What Are You Watching..?

[Bearsy]

I'm enjoying that show you recommended mikey! I like the giants best, that's what makes it so great if they was just dinosaurs or something it wouldn't be v.interesting but instead I'm watching it thinking why do they look like humans? Why is they dumb? Why is they no genitals? Why is they eat humans? It's v.intriguing!

 

My only criticism is sometimes there's a bit too much of people standing around thinking to themselves bout stuff. I don't like them bits! Also I seem to be run out of English voice dub episodes, did you watch the reading ones instead???

[SuperMikey]

I'm enjoying that show you recommended mikey! I like the giants best, that's what makes it so great if they was just dinosaurs or something it wouldn't be v.interesting but instead I'm watching it thinking why do they look like humans? Why is they dumb? Why is they no genitals? Why is they eat humans? It's v.intriguing!

 

My only criticism is sometimes there's a bit too much of people standing around thinking to themselves bout stuff. I don't like them bits! Also I seem to be run out of English voice dub episodes, did you watch the reading ones instead???

 

Hi Brian, thanks for your letter.

 

The matter of why the titans eat humans is clarified later in the series, and it's not spoilery so I can tell you. They don't appear to eat people for nutrition or sustenance, as they don't have any digestive organs - they only seem to do it for sport. Kind of like giant retarded Predator babies, but they don't have guns and stuff. I'm afraid I can't tell you why they don't have any genitals though, that still remains a mystery to me.

 

In relation to the thinking bits, I get what you mean. The fix is they need a narrator like in Arrested Development - I think they should get Ron Howard to do all the thinking parts in between fights and stuff. Also I did watch the reading version, because I watched a trailer for the English dub and it just sounded stupid to me. Voice acting is v good but it's very difficult to concentrate on knocking one out over Mikasa (the older version, before anyone comments) and reading about what she's thinking to herself while everything is slow mo.

 

Yours Sincerely,

SuperMichaelton

[Bearsy]

they don't have any digestive organs

 

Michael San,

 

I spose that explains 50% of why they don't need winkles, but wait! What happens to the corpses? Do the titans not even have bumholes???

 

Kind Regards,

 

B.Earsy M.D

[SuperMikey]

Michael San,

 

I spose that explains 50% of why they don't need winkles, but wait! What happens to the corpses? Do the titans not even have bumholes???

 

Kind Regards,

 

B.Earsy M.D

 

 

Dear Brian: brave and courage warrior with heart of great lion,

 

The scourge of Titans vomit freely from their mouths the fallen bodies of our comrades in arms. Encased, are the bodies, in a sticky glue of sorts that forms into a ball.

 

Surely we shall win our fight to exterminate from within our walls, the villainous Titans.

 

Onward Brother!

Cmdr Super Mikey 15th Battalion Survey Corps

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

Moving on from the famous tea clipper 'Cutty Sark', to the rather less well know cable ship 'Mackay-Bennett' did not prevent the new shipping series 'Clydebank' (BBC4 Thursday) from proving to be any less fascinating viewing this week.

 

After dealing with the the back story of the transoceanic telegraph cable network this country did so much to develop in the late 19th/early 20th century, and the important role the this particular ship played in that endeavour, the programme went to to explore the grim part she played in the Titanic disaster of 1912 - for it was the CS Mackay-Bennett that was tasked with going to the scene of the disaster and recovering the bodies of those who had died.

 

A wise man once wrote that 'the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there'. When the ship got to the area the crew were confronted with so many bodies they adopted a ruthless, social class based, criteria on which bodies were to be recovered, and those who were not to be so fortunate. The remains of wealthy 1st Class passengers were placed in coffins for a dignified return to there family's. 2nd Class passengers were wrapped in canvas for a rather less respectful transit back to shore. As for the 'Steerage' class passengers and Titanic's crew ... well not to put too fine a point on it they were cast back into the sea they'd just been pulled from. Even in death there was no sense of equality in the way people were treated.

 

The crew of the Mackay-Bennett made just one exception to this harsh rule, for the sight of one little boy (unidentified but probably from Steerage judging from his poor quality coat) moved these hard men so much they decided to save his body from the sea and they even went so far as to pay for a decent burial for the lad. This small act of humanity in the face of so much tragedy has led to a unexpected consequence for now nearly a century later DNA matching technology has enable us to identify him and give this lost boy his name back. I must admit I found this quite moving.

 

Super series this.

[pap]

So we're at the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones, which traditionally has been a landmark episode for each season. Season One's ninth episode was all about that last minute change in sentence, and last year we got to see the beautiful wedding at the Frey's place.

 

This year's showcase bears most resemblance to Season 2's "Blackwater". Globe trotting is eschewed in favour of a narrow focus on one very happening location, The Wall, introduced to GoT viewers in the very first episode. Most of this episode is one long battle, and while some close shots of the Wall remind you that this is being done on a TV budget, there's also some very accomplished work here, including some long tracking shots which highlight how well choreographed things are.

 

Last couple of episodes have been excellent and very memorable. Still quite a bit to sort out in the finale if this season is to bring A Storm of Swords ( the name for book 3 of A Song of Ice and Fire ) to an end.

Edited 10 June, 2014 by pap

[LVSaint]

Yep, penultimate episode time again, didn't disappoint either!

[norwaysaint]

Very good episode, non-stop action from start to finish. very glad they didn't cut it short to shoe-horn in the other bloke who should turn up next week, there wouldn't have been time to do both bits properly.

 

Looking at next weeks promo, it looks like they're going to cover a lot of different story threads: Arya, Bran, Tyrion + family, Jon and Dany all in one episode.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

'Fargo' fans on here will not need me to tell them that guessing where this enigmatic - but quit wonderful - series is going is becoming a increasing problematic task. Lester Nygaard's chance encounter with Lorne Malvo, and the veritable bloodbath this fateful meeting has unleashed, seems to have transformed this mild mannered loser stereotype into the ruthless, amoral and self confident 'alpha male' he always wanted to be ... and they say crime doesn't pay. I can't help but think its all going to come crashing down around his ears before too long, but our Lester is riding the crest of a wave at the moment.

 

Unlike Lester I doubt somehow that Malvo was ever much troubled by the problems of low self esteem and timidity. For those who have not seen this series Malvo is clearly a recyled version of the memorable 'Anton Chigurh' character from No Country for Old Men, a unstoppable force of nature in other words, and while this character may lack something in originality I doubt that many Coen fans will be objecting too strongly because Billy Bob Thornton is having a whale of a time playing him. Malvo's hair alone deservers its own best supporting actor award.

 

Providing just as much fun as the bad guys are the various 'nice but dim' police officers depicted here, of whom (with the notable exception of the atypically intelligent Molly) it could be said that if brains were dynamite the lot of them combined couldn't blow a toddler's nose! After enduring the tedium of seeing cops lauded so often on TV having them ruthlessly ridiculed like this is a delightfully subversive experience.

 

Long may it continue.

[pap]

Yep, penultimate episode time again, didn't disappoint either!

 

Very good episode, non-stop action from start to finish. very glad they didn't cut it short to shoe-horn in the other bloke who should turn up next week, there wouldn't have been time to do both bits properly.

 

Looking at next weeks promo, it looks like they're going to cover a lot of different story threads: Arya, Bran, Tyrion + family, Jon and Dany all in one episode.

 

Yeah, next week should be the first substantive Game of Thrones finale. Most of the time, both characters and audience are reeling and reacting to whatever went before.

 

Anyone that has been paying attention will know exactly who's going to arrive in the North. You don't have to be a book reader to get it, either. Already been discussed at length in the show.

[Bearsy]

Anyone that has been paying attention will know exactly who's going to arrive in the North. You don't have to be a book reader to get it, either. Already been discussed at length in the show.

 

pls pls pls be the zombie ice baby!!!! I would love to see the zombie ice baby tear through the wild ones!

[Bearsy]

'Fargo'

 

I struggle a bit with this show because you have to actually pay attention. I generally watch TV in the background while I'm doing other things, or listen on headphones while the iphone jangles around in my pocket.

 

Like the other week it was only when we was discussing it at work that I found out that the guy at the beginning of the episode finding money in the snow was the same as the guy who is being blackmail. It was flashback apparently. And also that the plumber dude at blackmail house was the same dude who was working for malvo, or something like that. I forget the details, I just remember being annoyed that I was not following the plot properly. I haven't watched the last couple yet, I need to set aside time to sit and stare at the screen for 2 hours & concentration.

[SuperMikey]

pls pls pls be the zombie ice baby!!!! I would love to see the zombie ice baby tear through the wild ones!

 

Who would win in a fight between Baby Cambridge and Baby Zombie Ice Baby?

[Bearsy]

I don't think baby cambridge would do his own fighting, he has serfs & beefeaters to do that. If it came to it he would be pretty handy tho i reckon, because all power is given unto him in heaven and in earth ^{( Matthew 28:18 )}

[Goatboy]

Watching Dexter at the mo and loving Debs' f**k c**t filthy mouth.

[swannymere]

Is the tree chipper going to turn up in Fargo?

[Bearsy]

I was maybe bit dismissive of Fargo but ep 8 blew my mind!

 

Spoilerssss

 

Dropping a mid season "1 year later" like that was utterly audacious & I ain't ever seen it done on a tv show with a linear storyline. It worked brilliantly. I was totally invested in finding out what happened to all my bros in the intervening year. I've upgraded this show to essential viewing!

[lifeintheslowlane]

Someone last week reminded me of an amazing slice of Americana so I had a look on YouTube to see if I could find it.

 

Brit Elliot Bristow, began a 12 year road trip around America in 1968 during which he captured over 75 hours of Super 8 footage.

 

Some of you older readers may have seen Elliot's footage, which was aired on Channel 4 in the late 80's / early 90's in 'Road Dreams.' There were 6 x 25 minute episodes of which I've included the first here.

 

If like me, you're a sucker for road movies...you'll love these...low-fi but high on atmosphere.

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_Dreams

[Bearsy]

why do all the best ppl have to die?

[norwaysaint]

I thought that was a pretty decent end of series show for GOT. It made me chuckle again when they had their old problem with epic scale. From above we saw several thousand, I assume CGI, horsemen converge on apparently a hundred thousand wildlings, then we got up close and it was about five men on horses against about 20 on foot. Reminiscent of the Blackwater problem, where about thirty men were trying to storm a citadel of thousands. Otherwise pretty good though, especially the unexpected fight between two heavyweights near the end. Bran's new friends were a mixed bag, one surprisingly kick-ass and the other a bit of an anticlimax. They changed Tyrion's bit, but not to any great detriment.

 

i think the books introduced a shock "new" character at this point, but I don't think that would've fitted here at all.

[pap]

I thought that was a pretty decent end of series show for GOT. It made me chuckle again when they had their old problem with epic scale. From above we saw several thousand, I assume CGI, horsemen converge on apparently a hundred thousand wildlings, then we got up close and it was about five men on horses against about 20 on foot. Reminiscent of the Blackwater problem, where about thirty men were trying to storm a citadel of thousands. Otherwise pretty good though, especially the unexpected fight between two heavyweights near the end. Bran's new friends were a mixed bag, one surprisingly kick-ass and the other a bit of an anticlimax. They changed Tyrion's bit, but not to any great detriment.

 

i think the books introduced a shock "new" character at this point, but I don't think that would've fitted here at all.

 

Probably the most substantive final episode we've seen in a GoT season. Things actually happened. I thought they did very well on activities north of the wall, all things considered. This show is already pretty expensive - it has the largest working cast on television right now. At least we're actually seeing SOME of these battles; Season One just left us with the aftermath, despite a big war going on.

 

I think the shock character is still going to turn up. We've spent too much time with the Brotherhood without Banners and Beric Dondarrion for that not to be the case. Besides, the general principles at play are already being demonstrated on the show, as Qyburn's experiments with the Mountain are starting to show. The Reeds didn't turn up on time either - that was more about having enough to do in Season 2. They were introduced in Season 3. Just a bit of character jostling, in my opinion, in marked contrast to someone like Coldhands, who is not appearing in the TV show and can be trimmed without affecting the story too much.

 

Besides, it'll fit. From the very first episode to the one we've just seen, we've seen things of that nature. Clearly the magic exists somewhere, and the show is already magically inclined.

[Bearsy]

I did think when the wood elves came out their treehouse and started throwing lightening bolts at skeletons, i thought to myself this show is just getting too LARP for you Bear! It's too geeky! I feel like they enticed me in with quality boobs & now they're trying to turn me into Dungeons & Dragons or Lord of The Rings or other terrible stuff like that.

[pap]

I did think when the wood elves came out their treehouse and started throwing lightening bolts at skeletons, i thought to myself this show is just getting too LARP for you Bear! It's too geeky! I feel like they enticed me in with quality boobs & now they're trying to turn me into Dungeons & Dragons or Lord of The Rings or other terrible stuff like that.

 

You've done yourself up here Bear.

 

I know you've crafted your post in the usual jive style, but do you expect us to believe that you are not a geek and then use LARP unqualified?

 

Come out with this shít again and I'll have no option but to confiscate your d20's.

[Bearsy]

I am fully familiar with LARP pap, I mean I've not been to one obv but my own brother is a massive geek. This is the brother who, lest we forget, went to watch the new episode of Doctor Who(!) at the actual cinema(!!) wearing fancy dress costume(!!!!)

 

I still had to google d20s tho

[pap]

I am fully familiar with LARP pap, I mean I've not been to one obv but my own brother is a massive geek. This is the brother who, lest we forget, went to watch the new episode of Doctor Who(!) at the actual cinema(!!) wearing fancy dress costume(!!!!)

 

I still had to google d20s tho

 

It's a good job that you're making this excuse in text.

 

Y'see, I've been watching "Lie To Me" recently, which is all about deception experts. Tim Roth is in it playing Tim Roth (although his character is called Cal), it lasted three seasons and has a three out of five star rating on Netflix.

 

It's a police procedural that veers into Banacek territory to keep things interesting. It also has two very nice looking women.

 

 

 

Of course, the second image makes it perfectly clear I'm heading into MILF country.

[Tokyo-Saint]

I am watching 'the world cup'. It is this football tournament organised by the Swiss mafia. Check it out on BBC or if you have to ITV. I am not sure if anyone on here likes watching football at all but this is worth a watch at times.

[norwaysaint]

I haven't bothered with Lie to Me because of it's low Netflix rating. I have, however, watched every series of Community on Netflix, although I had to switch to Canadian Netflix to get it (thanks hola unblocker). It's a truly fantastic series, only let down by the presence of the eternally crap Chevy Chase.

 

i also watched Better off Ted, which was great, but then turned out to have been cancelled, so I switched to Party Down, which was okay, but then turned out also to have been cancelled:?

 

I am am now watching the fifth series of one of the funniest series out there, Archer.

[Batman]

you want to watch Hung.

quite funny

[pap]

I haven't bothered with Lie to Me because of it's low Netflix rating.

 

It's Tim Roth, innit?

 

He's been excellent in most stuff I've seen him in. He gave an electric performance in Made In Britain and I've kept an eye on him ever since. He really carries the show; it's nowt special - but it is a bit less rigid than similar shows.

[Bearsy]

Is anyone watching The Leftovers? It's not about Jay Rodriguez or Steven Davies, it's about Raptures.

 

What happens is one day without warning baby jesus takes 2% of the population back to Heaven. They don't just die, they completely disappear, like Brazilian defenders. The show is not so much about that tho, it's about how the people left behind have got bad feels. Crazy stuff is happening:

 

1) Teenagers is having "Strangling" parties where the girl has to take her top off and she strangles you while you masturbate

b) Dogs have gone mental and are running around in packs murdering deers

4) Loads of people are joining a cult where you have to stand outside peoples houses smoking and trying to look through their front window. You ain't allowed to talk in this cult either for some reason but you can hold up signs.

 

The other interesting thing is in this rapture Baby Jesus is trolling on the church people, because he hasn't just taken Good people, he has also taken child abusers and murderers etc. This is giving the Pope bad feels

[Tokyo-Saint]

You got a link bear? Or just a video of the strangling bit and maybe furious pope?

[SuperMikey]

I see it has Johnson from Peep Show in it. Is it actually any good Bear? Reviews seem a bit mixed..

[Bearsy]

I dunno Mikey it's one of them shows where weird stuff happens & ur thinking, wtf why is that weird stuff happening & you keep watching for the explanation.

 

Problem is I read it was by the same guy as did Lost, so I'm worried that it's just weird stuff for the sake of it without the internal logic or resolution that I will ultimately require.

 

Johnson is good tho, he is my favourite!

[swannymere]

It also has two very nice looking women.

 

The Latino female is also in Chicago Fire, and i agree not bad looking and nothing wrong with the MILF

[Jonnyboy]

I believe Utopia is back on ch4 this week. It's bizarre enough to keep me interested.

[ecuk268]

The brilliant Edge of Darkness is being shown again. Full of 80's paranoia about shady goings-on in Government regarding nuclear waste.

 

The Yanks made their own version but it's not a patch on the original.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

Finally got round to watching Luther. Wow. What a great show that is.

 

I honestly think it's up there with anything else I've seen, shame there's so few episodes really. Idris Elba is (unsurprisingly) fantastic.

 

Started Sons of Anarchy too. Not sure on it, could be alright but some of the acting is pretty poor. Pretty sure the gf only watches it for Jackson though.

[Bearsy]

One of my top shows, Nathan For You is back with new series. High water mark of season 2 so far is episode 5, "Dumb Starbucks".

 

Check this video & you will get the idea:

 

[pap]

Finally got round to watching Luther. Wow. What a great show that is.

 

I honestly think it's up there with anything else I've seen, shame there's so few episodes really. Idris Elba is (unsurprisingly) fantastic.

 

I like Luther a lot; proper moody and is a good advert for both Britain and British TV. It's definitely not your typical cop-shop drama where people sit about drinking cups of tea solving "friendly" murders.

 

Started Sons of Anarchy too. Not sure on it, could be alright but some of the acting is pretty poor. Pretty sure the gf only watches it for Jackson though.

 

It is hilariously terrible by time they introduce the Northern Irish. Check this shít out.

 

 

He's not even the worst.

[KelvinsRightGlove]

I like Luther a lot; proper moody and is a good advert for both Britain and British TV. It's definitely not your typical cop-shop drama where people sit about drinking cups of tea solving "friendly" murders.

 

Oh god yeah. It's brilliant. The characters are just fantastic, horrible, sadistic and often terrifying. But utterly fantastic. The plot twists and timing are brilliant.

 

It made me laugh last night, the gf suggested we watch an episode (s3ep1), once it had finished she was a quivering wreck. Made me go round and close all the blinds (in fairness she has just moved to London - yes I'm a cohabiting grown up now).

 

I really loved Alice, she was such a great character too. Her dynamic with John was something pretty different.

 

It is hilariously terrible by time they introduce the Northern Irish. Check this shít out.

 

 

He's not even the worst.

 

 

Wow that is bad. I thought Jackson's was bad enough, obviously gfKRG glosses over this as he is a handsome chap.

[LVSaint]

Anyone bothering to watch The Strain...is it even on tv there yet?

 

Nice premise - Badarse vampire and virus arrives by plane (full of dead passengers) from Europe, spreading it's evilness on the East coast*

 

Into it's fourth episode and I've decided it's a bit crummy, although the effects are good and Walder Frey is in it.

 

 

*That's NYC, not Cleethorpes.

[Bearsy]

Anyone bothering to watch The Strain...is it even on tv there yet?

 

Nice premise - Badarse vampire and virus arrives by plane (full of dead passengers) from Europe, spreading it's evilness on the East coast*

 

Into it's fourth episode and I've decided it's a bit crummy, although the effects are good and Walder Frey is in it.

 

 

*That's NYC, not Cleethorpes.

 

I was ok with it till they employed that blonde bird to hack the internet and send the world back to dial up speeds. I'm the only one in the world who can do it! If anyone else says they can do it they only learned bout it from me!

 

I gave brief, sardonic smile, shook my head sadly and changed channel, never to return again. The existence of vampire worms is more plausible!

[pap]

Oh god yeah. It's brilliant. The characters are just fantastic, horrible, sadistic and often terrifying. But utterly fantastic. The plot twists and timing are brilliant.

 

It made me laugh last night, the gf suggested we watch an episode (s3ep1), once it had finished she was a quivering wreck. Made me go round and close all the blinds (in fairness she has just moved to London - yes I'm a cohabiting grown up now).

 

I really loved Alice, she was such a great character too. Her dynamic with John was something pretty different.

 

Quite a smart move really; she was like a chaotic neutral version of Moriarty.

 

 

Wow that is bad. I thought Jackson's was bad enough, obviously gfKRG glosses over this as he is a handsome chap.

 

Yeah, there are some ridiculous plot twists as well, I'm afraid. It's the work of Kurt Sutter, who has previous on The Shield, a better show imo. He's a real believer in conflict driving fiction, perhaps too much. A lot of shít seems to go wrong, south or get especially amped up in his shows, and it's hard not to spot it happening. It'd be unfair to say that SoA didn't have it's quieter moments, and there are also long running arcs which are attended to, but I think the best TV shows are a mix of loud and quiet. Sutter turns it up too much too often for my liking.

[Pancake]

Anyone bothering to watch The Strain...is it even on tv there yet?

 

Nice premise - Badarse vampire and virus arrives by plane (full of dead passengers) from Europe, spreading it's evilness on the East coast*

 

Into it's fourth episode and I've decided it's a bit crummy, although the effects are good and Walder Frey is in it.

 

 

*That's NYC, not Cleethorpes.

The books (trilogy) are a decent read Chuck Hogan (who I like anyway) and Del Torro (who I think is good but up his own arse).

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I've just seen the first episode of the BBC's new Great War series 'Our War' - a dramatised account of the British Army's first attempt to halt the German advance at the Mons–Condé Canal in Belgium. What we got here was a kind of badly misconceived 'Saving Private Ryan' style mini epic, but done on the cheap and set in a (woodland) location that failed utterly match the actual (urban) site of this bloody battle.

 

As if those problems weren't enough to be getting on with, the director also insisted on some pretty bizaar (and very distracting) camera angles being used at every opportunity - for no obvious reason - with a equally inappropriate modern sound tract playing in the background of course. I can't help but think that teenagers obsessed with violent computer games and MTV were the target audience in mind when this programe was commissioned. It seems to me however that it is a insult to the young when patronising tripe such as this is served up for them and considered to be at 'their level'

 

I say that had the BBC really wanted to show a proper dignified tribute to the awesome sacrifice of the BEF in 1914 then it need only have searched its own archives and rebroadcast the excellent 'War Walks' programe the late Professor Richard Holmes made on this very same subject back in 1996. A programme that unlike 'Our War' was made by someone who knew what he was talking about and chose not to insult the intelligence of his audience - whatever their age.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lahW_etCwuw

Edited 10 August, 2014 by CHAPEL END CHARLIE

[pap]

I've been watching Trailer Park Boys, a mockumentary set on a Nova Scotia trailer park. Inexplicably, it follows the exploits of three pals that are involved in serial crime. Two of them normally get banged up at the end of each season.

 

Ricky in particular is awesomely stupid.

 

[Bearsy]

You're a bit behind the curve on that one pap, i feel like we were all watching TPB like 10 yrs ago!

 

I saw a show called Uncle the other day, i assumed it would be terrible because it was BBC3 and the uninspiring premise was that there is a failureman and his sister right, she has got a child! But this one episode I saw was quite funny. I will recommend this show!

[Tokyo-Saint]

I watched talhotblonde last night. It is a movieforTV made by Courtney Cox. If you take how good the title sounds and how bad the 'made by Courtney Cox' bit sounds, you will have how good this film it. It was actually pretty good.

 

It is the story of Ned flanders who starts to get into the internet. He meets someone with the username talhotbonde in a chat room and starts a Catfish like relationship with her. It is a true story and without giving the game away, almost ends (before the twist) in someone getting shot.

 

All in all worth a download 8 out of 10.

[pap]

You're a bit behind the curve on that one pap, i feel like we were all watching TPB like 10 yrs ago!

 

Better late than never in this case, though. First season is 13 years old, but it still had the Southampton clan chuckling into the wee hours. Kicks off really well with Cyrus

[Tokyo-Saint]

So every time I have mentioned sweat empowered chicken, escaped goats or command and control, you have just thought I was being dumb Pap?