Still very funny.
Perhaps the best season, so far.
Both Jean Smart as Deborah Vance, a legendary (aging) Las Vegas comic, and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, her young comedy writer, are hilarious.
They are the world’s worst hikers, though. 😀
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Worth watching. But not essential unless you a Dune nutcase.
Too much palace intrigue. Too dark. Too confusing.
There are some beautiful visuals, of course.
A big Dune fan, I was sceptical whether I’d enjoy the TV spinoff on one of the universe’s most appealing elements: the Bene Gesserit.
Dune: Prophecy is a prequel to the Denis Villeneuve films Dune and Dune: Part Two, taking place approximately 10,000 years earlier.
It draws upon, but is set after, the Great Schools of Dune novel trilogy (2012–2016) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
The show was met with mixed reviews, with a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes and an even lower 66% Audience Score. ..,
… it “lacks the spice of Denis Villeneuve’s films,” …
What Went Wrong With Dune: Prophecy
I wasn’t really cheering any of the characters. But Travis Fimmel as Desmond Hart is intriguing.
Perhaps more humour would have helped. The dialogue is dry.
I expect season 2 to be much stronger. This epic TV series has potential.
The Last of Us — season 1 — was by far my favourite TV show of 2023.
Season 2 is not as ground breaking, but still fantastic.
Intense. Very intense.
Bella Ramsey is a genius choice to play the critical role of Ellie. Quirky and potentially violent.
Her love interest in this season is up to the role. Isabela Merced as Dina has enough gravitas to share the screen. They have chemistry.
Season 2 picks up 5 years after the events of Season 1.
Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.
They live in stable, democratic Jackson, Wyoming.
We learn of other surviving human factions, stupid enough to kill each other rather than work together to rid the earth of the infected zombi-like creatures.
For some reason the timeline jumping forward and backward works in this dystopian show.
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It was filmed in Alberta and B.C., including Nanaimo.
The Bondsman is a horror comedy. More comedy than horror.
Kevin Bacon is an undead bounty hunter.
The Devil brought him back to earth as a bounty hunter of demons.
His mother, Beth Grant as Kitty Halloran, is a church-goer and former bounty hunter. A great character in this show.
Damon Herriman as Lucky Callahan is surprisingly good casting, as well.
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You know … I haven’t heard about the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” rule for a while.
Any actor in Hollywood is — at maximum — only 6 projects away from one with Bacon. We’ve been talking about this since 1994.
The Studio is an American satirical cringe comedy-drama television series created by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, and Frida Perez. It stars Rogen as an embattled Hollywood studio head struggling to balance corporate demands with his own passion for producing quality films. …
It’s brilliant in many ways. The extensive use of long takes. The celebrity cameos.
I’m sure actors loved mocking their industry.
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It’s hilarious that the BIG PROJECT planned is a movie version of … Kool-Aid. They want to make billions as did Barbie. 😀
BUT — excessive profanity ruined The Studio for me.
Martin Scorsese told him he says ‘f‑‑‑’ too much.
Overuse of profanity is weak writing. Weak storytelling. This show would have been better with less swearing.
Here’s Seth Rogen defending his overuse of profanity.
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Good television. A murder mystery, politics, immigration issues and murky espionage as well as complicated relationships.
Collateral is a four-part British television drama …
… stars Carey Mulligan as DI Kip Glaspie, assigned to investigate the shooting of a pizza delivery rider in inner-city southwest London. …
… a complex web of characters who are all somehow connected with the story, which addresses attitudes to immigration with the maltreatment of refugees and immigrants by both uncaring people-traffickers and indifferent state agencies …
Jeany Spark is excellent as Captain Sandrine Shaw.
All good. I enjoyed some of the interesting cinematography.
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I really liked Dark Winds – season 1.
Season 2 … not nearly as good.
I reluctantly continued to season 3.
Though it got rave reviews, I was confused and not convinced by the supernatural storyline.
Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) has been seeing monsters, particularly Ye’iitsoh, the Navajo creature known as Big Giant.
He’s haunted by killing wealthy villain B.J. Vines (John Diehl) in Season 2, and the Ye’iitsoh has been plaguing him.
The writers’ room is all Native American. That’s a plus.
There are some excellent cast members.
But I’m not sure whether I’ll carry on to season 4.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Black Mirror is that original British anthology television series with most episodes set in near-future dystopias containing sci-fi technology—a type of speculative fiction. I was originally a big fan.
“Metalhead” is the 5th episode of the 4th series. The one I still have nightmares about. Bella (Maxine Peake) trying to flee from robotic “dogs” after the unexplained collapse of human society.
I’d pretty much quit on Black Mirror after season four.
BUT I’d heard season 7 was a return to greatness. So decided to watch.
“Eulogy” is the 5th episode. Excellent.
… a lonely man (Paul Giamatti) revisits his memories and photographs of an old girlfriend who has recently died, in order to send his memories of her to her family. Through the experience, he learns more about her and the relationship. The episode has received critical acclaim, with many reviewers calling it the best episode of series 7, and one of the best episodes of Black Mirror of all time …
Episode 1 “Common People” is good, as well.
Teacher Amanda (Rashida Jones) and welder Mike are a happy couple who want a child.
Amanda falls ill with a brain tumor and Mike accepts an offer from the start-up Rivermind: Amanda’s brain will be restored and operated for a monthly fee. The lost brain function is transferred wirelessly to Amanda from the company’s servers.
It goes badly wrong from there.
I ended up fast forwarding through the final episodes.
I wanted to like this series. Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
GUTSY to be compared against Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the 2005 film.
I liked the natural dialogue.
I really enjoyed the international travel.
Terrific guest stars.
Donald Glover and Maya Erskine are believable as two strangers paired up as a duo of spies who must live undercover as a married couple.
Reviews are good. It’s been nominated for many awards.
BUT — I was disappointed with the cliche shoot-em-up scenes where the good guys are never hit.
It could have been better.
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The 10th season was one of the best.
Harry Bosch investigates the disappearance of the Gallagher family while Honey Chandler campaigns for District Attorney and Maddie Bosch deals with a series of follow-home robberies.
Bosch’s investigation into the Gallagher case intertwines with a murder investigation, and Chandler’s political ambitions lead to challenges and alliances. Maddie faces personal and professional setbacks, and the season explores the complex relationship between Bosch and Chandler
The “Bosch” franchise, which consists of the original “Bosch” series and its sequel “Bosch: Legacy,” is the longest-running franchise on Prime Video. “Bosch” itself ran for seven seasons, and its sequel, “Bosch: Legacy,” spanned three seasons.
Amazon Prime decided to end Bosch: Legacy here. There will be no season 4.
Stephen Chang as Maurice “Mo” Bassi, Harry’s hacker is excellent. Maybe my favourite character.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
I am excited to watch another Bosch spinoff ➙ Maggie Q as Renee Ballard, following the (female Bosch) detective as she runs the LAPD’s Cold Case Unit.
She and Bosch meet in the last episode of season 3.
Rick McCharles 