What are you binge watching?

[nwhoopfan]

Last episode of Fallout was a big ol' helping of meh. Series started out interesting and then just went nowhere. I'd say pass. I kept Amazon Prime for an extra month for this?

 

[Bomber36]

This is perhaps ironic, given the discussion on the movie trailer thread. Started watching The Gentlemen on Netflix. It's derivative of the movie of the same name. Stars Theo James, Kaya Scodelario and Daniel Ings. We absolutely loved the first two episodes. The dialogue is just so clever. Ings is very funny as Freddy. James and Scodelario have some sexual tension going, even though a relationship isn't suggested yet.

Thought this one was a lot of fun. Definitely worth the time.

 

[storrsroars]

Don't know if I missed it somehow, but haven't seen any posts on 3 Body Problem, which I found surprising given the number of sci-fi nerds here. I started it yesterday and got sucked in right away. I'm now starting Ep6 (of 8) and it's holding together, albeit with some slow, dry spots. Never really paid attention to Eiza Gonzalez before, but dayum. SFX is top notch, especially in the Panama Canal scenes. I'm not a big sci-fi fan, but I do like really intelligent discussions on science and the physics discussions here, whether based in fact or total fiction, and compelling. Also really enjoying Benedict Wong in the slovenly cop role and Liam Cunningham as a total trying to defend Earth.

 

[HuskyHawk]

A Gentleman in Moscow. Stars Ewan McGreggor as the gentleman, Count Rostov. Among the last nobles, he's "imprisoned" in the Metropol Hotel during the glorious revolution. We see it unfold through his horrified eyes, and we also see him attempt to cling to the things that give life meaning beyond sustenance, things the party in the USSR are eradicating day by day. It's really very good. The gorgeous Mary Elizabeth Winstead (McGreggor's new wife) is a Russian movie star in a supporting role. Minor quibble with casting multiple black actors and actresses to essentially represent the peasant class in Russia (some rising in the party). That was just ill advised and not necessary.

 

[ZooCougar]

Last episode of Fallout was a big ol' helping of meh. Series started out interesting and then just went nowhere. I'd say pass. I kept Amazon Prime for an extra month for this?

Agree.

 

[87Xfer]

Six episodes into Baby Reindeer (Netflix). If you enjoy watching things that make you feel really uncomfortable, this is a good one for you. Crazy lady stalking a struggling comedian with serious issues of his own. I agreed with others here that Poor Things gave me that discomfort, and I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. Similar vibes here so far but without the big budget production value and a relatively unknown British cast (at least to me).

 

[HuskyHawk]

Fallout. Prime. Started it last night and love it so far. They absolutely nailed it with the look, the feel, the costumes, the music. Ella Purnell is adorable and then some as the young vault dweller. Aaron Moten is solid as member of the Knights of the Brotherhood. Walton Groggins kills it as a Hollywood cowboy actor who mutates into a ghoul and is the Gunslinger. The attention to detail and the visuals are just stunning. I don't know how good the story will be and in some ways it doesn't matter. It's too much fun anyway.

 

[ZooCougar]

Fallout. Prime. Started it last night and love it so far. They absolutely nailed it with the look, the feel, the costumes, the music. Ella Purnell is adorable and then some as the young vault dweller. Aaron Moten is solid as member of the Knights of the Brotherhood. Walton Groggins kills it as a Hollywood cowboy actor who mutates into a ghoul and is the Gunslinger. The attention to detail and the visuals are just stunning. I don't know how good the story will be and in some ways it doesn't matter. It's too much fun anyway.

Started out great. Like really great. But then the last Episode and a half happened and it shrunk back down into mediocre territory.

Hopefully it rebounds in the second season.

 

[ZooCougar]

Ben Franklin or is it just “Franklin” on Apple.

Summary:

“I am not here”

“Neither am I”

“Cool let’s talk about whatever”

“This conversation never happened”

“Agreed”

“Is it a boy or a girl”

“Yes”

 

[CL82]

Anyone else watching Shogun? I am enjoying it enough that I may read the book. James Cavell isn't Mitchner, but his books are meaty. This story seems worth the investment in time.

(I've read Taipan and Noble House, I probably should read Whirlwind as well.)

 

[ZooCougar]

Anyone else watching Shogun? I am enjoying it enough that I may read the book. James Cavell isn't Mitchner, but his books are meaty. This story seems worth the investment in time.

(I've read Taipan and Noble House, I probably should read Whirlwind as well.)

I think I would rather read the book.

 

[CL82]

I think I would rather read the book.

I have to say, not knowing the material, it's been good so far.

 

[ZooCougar]

I have to say, not knowing the material, it's been good so far.

I thought it started off good but has been weakening as it progressed.

Rule 1 is the book is always better.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Ella Purnell is adorable and then some as the young vault dweller.

I first saw her around 10 years ago in "Wildlike" and thought she was great. I've followed her career, but she's gotten a disappointingly small number of decent roles in the intervening years.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Slowly working my way through "The Gentlemen." Each episode finding themselves in some over the top predicament is starting to wear a bit thin. Freddie is a terrible character and needs to get offed. Jimmy has suddenly turned full idiot too. Can't believe that after his first big screw up they didn't have a babysitter assigned to him, but he was right back to screwing up in the next episode, getting played again by the same little minx. Maybe they are keeping tabs on him and it just wasn't revealed in this ep? Mind numbingly dumb if they aren't, for an organization that usually appears to be very detailed oriented.

 

[Gutter King]

Started out great. Like really great. But then the last Episode and a half happened and it shrunk back down into mediocre territory.

Hopefully it rebounds in the second season.

I thought it started out really (too) fast, skipping around the huge wasteland world too conveniently. The last three episodes are very important for world building and backstory. The action does slow down considerably, but only to connect the dots a bit.

I do think an argument can be made they shoved the Vault 4/Cultist of Flame in there rather clumsily.

Overall I am very impressed with the execution of the MCM vibe, and faithfullness to the game in both sight and sound.

 

[storrsroars]

I binged "Baby Reindeer" (Netflix) over the past couple of days, without having read anything about it, other than it was promoted as a "dark comedy".

"Dark" doesn't even begin to describe it. I imagine it's going to win a bunch of awards for being one of the most disturbing series to ever appear on TV. But unlike the dark and disturbing comedy "Poor Things", there aren't many actual laughs to be had here. Instead, it's just one depraved character after another, including the protagonist. Reviews have alluded to viewers "having pity" for the lead's plight, but other than a later love interest (Teri) and the lead's parents, there are no characters here I found worthy of sympathy, and other than the three characters just named above, I couldn't find myself empathizing with anyone. They are all broken people, but IMHO, of their own doing moreso than mental cases who needed help only to find the system failed them. What I view as "lack of personal responsibility" is what seems to drive the plot.

Given it's based on a true story of the writer/lead's life, that the guy is being hailed in media as "brave" and "honest" confounds me. To me, this is a guy who made a series of bad decisions, each one with enough warning lights and sirens screaming "G-T-F-O", but he decided to stay. And that decision affected everyone around him. I don't think one should get awards for that. YMMV.

 

[nwhoopfan]

For me "The Gentlemen" really picked up at Ep. 5 and I blasted my way thru the rest of the season. Theo James and Kaya Scodelario were good as the two leads. Having actors like Vinnie Jones, Ray Winstone and Joely Richardson as more minor characters really brought it home.



I guess you can't call people gypsies anymore, now they are known as Travelers. Well this gang of Travelers wasn't nearly as interesting as Brad Pitt and company from "Snatch." Richie tried to revisit the same territory but didn't strike gold this time.