TV/Movies Megathread

[Josquius]

If being universal is a hallmark of good comedy then I dread to think.
It usually tends to be absolute trash comedy, sub big bang theory level stuff, that does well overseas where more intelligent comedies are those that tend to be pretty obscure to those from radically different cultures.

What's wrong with universal comedy?  I mean we're all human.

I mean yes you can have pretty low-brow humour that can be pretty universal. I mean - think about fart jokes or the like.  And it's not like farts will never not be funny either - but again I don't think that's going to go on the list of "best" comedy.  Because again, like making a ton of topical references, it's just so easy.

But I do think humour and comedy is pretty basic and universal at its core.

Its fundamentally awful stuff. Just laugh tracks to indicate where to laugh and jokes that barely warrant a smile at best.
Its not like its always crap that appeals widely. Friends for instance is good.
But 2 Broke Girls I hear is very popular in China. And its just....terrible.

[Sheilbh]

What's wrong with universal comedy?  I mean we're all human.

I mean yes you can have pretty low-brow humour that can be pretty universal. I mean - think about fart jokes or the like.  And it's not like farts will never not be funny either - but again I don't think that's going to go on the list of "best" comedy.  Because again, like making a ton of topical references, it's just so easy.

But I do think humour and comedy is pretty basic and universal at its core.

Interesting. I more or less totally disagree I think comedy is one of the most culture (and language) specific things - which is why Hollywood is making less of them because they play less well internationally. It's really really difficult to make a global hit comedy film/series (which is why they're pretty rare).

There's some bit that can be fairly universal - physical comedy works everywhere, toilet humour does too. But I think as soon as you get into verbal humour, gags either rely on the words or on the situation which can be very, very difficult to translate.

It's not impossible - and I think as English speakers we've got US comedies which creates a base layer that we probably all share. I imagine there's probably similar in Spanish speaking countries or beteween, say, France and Quebec. But there are still differences - the big one is I think is that British and Australian audiences seem to enjoy discomfort a bit more as part of the comedy.

[HVC]

Do Aussies like deadpan sarcasm too, or is that a British only comedy thing?

[Sheilbh]

My view of Aussie comedy is they also like it. For example Kath and Kim, Summer Heights High (although the latter is a little problematic) or Wilfred all have bits of that - and are all great (problematicness notwithstanding).

Having said that - those are the Aussie comedies that land on British TV, so...

[Admiral Yi]

My sole exposure to Aussie comedy is old Paul Hogan Show clips.  That was straight Benny Hill.

[Josquius]

New Zealand seems to do deadpan awkwardness best for some reason.

[Jacob]

Shogun is superb in every sense - plot, writing, characterisation, subject matter. I read 50 or 60 books a year and it's in my all time top 20.

It's 1,100 pages though so won't be for everyone. The only other one of his I've read is Tai Pai set in Hong Kong in the 60s. Very good but not at the level of Shogun.

IIRC Tai Pan is set in the 1840s, and Noble House is set in the 1960s (both in Hong Kong). They're both quite good IMO, but you're probably right they're not quite at the same level as Shogun. I did think it instructive to read Amitav Ghosh's Sea of Poppies and contrast it with Tai Pan..

Teenage me thought King Rat also quite good - set in Japanese run POW camp in Malaysia. A slightly different perspective than Bridge over the River Kwai.

In any case... you're making me want to read Shogun again

[Sheilbh]

Amitav Ghosh is a fantastic writer.

I also remember Gai-Jin which is set in 19th century/early Meiji Japan.

The film of King Rat is well worth a watch. And Clavell was a Japanese POW in the war - as a soldier - a bit like JG Ballard (as a child) who wrote Empire of the Sun which is also great and nothing like any other book he wrote.

[Jacob]

Pretty sure I read Gaijin, but I don't remember a thing about it...

[crazy canuck]

I second watching the film King Rat. The acting is first rate. 

[HVC]

Madame Web looks like it might be good. Or it could be another Marvels. Trailer at least looks good.

Guess it fell on the marvels side of the coin

[Sheilbh]

Hadn't realised an adaptation was coming out, but I thought the book was fantastic and this looks good:

[Barrister]

Madame Web looks like it might be good. Or it could be another Marvels. Trailer at least looks good.

Guess it fell on the marvels side of the coin

So was The Marvels actually that abd, or was it just that online "hate superhero movie with female leads for being too "woke" syndrome"?

[Habbaku]

Impossible to say, since no one saw it. 

[HVC]

I tried ( ) . It was not good.