Binge Watching Series Recommendations

[davids]

We started watching Steve McQueen's Small Axe last night, on Amazon Prime. All I can say so far is that Mangrove was wonderful, deeply told and moving.

[robin3mj]

We started watching Steve McQueen's Small Axe last night, on Amazon Prime. All I can say so far is that Mangrove was wonderful, deeply told and moving.

All five of them were great. I think Lovers Rock was my favorite.

[echappist]

Dredging this up, as we just went through the first season in two days.

Dark is amazing. What I don't understand is why anyone other than me in America likes it. I spent a lot of time in a small German town called Grunwald outside of Giessen as a teenager and I can tell you the show captures small town Germany perfectly, poignantly and with a tragic human beauty that was simply surreal to me. Most folks love it for the sic-fi time travel nature of time and space shit- but all that is just bullshit allegory for me that really is just a way to point to the truths about Germany, Germans, the pastoral, and what history, time, people, culture and family are in Germany despite the terrors modernity has tortured the Germans with in really unspeakable terms. It was quite simply, the most amazing piece of story telling or German Pastoral Romantic Story Telling I have experienced since Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane and Goethe's Die Leiden des judges Werthers.

Please please watch it with the subtitles.

For the same reason why anyone would wish to watch a film or tv series in a language one does not comprehend. Better yet, for the same reason why anyone would watch anything describing a world that is different from one's own, even were one to speak the language. A combination of overarching themes, plot development, and artistic direction can all overcome the disparity in setting and language barriers. At least up to the current point (midway through season 2), the script has also at least tried to address the paradoxes of *****spoilers***** time travel *****spoilers*****, in a way most shows couldnt be arsed to do.

And since you have mentioned the German pastoral theme, it should probably be noted that this isn't the first German film / tv series of acclaim to have explored that theme. The White Ribbon was released a decade ago to great critical acclaim, tackling some of the same issues you mentioned.

Having said that, I wouldn't want to watch just any German language show, certainly not whatever that may be the German counterpart of East Enders.

Not sure what most of this means but I quite like the show. I agree with you that it captures small-town Germany very well. Watching in German with English subtitles although it might be worth a re-watch without any subtitles as I feel like I'm missing some of the visuals at times.

It's one of the most tightly scripted shows I've seen, up there with the likes of Breaking Bad. Almost nothing is superfluous, and I'd think a second watching is merited.

If anything, I think what we have watched thus far is scripted a bit too tightly. For a mystery/thriller/whodunit type of show, it could really use a few more red herrings (again, up to midway through the second season).

[colker]

Schtisel is absolutely wonderfull. It´s on another level of drama craftmanship. 100% jewish tradition of narrative excellence and dry humour.

[bironi]

It's not a binge, but a long pleasurable meal.
"Stripped"
A documentary on Amazon Prime.
If you have any memory of newspaper cartoons or other platforms, check it out.
I have been in and out of world, mostly out, but as I've grown older it has become a haven.
Regardless, it's a good peek into the art and fun.
By

[beeatnik]

Finally watching The Queen's Gambit. Visualization is cool. So are 1960's American institutional environments which look like the 30's of The Remains of the Day. The cinematography is dope.

[colker]

Finally watching The Queen's Gambit. Visualization is cool. So are 1960's American institutional environments which look like the 30's of The Remains of the Day. The cinematography is dope.

Love the actress; she manages to find the eccentric, nerdy, distanced personality of the chess genius. The director has another great mini series on netflix. Godless... i think.

[Clean39T]

Love the actress; she manages to find the eccentric, nerdy, distanced personality of the chess genius. The director has another great mini series on netflix. Godless... i think.

Agreed. Loved the series. Can you believe she is 24? Would have been younger when filming.. She has a bright future ahead, methinks.

[cash]

"The Wilds" on Amazon. Lord of the Flies meets Gossip Girls. Surprisingly compelling and well acted. Basic premise: a group of normal but troubled teen girls are jetted away to a tropical island of female discovery and empowerment when their plane goes down in the ocean and they find themselves washed up on a tropical isle. Drama ensues. A little preachy at times, a few "come'on" moments but overall well done.

[colker]

"The Wilds" on Amazon. Lord of the Flies meets Gossip Girls. Surprisingly compelling and well acted. Basic premise: a group of normal but troubled teen girls are jetted away to a tropical island of female discovery and empowerment when their plane goes down in the ocean and they find themselves washed up on a tropical isle. Drama ensues. A little preachy at times, a few "come'on" moments but overall well done.

Good concept. I need to check this out.

[j44ke]

Dark is amazing. What I don't understand is why anyone other than me in America likes it. I spent a lot of time in a small German town called Grunwald outside of Giessen as a teenager and I can tell you the show captures small town Germany perfectly, poignantly and with a tragic human beauty that was simply surreal to me. Most folks love it for the sic-fi time travel nature of time and space shit- but all that is just bullshit allegory for me that really is just a way to point to the truths about Germany, Germans, the pastoral, and what history, time, people, culture and family are in Germany despite the terrors modernity has tortured the Germans with in really unspeakable terms. It was quite simply, the most amazing piece of story telling or German Pastoral Romantic Story Telling I have experienced since Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane and Goethe's Die Leiden des judges Werthers.

Please please watch it with the subtitles.

I've been watching this for a bit. Reminds me of Tales from the Loop showing on Amazon Prime. The looming presence of evil in Dark is different than in Tales from the Loop, which is one of the more beautiful constructions about life and time and death I've ever seen. But I have to watch Dark more to see whether the looming presence of evil is real or a more subtle manifestation of the community - i.e. a golem rather than some exteriority.

[djg21]

I just binged Rectify on Netflix. It was a series that had been broadcast on the Sundance Channel a couple years back. It was amongst the best things I’ve ever seen on TV. It wasn’t always fast paced, and don’t expect chase scenes or action, but the story and dialogue was intelligent, dryly funny at some points, and tear provoking at others. The story — about a man who was convicted of raping and murdering his girlfriend in high school and spent half of his life in solitary confinement on death row before being being release on account of DNA evidence, and how he and his family in rural small-town Georgia deal with his PTSD and his struggle to reenter society — was incredibly moving. It’s not something to watch while on the trainer, but was captivating. I highly recommend this one.

[cash]

Lupin on Netflix. A modern take on the character of Arsene Lupin. It was fun; a bit over the top; fast paced; a bit campy. I loved it. I wish I could have watched in the original French (with subtitles, of course, my high school French has long since evaporated). Only 5 episodes, with 5 more coming later this year. It ends with a nice cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more.

[72gmc]

^^^ You can! Choose French audio and English subtitles in settings. It's the actors' real voices and much, much better. On an Apple tv controller, press play for the episode and then hold down the center of the big ring button until the settings menu appears.

[rmplum]

+2 on Lupin - I'm three episodes in and loving it. Trying to savor it a bit since we don't know when the next five episodes release.

[robin3mj]

Has anyone watched The Bureau (Le Bureaue des Legendes)?
Seeing good reviews for it, and trying to decide whether to get the AMC or the Sundance app within AppleTV to access it. Any opinions on the worthiness of either app? Would probably only subscribe for a couple months.

[charliedid]

+2 on Lupin - I'm three episodes in and loving it. Trying to savor it a bit since we don't know when the next five episodes release.

Yep I watched the first two and I dig it.

[cash]

^^^ You can! Choose French audio and English subtitles in settings. It's the actors' real voices and much, much better. On an Apple tv controller, press play for the episode and then hold down the center of the big ring button until the settings menu appears.

Oh man, I will have to re-watch in French. Thanks for the info.

[Paul Jacobs]

"The Dig" on Netflix. Not a series, just a one-off film based on true events. I have watched it twice since it was released yesterday.

[vertical_doug]

"The Dig" on Netflix. Not a series, just a one-off film based on true events. I have watched it twice since it was released yesterday.

I find the floor with the Sutton Hoo at the British Museum absolutely fascinating.