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Favourite movies: Pulp Fiction, Memento, Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, Reservoir Dogs, Annie Hall, Million Dollar Baby, Citizen Kane, The Big Lebowski, American Beauty.
Prefer clever dramas with good plots, character depth and/or a profound point, gritty crime dramas, edgy comedies and realistic war movies. Movies that make me think and/or feel.
Favourite directors: Quentin Tarantino, The Coen Brothers, Woody Allen, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin, Billy Wilder, Christopher Nolan, John Huston, John Ford.
Favourite TV drama series (incl. mini-series): The Sopranos, Band of Brothers, Bosch, Breaking Bad, Bron/Broen (The Bridge, original series), The Wire, Firefly, Das Boot (1985), Generation Kill, Stranger Things.
Favourite TV comedy series: Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Simpsons, Chappelle's Show, Seinfeld, Friends, Fawlty Towers, The Mighty Boosh, Arrested Development, Scrubs, 30 Rock.
Intelligent and/or edgy comedies, plus gritty dramas, in general. Documentaries, esp on military history.
See my lists for all my favourite movies and TV shows.
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The Zone of Interest (2023)
The film's understatedness both makes and breaks it
For Rudolf Hoss, life is good. He lives in a big house the country with his wife and five children, whom he dotes on. He has several servants. He has his dream job and is very good at it, leading a very large team and garnering praise from peers and superiors alike. His job? He's the commandant at Auschwitz concentration camp.
A film that takes understatement to the next level. The main character is one of the most despicable people in history, a mass murderer responsible for the death of over a million people. Yet here is depicted as a loving family man, doting on his kids, having to deal with domestic issues like any other person.
Even in his "business" dealings he is shown to be very good at his job: we see him being a good planner and striving for efficiency. You almost admire him until you remember what he does for a living.
Such is the film's dedication to not confronting us directly with Hoss's atrocities, we never see the concentration camp or witness directly what he does. Instead we learn about it through his meetings, where Nazi officers calmly and methodically plan the killing of millions. It's all very business-like and reminded me of Conspiracy, the 2001 TV movie about the Wannsee conference, the meeting that essentially planned the Holocaust.
It's quite chilling, evil being presented in such less-malevolent-seeming form.
However, this understatedness is also to the film's detriment. The domestic scenes consume most of the film and are generally quite dull. That's the idea - even mass murderers have to deal with the mundanity of domestic life - but it does make for a bit of grind to get through.
There's also no profound or powerful denouncement of Hoss's actions. There is a reminder towards the end of the outcome of his actions but it's very subtle and doesn't hit home hard enough.
It also helps to have a decent knowledge of history, especially of WW2 and the concentration camps, as not much is given away through the script. People without that knowledge are probably going to struggle to understand this film.
All in all, it's a well-made movie with good intentions but the execution is bit off, resulting in the film not being as powerful and profound as it could have been.
Masters of the Air (2024)
Very good, though a bit uneven and unfocused
1943. Best friends, US Army Air Force bomber pilots Majors Gale "Buck" Cleven and John "Bucky" Egan have been posted to the 100th Bomb Group in England, flying B-17 bombers. Cleven will be a squadron commander, Egan the group's air exec. The 100th Bomb Group will be part of the allied air offensive against Germany and nothing can prepare Cleven and Egan for what lies ahead.
A series more than a decade in the arriving. Not long after The Pacific was released in 2010, another Steven Spielberg-Tom Hanks-produced WW2 mini-series, in the same vein as Band of Brothers and The Pacific, was apparently on the cards. Titled "The Mighty Eighth" this was to focus on US 8th Air Force B-17 pilots during the bombing offensive against Germany.
Well, after many years and many fake starts (every few months there's be a click-baity Facebook post with "filming on The Mighty Eighth has started!), here it is.
The end result is very good. I learned from watching The Pacific to never compare a subsequent one of these mini-series to Band of Brothers - there's no way any war series will ever be in the same league as Band of Brorthers. So, I set my expectations at a moderate level and I can't say I'm disappointed. In fact, in many respects it beat my initial expectations, though not without a few let-downs on the way.
It started slowly and unengagingly as we are introduced to the two main characters and see their journeys to their base in England. Dialogue and some sub-plots seemed a bit clichéd and cheesy. However, once the action starts it becomes very gritty and riveting.
Some great battle and flying scenes. CGI is good and gets better as the series goes on. Plus, it's not just about the action - the attention to detail is very good too, e.g. Showing pre-flight checklists, missions gets scrubbed. It's not about gung ho heroism.
As the series goes on we see what the air crews have to go through and how the odds of survival are stacked against them, increasing the engagement level.
At a point, the series looked headed to be a masterpiece. If the series had concentrated on the bombing offensive, the dangers the crews were up against, what it would take to turn the tide and the contribution to the war effort the 8th Air Force made, it would have been brilliant.
However, from a point we get to see less and less of the air offensive. This is due to two events befalling the two main characters (and which I'm not going to describe as it would involve spoilers). The air war is then told from other perspectives, some of which are reasonably interesting, but it does dilute the focus of the series.
In addition to losing focus this also creates an unevenness in the series as the air battle scenes are fantastic while some other plot-lines are a bit underwhelming.
As the series goes on the focus gets more and more diluted as more characters and plot-lines are thrown into the mix. You also get the feeling the writers want to capture as many events from WW2 as possible, making for a rather patchy, contrived-feeling at times, story.
Overall it's still very good though, as mentioned, at one stage it had the potential to be brilliant.
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2006)
Superb film(s)
A young woman is shot and left for dead at her wedding. Her entire wedding party is massacred in cold blood. After four years in a coma she awakes and systematically sets out to wreak revenge on the people responsible, especially their leader, Bill...
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair is the single-film version of Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2. It isn't simply the two films joined together but a reedited version of the two films, though much of the two films stays as and where it is.
Having enjoyed Kill Bill Vols 1 and 2 immensely I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed by this. Solid, original plot, good character depth, cool dialogue (as you would expect from Tarantino), great action scenes. Good use too of time-jumps, a Tarantino trademark. Solid performances too.
Tarantino has a habit of wearing his influences on his sleeve and this is homage to martial arts films. The fact that he cast Sonny Chiba in a role in Kill Bill bears testimony to that.
This all said, I'm not sure I watched the actual Tarantino edit but more likely watched a fan edit. It's been a while since I watched Vols 1 and 2 so I can't say for sure but pretty much everything looks exactly like Vols 1 and 2, except for the end credits to Vol 1 and the start credits to Vol 2 being missing, of course. Plus, apparently it's impossible to get hold of the actual Tarantino version.
Masters of the Air: Part One (2024)
Good start
1943. Best friends, US Army Air Corps bomber pilots Majors Gale "Buck" Cleven and John "Bucky" Egan have been posted to the 100th Bomb Group in England, flying B-17 bombers. Cleven will be a squadron commander, Egan the group's air exec. The 100th Bomb Group will be part of the allied air offensive against Germany and nothing can prepare Cleven and Egan for what lies ahead.
A good start to the series. I was initially a bit underwhelmed: the set-up in the US seemed unengaging and token and the two main characters seemed too young for their rank. However, as things progress things get much more gritty and engaging and the pilots of the USAAC were probably really that young.
Some good battle and flying scenes. It's not just about the action - the attention to detail is very good too, e.g. Showing pre-flight checklists, missions gets scrubbed. It's not about gung ho heroism.
CGI is good though maybe not 100% realistic. Feels like a PC game at times.
Overall though, an interesting start. I'll certainly be watching Episode 2.
12 O'Clock High (1964)
Entertaining
World War 2. The 918th Bomb Group is part of the US 8th Air Force, tasked with bombing Germany by day. Flying B-17 Flying Fortresses and commanded first by Brigadier General Savage then by Colonel Gallagher, these are some of the missions they took on and the dangers they faced.
An entertaining World War 2 drama. Some great action sequences, often making use of actual WW2 footage. Much of the non-archival footage makes use of actual B-17s so the production is quite elaborate in terms of the flying scenes.
It is reasonably formulaic though as well as some plots being a bit far-fetched. In addition, this is not a serial and there's no continuity: each episode is independent of what came before. So you have odd situations like someone getting badly wounded in one episode and the next he's right as rain, as if nothing happened. This non-realism does make engagement limited.
The series improved slightly when General Savage was replaced by Colonel Gallagher. Savage was a fairly one-dimensional, gung ho sort of character while Gallagher is more multi-faceted and believable.
Overall, not brilliant but very watchable.
The Offer (2022)
Brilliant drama series on a brilliant film
Al Ruddy is working as a programmer at the Rand Corporation but sees an opportunity to produce TV shows and movies. Mario Puzo is a struggling author whose wife gives him an idea to write a book on the Mafia. Joe Colombo is a rising crime boss. Their three worlds are about to collide, resulting in the making of one of the greatest films of all time - The Godfather.
I watched this because it tells of the making of one of the greatest films of all time, The Godfather, and I am a keen follower of cinema and the film-making process. However, I was half-expecting a dry documentary-like telling of the making of The Godfather so didn't set my expectations very high.
How wrong I was. The plot, whose writing involves input from Al Ruddy himself, is very interesting and engaging. You get a great feel for what goes into making of a movie: the creative process, the production aspect and issues, the production company hampering the creative process and the constant threat of the project been cancelled. We also get to see how this affects peoples lives.
Most tellingly though, you get to experience how a masterpiece of cinema was made.
On the negative side some aspects seem overly melodramatic: some problems seem exaggerated for dramatic purposes. Some timelines are also a bit contrived.
These are minor issues as the series is incredibly enthralling and entertaining. In a positive spin-off, I'm now going to rewatch The Godfather and The Godfather II.
Golden Age of Rock'n'Roll (1991)
Excellent documentary series
John Sebastian, famous for being the lead singer of the Lovin' Spoonful, presents a documentary series on the history of rock 'n roll. Over ten episodes the series covers subjects such as the birth of rock 'n roll, its heroes, its sub-genres and its pivotal moments, to name but a few.
A definitive documentary series on rock music. John Sebestian provides a thoughtful yet insightful narration on one of music's key genres, and the key musical innovation and evolution of the latter half of the 20th century.
The non-linear episode structure makes for some interesting detours and in-depth studies. Great archival footage as well as interviews makes for an enthralling journey.
The Holdovers (2023)
A bit dry and unoriginal but okay
It's December 1970 and school is out for the Christmas holiday. Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances some won't be leaving for the holiday: one teacher and five teens will spend Christmas at the school. The curmudgeonly teacher, Paul Hunham, is out to make the experience as school-like as possible.
Directed by Alexander Payne who gave us such great films as Sideways, Election, About Schmidt, Nebraska and The Descendants, I had high hopes for this film. Payne's films tend to be quirky, amusing and warm and generally end with a feel-good sort of message.
The Holdovers immediately breaks this trend by not being quirky and amusing, being rather dry in its approach. It takes a while to get going and even then it is still fairly staid. Even Paul Giamatti, who generally plays quite off-beat characters here plays someone rather dull - Paul Hunham.
There are some interesting, character-building and engaging scenes towards the end but the film never really hits anything approaching top gear. In addition, the ending is a bit disappointing as it feels quite contrived and trite.
All in all there's enough good stuff in the film to make it watchable but it never rises above anything more than that.
12 O'Clock High: Gauntlet of Fire (1966)
12 O'Clock High in colour!
The 918th Bomb Group is flying several missions a day to heavily defended targets on the coast of France. Losses are severe and the men are at breaking point. Colonel Gallagher, under massive strain himself, has been promised a promotion but first the campaign must be completed.
The first episode of 12 O'Clock High in colour and it's a great one. Not just because of the colour but because the plot is so gritty and shows the extreme lengths military personnel must go to and the sacrifices that need to be made in wartime. There's also an air of secrecy about the mission they're on, demonstrating how, despite putting everything on the line, most of the time they don't even know why they're doing it.
Round off an excellent episode, we have the background of a major historic event in WW2. Quite the episode.
Youth in Revolt (2009)
Clever, funny movie
Shy, awkward teenager Nick Twisp meets the girl of his dreams while camping. There's a few problems though: they live far apart, her parents seem intent on hiding her away in a boarding school, her jock boyfriend. The challenges seem insurmountable.
Clever, funny movie. Looks like just another Michael Cera movie but the dialogue is very clever and original. Plot is reasonably fresh, though you could substitute just about every character Michael Cera has ever played for the lead character, and not see much difference.
This means that Michael Cera is perfect for the lead role, pretty much playing the same shy, geeky, desperate character he always plays. The supporting cast - Portia Doubleday, Steve Buscemi, Jean Smart, Zach Galifianakis, Fred Willard - are excellent.
Fun, entertaining, funny and sweet. Well worth a watch.
The Offer: A Seat at the Table (2022)
Excellent start
Al Ruddy is working as a programmer at the Rand Corporation but sees an opportunity to produce TV shows and movies. Mario Puzo is a struggling author whose wife gives him an idea to write a book on the Mafia. Joe Colombo is a rising crime boss. Their three worlds are about to collide.
An excellent start to the series. I watched this because it tells of the making of one of the greatest films of all time, The Godfather, and I am a keen follower of cinema and the film-making process. However, I was half-expecting a dry documentary-like telling of the making of The Godfather so didn't set my expectations very high.
How wrong I was. The plot, whose writing involves input from Al Ruddy himself, is very interesting and engaging. The writers and director Dexter Fletcher, aided by some great performances, give the whole thing a great vibe and energy. The three-character focus (Ruddy, Puzo, Joe Colombo) makes for an intriguing, fateful meeting of careers and worlds. There's a smoothness that is immediately riveting.
On the downside it is maybe too smooth. Ruddy never puts a foot wrong. When questioned he immediately has a great story and sell, even if he hadn't thought of the question before. One or two moments of analysis on his part would have gone a long way.
It's a minor negative though and the only thing from making the opening episode perfect.
20 Days in Mariupol (2023)
Incredibly powerful and confronting documentary
When Russia invades Ukraine in February 2022 all the press leave...except for a team of Ukrainian journalists from Associated Press. This team stayed in the city, witnessing first-hand the destruction and loss of life the invasion brought. This is their film footage of the Russian invasion of Mariupol.
A quite incredible and shocking documentary. Details day by day the attack on Mariupol, showing the wanton destruction wrought and the innocent lives taken.
Everything is filmed as it happened, making the shock and engagement factor even higher. Quite emotional too as we see people who only days before were living a peaceful existence safe in their houses suddenly have everything taken away from them. Even more sobering and chilling is seeing death unfold before your eyes. The hospital scenes are particularly confronting.
While most of detail in the documentary is conveyed through the film footage, journalist/director Mstyslav Chernov also narrates what is happening around him and how he is getting his footage out. There's also a degree of intrigue as to how the journalists are going to get out to more fully tell the story of what is happening in Mariupol.
An extraordinary documentary, well deserving of the Oscar it won for Best Documentary in 2024.
Kimitachi wa dô ikiru ka (2023)
Good animation...and that's all
Mahito's mother is killed in World War 2. A few years later his father remarries and moves his family to the country. With no friends Mahito withdraws into his own world. The only thing that seems interested in him is a large heron. Turns out the heron is more than it appears to be.
Written and directed by famed anime and Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, The Boy and the Heron has many of Miyazaki's trademarks: the great animation that is watercolour-like in the landscape scenes, a plot revolving around a child, a series of dream sequences.
Unfortunately, in this case only the animation is a positive factor.
The plot is quite haphazard and nonsensical, largely consisting of random dream-like scenes that are tangential to what came before. The plot, what there is, even seems derivative, to a degree, of previous Miyazaki films. Spirited Away came to mind. The opening sequences also reminded me of Grave of the Fireflies (not a Miyazaki film, I know, but comparable).
If you were then hoping for a character-based drama to make up for the messy plot, the main character isn't particularly likeable so engagement is quite limited.
All this and it just seems to go on and on and on.
Not worth the time.
Babylon Berlin: Episode #4.12 (2022)
The end of a good, though touch disappointing, season
I've been a fan of Babylon Berlin since Season 1 and every season seems better than the previous one. A gritty detective series set in 1920s/30s Germany with all manner of upheavals taking place.
Over time the political element has become a bigger and bigger factor. In particular, the rise of the National Socialists is a spectre looming over the main characters and the plot of the show.
It is thus no surprise that we have a season where the main plot involves Rath and the SA, the paramilitary arm of the National Socialist Party. There are other plots (to my relief as I dislike politics and in this case history tells us what the rise of the national Socialists means for Germany and the world) though varying interest and engagement levels.
There's the first problem with this season: so many sub-plots, many of them unconnected with each other. This leads to a loss of focus and of engagement, as some of the sub-plots are not overly interesting. This multi-strand approach also leads to a myriad of new characters, making it confusing as many of them are quite indistinct yet suddenly have a large bearing on the plot.
The plots themselves aren't entirely watertight, unlike in previous seasons where everything fitted together perfectly. This leads to a rather haphazard, contrived feel to the story at times.
This all said, this season is interesting enough, just not as good as previous seasons. Hopefully Season 5 will lift the quality back to where it was.
Letterkenny: Ain't No Reason to Get Excited (2016)
Good start
Welcome to Letterkenny, Canada. A small rural town its inhabitants largely consist of farmers, hockey players, Christians and drug addicts. We follow siblings Wayne and Katy who, along with Wayne's friend Daryl, run a small farm and produce stand. These are their problems.
A good start to the series. Funny in an understated way though there are some over-the-top moments too. The different groups and their interactions with each other make for an interesting dynamic and the basis for much of the humour.
Wasn't brilliantly funny though. I suspect it will take a few episodes to warm up, or me to adjust to the type of humour. Heaps of potential though and I'll definitely be back for more.
South Park (Not Suitable for Children) (2023)
Hilarious, powerful and profound
Cred is a sports drink that is all the rage at the kids' school and is a determinant of popularity - the more Cred you have, the more popular you are. Meanwhile, after a teacher at the school is discovered to been posting videos on Only Fans and making large amounts of money from it, Randy Marsh decides to become an Only Fans model.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone are in top form in this South Park special. Poking fun at influencers, unhealthy, unnecessary sports drinks, the superficiality of social media and popularity and the stealthy, underhanded marketing to children this special is a great send up of some the blights of our age. Done in their usual biting, over-the-top style this special is hilarious yet powerful and profound.
There are times when it comes close to being repetitive but the plot largely manages to avoid that with some very unpredictable changes of direction.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
Weak
A dead man, Freddy Krueger, is haunting the dreams of teenagers. With blades for fingers he is making sleep a living hell. When one of the teens dies as a result of this they realise that staying awake is the only option.
I didn't mind the original, but this is rather lame. Plot is inconsistent, just seeming to leap from one horror scene to another without any decent linking. Direction is strictly one-dimensional and paint-by-numbers.
Acting by the teens is OK. Jackie Earle Haley is quite unconvincing as Freddie Krueger. He just delivers his lines like he is reciting them from a page. There is no conviction or menace. Robert Englund was infinitely better.
Curb Your Enthusiasm: No Lessons Learned (2024)
A finale that takes everything full circle
Larry, Leon, Jeff and Susie fly to Atlanta for Larry's much-publicised trial. Old friends join them in what becomes a quite the event. The prosecutor is a wily foe and soon things are going quite badly for Larry. Many old enemies resurface.
A finale that, like most finales, is quite nostalgic and captures many of the great moments in the history of the series. It very quickly starts feeling very Seinfeldesque in its plot and approach, which initially made me a bit disappointed, figuring it was unoriginal.
I then realised that this is the point: Larry David is taking everything full circle, linking Curb Your Enthusiasm's roots to the end of Seinfeld. Jerry Seinfeld even appears and has a decent amount of screentime, just to ram the point home!
All in all, it's quite funny (though, like Season 12 in general, not quite up to the same standards as recent seasons), nostalgic and ties things up quite neatly.
South Park: Joining the Panderverse (2023)
Brilliant: South Park at its biting, satirical best
Cartman keeps having nightmares that he and all the other people in his life have been replaced with black women in the name of "diversity". Soon it is apparent that is more than just a nightmare as the two worlds collide, resulting in characters ending in the wrong universe. The culprit is an obvious one: Kathleen Kennedy of Disney. Meanwhile Randy Marsh discovers that a lack of DIY skills by the average person has resulted in handymen having all the power, resulting in them being very powerful and wealthy.
A great reminder of how brilliant and funny Matt Sione and Trey Parker can be. Of late South Park has lost some of its edge but this is a fine return to form. Clever, biting, no punches pulled satire on very topical issues and what could be more topical than the pandering in movies and TV shows, especially those produced by Disney.
The handyman plot was also very realistic. Despite its absurdity, in some respects, it is actually quite plausible and relatable: I'm experiencing something similar myself at the moment!
Brilliantly funny and profound.
Sam Peckinpah: Man of Iron (1993)
Excellent warts-and-all documentary on a gifted, complex, troubled man
A documentary on legendary, notorious film director Sam Peckinpah, the man who gave us such classics as The Wild Bunch, Cross of Iron and Straw Dogs. Through interviews with friends and people who worked with him, some of whom are legends in their own right, we get a picture of a complex, larger-than-life individual.
Sam Peckinpah's films are notorious for their action scenes and high levels of violence. Peckinpah's own life was as dramatic and this comes through in this documentary. Calling him complex is understating it as some of his antics are quite unbelievable.
A very honest documentary in that all his issues are brought to the fore. Many documentaries end up just being a cheerleading contest with celebrities trying to outdo each other in saying how great the person was. Here we learn of his greatness and what made him great but we also learn of his darker side and the likely reasons for this.
A very interesting and edifying documentary.
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
Slow start but once it gets going...
The daughter of a Mexican crime lord is pregnant and her father offers a large reward to whomever kills the man responsible. That man is Alfredo Garcia and a manhunt is soon out for him. Bennie, a bar manager in Mexico City, encounters two of the bounty hunters at his bar and, due to some information his girlfriend has, hits upon a way to make what he thinks will be easy money.
From the title and the fact that is written and directed by Sam Peckinpah, you know this is going to be action-packed and graphic. Peckinpah directed The Wild Bunch and went on to direct Cross of Iron.
The film does not disappoint in the action and violence stakes but it takes some time to get there. The setup is quite slow and drawn-out and sometimes even seems pointless. Much of the background scenes do have a bearing on the ultimate plot though.
Plot development is also a bit haphazard at first. Even the turning point in the film just happens - it's quite sudden and its importance is only felt later. From here on though the film finds a focus and the action then comes thick and fast, making for a great final few scenes.
The action scenes have Peckinpah in his element and are very well done. Quite tense and thrilling towards the end.
South Park: The Streaming Wars Part 2 (2022)
Good, but a bit basic
The streaming wars have ended and the drought in Colorado is worse than ever. Mr Pipi hits upon the idea of using pee as a substitute for water...in all situations...and gains much traction with this after major stars appear in his ads. Karen Marsh goes back to being Randy Marsh, scientist, and tries to find a better solution to the water shortage.
Part 1 of The Streaming Wars was very good: a funny, clever satirical look at streaming services. Not brilliant - it never fully made a point re streaming services - but was very entertaining.
Part 2 is still pretty funny but not up to the same standard as Part 1. There's less satire and more gross-out humour - the pee-as-a-substitute-for-water plot was gross and gratuitous from the start and was done to death. Similarly the Cartman's breasts sub-plot.
Overall, it's still entertaining but in a more basic sort of way.
South Park: South Park: The Streaming Wars (2022)
Very funny
Colorado is experiencing a drought, making water a highly valuable commodity. Due to their locations, certain farms have an abundance of water. One such farms is Tegridy Weed, owned by Randy Marsh. After his neighbour sells a portion of his water rights Randy does the same. Soon other farmers are selling their water, starting a streaming war. Stan, Kyle and the boys are profiting from this as they are making small boats for the warring streamers.
Quite clever and funny. The set-up, the situation, the evolving situation, the outcome, the sub-plots, it's all classic South Park. The comparisons with streaming services was well done, though lacked that extra something to make a really profound statement.
The sub-plot involving Cartman and his mom was the highlight of the episode.
South Park: Post Covid - The Return of Covid (2021)
More great satire on the Covid experience
Following on from the previous episode, Stan, Kyle and Cartman have determined that Kenny aimed to go back in time to prevent Covid from occurring. Victor Chaos could provide the answer, but he just wants to sell them NFTs. Moreover, are they all on the same side?
He first part of this special - S24E03 "Post Covid" - was great, a biting satire on the Covid experience, skewering both of the extreme views, the we're-all-going-to-die, no-lockdown-is-long-enough hysterical types and the conspiracy theory, anti-vaxxer types. Also firmly in their crosshairs was over-reactionary governments and whoever started Covid in the first place as well as a few other worthy targets, e.g. Bitcoin/crypto-currency scammers.
This continues that good work though isn't quite as tight in plot or delivery. There's still some great lines but from time to time things go off the rails and feel quite random and unfunny.
All in all it's still very funny and entertaining.
Babylon Berlin: Episode #4.1 (2022)
Good start: interesting to see where this season goes
It's New Year's Eve of 1930/31 in Berlin. Charlotte Ritter is on duty at Police HQ. Alfred Nyssen is throwing a lavish party at his mansion...and is revealing his relationship with Helga and his most audacious latest project. Meanwhile Gereon Rath is in the SA, the paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party, and tonight the SA is marching and looking for a fight.
In my review of the first three seasons of Babylon Berlin I said it would interesting to see how the writers get around the fact that the efforts of the police are always stymied when it comes to dealing with the Nazis, as their political power gets them out of jams. I applauded the historical accuracy of the show and the fact that everything in the series is taking place against the backdrop of the political changes occurring in Germany in the 1920s and 30s. However, I also found this a bit frustrating, for the reason mentioned above.
Well, we might have our answer already. With Rath joining the SA the writers might have adopted the policy of "if you can't beat them, join them" in Rath's case. His joining the SA does make for a very interesting plot development, one which will be intriguing to see develop further as the season progresses. I personally think that Rath is undercover, sent to infiltrate the SA, but we'll have to see where this goes.
As far as solving crime goes, there is a crime, but no mystery to who did it. No great conspiracies or mysteries, yet, making this episode a pre-crime scene-setter and a bit flatter than expected as a result. Still there's enough intrigue and machinations to make it quite interesting.