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By squigs (Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 06:07:59 AM EST) (all tags)
I'm still hibernating in front of the telly.  I have an electric heater to help.

It looks like the new season is upon us, so we're slowly getting some of the shows that started in the US last year.

Also decided I really should watch some classic films.  Film Four and TCM show quite a few of these.  This is really screwing up my DVD schedule.



So, recent highlights:

Battlestar Galactica.  We're up to episode 4. the colonists have been re-evacuated from the planet, the whole escpae and destroying the pegasus was funGlad they've got rid of the Pegasus. It was too effective. But has Roslyn somehow decided that she should be president again? Damn! That woman is power hungry.  I'm still finding this show a little politically simplistic.  And they can't seem to work out the timeline.  Starbuck gets convinced she's a mother to a toddler, who looks far too old for that to be possible,  whereas half-cylon daughter of Boomer and Helo still seems to be a baby even though she should be  about 18 months old by now and crawling, at least. 

Lost.  Looks like Sky are experimentign with synching to the US broadcasts again.  Probably somethign to do with so many people downloading episodes.  Now we are properly introduced to the others.  And they've changed from a mysterious malovelent outside force to a bunch of incompetent conspirators, all highly paranoid, and desperate to bump each other off.

24.  I think they've forgetten the premise of this show. It's meant to be a series of events that could plausibly happen in a day.  They kinda lost this conceit back in day 3, when Tony was in and out of surgery, and back at work in a matter of hours.  Day 6, we have Jack being tortured immediately rather than being allowed to sweat.  Escaping, and finding the place he needs to get to is a convenient 10 minute drive from where he happens to be, while it takes the secret service about 20 minutes to leave, get a search warrant, and return.  Also, they seem to have heard of the concept of "not negotiating with terrorists", but not really understood it. 

The West Wing.  Damn, this show is good.  How did I miss it first time around?  The annoyance is that I only get one episode a week.  100 squids or so for the box set (+ import duty whatever that comes to) is way too much for a show that while I really like it, I'm not really likely to be interested in rewatching.

Movies:

The Godfather Can't believe I've nevergot round to seeing this before.  I just never had the 3 hours to spare.  It's rather a good film, although being useless at faces and people, and the Sicilian families being quite large, I keep forgetting who's who and who did what.

Conspiracy theory.  Though I should watch for some reason.  Started off goofy, but fun.  ended up daft and boring. 

Star Wars - I just felt I should share this link: http://www.morningstar.nildram.co.uk/A_New_Sith.html

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Nebbish recommends by nebbish (2.00 / 0) #1 Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 06:31:34 AM EST
Deadwood and the Wire.

I'm "acquiring" the first season of Battlestar Galactica at this very moment. Its passed me by but I though I should see what all the fuss is about.

--------
It's political correctness gone mad!


The timeline by wiredog (2.00 / 0) #2 Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 08:36:22 AM EST
Suposedly the child was conceived on Caprica (back in Season 2, IIRC). Remember how the Cylons, when they had Starbuck prioner, did that second operation?

Kinda B5-like in that you have to remember minor details from previous season to know what's going on.

Yeah, that baby should be walking around by now. But maybe she is, and we just haven't seen it on screen.

I'd say more about Roslyn, but that'd spoilerize it.

Universal HD, on some cable networks, is running BSG in HD. That's been fun.

Earth First!
(We can strip mine the rest later.)



Galactica by squigs (2.00 / 0) #6 Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 11:14:44 AM EST
As long as there's recognition of the power vacuum caused by Baltar's absense, I'll be happy. 

Sky also runs it in HD, but that's not much use for me.  All the LCD screens I've seen look a bit glitchy (and most are only 768 pixels vertical resolution), and Plasma is way too fragile.

Kacey might have been the right age actually.  They were travelling a good few months after she was conceived, and they spent a couple of years on the planet.  It's just Hera who's far too young.  Or half-cylons age at half the human rate.

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About 1 year on the planet. by wiredog (2.00 / 0) #8 Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 12:13:21 PM EST
So ?Hera would be about 18 months. So she should be walking and talking.

Zarik (or whoever that guy played by Richard Hatch is), is Baltar's Veep.

As the season goes on Baltar becomes a more sympathetic (and slightly less plain old pathetic) character.

It looks good on my 720p LCD screen. Maybe my local cable company has more bandwidth.

Earth First!
(We can strip mine the rest later.)

[ Parent ]

HDTVs by squigs (2.00 / 0) #9 Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 05:52:23 PM EST
Hard to say.  All the TVs in the shop were showing exactly the same BBC HD content.  The plasma ones were noticably better than the LCD ones, and I can't believe it was just a matter of resolution.  Maybe there was some other factor affecting them, or maybe there was a downconversion problem in the STBs they were using.

[ Parent ]

Contrast ration by wiredog (2.00 / 0) #10 Sun Jan 28, 2007 at 02:30:20 PM EST
Plasma is about 10k:1, LCD about 1K:1. Plasma looks much better, but LCD HD is noticeably better than even a high end glass bottle standard def TV.

Earth First!
(We can strip mine the rest later.)

[ Parent ]

The Godfather is the rare series by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #3 Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 08:48:49 AM EST
where the sequel is as good as the first. There are far worse ways to spend your time than watching the original and sequel on a Saturday afternoon, i've seen the both several times, and could easily watch them again, and again. Avoid Godfather III though.




Catching them on Film Four by squigs (2.00 / 0) #4 Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 08:58:27 AM EST
Part 2 is on tonight so Tivo will get that, and I'll watch it sometime next week. 

[ Parent ]

Another example by Herring (2.00 / 0) #5 Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 10:05:52 AM EST
Airplane. Actually I think II is better.

Judge: Doctor, can you give the Court your impression of Mr. Striker?
Dr. Stone:, I'm sorry, I don't do impressions, my training is in psychiatry.

That always cracks me up.

I'm English, and as such I crave disappointment. - Bill Bailey
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Well, Star Trek movies too by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #7 Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 11:28:43 AM EST
2 was much more enjoyable than 1.


[ Parent ]

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