New Year's Eve: what are you watching?

CuriousG

CuriousG

Half-elven
The Magicians, Season 4: now on Netflix. I enjoyed this season, now that I know what to expect from the show's writers. Last season ended with a cliffhanger about releasing basically Ultimate Evil Demon loose upon the Earth, and this season, predictably, took its own sweet time dealing with him rather than having any sense of urgency. No, let's have a side story about one of the magician's werewolf problems, etc., and the problem with talking animals that no longer talk, etc.

It retains its Scooby Doo nature, where graduate students, who are technically enrolled at a Hogwarts for grownups but never attend class, are the only ones taking on quests, solving mysteries, fighting evil, and making the world a safe place for magic, while adults in positions of authority don't seem to do much of anything and aren't aware of all the evil afoot that only the kids know. Oh, and they have lots and lots of millennial angst and drama. I enjoy it despite its flaws, and when it's funny, it's really a hoot.

The Witcher: I really wanted to like this show, but I couldn't warm up to any characters. It also does a lot of time-jumping that is pretty confusing for someone who hasn't read the books or played the games. But I watched all the way through, curious how it ended, and there was some payoff in the finale, so I'm glad I did.

The Expanse, Season 4: I got hooked on this show in seasons 2 & 3, so I was really looking forward to S4, though I wondered what they could do with it since they had tied up so many plot threads by the end of S3. And it turns out, they couldn't do much except set up future seasons. I will certainly rewatch favorite episodes from S1-3, but nothing in S4 is worth a re-watch to me. It wasn't terrible, just meh.

So, what have you been watching?
 
I'm going out in 15 minutes. Recently the BBC has screened 'His Dark Materials' in three parts, which I found gripping. I've never read the books so I don't know how accurate it was, but I thought it was pretty darn good. I mean, armoured polar bears, what's not to like?!
 
Love, love, love Henry Cavill as Geralt - he's the reason I stuck with the show. But the pacing and structure of the story were faulty and, as you say, the characters were hard to like (except for Jaskier the Bard [:)] ). I will say, though, that the fight scene in episode one was wicked-cool. [cool]

I've seen The Rise of Skywalker twice and loved it! And I highly recommend Knives Out - such a good film with great characters and a mind-bending whodunnit.

BTW, a friend has started reading The Expanse books and watching the show, and he said that season 1 didn't cover all of book 1, so now I'm intrigued about how exactly each season has been written.
 
From oldest to newest

Ford vs Ferrari..... well done. Keeps you interested even if you aren't a car race person. A lot of the scenes were filmed nearby so seeing recognizable mountains in the background.

21 Bridges -- while not an A -- I thought it was a solid B+ . It made the convoluted story plausible and while I made early guesses about who the villains were it was still laid out in a believable manner for the character (once you get past the idea that they would even consider closing down all of Manhatten)

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood -- not Mr. Rogers focused but focused on the reporter who is affected by Mr. Rogers... the message that there really are truly nice people in the world is one really needed.

The Good Liar -- Ian McKellen makes a great conman.... though I thought there was one two many twists at the end.

Knives Out -- enjoyable .... reminds me of CLUE... Mr. Mustard in the attic with a syringe.... no... Miss Scarlett in the study with invisible ink....etc...

Dark Waters -- A bit draggy but something totally unavoidable when telling of a case that dragged through the courts for years..... a stark reminder that we DON'T have a clue about the long range effects of most of the chemicals we are using. Another that hit close to home as I have relatives in WVA.

Richard Jewell -- Two takeaway lessons --- don't believe everything you see in the news and don't take to the cops, the FBI or anyone without an attorney -- the first word out of your mouth should be Lawyer and no other word until you've got one of your choice. Jewell believed in the system and it crucified him.

Jumanji Next Level --- Meh -- not as clever as the first. The most significant thing about this movie wasn't the movie but that the local theater invited the Reptile Club (which my 8 year old granddaughter is a proud and dedicated member though her mother and I shudder every time she mentions the snakes so she currently has NO snake but a tortoise) to bring their snakes and lizards to the theater. I spent four hours sitting across the lobby watching as my granddaughter and a six year old and a 12 year old showed crowds of people corn snakes, king snakes, a ball python, boas, bearded dragons and a chameleon. (the six year old met people at the door with his albino king snake entwined upon his fingers) My granddaughter had a blast.

Bombshell -- Not great which is too bad as the message needs to get out there -- don't put up with workplace harassment. Speak up chances are you aren't the only one.

Rise of Skywalker --- I go to Star Wars because the 10 year old grandson is a manic fan. If you like Star Wars this one had all the things you can expect in a Star Wats movie..

Little Women -- for those who know the books well --- expect to see the books and don't start yelling about the additions -- they are based on letters Alcott wrote. This movie does move back and forth in time unexpectedly so pay attention..... Only real quibble was that the actors for both Professor Bhaer and Laurie were too young.
 
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So much tension, masterfully wrought pure cinema. On the other end of the spectrum, earlier we watched a couple episodes of larva island: pure insanity.

Looking forward to season 4 of The Last Kingdom which should hit Netflix early in the new year. Speaking of which may the New Year be full of blessings for us all.
 
Revisiting some old Christmas favorites: the Patrick Stewart "A Christmas Carol" and Crosby/Kaye "White Christmas". We did debate watching the Muppet "Christmas Carol" after the first one, then decided that might be a bit much. [laugh]

Saw the last Star Wars movie with my kids. My eldest is a Star Wars ultra-geek, for years she's been writing a massive online continuing canonical fanfic, and she has plenty of complaints about J.J. Abrams' efforts and how he "does not understand" Star Wars. The movie was however entertaining, and we all immediately realized there was a Hobbit among Leia's troops. (How did he get there? Apparently Abrams lost a bet to him.)

Also took hubby to "Knives Out" for some murder-mystery fun. The initial flashbacks were a bit confusing, but it has a nice twisty plot, and watching Daniel Craig as a Columbo-type inspector and Captain America as a conniving jerk were well worth it.
 
I like the Patrick Stewart version but the Alastair Sims version is the one that immediately pops into my head. Though I also hold a soft spot for Mr Magoo’s version.
 
when I was a kid! Sort of dates us. Any idea when it stopped being shown as a network staple for this time of year? (I watch very little television nowadays, so I've no idea if it's come back on.)
 
This was quite some time ago, so it may no longer be available as such. I've always thought the music in this version is splendid, and will catch myself humming it all year around.
 
Now that you mention it a stage version of Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol was recently a topic in the blog of comics and television writer Mark Evanier. You can find his posts here and here.
 
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Richard Jewell -- Two takeaway lessons --- don't believe everything you see in the news and don't take to the cops, the FBI or anyone without an attorney -- the first word out of your mouth should be Lawyer and no other word until you've got one of your choice. Jewell believed in the system and it crucified him.
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I remember seeing him interviewed a couple years after the Olympics bombing, I think on 60 Minutes, and he said the FBI wouldn't return his mother's VHS collection, which they'd confiscated (Jewell lived with his mother, IIRC). And he said really, she's got all these Disney videotapes, and the FBI can't possibly connect the videos or her to building or placing any bomb, so why are they holding onto her possessions years after an investigation? It was pretty disheartening about how the legal system can be very absurd. Give gramma back her dang Micky Mouse videos!
 
or first, The Witcher: I'm pretty sure Henry Cavill appeals to a lot of women! But I personally think he's got a lot of gravitas as an actor, so whether you're attracted to him or not, your eyes just follow him around the screen, wondering what he'll do next.


RE:
BTW, a friend has started reading The Expanse books and watching the show, and he said that season 1 didn't cover all of book 1, so now I'm intrigued about how exactly each season has been written.
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From what I understand reading fan comments of people who read & watch the show, the show has taken a lot of liberties with mixing up the sequence laid out in the books. While some book purists are angry, others acknowledge that the changes make the show more accessible since you can't flip episodes around as easily as book pages. As one example that's often cited, Avasarala isn't in Book 1 very much, but is in Season 1 a lot, and from the start. If she wasn't, viewers wouldn't understand the political backdrop to what's going on.


 
I'm pretty sure Henry Cavill appeals to a lot of women!
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...but he's also, as you say, a damn fine actor. The more roles I see him in, the more impressed I am with his subtleties. (And the more I see him in chat shows, the more he comes across as a thorough gentleman - that's a big win in my books.)
 
My favorite thing on TV these days. I do want to try "The Witcher." Watched the very first episode of "The Expanse," not hooked yet, but will keep at it.

Seems like I saw a lot of movies over the holidays! Lessee:

"Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker" - meh. Okay, didn't love. Wish Rian Johnson had written/directed; J.J. Abrams has few original ideas imho.

"Knives Out" - LOVED IT, saw it twice (worth doing, you miss little stuff the first time around. Rian Johnson!

"Jumanji The Next Level" - a worthy successor to "Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle." Lots of fun when the actors have to play different people. Kevin Hart-channeling-Danny Glover especially funny.

"Little Women" - I had some quibbles, but definitely worth seeing. It didn't topple the Winona Ryder version from the #1 position, for me.

"Frozen 2" - loved this one too. Worth it just for Kristoff's power ballad, but there's a lot more to love as well.

Otherwise I am watching "Project Runway" -- Christian Siriano is no Tim Gunn, but I just like watching the rampant creativity/bitchery; various baking shows; NCIS; and Passengers.
 
Burns does it again, of course.

It's a monster of a documentary series following the progress of Country music from it's origins and recorded start with Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family through the rise of Garth Brooks and Johnny Cash's recording of "Hurt" and death. It covers pretty much all the big points I can think of and creates a precious time capsule with a few performers who are already no longer with us (perhaps the most important being Merle Haggard) and memories of those who had already gone (descendants of the Carter-Cash dynasty featured prominently). There are dramatic stories of drug abuse (especially alcoholism), physical abuse, barroom brawls, adultery (by stars and their spouses of both sexes) and climbing out of extreme poverty - but above all it's about the music, the soundtrack anchored by "Will the Circle be Unbroken?", arguably the ultimate country song.

Highly recommended by anyone who likes the genre or wants to learn about it - provided you're willing to put in the whopping 16 hour time commitment.
 
Wish Rian Johnson had written/directed
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[shocked]

Wish Rian Johnson had been tossed into a Sarlacc pit, there to learn a new definition of pain and suffering as he was slowly digested over a thousand years.
 
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