Be Excellent To Each Other

The Rain is really good if you like your Scandinavian post-apocalyptica. It's a bit bleak though.

I think this is on our ‘next to watch’ list. Did you watch it dubbed or subtitled?

Subtitled. It defaults to dubbed though.

I think Russell had read that somewhere but it’s good to know you can switch that out as I’d rather watch it subtitled. There’s a new series of The Bridge due in a few days on BBC.

I watched the first episode of The Rain and thought it was a bit pap to be honest... I didn't realise you could switch out the subtitles though. That might have helped.

My wife couldn’t get through the first episode due to how annoying the child was.

Can she watch it on her phone in tbe loo?

I meant the child on the show, but a fair call!

Yeah I wouldn't ever want to watch something like that dubbed. Just go to settings while you're watching it and you can select the audio and subtitle languages.

Curio: the child literally grows up in episode 1 so you don't see him again.

He's still annoying as a teenager but it's understandable considering. I've finished the whole season now and it's definitely worth watching.

I was aware of the growing up, but my wife is stubborn

We can't stop watching the trailer for Safe - it's car crash television. Michael C Hall's British accent is just so so bad.

I don't want to actually watch the show, but we've started quoting the trailer to each other now. It's incredible.

I don't know if this is the place to mention it, but: we recently shotgunned most of the first season of The Santa Clarita Diet and it's absolutely everything you all said it was. Well done, you lovely idiots.

The acting is apparently atrocious

Yes, I thought THE RAIN's first season was pretty good. It's entirely derivative but nicely done, coherent, gives you characters you care about (giving each of the main characters a proper backstory was a lovely touch), who mainly do fairly logical things for believable reasons.

Definitely watch it in Danish with the subs.

Solid 750/1000 material I reckon, I watched the whole thing in about five evenings.

Also, Alba August is a very nice young lady.

There is some pretty dodgy acting going on, it felt a bit like some TV thing from the eighties in parts. But the plot made up for it, it was sufficiently decent that we at least bothered to stick with it. And I don't know about the bits in the trailer but I thought his accent was actually pretty good, at least I'm struggling to think of an example of an American actor (who wasn't raised in the UK or something) doing a better one. Anyway, all told it certainly wasn't anything like the worst shite we've seen on Netflix. 6/10.

My current Netflix watch is THE STAIRCASE, which is now up to Episode 13 and will presumably be finishing soon. It's a documentary mini series, a bit like Making A Murderer.

QUICK SYNOPSIS - Woman dead at bottom of stairs. Frantic 911 call by husband, he says she fell. Police arrive, they decide he killed her. INTRIGUE COMMENCES, and I mean LOTS OF INTRIGUE.

Really compulsive viewing, I only stop watching it of an evening because I need to go to bed for a 6:30am alarm.

Go into it with nothing more than that and watch it unfold in front of you.

Pretty hefty time commitment, but worth it IMO.

Will give it a mark out of 1000 when I've finished the series, which should be tonight.

Same. Although I was left feeling unimpressed with Making A Murderer. I think that the filmmakers overstepped nearly as much as the police did in the case. It was as though they felt the need to present the defendant as innocent rather than just show that there was probably reasonable doubt, highlight malpractice in the justice system and demonstrate that it was an unsafe conviction. I wonder if this is the price that these filmmakers pay for such close access to the defense lawyers etc. and if that is the case then what am I even watching?

Almost finished Wild Wild Country. After the first episode I found it hard to imagine how they could stretch it to several episodes, but obviously I didn't know the story to come. All kinds of nuts.

And bonus minced beaver.

Yeah, I thought he did well with the accent. If it wasn't for the fact I'd watched Dexter I wonder if I'd notice at all.

It must be totally different in the full show because in the trailer it's the most stilted wrong accent I've ever heard.

"Jennay it's dahd. Where are you gohing."

Racist

That's clearly Arnie.

*in Southernish*

It's a fucking atrocious accent and an unwatchable show.

That sounds like the Radio 5 podcast (Beyond Reasonable Doubt), which wanted to be Serial so hard it hurt. I stuck with it, but the presenter was not good. Have they had an episode on Owl Theory?

Stick with the TV, anyway, unless you're desperate to hear more.

Edit: Oh yeah, now the search results come up - definitely the same one. They talked about the documentary quite often in the podcast.

Finished THE STAIRCASE last night, 13 episodes at 45-55 minutes is a large time investment but one I honestly think is worth it. If you've got Netflix, I would highly recommend you check it out.

905/1000

Yeah I watched that through in a few sessions. Ace TV. That and Evil Genius are excellent.

I'd watched and read a lot about the Peterson case, but never in such detail. I'd also see plenty of stuff about Evil Genius, but never him actually exploding.

I don't think I am buying a TV license this year. All I am watching now is Master Chef, and it's cheaper to buy a second hand SD TV PVR and just set it to record at my bolt hole (mum's) and then just binge watch it there of a weekend. I really don't use my TV for anything else any more, especially since the BBC cancelled Robot Wars. Which I was absolutely furious about, given it is the best thing they had done in years.

I bought Netflix 4k quite a while ago so I could share it with my family, but it wasn't until I got the XB1X that I could actually watch it in 4k. I love Netflix, best thing to ever happen to TV.

Making a Murderer (not once but twice, I added that btw) is good too if you are in for the long haul.

I named first born after one of the house robots.

Cute little Sir Killalot

I watched Hannah Gadsby's Nanette on Netflix the other night. I went in knowing it was a stand-up thing and had received some rave reviews, but it's definitely a lot more than just a stand-up comedy routine. Might be a tough watch for some though.

I tell you what I had trouble watching... Alison. Look it up, well worth a watch if you can handle it.

Long Shot is a good crime doco on Netflix. It's only one 40 min episode. Watch it without seeing the trailer first for maximum wtf-ness at the unexpected special guest star.

Drug Lords is pretty good too. If only to see how flattering the casting director on Narcos was.

I watched one series about Mexican cartels. Jesus, some of it was horrific. Some guy was decapitated then they burnt his body in his truck.

Which led onto watching numerous docus about Escobar and pals.

God I love Netflix.

Last night's film was 'CALIBRE' which is a new NETFLIX EXCLUSIVE.

Two old friends go on a hunting trip in a remote part of Scotland. A THING happens which causes them to have some friction with the locals. Then MORE THINGS happen but some of them are not what you would expect.

I liked this, you kind of think you know the genre, but this subverts it in some creative fashions.

Not made with a huge amount of money, but it's beautifully shot with a haunting soundtrack, and some really great performances from all the cast. The scenery is very nice too.

875/1000

I thought Wee Man was pretty good too. I think it was on Netflix..

https://www.netflix.com/title/80171561

OMG that is good. Was starting to run out of shit to watch and then that popped up. Thought "nah, not something I would get into" but man it's good.

Luke Cage S2 even better than the first, imo.

I'm 2/3rds through The Punisher, enjoying it, way better than iron fist or Defenders.

And just as I say that, we have a shitty flashback episode, I hate those.

This is a fantastic documentary, but also very upsetting.

People (and especially women) knowingly maimed, for profit.

My Sunday afternoon/evening has been taken up with GLOW season 1, it's bloody great

It is good. I'm only about four episodes in though.

Started watching the thing about the L.A riots last night. Words can't convey how disturbing it is.

LA92?

I'm finding it genuinely difficult to watch works of fiction these days, there are just so many good documentaries to choose from, and I want to learn things.

I haven't seen LA92 but it looks like what you're referring to, I've added it to my Watch List.

(I would really recommend The Bleeding Edge JC, it's an upsetting watch but worthwhile IMO.)

Yeah that's the one.

I watch nothing but docus. I guess a big part of that is me being autistic. The only one of those "cool American fiction things" that I ever got into was The Walking Dead, and that was only because I used to watch it with my wife. Since she's gone? yeah, I don't watch any fiction at all. I much prefer to watch reality, and like you say learn things. The urge to learn in me has never died really.

I must say since I have gone on my quest to watch as many docus as I can I really don't like America much at all. I have watched several docus now about innocent people who have been thrown in prison, released 20 years after but only if they accept guilt so the state does not have to pay them anything. It's just mind boggling how bad it is out there, and really does remind me of all of my immigration bullshit (where no matter who makes a mistake, *cough cough them twice* it is still your fault). There just seems to be this upper echelon of severely narcissistic cunts running their country. Even if it weren't for the prison docus you then move onto Flint (IIRC it is just called that, Flint, but is about Flint in Michigan) where the U.S govt fed an entire town poisoned water because it was cheaper. Poor people, again, BTW.

Not heard of The Bleeding Edge, will have a look later. I warn you though, there is a high chance I've already watched it and just forgot the name though.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5903392/

I *think* that one is/was on there too, though it *may* have been Prime. Either way again it's just a disgusting, racist portrayal of America.

I did indeed watch LA92 last night and it's a superb documentary. It's absolutely unflinching and as such some of the material is rather difficult to watch.

I also learned quite a lot that I didn't know about the background to the riots, the policing style at the time and suchlike. So even though I knew about the Rodney King beating and the officers being acquitted, I didn't have the full story behind it all.

Obviously this isn't a feelgood piece of cinema, but it really gives a powerful sense of the anarchy and rage of the time.

RECOMMENDED/1000

Yeah I think I was a little unsympathetic back when it happened, but watching it now? pretty disgusting. I don't think we had enough info back then tbh. I hadn't gotten to the actual riots though until I watched the second half last night. Wow. Really made me find a new level of hate for humanity (if that were even possible). Was almost in tears by the end I think I am glad it ended when it did.

I started watching "The Bleeding Edge" and got a way into it before my sleep meds started kicking in. It's very good, but I am incredibly squeamish around medical stuff so have to close my eyes a bit. Oddly I am not bothered about violence etc one bit but I guess growing up where I did I just got used to that. Ex always used to ask how I could watch films like Rise Of The Footsoldlier etc with so much ease.

One thing I know already though is I don't want a chrome cobalt hip pmsl. Screw that for a game of soldiers.