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sirhoon
Reviews
Quarry (2016)
Hooked and then cut off
I stumbled across this on our local streaming service and was immediately hooked by the premise, the setting, the music, the style, the atmosphere, the psychology, the story and the acting. One of the best shows I've seen in a long long time. I've just found out that a second season isn't being made (this should definitely not stop you watching this though, just one season is totally worth it). Please please please please find a way to make a season two.
Atlanta (2016)
Brilliance
Not so much a laugh out loud show, more of an intelligent social commentary made with a lot of humour. Having said that though, I accidentally ingested something green and edible and the B.A.N episode (aka Donaghue) was one of the funniest things that I have ever seen it my life. I'm still not sure what happened.
100% recommended. Brilliant TV.
Wasted (2016)
Being wasted is funny
Having spent the last part of the 90's in the UK including some dabbling in the drug culture, well, I really relate to this show and think it is one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. It's not"stoner" comedy because they don't just get stoned. In fact a lot of it is straight with the interaction of the "waster" characters just doing and saying stupid waster things. In other words, it's mint. Kind of a modern day cheech and chong set in a small British village with four friends and Sean Bean as his GOT character playing Morpheus' subconscious. Obviously innit! Childish? maybe. Funny? I certainly think so. Please make another season.
Grimsby (2016)
One of the best laughs this century.
A hilarious comedy that seems to intentionally push boundaries yet still had me shaking with laughter. It is also action packed with good production, featuring a solid Mark Strong as the straight-acting brother separated as a child who is now a government spy. A friend of mine who claims to dislike comedies and only likes action movies (sigh yes I know) also liked this film.
I'm not a Cohen fanboy, for example I think Ali G was genius, but I found Borat a cringe-worthy attempt to replicate the formula for the US audience. But when he hits the mark as he did in this movie he absolutely nails it.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
How this movie finally made sense
Please note, this review/guide contains references to drug and alcohol use. It is not intended as a recommendation or instruction for anybody to follow. It is just what worked for me.
--- I watched Apocalypse Now a number of times through my life, and while I always enjoyed it I found it slightly beyond my reach. Drug use is a (minor) theme in the movie, and I suspect a major theme in the making of it (it certainly was for at least one of the cast). I'm somewhat unusual that I started experimenting with different substances later in life, and was never really much of a philosopher, so I never really understood some of the more abstract aspects of this movie. However I finally watched Apocalypse Now and it all made sense, as much as it can. Part of that was to stop expecting it to make sense, which is an obvious metaphor for how many felt about the war itself.
So here's my recipe for "getting it". This could be unique to me and how I interpret things. It is in no way intended as an instruction or recommendation, it's just what worked for me. The following are chronological steps that can be separated by months or preferably even years.
Step 1: familiarise yourself with the Vietnam war. Watch movies, the likes of Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, even Hamburger Hill and some lesser known ones. Read the literature, both fiction and non-fiction. Listen to the music of the era.
Step 2: know what it's like to consume lots of alcohol. Note the above point where I say this is not a recommendation - health authorities will tell you this step and the following ones are bad...
Step 3: smoke some weed.
Step 4: experiment with hallucinogenics. LSD, mushrooms, mescaline, whatever floats your proverbial boat.
Step 5: know what it's like to question your own sanity. This step definitely isn't recommended, but chances are if you've followed the above steps you might have some idea.
Now revisit step 3, sit down, and watch this movie. I personally prefer the redux version but that's a matter of preference. Enjoy.
Archer (2009)
Phrasing?
Holy **** snacks. The best comedic dialogue I have had the pleasure of missing due to laughing so hard at the previous line. Thank goodness for the rewind button.
Archer is the most immature secret agent ever, who also kicks some serious behind. Set in some ambiguous time where floppy disks reside next to big screen plasma TV's & cyborgs, and where Russia is still the stereotypical bad guy of choice, this is all about the dialogue and humour - often immature, always funny.
So, if you don't like laughing at sarcasm, stereotyping, sex, violence, drug use, phrasing, innuendo etc all doused in buckets of humour then don't watch this show. If you like otherwise, don your best black turtle neck and step into the danger zone. And remember, bro's before apparent threats to national security.