Miracle Workers - a comedy starring that Daniel Radcliffe lad and Steve Buscemi. It's an easy watch and fairly funny in places. Radcliffe is an angel working in the miracles dept., him and two others have to get a couple of twenty-somethings to kiss or God will blow up Earth. That makes it sound creepy. But i mean they have to bring to young lovers together for God's gratification. Again, that sounds creepy. But it isn't. At all.
Im up to part2 of Deadwater fell. A mystery fire kills a family. But theres more than meets the eye. Its only problem is - i kid you not - a flashback scene every 14 poxy seconds. Seriously annoying
Part 3 of 4. Turning into one of those dreary formulaic itv/ch4 types dramas, usually written by women...theyre like Cold feet but with a murder. Much longer and i wont care about whatever twist there is. Never liked David Tennant much either but in this i wanna punch him.
Up to episode 5 of 9. This is even better than first series. Quirky, wacky and surreal window into somebodys idea of vatican life. Pope John malkovic chews up every scene he is in and his sparring with corrupt secretary of state Voiello (Silvio Orlando) is utterly delicious. No sign yet of Jude Law (the previous pope), hes been in a coma all series so far. Some would find that a kind of apt parallel to Jude's acting..
Anyway, moving on, the sizzling glamour is provided by Cécile de France, the Belgian actress, who plays a sexy vatican advisor. Guest stars pop up visiting the Pope. Marilyn Manson last week, and this week... Sharon Stone. In a humourous Basic Instinct reference Pope Malkovic says: "Miss Stone... i would be eternally grateful if during the course of our conversation you avoided the uncrossing and recrossing of your legs..." - priceless! He asks what gift she has bought him, but she hasnt. He says he would like a tangible memory of her, so with a typical I-know-you-want-me smile, Sharon slips off her Christian Louboutin high heels and hands them to him. "I will have those placed in a most special relique" his holyness says. Made me laugh.
A few minutes later she finally asks if she can recross her legs and he clicks his fingers and makes all the line of priests avert their eyes the other way! Hilarious.
There is also some wonderful photography, clever imagery and framing, the type you might see in an arthouse film. The theme song Good Time Girl is very catchy - by Sofi Tukker, a German/ American musical duo based in New York consisting of Sophie Hawley-Weld (german) and Tucker Halpern (u.s).
This episode concentrates on electronic music, so begins with wendy carlos's Shining and Tron, and vangelis's chariots of fire and blade runner; brad fiedel and Terminator. They also covered Maurice Jarre's Year of living dangerously. Outside of electronic scores, they cover john williams still doing traditional scoring for Empire strikes back and Spielberg films, Raiders of lost Ark and ET; John Barry's Body Heat; Marvin Hamlisch's Ordinary People and Sophie's Choice...and even found time for Ennio Morricone and Once upon a time in America.
Finished The Good Place season 4. It was the weakest season by far, but still pleasantly funny and had a nice resolution.
The Haunting of Hill House - i lasted an episode, i just don't find ghosts or CGI ghosts even remotely scary. They did cast very well though. All the grown up daughters looked like they could be the offspring of Carla Gugino. After watching it i was told i had seen this episode last year, but i had zero recollection of it.
The Man in the High Castle season 4. Again, the weakest of the seasons by far. But it's still decent. They killed off many characters last year, and there's no really interesting new ones. Great production values, music and generally decent acting. It's right to end after this season, though.
Nearly finished Ozark season 2 and it's been worth the ride. Lots of decent actors in this, and it's hard to predict where the various plot strands will go next.
After some reruns, bbc4 showing a new series on saturdays. Its as good as ever with great sicilian locations, brilliant music and sometimes, unbelievably beautiful italian actresses!!
La Guerre des Mondes aka War of the Worlds (Canal+/Fox 2019)
Garbriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern headline this tepid, dime store take on the H.G. Wells classic which, even at only 8 episodes, well overextends its welcome on account of its writers and producers suffering from the fashionable conceit that science fiction would have more cross-over appeal if inordinate screen time was dedicated to vain women moaning about the dysfunctional relationships they habitually accrue.
After some reruns, bbc4 showing a new series on saturdays. Its as good as ever with great sicilian locations, brilliant music and sometimes, unbelievably beautiful italian actresses!!
Are they showing new episodes of it? I know they only make a few each year.
You all know that I haven't seen a film or a TV series since 1979. So I'm a bit out of touch. Anyway, a big telly appeared in my bedroom with a "Netflix" sticker on it. I pressed the Netflix button and saw lots of "links" (sp?) to recent things I'd never heard of. I accidentally clicked on something called "After Life", with Ricky Gervais, who I do know thanks to what I read about him here when he presented those awards that time.
Anyway, I watched two whole episodes of "After Life", but because I haven't read any reviews of it, I'd be grateful if someone could tell me if it's any good or not.
Im eating my lunch. I wonder if anyone can tell me if i like it or not??
Oh why do you have to be so simple about everything, Bill? I suppose you THINK you know what you're eating? If I told you it was processed cow shit in pig urine sauce, would your perception of the enjoyment change?
That's the whole point of my intelligent, probing posts asking you for experts' reviews on the Ricky Gervais series, and the Jonathan Miles book. I have NO connection to them, so they might be rubbish. But I am enjoying them. Is that enough though?
If you are enjoying After Life, you have your answer senor Si Que watt.
Dont ask me about Ricky Gervais. You are likely to get something along the lines of mumble mumble fat twat mumble mumble
Did you SEE "After Life", Bill? The unknown-to-me performer Rickard Germain is actually CALLED a "fat twat" in the show. By the scriptwriter, Rick Geranium. I think they are all one in the same. If so, I at least now have that "level of connection" which is needed in order to judge. We cannot just operate on "like", "don't like".
By the way, did you like your excrement and bladder-juice sandwich?
the Outsider. ep3 getting weirder. Its well made but truth is I dont trust it. Ive never liked Stephen King's usually pathetic endings so im expecting a typically feeble conclusion. Hes always struck me as someone who concocts sometimes great concepts, then just dooesnt know where to take them. We will see.
Ep5. What started as a great mystery and investigative thriller has - predictably - turned into some kind of boogeyman hokum. Silliness is creeping in...
Hey Bill, King's stories almost always involve the supernatural. There are a few exceptions like The Shawshank Redemption.
I read The Outsider so I know where it is going. No spoilers. What irritates me about this series is how slow it is. Episode 5 (and others) has fillers and very slowly and selfishly parcels out one or two minute hints that keep us going back to see the next episode. Hope the pace picks up in the last few episodes.
Inside No. 9 - It's great. A different half hour play in every episode. Could be horror, comedy, thriller, parody, silent comedy, anything. Mostly very well written with interesting stories.
Hey Bill, King's stories almost always involve the supernatural. There are a few exceptions like The Shawshank Redemption.
I read The Outsider so I know where it is going. No spoilers. What irritates me about this series is how slow it is. Episode 5 (and others) has fillers and very slowly and selfishly parcels out one or two minute hints that keep us going back to see the next episode. Hope the pace picks up in the last few episodes.
Thanks joan. Over the years i read Thinner and carrie and a few others, saw cats eye, creepshow, pet semetary, cujo, salems lot, christine, etc pretty much all of them,. As a straightforward thriller this has been great. But i suspected all along it was going south and i guess its gonna annoy me have invested 5 hours already and being genuinely intrigued!! The characters have been good too.
