Movie/TV recommendations

[Lu]

I was recently thinking "Whatever happened to Micheal Keaton?" and then I found out he voiced Ken for Toy Story 3, which I never would've guessed!

Of that movie, Dream Team, I only remember how they're all walking in this big cardboard box.

Edited July 5, 2010 by PiratePooAndHisBattleship

[ThunderPeel2001]

Didn't you only just watch that movie...?

Anyhoo, anyone been watching IT Crowd 4? It's funny, but I think it's gone a little too far this season... Kind of like Father Ted did in season 3, and Black Books did in season 2/3. Still early on, though, and, as I said, funny

(Although Linehan does seem to have some issues with women: Feminists are always portrayed rather poorly in his shows.)

[Lu]

Didn't you only just watch that movie...?

Fixed the sentence...

And yes, I have been watching the new season. I haven't yet felt like that, though. Loving the ridiculousness of it all.

I'm guessing he doesn't have that much of a problem with women... Just with hardline feminist women.

[Chris]

and Black Books did in season 2/3

Man, what a disappointment that show turned out to be. They put the whole run up on Hulu and I watched through it, and even before the end of the first season it was going downhill. The characters started out really defined and believable, and everything just kept getting more and more self-parodying and idiotic.

That goddamn show.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Man, what a disappointment that show turned out to be. They put the whole run up on Hulu and I watched through it, and even before the end of the first season it was going downhill. The characters started out really defined and believable, and everything just kept getting more and more self-parodying and idiotic.

That goddamn show.

I know, it's heart-breaking. I couldn't watch much of Season2 or any of Season 3.

[Roderick]

Rodi, that's The Dream Team, starring Michael Keaton and Christopher Lloyd. Peter Boyle ends up naked in a church.

THANK YOU! That's it exactly. Oh man, I couldn't find it because instead of Michael Keaton, I remembered Steve Guttenberg to be in this. Oh, I'm so relieved.

[Grufff]

Anyhoo, anyone been watching IT Crowd 4? It's funny, but I think it's gone a little too far this season... Kind of like Father Ted did in season 3, and Black Books did in season 2/3. Still early on, though, and, as I said, funny

(Although Linehan does seem to have some issues with women: Feminists are always portrayed rather poorly in his shows.)

Last weeks episode (street countdown) was the first I'd seen of The IT Crowd in ages (possibly since season 1/early season 2). I'd seen the advert for it (which made me smile) so decided to give it a watch. I quickly regretted that decision though.

The episode struck me as desperately wanting to be funny rather than actually being funny. I couldn't watch the whole episode in the end.

It's a shame really as I like the cast (esp Matt Berry) and there's been some truly hilarious episodes - the only one I can remember is the one where they go the theatre and Roy has to pretend to be disabled whilst Moss end up as an usher.

As for Black Books, Graham Lineham only wrote the first series and you can tell. Series 2 & 3 just went downhill. I still rate Bill Bailey throughout the whole run though.

Finally - Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

Don't know if it's been mentioned on here before but it's awesome. It used to be available online on 4oD but no clue if it still is.

[Roderick]

You're two for two. Though Matt Berry is by no means as hilarious as Chris Morris whom he followed up sadly.

I love Matt Berry though! In Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and AD/BC, love him

[elmuerte]

I want the old IT crowd back.

The new stuff simply sucks on being "IT crowd"y

[Scrobbs]

The Longest Day - don't think I've ever seen it all the way through. Great movie. Best line: "Flanagan, there are some very peculiar blokes on this beach today."

[ThunderPeel2001]

The Longest Day - don't think I've ever seen it all the way through. Great movie. Best line: "Flanagan, there are some very peculiar blokes on this beach today."

I hope Flanagan's response was:

"It's going to be a long day."

[Rewscxv]

Yes absolutely its first two season was mine blowing but after that its going down.

[dpp]

Here's the thing: I don't particularly like supercars or even driving. Somehow, I started watching Top Gear and it is probably the best show in TV. Excellent writing, the perfect presenter trio, amazing features, interviews with interesting celebrities... and the challenges they have to go through can be completely life-threatening crazy.

[miffy495]

I feel the same way about that show. Top Gear is great, and I know shit all about cars. Of course, this makes me wonder if legitimate car enthusiasts may think it too dumbed down or whatever, but for someone who doesn't know or care to know anything about cars, Top Gear is a surprisingly entertaining show.

[James]

I've got a friend who is pretty into cars, and he thinks it's gotten pretty stupid in recent years. I think he might still watch it as an entertainment show, though.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Stewart Lee does a great dismantling of Top Gear in "Please Ask For A Milder Comedian".

[Patters]

What a great, and often underrated series

Continuing with this, I'm really enjoying rewatching Angel. I'm in the last quarter of the second season, Wolfram and Hart are an incredible antagonistic element, in a similar way to the blue handed men in Firefly were heading. The interplay between the characters, both antagonists and protagonists is fantastic. Lindsey is probably my favourite character, having conflict with almost everything he experiences: Angel, his employers, Lilah Morgan.

I'd be interested in Joss Whedon revisiting the Firefly universe with a mostly changed cast, refining it in a similar way to Angel did with regards to Buffy.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Continuing with this, I'm really enjoying rewatching Angel. I'm in the last quarter of the second season, Wolfram and Hart are an incredible antagonistic element, in a similar way to the blue handed men in Firefly were heading. The interplay between the characters, both antagonists and protagonists is fantastic. Lindsey is probably my favourite character, having conflict with almost everything he experiences: Angel, his employers, Lilah Morgan.

I'd be interested in Joss Whedon revisiting the Firefly universe with a mostly changed cast, refining it in a similar way to Angel did with regards to Buffy.

Season 2 is incredibly awesome. I remember getting really caught up in it.

[Wrestlevania]

I'm an insufferable petrol-head (ask any Thumb who's joined in our regular Forza 3 sessions on Wednesdays) but I find Top Gear stilted and fake to the point of being irritating in the extreme.

"New" Top Gear started well for the first half-dozen series' a few years back. But then it seems that either their budget was slashed, or - more likely - key members of the original team responsible left the show.

The formula is now so tired I've not even bothered watching the last three series. Which is tortuous in itself, because they still produce amazing footage at times, when reviewing/demo'ing a new car or out on one of their entirely fake races somewhere interesting.

It's just the sham "news" stuff, and the fucking interviews! Same shit, different-yet-deliberately crappy shirts, stupid hair and fake, clearly planned jokes/interruptions.

Every.

Single.

Week.

It's unbearable.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Heh. I'm glad I'm not the only one here, although I think I dislike it for slightly different reasons. It can be funny and interesting, I admit, but it's still irritating to me. I particularly enjoy Stewart Lee's take on the show.

[Nachimir]

Yeah, I watch an occasional episode, but really get sick of keeping up with any given series. Anything particularly amazing generally gets mentioned a lot anyway.

A lot of the formula is really obvious, right down to "put the hottest women at the front of the audience". I kind of grudgingly admire how mercenary it is as entertainment.

[Lu]

A lot of the formula is really obvious, right down to "put the hottest women at the front of the audience".

I was just about to mention that. I didn't think it was that bad a few seasons back, but that might be because I've gotten so used to and tired of the formula.

Here's Jeremy's car review: "I love this and this, but I HATE it." "I hate this and this, BUT I LOVE IT". To be fair, they do edit together some awesome footage of fancy new cars.

[Wrestlevania]

Here's Jeremy's car review: "I love this and this, but I HATE it." "I hate this and this, BUT I LOVE IT". To be fair, they do edit together some awesome footage of fancy new cars.

Precisely.

The very worst, though, are his "this is quite good, and this isn't quite as good as it should be. So, basically, it's OK. Ish. Sort of." ~fade to black~

Can't seem to handle shades of grey, or is edited in such a way that the grey's filtered out largely. This, again - along with the audience grooming - is further indication of how the programme has changed since it originally restarted.

It's gone from being a decently-written, sexless journal to a tabloid-lauding lad's mag.

[Patters]

I continue to watch, despite annoyances mentioned, their sound guys choose some excellent music to go over the features, a few years ago he used a lot from Amon Tobin's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory soundtrack and more recently some 65daysofstatic has been used.

[Nachimir]

*This* is a car review

Avis handed over a key that said "FORD EXL2 WHI," and I tried to convince myself it meant something other than what it did: the rental had been "upgraded." Rather than the Chevy Impala-type car I had reserved, I was getting a truck. Fifteen years after the Explorer appeared, and a year or so before Ford is due to switch the body over to a car-based "crossover" platform, I got stuck with the definitive lumbering SUV. On Goodyear tires, even.

America, what were you thinking? You bought six million of these things before you finally got tired of them. Now you are handing the old ones over to irresponsible teens.

This vehicle is a joyless piece of slag. Driving it is like sitting on top of a refrigerator while it is being pushed by a guy who can't see around it. These absurd trucks made six million people feel like they were buying something strong and safe? You can feel it trying to roll over as soon as you put the key into it. It is the only thing you can feel, because everything else about the car is like a novocaine enema.

The Ford Explorer is an awful vehicle. America is stupider, and a little more dead, for having produced and driven it.

Disclaimer: I like actual Americans.