View Full Version : Now Screening - What Are You Watching Right Now? Part 2
https://i.postimg.cc/7P1Wv7f2/5tw-P7-QGG8-Til-Lz-TF8oce-I2l-O5ex.webp (https://postimg.cc/Bt6gHj5S)
Tarnished Heroes (1961)
In WW2 Dermot Walsh has to lead a squad of deserters and criminals behind German lines to blow up a bridge.
Low budget (the bridge is obviously an ornamental one across a lake in a park or maybe the grounds of a stately home) and the pace slackens a bit too much and too often, but it's watchable.
Notable for similarity in premise to 'The Dirty Dozen' although it precedes the book that film was based on by several years.
Presumably it is set in France in 1940 since that's the only time period that fits the military situation described (an unstoppable German offensive), but the officer is armed with Sten gun - which were not issued until well after the fall of France.
Lawrence001
12-05-2025, 21:29
The Battle of the Bulge was a high budget film but notable for a swathe of historical inaccuracies, including, but most definitely not limited to, using American tanks as bigger German Tigers.
The Battle of the Bulge was a high budget film but notable for a swathe of historical inaccuracies, including, but most definitely not limited to, using American tanks as bigger German Tigers.
Shockingly poor film that. The historical inaccuracies are the least of its problems. I mean even Robert Shaw can't save it. That's how bad it is.
One of those I still re-watch every decade or so because I think it can't be as bad as I remembered.
They had no option with the tanks since there were no working Tiger or King Tiger tanks at the time, although there's a few now.
Battle of the Bulge
I’m familiar with it.
Battle of the Bulge
I’m familiar with it.
Me too, sadly the bulge is in the wrong place these days! :lol:
https://i.ibb.co/MyDWhHzT/The-Texas-Rangers-1951-film.jpg (https://imgbb.com/)
'The Texas Rangers' (1951)
George Montgomery and Rockford's dad off of 'The Rockford Files' are let out of prison on condition they join the Rangers and go after a gang of outlaws that's already killed 31 Rangers.
The plot makes no sense - his plan to trap the outlaws results in Rockford's dad and a number of other innocent people getting killed for no reason. But the pacing is good since, unlike many Westerns from later in the decade, there's no serious attempt made at a romantic sub-plot. Worth a watch.
https://i.ibb.co/Pz4cF2zd/Broken-Lance-film-poster.jpg (https://imgbb.com/)
'Broken Lance' (1954)
Spencer Tracy is a powerful cattle baron with four sons. When legal issues force him to put his ranch into the ownership of the sons, it all goes pear-shaped for him.
Notable for the similarities of the plot of 'King Lear' although it's not remotely close to being an exact copy of that story. Worth a watch for some good scenes, despite a slow start and Spencer Tracy having to carry it a bit.
Pigmy Pony
17-05-2025, 16:07
https://i.ibb.co/MyDWhHzT/The-Texas-Rangers-1951-film.jpg (https://imgbb.com/)
'The Texas Rangers' (1951)
George Montgomery and Rockford's dad off of 'The Rockford Files' are let out of prison on condition they join the Rangers and go after a gang of outlaws that's already killed 31 Rangers.
The plot makes no sense - his plan to trap the outlaws results in Rockford's dad and a number of other innocent people getting killed for no reason. But the pacing is good since, unlike many Westerns from later in the decade, there's no serious attempt made at a romantic sub-plot. Worth a watch.
Rocky's dead? :eek: No point watching it now.
Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott's
Filmed over five nights. Now being shown on Sky Arts.
I'm not very interested in Westerns, and could never see the fascination with John Wayne.
The only 'classic' westerns I will watch these days are:
'The 3:10 to Yuma' (both versions)
'High Noon'
and
'The Unforgiven'.
I'm not very interested in Westerns, and could never see the fascination with John Wayne.
The only 'classic' westerns I will watch these days are:
'The 3:10 to Yuma' (both versions)
'High Noon'
and
'The Unforgiven'.
Most John Wayne films he just plays John Wayne; but it's not so much about him, more that he has been in some films that are excellent in multiple ways - Like 'Rio Bravo' and 'The Searchers.'
'High Noon' was considered 'Un-American' by Wayne and others. So they made 'Rio Bravo' - instead of a scared sheriff begging the townspeople for help and being refused, they made a film where the townspeople want to help but the sheriff refuses as he feels it's his responsibility alone. But they help him anyway.
'3-10 to Yuma' is pretty good. Only thing I recall about the remake is it has Russell Crowe in it, and it drags on a bit too long. Must be 20 odd years since I saw that.
My annual indulgence - Eurovision Song Contest…
:sofa:
Armenia or Malta for me. Everyone in Europe hates the UK so whilst our entry was pretty good I won’t be surprised if it is “nil points”…
Total waste of TV time. I could never see the attraction.
Fortunately Sky Arts were showing some programs about Jeff Beck, and later B B King playing with the Rolling Stones. :)
Pete The Cat
19-05-2025, 15:16
Armenia or Malta for me.
As usual I sat through the entries as a duty to my family but went to bed before the voting. The whole thing is strung out far too long.
But I thought Armenia was the best. It reminded me of the K-Pop boyband formula (only one singer obvs) with rap-ish vocals on the verse and a chanted chorus with a catchy riff. 20th out of 26 in the end, so what do I know.
'Knight Rider'
On Legend channel. KIT jumps a river and some of the trim comes off.
Rarely used to watch this back in the day, thought it was a bit crap, but then started going out with a girl who was into bikes and cars and she insisted on us watching it. So there's quite a few early episodes I still haven't seen.
Compared to modern telly it's not that bad.
"Knight Rider" used to be a 'must see' for me in the '80s, along with "The A-Team".
Both of them nonsense, but entertaining nonetheless.
Pigmy Pony
19-05-2025, 20:40
I'm actually enjoying Knight Rider more now than I did back then. Says a lot about modern telly.
Lawrence001
20-05-2025, 18:36
"Knight Rider" used to be a 'must see' for me in the '80s, along with "The A-Team".
Both of them nonsense, but entertaining nonetheless.
I liked Knight Rider but not so much the A team. It just seemed ridiculous that everyone who got blown up stood up after to show that the A Team didn't kill anyone.
I did like The Equaliser though that was a bit darker.
It was the interplay between the characters that I liked in the A Team, and that remarkably they always found enough items to build a machine or some such device to sort out the problem. And, as you say, no-one got hurt.
Entertaining nonsense, as was the talking, sentient car of Knight Rider.
My favourite from that era was “The Dukes of Hazard” - equally daft that no one got hurt, although around 300 1969 Dodge Chargers certainly did!
Pigmy Pony
21-05-2025, 05:46
My favourite from that era was “The Dukes of Hazard” - equally daft that no one got hurt, although around 300 1969 Dodge Chargers certainly did!
And of course it had Daisy Duke :)
Pigmy Pony
21-05-2025, 05:50
It was the interplay between the characters that I liked in the A Team, and that remarkably they always found enough items to build a machine or some such device to sort out the problem. And, as you say, no-one got hurt.
Entertaining nonsense, as was the talking, sentient car of Knight Rider.
Who got there first, Knight Industries or British Leyland? Mind you, their Austin Maestro was no more sentient than the firm that built it :doh:
Mind you, their Austin Maestro was no more sentient than the firm that built it :doh:
The trim used to come off them pretty easily too.
A British version of 'Knight Rider' with him knocking about in a Maestro might have been good. The car would have a Brummie accent.
Missed opportunity there.
A car named Brum! We were so close https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP-pF8u4zkA&ab_channel=WildBrainTurbo
Think I would much rather have the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am anyday than an Austin Maestro!
Think I would much rather have the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am anyday than an Austin Maestro!
Of course, but I would have the earlier Jim Rockford version.
I was thinking of KITT. I know nothing about The Rockford Files.
Pigmy Pony
21-05-2025, 15:52
I was thinking of KITT. I know nothing about The Rockford Files.
Rockford files was great. Pretty intelligent stories too iirc. If they put it back on I'd be watching it for sure.
I remember watching it with my, Dad, probably 45 years ago, now. We used to love it.
It doesn't look like it is available on any of the streaming platforms (though BBC iPlayer got my hopes up...) I could buy it on DVD/Blu-Ray, and put it the loft with all the other series box sets I've bought on a nostalgia trip and then never watched...
Pigmy Pony
21-05-2025, 16:26
But I never got why he could only afford to live in a "trailer" though - he charged $200 a day plus expenses, which must have been decent money back then.
Ah, TV series box sets bought out of a sense of nostalgia.
I'm guilty of that. For me they are:
MASH (the first six series)
Bergerac (all episodes apart from one series)
Doc Martin (first series)
Red Dwarf (all episodes)
Maigret (Rowan Atkinson version)
Around the World in 80 Treasures (Dan Cruickshank, all episodes)
Then there are series shown for which there are no DVDs available. One such is 'The Shock of the New' by the late Robert Hughes. Amazon did sell a 4 DVD set, but sadly no longer.
I was thinking of KITT. I know nothing about The Rockford Files.
I know. Both shows feature the Pontiac Firebird but KITT is a 1980s model year whereas Rockford had the earlier models from the 1970s which are much better looking cars.
I think he had the Trans-Am but they badged it like a normal one because Garner thought Rockford would not be able to afford the top model. From memory, anyway.
But I never got why he could only afford to live in a "trailer" though - he charged $200 a day plus expenses, which must have been decent money back then.
He hardly ever actually gets paid though. I think there's one episode where the subplot is the city trying to get his trailer moved because he's got no right to be there.
Never on telly anymore, but I have the box set.
I know. Both shows feature the Pontiac Firebird but KITT is a 1980s model year whereas Rockford had the earlier models from the 1970s which are much better looking cars.
I think he had the Trans-Am but they badged it like a normal one because Garner thought Rockford would not be able to afford the top model. From memory, anyway.
I have to disagree, I prefer the '80s version.
Think Jim Rockford’s ones were from mid to late 70’s, when the oil crisis had bit and they were much tamer than they looked.
My favourite would have to be a c. ‘71 “Bullnose” -
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250521/e01be2f0797096c764e3e4b52c6abaf0.jpg
You could pick them up for peanuts in the 80’s, a slightly older lad in our street had one and I drooled over it. He had an aftermarket stereo fitted including a graphic equaliser that lit up like a Christmas tree and he would sit outside his house in it for hours playing cassettes. Those were the days!
Think Jim Rockford’s ones were from mid to late 70’s, when the oil crisis had bit and they were much tamer than they looked.
My favourite would have to be a c. ‘71 “Bullnose” -
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250521/e01be2f0797096c764e3e4b52c6abaf0.jpg
You could pick them up for peanuts in the 80’s, a slightly older lad in our street had one and I drooled over it. He had an aftermarket stereo fitted including a graphic equaliser that lit up like a Christmas tree and he would sit outside his house in it for hours playing cassettes. Those were the days!
A bloke down the road from me in Liverpool had the '79 Trans Am. It was always parked up on the pavement outside his house though, I don't think he used it much.
Just looked it up - Rockford drove a Firebird Formula modified to look like the cheaper Esprit version. No Trans Ams, Garner didn't like them.
https://i.ibb.co/yzs34jb/d883df1679d05dfd2fcaf083987aeeea.jpg (https://ibb.co/WrKTVJY)
'Where Eagles Dare' (1968)
Today's 'Movie For A Dreary Afternoon'.
In WW2 Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood have to rescue a general held captive in a German castle. As if there's anyone who doesn't know that already.
Eastwood and Burton reportedly dubbed the film 'Where Doubles Dare' due to the amount of screen time in which stand-ins doubled for the cast during action sequences.
Ingrid Pitt had spent part of her childhood in a concentration camp and reportedly found it uncomfortable to work on the movie.
Derren Nesbitt was keen to be as authentic as possible with the character of Gestapo Major von Hapen. Whilst on location, he requested to meet a former member of the Gestapo to better understand how to play the character and to get the military regalia correct.
While dressed in his SS uniform, he caused a Baron to faint with shock. The Baron had been Himmler's driver.
Nesbitt said, "The Jewish chronicle called me afterwards and said, 'How could you play a German?' I said 'I do it because I play them very badly.' That seemed to satisfy them."
Both Quentin Tarantino and Stephen Spielberg have named it as one of their favourite films. Elements of it can be seen in 'Inglorious Basterds', the original 'Star Wars' and the James Bond film 'Moonraker'.
Watched "Ice Cold in Alex" the other day. I'm not that keen on WW2 war films in general, but Ice Cold is based on a true story and is a favourite of mine.
My only criticism is John Mills tends to overplay his role as a Captain with a drink problem.
Watched "Ice Cold in Alex" the other day. I'm not that keen on WW2 war films in general, but Ice Cold is based on a true story and is a favourite of mine.
My only criticism is John Mills tends to overplay his role as a Captain with a drink problem.
Good film that. I didn't realise it was based on a true story.
Great afternoon line-up on ITV4 at the moment.
Dempsey And Makepeace - Magnum PI - Kojak - Minder - The Professionals.
Okay, Dempsey and Makepeace isn't proper telly, and the bloke who plays the chief is a terrible actor. Nevertheless, time has been kind to it.
Pigmy Pony
30-05-2025, 19:09
Bosch (Amazon Prime) on the telly.
Been watching it for a few weeks, on season 3 now. Done by the same people who made "The Wire", so probably quite an accurate portrayal of LAPD detectives and how they work. I'm starting to become quite familiar with that part of LA now, but I might still need a Sat Nav :)
Likes his Jazz does Harry Bosch, and he's usually got the old stereo going when at home.
Apparently his kit comprises:
McIntosh MX1110z pre
McIntosh 240 power
Marantz 6300 t/t
Ohm Walsh 3(?) omnis.
https://ohmspeaker.com/site/assets/files/2649/boschsys.824x0-is.jpg
By coincidence, I watched 'LA Confidential' last night
Set in the 1950s, very violent with an unlikely 'neat' ending.
Pigmy Pony
30-05-2025, 19:26
I liked LA Confidential enough for it to be included in my DVD collection, but for 'period' LA detective movies nothing can beat Chinatown imo. Not that I can name any others :doh:
Agree about 'Chinatown'. I think I have a copy in my collection. :)
Pigmy Pony
01-06-2025, 15:26
Sky have just given us a 'loyalty bonus' in the form of a free film to rent from their Sky Store (normally cost a few quid). Well whoopy-do. I can't see any film I want to sit through, even if it is for free.
In fact I can't think of a single film made this century that I could watch more than once. They're all either Disney Pixar-type animation films, cgi-laden superhero movies or small budget British productions which critics describe as "hilarious" "laugh out loud funny" or "deeply moving", and are anything but :(
Why is no one doing stuff like Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, The Godfather, y'know, films with characters you can follow?
Sky have just given us a 'loyalty bonus' in the form of a free film to rent from their Sky Store (normally cost a few quid). Well whoopy-do. I can't see any film I want to sit through, even if it is for free.
In fact I can't think of a single film made this century that I could watch more than once. They're all either Disney Pixar-type animation films, cgi-laden superhero movies or small budget British productions which critics describe as "hilarious" "laugh out loud funny" or "deeply moving", and are anything but :(
Why is no one doing stuff like Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, The Godfather, y'know, films with characters you can follow?
Complete crap isn't it? Same on Amazon, I eventually gave up browsing what was to rent as there was never anything of interest. In fact there was rarely anything they wouldn't have to pay me to watch, let alone me pay them.
Either everything got rubbish in the last 20 years or so or I'm older than the maximum age that the entertainment world now caters for. Possibly a bit of both.
Don't these pay-to-view outfits show foreign language films? There are scores I would like to watch; either for the first time or a classic which I would watch again.
The only film made recently which I would like to see is 'Oppenheimer'.
Don't these pay-to-view outfits show foreign language films? There are scores I would like to watch; either for the first time or a classic which I would watch again.
The only film made recently which I would like to see is 'Oppenheimer'.
Yes they do occasionally but a lot of foreign films are just people talking in rooms.
Got that 'Oppenheimer' on Blu Ray but not watched it yet.
Clearly you have never seen the French films: 'La Haine' or 'Baise-moi'. And there are many Japanese films which are quite violent or just downright creepy.
Since the death of Franco, the Spanish have been producing some good films, especially those of Pedro Amoldóvar.
Clearly you have never seen the French films: 'La Haine' or 'Baise-moi'. And there are many Japanese films which are quite violent or just downright creepy.
Since the death of Franco, the Spanish have been producing some good films, especially those of Pedro Amoldóvar.
There are quite a few foreign fims I like - The Kurosawa samurai films, most of Alain Delon's films. 'City Of God' is a stunning film - but I find the 'art house' stuff like Godard to be impenetrable.
Agree with you about Godard. He is said to have stated that "a film should have a beginning, a middle, and an end - but non necessarily in that order".
'Walker Texas Ranger'
Bad men kidnap Walker's bird and he has to find them and give them a good thumping. Which he does.
Almost every episode something bad happens to one of Walker's pals. The old boy who runs the bar ends up in hospital almost every other week and Walker's girlfriend has spent more time with kidnappers than Patty Hearst.
I remember the name, but not really the show although I probably would if i saw it. Pretty much most US shows follow a formula, I guess.
I remember the name, but not really the show although I probably would if i saw it. Pretty much most US shows follow a formula, I guess.
Most popular show on US telly for about six years running.
Pigmy Pony
16-06-2025, 17:23
But it has Chuck Norris, which I lump in with Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and these days also Jason Statham. Cack acting, and always the same storylines (kidnapped loved one, get her back and death to the kidnappers, killed loved one, avenge her murder with deadly force, or come to the aid of an underdog, give the bullies a good hiding).
Chuck Norris jokes on the internet are legion and very silly.
https://parade.com/968666/parade/chuck-norris-jokes/
But it has Chuck Norris, which I lump in with Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and these days also Jason Statham. Cack acting, and always the same storylines (kidnapped loved one, get her back and death to the kidnappers, killed loved one, avenge her murder with deadly force, or come to the aid of an underdog, give the bullies a good hiding).
Chuck Norris jokes on the internet are legion and very silly.
https://parade.com/968666/parade/chuck-norris-jokes/
I seem to remember a war film with him in it that was quite good. 'Missing In Action' I think. And maybe some sequels that are terrible.
Nothing with Van Damme is even worth watching, never got past the first five minutes. I mean he's doing the truly terrible crap that all the other karate men have already turned down.
Walker's not so bad. It's watchable, unlike the modern stuff where the 'tough woman D.I' is tracking an improbable serial killer whilst dealing with micro-aggressions, relationship problems and gender issues. I can't even take a minute of that.
'Lovejoy'
Yes I know.
Don't usually have telly on this early in the day but thought there might be some Glastonbury on. Forgot the BBC are wank and so it doesn't start until 1700.
I know what you're thinking, and you're right. Glastonbury is wank too, mostly, but I like to catch some of it each year just to remind myself of that.
Anyway, Lovejoy is the only thing on at this time of day that's even remotely watchable.
Pigmy Pony
28-06-2025, 13:23
I wasn't thinking Glastonbury is wank, I know most of the bands performing there hold no interest for me as they're too chart oriented, but there are always a handful worth a look.
Neil Young headlining tonight, despite earlier reports that it wouldn't be shown on telly due to NY's continuing cob on with anything "corporate".
Doubt I'll be watching any tonight as this is the every other Saturday I visit my mate, and his missus won't be doing with any of that, the miserable shoite. But I'll catch up on BBC iPlayer over the coming days.
I wasn't thinking Glastonbury is wank, I know most of the bands performing there hold no interest for me as they're too chart oriented, but there are always a handful worth a look.
Neil Young headlining tonight, despite earlier reports that it wouldn't be shown on telly due to NY's continuing cob on with anything "corporate".
Doubt I'll be watching any tonight as this is the every other Saturday I visit my mate, and his missus won't be doing with any of that, the miserable shoite. But I'll catch up on BBC iPlayer over the coming days.
I did say 'mostly' - and I stand by that!
Of all the dozens of turns they've got on I've only heard of about ten and I'm not bothered about them much either. Neil was good years ago I suppose, might give him a chance.
Pigmy Pony
28-06-2025, 15:05
You're right when you say mostly - I've just had a look at this year's lineup, and it is truly shocking. Of all the artists performing, there's barely enough for me to fill one evening on one stage. And I'd probably go back to my tent early at that.
On the years I visited (92, 93, 94), it was a bit frustrating that while seeing one worthy band we were missing another performing on another stage. Oh how times have changed - this year I would be annoyed that seeing a particular "artist" was keeping me away from the kebab stall.
Apart from Alanis Morissette, and maybe Neil Young, there is nothing to cause me to switch on the TV to watch Glastonbury. In the past I have had to scrutinise the Radio Times to find out which channel and when a particular artist was performing, which was always a bit of a PITA.
Anyway we have house guests at the moment, so the TV is not going to be switched on.
I've never really "got" Neil Young, I do have After The Gold Rush and Harvest on vinyl and FLAC, and appreciate some of the musicianship and song writing but his whining voice grates on me. :sofa:
I may have to watch the Glastonbury set to see how he is these days,
I've never really "got" Neil Young, I do have After The Gold Rush and Harvest on vinyl and FLAC, and appreciate some of the musicianship and song writing but his whining voice grates on me. :sofa:
I may have to watch the Glastonbury set to see how he is these days,
Albums with Crazy Horse are sometimes a lot less whiny - try 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere' or 'Ragged Glory.'
I like 'After The Goldrush' but I think he's a lot better when he's rocking.
Cheers Martin, will give them a whirl. :)
Pigmy Pony
28-06-2025, 16:36
He's looking a lot older these days (aren't we all), and likely to sound less whiny and more groany. Maybe a bit creaky too.
I've never really "got" Neil Young, I do have After The Gold Rush and Harvest on vinyl and FLAC, and appreciate some of the musicianship and song writing but his whining voice grates on me. :sofa:
I may have to watch the Glastonbury set to see how he is these days,
I felt the same, but After the Goldrush I had a sudden volte-face and started to collect his output.
A similar experience occurred with Steely Dan. It was a love/hate relation, eventually falling on the love side.
'Glastonbury'
Watched Ezra Collective, they were okay. Then Raye, she was okay. So not too bad, really.
Now Neil Young.
Pigmy Pony
29-06-2025, 08:17
Saw some of Nova Twins (certainly going for it, but a bit too 'metal' for my tastes. Then as much Beth Gibbons as I could stand (God could that woman get any more miserable?)
Then the whole of Neil Young's set. That's more like it. A lot more :)
Saw some of Nova Twins (certainly going for it, but a bit too 'metal' for my tastes. Then as much Beth Gibbons as I could stand (God could that woman get any more miserable?)
Then the whole of Neil Young's set. That's more like it. A lot more :)
Watched the first half hour of Young but got to 2300 and so I taped the rest as was worried about disturbing the neighbours, he had some serious bass going on. Will watch it later at proper volume.
Really good, better than I expected. Southern man may not need him around but Glastonbury did.
Pigmy Pony
29-06-2025, 10:42
'Glastonbury'
Watched Ezra Collective, they were okay. Then Raye, she was okay. So not too bad, really.
Now Neil Young.
Just watched Ezra Collective. What a joyous bunch they are. Well and truly down with the audience (literally), the word that sprung to mind was inclusive, they even had a ginger bird on stage :) One of those things where 'you had to be there', I can't see myself sitting and listening to their CD.
Polar Opposite to that misery guts Beth Gibbons.
Never heard of Beth Gibbons but seems she was the singer in Portishead so say no more.
Going to catch up on some of Glastonbury over the next few days, Shed Seven and Alanis Morissette this morning, both brilliant.
I guess I will be in a minority of 1 on this, but Olivia Rodrigo (and especially her band) was awesome, including two songs with Robert Smith.
Pigmy Pony
30-06-2025, 15:03
I guess I will be in a minority of 1 on this, but Olivia Rodrigo (and especially her band) was awesome, including two songs with Robert Smith.
Not seen her yet, but I will be doing. Artists who get to headline aren't likely to be rubbish, it's more a matter of personal taste. I reckon mine and your tastes align pretty well, so on this one maybe we'll be in a minority of 2 :)
Going to catch up on some of Glastonbury over the next few days, Shed Seven and Alanis Morissette this morning, both brilliant.
Bugger - I missed Alanis Morissette!
Never mind, I have virtually all of her recordings including live performances.
Pigmy Pony
30-06-2025, 15:56
Bugger - I missed Alanis Morissette!
Never mind, I have virtually all of her recordings including live performances.
Do you have access to BBC iPlayer on your telly? They will all be there.
Yes I do, but I can't be bothered to 'faff about' to watch it.
Maybe later when I have cooled down and see if I can see Neil Young as well.
i also watched the Ezra Collective, and you're right, Steve, "joyous" is a good description. Nile Rodgers/Chic was also great, managing to chronicle his musical output with a few covers but always maintaining the fun factor.
I haven't been able to find the Neil Young set on iPlayer? Still got a list of about 11 others that I want to watch, including The Prodigy which was well received by what I have seen online but wondering how they will be without Keith Flint.
What am I watching? Not 'Kojak' because of the stupid Tour De France.
How many channels are there and they have to put that on pretty much the only one I watch?
Only alternative this time of day? 'Lovejoy.' I'd go for a walk but already did that this morning.
Wimbledon, snooker, football - they all bugger up the TV schedules. :doh:
Mind you it makes a good excuse to listen to music - or even read a book! :D
Wimbledon, snooker, football - they all bugger up the TV schedules. :doh:
Mind you it makes a good excuse to listen to music - or even read a book! :D
I don't care about Wimbledon since that's on BBC1 which I never watch anyway.
Same for the women's football taking up BBC2 since that rarely shows anything worthwhile either.
Pigmy Pony
13-07-2025, 13:31
Just finished watching this:
https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/20/940x/secondary/The-Gold-6226960.avif?r=1749812678964
It's about the 1983 Brink's-Mat bullion robbery, or to be more precise, what happened to the gold (three tons of it) and the people who's lives it touched. The actual robbery only occupies a few minutes of the first episode.
Best thing I've seen on TV in ages! And certainly not what I would expect from the Beeb with their usual over-the-top adherence to political correctness.
It comprises 2 seasons, 6 episodes each, and is available on BBC iPlayer.
'The Fall Guy'
Original 1980s TV series, not the one of the two reboots or the film.
Melody Anderson (Dale Arden from 'Flash Gordon') guest stars.
'Minder'
Terry thumps Phil Mitchell off of 'Eastenders.'
Although this is a later episode so he doesn't thump anyone else and there are no strippers.
'Walker Texas Ranger'
Walker gives some drug dealers a good thumping then goes on holiday, leaving his pals to thump some blackmailers.
Tip for baddies - If you're told by your boss to shoot the karate man, just shoot. Don't move forward towards him holding your pistol out at arm's length so he can just take it off you and then give you a good thumping.
Pigmy Pony
15-07-2025, 20:36
'Minder'
Terry thumps Phil Mitchell off of 'Eastenders.'
Although this is a later episode so he doesn't thump anyone else and there are no strippers.
'Walker Texas Ranger'
Walker gives some drug dealers a good thumping then goes on holiday, leaving his pals to thump some blackmailers.
Tip for baddies - If you're told by your boss to shoot the karate man, just shoot. Don't move forward towards him holding your pistol out at arm's length so he can just take it off you and then give you a good thumping.
You've ruined it for me now by giving away the plot of every episode.
Just had a look at the cast list for the episodes, and there's some big names there, including Freddy Kruger, Faceman, Rocky's brother-in-law, even Ru Paul (c'mon Walker, you'd look great in a frock) :)
You've ruined it for me now by giving away the plot of every episode.
Just had a look at the cast list for the episodes, and there's some big names there, including Freddy Kruger, Faceman, Rocky's brother-in-law, even Ru Paul (c'mon Walker, you'd look great in a frock) :)
Everyone's in Walker at some point. Lee Majors was in it a couple of weeks back as a baddy sheriff.
It's confusing. In 'The Fall Guy' he easily defeats 'the finest swordsman in Japan' by improvising a lasso from Heather Thomas's dressing gown cord. But Walker thumps the crap out of him without even breaking a sweat.
Pigmy Pony
16-07-2025, 09:12
Yeah they are a bit far fetched at times. But then we have Doctor Who, I struggle to believe a lot of that stuff.
Yeah they are a bit far fetched at times. But then we have Doctor Who, I struggle to believe a lot of that stuff.
I struggle to believe that they're still flogging that dead horse. But when Disney is involved, any level of crappiness is possible.
https://i.imgur.com/xgvzM0k.jpeg
'Oceans 11' (2001)
George Clooney and his pals rob a Las Vegas casino.
One of the few films made in the 21st century that I actually rate as 'good' (in that you can watch it more than once).
People who can act and with a script that isn't entirely comprised of exposition and has some witty dialogue and some humour. Even the direction is pretty good.
Okay so the plot is outlandish but nothing wrong with that if you can keep it entertaining.
The sequels are not so good but even they have their moments (probably not true of the 'women's version' but I've never seen that one. It looked bad from the trailers and they're usually the best bits).
Also notable as one of the very few remakes that's better than the original.
'Grand Designs'
during the 'reveal' at the end I always look to see if they have spent some of the almost always massive budget on a decent stereo. Very occasionally they do.
This week bloke is shown standing next to an interesting looking rack of equipment. Then they change the shot and it turns out that it's the oven.
Massive room too, converted barn, would have been ideal for giant speakers. Instead it's a wasted effort.
A lot of these things they've never put any real thought into it. They've got a space about 100' x 30' and they make it all one big room with the bedroom on a mezzanine.
So if the bloke is trying to watch the telly and the wife has a friend round for a chat it's all got to happen in the same room. My dad would always say 'I'm watching this, if you want to talk go in the front room.'
Can't do that in that place. Bloke turns the telly up so he can hear it over them, they talk louder over it. Only going to end in arguments.
if I'm at my mothers place and these property shows are on she always says 'Look at the size of that kitchen, it's going to take her half the day to clean it.'
The BBC have been showing some first class films lately, for example:
The Ipcress File
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/49/Ipcress_File_British_quad_poster.jpg/250px-Ipcress_File_British_quad_poster.jpg
Spy thriller in which intelligence agent Harry Palmer is plunged into the shabby and treacherous world of counter-espionage as he uncovers a bizarre brain drain among scientists. Based on the novel by Len Deighton.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ipcress_File_(film)
The Wicker Man
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/11/The_Wicker_Man_%281973_film%29_UK_poster.jpg/250px-The_Wicker_Man_%281973_film%29_UK_poster.jpg
Classic British horror. When a policeman receives an anonymous letter suggesting that a small girl has vanished from a small istand community, he sets out to investigate. On his arrival, the villagers deny any knowledge of the girl and he soon discovers that life on the island is not all that it seems.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wicker_Man
Don't Look Now
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b8/Dont_look_movieposter.jpg/250px-Dont_look_movieposter.jpg
Don't Look Now offers a vision of terror set in wintertime Venice as, after the death of their daughter, Donald Sutherland and wife Julie Christie take their grief with them to Italy, where theu're haunted by a spectral presence.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Look_Now
Manhunter
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41iDOOy0RsL.__AC_SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg
Manhunter is a 1986 American thriller film written and directed by Michael Mann. Based on the 1981 novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. IMO it is significantly better than the later 'Silence of the Lambs',
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhunter_(film)
Babylon
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/db/Babylon_2022_poster.jpg
A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, Babylon traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.
Director Damien Chazelle lays bare the debauchery of Hollywood's Golden Age, from the 1920's to the 1950's, in a riotous account of the transition from silent pictures to talkies. In three frantic hours, the film follows several larger-than-life personalities, as they attend wild parties and navigate the changing landscape of the time. Directed with real gusto, it's a sprawling epic that celebrates cinema while acknowledging the industry's issues. Viewing the film is not for the faint-hearted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_(2022_film)
Deliverance
https://imusic.b-cdn.net/images/item/original/127/7321902165127.jpg?movie-2007-deliverance-dvd&class=scaled&v=1500292523
Thriller with Jon Voigt and Bert Reynolds. On a weekend canoe excursion in the Appelachians, Lewis Medlock (Reynolds) and three city dwelling friends try to navigate a wild, uncharted river, which is treatened by a proposed dam. But when two mountain men appear on the scene, the mood of the trip changes dramatically.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deliverance
All good films there.
Deliverance in particular - that film really blew me away first time I saw it.
And tonight:
The Commitments
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81NthO8gEKL.__AC_SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg
Musical drama based on Roddy Doyle's novel. When Dubliner Jimmy Rabbitte is asked by two friends to manage their band, he transforms their style bringing in new musicians and encouraging them to play 1960's soul music. But the addition of three female backing singers soon leads to tension within the group.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Commitments_(film)
IMO, one of the best films made in the 1990s.
Also showing tonight:
Gosford Park
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91D2OqsTTVL.__AC_SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg
Ensemble murder mystery from the writer of Downton Abbey. In 1930's rural England a battery of well-to-do guests and their servants attend a weekend shooting party. But their reverie is shattered by a murder, after which everyone is suspect.
A huge cast of mostly British thespians - Richard E Grant, Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren and Clive Owen - fleshes out the story which is part whodunnit and part Upstairs Downstairs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gosford_Park
Did anyone watch the boxing last night? Not a surprising outcome but still enjoyed it.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/The_Wolf_of_Wall_Street_%282013%29.png?20181119215 641
Martin Scorsese directs this exhilarating, fact-based story of decadence and debauchary which charts the rise and fall of high-flying stockbroker Jordan Belfort. Leonado DiCaprio gives a charasmatic and physical lead performance as the man who made millions in the 1990s through fraudulent share trading and stock-price manipulation. Unusually for a Scorsese film, the tone is flat-out black comedy with farcical X-rated laughs that perfectly offset the savegely funny dialogue.
The Deadly Affair (1966)
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61srFRX08NL._AC_SL1124_.jpg
Director Sidney Lumet tackles this cold war spy thriller based on a novel by master of the genre, John Le Carré. James Mason plays British secret agent Charles Dobbs, who’s puzzled by the sudden suicide of a man he’s recently investigated. The suicide seems contrary to his own findings, and Dobbs questions the recent widow (Simone Signoret) in an effort to understand the man’s state of mind. When the Foreign Office tells Dobbs to drop the inquiry, he persists, even enlisting a retired investigator when he turns up further disturbing evidence. All of this takes place while Dobbs is dealing with the news that his frequently unfaithful wife (Harriet Andersson) has been carrying on an affair with his friend and protégé (Maximilian Schell).
This 1966 film is surprisingly violent, but provides an interesting snapshot of the period: both with the cars driven and the necessary use of public phone boxes, as well as a mind-boggling convoluted cold war spy story.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Deadly_Affair
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/The_Wolf_of_Wall_Street_%282013%29.png?20181119215 641
Martin Scorsese directs this exhilarating, fact-based story of decadence and debauchary which charts the rise and fall of high-flying stockbroker Jordan Belfort. Leonado DiCaprio gives a charasmatic and physical lead performance as the man who made millions in the 1990s through fraudulent share trading and stock-price manipulation. Unusually for a Scorsese film, the tone is flat-out black comedy with farcical X-rated laughs that perfectly offset the savegely funny dialogue.
Interesting film but not one I was that keen on. The central character is unlikeable from the off and that didn't change.
I like to root for the villain/criminal in these sorts of things - heists, cons, scams - but couldn't manage it with this film.
Maybe I missed the point? I don't know.
I'm inclined to agree - I found the whole sex and drugs thing way over the top and unbelievable.
I am not interested in having a copy in my library.
Ali Tait
22-07-2025, 18:13
Apparently the maddest parts of the film are the truest to life.
Apparently the maddest parts of the film are the truest to life.
I didn't find those parts unbelievable, but watching someone go on a massive sex and drugs bender - not really that compelling.
https://i.ibb.co/NnY60rq1/OIP.webp (https://imgbb.com/)
'Midnight Run' (1988)
Robert De Niro is a bounty hunter who has 5 days to find Charles Grodin and bring him back to L.A
Odd one this as I've seen it before and recall not rating it so nearly didn't bother giving it a second go.
However it's actually a pretty good film. Some funny moments especially with the mafia characters. Good soundtrack too.
De Niro wanted to do a comedy after 'The Untouchables' and tried to get the lead role in 'Big' but the studio went for Tom Hanks instead - what a lucky escape for Bob.
Pete The Cat
23-07-2025, 12:31
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjWT3P9KGUA&t=5s
Rock Family Trees - Black Sabbath.
RIP Ozzy.
Vivaldi and Bach at the Proms - BBC4
I’m not a classic music expert, but my goodness, this has been incredible so far. Well worth finding on iPlayer.
Just incredible - even if you are not a classical music fan, well worth watching this.
There is a certain energy and vivacity to his/their playing. No doubt about it.
This year's Prom season is turning out to be very good. :)
https://i.ibb.co/S49fcJ8C/OIP.webp (https://imgbb.com/)
'The Freak Brothers' - animated series.
I used to read these comics back when I was a student with nothing better to do. Think I still have one left somewhere, the rest I loaned out and never got back. Which is a shame as they seem to go for a fair bit now on eBay.
Forty years on and I'm retired with nothing better to do and I discover they are back in animated form. Voices are:
Woody Harrelson - Freewheelin Franklin
John Goodman - Fat Freddy
Pete Davidson - Phineas
Tiffany Hadish - F Frederick Skitty
Yes the cat has become female somehow but is still the funniest character.
Gets mostly bad reviews on IMDB but I gave it a go anyway and it is pretty funny.
All the actors nail the characters IMHO especially the cat.
First season is on Youtube here's the link - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=freak+brothers
Note - Not suitable for work, home, school or in fact anywhere really.
I used to read them as well. :) The comic strip would also show the separate adventures of Fat Freddie's Cat, and underneath the adventures of the cockroachs.
One eidetic episode is where Fat Freddie has inadvertently locked the Cat inside the flat. The Cat is on the window sill looking down and thinking to himself "look at all my friends out there, fucking and fighting, whilst I'm locked in up here". When Fat Freddie returns and realises he had locked the Cat in, he looks to see if the Cat has shat anywhere. He can't see any sign of feline defecation, but the cat has a sly expression on its face and is thinking "just wait until he puts his slippers on". :D
I used to read them as well. :) The comic strip would also show the separate adventures of Fat Freddie's Cat, and underneath the adventures of the cockroachs.
The cockroaches would hold Nazi-style rallies in the kitchen IIRC.
Pigmy Pony
03-08-2025, 21:35
Amazing really you two turned out normal. Sort of.
'Walker Texas Ranger.'
Walker's girlfriend is kidnapped again. Mexicans this time. Walker gives them a good thumping.
Just finished 'MobLand', a good watch with a suitably menacing performance by Tom Hardy.
Another cold case investigation unit but very watchable
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250813/d2fcab08a8493a9df5e260523d2cf802.jpg
Pigmy Pony
13-08-2025, 21:47
Another cold case investigation unit but very watchable
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250813/d2fcab08a8493a9df5e260523d2cf802.jpg
Based on novels by Michael Connelly. I've read a few of them. The Ballard stories sort of overlap with Detective Bosch, also on Amazon Prime video (which I highly recommend). I'm on season 7 of Bosch now, and will follow it with the Ballard series.
Based on novels by Michael Connelly. I've read a few of them. The Ballard stories sort of overlap with Detective Bosch, also on Amazon Prime video (which I highly recommend). I'm on season 7 of Bosch now, and will follow it with the Ballard series.
Yes, the Bosch character appears in Ballard. 7 seasons + 3 seasons of Bosch Legacy is a bit daunting but if it’s as good as Ballard will be worth the watch.
Based on novels by Michael Connelly. I've read a few of them. The Ballard stories sort of overlap with Detective Bosch, also on Amazon Prime video (which I highly recommend). I'm on season 7 of Bosch now, and will follow it with the Ballard series.
Midway through season 3 and I’m not keen on renegade arsey Bosch after he finds out about his Mum’s killer and the situation with Gunn.
Pigmy Pony
25-08-2025, 11:42
Yeah, he can be a right shitbag, and really not the best character in the show. That has to go to the other two detectives (Crate and Barrel), who don't get enough screen time imo.
'Elton John Live At Caesar's Palace Las Vegas' (2016)
If you don't look at the screen it sounds like it's a club singer belting them out at the Wheeltapper's and Shunter's.
He used to be able to sing reasonably well, not sure when that was over.
Sounds like a job for the Comittee to pass a resolution on...
Pigmy Pony
30-08-2025, 21:25
Elton does a passable impression of Vic Reeves these days.
https://youtu.be/2prE-DUyESY?t=26
No 'Kojak' double bill today because it's some stupid bicycle race instead.
Why is it that there are four ITV channels but these things are always shown on the only one of them that I ever watch?
Tour De France is the worst - that goes on for so bloody long they must cycle up and down every road in France.
Pigmy Pony
02-09-2025, 13:54
No 'Kojak' double bill today because it's some stupid bicycle race instead.
Why is it that there are four ITV channels but these things are always shown on the only one of them that I ever watch?
Tour De France is the worst - that goes on for so bloody long they must cycle up and down every road in France.
If I wanted to watch bicycles on telly I'd choose one of those 'Caught on dashcam' programmes - watching cyclists falling out with car drivers can be quite entertaining.
The bike race came through the outskirts of our village just as I was trying to get home from a client meeting, meaning a 10 mile detour, and an extra 30 minutes on the journey. I expect the school kids enjoyed it though.
The bike race came through the outskirts of our village just as I was trying to get home from a client meeting, meaning a 10 mile detour, and an extra 30 minutes on the journey. I expect the school kids enjoyed it though.
Are they even back at school yet? They don't seem to be here although I suppose they could all just be sagging off.
Also there's no litter in my street which is usually a dead giveaway that the schools are on holiday.
It does seem to vary - daughter started her new sixth form yesterday, son doesn’t go back until tomorrow- I think round here the new entrants all started today to give them a chance to settle in before the seasoned riff raff go back.
Looked it up and they went back 1st September so all the ones I've seen must be sagging off or attend private schools.
Not sure why they aren't littering like usual but maybe that will ramp up.
Pigmy Pony
03-09-2025, 14:11
They should bring back Wombles. On the plus side you see less dog turds on the pavement these days, though the schoolkids can't take any credit for that.
Looked it up and they went back 1st September so all the ones I've seen must be sagging off or attend private schools.
Not sure why they aren't littering like usual but maybe that will ramp up.
If those who attend private schools were seen littering, and reported, they would probably face strict disciplinary action. Well they would if they had gone to my school: whenever we were in school uniform we had to behave, especially when outdoors.
Pigmy Pony
03-09-2025, 14:36
If those who attend private schools were seen littering, and reported, they would probably face strict disciplinary action. Well they would if they had gone to my school: whenever we were in school uniform we had to behave, especially when outdoors.
And quite right too. Should be like that at every school, though it never will be.
https://i.ibb.co/JRjX8Gsv/MV5-BMGM1-YTIz-Zm-Ut-MWE2-YS00-N2-M1-LTlm-Njkt-NTI5-Nj-Qx-ZTI0-N2-M4-Xk-Ey-Xk-Fqc-Gc-V1.jpg (https://ibb.co/SXwqHM3t)
'Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary' (2024)
Highly entertaining and very well done look at the posthumously named genre which incorporates a surprising number of artists:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_yacht_rock_artists
A big chunk of the good stuff, in other words.
Well worth a watch.
It's not only schoolchildren, adults are just as bad if not worse. The number of times I have seen empty drink cans pushed into a hedge, or crisp packets tossed aside.
It is my opinion that social etiquette, behaviour and consideration disappeared after we emerged from the Covid lock down. Now people only think of themselves with no consideration of others. :steam:
Pigmy Pony
03-09-2025, 20:57
https://i.ibb.co/JRjX8Gsv/MV5-BMGM1-YTIz-Zm-Ut-MWE2-YS00-N2-M1-LTlm-Njkt-NTI5-Nj-Qx-ZTI0-N2-M4-Xk-Ey-Xk-Fqc-Gc-V1.jpg (https://ibb.co/SXwqHM3t)
'Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary' (2024)
Highly entertaining and very well done look at the posthumously named genre which incorporates a surprising number of artists:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_yacht_rock_artists
A big chunk of the good stuff, in other words.
Well worth a watch.
I watched this a couple of months ago. Was much better than I was expecting. Before, if anyone had asked me if I was into yacht rock I'd have said no way. But it turns out there's a lot of great stuff saddled with that unfortunate moniker.
"Yacht Rock" is just a more modern term for what used to be called "Adult Orientated Rock". Both terms are slightly dismissive, but as you say include artists who are popular because they are very good.
A Town called Panic (2010 74 minutes0
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT2wk1UNDysr653XTqwLttB2OXYOiDCL gxwR5x4j20ukisOwkT8
Advertised as "Toy Story on absinthe", a surreal and hilarious tale of adventure, romance and villainous trechery in a small village where panic is both name and nature.
Cowboy and Indian's plan to surprise Horse with a homemade birthday gift backfires when they accidentially destroy his house. To their dismay, no sooner have they built a new home when it is stolen from beneath their noses by a stealthy and cunning midnight assailant, Strange adventures ensue as the trio travel to the centre of the earth, trek across frozen tundra and discover a parallel underwater universe where pointy headed (and dishonest!) creatures live. With panic a permanent feature of life in this papier maché world, will Horse and his girlfriend ever be alone?
This animation starts off well with some imaginative and novel ideas, but it soon becomes OTT, and sadly repetitive and boring in it's surreal plot. I found myself wishing it would hurry up and finish.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Town_Called_Panic_(film)
Pigmy Pony
05-09-2025, 22:12
There was a time when I might have enjoyed that film, in the olden days when the right drugs were freely available :) I jest of course, I would never do such a thing it's not big and it's not clever, just say no...
The Killing Fields
1984 film directed by Sidney Joffé. It is the story of Cambodia's Year Zero when Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge slaughtered nearly three million members of the population. To tell the story of the genocide, the picture takes two perspectives: American journalist Sydney Shanberg (played by Sam Waterston), and his Cambodian 'stringer' Dith Pran (played by Haign S Ngor).
By no means an easy watch, but a film everyone ought to see.
Yeah, he can be a right shitbag, and really not the best character in the show. That has to go to the other two detectives (Crate and Barrel), who don't get enough screen time imo.
Yes, liked Crate and Barrel. Finished season 7 last night, a few loose ends like did Mrs Kent and that other blonde bint get away with murder? Did J Edgar kill Avril when he was surrendering? Will Francisco get a turntable? Was good to see Captain Cooper get his comeuppance though.
You watched legacy yet?
Not watching right now, but I will be watching "The Life of Riley" at 11:20 tonight on BBC4. One of a pair of films being screened celebrating the life of blues legend BB King, to mark the centenary of his birth on 16 September 1925.
Live Stream of the Goodwood Revival
https://youtu.be/gd_wMcXJiGw
Will have this on all weekend!
Continuing the quintessential British theme of pomp and circumstance (literally) - Last Night of the Proms.
I am by no means a classical music expert or really listen to much classical but this is always a very enjoyable watch/listen.
Have my dad over this weekend, his choice, currently on BBC2
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250927/18468c23ed13d91d1e74bd8c99b8d8b4.jpg
Rewatched Spinal Tap last night. It's a classic!
Me and Dad watched this afterwards, must have been a John Ford afternoon or something?
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250928/778a8b42997ff1a9a470809fd8e33ca7.jpg
Then we watched the Women’s rugby cup final - well done Red Roses!
Watching American football Kansas vs Baltimore
https://i.ibb.co/JRCqB9MF/t-WXp6-NYt-Py-Lw-SE431x-WH2x2-XHT9.webp (https://ibb.co/7JbQYq6N)
'The Killers' (1964)
Lee Marvin and another bloke are hit men. Although their target has been warned he does not try to flee which puzzles Marvin, so they start finding out who he was and why he had to die.
Supposedly an influence on Tarantino, with the two hit men hanging out together and philosophising. Oddly although they have been paid $20,000 for the hit, which is $200,000 in today's money, they still share a hotel room.
Also notable for it being the last film of Ronald Reagan. He plays quite a prominent role as a professional thief. It is a bit difficult to get past him being in it, although he does a good performance it just seems a bit bizarre now.
Anyway, well worth a watch - even though it runs a bit slow for a while after the opening scene it's worth sticking with it.
Lee Marvin plays good 'tough men'. I thought he was good in 'Prime Cut', where the anti-hero was Gene Hackman, playing a particularly nasty rôle.
Lee Marvin plays good 'tough men'. I thought he was good in 'Prime Cut', where the anti-hero was Gene Hackman, playing a particularly nasty rôle.
Good film that. I think Marvin was a bit of a hard case in real life too.
https://i.ibb.co/Nn3sCRC9/OIP.webp (https://imgbb.com/)
1999 concert on Sky Arts.
Pigmy Pony
26-11-2025, 14:18
Only a handful of films post 2000 I can watch more than once, this is one of them.
https://movierob.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/bol.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/SDYrPMS0/MV5-BNWI3-N2-Zm-Nz-At-OWJl-Ny00-Y2-Jh-LWJh-Zm-Mt-Yz-M0-YTYy-MWU0-NTBh-Xk-Ey-Xk-Fqc-Gc-V1-FMjpg-UX100.jpg (https://ibb.co/bjwJPCtL)
'The Boys' (1962)
Courtroom drama. A gang of young tearaways led by Tinker Dill off of 'Lovejoy' are on trial for the murder of a night watchman. But is all as it seems?
Lots of classic British character actors turn out for this one including Roy Kinnear, Wilfred Bramble and Patrick Magee. Mostly as witnesses for the prosecution.
Some great location shots of north London of the era, all long since demolished. Not a bad film, keeps you watching to the end.
https://i.ibb.co/4kgf8WY/hell-is-a-city-UKquad.jpg (https://ibb.co/np807rn)
'Hell Is A City' (1960)
Hammer film noir filmed on location in Manchester, hence the title. A robbery leads to murder. Stanley Baker is the D.I working the case.
Good film this that doesn't really let up at all in the pacing and all the performances are spot on.
I wonder if this was any influence on 'The Sweeney' since there's lots of parallels. Baker is a tough and unorthodox D.I. He argues with his boss, has a keen young sidekick who's a bit of a hard nut and who he banters with. Women chuck themselves at him and he has personal grudges with the villains. I mean, that's exactly Jack Regan.
This was Baker's last film for Hammer as when 'Zulu' came out he moved up to international stardom and Hammer could no longer afford him.
Anyway, well worth a watch this one.
All watched recently:
In a Lonely Place (1950
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/N5wAAOSwYvBjmHgJ/s-l1600.webp
Bogart plays a screenwriter with anger issues who might have killed a girl, but it’s really about his girlfriend wondering if his hot temper is sexy or psychotic.
‘In a Lonely Place’ is a dark and compelling film noir with a brilliant performance by Humphrey Bogart and a captivating story of love, suspicion, and inner demons.
Breathless (1959)
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81tAbh79y-L._AC_SL1500_.jpg
Inspired by the 1949 film noir 'Gun Crazy', jean-Luc Godard's film is the keystone of the French New Wave.
An homage to such fatalistic heros such as Humphrey Bogart, this movie employs just about every trick associated with the nouvelle vague; location shooting, jump cuts and visual tributes to master film-makers.
jean-Paul Belmondo is superbly shambolic as the petty thief on the run, whose dalliance with Amercan student Jean Seberg only brings him trouble.
Brighton Rock (1947)
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1fchHAUO3L._AC_SL1500_.jpg
One of the most sinister films ever made in Britain, and but for several cuts by the censor, would have been the most shocking.
Richard Attenborough gives the best performance of his career as the teenage gangster Pinkie. He is ably supported by William Hartnell and the underrated Carol Marsh who plays Pinkie's gullible wife and who hopes that her husband might love her after all.
Memento (2000)
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/JTYAAOSw4xBiXAwq/s-l960.webp
A memory inside a memory, Memento is a complicated head spinning adventure. Leonard is determined to avenge his wife's murder. However, unable to remember anything that happens day-to-day due to a condition he sustained, short term memory loss, he has to write himself note after note that still don't mean anything after he falls asleep. The film goes back in time to reveal each little bit of the puzzle as he tries to find out the person who killed his wife and makes the audience feel just as confused as he is. The narrative closely follows a phone call Pearce has in which he talks about Sammy Jankis a former client of his who he believed had the same condition. The film takes an unexpected twist as the two characters have a lot more in common than is initially put across.
You were Never Really Here {2017)
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/nx4lUyQNEzJowcF55VAP0TQEaX0.jpg
Lynne Ramsay's brutal movie avoids the usual clichés. Joaquin Phoenix plays a suicidal killer who is hired to rescue a teenager from an upscale brothel. Intense and unsettling, this film offers an alternative for those tired of the standard genre fare. Worth watching.
Pigmy Pony
01-01-2026, 11:52
Not right now, but last night/into this morning... A bit of Jools Holland (his presenting and interviewing style is so clumsy it makes me cringe), but one or two decent performances.
But then this:
https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vB8G!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_pro gressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F 844938c4-c421-473b-94bf-123ab1439ed7_1280x720.jpeg
A mad trip of a film, I'll watch it again sometime, when my head is better able to make sense of it.
I think I have seen that film. It didn't make much sense to me, and I don't think I can be bothered to watch it again. There was an embarrassment of riches when it came to films shown over the Christmas period: some wonderful classics films were screened.
Agree with you regarding Jools. I used to watch his Later programmes to be introduced to new acts and performers.
It was shown on a Monday evening. When it came to Jools interviewing a guest, I took the opportunity to take out the recycling bins and bags, which were collected on Tuesday morning. I could do it quickly enough so on my return the show was back to performing music.
The Hootenanny has gone downhill badly in the last few years, and last night's showing was probably the worse I have seen. The 'chat' with personality guests in the audience was cringing, obsequious and facile.
(Oh, and by the way - Happy Birthday! :) )
The Hootenanny has gone downhill badly in the last few years, and last night's showing was probably the worse I have seen. The 'chat' with personality guests in the audience was cringing, obsequious and facile.
That's why I can't stand it. Why can't he just introduce the turns and leave it at that?
We need a new 'Wheeltappers and Shunters.' I'll put that idea to the committee.
Not right now, but last night/into this morning... A bit of Jools Holland (his presenting and interviewing style is so clumsy it makes me cringe), but one or two decent performances.
But then this:
https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vB8G!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_pro gressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F 844938c4-c421-473b-94bf-123ab1439ed7_1280x720.jpeg
A mad trip of a film, I'll watch it again sometime, when my head is better able to make sense of it.
Great movie.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Googly.jpg
Watched a couple over Christmas as was at my mother's where the entertainment options are limited, it's either TV or read. But did see a few films - the 'On The Buses' trilogy, of course, but also a couple of others which I re-appraised a bit.
https://i.ibb.co/9m6fDFvJ/j-Xtm5fvu05-TDR3-UNd-Gi-N9-By7cma.webp (https://ibb.co/cK0pBGvP)
'Force Ten From Navarone' (1978)
In WW2, Robert Shaw and Harrison Ford lead a mission into Yugoslavia to blow a bridge. Shaw also has a side mission to assassinate a German spy who's infiltrated the partisan command.
Good cast also includes Barbara Bach, Jaws from Moonraker, Apollo Creed and Edward Fox. That teacher off of Grange Hill plays a German. I think apart from Grange Hill he only ever played Germans in his whole career.
Saw this at the cinema when it came out and didn't really rate. Of course it's a shameless cash-in on 'The Guns Of Navarone' with Shaw replacing Gregory Peck in the Mallory role.
But on re-watching it's not that bad. Lots of twists and turns like in the original, but it does seem to vary between being a brutally realistic war film and a jolly jape war film. Also you can validly argue there are so many fantastical but true mission stories from WW2 there's no need to make one up.
Still, enjoyed it a lot. If you've never seen it but you like 'Where Eagles Dare' you'll probably like it.
https://i.ibb.co/B5zPV0BB/true-grit-1969-poster.avif (https://ibb.co/tTmhMVDD)
'True Grit' (1969)
Seen this a few times before, it always seemed to be on on a Sunday afternoon back in the 1980s. My verdict was it was okay but not great. Watching it again though I have to conclude it's really superb. Good pacing, good actors, good characters and almost constant great dialogue. Even characters who only have a few lines get lines that seem to establish their whole character and back-story somehow. A sign of great writing that.
Absolute must watch film if you didn't already or only saw it once years ago.
Saw 'Force 10' years ago and thought little of it. Maybe I should watch it again.
Pigmy Pony
01-01-2026, 16:38
Good cast also includes Barbara Bach, Jaws from Moonraker, Apollo Creed and Edward Fox. That teacher off of Grange Hill plays a German. I think apart from Grange Hill he only ever played Germans in his whole career.
Vot are you trying to say Herr Macca?
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzQ0ZTUyZDMtYzg3NS00NTQ1LTg2NDQtNThmNGZhZTRhNj BhXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX291_.jpg
Pigmy Pony
01-01-2026, 16:44
Great movie.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Googly.jpg
https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/format:webp/1*RTvTNDNJhwXbASlyQIHhpg.jpeg
https://nextshark.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/rock.tif.1200x1200_q90-e1677864035174.png?width=768&auto_optimize=medium&quality=85
I think that was my complaint of the movie, most of the characters are caricatures. But I saw the movie at least 20 years ago, so perhaps should watch it again.
Pigmy Pony
01-01-2026, 19:53
I think that was my complaint of the movie, most of the characters are caricatures. But I saw the movie at least 20 years ago, so perhaps should watch it again.
Which movie are you talking about? Not the above mentioned one, which was made in 2022.
Lawrence001
01-01-2026, 20:34
'Force Ten From Navarone' (1978)
Shaw also has a side mission to assassinate a German spy who's infiltrated the partisan command.
Still, enjoyed it a lot. If you've never seen it but you like 'Where Eagles Dare' you'll probably like it.
Was about to say, isn't that side mission nicked from Where Eagles Dare? Also, in a nice twist, wasn't Robert Shaw also the German spy they revealed on the plane in the end by taking the bullets out of his gun?
Which movie are you talking about? Not the above mentioned one, which was made in 2022.
'Force 10 from Navarone'.
Was about to say, isn't that side mission nicked from Where Eagles Dare? Also, in a nice twist, wasn't Robert Shaw also the German spy they revealed on the plane in the end by taking the bullets out of his gun?
No he's not in 'Where Eagles Dare.' That's Patrick Wymark you're thinking of in that film.
And talking of WW2 films, or films of that period, BBC4 are showing 'The Great Escape'.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/OvMAAeSwS~5pAE8C/s-l960.webp
Earlier this afternoon BBC2 were showing 'Lawrence of Arabia'; all three and a half hours of it!
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/sDsAAOSwBahU0oks/s-l960.webp
And talking of WW2 films, or films of that period, BBC4 are showing 'The Great Escape'.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/OvMAAeSwS~5pAE8C/s-l960.webp
Earlier this afternoon BBC2 were showing 'Lawrence of Arabia'; all three and a half hours of it!
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/sDsAAOSwBahU0oks/s-l960.webp
I watched 'Rio Bravo' for about the tenth time instead.
I've never been a fan of westerns, and have never watched anything by John Wayne.
It was only this Christmas that I watched 'Unforgiven' with Clint Eastwood all the way through to the end. Can't say it's an easy watch, but it looked realistic; though not a film I will watch again.
I've never been a fan of westerns, and have never watched anything by John Wayne.
It was only this Christmas that I watched 'Unforgiven' with Clint Eastwood all the way through to the end. Can't say it's an easy watch, but it looked realistic; though not a film I will watch again.
Even if you're not keen on westerns or John Wayne, 'Rio Bravo' is essential.
They made the same story twice more, with 'Rio Lobo' and 'El Dorado', although both are good neither is as good as 'Rio Bravo.' It's one of those rare films where everything about it is perfect.
Vot are you trying to say Herr Macca?
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzQ0ZTUyZDMtYzg3NS00NTQ1LTg2NDQtNThmNGZhZTRhNj BhXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_QL75_UX291_.jpg
Oddly enough I was watching 'Holiday On The Buses' last night and he plays the depot manager who sacks Stan and Jack near the start. Not a German.
But now he's on again in an episode of 'Minder' and he's a German.
Even if you're not keen on westerns or John Wayne, 'Rio Bravo' is essential.
They made the same story twice more, with 'Rio Lobo' and 'El Dorado', although both are good neither is as good as 'Rio Bravo.' It's one of those rare films where everything about it is perfect.
Having said I had never watched a John Wayne film, I watched 'The Searchers' on BBC 2 yesterday, and given a 5 star rating for being outstanding.
Well I was not impressed - it's a clichéd "cowboy and indians" film. The white cowboy settlers are all good, and the indigenous Comanche "indians" are all bad. :doh:
However, based on your recommendation, I will keep a look out for 'Rio Grande'.
Yesterday was a good one for films on TV:
'Field of Dreams' on ITV4,
Followed by two classic Hitchcock films on BBC 4:
'Rear Window' and 'North by Northwest".
And somewhere in between, the frothy and unbelievable 'Pretty Woman' on ITV1.
Having said I had never watched a John Wayne film, I watched 'The Searchers' on BBC 2 yesterday, and given a 5 star rating for being outstanding.
Well I was not impressed - it's a clichéd "cowboy and indians" film. The white cowboy settlers are all good, and the indigenous Comanche "indians" are all bad. :doh:
However, based on your recommendation, I will keep a look out for 'Rio Grande'.
I found The Searchers needed a couple of viewings before I started to twig why it's so highly rated.
The John Wayne character surely isn't 'good' by any stretch despite committing himself to search for the girl?
Anyway, no Indians in 'Rio Bravo', it's all white on white so you should be fine :)
Tonight's viewing, been waiting on this one!
https://images2.imgbox.com/03/d8/dTUZxknc_o.jpg
Tron Ares, new Tron movie.
If I have a blast I'll pick it up on 4K Bluray, LOVED Tron Legacy lets see how this goes.
Big difference in video and audio quality between streaming and physical disc, not cheap but the improvement is worth it.
No Daft Punk doing the Score, but a fan of Nine Inch Nails so should be good.
Time to give the surround sound setup a workout!
T'was (sadly) good but not great?
Legacy was better... would rewatch it before this.
Movie wears it's influences on it's sleeves though, and I enjoyed that a LOT.
Trent Reznor's Score was great, but Daft Punk did better. A lot better.
Reznor just dialled it in... He'd done this Stuff already?
Some genuinely great moments though, but hoped for more.
At most a 6/10.
Hoped for better from a Tron Movie, saw the first one in the Cinema with my Dad, so this mattered.
As I said, some really cool stuff in it
Seen that Bike Slide before somewhere... nice nod to the 1980’s anime Akira.
https://youtu.be/ky7teBfa-n0?feature=shared
That’s disappointing for you, Gaz.
I think I’m being disappointed by this, was expecting better, but only half way through.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20260110/6ecb7390fd21aceac2c35b44309587fc.jpg
I think I’m being disappointed by this, was expecting better, but only half way through.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20260110/6ecb7390fd21aceac2c35b44309587fc.jpg
I was being a bit harsh last night, I ended up enjoying it, I think the problem is I expect Dave Gahan and Martin Gore to still look like they did in the 80's, in other words, it made me feel old to start with! I should also have listened to the album Memento Mori which was what they were touring when the film was made, as I didn't know those songs, but overall, I would recommend if you are a DM fan and I will definitely watch it again. (And acquant myself with Memento Mori.)
I think we tend to think performers, whether playing music or appearing in films, remain ageless, and when we do see what they look like now, are shocked.
I could cite some whose appearance have surprised and shocked me: Joan Armatrading; Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Joni Mitchell.
'Boon'
Boon has to look after one of the birds from 'Man About The House.' Sadly, it's not Sally Thomsett.
Was a bit rubbish this even back in the day, now only really worth watching for the old cars. Spotted a Sierra Sapphire. Who remembers them?
Terry McCann laughs at your Boon schennanigans…
“Leave it ahht Tel!”
'Boon'
Boon has to look after one of the birds from 'Man About The House.' Sadly, it's not Sally Thomsett.
Was a bit rubbish this even back in the day, now only really worth watching for the old cars. Spotted a Sierra Sapphire. Who remembers them?
Spotted a Sierra Sapphire. Who remembers them?
I used to occasionally drive my bosses 1.8 LX Sapphire in metallic blue, around 1988. It was a good car, so much so that I decided to get a slightly older 2.0 GL estate for myself. Loved that, I was doing mobile DJ'ing at the time and with the seats down I could get all the gear in it and my records. Had a tow bar and could tow the trailer for the bigger gigs. A422 DSA (everyone called it ASDA). How can I remember the registration number of a car I sold 35 years ago but not what I had for tea last night? :scratch:
Pigmy Pony
04-02-2026, 19:46
Sierra Sapphire. Who remembers them?
Jimmy Nail does. Had a Sapphire Cosworth in 'Spender'. Maybe that should be back on the telly.
https://aufwiedersehenpet.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/3/0/10302753/3843073_orig.jpg
Jimmy Nail does. Had a Sapphire Cosworth in 'Spender'. Maybe that should be back on the telly.
https://aufwiedersehenpet.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/3/0/10302753/3843073_orig.jpg
I've never seen it - it was first on in the 4 year period when I didn't have a telly.
Sapphire looked a lot like the Ford Taurus which was used for the cop cars in 'Robocop' - at the time a lot of people thought they used Sierras
https://i.ibb.co/vC8gzRtt/1991-Ford-Taurus-GL-sedan-09-07-2009.jpg (https://ibb.co/V08rB5KK)
............
A422 DSA (everyone called it ASDA). How can I remember the registration number of a car I sold 35 years ago but not what I had for tea last night? :scratch:.
My father's first Daimler had the registration number 1 RHW. Since it was an easy number to remember, he had the plate transfered to all of the subsequent cars he had.
.
My father's first Daimler had the registration number 1 RHW.
That's a lovely plate - would be worth at least £20-30K now - maybe quite a bit more.
Looks like it isn't on a car at the moment - it may have disappeared into the system - unless you've got a retention certificate somewhere, Barry?
'Kojak'
Kojak has to try to nick a loan shark although I'd have thought that in 1970's New York that would be like shovelling shit against the tide.
He usually knows what he's doing though so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Eli Wallach and F Murray Abraham guest star.
Frankie Pentangele from 'Godfather 2' is also in it.
Spanish, on Netflix, worth a look.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20260206/3111dc1faeddca63ca2784ad2aa5d41c.jpg
Pigmy Pony
07-02-2026, 10:40
It began with a closed, deserted diner, and a man too long without sleep to continue his journey... Yes, it's the first episode of "The Invaders", from 1967, right now on Legend.
https://resizing.flixster.com/-XZAfHZM39UwaGJIFWKAE8fS0ak=/v3/t/assets/p10806577_b_v8_aa.jpg
A Quinn Martin production, so you get 4 acts and an epilogue, like you did with Streets of San Francisco. Looks very dated, but I'll stick with it for now.
I saw they've just started showing that but it was episode 3 last night so I must have missed the first two.
The only thing I can recall about it is that they disappear when you kill them so the poor bloke never has any proof. And that it was a lot better than 'Land Of The Giants' which was also Quinn Martin.
Might be dated but that just means it isn't chock full of woke.
Pigmy Pony
07-02-2026, 12:07
I saw they've just started showing that but it was episode 3 last night so I must have missed the first two.
The only thing I can recall about it is that they disappear when you kill them so the poor bloke never has any proof. And that it was a lot better than 'Land Of The Giants' which was also Quinn Martin.
Might be dated but that just means it isn't chock full of woke.
Yeah, David Vincent is on a hiding to nothing - nobody believes him, can't blame them because the odd ones who do are not long for this world -they usually get deaded by what looks like a blingy taser that gives them a heart attack.
You can usually (but not always) spot them with their wonky fingers.
Definitely no woke-ness though, as you say.
I was wrong. 'Land Of The Giants' was not a Quinn Martin production - it was an Irwin Allen production, who also did 'Lost In Space' and 'The Time Tunnel'.
'Quinn Martin' wasn't even his real name, but that's Hollywood for you. Irwin Allen wasn't his real name either, for that matter.
Pigmy Pony
07-02-2026, 13:05
"The Streets of San Francisco" was Quinn Martin, and I remember that being really good. With Karl "bum nose" Malden and Michael Douglas.
"The Streets of San Francisco" was Quinn Martin, and I remember that being really good. With Karl "bum nose" Malden and Michael Douglas.
They showed that a few years ago in the weekday afternoon slot so I only saw a couple of episodes due to work, but the ones I saw were really good.
My dad used to watch it when it was originally on but I'd only have been about 6 years old and it was too 'talky' for me at that age. Same with 'Kojak'.
No doubt they will repeat them in the afternoons again at some point.
Pigmy Pony
10-02-2026, 16:23
Kojak, on ITV 4. It's got Rocky in it. I never realised he was such a shortarse. Story goes something like this: He accidentally shoots a kid while trying to catch some crim, and while the Grand Jury determined that the shooting was justified, he couldn't handle the guilt. So he quit the NYPD, moved to Philadelphia, bagged off with some bird working at the pet shop, took up boxing, and one year later became the heavyweight champion of the world. Hard to believe really.
'Doctor Who'
Yeah I know, but you find me something else on.
Proper Dr Who with Tom Baker though. Arguably the only time it was any good.
Pigmy Pony
13-02-2026, 15:08
"Lawman" on 5 Action. Though only the picture, the sound turned down while I play some tunes. A LOT of faces I recognise in this, quite a cast. I wish I'd bothered watching it properly now, looks like it's quite good.
"Lawman" on 5 Action. Though only the picture, the sound turned down while I play some tunes. A LOT of faces I recognise in this, quite a cast. I wish I'd bothered watching it properly now, looks like it's quite good.
Never seen it but good cast - Michael Winner directs but he's not always terrible.
It'll be on again - that's the thing with cable, everything's always on again.
Pigmy Pony
14-02-2026, 20:34
"Sabata" (1969) on 5 Action. Didn't mean to watch it, but got drawn in, and had to see how it ended. Turned out to be an entertaining watch, and Lee Van Cleef was cool ofc.
Was Lee Van Cleef ever in a bad film? I can't think of one.
Lawrence001
14-02-2026, 23:25
This doesn't look great
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/armed_response
Pigmy Pony
14-02-2026, 23:39
This doesn't look great
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/armed_response
Umm, yeah, maybe. Perhaps Macca should have rearranged his words to say "Was Lee Van Cleef ever bad in a film?" :) Actually, the answer to that question is yes he was - according to Wikipedia the inscription on his grave reads "THE BEST OF THE BAD".
This doesn't look great
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/armed_response
Not seen it, looks like the sort of film you'd rent on VHS from the off-licence.
Thing is the standard of films has plummeted in the last 15 years so it's probably pretty good by comparison to what they're making now.
Lawrence001
16-02-2026, 23:43
I watched a bit on you tube and it actually looked like the sort of thing I like to watch as it reminds me of watching films when I was young. Probably in the same way as my mum used to like Heartbeat.
I bet you can hear the dialogue too. No-one mumbling into their chest. And no need to look up the plot on Wikipedia while your watching just to try to work out what's happening.
I've just been watching 'The Sting' on Legend (Channel 41) this afternoon. Seen it many times and have the DVD, but it is such a well made film I can watch it over and over again, even though I know the demouement. :)
Agree, I watched it not so long ago for about the tenth time. Three of the greatest actors ever are in it, which helps a lot.
Pigmy Pony
19-02-2026, 14:55
This on the telly while I was playing records. Not interested in what was being said, but the show does have a hard to define visual appeal.
https://hips.hearstapps.com/digitalspyuk.cdnds.net/13/38/rrcountdown.jpg?resize=980:*
Pigmy Pony
19-02-2026, 14:59
This on the telly while I was playing records. Not interested in what was being said, but the show does have a hard to define visual appeal.
https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/20/940x/secondary/Rachel-Riley-on-Countdown-5324668.avif?r=1713369141180
This on the telly while I was playing records. Not interested in what was being said, but the show does have a hard to define visual appeal.
https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/20/940x/secondary/Rachel-Riley-on-Countdown-5324668.avif?r=1713369141180
The board is an attractive shade of blue, it must be that.
Just been watching Jenny Agutter, height of her powers, in 'Magnum PI.'
Now - 'Kojak.'
Pigmy Pony
19-02-2026, 17:00
Changed channels to find Kojak halfway through. So I thought oh well, I'll catch it on ITV4+1. Then I nodded off :doh: Sweeney now, with a young Linda Bellingham.
'Dempsey And Makepeace'
Still trying to decide if this can fall into the 'so bad it's good' category. Even the theme tune is terrible and they use it over the action sequences too, probably to save money on the incidental music. You can imagine the composer playing it to the producers and them thinking he was taking the piss, but it was too late to commision something else by then.
But you watch and see what you think:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFIyBV99Rfc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFIyBV99Rfc
Pigmy Pony
11-03-2026, 23:34
It's almost impossible to be a bad shot with a compound bow, but she manages it. And being fit makes up for a lot :) And that theme music? They just nicked a ten second bit from anything with Stephen J. Cannell or Glen A. Larson on the credits and put it on repeat.
I remember when Dempsey and Makepeace was originally screened, and I thought it was dreadful back then. And the years haven't been kind.
It's almost impossible to be a bad shot with a compound bow, but she manages it. And being fit makes up for a lot :) And that theme music? They just nicked a ten second bit from anything with Stephen J. Cannell or Glen A. Larson on the credits and put it on repeat.
I remember when Dempsey and Makepeace was originally screened, and I thought it was dreadful back then. And the years haven't been kind.
It was dreadful back in the day but I'd say the years have been kind to it because it's far more watchable than the turgid woke rubbish they make now.
Modern police shows take themselves far too seriously. You just need a fit bird, an action man and an angry chief. And baddies with no back story - they're just bad people who deserve shooting or, at the very least, a good thumping and then off to jail.
Well that's 2 minutes 33 seconds wasted. :doh:
Glynis Barber, and an Escort XR3i convertible, what's not to love? Plus at least one caravan gets blown up.
Glynis Barber, and an Escort XR3i convertible, what's not to love? Plus at least one caravan gets blown up.
At least there's you and me that get it :)
I wonder if there's still a market for proper telly? No-one's making it anymore which would imply there isn't. But still...
It will soon be possible for people to make entire TV shows from home using A.I, similar to how it became possible to make your own music at home when DAWs became cheap and commoditised.
I already have some ideas...
AppleTV shows can range from great to Outstanding?
Some Amazon produced shows are fantastic such as the recent Fallout show, based on the game.
Pay to play of course, but not different in principle than the TV licence paying for the dross they put out?
Prefer to enjoy where my money goes though, and not help fight police investigations into BBC staff related schennanigans :rolleyes:
Not been a fan of broadcast telly since Bruce’s Bonus’ on the Generation Game and Bullseye…
now THAT was quality telly!
'Star Wars - Andor'
Finally this has come onto Sky One so I can watch it. Only seen the first episode so far but it seems okay.
The tone is more like 'Bladerunner' than 'Star Wars' to me but I'm okay with that. I know nothing about the story other than it's essentially telling what happened prior to the events of the 'Rogue One' film so please no spoilers from anyone who already seen it!
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