What Have You Been Watching Lately? (No Spoilers)

[SteMerritt]

Presumably you don't recommend?

This season's episodes have been OK to be fair, and we are approaching the end of season finale now. Some of the main characters were bumped off early this time around, and I've heard the next couple of episodes will see two more major characters being written out.

But then I've heard you have boycotted this season, along with the two seasons before that? Might be worth giving it another go...

 

[Emilio]

This season's episodes have been OK to be fair, and we are approaching the end of season finale now. Some of the main characters were bumped off early this time around, and I've heard the next couple of episodes will see two more major characters being written out.

But then I've heard you have boycotted this season, along with the two seasons before that? Might be worth giving it another go...

I went off the show after the new director took over a few seasons back. He was supposed to come on board to iron out the issues that had already seeped in under the previous guy, yet he's gone on to make those same errors, in a more glaringly obvious way. There are now also far too many characters and convoluted narratives from what I've heard. It's definitely a world apart from the simple and gripping entertaining that we all fell in love with.

 

[MarkG]

This season's episodes have been OK to be fair, and we are approaching the end of season finale now. Some of the main characters were bumped off early this time around, and I've heard the next couple of episodes will see two more major characters being written out.

But then I've heard you have boycotted this season, along with the two seasons before that? Might be worth giving it another go...

Very good. I missed the set-up and had to go back to see what show you were talking about.

 

[chuckbert]

This season's episodes have been OK to be fair, and we are approaching the end of season finale now. Some of the main characters were bumped off early this time around, and I've heard the next couple of episodes will see two more major characters being written out.

But then I've heard you have boycotted this season, along with the two seasons before that? Might be worth giving it another go...

I think this season might have a bit of a surprise ending …

 

[mooro]

I went off the show after the new director took over a few seasons back. He was supposed to come on board to iron out the issues that had already seeped in under the previous guy, yet he's gone on to make those same errors, in a more glaringly obvious way. There are now also far too many characters and convoluted narratives from what I've heard. It's definitely a world apart from the simple and gripping entertaining that we all fell in love with.

Sounds like someone reviewing Doctor Who..

 

[tonyw]

I think this season might have a bit of a surprise ending …

The feelgood ending that they haven't done since the 60s?

 

[Emilio]

Sounds like someone reviewing Doctor Who..

The one with those frustratingly insistent creatures contained within their own separate chamber, trying to control the world while looking at it through a camera lens? What are they called again? Oh yeah...

VARleks

 

[Emilio]

Watched The Odyssey on IMAX yesterday. Christopher Nolan doing what Christopher Nolan does, very well indeed. Wonderfully filmed, and worth a watch for the fact that it's almost entirely practical effects and props rather than CGI. They genuinely rowed those boats in the sea, rather than filming in a studio tank, for example.

I wonder whether I would have enjoyed it that bit more had I not already known the story - as one of the key features of his works is the gripping suspense of what happens next, twists, etc.

Just make sure you go for a wee before you go into the cinema, even if you don't think you need one yet.

 

[chuckbert]

Watched The Odyssey on IMAX yesterday. Christopher Nolan doing what Christopher Nolan does, very well indeed. Wonderfully filmed, and worth a watch for the fact that it's almost entirely practical effects and props rather than CGI. They genuinely rowed those boats in the sea, rather than filming in a studio tank, for example.

I wonder whether I would have enjoyed it that bit more had I not already known the story - as one of the key features of his works is the gripping suspense of what happens next, twists, etc.

Just make sure you go for a wee before you go into the cinema, even if you don't think you need one yet.

Agreed - I really enjoyed it. Knowing the story doesn't always help when the story gets switched around though!

 

[Emilio]

Agreed - I really enjoyed it. Knowing the story doesn't always help when the story gets switched around though!

No spoilers and all that jazz, but yes, understandably some things were omitted, switched, or combined, but that's the nature of retelling something in another artform - you need to make it fit the format. The cinematic language and narrative structure of film in general is very different to that of books, and so is (almost) always subject to change. Homer's epic poem takes place over 24 separate books; essentially lengthy independent chapters. To stay truer to the original narrative you would probably need to depict it over a series of episodes rather than a single film (as is often the case with film renditions of detailed and lengthy texts).

When taken as a homage to Homer's poem, rather than a direct translation, then it really is a great film. And of course, Nolan throws us a few curve balls here and there.

 

[SteMerritt]

No spoilers and all that jazz, but yes, understandably some things were omitted, switched, or combined, but that's the nature of retelling something in another artform - you need to make it fit the format. The cinematic language and narrative structure of film in general is very different to that of books, and so is (almost) always subject to change. Homer's epic poem takes place over 24 separate books; essentially lengthy independent chapters. To stay truer to the original narrative you would probably need to depict it over a series of episodes rather than a single film (as is often the case with film renditions of detailed and lengthy texts).

When taken as a homage to Homer's poem, rather than a direct translation, then it really is a great film. And of course, Nolan throws us a few curve balls here and there.

D'oh.

 

[MarkG]

Watched The Odyssey on IMAX yesterday. Christopher Nolan doing what Christopher Nolan does, very well indeed. Wonderfully filmed, and worth a watch for the fact that it's almost entirely practical effects and props rather than CGI. They genuinely rowed those boats in the sea, rather than filming in a studio tank, for example.

I wonder whether I would have enjoyed it that bit more had I not already known the story - as one of the key features of his works is the gripping suspense of what happens next, twists, etc.

Just make sure you go for a wee before you go into the cinema, even if you don't think you need one yet.

I watched it on the biggest screen at my local multiplex on Saturday afternoon. A great film that didn't seem like a long three hours.

Apparently every seat at IMAX Waterloo is completely sold out until September, and they are showing it almost round the clock. Also people are flying in from all over the world to experience it.

 

[Emilio]

D'oh.

Eh?

 

[Emilio]

I watched it on the biggest screen at my local multiplex on Saturday afternoon. A great film that didn't seem like a long three hours.

Apparently every seat at IMAX Waterloo is completely sold out until September, and they are showing it almost round the clock. Also people are flying in from all over the world to experience it.

Tell that to my bladder!

 

[chuckbert]

I watched it on the biggest screen at my local multiplex on Saturday afternoon. A great film that didn't seem like a long three hours.

Apparently every seat at IMAX Waterloo is completely sold out until September, and they are showing it almost round the clock. Also people are flying in from all over the world to experience it.

True - it held my attention effortlessly for the whole time, which is quite an achievement.

 

[sideshowrob]

Tell that to my bladder!

Why won't they bring back intermissions? It should be manditory for any film approaching 3 hours. Just a 10 minutes break to have a slash and/or buy a snack would make it so much more enjoyable. I can't persuade my family to go to the cinema for this very reason. They would much rather wait and watch it in comfort at home.

 

[Emilio]

Why won't they bring back intermissions? It should be manditory for any film approaching 3 hours. Just a 10 minutes break to have a slash and/or buy a snack would make it so much more enjoyable. I can't persuade my family to go to the cinema for this very reason. They would much rather wait and watch it in comfort at home.

Another contender for the You Know You're Old When thread.

 

[Boris]

Why won't they bring back intermissions? It should be manditory for any film approaching 3 hours. Just a 10 minutes break to have a slash and/or buy a snack would make it so much more enjoyable. I can't persuade my family to go to the cinema for this very reason. They would much rather wait and watch it in comfort at home.

Yeah, and bring back the people selling ice cream from a tray at the front of the stalls

 

[tonyw]

I watched it on the biggest screen at my local multiplex on Saturday afternoon. A great film that didn't seem like a long three hours.

Apparently every seat at IMAX Waterloo is completely sold out until September, and they are showing it almost round the clock. Also people are flying in from all over the world to experience it.

I happen to be in LA at the moment, which (probably unsurprisingly) has the highest number of 70mm IMAX screens in the world - I think there's five cinemas showing The Odyssey in the full 70mm IMAX format in the broader LA metropolitan area, compared to only six in the whole of Europe (half of them in England).

Even then - because I didn't get my plans sorted until last week, the best I could do was a not-great seat in the middle of the afternoon next Tuesday. Every seat for every weekend and evening showing at every IMAX screen is sold out for about a month (and most of the 2am showings are as well!). Which, as a big cinephile, I find absolutely glorious - at least there's still one director who can get people off their couches and into the cinema.

Looking forward to it hugely!

 

[tonyw]

Why won't they bring back intermissions? It should be manditory for any film approaching 3 hours. Just a 10 minutes break to have a slash and/or buy a snack would make it so much more enjoyable. I can't persuade my family to go to the cinema for this very reason. They would much rather wait and watch it in comfort at home.

No, just no.

You want to break my immersion and ruin my experience because you've got a weak bladder!?!

I have no problem with having some showings with an intermission so that kids and/or the infirm and/or those who can't concentrate for longer than 90 minutes can get a break. But mandatory intermissions can do one.

 

[Emilio]

Which, as a big cinephile, I find absolutely glorious - at least there's still one director who can get people off their couches and into the cinema.

Looking forward to it hugely!

He really is a modern day great.

For those who don't understand what we're talking about when discussing IMAX 70mm, it's not just about significantly better image quality than your regular cinema projection, but also the image proportions and subsequent image cropping. Here's a comparison (IMAX on the left, compared to regular cinema aspect ratio):

 

[tonyw]

He really is a modern day great.

Nolan has never made an objectively boring, unoriginal or bad film. Everything he makes is at least a new experience.

I can totally understand someone not liking one or more (or perhaps even all) of his movies (people think I'm weird but I really didn't like the Dark Knight for the 80% of the film when Heath Ledger wasn't on screen) but I'd challenge anyone to deny that he's a uniquely talented director.

 

[Emilio]

Nolan has never made an objectively boring, unoriginal or bad film. Everything he makes is at least a new experience.

I can totally understand someone not liking one or more (or perhaps even all) of his movies (people think I'm weird but I really didn't like the Dark Knight for the 80% of the film when Heath Ledger wasn't on screen) but I'd challenge anyone to deny that he's a uniquely talented director.

The Prestige is my all-time favourite film, and I never get tired of re-watching it.

 

[tonyw]

The Prestige is my all-time favourite film, and I never get tired of re-watching it.

Love The Prestige a lot.

For me, Inception just shades it slightly. The combination of the mind-bending, original SciFi concept with the unique action scenes and (IMHO) Zimmer's most glorious score. I went to see it in the cinema three times and didn't get even slightly bored (admittedly that was in my pre-marriage, pre-kid days, so I used to go see 50 movies a year back then!)

 

[chuckbert]

Yeah, and bring back the people selling ice cream from a tray at the front of the stalls

And fags

 

[GreenMachine]

Watched benidorm. I watched some of it years ago but watching the other seasons now. It's dropped off though it's poor now.. May watch that Hawk next

 

[Essexyellows]

Tell that to my bladder!

You need the RunPee app....................... "RunPee helps moviegoers enjoy films without discomfort by identifying optimal "Peetimes"—moments in a movie, usually 3–4 minutes long, when you can step out without missing important action, dialogue, or plot twists"

An aisle seat is also a must.

 

[MarkG]

You need the RunPee app....................... "RunPee helps moviegoers enjoy films without discomfort by identifying optimal "Peetimes"—moments in a movie, usually 3–4 minutes long, when you can step out without missing important action, dialogue, or plot twists"

An aisle seat is also a must.

I’ve heard of American fans of bands who wear adult nappies so they can get to the rail to be front row several hours before the headliner is on.

I think it might have been Olivia Rodrigo who said you can smell them from the stage.

Aisle seat and a quick run sounds better though.

 

[QR]

I’ve heard of American fans of bands who wear adult nappies so they can get to the rail to be front row several hours before the headliner is on.

I think it might have been Olivia Rodrigo who said you can smell them from the stage.

Aisle seat and a quick run sounds better though.

Cue pissing at the back of the London Road anecdotes.

 

[Essexyellows]

I have just found "The Undeclared War" on CH4.

GCHQ, Russians, Fake News etc etc..................

Currently on Season 1....