What TV Shows Are you Watching?

[HappyGilmore]

NCIS: Tony & Ziva.

A spin-off of the original NCIS tv show, featuring past agents Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David. It's pretty good so far. Haven't finished it, but I'm hoping it leads them to get a second season, or they bridge the gap so they can come back to the main series in some capacity.

[Rev. Powell]

"Uzumaki," anime version. It's a 4-episode series, so really more like a 2-hour movie split into four episodes. The story involves a town invaded by spirals (yes, you read that correctly). It's very irrational. Based on a famous manga by cult author Junjo Ito that was also made into a movie. My research indicated that the first episode was great, and they decline in quality with every new installment--apparently, they ran out of money as they went along due to poor planning. I watched the first two episodes yesterday night, will finish tomorrow. Honestly I didn't think episode 2 was noticeably inferior to episode 1, but I hear 4 is a disaster.

[lester1/2jr]

The Invisible Man TV series from the 50's on tubi. Haven't really seen enough to give an opinion, but I like the IM.

[Rev. Powell]

"Uzumaki" wasn't that bad. Ep. 3 was actually pretty good, containing the scariest mini-arc. 4 was a bit lame but not nearly as bad as I'd been led to believe. I benefited from low expectations.

[lester1/2jr]

The Young Ones

[lester1/2jr]

I'm watching the Bloody Duchess. It's about an Elizabeth Bathory type horrible serial killing woman but this one is in Russia and part of the aristocracy there. About 6 episodes in. It's of similar quality as the other Russian series I've seen, but definitely feels like it's been punched up a bit. Every episode seems to have one overtly over the top sort of thing done in the name of maintaining interest.

[lester1/2jr]

I finally finished all 16 episodes of the Bloody Duchess so now I get to write about it in this ghetto of the main board. Well, ladies and gentlemen I'll get right to the point: this thing was nuts. Normally I enjoy trashy insanity, but in this case I actually wanted to learn about this historical period and the lead actress seemed like a perfect fit. Instead, it's stuff like... she pummels her servants head into the wall for not cleaning up a massive bloodstain that only she (the duchess) can see and then seeks out the help of a forest witch to put a love spell on some random guy who visits her compound. You can watch as the series progresses her face goes from serious actress to wtf am I doing in this "Orphan" esque Russian winter weirdness.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out there is a ton of Marxism in this thing. The entire series is basically a revolutionary tract about how religion is corrupt and aristocrats are all sadistic and perverted and in cahoots with bribed peasants to get their point across. I don't doubt all of this is true,  so I guess I don't really know what I would have done differently. It badly needed some levity or occasional tonal shift. The story is very much in the vein of Elizabeth Bathory, really exactly like it. The costumes and sets and so forth are excellent.

All in all, VERY metal with bogs full of bodies and lots of sordid behavior. sort of like a Russian version of a Spanish soap opera 4/5

[bob]

The Stand (1994 miniseries)