Recommend me a film to watch...

[@Lee]

If you've got Prime I can heartily recommend Clarkson's Farm. 

[Evil]

If you like horror (or what passes for horror these days) 

Conjuring : The devil made me do it

Unholy 

 

Are both pretty good. 

[punyXpress]

Has to be " The Full Monty " Channel 5 at 9pm

[Lady Elanore]

16 hours ago, @Lee said:

If you've got Prime I can heartily recommend Clarkson's Farm. 

 

Even though it isn't a film, I wholeheartedly agree with you. Suburb show. Watching someone who is as ignorant as most of us as to how farms operate these days, especially in these 'enlightened' and bureaucratic times. It's been a real eye opener. Clonkson obviously pokes the big angry bear of officialdom by deliberately ploughing (pun intended   ) head first into unknown and not remotely thought-out projects, it's great to watch. Caleb, his 21 year old farming guru, is brilliant (a real find for the show) and Clonksons tractor is truly awesome  

 

The whole thing is only really possible because of Clonksons financial wealth and Amazons backing, thus enabling him to act the buffoon in an irresponsible and massively financial risk laden way. His opening of a farm shop that basically sold nothing but half chewed wasabi leaves and 16 tons of semi rotten potatoes is a testament to his still shining star power. This show, with its 'Top Gear' approach, style and general accessibility to the mainstream audience, will teach the average person more about the countryside and farming than the last 30 years of all the BBCs factual programming on the same subject - combined!.  

 

I loved it 10/10 

[john999boy]

I was reading a broadsheet review prior to actually watching it and they gave it 1 out of 10 (or 5). It only made me a bit sceptical as I was going to watch it anyway.

 

Can't wait to follow the exploits of the buffoon as I agree with Amanda. 

Edited 13 June, 2021 by john999boy

[Lady Elanore]

It's a clever way to get a bit of  basic education over. Clonkson does something major on his farm without checking if it is lawful (almost certain he has already done so though), then finds out he is wrong and has to rectify it. Much hilarity ensues and we get a bit of back door education. The cynic in me feels it's a bit manipulative, but the tv fan, thoroughly enjoys the whole shebang   

Edited 13 June, 2021 by Lady Elanore

[@Lee]

1 hour ago, john999boy said:

Can't wait to follow the exploits of the buffoon as I agree with Amanda. 

My recommendation not good enough?  

[Lady Elanore]

23 minutes ago, @Lee said:

My recommendation not good enough?  

 

 

My effort was being rewarded 

[Lady Elanore]

Actually re-reading @john999boy's  comment, I think he was inferring he hadn't watched it yet, so he couldn't agree with your recommendation as that involve some sort of time travel

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

Edited 13 June, 2021 by Lady Elanore

[john999boy]

37 minutes ago, @Lee said:

My recommendation not good enough?  

 

2 hours ago, john999boy said:

I was reading a broadsheet review prior to actually watching it and they gave it 1 out of 10 (or 5). It only made me a bit sceptical as I was going to watch it anyway.

Can't wait to follow the exploits of the buffoon as I agree with Amanda. 

 

13 minutes ago, Lady Elanore said:

My effort was being rewarded 

 

11 minutes ago, Lady Elanore said:

Actually re-reading @john999boy's  comment, I think he was inferring he hadn't watched it yet, so he couldn't agree with your recommendation as that involve some sort of time travel

 

It was all so very innocuous @@Lee.

 

Let me make the event timeline very clear because, god forbid, I wouldn't like you to think I only listen to recommendations from Amanda (even if you'd previously said them)!

 

I knew the programme was about to debut and I saw this review - which was published at 06:00 - before I had watched the programme which was on that same evening.

 

 

Your recommendation came after I'd already seen the first episode so whilst I agreed with it, it hadn't influenced my viewing.

 

Amanda quoted your recommendation with her, as always, eloquent prose so she's correct in that her efforts were 'rewarded' by my reply!

I'm glad she said that and not me though.

 

So as of this moment in time, the 2nd episode hasn't yet been watched and hopefully all is clear.

 

[Lady Elanore]

Blimey, that's a work of some effort!   ^^^   

 

On the subject of films to watch I saw Godzilla vs Kong recently, twas imbecilic ....and utterly fantabulous!  I loved it. In fact I love all Godzilla movies, especially the recent-ish 'Sin Godzilla' which has some really interesting visual fx. 

 

I know Kong is the more anthropomorphic one and I think he is the character we are meant to root for, but I always knew Godzilla was the bestest. He has Atomic Breath for goodness sake, which is a winner in anyone's book. All Kong has is, a penchant for pretty blond women and big hands. Anyhoo its the two big guys beating each other up, at least for a bit, then they beat up another monster which reminds me of much earlier Godzilla film I saw as a child (no spoilers), but that one was Japanese and was made for about the same amount of money a large pizza costs (with two extra toppings) and a lot of lego - or something similar. 

 

 

.

Edited 13 June, 2021 by Lady Elanore

[olduns]

i'd forgotten this thread....

finally got round to John Wick ( recorded Xmas on Sky One) last week, bit late i know  and then Googled the body count  .

watched John Wick 2 on Friday night, much of the same but as a watch it was easy without having to think about plot too much.

John Wick 3 next w/e i think..

then last night was Ironclad, one that passed me by at the time....again predictable but 1/2 decent cast..

James Purefoy, Paul Giammatti, Brian Cox, McKenzie Crook, Derek Jacobi, Kate Mara and Charles Dance.

blood and guts galore, plenty of illustrations as to what swords and axes do to flesh 

currently on Prime

 

 

 

 

it seems that for whatever reason its death films at the moment 

 

Edited 13 June, 2021 by olduns

[@Lee]

1 hour ago, Lady Elanore said:

Blimey, that's a work of some effort! 

Especially as I was taking the pith hence the  emoji in my post.

[Lady Elanore]

I did put a  in my posts too

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyhoo, I can recommend a very interesting film on Netflix, I've just finished watching. It's Oxygen, a 2021 French film, with a super sexy computer voice (its a french chap, so of course it is). Ok, so it's got subtitles, but that not an issue, especially as this is basically about a woman in a box, so there is plenty of time to read the subtitles and still watch the movie simultaneously  

 

At first it seems a familiar scifi/thriller of a person stuck in a box with the air running out, but it has a couple of surprises along the way, one of which I genuinely didn't see coming, the other was on my list of suspected reasons for the woman's dilemma. The actress is Melanie Laurent, the woman form Inglorious Bastreds and she does a great job with the premise. It's a fab little movie I reckon, as long as you don't mind the fact there aren't laser guns and space aliens everywhere (well there might be, but we don't see them......or do we? No spoilers  ) 

[Aspman]

13 hours ago, Lady Elanore said:

It's a clever way to get a bit of  basic education over. Clonkson does something major on his farm without checking if it is lawful (almost certain he has already done so though), then finds out he is wrong and has to rectify it. Much hilarity ensues and we get a bit of back door education. The cynic in me feels it's a bit manipulative, but the tv fan, thoroughly enjoys the whole shebang   

 

the thing with Clarkson is that he really isn't a baffoon, he's really quite clever and knows exactly what he is doing.  If you think about the otehr two as well in Top Gear. They do these stupid shows where they get in all sorts of scrapes, it's all planned, it's probably largely scripted, it doesn't matter, it's entertainment.

 

He'll be loving that shrill one star from the Gruniad it'll drive loads of views to his show. He's been running his own farm for a good few years now, it might be debatable how much he actually does but he's been doing it for a while. His columns are also less stupid than his TV persona and in general he supports the countryside/ farming pov more than the city and had actually become increasingly supportive of conservation.

 

I'll watch this eventually, I quite like his baffooning.
 

 

10 hours ago, olduns said:

i'd forgotten this thread....

finally got round to John Wick ( recorded Xmas on Sky One) last week, bit late i know  and then Googled the body count  .

watched John Wick 2 on Friday night, much of the same but as a watch it was easy without having to think about plot too much.

John Wick 3 next w/e i think..

then last night was Ironclad, one that passed me by at the time....again predictable but 1/2 decent cast..

James Purefoy, Paul Giammatti, Brian Cox, McKenzie Crook, Derek Jacobi, Kate Mara and Charles Dance.

blood and guts galore, plenty of illustrations as to what swords and axes do to flesh 

currently on Prime

 

 

 

 

it seems that for whatever reason its death films at the moment 

 

 

I do like Ironclad, it's like a medieval Clint Eastwood or Samurai film. Paul Giammatti is always worth a watch he's a great actor and Brian Cox always does a a good angry Scot. It could do without the Kate Mara subplot tbh

 

John Wick is a great film too, imho they should have left the concept at the first as it get increasingly cartoonish as they go on.

[Lady Elanore]

Slight off-topic still (sorry) but what impressed me most about Clonkson was as he is a middle-aged man who is seriously out of condition, he genuinely seemed to put a lot of hours and effort in to the farm. I wasn't worried about the Coronavirus killing, I was worried about the farm doing it. Caleb was brilliant when Clonkson voiced his C19 fears and simply told him, he would be a gonner.

 

Back on movies  I see Ryan Gosling has picked up the rights to Project Hail Mary, Andy Weirs latest book (he is the chap that wrote The Martian). I've just read it and although it is even more of a geek fest than The Martian, it is a story of friendship against the odds more than anything, at least thats  my take on it. If you like the way his characters can "science the ****" out of a situation, you will love this book and it's leading characters. Maybe if 'Dune' turns out well and this movie gets made we will see a return to intelligent Scifi movies again  

[Aspman]

I shall read that book LE, I did like the Martian a lot.

 

I fear for Dune, it is a favourite book of mine. But only Dune, I've never really liked any of the other books.

I actually think David Lynch made a good stab at converting the book to the screen, it's a nearly impossible task really. But I seem to be in the minority with that one

 

Ryan Goslin really excels at staring off into vacantly into the distance, not much else but he does that really well.

[Warrior193]

The Greatest Showman, a musical based on P.T. Barnum. On last weekend - I think on Film 4 - available on Prime.   I'm not usually a fan of TV musicals, but really enjoyed it.

Edited 14 June, 2021 by Warrior193
correction

[john999boy]

5 hours ago, Lady Elanore said:

Slight off-topic still (sorry) but what impressed me most about Clonkson was as he is a middle-aged man who is seriously out of condition, he genuinely seemed to put a lot of hours and effort in to the farm. I wasn't worried about the Coronavirus killing, I was worried about the farm doing it. Caleb was brilliant when Clonkson voiced his C19 fears and simply told him, he would be a gonner.

A new thread has now been created regarding programmes like the above.

[skomaz]

9 hours ago, Lady Elanore said:

Slight off-topic still (sorry) but what impressed me most about Clonkson was as he is a middle-aged man who is seriously out of condition, he genuinely seemed to put a lot of hours and effort in to the farm. I wasn't worried about the Coronavirus killing, I was worried about the farm doing it. Caleb was brilliant when Clonkson voiced his C19 fears and simply told him, he would be a gonner.

 

Back on movies  I see Ryan Gosling has picked up the rights to Project Hail Mary, Andy Weirs latest book (he is the chap that wrote The Martian). I've just read it and although it is even more of a geek fest than The Martian, it is a story of friendship against the odds more than anything, at least thats  my take on it. If you like the way his characters can "science the ****" out of a situation, you will love this book and it's leading characters. Maybe if 'Dune' turns out well and this movie gets made we will see a return to intelligent Scifi movies again  

 

The problem with The Martian to me is that it is a rip-off of the 1956 book No Man Friday by Rex Gordon...  Which was a cracking read.

 

The Dune books are also great (I recently re-read all six of them one after the other but the original film was crap.

[ColinD]

I like the Martian  posed myself and others a question after it launched…

 

one way trip to Mars, free to do whatever. Or 10years on earth. 
 

depends who you ask. Was trying to discover the adventure vs the safe bet.

 

I changed my mind after the Martian. Penalty of places I’ve not seen right here.

 

talking of dune I saw a fab blog post breakdown of dune film vs avatar.

 

it’s almost scene for scene, with a few fillers. Think about it though…

 

there are only like five stories you can tell. 
 

not sure any film has been better than the book. Maybe that’s a new angle.

 

 

[Lady Elanore]

The new Dune movie is only the first half of the book, which is probably a good way to do it as it would be horrendously compressed otherwise. Unfortunately, the second half of the movie is not guaranteed to be made if the first half bombs! Brilliant marketing as a lot of people will wait for the streaming version to come out and save money on a film that will only be half a story, no matter where they end it. I loved the first book and enjoyed the next two (although book 3 is a lot of talking and not much else). The rest of the series is a confirmation on the laws of entropy :(

 

Funnily enough, during lockdown I bought some ebook anthologies and one of the first stories I read was basically Avatar, except it was written in the 50s I think. But it was about a disabled man who lived through an avatar. But If anyone enjoyed The Martian book, then I feel sure they will enjoy 'Project Hail Mary'. There is also an audio book of it and the excepts I listened to sounded great  It's probably good value as it's a long read...quite literally. 

[Aspman]

If you read or watch some of the Star Wars extra content you get George Lucas talking about a story that is almost universal across all human cultures. The story of a lone hero going on a  journey during which they under go trials to prove themselves before returning and performing their heroic task.

 

So Star Wars was basically written to fit in with this basic soty that fits all cultures. It's probably why Star Wars was such a big success it tapped into some genetic tale we can't escape from.

 

https://starwarsreporter.com/2019/11/07/the-twelve-stages-of-the-heros-journey-in-star-wars-a-new-hope/

[mac11irl]

id need to look it up to check, but yeah, "The Hero's Journey" is one of only 7, iirc, story types across the entire population. every tale including religious origins all fit into one of the 7 narratives.

[Aspman]

Last night we started watching "Miso Hungry" on Prime.

 

It's a food documentary following a fat Australian as he tries food in Japan and it's supposed health benefits.

 

We've watched half of it,  it's not bad but the guy in it is a bit annoying, I'm not sure if the cultural ignorance is played up or not.

 

We like Japanese food so it was an easy choice to make. Not sure about Natto beans though.