Recommendations for Watching While Waiting for Season 3

[krishnanspace]

Donnie Darko

[Si78]

Pleasantly surprised to see Crazy Ex Girlfriend mentioned! It's one of my favorite shows right now. Definitely nothing like TP, but a funny clever show. (And if you like musicals a no-brainer to watch).

[krishnanspace]

Did anyone catch today's westworld episode? OMG wtf was that end!

[baxter]

I've recently discovered two gems on youtube:

1) The Invaders. I assume lots of you will have seen this but I haven't before. It's a 60s show about a man who knows there is going to be an alien invasion but can't convince anybody (and of course the aliens thwart him every week). It's got a similar paranoia and psychedelic air as The Prisoner. Heaps of fun, and the dated presentation only adds to the appeal.

2) (Totally unlike TP): George and the Dragon. Genius 60s sitcom with a stellar cast including Sid James as a servant with free hands who finally meets his match in the austere new housekeeper. Fans of modern gender politics probably need not bother, but there is nothing overtly sexist and the man is clearly a loser. What's amazing is how much the cast are clearly loving every minute of it. Very sharply written too,

[Ped]

I've been enjoying The Missing on BBC recently. Currently airing the 2nd season. The first series was about a couple who's young son goes missing in France during the 2004 World Cup. The episodes regularly jump between 2004 and present day and the viewers are kept guessing as to how certain events came to pass etc.

Series 2 has a brand new case set in a British army base in Germany and only retains the French detective (and his family) from series 1. Starz shows the show in the US I believe. Worth a watch if you like 'kids gone missing' type of shows.

[baxter]

That sounds ace Ped! One of my favourite films of all time is The Vanishing.

[cowwithfivelegs]

.

[Ghoul]

That sounds ace Ped! One of my favourite films of all time is The Vanishing.

I agree with cow, a truly amazing film and one that haunts me for two decades since I first caught it! I do hope, however, that you're referring to the 1988 Dutch original (titled Spoorloos) and not to the abomination that was its American remake from 1993 which, amazingly, comes from the same director! How one can lobotomise his own creation in such an abhorrent manner is something I'll never grasp.

[baxter]

heheh- I knew this would come up.

Of course I am referring to the original. I didn't bother with the remake, even for curiosity. All I know about it is that the ending was changed which, without giving anything away to those who have not seen it, changes the whole point of the film.

I think I was lucky here actually. I first became aware of the film when seeing it publicised on UK TV film shows. I didn't get around to see it until about 10 years later. The publicity must have been about the American remake, but I was smart enough to watch the original version when I first saw it. Had this not happened, I'd probably hate it.

It really, really is one of the best things ever made. If you haven't seen it, watch it now!!!!

[Agent Sam Stanley]

I do hope, however, that you're referring to the 1988 Dutch original (titled Spoorloos) and not to the abomination that was its American remake from 1993

The dutch version is better but the remake is not the abomination everyone makes it out to be. There are far worse thrillers in the 90's. And Jeff Bridges is really good in it.

[baxter]

Interesting- might have to finally seek it out.

[Ghoul]

I do hope, however, that you're referring to the 1988 Dutch original (titled Spoorloos) and not to the abomination that was its American remake from 1993

The dutch version is better but the remake is not the abomination everyone makes it out to be. There are far worse thrillers in the 90's. And Jeff Bridges is really good in it.

Well, a recommendation going on the notion that there are far worse things out there is not what I would call a recommendation. Yeah, you're probably right - there are worse 90's thrillers out there. Taken on its won terms, The Vanishing (1993) might be passable (allthough that ending is a stinking crock of shit, plain and simple). Comparing it to the original, however, makes one want to cry (and this is coming from someone who's got nothing against remakes in general). What was Sluizer (the director) thinking is beyond human comprehension!

[Agent Sam Stanley]

Well, a recommendation going on the notion that there are far worse things out there is not what I would call a recommendation.

Except I'm not making a recommendation, just stating the remake is not as bad as many people make it out to be.

What was Sluizer (the director) thinking is beyond human comprehension!

It's not rocket science, I think it's pretty obvious what he was thinking. When you make an american remake of a european film you want to make more money. The original ending wouldn't make money with an average audience, trust me. A more commercial, "happy" ending would. So that's what he did.

[Ghoul]

Well, a recommendation going on the notion that there are far worse things out there is not what I would call a recommendation.

Except I'm not making a recommendation, just stating the remake is not as bad as many people make it out to be.

Fair enough. But saying the original is "better than the remake" is understating it by some miles - the original is a timeless cinematic masterpiece, the remake is generic, average (at best) 90's piece of crowd-pleasing thriller-ish gloss of the rather convoluted order.

What was Sluizer (the director) thinking is beyond human comprehension!

It's not rocket science, I think it's pretty obvious what he was thinking. When you make an american remake of a european film you want to make more money. The original ending wouldn't make money with an average audience, trust me. A more commercial, "happy" ending would. So that's what he did.

Well, going by Wikipedia, he grossly miscalculated the matter: the remake profits didn't even manage to break even, falling short for about 10 million (the cost of the production was 23 million dollars and its earnings were a little over 14,5 mill, again, according to Wiki). Whereas the original was a critical darling upon its 1991 US release (that's saying nothing about its earnings, as I can't find any data about it; I seem to recall reports of it being a hit at the art-house circuit back in the 90's, though). I think Sluizer should've avoided such bastardization of his brainchild; he simply made a fool of himself (and didn't make any money doing it).

[Agent Sam Stanley]

Fair enough. But saying the original is "better than the remake" is understating it by some miles

I think that's a matter of opinion. Calling the original film a "masterpiece" is overstating a little in my opinion. Spoorloos is a great thriller but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece. And I think the remake is a fair average thriller. So saying the original is "better than the remake" fits very much my opinion of both films.

Well, going by Wikipedia, he grossly miscalculated the matter: the remake profits didn't even manage to break even, falling short for about 10 million (the cost of the production was 23 million dollars and its earnings were a little over 14,5 mill, again, according to Wiki). Whereas the original was a critical darling upon its 1991 US release (that's saying nothing about its earnings, as I can't find any data about it; I seem to recall reports of it being a hit at the art-house circuit back in the 90's, though). I think Sluizer should've avoided such bastardization of his brainchild; he simply made a fool of himself (and didn't make any money doing it).

I have no idea how much money the remake made, and frankly I don't care. But I seriously doubt keeping the original ending would make things better in terms of profit, which seemed to be the main interest.