I was sort of joking about downloading from Hulu, although I do like to have files to transfer between devices.

I don't get ads on youtube, and now that I've figured out that you can change the playback speed, I spend the vast majority of my fuck-around time on that site. And a youtube downloader program has proven very useful. Worst thing is the frequently loathsome comments. (I don't really care about quality, otherwise that would probably be a strike.)

See? Just searched for Billy Wilder. Tons of stuff. There goes my weekend.

THICK OF IT: I almost always watch each episode twice, sometimes immediately. At least the beginning. It's usually halfway through when I finally get what's going on. I don't think UK's parliamentary system and sprawling bureaucracy is something one can grasp intuitively. Still not sure what Ollie's job is. Really, I don't think this is a case of stupid-American-itus.

The thing is, I still enjoy the show a lot. I "like" the characters and all I really need to know in a given scene is who has the most power. The problem for me is how the scenes add up, and to entirely figure it out, I might also take a peek at Wikipedia in addition to a re-watch.

So even if I am a stupid American, the show ends up making me slightly less stupid.

PS- Re-re-watched IN THE LOOP.

I agree, i get all my live shows and bootlegs from youtube using RealDownloader.. recent finds include the Sleater-Kinney NPR show in DC..

I watched Gang Related last night, its not bad for a John Bellushi flick, but Tupac was wasted on it, he just wasn't a convincing cop.

recently seen:

1. Tomorrowland (2015)- Take a spoonful of "The Matrix's" well-tread ideas of a 'chosen one', cartoon action sequences and George Clooney doing his best Disney-dad superhero figure, and one gets Brad Bird's "Tomorrowland". It's a good film, just ordinary and non adventurous fun for the whole family. If that's your thing....

2. Aloha (2015)- Filmmaker Cameron Crowe has some genuine things to say about the messy and intricate crashes of affection between people, they just can't be found here. Reviewed at www.Dallasfilmnow.com

3. Police Python 357 (1976)- Doesn't quite rise above its implausible French 'policier' instincts, but filmmaker Alaine Corneau manages to shroud most of the film in his dour, harsh vision, such as the central murder scene and cop Yves Montand disfiguring himself.

4. Two In the Wave (2010)- Hum drum documentary about the budding relationship and career trajectories of Godard and Truffaut. The problem is, it never tells us anything new about the duo or their circumstances that hasn't already been written about or discussed at length over the past two decades. Or at least for us nouvelle vague affecionados.

5. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)- Holy hell, what a ride. I'm usually highly averse to the split second style of cutting in modern action films, but director Miller not only manages to create a cohesive vision of amplified violence and insane creativity, but the continuity of the action is splendid. See a body being thrown from a rolling vehicle one shot and there's the body falling in the background of the next. One of the great pleasures of the year so far.

6. Maggie (2015)- Slow burn and contemplative, and a film whose intimate drama is just as compelling as the melee on "The Walking Dead". Reviewed at www.dallasfilmnow.com

7. On the Edge (1985)- Bruce Dern as a banned athlete bucking the system and running in a California race anyway. Director Rob Nilsson may be a far left-wing nut in his beliefs, but the few films of his I've seen respectfully and dutifully evoke a very specific time and place (Northern California) like the best indie filmmakers.

8. The Seventh Companion (1968)- Finally tracked down the first film of Alexie German's career. I have to admit disappointment with his debut thought after the cumulative power of the rest of his films ("My Friend Ivan Lapsich" especially). The oblique nationalist references are there, but it plods along without the same caustic energy of his later efforts.

9. Kid Blue (1973)- Another long time track down, James Frawley's western starring Dennis Hopper as the title character easily takes the prize for most hippie western ever. Sure, lots of filmmakers "claim" to have made a hippie western (Monte Hellman and any number of z-grade Italians) but this one-featuring "The Man" constantly trying to halt Kid Blue's reformed status and a possible "free love" relationship between Hopper, buddy warren Oates and his wife Lee Purcell, sidesteps the veiled references and settles into 'hippiedom' pretty readily.

10. We Are What We Are (2013)- Devastating. Director Jim Mickle is the absolute best guy working the horror genre today. Not only is this remake better than the original film it's based upon, but it's a unique, measured pressure-cooker of a film that would be remarkable even without its gory accentuates.

Yes, the state of on line TV is getting worse. I just generally search by the show title and you can get quite a few decent transfers free. Lately, I've Ben seeing more and more small video windows embedded in a matrix of other still content, show title, photo of main character, etc. WTF is that, and does anyone know how to zoom and pan on YouTube?

I saw Love and Mercy earlier this evening. Usually I hate biopics but this one is so well done Brian Wilson could have not existed and this film would would still have a purpose. It was inspiring and heartbreaking and definitely worth a watch. Paul Dano and John Cusack were great as young and old Brian Wilson. Didn't know Cusack was that good!

^ I've heard only good things.

Nightcrawler. Creepy. Flawed, though.

Why so? I thought it was one of the best films of last year.



Great film. It's a pretty slow film, but certainly not boring in any way. It certainly left me feeling that there could be a sequel. Doubtful I know, but it's a nice idea.

It got clunky towards the end. The inabilty of the police investigators to nail him rang false. I was waiting for a surprise, as well; for example, Nina could have crushed him in the end by refusing to air his video of the shootout, calling him, finally, on his cruelty, and possibly also getting a confession from him as a wired police accomplice.

A very good movie, don't get me wrong. I just didn't like the ending.

Jurassic World. Not really that much new in terms of overall plot, there was some new details of course from US defense, but you know.

Still a nice little thrill ride overall.

^^ bullhead is good! depressing though.

most recently i've watched...


THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VÉRONIQUE (KIESLOWSLI, 1991) - fantastic, luminous... and slightly incomprehensible too.. the criterion edition has a full disc with great interviews and other materials, and that of course helps.



WILD TALES (RELATOS SALVAJES) - DAMIAN SZIFRON, 2014.
everything that this poster says is true. this movie is hilarious and fucking great. i expected to like it but not this much. not sure how it will read in translation/subtitles but ha ha ha ha-- im just remembering this now. this is a true black comedy, not some depressing shit with jokes in it, but rather, you'll laught until the end while you watch some dark shit. it's great.

shot in argentina but backed by "el deseo", the amodovar bros. production company. watchitwatchitwatchit.

Wild Tales was one of the best I've seen in a long time. The airline sequence was especially good, a sllllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooooowwwwww ww build up,and a spectacular ending, the road rage part was pretty great, too "lovers quarrel!?!"

I liked it. Lots of well-worn sci-fi tropes but I found it cool.

I remember hearing about Wild Tales. I just added them to the NF queue. Bal'shoye spaseeba!

Re watched Down Terrace, it's another on my best list. Dark humor, some fantastic sequences, " could you hold this up here for me, guv?" Also a couple of the worst parents imaginable in a slyly devious and manipulative vein

Inside Job, a documentary on the financial crisis of 2007–08. I can highly recommend it.

In a mood to rewatch 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The one thing that ruined it for me was the plausibility of the whole train premise. I guess it's supposed to be metaphoric, but it sure lost this scientist/engineers credibility right off. I really liked "Mother" a lot better, or for Bong scifi, "The Host"

^Yeah, the train thing is a bit of a stretch, as railways require steady, constant, intensive maintenance 24/7, especially one "worldwide." I also did to realize it was CaptainHumanAmericaTorch in the lead role. I am terrible at recognizing faces on screen...