General Netflix Discussion-TV Shows

[Sock Monkey]

I finished Shogun last night and continued to really enjoy the series. Overall, it reveals itself to be a more character-driven piece rather than that of, say, Game of Thrones. It might not have a lot of twists and turns in its story, but I did find that when the series ended I was sad to no longer be able to spend time with the characters. I can definitely seeing myself revisit it in the future. Anybody ever read the book? Should I give it a shot?

[dannyboy121070]

I watched INFESTED on Shudder, a French film about increasingly large spiders infesting an apartment building. The compressed time frame for the massive volume of spiders reproducing is absolutely ridiculous, and the film completely fell apart for me in the last 15 minutes, but it was still a fun, well-made bug flick.

I also revisited GHOSTWATCH for the first time in a few decades, also on Shudder, and it still holds up remarkably well.

My wife and I continued to chip away at FRANKLIN on Apple+, which we're really enjoying, and CONAN O'BRIEN MUST GO, on Max, is absolutely hilarious.

[mhatchett]

I finished Shogun last night and continued to really enjoy the series. Overall, it reveals itself to be a more character-driven piece rather than that of, say, Game of Thrones. It might not have a lot of twists and turns in its story, but I did find that when the series ended I was sad to no longer be able to spend time with the characters. I can definitely seeing myself revisit it in the future. Anybody ever read the book? Should I give it a shot?

Yes, Read the book and prepare to be amazed. I enjoyed the FX of version Shogun. It was beautiful and interesting. The 1980 version is truer to the book and I love it. Orson Welles does a great job as the narrator. I will say that the Blackthorne character was dumbed down significantly in the FX series compared to the book and the 1980 series.

[dannyboy121070]

We watched UNFROSTED on Netflix last night, and it was just as weird and quirky as you'd imagine. A few chuckles, no belly laughs, but we had a good time.

[Ben Staad]

Cool. I was curious about it.

We watched UNFROSTED on Netflix last night, and it was just as weird and quirky as you'd imagine. A few chuckles, no belly laughs, but we had a good time.

 

[Sock Monkey]

Yes, Read the book and prepare to be amazed. I enjoyed the FX of version Shogun. It was beautiful and interesting. The 1980 version is truer to the book and I love it. Orson Welles does a great job as the narrator. I will say that the Blackthorne character was dumbed down significantly in the FX series compared to the book and the 1980 series.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm hoping to track down a used copy at the local bookstore. I'm kicking myself because they had this and some other books by Clavell at the last library book sale and I could have picked it up for like a buck or two. That's how the cookie crumbles, I guess!

[Sock Monkey]

Just finished Masters of the Air on Apple+ and I wound up really liking it. It doesn't quite measure up to the heights of Band of Brothers or even The Pacific, but it's still a good way to spend ten hours or so. My main complaint is that the show felt to episodic in nature and didn't have a strong narrative thread to pull it all together, which makes sense since this is based on a true story, yet I can't help but think that some different choice could have been made to pull together the series as a whole. In other words, when considering each individual episode, I was fully engaged and really enjoyed the acting and direction, but when looking back on it as an entire series that enjoyment of each individual episode didn't culminate in same sense of satisfaction as I had from the aforementioned shows. Maybe because it was so ambitious with its attempt to follow the two leads, Buck and Bucky, along with the story's narrator Crosby, the addition of pilot Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal, and weaving in the Tuskegee Airmen at the end with only a scant 9 episodes to do it all in. I know that I could have easily watched another 4-5 episodes. All things considered, I'd still highly recommend it.

[dannyboy121070]

Just finished Masters of the Air on Apple+ and I wound up really liking it. It doesn't quite measure up to the heights of Band of Brothers or even The Pacific, but it's still a good way to spend ten hours or so. My main complaint is that the show felt to episodic in nature and didn't have a strong narrative thread to pull it all together, which makes sense since this is based on a true story, yet I can't help but think that some different choice could have been made to pull together the series as a whole. In other words, when considering each individual episode, I was fully engaged and really enjoyed the acting and direction, but when looking back on it as an entire series that enjoyment of each individual episode didn't culminate in same sense of satisfaction as I had from the aforementioned shows. Maybe because it was so ambitious with its attempt to follow the two leads, Buck and Bucky, along with the story's narrator Crosby, the addition of pilot Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal, and weaving in the Tuskegee Airmen at the end with only a scant 9 episodes to do it all in. I know that I could have easily watched another 4-5 episodes. All things considered, I'd still highly recommend it.

If you get a chance, and are interested, watch the companion documentary, which details what happened to the main characters of the show after the war. Really interesting stuff.

My only beef with MASTERS was the blunt introduction to the Tuskegee Airmen so late in the show. Their story should have been a part of the main narrative from episode 1, and it would have given them enough meat for a few more episodes. They felt squeezed in, almost as if the budget didn't allow for the expansion of the story.

[dannyboy121070]

We're watching FRANKLIN and SUGAR on Apple+, both of which are excellent. Sugar has such a crazy plot twist in the latest episode, that I was shocked they dared to do it. I called it in the first episode, telling my wife "If they had the balls, I bet you (Won't spoil it here.)...They had the balls.

I keep wanting to cancel Apple+, to save the money, but they have too much good stuff on, lol....

[Sock Monkey]

If you get a chance, and are interested, watch the companion documentary, which details what happened to the main characters of the show after the war. Really interesting stuff.

My only beef with MASTERS was the blunt introduction to the Tuskegee Airmen so late in the show. Their story should have been a part of the main narrative from episode 1, and it would have given them enough meat for a few more episodes. They felt squeezed in, almost as if the budget didn't allow for the expansion of the story.

Thanks for the documentary suggestion. The wife and I watched it last night and we really enjoyed it. I kind of wish that some of the information relayed in the documentary had been more clearly detailed in the series as it would have clarified some points a little bit. Anyways, like I said, I really enjoyed it.

[Sock Monkey]

We're watching FRANKLIN and SUGAR on Apple+, both of which are excellent. Sugar has such a crazy plot twist in the latest episode, that I was shocked they dared to do it. I called it in the first episode, telling my wife "If they had the balls, I bet you (Won't spoil it here.)...They had the balls.

I keep wanting to cancel Apple+, to save the money, but they have too much good stuff on, lol....

SUGAR is definitely on my radar. I love some neo noir crime stuff and, no joke, Colin Farrell has slowly become one of my favorite actors working today. I wasn't too interested in FRANKLIN, but you're praise has my interest piqued. I still need to get around to finishing the first two season of SEVERANCE. I watched and really enjoyed the first two episodes, but stalled out for some reason. I think that we've decided to start FOR ALL MANKIND next. Between all these that I've mentioned plus stuff like SLOW HORSES and FOUNDATION, I'm in the same boat as you in not wanting to cut Apple+ .

[dannyboy121070]

Glad you liked the MASTERS OF THE AIR documentary!

My wife and I are debating whether to start SLOW HORSES or FOUNDATION next....

FOR ALL MANKIND was phenomenal. The first three seasons were what my wife called "Hate to go to bed" television. Every night we'd see how long the next episode was, and be pissed that we were just too exhausted to watch another one. Season four was very good, but the first three seasons were perfection, aside from a couple of characters that I'm sure you're supposed to like, but I can't fucking stand, lol.

[mhatchett]

Glad you liked the MASTERS OF THE AIR documentary!

My wife and I are debating whether to start SLOW HORSES or FOUNDATION next....

FOR ALL MANKIND was phenomenal. The first three seasons were what my wife called "Hate to go to bed" television. Every night we'd see how long the next episode was, and be pissed that we were just too exhausted to watch another one. Season four was very good, but the first three seasons were perfection, aside from a couple of characters that I'm sure you're supposed to like, but I can't fucking stand, lol.

Slow Horses is just wicked on so many levels. That would be my suggestion.

[Ben Staad]

Tried out Evil which looks like it was something aired on CBS. This is a steamy turd in my opinion.

Interesting idea for a show and then it was twisted up, spun around, and dumbed up for network TV.

I gave it 5 episodes and then bailed.

[Sock Monkey]

Tried out Evil which looks like it was something aired on CBS. This is a steamy turd in my opinion.

Interesting idea for a show and then it was twisted up, spun around, and dumbed up for network TV.

I gave it 5 episodes and then bailed.

I've gotten some recommendations for this in the past, but I've always skipped over it. I don't think your review of it being "a steamy turd" is going to change my mind otherwise.