and the kid lives dreams were reconciled into a livable unity. Then again I'm probably totally wrong. Who knows but I agree that it was best to finish it with one season, the combating alternate realities might have become very silly and tiresome if it had been dragged out and padded. Anyhow I enjoyed it.

[Shawn]

A friend and I have been watching Bones (he had never seen the series), this season is so good.

[jazzbo]

I suspect the final episode was cobbled together when the writers were told the show would not have a 2nd season.

Maybe the end was his mind creating a new third reality where the wife lives and the kid lives dreams were reconciled into a livable unity. Then again I'm probably totally wrong. Who knows but I agree that it was best to finish it with one season, the combating alternate realities might have become very silly and tiresome if it had been dragged out and padded. Anyhow I enjoyed it.

The series creator has said that the final episode was written as it was when there was still a possible second season, at the insistence of the network. And he was quotes as saying basically one of the realities was real, and this new one at the end was, as you say, a third reality his mind had built.

It was a fun ride.

[Shawn]

I hadn't been watching Awake (aside from the pilot) because I had a feeling there was no way it would get picked up for a second season. A shame, seemed like an interesting concept...but since there will be no resolution I'll invest my time elsewhere.

[jazzbo]

It actually IS a resolution of the main plot of the season, it just ended on a note that could lead to another season of "more of the same." It's a pretty good show, worth checking out.

[kinuta]

Jason Isaacs, the lead in Awake, has done a lot of UK tv work.

One from the BBC that I recommend as well worth your time is Case Histories. Seems it has been shown in America on PBS.

Here's a link

My link

[Shawn]

It actually IS a resolution of the main plot of the season, it just ended on a note that could lead to another season of "more of the same." It's a pretty good show, worth checking out.

Cool, I'm sure I'll get around to it eventually, I'm watching series faster than they can make them!

[A Lark Ascending]

Jason Isaacs, the lead in Awake, has done a lot of UK tv work.

One from the BBC that I recommend as well worth your time is Case Histories. Seems it has been shown in America on PBS.

Here's a link

My link

Seconded. Though the books are even better.

Wonder if we'll get the last book as a one off in the future?

In the Scandi spot last night:

Another oddball lead by the chap who played Wallander in the other Swedish version.

[Soulstation1]

You wanna see a dead body?