Watch, Watched, Watching: Spring Edition

[polishgenius]

I started watching of the adaptation of Phillipa Gregory's The White Queen on the BBC - I wouldn't have normally but it was heavily built up as 'for the GoT crowd'. However after ten minutes I was already getting irritated with the dreadful dialogue and generally nonsensical plotting and turned off. Ah well. The best thing about it was that the lead writer is called Emma Frost.

[Usotsuki]

The first ten minutes of The White Queen were impressively bad, I do rather wonder how much, if any, of the initial audience made it to the end of the first episode.

[Isis]

I'm still in mood for the unusual and creepy, so I began to watch Carnivale. I've only seen the first episode so far, but I am intrigued. There's something disturbing about the opening credits (but maybe I'm just easily impressionable).

When we watched the first ep of GOT (S1) back when it first aired I found the opening credits were somehow familiar to me, it was the style... in the ad break I had to check my hunch out online - it's made by the same people who did the awesome Carnivale credits. This inspired a rewatch of Carnivale. :)

Season 1 Blackadder is tonally different from the rest, though it ended strongly with an evil magnificent seven homage. Sean the Irish Bastard letting a rich merchant go so he can rob a blind beggar of a few coppers, Unspeakably Violent Jack...

In some ways season 3 (early 19th century) is my favourite as its the one series where Blackadder is proactively evil, whereas in 2 and 4 he was largely reacting to either the Queen or WW1. Also a big fan of the Christmas Carol- homage special. NOT the disappointing millenium special.

I like them all - each season has its own personality. But I've always, always had a soft spot for the original Christmas special. I got my boyfriend to watch it recently so he can be in on the joke every time I reference it. :)

[Raja]

Finally got to see Dark Knight Rises. It was nicely entertaining, but the 5 pack a day smokers voice just got to be too much. I like that there is the possibility of more movies, but that they don't have to.

What did you think about the ending? I think I would have probably liked it better if they wouldn't have had that final scene.

I started watching of the adaptation of Phillipa Gregory's The White Queen on the BBC - I wouldn't have normally but it was heavily built up as 'for the GoT crowd'.

Gah. I was about to start watching this sometime next week. I may just skip it and start on the second season of Arrested Development.

[williamjm]

Finally got to see Dark Knight Rises. It was nicely entertaining, but the 5 pack a day smokers voice just got to be too much. I like that there is the possibility of more movies, but that they don't have to.

I watched that on DVD a couple of days ago (I had previously seen it when it was out at the cinema). I think I liked it more than I thought I would on rewatching it, perhaps because I was already expecting some of the slightly disappointing bits of the film and most of the film was good even if it is still some way behind the first two films. I think I'd probably prefer it if they didn't do another sequel, even if there is still potential for a decent sequel I think the trilogy ends in a reasonably good place.

A couple of episodes into Doctor Who series 5 and I quite like it. I know there's a lot of bashing for the direction Steven Moffat took the show but I guess that ain't 'til series 7; or maybe I just like his kind of humor.

It's something that's been debated a lot on the Doctor Who thread, there are definitely people who don't like his series but also people who think he did improve the show in many ways - although I think both sides probably agree he does struggle a bit with writing long-term story arcs.

The first ten minutes of The White Queen were impressively bad, I do rather wonder how much, if any, of the initial audience made it to the end of the first episode.

I do have it recorded but haven't watched it yet, so this is a bit ominous. I'll have to see how much of the episode I can get through.

ETA - apparently I can make it through about 30 minutes of The White Queen, but no more. The rest of the episode was poor anyway but the disconcerting combination of attempted rape and cheesy romance was the final straw.

[Mark Antony]

The latest Veep episode was maybe the best one yet, Hilarious. JLD is so amazing.

[Mark Antony]

Yeah, re-watching Breaking Bad for like the fifth time with a friend. It never ceases to amaze me. And the foreshadowing seasons ahead is just brilliant, which is what makes re-watches so awesome. August can't come soon enough.

Oh, and re-watched Rome again a few weeks ago, but only the first season so far. Never get tired of that show.

I could rewatch the first season of Rome over and over and over. I actually just started my first ever Breaking Bad rewatch, I can't wait for August either.

[Melonica Stormborn]

It's something that's been debated a lot on the Doctor Who thread, there are definitely people who don't like his series but also people who think he did improve the show in many ways - although I think both sides probably agree he does struggle a bit with writing long-term story arcs.

I'll have to read this thread. I'd probably see more of the issues once I've watched more; at this point I've only seen small doses of Moffat both in DW and Sherlock.

[Greywolf2375]

What did you think about the ending? I think I would have probably liked it better if they wouldn't have had that final scene.

I was fine with the ending - it might have been stronger if they had only shown Alfred getting his drink, looking up and nodding instead of showing, but it was ok. Doing it this way specifically opens the sequel door, whereas the other would leave it as a question. With that, I did like that they answered "how" in the same movie and didn't have to retcon/make something up if there is one.

I watched that on DVD a couple of days ago (I had previously seen it when it was out at the cinema). I think I liked it more than I thought I would on rewatching it, perhaps because I was already expecting some of the slightly disappointing bits of the film and most of the film was good even if it is still some way behind the first two films. I think I'd probably prefer it if they didn't do another sequel, even if there is still potential for a decent sequel I think the trilogy ends in a reasonably good place.

Yeah, there is always the chance that the quality drops off, but given how much Batman material there is I'd be ok with it - especially if they were able to tie it into a Justice League event like Avengers. Course, I'd also be ok if they restarted with JL and had it a completely separate entity too.

[Raja]

I was fine with the ending - it might have been stronger if they had only shown Alfred getting his drink, looking up and nodding instead of showing, but it was ok. Doing it this way specifically opens the sequel door, whereas the other would leave it as a question. With that, I did like that they answered "how" in the same movie and didn't have to retcon/make something up if there is one.

Yeah, I felt a bit frustrated at how it was all tied up in a neat little bow. A certain amount of ambiguity would have helped the film, but perhaps Nolan wanted audiences to feel a complete sense of closure and hence ended the movie the way he did. I quite like the way they cut it with scenes of Joseph Gorden Levitt making his way into the caves. It's a pity that Bane/ Talia just didn't work for me.

[lojzelote]

When we watched the first ep of GOT (S1) back when it first aired I found the opening credits were somehow familiar to me, it was the style... in the ad break I had to check my hunch out online - it's made by the same people who did the awesome Carnivale credits. This inspired a rewatch of Carnivale. :)

Really? That's so cool! :D

Speaking of things which remind of GoT, I've just watched e1 of The White Queen; the opening scene eerily resembles that of GoT's S1.

TWQ is not really my cup of tea. Even if I forgive Elizabeth Woodville's clipped hair, a missing scratch, and all around bad costuming, why have I not been warned

that magic is a thing on this show? or is it just Jaquetta's BS?

And Elizabeth is tough that she was not shaken by what transpired during her "date" with Edward, just sayin'.

[RedEyedGhost]

I watched Side Effects with Jude Law, Mara Rooney, and Catherine Zeta Jones last night. It's about a woman who is depressed as her white collar criminal husband is coming home from prison, she starts taking a new medication that's in the clinical trial stage, and shenanigans ensue. I liked it quite a bit.

[Derfel Cadarn]

Watched a special screening of World War Z at the Grosvener in Glasgow. The cinema is small and part of a pub in Ashton Lane, and is pretty basic. It had no air con working and was warm and stuffy. On the plus side you can take beer inside should the whim take you. A woman and some guys kept talking during the early Glasgow scenes which was annoying. People who talk in the cinema need to be beaten.

I've not read the book so I had no expectations. I liked it, though it has some flaws which I'll address in a spoiler thread once one is up. It was cool seeing Glasgow's George Square and some surrounding streets. The Piper pub you see early on used to be a semi-regular of mine. The supermarket scene was filmed in a derelict supermarket round the corner from where I live.

[Calibandar]

I started watching of the adaptation of Phillipa Gregory's The White Queen on the BBC - I wouldn't have normally but it was heavily built up as 'for the GoT crowd'. However after ten minutes I was already getting irritated with the dreadful dialogue and generally nonsensical plotting and turned off. Ah well. The best thing about it was that the lead writer is called Emma Frost.

I watched the White Queen as well, and turned it off midway, with no intention of coming bacl. Looks worse than Tudors, and even that I watched off an on and never became a top class series for me.

What did I finish?

Man of steel, today. Fantastic film. The only reason I wasn't blown away by how great it is is because I went into it with huge expectations, which were largely met. Highly recommended, rating 8.5 out of 10 stars.

The Savages by Oliver Stone. Somewhat disappointed by this. Watchable thriller, but nothing special, 6 out of 10.

Life of Pi by Ang Lee, based on the famous book. Nice film, enjoyed watching it. It really gets going from the moment disaster strikes, but I have to detract points for what I found a boring and slow beginning to the film. 7.5 stars out of 10.

[Reposado]

I watched that on DVD a couple of days ago (I had previously seen it when it was out at the cinema). I think I liked it more than I thought I would on rewatching it, perhaps because I was already expecting some of the slightly disappointing bits of the film and most of the film was good even if it is still some way behind the first two films. I think I'd probably prefer it if they didn't do another sequel, even if there is still potential for a decent sequel I think the trilogy ends in a reasonably good place.

.

I agree with one caveat. They will definitely make another barman at some point. I just don't want see another origin story

[Persepolis]

Saw "Indie Game - The Movie" yesterday. It's an incredibly well made documentary following the developers of Super Meat Boy and FEZ among others, from development til release of their respective games. You really don't have to know anything about videogames or programming to enjoy this documentary, plus it's highly praised by critics.

So go see it!

[WillWork4NinjaPowers]

Loved Man of Steel.

Watching-

Final season of Fringe

Catching up on-

Falling Skies

Starting-

Orphan Black

Currently on-

John Dies at the End

[Kobayashi Maru]

Watching Warehouse 13. Re-watching Supernatural....

[Francis Buck]

I watched Stoker. Was kinda dissapointed. Definitely the weakest of Chan-Wook Park's movies.

[DaarioKnowsBest]

Just saw this awesome movie on TV that I had never heard of. At Close Range starring Christopher Walken and a very young Sean Penn and even younger Chris Penn. Great movie, wonder why ive never heard of it.