29 January 2013

Falcon: The Silent and the Damned (Sky, 2012)

Where The Blind Man of Seville was an intriguing detective mystery, The Silent and the Damned was... a talky and bland procedural for morons.

Great acting, though.  Nice scenery, too - even had me flashing on Almodavar.

But God what a boring story.

25 January 2013

The Hour - Season 2 - Debrief

Half-way through the season finale, more-than-a-mere-housewife Marnie Madden tells her philandering TV-star husband Hector that she's preggers.  Except - was it the penultimate ep? - Hector told colleague and proper journo Freddie Lyon that he was sterile.  Dominic West's craft - ho, Bal'more! - coupled with the absolute lack of dialogue for those precious few seconds, were television gold.

It's a pity it was one of a mere few flakes of the shiny stuff that The Hour has thrown up this season.  Everything else has been exposition, melodrama and pantomime level dialogue.  Pity.

18 January 2013

The Hour S02E02

My last post about this show was two months ago.  That's how excited the season opener made me feel about moving on to the next ep.  (What with Last Resort and Vegas, not very.)

So I started watching the second ep last night and I found myself admiring the widescreen telly we have - that Sony box has done us well, it has - oh wait, that guy from The Wire has just gotten himself thrown in gaol and - my, it's been ages since I've vacuumed the ceiling.

There is a sore and desperate need for some bloody drama in this show that is really lacking.  "But the guy from The Wire's in gaol!" you cry.  Don't care.  "Oh no, the Perfume guy's French wife has just been inked!" you shriek.  Don't care.  "And the woman from Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights - oh her heart, 'tis broke!" you rail.

Don't.  Fucking.  Care.

11 January 2013

Vegas S01E11

Ay, wow.

Okay, the Little Brother getting something on with the Gangster's Daughter plot I can do without - or it could do with a lot less cheese.  Sure, the Sheriff's Son relationship with the Spicy Sheriff's Office Manager has so far been nicely underplayed.  Yeah, Quaid's Lamb is beginning to grate with the teeth-flashing and guttural noises that are supposed to pass for hero-of-few-words.

But it's Chiklis' Savino that's really beginning to shine.  My doubts of a post-Shield Chiklis as a Chicago mobster have been shoved aside by Chiklis as a Mobster with a Dream.  People are doing things with the best intentions.  Complications are ensuing.  Things are going to get worse before they get better.

What a great way to come into the new year.

08 January 2013

Zero Dark Thirty (2012; Kathryn Bigelow / Mark Boal)

Engrossing, intense, didn't-feel-like-150-minutes, classy filmmaking.

Barely a week into 2013 and I've already got a film of the year contender.

07 January 2013

Transporter: The Series (RTL, 2012-)

Whaaat?

And the sad thing is I'm gonna watch the pilot because that's how sad I am.

04 January 2013

2013

Went to see Bond 23 (I sat here a full minute trying to remember the bloody title and failed) at an actual cinema last weekend. I've never really minded the exaggerated opening of packets of crisps - some motherfuckers think that if they open their packets slowly, no one will notice - but I can understand the motivation behind the slow-opening of packets: people are trying to be considerate. Talkers have been... open to negotiation on shutting the fuck up during a movie. But nowadays - maybe it's my age - it's people who think it's okay to check their txts during the movie that make me wish I could throw a Jaffa down-theatre (my aim is shit and what do I look like to you, a dickhead?).

Still can't remember the name of the Bond title. I know Daniel Craig is in it, with Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem, Judy Dench, Ben Wishaw and Naomie Harris. I know that it mostly wiped away the fucking shitty taste of Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. And that it was directed by Sam Mendes, with opening theme by Adele.

Fucking hell, I'm off reservation.

Back to the point of this post. This is just a list of what I'm looking forward to this year.

Must see: Star Trek Into Darkness 'cause the last one was so damned fun, The Last Stand 'cause of Arnie, A Good Day to Die Hard 'cause hey it's a Die Hard ep, Iron Man 3 'nuff said, Man of Steel 'cause Watchmen showed some maturity, Elysium 'cause, Prototype 'cause of the trailer, and Gravity 'cause of Clooney (wait - it's still got Clooney, right?).

Can wait for: Gangster Squad even though Sean Penn looks like he's left over from Dick Tracy, G.I. Joe: Retaliation really only 'cause it's got Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis, World War Z even though it looks like it's fucked the source material, and Kick Ass 2 because let's be honest: I'm a sucker for carnage choreographed to childrens TV show tunes.

Don't care so won't bother considering: Oblivion, Parker, After Earth, The Hobbit, Lone Ranger. Boring boring BORING.  Shitty trailers, too.

And I must say I'm curious about the following: Dead Man Down 'cause the trailer's kinda interesting, Pain and Gain 'cause I'm curious what Michael Bay can do without CGI, The Wolverine even though I'm no fan (but hey, it's directed by James Mangold), Old Boy 'cause it's directed by Spike Lee, and Pacific Rim where hopefully Idris Elba does a whole lot better than he got in Prometheus.

Still can't remember the bloody Bond film but, thanks to Google, it's goddamned Skyfall.  It certainly left an impression on this one, didn't it?