TV/Movies Megathread

[Syt]

Oh, I finished S1 of Foundation. I had to use alternate sources because while I have an Apple TV+ subscription, on Windows you can only stream in 720p

Anyways, I enjoyed it. Is it on the level of The Expanse? Hell no. Is it following the source material? It's been years since I read the first Foundation trilogy, but from what I remember: hell no.

However, I dig the overall visual design of the show and their idea of what this distant future (10k+ years) might look like. I like the work put into the various cultures/languages (Anacreon, Thespis, etc.). And the general story of Salvor Hardin and the internal struggle of the cloned Emperors and their tension between stagnation and reneal quite interesting. Gaal's story of her being aboard the ship headed for Star's End and the Second Foundation ... much less so, unfortunately. I'm ok with her having an intuitive understanding of causality etc. (thus making her able to "predict" the future to some degree), but the story didn't feel too captivating.

Overall the pace is very ponderous and languid - it gives breathing room to the visuals and setting, but I feel the show is missing an emotional core (which I guess is true to the source ). Still, I love me some large scale, high concept space opera, and therefore do look forward to S2 (which should have at least a 138 year jump into the future, based on the S1 epilogue) .

[Josquius]

Does Succession take time to get good or is it there from the start?
I've tried it but can't get through a scene or two of episode 1. Never in the right frame of mind I guess.

[Gups]

Does Succession take time to get good or is it there from the start?
I've tried it but can't get through a scene or two of episode 1. Never in the right frame of mind I guess.

Personally I loved it from the very first scene.

[celedhring]

Yeah, it starts off excellently.

[Tamas]

Oh, I finished S1 of Foundation. I had to use alternate sources because while I have an Apple TV+ subscription, on Windows you can only stream in 720p

Anyways, I enjoyed it. Is it on the level of The Expanse? Hell no. Is it following the source material? It's been years since I read the first Foundation trilogy, but from what I remember: hell no.

However, I dig the overall visual design of the show and their idea of what this distant future (10k+ years) might look like. I like the work put into the various cultures/languages (Anacreon, Thespis, etc.). And the general story of Salvor Hardin and the internal struggle of the cloned Emperors and their tension between stagnation and reneal quite interesting. Gaal's story of her being aboard the ship headed for Star's End and the Second Foundation ... much less so, unfortunately. I'm ok with her having an intuitive understanding of causality etc. (thus making her able to "predict" the future to some degree), but the story didn't feel too captivating.

Overall the pace is very ponderous and languid - it gives breathing room to the visuals and setting, but I feel the show is missing an emotional core (which I guess is true to the source ). Still, I love me some large scale, high concept space opera, and therefore do look forward to S2 (which should have at least a 138 year jump into the future, based on the S1 epilogue) .

I couldn't make myself finish the last episode, should return to it.

Absolutely gorgeous visuals. The story has very little to do with the source material mainly because the original series covers generations in quick succession and reeks of the 1950s, most notably the lack of females. 

Even though I kinda' got bored with it, I understand them wanting to use the basic story to focus on a shorter timeframe, makes sense for a TV series. I also understand why they felt necessary to fast-track the collapse of the empire, although perhaps there could have been a better way to keep the the triple emperors in the story. I think just the writing could have been better.

[Syt]

I read the show was pitched for 8 seasons ( ). I could see them having each season covering one crisis with time skips between them (we saw a 34 year one in S1, IIRC), and using Gaal and Salvor as "connective" tissue. The interplay of the Day, Dusk, Dawn was by far my favorite part of the series, and I hope we will see more of it some fashion.

On the 1950s - yeah, I'm kind of glad they didn't go down the route (yet? ) of having nuclear power being this mythical technology/religion for the savage fiefdoms who lost their technology

[garbon]

Does Succession take time to get good or is it there from the start?
I've tried it but can't get through a scene or two of episode 1. Never in the right frame of mind I guess.

Personally I loved it from the very first scene.

Explains why I bounced off it after episode 2, if format does change from that.

[grumbler]

The Foundation TV series is based, from what I can see, on Asimov's prequel books, published very late in his career, so not actually 1950s stuff.  They were pretty dreadful as books.

[Josephus]

Every classic show has that Emmy award winning episode. (Is Emmy what they give out for TV?)

This episode of Succession is a winner.

[The Brain]

Deep Water, documentary about the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Around the World Race, and Donald Crowhurst in particular. I had heard about him before, but it's a well made documentary and the whole thing is such an insane story. And it's not like Crowhurst was the only one in the race who decided to do weird things.

[mongers]

Deep Water, documentary about the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Around the World Race, and Donald Crowhurst in particular. I had heard about him before, but it's a well made documentary and the whole thing is such an insane story. And it's not like Crowhurst was the only one in the race who decided to do weird things.

Yeah it's a very interesting story.

Which streaming service is that on?

[Duque de Bragança]

Denise Richards and Paul Walker starred in this...

Un classique, assurément !

 

[The Brain]

Deep Water, documentary about the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Around the World Race, and Donald Crowhurst in particular. I had heard about him before, but it's a well made documentary and the whole thing is such an insane story. And it's not like Crowhurst was the only one in the race who decided to do weird things.

Yeah it's a very interesting story.

Which streaming service is that on?

[Darth Wagtaros]

The Foundation TV series is based, from what I can see, on Asimov's prequel books, published very late in his career, so not actually 1950s stuff.  They were pretty dreadful as books.

At some point he stopped writing and let ghost writers in.  Those prequels were bad.  The original trilogy, as dated as it is, was a good quick read.  

I stopped watching the series. It wasn't terrible, but it just didn't grab my attention.  Maybe I'll pick it up again.

[grumbler]

At some point he stopped writing and let ghost writers in.

Yeah, he stopping writing because he was dead.  The last of his prequels was published posthumously.  Then the estate let the Killer Bs do books, but the one I read (by Brin) was as bad as the late Asimov stuff.