Based on a book by Mick Herron, who also wrote the book that Slow Horses is based on.
Zoe lives in Oxford and sees a house down the road blow up. The survivor was a little girl, and her neighbors' son made a get well card, so she tries to take it to the hospital since it's near her work. But she can't see the girl and the staff is cagey. She starts trying to find out what happened and hires a PI. And it looks like there's a conspiracy. I think we're three eps (out of 8 total) in and it's good. Emma Thompson co-stars.

Skinemax returns!

Anthony Starr of The Boys plays a crook who takes the place of the sheriff in the small town of Banshee. The show starts with Starr getting out of jail and immediately having sex with a waitress. He roughs up a hair dresser to find the location of his former missus, who happens to be in the town of Banshee. Starr has a lot of backstory about being a thief and his former missus went missing with his share of the loot.

The town of Banshee is run by a corrupt former Amish man. There is a lot of sleight of hand to make Starr the sheriff but it happens. The plot swings between over the top violence and weirdly inappropriate sexual escapades.

Two episodes in. Might watch some more.

(09-07-2025, 08:56 PM)Drunk Monk Wrote: Last Samurai Standing

In honor of Nakadai’s passing.

I remember the first time I saw this. I was very young at my grandparents house in Hawaii glued to the Japanese channel on TV (they had an early remote which fascinated me). I can still remember sitting on the floor, watching Nakadai seize the red armor with the lush tropical forest outside the window behind the TV, how it felt, the atmosphere. Musta been 55 years ago.

I have very fond memories of this film. It was my first true chanbara. It’s timeless. A classic. 

Now the B&W lighting still shines. The sweaty close ups, the textures of skin and glistening perspiration is immaculate. The use of lighting when the body is delivered and the samurai leave the hovel, so poignant and effective. The fight choreo isnt as good or extensive as I remember. It’s a lot of build up to the final fights. The duel in the field is stunning with the wind in the grass, but Nakadai’s stance is weird. And the final fight is much shorter and less complex - he only kills four in the end. 

Still a tremendous film, a must see in the genre. Nakadai’s intensity is what makes it work.

One of the truly great superstars of jidaigeki. I may have to revisit Ran or Harakiri in mourning.

(06-01-2025, 09:37 AM)Greg Wrote: Frankenstein. This fall. From Guillermo Del Toro.

Eccentric man hires folk duo to come to his Island to perform a concert. The folk duo had long since broken up under not the best of terms. And it's a shock to one of them that both are supposed to perform. Even more disturbing is that they will be performing for an audience of 1.

According to one reviewer this was supposed to be the best British film of the year. God, I hope not, because there are going to be a lot of crappy films from Britain out there. The film wasn't bad, it was just kind of dull. The eccentric is just a lonely man. He is supposed to be funny with his not knowing the ways of the outside world despite the fact he has done extensive traveling. The lead of the Folk Duo is just a prick but his path is one of redemption so I guess had to start somewhere. The other half of the duo is just there to show what a prick the lead is.

But, there are two genuinely funny moments in the film. One comes right at the start to sucker you into thinking the film is going to be funny. The other comes about halfway through just when you are thinking the film is completely dour and you had forgotten the first funny bit.

What happens when a bunch of kids all from the same classroom run away and go missing in the middle of the night? Such is the premise of Weapons. It's another multi narrative event first following the teacher whose class vanished then one of the father's and so on and so on.

The first part is really tense and gripping a weird as everyone tries to make sense of what happened. Then the reason for the disappearance happens and I was a bit disappointed but I guess they had to give a reason. Then the ending goes full crazy and I'm here for that.

All and all a good creepy thriller.

The first one is free.

I was watching a lot of buzz for this new show online from the man who brought you Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul and I thought what the heck? I'll watch the free first episode and be part of the kewl kids who have seen it. What could go wrong?

My god this is a good show and now I will have to renew my Apple subscription to see how this turns out.

It was funny and scary and dystopian and well shot and acted and I'm really invested in Carol and her journey.

What have I done?

I will probably wait until more episodes have dropped before signing up for a month of Apple. 

I can't wait that long!

This is a documentary on Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, who I recently interviewed for Sutra, a Shaolin dance fusion that I’ve been wanting to see for 17+ years. It was cancelled due to ‘injuries’ but my Shaolin intel says it was because the monks never made it out of PRC. Whether they were stopped by the new abbot, the chicoms, or the US remains a mystery. The booby prize was getting press passes to this film being shown as part of the SF dance film festival.

I got there early and scored the perfect parking spot a block away with the intention of hitting up a taqueria beforehand. The mission did not disappoint. Had a chile rellano that was one of the best I’ve ever tasted (chile rellanos are my go-to so I’ve eaten many of them). Mission taquerias are next level and make me wonder what the hell is going on with the mediocre Mexican food I eat elsewhere.

The showing was at the Brava theater, a lovely old dilapidated house that the community is working to restore. Patrick joined me and we caught up on stuff. It was good to reconnect.

The doc was brilliant. What a story, so well told, so beautiful. It juggled themes of Larbi’s obsessive neurosis, his artistic genius, his struggles & triumphs, with glimpses into his stunning works and exhausting process. I was glad that my interview covered several key touch points because I did not research him beforehand and didn’t know his work with Madonna & Beyoncé which were minor mentions in this doc. The Shaolin portion was pivotal but also just a chapter in his extraordinary life. 

It was a wonderful evening and I'm grateful for it. Once again, following Shaolin opened a completely new doorway i never would’ve expected.