What are you watching

I saw that particular version of the band at the Rainbow, Finsbury Park in the early 70s and i'm fairly sure that they did that number. I like to think that the title is a stage direction rather than an order to action.
 
I don’t usually watch it but Extraordinary Escapes at Christmas featuring Sandy Toksvig tonight featured Norway and she took Deborah Meaden to a wildlife reserve for wolves. Not only could you see them from your window but they also got to meet them. Deborah Meaden was overwhelmed. As was I: I just sat crying!
 
BBC showing some really good films on BBC2 ( still waiting for Where Eagles Dare - Broadsword calling ) amongst them one of the greatest of all time , A Matter Of Life And Death, and last night Heat which I think is a very, very good film despite 2 holes in the plot , which I put down to editing and no one sussed it. It's not intellectully stimulating or even has the greatest acting in parts, but it's very very well done.

On BBC4 ( I think, was tired so that may not be correct ) last night was a programme about the Bayeux Tapestry which was absolutely fascinating. What I never realised was that there was/is a bit of a mystery who actually made it. I always thought it was the Normans - 'the winners always write history' but the programme made the case for the Anglo Saxons backed up with various bits of evidence, the way the story was actually told in the Tapestry ( Harold shown in a very good light at the beginning of it) and documents in Canterbury, some dating back to 579 which show images which are replicated exactly in the tapestry. Absolutely fascinating if you can catch it.
 
There’s a very good You’re Dead to Me (my favourite podcast) on BBC Sounds about the Bayeux Tapestry with Janina Ramirez.
 
I don't really do podcasts, I have very little patience for listening/watching things on a pc. My phone is too old to cope with things like that as well!
 
G-G said:
BBC showing some really good films on BBC2 ( still waiting for Where Eagles Dare - Broadsword calling ) amongst them one of the greatest of all time , A Matter Of Life And Death, and last night Heat which I think is a very, very good film despite 2 holes in the plot , which I put down to editing and no one sussed it. It's not intellectully stimulating or even has the greatest acting in parts, but it's very very well done.
Click to expand...

I must watch Where Eagles Dare at least half a dozen time a year. I love it. It's a brilliant film with no real pretensions. It's also incredibly close to the book.

I don't have the DVD of A Matter of Life and Death and rarely mange to catch it on the odd occasion they decide to show it on council TV. It's another really good one.

I think I've only seen Heat once. I'm too old for films like that now, I reckon.
 
Desert Orchid said:
I must watch Where Eagles Dare at least half a dozen time a year. I love it. It's a brilliant film with no real pretensions. It's also incredibly close to the book.

I don't have the DVD of A Matter of Life and Death and rarely mange to catch it on the odd occasion they decide to show it on council TV. It's another really good one.

I think I've only seen Heat once. I'm too old for films like that now, I reckon.
Click to expand...

MacLean was into his phase of writing screenplays first then doing the book at that point according to the biography I read.

I was a huge MacLean fan growing up, was devastated when he died in 87 or thereabouts.

My favourite line is one of his repeats "it's blacker than the earl of hell's waistcoat out there".
 
Desert Orchid said:
I must watch Where Eagles Dare at least half a dozen time a year. I love it. It's a brilliant film with no real pretensions. It's also incredibly close to the book.

I don't have the DVD of A Matter of Life and Death and rarely mange to catch it on the odd occasion they decide to show it on council TV. It's another really good one.

I think I've only seen Heat once. I'm too old for films like that now, I reckon.
Click to expand...

Ditto re WED! I never get tired of watching it. I have often wondered about the book and whether it was close to the film?I may get it now on your recommendation. On a couple of occasions when reading books after the film I have found the books unreadable, which says a lot of the skill of the screen writers. Master And Commander is another great film imho but I found the book totally unreadable. Ditto L A Confidential, the book was terrible! I couldn't read Wolf Hall either and I really wanted to but just could not get on with her style of writing, the TV series is fantastic though- I know that wasn't her doing it so again hats off to the writers.

AMOLAD may be on catch up still if you want to see it as was on during the Crimbo hols I think, maybe Christmas Eve? I found it waiting for the racing to come on. I do have the DVD- nowadays it would have a 2nd disc showing you how they did it/interviews which would be absolutely fabulous to watch.

Heat wouldn't be my sort of film normally but the choreography of the exit from the bank is just brilliant, Pacino reins himself in for most of it, ( not one of my favs have to admit) De Niro is spot on... I think it's just a well told story with believable characters, even with the 2 holes in the plot!
 
Speaking of books converted to film - the new Netflix version of All quiet on the Western front is superb. Accurately conveys the bleakness and futility of the book.
 
As a pure coincidence, WED starts at 3.50 today on Channel 5.

I'll have to watch it even though I've got the DVD and can do so anytime, and it's only a couple of weeks since I last watched it!
 
G-G said:
and last night Heat which I think is a very, very good film despite 2 holes in the plot , which I put down to editing and no one sussed it. It's not intellectully stimulating or even has the greatest acting in parts, but it's very very well done.
Click to expand...

There's a podscast called the Rewatchables where they re-watch films (hence the title) and then discuss them. It's an American podcast and the host I listen to all the time because of the NFL content on his site but it's really good. I believe they have done three episodes featuring Heat.

I've recently re-watched Con Air, Inside Man, Training Day, Boogie Nights and Goodfellas and then listened to the podcast discussing those films. Highly recommended.
 
Desert Orchid said:
As a pure coincidence, WED starts at 3.50 today on Channel 5.

I'll have to watch it even though I've got the DVD and can do so anytime, and it's only a couple of weeks since I last watched it!
Click to expand...

I was working but have it on plus 5 now! Broadsword calling Danny Boy - have to message an ex colleague on FB as well everytime it's on - it's a running joke between us!
 
Euronymous said:
There's a podscast called the Rewatchables where they re-watch films (hence the title) and then discuss them. It's an American podcast and the host I listen to all the time because of the NFL content on his site but it's really good. I believe they have done three episodes featuring Heat.

I've recently re-watched Con Air, Inside Man, Training Day, Boogie Nights and Goodfellas and then listened to the podcast discussing those films. Highly recommended.
Click to expand...

Did they mention the holes in the plot???? :)
 
Probably, they've spent three hours talking about it overall. One of the categories they have is picking nits where they go over that sort of thing. What are these holes?

There's a film on ITV hub called The Chain from the 80s. Seen it before years ago, it's about a massive house moving chain. Loads of top class old actors..Leo McKern, Nigel Hawthorne, Warren Mitchell. Gonna watch it this evening.
 
Last edited:
Euronymous said:
Probably, they've spent three hours talking about it overall. One of the categories they have is picking nits where they go over that sort of thing. What are these holes?

.
Click to expand...

Spolier Alert! Waingro: the scene in the cafe where they decide to knock him off and then lose him in the carpark; the name Van Zant hasn't been mentioned to him at that point and he doen't see the name/know the name on the bonds so has no idea who they belonged to or what they are going to do what they do next re the bonds.
Also at that point Neil hasn't told the others about the bank either, so no way Waingro knew about Van Zant or the bank to send anyone after Trejo and torture him to get that info, and then inform on them.
Also Trejo phones Neil and says he has cops all over him and can't dump them, but there had already been a scene in the squad room where Wes Studi ( so good as Magua in LOTM ) says the 'gang' have dumped all their survellaince, so either clearly not going by what Trejo says , or he's mistaken Van Zant etc for the police but would he make that kind of mistake? Not a chance.
Either way Waingro had no knowledge of those two incidences based on the way the film is shown/edited.
 
I'm gonna have to re-watch and look for these, it's been a couple of years. I think Trejo had been paidoff though, the cops being on him was just an excuse.
 
Watched Mayflies last two nights on BBC1....a very good drama about a sensitive subject and brilliantly acted. I was sobbing at the end.
 
Oh I so want to see this! I was supposed to go with a friend before Christmas but we couldn’t each find the right day and it’s not at the local cinemas any more.
 
Decided to watch Yesterday the other evening as there was not much else on. I hadn't seen it since a rare foray to the cinema when it came out.

I'd forgotten what an utterly enjoyable little film it is (and how sensational some of the Beatles' songs are/were).

And the character played by Lily James is impossible not to fall in love with.

I'm at an age and stage when I want films to entertain me and this one does in bucketsful.
 
Back
Top