the new season of black mirror:
i mostly appreciate this show. the new season is pretty strong so far. if you aren’t in the mood for the depressing bleakness that permeates much of the series, i’d recommend S6 Ep 1, as it’s tinged with a fair amount of humor. the current content streaming landscape takes a lot of hits in this season.
I believe you can also watch in a browser at
Pulse, the 1995 film. I never get tired of these guys or their music.
Rewatching S1 of Hunters before getting into S2. Watched S1 with my dad last year, so it’s a little emotional to be watching without him.
On the show: the underlying facts that they weave in so smoothly are so incredibly disturbing in their “normalcy” and also in their forgotten-/unknown-ness.
Yes, thank goodness for some levity. The second episode, tho? Not so much 
Yes. Those accents are horrific.
I imagine that’s how Americans feel every time a British actor attempts a regional American accent. Apparently, there are just not enough American actors to play Americans 
I wonder if it’s more akin to having non-US southerners or British people playing southerners. (I mean, you say British, but here it was in part about having English play Scots, and playing Scots in a very particular way that underscores stereotypes.)
But regardless: I saw what was coming pretty early but that just added to the tension. I mean, the whole thing was still upsetting and I appreciated the multiple codas.
Only two episodes into this series, and I can see how media (rather than merely tech) are going to play a significant role in the stories.
Also: yes I know that John Hannah is Scottish.
I barely recognized him! I had a bit of a crush when he was a wee bit younger…
The last two epis we watched (not the final one yet) weren’t great. So far, Joan is Awful is the strongest one by far.
Quick round-up of some recently seen series/movies.
Succession season 3 (HBO): glorious finale. Is it the best tv ever made? No. Is it good and fun to watch? Definitely! It helps if you’re interested in corporate dynamics, and in the sometimes ridiculous lives of rich people.
Arnold (Netflix): unexpectedly enjoyable and sincere. It made me really appreciate the extraordinary life and career of Schwarzenegger.
The Mandalorian (Disney): watching the latest season. So far so good. I really like this series, the sets and visuals are amazing, sometimes reminding me of one of my favourite movies Blade Runner (not as good of course!).
Extraction 2 (Netflix): second installment and another good, no nonsense action movie.
Never have I ever (Netflix): teenage comedy series. I enjoyed this a lot. Short and snappy episodes, quickly moving from some simple laughs to more genuine life and family issues.
Air (Prime): about how Nike got to sign Michael Jordan. Fun and worth your time, but a little too Hollywood for me sometimes.
After finishing The Mandalorian, I will start watching the latest season of Barry (HBO) and then see what the fuss is about regarding The Idol (HBO)!
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Hungry Onion is sometimes an ornery cuss.
I accidentally posted a music video (for the music thread) here. After having deleted that post here, I tried pasting it in the music thread, but HO says it’s too similar. No bots here, buddy.
Anyway, I’m not a fan of tv or movies, but I make exceptions when flying. I’ve gotten into a very dated BBC series called Connections, which is all about the intertwined relationships of how we got to where we are today (the series is decades old, but much of it still rings true).
There’s also “The Pacific Century,” a 10-part series from 1992 about East Asian economies, and how some of them became Asian tigers. It’s entirely on YouTube.
There are also documentaries about Japanese and Chinese history in those respective languages, but I can’t recall the names at this moment.
Succession was wildly entertaining and I waited for Sunday night all week. Going to miss those crazy kids! Watching Poker Face and enjoying it. Each episode takes you to a different part of the country with new characters (except for the main character played by Natasha Lyonne) and very different scenarios. New season of the Bear looks good and love the new season of Righteous Gemstones. Baby Billy’s Bible Bonkers, a quiz show Baby Billy wanted to host, was hilarious. Also really enjoying Never Have I Ever and the third season of The Other Two is probably the best and funniest season and a wonderful skewering of the entertainment business.
By chance picked The Diplomat to watch - and I finished it in 2 days. Quite an entertaining show, though the ending has now left me hanging on for season 2!
Forgot to mention that I finished Ted Lasso as well. Yes, the last season is less good, somewhat predictable and probably a victim of its own success, just like Sex and the City after season 2 or so. But it’s still a highly enjoyable series overall, Ted Lasso.
I did a separate topic about this but got hardly any reaction, so I’ll be annoying. Maybe it was in the wrong category?
Drops Of God (
TV) is a short series based on a Japanese maga (graphic novel). It’s really a must-see if you have a real interest it high quality wine. It’s essentially about a world renowned wine critic, his daughter, and his student protege. When the critic dies the two are pitted against each other in a wine-focused contest for his inheritance. I thought the acting was pretty good and the story intriguing if possibly a bit predictable. The best part might be what you’ll learn about tasting wine. .
Where have you been able to watch Connections. My usual info sources are coming up empty.
thanks for mentioning this show. this has been on my radar after being mentioned on a wine blog i read. i don’t have apple tv, but i resubscribe periodically just to catch up on a few releases (like this).
Connections is on YouTube.
Haven’t been to the cinema in ages, even though I still have some free tickets. Last week Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) was playing, the one with Donald Sutherland. It triggered my interest, but after reading some online reviews, I was alerted to the 1956 original, with many saying the older one was the better movie.
So, I skipped going to the cinema and watched the original at home! It really is a good, gripping, and fast-paced story. A lot of modern movies I just can’t watch for long, because too boring/slow/predictable, but this one was an easy watch. Helped by its short viewing time.
A classic for a reason. And of course, director Don Siegel is also known for one of my favourite movies, the original Dirty Harry.
