[Tsundoku]

Had not heard this was a thing. Murderbot on Apple TV+:

https://www.cinemabl...book-adaptation

[amphibian]

The English is beautiful and very sad. While watching it, I kept thinking this is what Forge of Darkness, Fall of Light, and Walk in Shadow should have been in terms of rhythm.

Chaske Spencer and Emily Blunt are magnificent in this.

I can't believe this got made. It's that good.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

amphibian, on 18 February 2024 - 10:24 PM, said:

The English is beautiful and very sad. While watching it, I kept thinking this is what Forge of Darkness, Fall of Light, and Walk in Shadow should have been in terms of rhythm.

Chaske Spencer and Emily Blunt are magnificent in this.

I can't believe this got made. It's that good.

It's pretty good, though Blunt's character and some of the others are a bit on the nose and the pacing could be slightly faster in places, maybe slower in others. Fwiw I stopped watching after about three episodes when some other shows got released but it's still in my TW pile (a pile of... streaming?...).

I'm a few episodes into Three Pines. More interesting than I was expecting from a quasi-sociological/historical standpoint, especially wrt the Indigenous community near (or maybe not so near?) Montreal. Pretty good overall, though not one of the greatest ever, and a bit cheesy and too on the nose in places. Inspector Deepvoice Verywise Foranoldwhiteman isn't always absolutely on the ball(s), though he's perhaps a bit too close to it. Episodes three and four dragged a little at times and had some unbelievably overwrought parts that didn't quite work.

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 18 February 2024 - 11:28 PM

[Slow Ben]

HoosierDaddy, on 16 February 2024 - 05:05 PM, said:

Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Disney +

Look, I read all of the first 10 books. As an adult. It is thoroughly YA. Very thoroughly YA for both books and tv. However, it is an entertaining series and the Disney + series is pretty on point.

It looks clean, its acted well enough for kids, and it stays very true to the series (not shocking as the author (Rick Riordan) writes the scripts).

If you liked the books, I think you'll enjoy the first season. It's definitely more book based, and definitely does not have Alexandra Daddario there to distract from the subject matter with her sheer... Alexandra Daddarioness.

Agreed. I wouldn’t watch it on my own, but my kids freaking loved it. It’s definitely YA though.

[Cause]

I waited over ten years for master of the air and now that I have it I’m feeling mixed.

It’s a very interesting part of the war and I am enjoying it but I find the style of storytelling to be all a little all over the place. I struggle to remember who is who and how they all tie together. I remember having the same problem with Band of Brothers but it eventually came together by the middle of the show and on rewatches it’s clear to me. Maybe that’s just the difficulty with a the huge ensemble casts of military shows, where everyone is a white 20-30 something in the same uniform and gets flashes of 5 min screen time.

Masters of the air though also does wierd storytelling gimmicks with time and POV. I guess it’s to impart the chaos and fog of war but I’m not in the war I’m watching it told to me by a survivor. I don’t want to be confused myself.

Still I just don’t think this will become the same icon that band of brothers did

This post has been edited by Cause: 19 February 2024 - 05:08 PM

[HoosierDaddy]

True Detective - Night Country...

This is the first True Detective I have watched since the original series. I also did not watch that concurrently with the episode releases, so I cottoned on a bit later (by like a year I think) or so. The second and third seasons didn't grab my attention, so I think I made it maybe 1 episode. Season 4, however, is different.

This is Stephen King meets True Detective, from the very opening scene. It's dark (literally), it's got Sci-Fi/paranormal juju permeating the episodes, and is literally frightening at times, both in traditional scary sense and in the psychological "oh that's not good for this person" sense. I am thoroughly enjoying it.

The ONE thing that seems off is what I think the show is selling the hardest: Jodie Foster. The rest of the cast is fantastic. I love how real the characters feel and 100% buy the actor as their person. Jodie... not so much. It feels like she is trying to be the person and that it doesn't come naturally.

I'm interested in seeing if I'm the only one picking that up. It's very possible it's my own biases that won't let me buy into Jodie's character as much as the rest. That I am stuck on Clarisse or Ellie (Silence & Contact) and that noone else notices it and is drawn in.

Nevertheless, I'm enjoying the mystery, the spooky atmosphere, the everything. We'll see how good they do at finishing off the season, but 5 episodes in I'm pretty impressed.

[Tiste Simeon]

HoosierDaddy, on 19 February 2024 - 06:43 PM, said:

True Detective - Night Country...

This is the first True Detective I have watched since the original series. I also did not watch that concurrently with the episode releases, so I cottoned on a bit later (by like a year I think) or so. The second and third seasons didn't grab my attention, so I think I made it maybe 1 episode. Season 4, however, is different.

This is Stephen King meets True Detective, from the very opening scene. It's dark (literally), it's got Sci-Fi/paranormal juju permeating the episodes, and is literally frightening at times, both in traditional scary sense and in the psychological "oh that's not good for this person" sense. I am thoroughly enjoying it.

The ONE thing that seems off is what I think the show is selling the hardest: Jodie Foster. The rest of the cast is fantastic. I love how real the characters feel and 100% buy the actor as their person. Jodie... not so much. It feels like she is trying to be the person and that it doesn't come naturally.

I'm interested in seeing if I'm the only one picking that up. It's very possible it's my own biases that won't let me buy into Jodie's character as much as the rest. That I am stuck on Clarisse or Ellie (Silence & Contact) and that noone else notices it and is drawn in.

Nevertheless, I'm enjoying the mystery, the spooky atmosphere, the everything. We'll see how good they do at finishing off the season, but 5 episodes in I'm pretty impressed.

I am starting this shortly. I only have a couple of weeks left on my now TV subscription so a 6 episode series like this will be good if I get a chance to finish it!

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

HoosierDaddy, on 19 February 2024 - 06:43 PM, said:

True Detective - Night Country...

This is the first True Detective I have watched since the original series. I also did not watch that concurrently with the episode releases, so I cottoned on a bit later (by like a year I think) or so. The second and third seasons didn't grab my attention, so I think I made it maybe 1 episode. Season 4, however, is different.

This is Stephen King meets True Detective, from the very opening scene. It's dark (literally), it's got Sci-Fi/paranormal juju permeating the episodes, and is literally frightening at times, both in traditional scary sense and in the psychological "oh that's not good for this person" sense. I am thoroughly enjoying it.

The ONE thing that seems off is what I think the show is selling the hardest: Jodie Foster. The rest of the cast is fantastic. I love how real the characters feel and 100% buy the actor as their person. Jodie... not so much. It feels like she is trying to be the person and that it doesn't come naturally.

I'm interested in seeing if I'm the only one picking that up. It's very possible it's my own biases that won't let me buy into Jodie's character as much as the rest. That I am stuck on Clarisse or Ellie (Silence & Contact) and that noone else notices it and is drawn in.

Nevertheless, I'm enjoying the mystery, the spooky atmosphere, the everything. We'll see how good they do at finishing off the season, but 5 episodes in I'm pretty impressed.

Most people are supposedly pretty good at playing themselves; some people are excellent at it. So perhaps Jodie Foster just really is a lot like Clarisse and Ellie, and beyond that she's a bit of a garbage actor?... Has she been good in anything else? Tbh I barely remember her at all. Silence of the Lambs---I must have been pretty young the last time I watched that (not counting memes-errant of course...), and Contact---don't think I've ever bothered (maybe on a plane?... if I wasn't distracted by all the snakes).

[amphibian]

Jodie Foster is a garbage actor!?!??

What???

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

amphibian, on 20 February 2024 - 12:23 AM, said:

Jodie Foster is a garbage actor!?!??

What???

If she's only good at playing herself, then yes she's a bit of a garbage actor.

She was probably just good in the cannibal movie because her father was a cannibal or something. 'Oh no he's eating my arm again---just like when I was two....'

And in the alien movie because he gaslit her into believing she was being abducted by aliens. (Cannibal aliens....)

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Loudermilk is a pleasant surprise. Several actors doing way more than I would have ever given them credit for.

[HoosierDaddy]

I do not mean to say Jodie Foster is a bad actor in this or anything else, if that's how that is being interpreted. Moreso, I feel like I just don't buy her as much in her role as the other actors. Whether that is a ME thing or whether anyone else who has watched feels the same is the main question I was driving at. She was great in lots of movies. This particular role/character, I don't know. It's not horrificially distracting, but I'm not as drawn-in by her as the other characters.

[Slow Ben]

Raymond Luxury Yacht, on 20 February 2024 - 05:42 AM, said:

Loudermilk is a pleasant surprise. Several actors doing way more than I would have ever given them credit for.

Ive had multiple people tell me this, and ive always been a Ron Livingston fan, gonna give it a go.

HoosierDaddy, on 20 February 2024 - 02:22 PM, said:

I do not mean to say Jodie Foster is a bad actor in this or anything else, if that's how that is being interpreted. Moreso, I feel like I just don't buy her as much in her role as the other actors. Whether that is a ME thing or whether anyone else who has watched feels the same is the main question I was driving at. She was great in lots of movies. This particular role/character, I don't know. It's not horrificially distracting, but I'm not as drawn-in by her as the other characters.

I get it. I really think they were going for the gruff female detective,like Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown. But it doesnt work in this like it does in Mare.

Just have the finale to watch. Gotta say, after the promise of the first 2 episodes, i feel like the season is a letdown. I'll still watch the finale, but it feels like they had a great start, then the writing took a bit of a nosedive.


-Wrapped up Season 5 of Fargo. Fantastic. Really bothers me that multiple people i know would watch it and see John Hamm as the victim in the show.

-Id somehow never seen the first season of Fargo so im starting it next.

[Tiste Simeon]

HoosierDaddy, on 20 February 2024 - 02:22 PM, said:

I do not mean to say Jodie Foster is a bad actor in this or anything else, if that's how that is being interpreted. Moreso, I feel like I just don't buy her as much in her role as the other actors. Whether that is a ME thing or whether anyone else who has watched feels the same is the main question I was driving at. She was great in lots of movies. This particular role/character, I don't know. It's not horrificially distracting, but I'm not as drawn-in by her as the other characters.

Interesting. I'm finding her great in that role even though I kind of hate her for how awful she's being to her daughter...

[Mezla PigDog]

I watched Ep 1 of Airbender. It's well done. The kid who plays Aang is not an annoying child actor so they made it over the trickiest hurdle.

[HoosierDaddy]

Finished True Detective season 4. Some good some bad. I really enjoyed the cosmos horror aspects. Feel the solution to the detective story was the weakest part.

Overall, I’m glad I watched. Had some really good parts in each episode, along with some clunkier parts in each. On balance more good than bad.

YMMV.

Back to Three Body, the Chinese version of three body problem on Prime.

[Tsundoku]

Abyss, on 24 January 2024 - 05:42 PM, said:

Tsundoku, on 24 January 2024 - 12:04 PM, said:

worry, on 24 January 2024 - 10:00 AM, said:

Looks pretty good!

Shit yeah! Quietly pumped for this.

And how nice of them to release it on my birthday. Very considerate.

The trailer sells it well.

Just watched ep 1 - liked it.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Mezla PigDog, on 24 February 2024 - 10:41 PM, said:

I watched Ep 1 of Airbender. It's well done. The kid who plays Aang is not an annoying child actor so they made it over the trickiest hurdle.

Agreed, Aang seems good so far. I really like Sokka, Zuko and Iroh too.

Solid 7/10 territory for me after just the first episode.

[Cause]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 26 February 2024 - 10:18 AM, said:

Mezla PigDog, on 24 February 2024 - 10:41 PM, said:

I watched Ep 1 of Airbender. It's well done. The kid who plays Aang is not an annoying child actor so they made it over the trickiest hurdle.

Agreed, Aang seems good so far. I really like Sokka, Zuko and Iroh too.

Solid 7/10 territory for me after just the first episode.

I dont know why but I dislike the Iroh. He seems off, I think its the beard. I had to check the cartoon version who definitly has a beard but his face just seems more visible whereas the live action has his face almsot compeltly hidden between his hair and beard. I feel Iroh will also be one of the hardest characters to capture, not a main character but his wisdmom, empathy and general Irohness are key to the story and hard to recreate I think.

[Slow Ben]

Wrapped up Season 4 of True Detective. While i really enjoyed the reveal, overall it was not a great series. Decentish. 5.5 rolling oranges/10.

3 shows in the To Watch Pile. Loudermilk, Orphan Black, and Counterpart. I told the ole lady she can choose.