Off Topic The Review Thread

Watch breaking bad would be my advice

 

Can’t be bothered

 

Well, then there is no pleasing you

To be honest I don’t watch much TV apart from sport (and now can’t remember what that was) and documentaries. I lose interest in series very quickly, as they are often transparently stretched out to immense length because the makers have hit upon something popular. Killing Eve is a perfect example - first episode was genuinely fun and different, downhill from there on, haven’t bothered since about episode 4 of that series because it is totally predictable. Same with almost anything. I really enjoyed the first half dozen or so episodes of the Sopranos, then it became a chore, especially knowing that it was stretched out for ever.

Films, which I mostly watch on planes (another receding memory) I tend to forget almost instantly, I literally can’t remember what I have watched two hours after getting off the plane, even if I liked it.

Of course Family Guy can go on forever and I will never tire of it.

You must have something that you would recommend to others.

 

It shows you how to make meth

 

Yeah, but brushes are so cheap these days that I tend to throw them away rather than clean ‘em up.

 

I must be less fussy than you! The acting isn't the greatest in the first season (it does get better), but Rufus Sewell is great throughout IMO. Once I've finished this last season I'll get a copy of the book I think, to compare.

As you now have Amazon, give The Boys a go. You and your daughter may enjoy it. It may be about so-called superheroes, but it's as much about corporate corruption and greed, and protecting your "product" at any cost.

There's only one season, so far, but I found it enjoyable without it stretching the grey matter too much. I've also heard good things about Hunters, with Al Pacino although I've not got round to watching that yet.

If you're after something more long-term to watch, there's 8 seasons of Vikings on Amazon. Originally made by History channel, it loosely follows the exploits of Ragnar, starting with his rise to power, and then the raids on Northumberland and the East coast of England, through to Paris and the Med and further afield. Interspersed with some mythical parts and some of the goriest, brutal battle scenes I've seen. Highly recommended.

 

Have you seen Patriot, Steels?

 

No......not even been on my radar. Any good?

Coming to the end of the last season of Homeland, which has had it's ups and downs in terms of storyline, but been quite an enjoyable watch over the years.

 

Patriot is quite quirky and somewhat odd. but really good and well worth watching - some good tunes too. I really liked Homeland, but just lost touch with it after a while.

 

I am notoriously fussy, but this was just odd, clearly had a lot of money spent on it, but.........one of those instant reactions, shared by my daughter.....

We tried a couple of episodes of Mad Men on Netflix last night . Have to say it looks absolutely fantastic, great clothes (hats!), cars and style, and the startling level of smoking and casual misogyny is genuinely shocking, and very accurate. It has the advantage of lack of graphic violence which the wife is not a fan of, so a family viewing event, though I suspect more for the ladies than for me, and my heart sank when I saw it runs to a trifling 92 episodes.

 

No graphic violence ?? Must be rubbish then

 

Actually, as you well know mate, there is no such thing as graphic, or at least realistic, violence and wounds on TV.

 

True mate......There’s generally a lot less blood from a stab wound than what they show on TV.....can be very hard to spot sometimes and sometimes gets embarrassing when you have to ask an assault victim to strip bare naked to check if he’s been stabbed somewhere and it’s been missed

 

Thought it wouldn’t be my thing but I’ve watched the first series of Fleabag on iPlayer and it’s very good.

 

Thought it went downhill after the ginger bloke died.

 

Another series to watch - Narcos. Follows the story of the DEA trying to catch Pablo Escobar and the other cartels in Columbia. Even if it's not 100% realistic (although it has been co-written by two of the agents involved), it's a great watch.

Followed up by Narcos:Mexico - continuing the DEA fight against cocaine smugglers, this time (obviously) in Mexico.

You need to have a stomach for a lot of subtitles though

 

Ive heard many good things about Narcos...it’s on my ‘must watch’ list.
Subtitles never bother me....some of the best films I’ve seen are Japanese/Russian/Chinese etc

 

I went through a phase of watching a lot of Japanese and Korean horror/thrillers, and also a lot of Chinese/Hong Kong films by John Woo (before he became a Hollywood darling) and his contempories.

The US remakes of some of these films is almost akin to blasphemy - The Grudge, The Eye, Old Boy, Ring - none of them carry the same level of tension and horror as the originals.

The only really decent remake I can recall is The Departed, a remake of Infernal Affairs.

 

I really can't get on with sub-titles. It always seems to me I must be missing something in the acting if I have divert my attention to read the dialogue.

 

My recommendations

Japanese - Battle Royale
Chinese - City of Life and Death
Belorussian - Come and See
Russian - Battle of Leningrad/Iron Fury

All worth a couple of hours of your time