What Are You Watching

[cc_in_oh]

We finished Backstrom S3, watched the 3 measly episodes of Vera - thought it would be good to have Joe back but he wasn't much of an improvement; now on latest season of Candice Renoir - not her biggest fan but her diverse supporting cast makes it well worth watching.

[Graham44]

Just watched the 1975 classic Jaws. I'm finding that I prefer the older movies now (70's, 80's and 90's), less trying to fulfill some imagined 'political correctness' and more about telling a good story, with good characters. Take Jaws for example, essentially three guys take on a giant fish, they tell 'sexist' jokes, drink beer, argue and blow the s***e out of a great white, can't see that being made today, not without extensive re-writing. Going to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind tomorrow.

[poohbear_nc]

Whilst being imprisoned fighting off a persistent cold/flu bug I watched the Wallace & Gromit short films - The Wrong Trousers is IMHO one of the best short films ever made - a full detective story encapsulated into 30 minutes of non-stop fun. Brilliant!

Now binging on Slow Horses - loved the books.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Graham44

Just watched the 1975 classic Jaws. I'm finding that I prefer the older movies now (70's, 80's and 90's), less trying to fulfill some imagined 'political correctness' and more about telling a good story, with good characters. Take Jaws for example, essentially three guys take on a giant fish, they tell 'sexist' jokes, drink beer, argue and blow the s***e out of a great white, can't see that being made today, not without extensive re-writing. Going to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind tomorrow.

AMEN. I see movie after movie, in replay/streaming/whatever today that could never be made today. Can you imagine Blazing Saddles? Or about almost any other worth-watching movie? Phllllbffffttttttttt....I just did a Thin Man binge for the ninety-millionth time; did a Philo Vance watcherooni; rewatched Perry Masons (the real one with Burr and of course, all the movie versions, none of the RDJ crapola, which would have been fine if they'd just named it something else instead of mooching 4-5 names and nothing else!), and so on. I can sing along with the 1959-> PM's now, though. I need to take breaks between 'em.

(When recently incarcerated in a physical rehab facility--fractured my back, don't ask, sigh, yes, I've been MIA again, another medical/physical thing!--I became reacquainted with all the late 50's, early 60's western shows. HAHAHAHAHHA! Boy, there ain't no "fill" in those stories; it's wham, bam...well, you know the rest. But they sure don't waste your time in terms of plot fillers, side stories, and all that. The depth of a teaspoon, to quote Hermione Granger, but there you go.)

Hitch

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Hitch

(When recently incarcerated in a physical rehab facility--fractured my back, don't ask, sigh, yes, I've been MIA again, another medical/physical thing!

Oh, how dreadful! Hope you're on the mend.

Any way you can stop courting disaster?

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by Hitch

AMEN. I see movie after movie, in replay/streaming/whatever today that could never be made today. Can you imagine Blazing Saddles? Or about almost any other worth-watching movie? Phllllbffffttttttttt....I just did a Thin Man binge for the ninety-millionth time; did a Philo Vance watcherooni; rewatched Perry Masons (the real one with Burr and of course, all the movie versions, none of the RDJ crapola, which would have been fine if they'd just named it something else instead of mooching 4-5 names and nothing else!), and so on. I can sing along with the 1959-> PM's now, though. I need to take breaks between 'em.

(When recently incarcerated in a physical rehab facility--fractured my back, don't ask, sigh, yes, I've been MIA again, another medical/physical thing!--I became reacquainted with all the late 50's, early 60's western shows. HAHAHAHAHHA! Boy, there ain't no "fill" in those stories; it's wham, bam...well, you know the rest. But they sure don't waste your time in terms of plot fillers, side stories, and all that. The depth of a teaspoon, to quote Hermione Granger, but there you go.)

Hitch

I agree that most of the great, and not so great, movies couldn't be made today. I've got a number of movies that would be so offensive in today's environment that they would make Blazing Saddles look like a classic Disney animated movie in comparison.

In fact, this extends to just about all entertainment. There's a controversy about the remake of the anime Ranma 1/2 (about a young man who transforms into a young woman when dowsed with cold water) in that there's a very strong concern that it is going to be made woke/politically correct.
In order for the series to work that can't be the case, otherwise the entire point of the series is ruined, and much of the humor would be lost.

If things keep going the way they are you will soon see a Batman who will make the Superfriends version of Batman look like Rambo. He will counsel his villains to change their ways and then let them go, and he would never even attempt to use violence against them.

[poohbear_nc]

Just finished season 4 of OMITB - the Hollywood stuff fell flat for me, but the resident insanity at the Arconia still works... just - the recycling of characters from previous seasons is a real treat - serial killer Jan remains a favorite character.

Season 5 needs a boost - maybe Téa Leoni can help the energy.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by issybird

Oh, how dreadful! Hope you're on the mend.

Any way you can stop courting disaster?

I dunno--does anybody here have the name and number of the person with the Hitch Vaudun (Voodoo) Dolls and can we take their pins away?

For someone who was uncommonly healthy for my entire adult life, through age 67, this has been a really shocking turn of events. It's like ever since I contracted (created? Vested? Uh...manifested?) Shingles, my entire health world has gone straight to hell. Believe it or not, I really do take care of myself, or did--worked out, ate healthy, all that stuff and now I'm a shadow of myself. Really. It's a little scary. I feel like that tagline/punchline on that Treat Williams (And Famke Janssen) movie, the one with the bad monster and the cruise ship--"NOW WHAT?!"

[SMH]

Thanks,
Hitch

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

I agree that most of the great, and not so great, movies couldn't be made today. I've got a number of movies that would be so offensive in today's environment that they would make Blazing Saddles look like a classic Disney animated movie in comparison.

(snippage for space)

If things keep going the way they are you will soon see a Batman who will make the Superfriends version of Batman look like Rambo. He will counsel his villains to change their ways and then let them go, and he would never even attempt to use violence against them.

Yes, it would be like that scene in RoboCop something (3?) where Robo gets all these conflicting nutty inputs and he lectures little hooligans instead of arresting them. EXACTLY like that.

I watch all sorts of old stuff, as youse guys know and when you watch that and see how MUCH stuff would be shunned, social-media-banned, yadda, today, it's just horrifying. I agree that Blazing Saddles isn't the best example, but it's what I had to hand/mind. It's such a shame.

Hitch

[Rumpelteazer]

Oh no Hitch, I hope you'll get back on your feet soon.

I'm now deciding what to watch for Halloween tonight. At the moment I think I'll watch Late Night With The Devil and, depending how tired I am, The Watchers.

With my sister I'm watching the Netflix documentary about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. We'll probably finish it today. It's a good documentary but the cheerleading team does seem a bit cult-ish to me.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

Oh no Hitch, I hope you'll get back on your feet soon.

I'm just now able to put a bit of weight on the one really bad knee. Woot. We'll see how that goes!

I'm now deciding what to watch for Halloween tonight. At the moment I think I'll watch Late Night With The Devil and, depending how tired I am, The Watchers.

Enjoy! I finally realized, at my ripe-ish old age, that by and large, I'm not really a horror fan. I guess my innards get creeped out, lol.

With my sister I'm watching the Netflix documentary about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. We'll probably finish it today. It's a good documentary but the cheerleading team does seem a bit cult-ish to me.

I would say that about, what...hmmmm...30-ish years ago, the DCC nearly were a cult. They had a cult-like following, the girls made a small fortune in private appearances (don't read anything into that, please, I only mean what I said) and all that. Like many other fads, they came and they went and now, although still a symbol, not like it was.

Oh and thanks for the kind wishes. I'm creeping along, slowly but surely...sigh.

Hitch

[cc_in_oh]

We finished the 4 seasons of Captain Marleau on MHz. Liked it a lot at first bur her shtick was wearing thin by the end.

Next up Moonflower Murders on PBS - should be good...

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I'm just now able to put a bit of weight on the one really bad knee. Woot. We'll see how that goes!

Good to read that it's, slowly, getting better.

Originally Posted by Hitch

Enjoy! I finally realized, at my ripe-ish old age, that by and large, I'm not really a horror fan. I guess my innards get creeped out, lol.

I ended up watching YouTube, I was too tired and fuzzy headed from my flu shot. I'll give it another go tonight.

I do enjoy scary books and movies. My sister, not so much. Although she did enjoy the It movies and is interested in Welcome to Derry. But I can't for the life of my get her to watch Cabin in the Woods. That's why I got myself nice big TV and a 4K Blu-ray player for my bedroom (I'm slowly replacing my favourite movies for 4K versions).

Originally Posted by Hitch

I would say that about, what...hmmmm...30-ish years ago, the DCC nearly were a cult. They had a cult-like following, the girls made a small fortune in private appearances (don't read anything into that, please, I only mean what I said) and all that. Like many other fads, they came and they went and now, although still a symbol, not like it was.

Oh and thanks for the kind wishes. I'm creeping along, slowly but surely...sigh.

Hitch

We don't really have an equivalent of cheerleaders in the Netherlands. So it was a fascinating documentary.

Tonight we'll probably watch the latest episodes of The Great British Bake-Off and High Potential (which is surprisingly fun). Tomorrow we'll start with the latest season of Only Murders in the Building and then we'll start with the BBC version of Ghosts.

[Graham44]

Have been watching The Hunger Games over the last weekend and this weekend. I put off for ages watching them as I thought they where more of a teen/ teen girls movie, bit like Twilight (insert retching noises lol) were, but I was wrong. I found them ok, and a fairly good portrayal of what happens when a tyrannical leader and or government are left unchecked (perhaps more relevant now than when the movies first premiered!)

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by Graham44

Have been watching The Hunger Games over the last weekend and this weekend. I put off for ages watching them as I thought they where more of a teen/ teen girls movie, bit like Twilight (insert retching noises lol) were, but I was wrong. I found them ok, and a fairly good portrayal of what happens when a tyrannical leader and or government are left unchecked (perhaps more relevant now than when the movies first premiered!)

One book series you might want to try is Uglies. It's set in a world where, to prevent war and conflict, everyone at the age of 16 is taken through a process that makes them beautiful. It reminded me of The Twilight Zone episode "Number 12 Looks Just Like You."