Movies/TV worth watching (or at least discussing)

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

The Netflix series, Away, which was heavily promoted and boasted some strong star power with Hillary Swank and Josh Charles, has been cancelled after only one season.

https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/net...ay-1234810392/

What is with Netflix and cancelling popular and well-received shows? Is it some sort of higher math that I'm missing? Do they bring in subscribers when they launch a new exciting show and those subscribers stick regardless of whether the show stays around?

Frustrating.

[aimo]

What is with Netflix and cancelling popular and well-received shows? Is it some sort of higher math that I'm missing? Do they bring in subscribers when they launch a new exciting show and those subscribers stick regardless of whether the show stays around?

Frustrating.

It is my understanding that with Longmire, which they stopped after three years of their own production, it was b/c Netflix wanted to own all the rights to the show, but Warner did not want to sell.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

It is my understanding that with Longmire, which they stopped after three years of their own production, it was b/c Netflix wanted to own all the rights to the show, but Warner did not want to sell.

Well, that's the other end of the equation. Shows that were cancelled and then brought back (Longmire, Arrested Development). Seems another move for splash to bring people in.

[DUKIECB]

Has anyone else given this a watch now that it is out? I watched it last night...thought it was really, really good. Agree with Jason that Sacha Baron Cohen stole the show as Abbie Hoffman. I almost felt like it could have been longer, it felt like the heat turned up towards the end and I wasn't quite ready for it to be over when it ended. Really interesting story as well, not one that I am terribly familiar with so I plan to do some reading on it to see how true-to-life the movie was.

Watched it last night and agree with everything you had to say about it. It was well written (Sorkin), funny yet dramatic and well acted. Very good movie and well worth your time.

[Duke79UNLV77]

Quarantine has introduced me to these new inventions called podcasts and ear buds. Branching out into recommended podcasts during pandemic times, I found "In the Dark: Season 2" binge-worthy for shining a light on a DA from the Nifong school of ethics and resulting in a man being released from prison after 23 years, mostly spent on death row. I also recommend "Blind Spot: The Road to 9/11."

[grad_devil]

Quarantine has introduced me to these new inventions called podcasts and ear buds. Branching out into recommended podcasts during pandemic times, I found "In the Dark: Season 2" binge-worthy for shining a light on a DA from the Nifong school of ethics and resulting in a man being released from prison after 23 years, mostly spent on death row. I also recommend "Blind Spot: The Road to 9/11."

Season 2 of In the Dark was great, especially with the most recent developments. Good call.

You've got to listen to Serial season 1 - it's a pop culture rite of passage, now.

S-Town was bingeable, too. Strange, but bingeable.

[-jk]

Quarantine has introduced me to these new inventions called podcasts and ear buds. Branching out into recommended podcasts during pandemic times, I found "In the Dark: Season 2" binge-worthy for shining a light on a DA from the Nifong school of ethics and resulting in a man being released from prison after 23 years, mostly spent on death row. I also recommend "Blind Spot: The Road to 9/11."

Don’t forget: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/duk...=VMP9258723223

-jk

[JasonEvans]

Don’t forget: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/duk...=VMP9258723223

YES!!!!!

Meanwhile, though I cannot in good conscience tell you to go to a theater, if you are looking to mask up and spend a couple hours in a theater, you could do a lot worse than Synchronic, a gritty, twisty sci-fi tale anchored by a pair of excellent performances by Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornin. It has a fresh spin on the old "drug that has strange side sci-fi effects" tale that has been used many times.

Here is my 100-word review: https://flixchat.blogspot.com/2020/1...ynchronic.html

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

YES!!!!!

Meanwhile, though I cannot in good conscience tell you to go to a theater, if you are looking to mask up and spend a couple hours in a theater, you could do a lot worse than Synchronic, a gritty, twisty sci-fi tale anchored by a pair of excellent performances by Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornin. It has a fresh spin on the old "drug that has strange side sci-fi effects" tale that has been used many times.

Here is my 100-word review: https://flixchat.blogspot.com/2020/1...ynchronic.html

I have a few friends who attended NC School of the Arts with Mackie and say he is a great dude. Always happy to see him have success.

[JasonEvans]

I have a few friends who attended NC School of the Arts with Mackie and say he is a great dude. Always happy to see him have success.

To be clear, this film will barely be a blip on his career radar. More people will see a replay of The Winter Soldier at 3am on TNT some random Saturday night than will see Synchronic, but Mackie is the heart of this film and does a really nice job. It will come to cable and some streaming outlet at some point in the next 6 months or so and will be worth checking out when it does.

[WV_Iron_Duke]

The Queen's Gambit Netflix 7 episodes... Many years ago I read the Walter Tevis novel of the same name. It was really good and probably the best novel not connected to a series I have read in 30 years. Tevis wrote The Hustler. The Netflix series up since last Friday is outstanding in every way. IMDb 8.9 and maybe 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes. The story is about an orphan girl who learns chess from the orphanage janitor and becomes a chess prodigy. However, she gets hooked on tranquilizers at the orphanage and later develops an alcohol issue The series follows her through her teens as she plays chess tournaments in the US and Europe. In the endgame she needs to play the great,established Russian Grand Masters. The story is very easy to follow and the chess matches are like watching a team you root for play in a live game. Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon will certainly get nominated for Golden Globe/Emmy awards. Two famous Grand Masters actively advised the actors and the chess content so the chess matches are accurate. Haven't watched the last 2 episodes but I know it ends well and the last 2 episodes are rated at 9.2 and 9.5 on IMDb.

[Rich]

The Queen's Gambit Netflix 7 episodes... Many years ago I read the Walter Tevis novel of the same name. It was really good and probably the best novel not connected to a series I have read in 30 years. Tevis wrote The Hustler. The Netflix series up since last Friday is outstanding in every way. IMDb 8.9 and maybe 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes. The story is about an orphan girl who learns chess from the orphanage janitor and becomes a chess prodigy. However, she gets hooked on tranquilizers at the orphanage and later develops an alcohol issue The series follows her through her teens as she plays chess tournaments in the US and Europe. In the endgame she needs to play the great,established Russian Grand Masters. The story is very easy to follow and the chess matches are like watching a team you root for play in a live game. Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon will certainly get nominated for Golden Globe/Emmy awards. Two famous Grand Masters actively advised the actors and the chess content so the chess matches are accurate. Haven't watched the last 2 episodes but I know it ends well and the last 2 episodes are rated at 9.2 and 9.5 on IMDb.

I just started watching this too and it has me hooked two episodes in.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, which delivers and is as good as the first, IMHO. If the debutante ball dance scene doesn't simultaneously gross you out and make you laugh out loud then something is wrong. Free on Amazon Prime.

[freshmanjs]

I just started watching this too and it has me hooked two episodes in.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, which delivers and is as good as the first, IMHO. If the debutante ball dance scene doesn't simultaneously gross you out and make you laugh out loud then something is wrong. Free on Amazon Prime.

I was so excited to see Borat 2, but it left me really disappointed. It was long on ridiculous boring plot and short on what Borat does best - using the character to expose bigotry. I gave it a B- in my informal rating system.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I was so excited to see Borat 2, but it left me really disappointed. It was long on ridiculous boring plot and short on what Borat does best - using the character to expose bigotry. I gave it a B- in my informal rating system.

I wouldn't say I was "really disappointed." I saw the original in the theater and my sides hurt for two days afterwards.

This was necessarily less gut busting, but pretty good, IMHO. To me, it's amazing he was able to pull off anything, given the last movie.

[killerleft]

I'm two episodes into The Queen's Gambit, also. Hooked, also. The transition from the child actress to the older teen is seamless.

[aimo]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, which delivers and is as good as the first, IMHO. If the debutante ball dance scene doesn't simultaneously gross you out and make you laugh out loud then something is wrong. Free on Amazon Prime.

I have never laughed so hard at a movie as I did during the first Borat. But, I will never watch it again, and I won't watch the new one. It just doesn't feel right.

[camion]

I just watched the first episode of Moonbase 8. On Showtime?

My Review: The MB8 script requires all of the actors and the viewers to be stupid.

[JasonEvans]

I'm two episodes into The Queen's Gambit, also. Hooked, also. The transition from the child actress to the older teen is seamless.

Really enjoyed the series, though I found episode 6 (of 7) to be weak. The main character goes down a dark path and then comes out of it without a lot of explanation. But, the whole thing manages to make chess really exciting (they play absurdly fast which is good for TV but super unrealistic) while dipping us into the lives of a few pretty compelling characters.

Plus, you get to stare into the HUGE eyes of Anna Taylor Joy for long stretches of time, which is always a good thing

[weezie]

Is anyone still watching Fargo? It's a slog. Chris Rock is working very hard to look grim and tough.
Nothing really happens but a lot of people are getting shot.

Timothy Olyphant was a welcome bit of comic relief but otherwise, meh.

[Acymetric]

Is anyone still watching Fargo? It's a slog. Chris Rock is working very hard to look grim and tough.
Nothing really happens but a lot of people are getting shot.

Timothy Olyphant was a welcome bit of comic relief but otherwise, meh.

Oh yeah, I kind of forgot I was watching that once I got caught up on this season a few weeks ago. Agree that the season wasn't terribly compelling.