Recommendations for Watching While Waiting for Season 3

[Mr. Reindeer]

Come to think of it, are there any other cases of directors remaking their own films? I imagine it's actually quite cool to study and think about the differences. I can't quite remember, but didn't Hitchhcock make The Man Who Knew Too Much twice?

Yep! Also, Howard Hawks essentially remade Rio Bravo (1959) twice, under different titles and with slightly revamped-and-renamed versions of the same characters doing the same things -- see El Dorado (1966) and Rio Lobo (1970). All three films also star John Wayne and are written by Leigh "The Empire Strikes Back" Brackett.

[TheArm]

I would highly recommend TBS's new half-hour show Search Party, starring Alia Shawkat (Maebe from Arrested Development). It's sort of a Twin Peaks-ish serialized mystery (a young woman vanishes without a trace under mysterious circumstances) but filtered through the Brooklyn millennial lens of Girls and Broad City, as a group of Brooklyn twenty-somethings (spearheaded by Shawkat) play hipster Hardy Boys/Nancy Drews as they try to solve the mystery of her disappearance and find themselves uncovering an increasingly weird web of intrigue in Brooklyn. It manages to be very funny, poignant and generates a good sense of unease all at once. Highly worth watching, and the tenth and final episode really delivers; the central mystery really sticks the landing in a great way.

[mtwentz]

I would highly recommend TBS's new half-hour show Search Party, starring Alia Shawkat (Maebe from Arrested Development). It's sort of a Twin Peaks-ish serialized mystery (a young woman vanishes without a trace under mysterious circumstances) but filtered through the Brooklyn millennial lens of Girls and Broad City, as a group of Brooklyn twenty-somethings (spearheaded by Shawkat) play hipster Hardy Boys/Nancy Drews as they try to solve the mystery of her disappearance and find themselves uncovering an increasingly weird web of intrigue in Brooklyn. It manages to be very funny, poignant and generates a good sense of unease all at once. Highly worth watching, and the tenth and final episode really delivers; the central mystery really sticks the landing in a great way.

Sounds great- I will check out if it is available for streaming somewhere since I don't have cable.

[laughingpinecone]

It didn't get an English release and I don't even know if there are English fansubbers for Italian shows, but Corrado Guzzanti's "Dov'è Mario?" is an amazing four-parter with very strong lynchian vibes.

[N. Needleman]

I'm pretty sure we've mentioned it here before (I suspect I did so myself), but SyFy's Channel Zero: Candle Cove miniseries - based off an Internet horror story and featuring Harley Peyton as a producer and co-writer - has considerable superficial Peaks vibes that become the real thing in the final episode, which takes strong inspiration from Episode 29.

[TheArm]

I would highly recommend TBS's new half-hour show Search Party, starring Alia Shawkat (Maebe from Arrested Development). It's sort of a Twin Peaks-ish serialized mystery (a young woman vanishes without a trace under mysterious circumstances) but filtered through the Brooklyn millennial lens of Girls and Broad City, as a group of Brooklyn twenty-somethings (spearheaded by Shawkat) play hipster Hardy Boys/Nancy Drews as they try to solve the mystery of her disappearance and find themselves uncovering an increasingly weird web of intrigue in Brooklyn. It manages to be very funny, poignant and generates a good sense of unease all at once. Highly worth watching, and the tenth and final episode really delivers; the central mystery really sticks the landing in a great way.

Sounds great- I will check out if it is available for streaming somewhere since I don't have cable.

I think they are streaming all of the episodes for free via TBS's website and/or their app.

[Si78]

I really enjoyed Search Party. I watched the whole season in one sitting.

I second the Channel Zero recommendation, although it reminded me mostly of Stephen King's It.

I'm so sad Westworld is over. It took my mind off of Twin Peaks for 10 glorious weeks. It has joined Twin Peaks and Lost for me as something more than just a show - it became a full blown obsession.

I'm looking forward to Man In The High Castle season 2 which I believe drops Friday.

[REdKing]

There are a lot of great suggestions in here. I just saw a teaser trailer for the second season of Hap & Leonard. I don't know if that was previously mentioned.
Its region is East Texas, but it has the right amount of quirk and curious characters.

[TheArm]

Also worth keeping an eye on is the new Netflix supernatural mystery series The OA which just dropped today. Very dreamlike, feels like an indie/arthouse film, and with large doses of mysticism, mystery and mythology. Admittedly though, it doesn't have much of a sense of humor about itself and takes itself pretty seriously, so that may not be to everyone's taste...

[baxter]

I already have too much to watch and you keep adding more!

I discovered that most of the early Hitchcock films are on youtube, so I'm planning to work through them in order. I saw The Lodger last night- really, really good. It's fascinating to watch his silent films, particularly since I have not watched many of them in general so its a new experience for me. The Lodger sucks you in and doesn't let go, and you can see much of the groundwork for his later films.

Annoyingly, some of the silent films on youtube are completely silent (i.e. not even an organ soundtrack). I suppose they are free so I shouldn't complain!

[baxter]

I have been patiently working through some of the recommendations from this thread and thought I'd report back. I find that what I think of something depends on what else I'm watching at the time, since you inevitably compare them. It's also really hard to shake preconceptions.

I've just watched Les Revenants and (most of) True Detective series 1. The latter definitely suffered from the fact that it has been universally acclaimed- I find it almost impossible to enjoy something after that. To start with, I couldn't decide if it was a genuinely good show, or simply another instance of the type of show that makes critics salivate these days: excellent cinematography, ostentatiously great performances, and a constant straining for significance through a heavy recycling of American iconography, and/or philosophical allusions in the script. I initially disliked what seemed to be a particularly adolescent tone, both in the philosophy and the macho characterisation. By episode six, however, something has clicked and I have entered the world and enjoyed it. Maybe it is simply that it takes that long to turn off the bit of my brain that was trying to undo the hype! I assume I'm going to love Season 2 because everyone said it was crap.

It also didn't help that I really, really loved Les Revenants. Really special, superb atmosphere, a much stronger and more compelling mystery (at least to me). I don't want to be too effusive in case I put people off!

This thread is a marvellous resource for the next year of viewing actually. I've got Channel Zero next on the playlist...

[djerdap]

I have been patiently working through some of the recommendations from this thread and thought I'd report back. I find that what I think of something depends on what else I'm watching at the time, since you inevitably compare them. It's also really hard to shake preconceptions.

I've just watched Les Revenants and (most of) True Detective series 1. The latter definitely suffered from the fact that it has been universally acclaimed- I find it almost impossible to enjoy something after that. To start with, I couldn't decide if it was a genuinely good show, or simply another instance of the type of show that makes critics salivate these days: excellent cinematography, ostentatiously great performances, and a constant straining for significance through a heavy recycling of American iconography, and/or philosophical allusions in the script. I initially disliked what seemed to be a particularly adolescent tone, both in the philosophy and the macho characterisation. By episode six, however, something has clicked and I have entered the world and enjoyed it. Maybe it is simply that it takes that long to turn off the bit of my brain that was trying to undo the hype! I assume I'm going to love Season 2 because everyone said it was crap.

It also didn't help that I really, really loved Les Revenants. Really special, superb atmosphere, a much stronger and more compelling mystery (at least to me). I don't want to be too effusive in case I put people off!

This thread is a marvellous resource for the next year of viewing actually. I've got Channel Zero next on the playlist...

You got into True Detective by episode six? That's the episode where it all goes downhill for me, with 4 and 5 being the highlights.

Les Revenants had a great atmosphere, cinematography and music, but I feel the script went into Lost territory in its 2nd season. I much preferred the 1st season when things were more grounded.

[baxter]

5 was the turning point really, so we probably agree. The tracking shot in episode 4 seemed to blow peoples minds when I was reading reviews afterwards, but having seen Hitchcock's Rope, I was fairly nonplussed

I was expecting Les Revenants Series 2 to be less good, since I think it's a tall order to retain the mystery once the show runs long enough that they have to start explaining it. There doesn't seem to be a series 3 in the works- did the second one effectively kill it? No spoilers please!

[N. Needleman]

Series 2 of LR is good, just different and much more complicated. I think it's unlikely there will be a third series, though I don't recall a specific statement either way. I know the showrunners indicated S2 would likely be the end and it is written that way, though there are doors left open.

[baxter]

Cool- thanks.

I watched a new French show last night- Beyond the Walls. It's a three part mini-series and episode 1 was amazing. It's available on SBS On Demand for free for those lucky enough to live in Australia. If you don't, my top tip is to use whatever nefarious means you need to to make your PC look like it is in Australia. SBS is our best TV station, and their online catch up service is a) completely free and b) an amazing repository of international TV and films.