Been catching Black Sails now it's on Netflix. Yarr, it be good. I had forgotten Ray Stevenson is in it, and am glad to see more of him but sad to miss him.
Goddamn, Black Sails was friggin' *great*. I'm still amazed by how contemporary it was in handling a *lot* of modern issues. Five Stars, across the board in all categories, imho. Definitely catch that shit, y'all.
@adrienveidt I'm embarrassed that, as a fan of piratey stuff, I haven't actually watched Black Sails yet. It's on the list, though. My wife wants to watch it with me, but finding time when we can both sit down and watch a serious long-form drama is really tough. Especially when there's constantly new things to watch as well (I guarantee she's going to pick Acolyte as our next show right away).
I started Black Sails years ago. I think I started watching it on Hulu in like 2018. I wasn't dedicated enough to sit through the hour-long episodes, though. I only made it through three or four episodes before they finally removed it from Hulu a couple years ago.
I started watching it again when it hit Netflix recently. I made it through season one, but progress is still slow going. It's a good show, I just have trouble committing an hour to a TV show these days, particularly one I watch without my fiance. It's so much easier to turn my brain off during a 24-minute anime while I house some dessert.
It's definitely a sit-and-watch show, but it's 100% worth the effort. ESP to you, KD; if I know any of your predilections in entertainment worth the minutest damn. Like I say, I was surprised by how contemporary it was on multiple fronts.
I finally binged the second season of Interview with the Vampire. I always preferred The Vampire Lestat to the Interview book, but the first season, I felt, was masterful. The second season, again I felt, they stepped it up even more as far as playing with perspectives and making me really care about several of these characters. Even though I knew, basically, what was going to happen, they still surprised me in an enjoyable way, even with the stuff I was ready for.
Started watching Legion now that I have Hulu and it's pretty goddamned great.
@ru1977 I've seen a few snippets of Interview that make me kind of want to watch it, but also I have such incredibly strong memories of the original film that I kind of just don't want to because I don't even think I'll give it a fair shake.
My daughter is also a huge fan of the original movie and she very much did not like the first season of the show, which also turned me off to giving it a try. But I'm still unsure.
I finally started watching S2 of House of the Dragon. It's.. HotD? I dunno. It's good. I'm enjoying it. It's hitting the same highs as the early GoT seasons. But I gotta tell ya', chums, and I'm not ashamed to say this: I'm really struggling to enjoy depressing shows these days when real life is so utterly fucked.
I try to stay out of the 'political bubble' where I'm just letting myself fester over bad news all day long, but it IS kind of all-encompassing right now, so it's just so much harder to get into these shows that really press fairly hard on the more negative emotions. This one is a tough watch, and I also gave up watching The Boys and the spin-off of The Boys for the time being because I just fucking can't just keep watching shows about humans being complete pieces of violent, evil shit anymore. Anyone else struggling with this?
SUPER fucking excited about Dragon Prince coming back soon, though. Goddamn. Cannot wait. My son and I are going to struggle to not sit down and binge the entire show.
I'm struggling with the same.
I read ASOIAF during GoT's original run, probably during seasons two and three. Since then, I learned that fantasy is my genre. The more fantasy I read, the less I like the GRRM stuff. His political plotting and worldbuilding are nothing short of genius, but medieval fantasy isn't my speed. If we're going to have a world with magic, can we make it fantastical? I don't mind sci-fi elements in my fantasy. In fact, I prefer it to hearing about chamber pots all the time. His work is too gritty and grotesque for me. And I can only stomach so many kissing siblings.
I hate-watched HotD season one. There was so much suffering, especially among the women, that it felt gratuitous and perverse. This season has been a major course correction, but my underlying feelings are the same. I wish HBO had greenlit any of the other worthy fantasy series instead of another GRRM project.
@theknightdamien I was really into the books before the movie came out, so I wasn't a huge fan of tbe movie. Some things were great but (despite changing some ethnicities and eras), the show thoroughly captures soooooo much of the book. So I feel like the show is more for open minded book fans or people unfamiliar with the movie.
@ru1977 I don't even remember if I read the books first or watched the movie first. Probably the former. But I actually did read and enjoy some Rice. In fact, I read up to either Memnoch or Vampire Armand. I can't remember clearly which came out later. I like the books, but still actually prefer the film version. Not because it's a better telling, but just because I have a lot of nostalgia tied up in watching it over and over with my friends. That's a period in my life when Interview and The Crow were pretty regular viewings.
So yeah, I'm not sure how I'll react to the show and I don't want to approach it already pre-set to hate it because 'it's not the movie I grew up watching' - if that makes sense. It's almost like I'm trying to slowly ween myself into the show by watching little clips on YouTube and stuff. Haha. It does hearten me when you say it captures the spirit of the book - which is so important because if it was just 'we basically made a TV show out of the movie' then that would absolutely fail for me.
@tsi Oh man, I could turn the fantasy conversation into a whole thing but I will try to be brief (for me). I love fantasy. It's my favorite thing. But I'm also a massive fan of historical fiction and history. So I really can be pretty hardcore into any 'level' of fantasy. Completely historical Venice but it has a wizard? Perfect. Lord of the Rings or Dragonlance? Also perfect. I also love Sci-Fi. I don't typically -love- when they mix, but it can be done well.
What I really don't like is being surprised by the 'reality' of a setting. Like, don't get me half-way through a really cool fantasy book and then reveal that it's actually post-Apoc Earth and now all the knights have found laser guns. I know some people love that. I am not those people. Tell me up front and it's fine. But don't get me invested in a fantasy setting that's actually a sci-fi setting. Ew.
And I mean, I love things like GOT and HOTD. Just.. not.. right.. now. I don't even think it necessarily had to be non-GRRM. The Dunk & Egg stories are still very GOT, but not quite as sickly-dark as HotD has been. Although I understand Dunk is getting a TV series as well. There's a place for grimdark, and I like grimdark just fine when the world isn't collapsing around us. Just can't do it right now.
But yeah, going back to it - I think something like Dragon Prince is really what my brain wants right now. It has sad moments and violence and stuff, but the spirit of the show feels more positive and energetic.
I'd love an animated or live action version of John Gwynne's current 'Bloodsworn Saga' that should be wrapping up here in October. I can't believe no one has (at least as far as I'm aware) jumped on what amounts to 'Vikings, but fantasy.' Seems like a money-maker.
@ru1977 I don't even remember if I read the books first or watched the movie first. Probably the former. But I actually did read and enjoy some Rice. In fact, I read up to either Memnoch or Vampire Armand. I can't remember clearly which came out later.
Memnoch was first, and I know that mostly because that was the last one I read. And it wasn't the last because I hated it or something, but by the time she put out another vampire book, my interests had kinda shifted. Now I don't know if I can read Vampire Lestat. I tried once relatively recently, but inhabiting such a narcissist so thoroughly made me feel nasty. Much easier when I was a teen.
But I was a huge fan of Memnoch (also as a teen). An alternate view of the bible is one of my jams! but I definitely read at least up to Queen of the Damned before the movie came out. And I think that movie was my first instance of being a book purist/snob. I've never been a Cruise fan, and Pitt was still kinda new to me at the time but I thought he did fine. Dunst was pretty great, and... I'm biased, but Stephen Rea is usually one of the best things in anything he's in. It was Banderas though. As much a fan as I was of his movies up to, and a bit after too, he was entirely wrong for Armand. Even though show Armand isn't 100% ripped from the page, the portrayal and personality absolutely were. And Armand was always one of my favorites because he creeped me out so much in the books.
I like the books, but still actually prefer the film version. Not because it's a better telling, but just because I have a lot of nostalgia tied up in watching it over and over with my friends. That's a period in my life when Interview and The Crow were pretty regular viewings.
Ah man, The Crow is one of three movies I saw in the theater nine times, and the only one that was entirely willing for me, heh. (The others were Pulp Fiction because everyone I knew had to see it with their 'movie friend', and Phantom Menace because everyone I knew had to see it with their 'star wars friend'. but I was pretty obsessed with the Crow when it came out. That was the one I took everyone else to see.
So yeah, I'm not sure how I'll react to the show and I don't want to approach it already pre-set to hate it because 'it's not the movie I grew up watching' - if that makes sense. It's almost like I'm trying to slowly ween myself into the show by watching little clips on YouTube and stuff. Haha. It does hearten me when you say it captures the spirit of the book - which is so important because if it was just 'we basically made a TV show out of the movie' then that would absolutely fail for me.
Of course that makes sense. And I get it. When I watch a remake or what have you of something I really enjoyed, I have to really make sure I'm in the right head to be open to enjoying it for what it is. Sometimes I've even succeeded. I think the most recent attempt was Rebel Moon, which is kinda the ultimate Zach Snyder film. But I didn't watch the second one and just watched Seven Samurai again instead. I'm only human.
but yeah, like I said, and I'm sure you know, but they've changed some ethnicities (Louis and Claudia, maybe some others), and Claudia is even older than she was in the movie. They also changed the era, so Louis is a lot younger than Lestat now. But aside from that, it's a show so it gets to dwell longer and deeper on a lot of things than the movie did, but the main actors reeeeeeeeally did a great job. Interview was my least favorite of the books, but the show made me think about reading it again. And the second season, to me, is even better than the first. Some things I knew were coming but the actors got me emotionally invested anyway. And there were plenty of "oh, that's in the book!" moments as well. Or even "Oh, that's from one of the later books!"
So, I'll say do your process. Youtube clips or whatever you must. I also won't blame you for rejecting it because you're so married to the movie. I completely get that. But if you can get into the show, I feel they did an amazing job of capturing so many aspects of the characters and plot. I genuinely feel they nailed the personas of the characters. I even liked Santiago, which was probably my biggest hurdle because I love Stephen Rea so much!
EDIT, to add: I freely admit Tom Cruise surprised me in the Interview movie, and it's absolutely one of the very few movies I've enjoyed him in.
Interesting conversations. I really, really liked the Interview with the Vampire show and thought it was much more true to the books than the movie was. Very interested now that season 3 moves on to be Lestat centric though - that should be fun.
House of the Dragon has been good in much the same way that early GoT was good - I think precisely because it has well defined material from Martin to draw from. The problem with Game of Thrones was that when it wasn't adapting the existing material it declined noticeably. I understand the conversation about struggling with gloominess in your entertainment - but I still enjoy visiting that world.
Other than the Acolyte which I've discussed in another thread the thing I'm currently watching is Mrs Davis on Peacock. It is a bizarre premise about a woman who became a nun to escape the AI that controls the world because it killed her father - who is hired by that AI to find the Holy Grail on the condition that if she succeeds the AI will destroy itself. I am only a couple of episodes in and it is super compelling. Like obviously the concept I just typed out is bizarre enough sounding but the show is much, much weirder than that. I can't imagine the pitch meeting to get this show made.
Has anyone watched this? I stumbled into it looking for the new gladiator show - For Those About to Die - which debuted today, I guess.
Homicide: Life on the Streets is coming to Peacock in August, apparently remastered and with all the original music.
In my opinion, Homicide is one the best shows of all time - great dialog, great acting, great stories, unique characters, unique style with handheld cameras, washed out colors, jump cuts - the concept was a "cop show" without car chases and shoot outs but with police who can't clear all cases and are doing a job as a job at times and are not jaded as much as used to what they are dealing with - never a soap opera either with "romances" of any consequence or manufactured drama.
Set in Baltimore, it has a truly diverse cast that reflects the diversity of the city. I feel it consistently had the best and most nuanced takes on issues around race, class, policing and the community. The first 5 seasons are great, seasons 6 and 7 suffer a bit from cast turnover and trying to be a bit more commercial, but the finale movie sticks the landing like few final episodes do.
Andre Braugher's Frank Pembleton is an amazing character as is his partner Time Bayless played by Kyle Secor - their relationship is amazing. Belzer's John Munch character would move from this show to Law and Order SVU, and great character actors like Ned Beatty and Yaphet Koto shine. Clark Johnson would transition to directing on shows like The Wire and The Shield, actors like Melissa Leo, Callie Thorne, Jon Seda, Giancarlo Esposito, Reed Diamond had their first recurring roles over the years on the show. Based partly on David Simon's book, it was the precursor to The Wire, and although that gets more praise, I think Homicide is the better show.
Anyway, if you have Peacock and want to watch some great TV, the first two seasons are only 13 episodes combined - if not hooked you probably won't be - but seasons 3 to 5 really cook.
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