I feel the exact same way as yourself when it comes to streaming shows currently. Some of the writing is absolutely tremendous, but there does seem to be someone behind she shoulders of these talented writers telling them to “make it go longer” which makes moments that should be transcendent fall quite a bit flat. I felt this especially on ANDOR, where there were some amazing character moments strewn about a massive desert of unimportant plot meanderings.
Thanks for the wonderful newsletter. My mom and I have been reading your reviews in The Globe since I was in high school, and I gifted her a yearlong sub for Xmas this year. Keep doing what you do!
Oh, yeah. We're feeling the same way about True Detective: digging the acting (although I feel like they wasted the awesome John Hawkes with a too-easy, lazy, arc), love the setting, wish they'd been about 50% more concise. Really dented the vibe with repetitive character separation (my screenwriter 'filler pages' antenna went up in episode three and hasn't come down. There's so much going for it — they just went to production without fully-baking the script.
About to head over to the free Post link. Really interested in the 'zen movie' list for obvious reasons. Looking forward.
I totally agree with you that True Detective would be better with LESS episodes. Including quite a few other series TV shows AND documentaries that have 4 or 6 episodes when 2, or maybe even 1 would have done it.
I've been watching a documentary on PBS about Gospel music (an art form I love) and there are WAY WAY WAY too damn many talking heads. More singing! Less talk...especially with some of them patting themselves on the back for being "so" insightful.
Thanks Ty… voice like an Angel but never bought the Sainted Madonna crap, sorry to learn she had a tough journey… think I’ll avoid learning more, rather hear her sing.
As for the Night Country, you’re probably right could have been done in 4 episodes but not much else to view on Sunday night… so it’s more than good with me.
thanks for the link to the Post piece on Perfect Days...I have seen most of the movies you mentioned in that article and enjoyed them all. You have given me new insight as to what I enjoyed about them, collectively now, particularly I Know Where I'm Going....enjoyed your review....
As always, I enjoy your word play: that the documentary is the “singer-songwriter album” that Joan Baez never made; that streaming series are often guilty of “dramatic dog paddling.” Packs a punch!
I recently watched “Crossfire,” a 1947 movie with Robert Ryan, Robert Young, and Gloria Grahame. It provided me an opportunity to pull some film books off my shelf. First of all, the film doesn’t earn universal plaudits, which I understand even while I enjoyed it. (The dissenting opinion is in Silver & Ward’s “Film Noir.) Secondly, David Thomson’s “The New Biographical Dictionary of Film” has a terrific entry on Robert Ryan. I want to see so many more of his movies!
I’m also dipping into Foster Hirsch’s terrific new book “Hollywood and the Movies of the Fifties.” My problem reading film books is that I constantly get steered towards watching a movie rather than continuing to read. Hey, it’s a pleasant problem to have!
Thanks for shedding a light on the Gothic noir. More films to put on the night stand of my mind!
Ty,
I feel the exact same way as yourself when it comes to streaming shows currently. Some of the writing is absolutely tremendous, but there does seem to be someone behind she shoulders of these talented writers telling them to “make it go longer” which makes moments that should be transcendent fall quite a bit flat. I felt this especially on ANDOR, where there were some amazing character moments strewn about a massive desert of unimportant plot meanderings.
Thanks for the wonderful newsletter. My mom and I have been reading your reviews in The Globe since I was in high school, and I gifted her a yearlong sub for Xmas this year. Keep doing what you do!
-Daniel Warren Johnson
Oh, yeah. We're feeling the same way about True Detective: digging the acting (although I feel like they wasted the awesome John Hawkes with a too-easy, lazy, arc), love the setting, wish they'd been about 50% more concise. Really dented the vibe with repetitive character separation (my screenwriter 'filler pages' antenna went up in episode three and hasn't come down. There's so much going for it — they just went to production without fully-baking the script.
About to head over to the free Post link. Really interested in the 'zen movie' list for obvious reasons. Looking forward.
I totally agree with you that True Detective would be better with LESS episodes. Including quite a few other series TV shows AND documentaries that have 4 or 6 episodes when 2, or maybe even 1 would have done it.
I've been watching a documentary on PBS about Gospel music (an art form I love) and there are WAY WAY WAY too damn many talking heads. More singing! Less talk...especially with some of them patting themselves on the back for being "so" insightful.
Thanks Ty… voice like an Angel but never bought the Sainted Madonna crap, sorry to learn she had a tough journey… think I’ll avoid learning more, rather hear her sing.
As for the Night Country, you’re probably right could have been done in 4 episodes but not much else to view on Sunday night… so it’s more than good with me.
“dramatic dog paddling” aptly sums up my general problem with episodic TV, peak or otherwise.
THE SEVENTH VEIL was my mother’s favorite movie when she was young.
You might want to give UNDERCURRENT another look. Not great but interesting.
thanks for the link to the Post piece on Perfect Days...I have seen most of the movies you mentioned in that article and enjoyed them all. You have given me new insight as to what I enjoyed about them, collectively now, particularly I Know Where I'm Going....enjoyed your review....
As always, I enjoy your word play: that the documentary is the “singer-songwriter album” that Joan Baez never made; that streaming series are often guilty of “dramatic dog paddling.” Packs a punch!
I recently watched “Crossfire,” a 1947 movie with Robert Ryan, Robert Young, and Gloria Grahame. It provided me an opportunity to pull some film books off my shelf. First of all, the film doesn’t earn universal plaudits, which I understand even while I enjoyed it. (The dissenting opinion is in Silver & Ward’s “Film Noir.) Secondly, David Thomson’s “The New Biographical Dictionary of Film” has a terrific entry on Robert Ryan. I want to see so many more of his movies!
I’m also dipping into Foster Hirsch’s terrific new book “Hollywood and the Movies of the Fifties.” My problem reading film books is that I constantly get steered towards watching a movie rather than continuing to read. Hey, it’s a pleasant problem to have!
Thanks for shedding a light on the Gothic noir. More films to put on the night stand of my mind!
Great stuff, though I can’t get enough True Detective S4, and welcome more of it!! Eager to see the Joan Baez documentary as well
How much did they pay you to write this BS? This season was hilariously bad. Shame on you for the drivel that is your "review", because it's a lie.
Great summation of True Detective Season 5.