What do you like watching on TV? - Page 5 - My Tiny Dick Forum

hoverfly · 05-23-2012, 07:10 AM

Finally getting round to replying...

'Jude the Obscure', haven't seen it myself but if the link takes you the the 6 part BBC series I found at IMDB, it's not as bad as you think, all 50 min chunks, so you don't really have to opt for the marathon sitting.

I do like classics but maybe not necessarily filmed in classical style or adaptations. Let me explain.

I saw 'Titus Andronicus' performed at the Barbican in London quite a few years back, great play, great actors but at the end of the day I found that the original text did leave me a little flabberghasted. Some years later I accidentally stumbled upon Julie Taymore's 'Titus', with Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange. I am unsure if you are going to like it but in my opinion it is the finest filmed adaptation of Shakespeare's play out there. It is packed with symbolism and the characters have great depth, though the visual aspects may take a little getting used to. Unfortunately, the trailer on IMDB isn't much good. 41 seconds inc. titlescreens and such don't leave much time to make a statement for a 160 minute movie. What makes matters worse is that you may have to watch it several times to a) get over the initial shock of the screenplay and b) take in all the aspects of its depth, yet as far as I am concerned, time well spent, though certainly not instant gratification. Try it, comes highly recommended.

When it comes to the classical adaptation you are most likely referring to, I tend to be a little wary. Too many of the movies or TV series focus on a very British problem, marketing of the nations history, which more often then not ends up portraying a lifestyle or social settings that are frequently so tainted with quaint depictions of a nation that as portrayed in films never existed. Dickens's 'Bleak House' just to name one and the worst obviously being the dross produced by the Bronte sisters. One more adaptation of 'Wuthering Heights' and I'm going to throw the TV out the window. LOL

So, classical literature adaptations are a bit of a mixed bag for me.

But there are other classics out there, maybe not as highly regarded but still.

Fritz Lang's 'Frau im Mond' (Girl in the Moon) of 1929, now there's one that I have enjoyed everytime I watched it. Same goes for his 1927 masterpiece 'Metropolis'. There are also a number of Russian movies that I like a lot. 'Aelita: Queen of Mars' by director Yakov Protazanov, actually predating the Fritz Lang movies by a few years I thought was quite a milestone for its time.

Sergej Eisenstein's 'Battleship Potemkim', allthough heavily tainted by political indoctrination of the time, is still one of the great works of art. The movie is available legally from archive.org here: http://archive.org/details/BattleshipPotemkin

There are more, lots more in fact and a fair few of them are actually available on www.archive.org, at least once the copyright has expired or the copyright holder made in publically available. That site is always a great source of legally downloadable material, just in case you are worried about that aspect.

hoverfly · 05-23-2012, 07:54 AM

Here is a list of free and legally available movies on archive.org (this is of course only a very minor collection). All of the movies are available to watch as a stream or download in usually a variety of formats.

Please note, this will be a bit of a 'work in progress' should it generate any interest. So, if you like the idea, let me know, these things do take time and effort, neither of which I like wasting.

MarkBld · 05-23-2012, 02:33 PM

I started to ask where you were able to find Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" but, lo and behold, it's available on Amazon. It may be available for free elsewhere, but I'm afraid I'm a bit selfish when it comes to movies or tv shows: if I don't like it, I don't want it, even for free; if I do like it, I want it for my own - I don't want to rent it or even download it (and, to me, downloading a movie or show is not really owning it).

I'll check out some of the links you give - especially "Ptomkin." I have the Vincent Price version of "I Am Legend." I tried once to watch "Citizen Kane," but could only make through the first half hour or so; but I'm determined to try it again.

Sometimes what you see as a kid should be kept in a special little brain box labeled "Do Not Open As An Adult." Case in point, I had seen - on tv mind you! - the great French comic Jacques Tati's "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" - and absolutely roared with laughter. Years later I rented it and boy was I disappointed - I expected way too much and didn't allow for the difference between a kid's and an adult's sense of humor. I still liked the film; but the parts I found hilarious as a kid did nothing for me while some of the gags I missed then were quite wonderful. I guess I should just be grateful my taste actually did grow a bit in x-many years!

hoverfly · 05-25-2012, 07:29 AM

Oh yes, Metropolis being the classic it is, that's available all over the place. But BEWARE, there are numerous versions out there. Make sure you know exactly which one you might be ordering. The versions vary by as much as 20 minutes.

Owning, yes, I used to do that. Problem is, first it was VHS, then video CD, DVD, BluRay and what next. VHS all went to charity shops, video CD (I skipped that stage) proved a dead loss within a short period of time and DVD will soon enough only be good for a beermat and I presume the latest gadget BluRay will inevitably go the same way. I'd take a bit of a different approach if distributors were to offer a discount on returning old original versions but owning stuff 5 times over, that is something I do object to. Still, you do as you feel comfortable with.

Battleship Potemkin, yes, do go for it, it is very much part of not just film history but actual history of the world, though tainted as I mentioned but it sheds light on an otherwise somewhat obscured part of life.

I am a little ambivalent about the 'Do not open as an Adult', yes, there are things that I used to watch as a child that just don't ring true anymore but there are also the ones that haven't lost their appeal. Thunderbirds, A for Andromeda, the Quatermass movies and series and one that most likely nobody has ever heard of 'Shadoks' (Amazon Germany, French version), a series of 5 minute cartoons I guess you would have to call them, made in France in 1973. I bought that a few years ago and I still find it as off the wall as when I was younger. It is basically about two species of odd looking chaps that live in our galaxy, who only have 4 compartments in their head, enabling them to only ever know 4 things or store 4 words. Silly? Undoubtedly. Wonderfully funny? Definitely. This was a real cult series in Europe in the 70s, in fact so much so, that fans of the series pestered the copyright owners for so long that they finally relented and made it available on DVD.

The link I included is only the 5 DVD set (680 minute runtim !!!), there are a couple more which were only published in German, though language doesn't really enter into it, the conversations of the Shadoks and Giby's consists of only words like ga, bu, zo, meu.

It is the struggle of the Shadoks against the Gibys, who are hell bent on conquering their planet with the aide of the pirate, a beardy chap that roams space in a contraption not dissimilar to a Viking ship.

Difficult to explain the concept really, allthough it sounds rather simple and silly. My wife hates it, I love it and it has me rolling on the floor with laughter, just like the first time when I saw it.

But you are right, certain things should be left in peace but you gotta try, sometimes you come across stuff that has kept its fascination.

Jacques Tati, wonderful, I am really pleased you mentioned him. Completely slipped my mind over the years. Haven't seen it for ages, at least 25 years at a rough guess.

Which the raises the question: Did our humour mature or did we lose part of our sense of humour?

Right, better sign off now, Airshow weekend and meeting of some of our forums members, which will be great. All coming to stay at our house, good for a bit of social bonding, good food, I've been baking for the past week, the fridge is stocked to its limits and the weather is fantastic. Time to head to the beach shortly for a brief swim.

You all have a wonderful weekend, I know I will and I'll catch you early next week.

H

hoverfly · 05-25-2012, 07:38 AM

Les Shadoks at Wikipedia (English)
Les Shadoks official Homepage
Les Shadoks at INA.FR (204 episodes online, French only)

hoverfly · 06-15-2012, 10:13 AM

Crazy...

Sorry to have taken quite so long with the 'Breaking Bad'.

Now, how can I put it favourably? LOL. Interesting idea but as you said, you have to watch a number of episodes until things do kick off and that's where to be honest, I just got bored with it.

Don't get me wrong, I downloaded and watched the whole first two seasons and, yes, it does have its moments but I feel it is not really up my street. As I said before, I am not so much into series'. I sometimes feel that the pilot is great but then things do become a tad predictable and repetative. So, I won't bother going for any more but thanks, it could have worked out differently.

What I did watch with surprising delight recently was 'Pirates of the Carribean', all 4 parts ran on BBC3, I think.

That was quite funny, I must admit and Johnny Depp puts on a great show with his drunk, almost stroke-victim like slurred speach. I knew he was a good actor, I'd seen a couple of movies with him before, but this maritime fantasy, yes, I did enjoy that.

MarkBld · 06-16-2012, 07:41 PM

I think everyone but you and I have abandoned this particular thread, which is unfortunate because there is quite a range to this topic. Although since I dropped cable four years ago I only discover new TV shows once they're recommended to me. I did some research on "Breaking Bad" and I doubt if it would be for me either. For one thing, I don't particularly care for Brian Cranston; and the premise of the show seems extremely limiting. It's kind of like the old "The Fugitive": how much mileage can you get out of looking for a one-arm man? But I think "Reality TV" has finished the job of poisoning mainstream American TV that was started in the late 80's when every made-for-TV movie just had to be based on a real-life incident. If I want a real-life incident, I'll tune in the nightly news. LOL. I prefer fantasy, primarily because it allows a much greater scope for creative development.

I've got a number of dvd's I've just got to get to; e.g., "Pan's Labyrinth" and a number of movies along that line. Essentially, I despise "happy" movies; wearing rose-colored glasses is even more nerve wracking than those God-awful 3-D glasses! Give me a dark, forboding movie with a tragic ending any day.

hoverfly · 06-17-2012, 07:47 AM

Hi Mark,

Yes, it is a little dispiriting to find that any discussion beyond sex related topics tends to have a bit of a short shelf life. Makes you wonder why? All small penis guys only ever discuss themselves? I hope not, because, if so, then that might be the reason why people don't get far with women or anybody else for that matter.

Be that as it may.

Brian Cranston, I had to look him up first, then I got it, the Breaking Bad chap. No, the series does have its merrits but it is just not my cup of tea.

The Fugitive, another one I had to look up on IMDB. Ah, 'Auf der Flucht' as it was called in Germany. I remember that. At the time I liked it, these days it seems little more then milking an idea into submission. It was different in the 60s though, you weren't flooded with all those programmes, well, there were only 2 in Germany back then anyway and you were grateful for anything that was different.

As for 'Real Life' TV... They seem to have lost the idea of the 'real' bit a long time ago. I did try and sit through a Big Brother once, some 10 years ago, no don't worry, I didn't succeed. I did manage about 10 minutes of having to listen to mindless drivel from people who couldn't tie their shoelaces. But it is still ongoing I understand and those morons are still being hailed as 'celebrities'.

There was one chick here in the UK that tried to make it as a singer later, don't ask me for a name. She apparently came to perform at one of the nightclubs in town here and they booed her off the stage for her singing, but not before demanding 'get your tits out', which was most likely her true claim to fame.

Don't even get me started on 3D. Paying a premium for the (dis)pleasure of having to sit there with a piece of cardboard nailed to my nose? I don't think so. Quite apart from which, I don't see any 3D anyway.

I don't recall if I ever recommended 'Following (1998)' to you. I think this might be right up your street, talking about dark and brooding.

A little pricy in the US I am afraid, so if you can find it anywhere else but Amazon, you might be in for a real treat.

Check it out on Amazon here: Amazon.com: Following: Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell, John Nolan, Dick Bradsell, Gillian El-Kadi, Jennifer Angel, Nicolas Carlotti, Darren Ormandy, Guy Greenway, Tassos Stevens, Tristan Martin, Rebecca James, Paul Mason (VI), David Bovill, . Oh, just spotted it on sale on Amazon as a second hand for around 5 dollars. Money well spent, believe me.

Made on a shoestring budget of only 6,000$ it is one of the best of its genre, at least I'd like to think so and the end is tragic alright.

What do you mean by poisoning American TV? You surely mean world wide, don't you? I couldn't agree more, there is just so much mindless rubbish coming from the USA these days it is unbelievable. Even my mainstay, documentaries, aren't what they used to be.

I've been a member of the National Geographic since about 1962 if I recall correctly but these days I try and avoid the US versions of their TV programmes like the plague. The difference between UK and US versions is so vast, hard to believe you are watching the same programme.

Worst recent example being 'Around the World in 90 Minutes' about the ISS orbit and what happens on Earth during one such revolution. The US original actually runs for 90 mins, yet contains very little useful information, while the cut to 60 minute UK version I ended up watching twice, information overkill, too much to take in in one go.

But there is still PBS, their NOVA series I sometimes download off the web. There is still room for some braincells in their programmes.

On the whole I think this reflects what Europeans think of the USA being like, a bit of a generalisation, I know, but it does appear that Americans do like simple solutions for very complex problems. Not offence meant.

Right, I have to have another look at one of our cats, limping on the right front paw and also unable to feed properly, looks like he injured himself in the mouth somehow.

MarkBld · 06-18-2012, 06:45 PM

Took your advice and ordered "Following" from Amazon ($5.96). Although dissing American TV makes shooting ducks in a pond look harrowing, the proof is in the pudding. The problem is the American public; they don't just like "pablum" - they like it smoothed to the consistency of buttermilk. No lumps, no bumps, nothing to surprise their expectations. They like all creative ventures vetted by what's called "the suits" (is that the term UK also uses for network executives?); that way they can be sure the creative impulse has been sufficiently castrated to make suitable family viewing. And there's the key to the whole thing - and not just with TV and movies: in America, EVERYTHING must be made "suitable" for kids. That's why, among other things, it's almost impossible to find plain yogurt in the supermarket - oh no no no, the kiddies needs something sugary or else mommie can't buy it! On TV too everything must be nice and sugary.

I actually thought cable might be a good alternative; but except for HBO, it's just as bland as network TV. It's no accident I've ended up with such a library of British dvd's. About the only American shows I have on dvd are science fiction - and that's only because the space travel thing kind of balances out the blandness.

That said, I do commend a lot of American made documentaries. There's a couple Michael Moore's I really like; I consider his "Bowling in Columbine" to be something of a masterpiece. And documentaries like "Gasland" (about the hazards of extracting natural gas from sand tars and so forth); "Food Inc" (about the perils of corporate produced food); "The End of the Line" (about the overfishing of the oceans) - plus numerous others in that vein.

You ended your last post by mentioning your cat(s). Let me do likewise. I rescued a cat four years ago and now all I can see for my future is which one of us will die first. It took all this time to realize my mother was right all along: she hated cats, said they were "sneaking." Should have listened to her. Maddening thing is, I have this idea I can't shake that once you rescue someone - like a cat - you become responsible for them the rest of their lives. If the cat hated me I could maybe justify taking her to the pound; but she seems to adore me. Go figure!

hoverfly · 06-19-2012, 10:51 AM

Right, let me start with the cats... (in fact, I've just decided to break this down into two separate posts)

I took him to the vet yesterday and I knew what we might be in for. He hates travelling by car and he hates being manhandled even more. So, after him literally ripping the travel box to pieces (he muscled up to that cage and tore out 7 of the 8 screws and the metal grill at the front, gives you some idea about is temper) we finally made it there and I let him out of the box. Once we had caught him the vet tried to examine him, not before I issued a last word of warning. The vet tried to have a good look at his injured leg while I was trying to hold him as instructed. Next thing I hear the vet scream out, he had bitten him clean through the hand and when it was time to examine his teeth, he sank his claws and teeth into the vet a second time, upon which it was decided to just give him a couple of painkilling and antibiotic shots and see how he would to till the followup examination on Wednesday.

The vet then told me that should he not have improved by then, we would have to take him to their other surgery as they didn't do full anaesthesia there and it seemed somewhat unlikely to our cat would be more cooperative on the next visit.

Yep, I knew it. He may be only a small and skinny cat, but by Jove he is a killer alright.

On the other side of our garden fence there used to live a lady with this huge orange tomcat. He must have been about three times the size of ours. That still didn't deter ours from taking him to pieces when the orange tom decided to enter our house. The whole of the back hallway was full of blood and fur with bits of skin still attached. Needless to say that the orange tom never came back for seconds.

We are proper cat lovers I guess. Their independent spirit and their somewhat fickle loyalty are probably what attracts us most. Never take a cat for granted and NEVER claim you OWN a cat. He may own you, but certainly not the other way round.

Keeps you on your toes, that's for sure.

He was a feral cat as well when he decided to adopt us or better me, my wife is tolerated when she dishes out the occassional treat but in general he feels more comfortable with me.

Where we previously lived, he must have been living under a discarded mattress in some overgrown backgarden for a while. He was really scruffy, skinny and looked generally unhealthy. Over time I managed to get him to approach the house, first feeding him on the patio, then just inside the utility room, the kitchen and finally, using plenty of tinned tuna, up in our lounge on the first floor. Took almost 6 month to get that far with him and unfortunately, it had one undesirable side-effect, he now refuses to feed on wet cat food anywhere else but from under our coffee table. Hey, you don't expect me to eat alone in the kitchen, do you?

Oh, he is a funny fella.

He loves having his head and neck rubbed real hard. He'll climb up on the settee, lie down on a cushion or blanket and as soon as you get your hand near his head, he will literally ram his head into your hand with all the power he can muster. It is a sight to behold, I tell you.

Yes, he is full of little quirks like this, making him more loveable every day.

I can only guess that he used to have an owner at one time, he was perfectly housetrained when we got him but one thing I did notice he hates and will turn on me even, is when I lift my arm over the top of my head. That's it and I had better seek serious cover.

Oh what the heck, might as well put a name to him, despite google probably connecting his name to more information about me. He's Pretty Boy and there is a bit of a story to that name, which in the end brings us back to the original TV topic.

I think it must have been in 2009, it was while watching Doctor Who, the double episode 'Silence in the Library' and 'Forrest of the Dead', where David Tennant is calle'd by what eventually turns out to be his future wife by the nickname 'Pretty Boy'. Well, that was it. I immediately knew that that would be his name from now on. Before that I used to call him cat, you, all sorts of things but that nickname seemed just so fitting (I'll attach a couple of small pics of him, gives you and idea).

As for your cat. Look at the bright side. They are wonderfully independent companions but as I said, their loyalties are fickle, maybe that was in part what your mum was referring to. Sneaky, no I don't think so, that's too much of a human trait but opportunistic, definitely. One thing for sure, most dog lovers tend to have a problem with cats and vice versa. Dogs are for obedience, cats for a nice dose of anarchy.

And yes, once you decided to be adopted, you shouldn't go back on it. A cat will find a new home or survive out on the streets but I don't feel comfortable with it.

We currently have two. Pretty Boy and Prinz (he was the runt of Pretty Boy's and Mitzi's litter and my wife wanted him). Both male, neither of them neutered, yet oddly enough, inside the house they get on really well with each other. Once you open the backdoor, different kettle of fish alltogether. LOL. Pretty Boy takes great delight in chasing his son up and down the footpath by the side of our house, while Prinz likes pouncing on him from the outside stairs leading up to a second entrance on the first floor.

Apart from those two, we feed about 6-7 other cats from the neighbourhood. Yes, our expenditure for cat food alone is quite significant. Partly, because nearly year round we have the backdoor into the garden open all day until late, so, it is kind of an open invitation really.

05-23-2012, 07:10 AM	#41
hoverfly Tiny Dick Extraordinaire Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: East of England Posts: 1,567	Finally getting round to replying... 'Jude the Obscure', haven't seen it myself but if the link takes you the the 6 part BBC series I found at IMDB, it's not as bad as you think, all 50 min chunks, so you don't really have to opt for the marathon sitting. I do like classics but maybe not necessarily filmed in classical style or adaptations. Let me explain. I saw 'Titus Andronicus' performed at the Barbican in London quite a few years back, great play, great actors but at the end of the day I found that the original text did leave me a little flabberghasted. Some years later I accidentally stumbled upon Julie Taymore's 'Titus', with Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange. I am unsure if you are going to like it but in my opinion it is the finest filmed adaptation of Shakespeare's play out there. It is packed with symbolism and the characters have great depth, though the visual aspects may take a little getting used to. Unfortunately, the trailer on IMDB isn't much good. 41 seconds inc. titlescreens and such don't leave much time to make a statement for a 160 minute movie. What makes matters worse is that you may have to watch it several times to a) get over the initial shock of the screenplay and b) take in all the aspects of its depth, yet as far as I am concerned, time well spent, though certainly not instant gratification. Try it, comes highly recommended. When it comes to the classical adaptation you are most likely referring to, I tend to be a little wary. Too many of the movies or TV series focus on a very British problem, marketing of the nations history, which more often then not ends up portraying a lifestyle or social settings that are frequently so tainted with quaint depictions of a nation that as portrayed in films never existed. Dickens's 'Bleak House' just to name one and the worst obviously being the dross produced by the Bronte sisters. One more adaptation of 'Wuthering Heights' and I'm going to throw the TV out the window. LOL So, classical literature adaptations are a bit of a mixed bag for me. But there are other classics out there, maybe not as highly regarded but still. Fritz Lang's 'Frau im Mond' (Girl in the Moon) of 1929, now there's one that I have enjoyed everytime I watched it. Same goes for his 1927 masterpiece 'Metropolis'. There are also a number of Russian movies that I like a lot. 'Aelita: Queen of Mars' by director Yakov Protazanov, actually predating the Fritz Lang movies by a few years I thought was quite a milestone for its time. Sergej Eisenstein's 'Battleship Potemkim', allthough heavily tainted by political indoctrination of the time, is still one of the great works of art. The movie is available legally from archive.org here: http://archive.org/details/BattleshipPotemkin There are more, lots more in fact and a fair few of them are actually available on www.archive.org, at least once the copyright has expired or the copyright holder made in publically available. That site is always a great source of legally downloadable material, just in case you are worried about that aspect. __________________ Feeling a little peckish? Visit The Official Food Porn Thread Click here if you need help uploading pictures. Guide to Uploading and Managing your Attachments Click here if you need to contact the forum staff. List of Forum Staff Last edited by hoverfly; 05-23-2012 at 07:35 AM.

05-23-2012, 07:54 AM	#42
hoverfly Tiny Dick Extraordinaire Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: East of England Posts: 1,567	Here is a list of free and legally available movies on archive.org (this is of course only a very minor collection). All of the movies are available to watch as a stream or download in usually a variety of formats. Sergei M. Eisenstein's 'Battleship Potemkin (1925)' Boris Karloff's first screen appearance in 'Last of the Mohicans (1920)' Michael Gordon's 'Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)' Charles Laughton, John Carradine and Randolph Scott in 'Captain Kidd (1945)' Ernest Hemingway's 'Farewell to Arms (1932)' Douglas Fairbanks 'Iron Mask (1952)' Frank Capra's 'Meet John Doe (1941)' Edward G. Robinson and Orson Welles in 'The Stranger (1946)' Captain Kirk's first footsteps prior to Star Trek in 'Shame (1962)' James Cagney in H.C. Potter's adaptation of William Saroyan's 'The Time of Your Life (1948)' Seymour Hicks in an adaptation of Charles Dickens's 'Scrooge (1935)' Alfred Hitchcock's 'The 39 Steps (1935)'. This movie was not available due to technical difficulties at the time of posting. Nat Levine's 'Dick Tracy (1937)' - complete 15 episodes I bet you recognise the American troubadour in this: 'Five Minutes To Live (1961)' Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)' Lon Chaney in 'The Phantom of the Opera (1925)' George Romero's 'Night of the Living Dead (1968)' - Funny story behind its availability, the producers plainly forgot to add a copyright notice to the movie, it became public domain the second it was released. Therefore, the full DVD is available for download. Lloyd Bridges in 'Rocketship X-M (1950)' Vincent Price starring in the first adaptation of Richard Matheson's 'I am Legend', yes precisely that one 'The Last Man on Earth (1964)' This one has to be included in the list Ed Woods 'Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)', considered by many to be the worst scifi movie ever made. Please note, this will be a bit of a 'work in progress' should it generate any interest. So, if you like the idea, let me know, these things do take time and effort, neither of which I like wasting. __________________ Feeling a little peckish? Visit The Official Food Porn Thread Click here if you need help uploading pictures. Guide to Uploading and Managing your Attachments Click here if you need to contact the forum staff. List of Forum Staff Last edited by hoverfly; 05-23-2012 at 08:22 AM.

05-25-2012, 07:29 AM	#44
hoverfly Tiny Dick Extraordinaire Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: East of England Posts: 1,567	Oh yes, Metropolis being the classic it is, that's available all over the place. But BEWARE, there are numerous versions out there. Make sure you know exactly which one you might be ordering. The versions vary by as much as 20 minutes. Owning, yes, I used to do that. Problem is, first it was VHS, then video CD, DVD, BluRay and what next. VHS all went to charity shops, video CD (I skipped that stage) proved a dead loss within a short period of time and DVD will soon enough only be good for a beermat and I presume the latest gadget BluRay will inevitably go the same way. I'd take a bit of a different approach if distributors were to offer a discount on returning old original versions but owning stuff 5 times over, that is something I do object to. Still, you do as you feel comfortable with. Battleship Potemkin, yes, do go for it, it is very much part of not just film history but actual history of the world, though tainted as I mentioned but it sheds light on an otherwise somewhat obscured part of life. I am a little ambivalent about the 'Do not open as an Adult', yes, there are things that I used to watch as a child that just don't ring true anymore but there are also the ones that haven't lost their appeal. Thunderbirds, A for Andromeda, the Quatermass movies and series and one that most likely nobody has ever heard of 'Shadoks' (Amazon Germany, French version), a series of 5 minute cartoons I guess you would have to call them, made in France in 1973. I bought that a few years ago and I still find it as off the wall as when I was younger. It is basically about two species of odd looking chaps that live in our galaxy, who only have 4 compartments in their head, enabling them to only ever know 4 things or store 4 words. Silly? Undoubtedly. Wonderfully funny? Definitely. This was a real cult series in Europe in the 70s, in fact so much so, that fans of the series pestered the copyright owners for so long that they finally relented and made it available on DVD. The link I included is only the 5 DVD set (680 minute runtim !!!), there are a couple more which were only published in German, though language doesn't really enter into it, the conversations of the Shadoks and Giby's consists of only words like ga, bu, zo, meu. It is the struggle of the Shadoks against the Gibys, who are hell bent on conquering their planet with the aide of the pirate, a beardy chap that roams space in a contraption not dissimilar to a Viking ship. Difficult to explain the concept really, allthough it sounds rather simple and silly. My wife hates it, I love it and it has me rolling on the floor with laughter, just like the first time when I saw it. But you are right, certain things should be left in peace but you gotta try, sometimes you come across stuff that has kept its fascination. Jacques Tati, wonderful, I am really pleased you mentioned him. Completely slipped my mind over the years. Haven't seen it for ages, at least 25 years at a rough guess. Which the raises the question: Did our humour mature or did we lose part of our sense of humour? Right, better sign off now, Airshow weekend and meeting of some of our forums members, which will be great. All coming to stay at our house, good for a bit of social bonding, good food, I've been baking for the past week, the fridge is stocked to its limits and the weather is fantastic. Time to head to the beach shortly for a brief swim. You all have a wonderful weekend, I know I will and I'll catch you early next week. H __________________ Feeling a little peckish? Visit The Official Food Porn Thread Click here if you need help uploading pictures. Guide to Uploading and Managing your Attachments Click here if you need to contact the forum staff. List of Forum Staff

05-25-2012, 07:38 AM	#45
hoverfly Tiny Dick Extraordinaire Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: East of England Posts: 1,567	Les Shadoks at Wikipedia (English) Les Shadoks official Homepage Les Shadoks at INA.FR (204 episodes online, French only) __________________ Feeling a little peckish? Visit The Official Food Porn Thread Click here if you need help uploading pictures. Guide to Uploading and Managing your Attachments Click here if you need to contact the forum staff. List of Forum Staff

06-15-2012, 10:13 AM	#46
hoverfly Tiny Dick Extraordinaire Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: East of England Posts: 1,567	Crazy... Sorry to have taken quite so long with the 'Breaking Bad'. Now, how can I put it favourably? LOL. Interesting idea but as you said, you have to watch a number of episodes until things do kick off and that's where to be honest, I just got bored with it. Don't get me wrong, I downloaded and watched the whole first two seasons and, yes, it does have its moments but I feel it is not really up my street. As I said before, I am not so much into series'. I sometimes feel that the pilot is great but then things do become a tad predictable and repetative. So, I won't bother going for any more but thanks, it could have worked out differently. What I did watch with surprising delight recently was 'Pirates of the Carribean', all 4 parts ran on BBC3, I think. That was quite funny, I must admit and Johnny Depp puts on a great show with his drunk, almost stroke-victim like slurred speach. I knew he was a good actor, I'd seen a couple of movies with him before, but this maritime fantasy, yes, I did enjoy that. __________________ Feeling a little peckish? Visit The Official Food Porn Thread Click here if you need help uploading pictures. Guide to Uploading and Managing your Attachments Click here if you need to contact the forum staff. List of Forum Staff

05-23-2012, 02:33 PM	#43
MarkBld Tiny Dick Intermediate Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 93	I started to ask where you were able to find Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" but, lo and behold, it's available on Amazon. It may be available for free elsewhere, but I'm afraid I'm a bit selfish when it comes to movies or tv shows: if I don't like it, I don't want it, even for free; if I do like it, I want it for my own - I don't want to rent it or even download it (and, to me, downloading a movie or show is not really owning it). I'll check out some of the links you give - especially "Ptomkin." I have the Vincent Price version of "I Am Legend." I tried once to watch "Citizen Kane," but could only make through the first half hour or so; but I'm determined to try it again. Sometimes what you see as a kid should be kept in a special little brain box labeled "Do Not Open As An Adult." Case in point, I had seen - on tv mind you! - the great French comic Jacques Tati's "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" - and absolutely roared with laughter. Years later I rented it and boy was I disappointed - I expected way too much and didn't allow for the difference between a kid's and an adult's sense of humor. I still liked the film; but the parts I found hilarious as a kid did nothing for me while some of the gags I missed then were quite wonderful. I guess I should just be grateful my taste actually did grow a bit in x-many years!

06-16-2012, 07:41 PM	#47
MarkBld Tiny Dick Intermediate Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 93	I think everyone but you and I have abandoned this particular thread, which is unfortunate because there is quite a range to this topic. Although since I dropped cable four years ago I only discover new TV shows once they're recommended to me. I did some research on "Breaking Bad" and I doubt if it would be for me either. For one thing, I don't particularly care for Brian Cranston; and the premise of the show seems extremely limiting. It's kind of like the old "The Fugitive": how much mileage can you get out of looking for a one-arm man? But I think "Reality TV" has finished the job of poisoning mainstream American TV that was started in the late 80's when every made-for-TV movie just had to be based on a real-life incident. If I want a real-life incident, I'll tune in the nightly news. LOL. I prefer fantasy, primarily because it allows a much greater scope for creative development. I've got a number of dvd's I've just got to get to; e.g., "Pan's Labyrinth" and a number of movies along that line. Essentially, I despise "happy" movies; wearing rose-colored glasses is even more nerve wracking than those God-awful 3-D glasses! Give me a dark, forboding movie with a tragic ending any day.

06-17-2012, 07:47 AM	#48
hoverfly Tiny Dick Extraordinaire Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: East of England Posts: 1,567	Hi Mark, Yes, it is a little dispiriting to find that any discussion beyond sex related topics tends to have a bit of a short shelf life. Makes you wonder why? All small penis guys only ever discuss themselves? I hope not, because, if so, then that might be the reason why people don't get far with women or anybody else for that matter. Be that as it may. Brian Cranston, I had to look him up first, then I got it, the Breaking Bad chap. No, the series does have its merrits but it is just not my cup of tea. The Fugitive, another one I had to look up on IMDB. Ah, 'Auf der Flucht' as it was called in Germany. I remember that. At the time I liked it, these days it seems little more then milking an idea into submission. It was different in the 60s though, you weren't flooded with all those programmes, well, there were only 2 in Germany back then anyway and you were grateful for anything that was different. As for 'Real Life' TV... They seem to have lost the idea of the 'real' bit a long time ago. I did try and sit through a Big Brother once, some 10 years ago, no don't worry, I didn't succeed. I did manage about 10 minutes of having to listen to mindless drivel from people who couldn't tie their shoelaces. But it is still ongoing I understand and those morons are still being hailed as 'celebrities'. There was one chick here in the UK that tried to make it as a singer later, don't ask me for a name. She apparently came to perform at one of the nightclubs in town here and they booed her off the stage for her singing, but not before demanding 'get your tits out', which was most likely her true claim to fame. Don't even get me started on 3D. Paying a premium for the (dis)pleasure of having to sit there with a piece of cardboard nailed to my nose? I don't think so. Quite apart from which, I don't see any 3D anyway. I don't recall if I ever recommended 'Following (1998)' to you. I think this might be right up your street, talking about dark and brooding. A little pricy in the US I am afraid, so if you can find it anywhere else but Amazon, you might be in for a real treat. Check it out on Amazon here: Amazon.com: Following: Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell, John Nolan, Dick Bradsell, Gillian El-Kadi, Jennifer Angel, Nicolas Carlotti, Darren Ormandy, Guy Greenway, Tassos Stevens, Tristan Martin, Rebecca James, Paul Mason (VI), David Bovill, . Oh, just spotted it on sale on Amazon as a second hand for around 5 dollars. Money well spent, believe me. Made on a shoestring budget of only 6,000$ it is one of the best of its genre, at least I'd like to think so and the end is tragic alright. What do you mean by poisoning American TV? You surely mean world wide, don't you? I couldn't agree more, there is just so much mindless rubbish coming from the USA these days it is unbelievable. Even my mainstay, documentaries, aren't what they used to be. I've been a member of the National Geographic since about 1962 if I recall correctly but these days I try and avoid the US versions of their TV programmes like the plague. The difference between UK and US versions is so vast, hard to believe you are watching the same programme. Worst recent example being 'Around the World in 90 Minutes' about the ISS orbit and what happens on Earth during one such revolution. The US original actually runs for 90 mins, yet contains very little useful information, while the cut to 60 minute UK version I ended up watching twice, information overkill, too much to take in in one go. But there is still PBS, their NOVA series I sometimes download off the web. There is still room for some braincells in their programmes. On the whole I think this reflects what Europeans think of the USA being like, a bit of a generalisation, I know, but it does appear that Americans do like simple solutions for very complex problems. Not offence meant. Right, I have to have another look at one of our cats, limping on the right front paw and also unable to feed properly, looks like he injured himself in the mouth somehow. __________________ Feeling a little peckish? Visit The Official Food Porn Thread Click here if you need help uploading pictures. Guide to Uploading and Managing your Attachments Click here if you need to contact the forum staff. List of Forum Staff

06-18-2012, 06:45 PM	#49
MarkBld Tiny Dick Intermediate Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 93	Took your advice and ordered "Following" from Amazon ($5.96). Although dissing American TV makes shooting ducks in a pond look harrowing, the proof is in the pudding. The problem is the American public; they don't just like "pablum" - they like it smoothed to the consistency of buttermilk. No lumps, no bumps, nothing to surprise their expectations. They like all creative ventures vetted by what's called "the suits" (is that the term UK also uses for network executives?); that way they can be sure the creative impulse has been sufficiently castrated to make suitable family viewing. And there's the key to the whole thing - and not just with TV and movies: in America, EVERYTHING must be made "suitable" for kids. That's why, among other things, it's almost impossible to find plain yogurt in the supermarket - oh no no no, the kiddies needs something sugary or else mommie can't buy it! On TV too everything must be nice and sugary. I actually thought cable might be a good alternative; but except for HBO, it's just as bland as network TV. It's no accident I've ended up with such a library of British dvd's. About the only American shows I have on dvd are science fiction - and that's only because the space travel thing kind of balances out the blandness. That said, I do commend a lot of American made documentaries. There's a couple Michael Moore's I really like; I consider his "Bowling in Columbine" to be something of a masterpiece. And documentaries like "Gasland" (about the hazards of extracting natural gas from sand tars and so forth); "Food Inc" (about the perils of corporate produced food); "The End of the Line" (about the overfishing of the oceans) - plus numerous others in that vein. You ended your last post by mentioning your cat(s). Let me do likewise. I rescued a cat four years ago and now all I can see for my future is which one of us will die first. It took all this time to realize my mother was right all along: she hated cats, said they were "sneaking." Should have listened to her. Maddening thing is, I have this idea I can't shake that once you rescue someone - like a cat - you become responsible for them the rest of their lives. If the cat hated me I could maybe justify taking her to the pound; but she seems to adore me. Go figure!