What have you seen recently? 4

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Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
I've just finished watching Season 5 of Game of Thrones, which I finally got around to watching. So many of the main characters have been killed off unexpectedly. Joffrey's death was fun to watch! I'm very invested in the "Mother of Dragons" storyline. Some wonderful performances by so many of the actors. I've read that it goes downhill from this point, but I feel invested enough to carry on with it.
 

Quatermass

Sergeant-at-Arms
Dec 7, 2010
7,736
2,950
Spoilers, dammit! I haven't even finished the third season yet! :mad:

Nah, kidding. :p I believe that, after enough years, the statute of limitations runs out, especially as the book that scene came from has been out for much longer, which I have read, BTW.

The sad thing is, they mentioned on a recent episode of QI the 'spoiler paradox', where it's actually more enjoyable to read or watch something if you know how it turns out. I actually find that's the case for me, for the most part, so I don't mind spoilers, even if I seek them out on my own.

The consensus is that the sixth season was the last one of any real quality, and the last two seasons, which were more heavily derived from original material and whatever hints George RR Martin gave the showrunners, were where things went downhill.

Anyway, while we're on the subject of dark fantasy series where bad things happen to people who don't deserve it, I've been making my way through The Rising of the Shield Hero, an anime series that revolves around a quartet of ordinary Japanese summoned to another world and made to bear special weapons...and Naofumi Iwatani, the titular Shield Hero, is falsely accused of rape after only two days on this new world (by Princess Malty Q Melromarc, who is basically like a dumber Cersei, and who only gets away with the crap she does because of her father doting on her and believing everything she says), and is basically rendered an outcast, and still has to fight against the waves of monsters threatening this world.

It's more than a little controversial, not least because the anime came out around the time of the Me Too movement, but I actually like it, partly because it subverts the usual 'effortlessly overpowered' tropes that infest isekai shows like this. I've read the first four light novels, and have the episodes of the anime released to date. There's a second season coming out next month, though.

Here's the openings for the first season...


 

Quatermass

Sergeant-at-Arms
Dec 7, 2010
7,736
2,950
Also, after a LOT of procrastination, I'm finally watching the Doctor Who stories they released as animations, because most or all of the episodes are missing. I wasn't impressed by The Macra Terror, but The Evil of the Daleks is looking better, though that's partly because they have a better story in the first place to work off, and partly because they seem to be basing it more closely on the original TV show, presumably using the telesnaps as a guide more than just using artistic licence for many of the shots. I was surprised that one scene, where Jamie rescues Kemel, was actually not that far off from the telesnaps. I thought Kemel was holding onto a railing or a window sill, not the edge of some roof tiles.

Still, seven half-hour episodes is way too long for my attention span at the moment, and this running time for stories was not uncommon back in the 60s.
 

=Tamar

Lieutenant
May 20, 2012
11,961
2,900
Quatermass, thank you for the "spoiler paradox". I, too, like having some idea of what I'm letting myself in for. That, after all, is the real purpose of a review - to tell enough so that the reader will be able to make an informed choice.
 
Jul 27, 2008
19,425
3,400
Stirlingshire, Scotland
Just been to see: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

It was rather slow to start, but then just flowed from thereon, (about 2 hours 20min long) kept me glued to the screen all in all I enjoyed it some surprises throughout the film.
 
Jul 27, 2008
19,425
3,400
Stirlingshire, Scotland
Just been to see: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

It was rather slow to start, but then just flowed from thereon, (about 2 hours 20min long) kept me glued to the screen all in all I enjoyed it some surprises throughout the film.
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
I've been underwhelmed with the series so far, but I can see that it might pick up. :)

I recently discovered that the was a part two to Andrew Garfield's Spiderman, so I ordered it on DVD. I have to confess that I got totally bored about half way and switched it off. I enjoy Garfield's acting and even enjoyed him in the first film and the recent Marvel version, but the plot and the bad guys in ASM2 was a disappointment to me.
 

Quatermass

Sergeant-at-Arms
Dec 7, 2010
7,736
2,950
I'll be honest, I haven't seen those films, but I reckon they should have chosen Mads Mikkelsen from the beginning as Grindlewald rather than Johnny Depp. I love Depp as an actor, and honestly, the latest sagas involving him is depressing, and one of the few cases of that type that I hope isn't true. But Mads Mikkelsen...well, I would expect Grindlewald to be a bit more mundane-looking. Sinister, but mundane, as a sort of contrast to the likes of Voldemort. Plus, I've enjoyed Mads Mikkelsen as an actor ever since I saw him as Le Chiffre in Casino Royale.
 

Woofb

Constable
Oct 24, 2021
82
500
59
I'd been really looking forward to watching "Resident Alien" on catch-up on my new DVR. I love the premise, it's got a sort of quirkiness that appeals to me, but...nobody's bothered to add closed-captions. As a slightly hard-of-hearing ageing autistic person, I really struggle to hear a) words against background noise and b) noises against background noise (Trust me. Sometimes a notation for BIRDSONG or DISTANT GUNSHOT helps me notice). Snarl.
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
I listen to a podcast: "The Delta Flyers" with Robert Duncan McNeil and Garret Wang, where they watch and react to every episode of Star Trek Voyager, which of course they were in. McNeil is the director (?) of Resident Alien, and they sometimes talk about it. It sounds interesting. It's a real shame they didn't cc it. :(
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
I recently watched the German film "Downfall" about the last days of Hitler and his goons. There are clips of it on YouTube where Hitler goes on a furious rant with the subtitles changed. It was a very good film and I'm glad I watched it.
 
Likes: Penfold

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