Lately I've been watching....

Previously on Lately I've been watching....
5 February
18 January
9 January


An every-few-weeks round up of film and telly recommendations.  For more info, click on title.

The Disaster Artist

Film, starring James Franco and his brother Dave.  True story of Greg Sestero, a young actor-wannabe who became involved with Tommy Wiseau, the writer, producer, director and star of The Room, 'the greatest bad movie ever made'.  The Room (see below) has now become a cult favourite; audiences turn up in wigs of their favourite characters and shout out the lines.  Merchandise is available on Amazon, including t-shirts emblazoned with the most well-known lines (see here).  The Disaster Artist is terrific, funny and sad, and James Franco (as Wiseau) is as wonderful as ever.  Loved it, and am currently reading the book!

5 stars
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After watching the above, I had to watch The Room.

It's hilarious, a celebration of appalling dialogue, wooden acting, amateur direction, ridiculous lack of continuity, unresolved plot lines (one of the best being a woman announcing she has breast cancer, and her daughter replying that she mustn't worry and it'll be fine, without looking even remotely concerned ~ the breast cancer is never mentioned again in the whole film).

Impossible to give a star rating!

Highlights here (the breast cancer scene is the third one)

The Pirates of Somalia 

Film, true story: rookie journalist travels to strife-torn Somalia, to go where few others dare in the hope of getting his big break.  Good, but I found Evan Peters in the starring role a bit irritating, and his wig, beard and suntan make-up in the later months looked as though they were bought from a fancy dress shop/slapped on under bad lighting.  The bits about Somalia itself were fascinating, though.

4 stars
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The Outsiders 

Recently watched the second series of this, about the Farrells, a family of 'isolationists' who live up a Kentucky mountain.  The townspeople leave them to their own devices, but a big coal corporation wants to blow their mountain up.  I really like it, and hope it continues, though (spoiler alert) they've done the dumb thing of getting rid of one of the main (and okay, the best looking) characters at the beginning of the second series (Asa Farrell played by Joe Anderson).  Stars Thomas M Wright as the cop who is on the Farrells' side (as you will be, too, after a while), David Morse, Ryan Hurst (Opie in Sons of Anarchy) and Kyle Gallner (for Walking Dead fans, he was the 1-episode Zack, at the beginning of S4!).

4.5 stars
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The Young Victoria

Film, starring Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend.  Covers the time before Victoria became queen, and when she first meets Prince Albert.  I thought it might be a little slushy for me, but I liked it alot, and found Victoria and Albert's relationship most touching.  Beautifully done.

4 stars
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Absentia 

TV Series, Season 1.  Wife of cop returns after having been held captive for 6 years.  Lots more murders and action, uncovering of serial killer, tales of abuse of kids in care home.  Not bad, I enjoyed it; I'd say yes, watch it, it's good, but it's not brilliant.  Seemed to be missing that spark that makes something really memorable.

3.5 stars
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Recent Telly Round Up

I haven't watched ordinary telly for years now; I can't stand the adverts and most of the stuff that's on the 'normal' channels (give or take the odd history documentary), but one of my greatest pleasures is leaving a series to see all at once, which seems to be the way forward for telly viewing these days.  I'm a Netflix etc addict!  It's hard not to watch a favourite programme as soon as a new series starts, but worth it when you have twelve episodes to escape into ~ few things are as enjoyable as a duvet-binge-watch day :) (nb, I only watch telly after 9pm, generally - am not a total sloth!)

Billions ~ my new favourite programme

Last week I caught up with The Walking Dead, which I thought was one of the best 'seasons' so far.  Rick, Rick, you should have known the die was cast when you started getting over confident about your ability to protect your community... so who do you think Negan killed?  I don't think it was one of the main characters at all, but perhaps Eugene or Rosita.  We'll see!

It's never not a good time for a picture of Norman Reedus

I've also just finished watching the first series of BILLIONS.  I LOVED it!  I adore Damian Lewis anyway, having lusted after him throughout the first three series of Homeland, but he's even better as Bobby Axelrod, brilliant yet corrupt billionaire.  Very clever of the writers to make him likeable, and a dedicated family man, rather than a philanderer, I think, and (to me, anyway), he's the baddie you want to win, even more so than JR Ewing, my all time favourite baddie-I-loved.  Paul Giamatti is terrific as his arch enemy, US Attorney Chuck Rhoades, but....  

Five Stars

Malin Akerman, Damian Lewis, Maggie Siff and Paul Giamatti

...one thing that has occurred to me is how Maggie Siff (Wendy Rhoades) might be feeling about her TV husbands.  Like, "how come in my previous main role I got to fake having sex with Charlie Hunnam, but now...."

Charlie Hunnam vs Paul Giamatti ~ there's really no comparison

Last night I watched the first six episodes of Outsiders, a Kentucky based thriller about a community of hillbilly mountain men whose home is threatened by a ruthless development company who want to blow up the mountain to extract the coal within.  It's great, starring David Morse as a particularly objectionable redneck, and Opie (Ryan Hurst) from Sons of Anarchy.  Talking of JR Ewing, we've already cast David Morse's character Foster as JR, 'Opie' as Bobby, and Foster's mum as the all powerful Miss Ellie :)

Ryan Hurst might need to cut his hair if he doesn't want to be typecast...!

....and let us not forget the hunk of gorgeousness that is Joe Anderson, as Asa Farrell!  My husband said he expects to see him on my desktop any day now (a position currently held by Bobby Axelrod).  Those arms, those arms... 

Four stars

Joe Anderson ~ one for the ladies

I've also watched the first couple of episodes (okay, I can't always wait for the whole series!) of Marcella on ITV ~ serial killer thriller starring Anna Friel as a slightly barmy cop.  A role played better by Claire Danes in Homeland, I think, but I do like this series.  My only complain is this:  THE COAT.  Throughout, Anna Friel wears this furry hooded parka affair, which is seriously getting on my nerves now that I've noticed it.  My question is this: if it is cold enough for such a coat, why does she never do it up?  Okay, I know, I need to get out more...

Three and a half stars

Anna Friel as Marcella, in The Coat of Irritation

Oh yes, and if anyone hasn't seen Better Call Saul, because they think it has to be rubbish after Breaking Bad - it's not, it's great.  The second series in particular.  Bob Odenkirk and the guy who plays Mike whose name escapes me are brilliant, and it's every bit as funny and cleverly plotted as BB.

Four and a half stars

Now.... how do I get through the next nine months to a year before the next series of Billions???  Aha  ~ Vinyl will finish soon (I couldn't resist seeing the first episode!), and then there's series 4 of The Americans, and....