northland10 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 05, 2021 9:18 pm
I am not watching it yet, because it does not yet exist, but apparently Warner Brothers and J. Michael Straczynski (JMS) are in process of creating a Babylon 5 reboot.
In the article, to give some idea of where he is going, JMS says:
J. Michael Straczynski wrote:To answer all the questions, yes, it’s true, Babylon 5 is in active development as a series for the CW. We have some serious fans over at the network, and they’re eager to see this show happen. I’m hip deep into writing the pilot now, and will be running the series upon pickup. The network understands the uniqueness of Babylon 5 and is giving me a great deal of latitude with the storytelling.
As noted in the announcement, this is a reboot from the ground up rather than a continuation, for several reasons. Heraclitus wrote “You cannot step in the same river twice, for the river has changed, and you have changed.” In the years since B5, I’ve done a ton of other TV shows and movies, adding an equal number of tools to my toolbox, all of which I can bring to bear on one singular question: if I were creating Babylon 5 today, for the first time, knowing what I now know as a writer, what would it look like? How would it use all the storytelling tools and technological resources available in 2021 that were not on hand then?
Is there even a point to doing a re-roll? Why not just set the new story 30 years after the old one? The great thing about B5 came from JMS having it all written before they started shooting. The problem was the suits wanted to wrap up in 4 seasons, and then wanted a fifth season, which IMHO wasn't very good. I still kept on watching, but not enough other people did, apparently.
How can it be used to reflect the world in which we live, and the questions we are asking and confronting every day?
I think this is true of all sci-fi, but it is more reason to abandon the reboot and just start a new story. Maybe he can use old footage in flashback scenes? Start in the future and then do a re-cap?
Meanwhile, I've been re-watching the original Cowboy Bebop, music is far and away the best part, but the animation is pretty great too. Stories are kind of awful, typical hero never gets paid for saving the world. I get tired of those really quick.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2021 7:09 pm
by northland10
The problem with season 5 was that, due to the threatened early end, he had to rush the conclusion to some of the stories which left season 5 with less arch material to wind up. The final episode was actually taped the year before as they thought they had to end it but when they got picked up by TNT for the last season, they pushed it back and replaced season 4 ending with the many, many, many years into the future show. No Ivanova and no Marcus really left a gap for the last year.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 8:48 pm
by Slim Cognito
Watching the original Frankenstein (1931) on Svengoolie (MeTV). At the beginning, a doctor/professor describes the differences between a "normal" brain and an "abnormal" brain* in a med class. When the class ends, the prof dismissed the students as "gentleman," but as they walk out of the classroom, it looks as if about 1/3 of the students are female. I thought that was interesting.
*Mel Brooks riffs this in Young Frankenstein
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 9:51 pm
by qbawl
Slim Cognito wrote: ↑Sat Oct 09, 2021 8:48 pm
Watching the original Frankenstein (1931) on Svengoolie (MeTV). At the beginning, a doctor/professor describes the differences between a "normal" brain and an "abnormal" brain* in a med class. When the class ends, the prof dismissed the students as "gentleman," but as they walk out of the classroom, it looks as if about 1/3 of the students are female. I thought that was interesting.
*Mel Brooks riffs this in Young Frankenstein
Good old Abby.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 12:21 pm
by Frater I*I
qbawl wrote: ↑Sat Oct 09, 2021 9:51 pm
Good old Abby.
"Abby someone? Abby who?"
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 1:13 pm
by Tiredretiredlawyer
Uhm..Abby Normal?
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 2:31 pm
by Phoenix520
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 7:52 am
by neonzx
"Imposters" on Netflix
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 8:20 am
by bill_g
neonzx wrote: ↑Sun Oct 17, 2021 7:52 am
"Imposters" on Netflix
I second that recommend. We watched it years ago when it was on Bravo.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 1:30 pm
by MN-Skeptic
The Great British Baking Show on Netflix.
I just spent two weeks with my sister and her partner in Seattle. While there, they were watching the latest episodes of The Great British Baking Show. Thank goodness for subtitles! It's not only the accents, it's also different words. But the bakers are so very interesting! Needless to say, I had to subscribe to Netflix when I got home so I could continue to watch the show.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 3:30 pm
by filly
I somehow missed Poldark on PBS and belatedly started it this week on Amazon Prime Video. Love it!
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 4:51 pm
by Phoenix520
Just finished Taboo with Tom Hardy. I hope there’s a season 2.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 6:33 pm
by RVInit
Succession Season 3 drops tonight! HBO. I loved Season 1 and 2. The end of Season 2 is epic.
So sorry Stern isn't posting any more, I know this was one of his favorites, he posted about it. Wherever you are Stern, hope you will enjoy yourself tonight.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 10:03 pm
by Frater I*I
RVInit wrote: ↑Sun Oct 17, 2021 6:33 pm
Succession Season 3 drops tonight! HBO. I loved Season 1 and 2. The end of Season 2 is epic.
So sorry Stern isn't posting any more, I know this was one of his favorites, he posted about it. Wherever you are Stern, hope you will enjoy yourself tonight.
Not a single likable character in that show....and that's why I tune in every week, to see what happens when the house finally collapses on all of them.
RVInit wrote: ↑Sun Oct 17, 2021 6:33 pm
Succession Season 3 drops tonight! HBO. I loved Season 1 and 2. The end of Season 2 is epic.
So sorry Stern isn't posting any more, I know this was one of his favorites, he posted about it. Wherever you are Stern, hope you will enjoy yourself tonight.
Not a single likable character in that show....and that's why I tune in every week, to see what happens when the house finally collapses on all of them.
I kind of like Cousin Greg. He's not perfect, but what a hoot.
I just finished watching the first episode of Season 3, it was pretty good. I think this season's going to be entertaining.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2021 4:45 am
by keith
And now for something completely different. Not what am I watching, but what am I trying to find?
I am TRYING to find Orson Welles version of Kafka's "The Trial" (starring Anthony Perkins as Joseph K) on a streaming service somewhere.
I've got Stan (an Australian service) and Amazon Prime and I can play YouTubes on the TV. I do not have NetFlix, but can get it if the impetus is strong enough.
Does anybody know of a streaming service that has it in its library? Can I get to it from Australia (I can organize a VPN if necessary, I think).
I have not attempted to find it on a physical disk yet.
EDIT: I have ordered a physical DVD. Who knows when it will arrive?
RVInit wrote: ↑Sun Oct 17, 2021 6:33 pm
Succession Season 3 drops tonight! HBO. I loved Season 1 and 2. The end of Season 2 is epic.
So sorry Stern isn't posting any more, I know this was one of his favorites, he posted about it. Wherever you are Stern, hope you will enjoy yourself tonight.
Not a single likable character in that show....and that's why I tune in every week, to see what happens when the house finally collapses on all of them.
You are right, all of the characters are unlikeable but people like that never get their comeuppance. Season 3 started out so boring that I fell asleep. Hope it picks up soon.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:15 am
by Luke
Oh boy! This is going to be a monster. Theatres Dec 10, Amazon Prime Dec 21.
Nicole Kidman Is Spot-on As Lucille Ball in First Trailer for “Being the Ricardos,” Lucie Arnaz Approves
by Roger Friedman - October 19, 2021 10:12 am
The trailer for Aaron Sorkin’s “Being the Ricardos” is here. I had to back up the frame because I thought they were using clips from “I Love Lucy” in the movie in the trailer. But that’s Nicole Kidman stomping grapes. The expression on her face is perfect, she really got Lucy. Now I’m excited. Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucy and Desi, gave her thumbs up last week. If she approves, we’re in good shape, and she’s seen the whole movie. It’s not a money thing, Lucie doesn’t need money from this movie. But she knows the franchise, and she’s her parents’ daughter.
Here's Lucie Arnaz on "I Love Lucy" day (the 70th anniversary), she's seen the film.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2021 10:36 pm
by John Thomas8
Destination Adventure. Dustin Porter wandering around in a RV exploring places.
In this episode, he ran across a general store in British Columbia that is in the state it was when in closed back in 1963.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2021 1:57 am
by keith
SWMBO has us started on "Downton Abbey".
She seems to be aiming at 8 to 10 episodes a week (2 or 3 a night sometimes). So how many years are we going to be doing this do you reckon?
The last episode we watched, 4 people out of a household of 30 or so got the Spanish Flu, 1 died, 1 almost died, 2 just felt terrible. The local hospital was evidently being overrun, but the doctor made a house call and did not wear a mask - no one wore a mask or took any precautions what-so-ever at any time. Maybe they get more serious about it in future episodes, but I have never seen any contemporary images or descriptions of reactions to the Spanish Flu pandemic that indicated that anyone took it that flippantly. Maybe I'm just looking at it from today's perspective filter, but I think the TV production is being very lazy in its historic time keeping here.
On the upside is that a friend gave me a bottle of "Hemp Gin" the other night and it does make for a very nice Gin & Tonic while watching all the Butlering and Aristocrating going on. I'm not sure that a lime or lemon is quite the 'correct' garnish though. With Hendricks gin, you use a cucumber, but that doesn't 'feel' right either. I wonder what would go nice with a "Hemp Gin"?
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2021 3:18 am
by Luke
Keith, we have the Downton movie, haven't watched it yet but friends said it's good, it picks up after the series.
For a totally different Lucy, we really enjoyed this on Kanopy. They have some really unique films there if you haven't checked them out. We check Google when we see something we like, sometimes they're free on YouTube or somewhere else so we don't use a credit on them. The Death Of Mr. Lazarescu is next. They also have a lot of series from The Great Courses which Amazon charges for.
LURED
In this sumptuous thriller by legendary filmmaker Douglas Sirk and featuring a bevy of classic stars of the silver screen, a serial killer is on the loose in London, luring young women into his web through ads placed in the personal column.
Scotland Yard's bait to ensnare the villain is a young American dance hall girl (played by a stunning Lucille Ball), who encounters a series of likely suspects, including the always dashing George Sanders as a sophisticated playboy and an unforgettable Boris Karloff as a mad fashion designer.
Restored from 35MM nitrate and safety material.
"What could have been merely a diverting whodunit becomes, in Sirk's hands, an atmospheric, sensuous pleasure." - Entertainment Weekly
Running Time 103 mins
Year 1947
Filmmakers Douglas Sirk
Features Boris Karloff, Charles Coburn, George Sanders, Lucille Ball, Sir Cedric Hardwick
Languages English
Subjects Movies > Classic Cinema Movies > Drama Movies Movies > Horror & Thriller
These were really good too (just in spoiler to not take up too much room):
► Show Spoiler
Suddenly
In advance of a presidential visit to the small town of Suddenly, California, a trio of FBI agents enters the Benson family's home to assess potential security risks. Once inside, leader John Baron (Frank Sinatra) reveals himself as a psychopathic assassin, and he kidnaps the family in order to use their house as his vantage point in his plot to kill the president. Sheriff Tod Shaw (Sterling Hayden) matches wits with the assassin and his gang in an attempt to save the day. "A taut melodrama that... shapes up as one of the slickest recent items in the minor movie…
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story - Filmmaker William Castle and his Outrageous Audience Participation Gimmicks
Throughout the 1950's and 60's, William Castle produced and directed a series of horror films marked by their outrageous audience participation gimmicks. Castle treated moviegoers to buzzing seats, flying skeletons, luminescent ghosts and life insurance policies -- and they loved every minute of it. SPINE TINGLER! is a documentary about the last great American showman. It is a rags to riches tale of a legend of exploitation and master of self-promotion, yet a man privately plagued by a fear of failure and a desperate desire to be respected among his peers.
Purple Noon
Alain Delon was at his most impossibly beautiful when PURPLE NOON was released and made him an instant star. This ripe, colorful adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's vicious novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, directed by the versatile Rene Clement, stars Delon as Tom Ripley, a duplicitous American charmer in Rome on a mission to bring his privileged, devil-may-care acquaintance Philippe Greenleaf (Maurice Ronet) back to the United States. What initially seems a carefree tale of friendship soon morphs into a thrilling saga of seduction, identity theft, and murder. Featuring gorgeous location photography of coastal Italy, PURPLE NOON is crafted with a…
The Cockettes - The Original Gender Revolutionaries
The Cockettes, a flamboyant ensemble of hippies decked out in outlandish gender-bending finery, created a series of legendary, LSD-fueled midnight musicals in early 1970s San Francisco. A diverse mix of genders and races, The Cockettes were an immediate sensation and their performances embodied the blending of the psychedelic counterculture and the sexual revolution. This must-see documentary -- now digitally restored -- follows the rise and and fall of this now-legendary group of fashion forward performers from 1969-1972. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. Winner of Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film at the Los Angeles Film…
A few others on our watchlist to give you an idea (though there are thousands of titles). Also in spoiler to not take up too much room:
► Show Spoiler
Royal Deceit
An ancient Danish story of evil, power and human spirit, that subsequently inspired William Shakespeare on his tragedy, Hamlet. When the king of Jutland is murdered by his brother, the dark prince claims both the throne and Queen Geruth. Although her son saw the murder, he feigns madness to spare his life. This historical drama features a stellar cast including Oscar-winners Christian Bale and Helen Mirren.
Daddy and the Muscle Academy - The Art and Life of Tom Of Finland
Tom of Finland is one of the major icons of the gay world. His provocative erotic drawings have had an enormous influence on gay identity, attitude and self-understanding. This ground-breaking work combines interviews with Tom (prior to his death in 1992) and his leather men acolytes with hundreds of his original drawings and steamy fantasy scenes inspired by his work. Winner of the Special Jussi Award for Best Documentary at…
Marriage Italian Style - Matrimonio all'italiana
One of the most famous, and funniest, Italian comedies of all time, MARRIAGE ITALIAN STYLE received nominations for Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Actress for Sophia Loren, at the Academy Awards. Marcello Mastroianni co-stars as the irrepressibly carnal businessman Domenico, who discovers Loren's Filumena as a young prostitute and keeps her as his mistress and confidante. When he chooses to marry a young cashier instead of her, Filumena is…
Amazing Grace
A documentary presenting the live recording of Aretha Franklin's album AMAZING GRACE at The New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles in January 1972.
God's Own Country
This simmering drama is a New York Times Critics' Pick and an award-winner at Sundance and Berlinale. Johnny Saxby (Josh O'Connor) works long hours in brutal isolation on his family's farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge-drinking at the local pub and casual sex. When a handsome Romanian migrant worker (Alec Secareanu) arrives Johnny is confronted with new emotions.…
Ray & Liz
"Richard Billingham's blisteringly honest photos of his alcoholic dad and his mountainous, tattooed mom - RAY AND LIZ, as they have come to be intimately known - were the toast of Charles Saatchi's epochal late '90s exhibition Sensation." - Elizabeth Fullerton, British art critic. One of Britain's most celebrated artists, Billingham has made an autobiographical debut feature that immerses the viewer in his Midlands childhood of loveless squalor and parental…
Hamlet
Shakespeare's classic tragedy is re-imagined by mixing and repurposing Richard Burton's 1964 Broadway production, directed by John Gielgud. The Burton production was recorded in live performance from 17 camera angles and edited into a film that was shown as a special event for only two days in nearly 1,000 movie houses across the U.S. The idea of bringing a live theater experience to thousands of simultaneous viewers in different cities was trumpeted as a new form called "Theatrofilm," made possible through "the miracle of Electronovision." The Wooster Group's production attempts to reverse the process, reconstructing a hypothetical theater piece from…
And the price is right -- if your library has Kanopy, you get six free movies a month (at least ours offers six). We like it a lot for off-beat, foreign and old classic films (although they have some newer ones like Parasite and stuff too).
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2021 8:52 am
by bill_g
Halloween is almost upon us, and if you have not gotten your minimum annual allowance of vitamin V, you need to watch Night Teeth on Netflix soon. It should top you off nicely.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2021 10:57 am
by AndyinPA
I like horror, but not gruesome horror. And, for some reason, I don't watch much vampire or zombie stuff. Or slasher stuff. Vampires and zombies are just different sides of the same coin.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2021 1:29 pm
by Maybenaut
Currently bingeing season 3 of You on Netflix. The Netflix story is similar to, but also different from, the Caroline Kepnes books, especially in the second and third seasons (first season tracked the first book fairly closely).
It’s OK that they’re different because There’s just more to love. I loved all the books, and the TV show is very well-done.
Re: What are you watching?
Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2021 2:15 pm
by Phoenix520
Keith, how about a grapefruit peel twist? Or a sprig of lavender, either leaves or flower? That might be a bit medicinal, though.. Sometimes lavender is overwhelming. Experiment.
Or fresh mint.
Lastly, might I suggest a lightly toasted bud? Pop it in your mouth like an olive after it’s sunk to the bottom. if its toasted first, it’ll compliment the buzz as you watch them buttle and serve.
