What was the last TV show you watched?

[Babydoll]

Blown capacitor. Now where to find a replacement and a soldering kit.

 

[DNO]

Blown capacitor. Now where to find a replacement and a soldering kit.

You've really made me feel like watching Deadwood again! Time to head to the basement and find those DVDs.

 

[Touchofevil]

Best of WEC

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Best of WEC 2

 

[LizzieMaine]

A VHS recording of the first episode of "CBS On The Air," the network's week-long 50th Anniversary celebration, first aired on March 26th 1978. I remember watching this when it originally aired, but memory had glazed over just how insufferably corny it was -- the passing decades being marked by a series of song-and-dance tableaux strained thru an excruciating 70s filter. If you can imagine "All That Jazz" done by rejects from a touring road company of "Up With People", you get the idea. Some interesting clips, however, even though the introductory comments by CBS stars of the moment were banal. Walter Cronkite hosted, and seemed to be enjoying himself, despite the fact that he never got a chance to dance with Mary Tyler Moore.

By far the best moment of the two hours came at the very beginning, when a parade of CBS stars of past and present strode out onto the stage in frilly tuxes and bad evening gowns. When Mike Wallace's name was called, he glared sideways at the camera with a look suggesting that he had just stepped in a very large and pungent dog turd. Why so serious, Myron? We know you used to be the Green Hornet's announcer.

 

[Touchofevil]

Best of WEC 2

I sure miss the days of the WEC. Free shows, great fights, entertaining fighters, and all the time.

 

[Touchofevil]

Hell on Wheels and UFC 183: Silva vs. Diaz

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Ufc 183
hd

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Silva was suspended and fined today for failing a drug test. His victory over Diaz has been overturned as a no contest.
HD

 

[AmateisGal]

Just watched all three episodes of the German miniseries, Generation War (Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter) about five German friends during World War II. Incredibly well done. It's on Netflix streaming.

Highly, highly recommend.

 

[Fading Fast]

Just watched all three episodes of the German miniseries, Generation War (Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter) about five German friends during World War II. Incredibly well done. It's on Netflix streaming.

Highly, highly recommend.

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Good story / interesting to see a German perspective / well acted / beautifully filmed / gorgeous period sets.

 

[AmateisGal]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Good story / interesting to see a German perspective / well acted / beautifully filmed / gorgeous period sets.

Agreed on all counts. I'm writing up a review of it for my WW2 blog. I know it generated some controversy, and I wanted to address those points. Hope to have it up today or tomorrow.

 

[Fading Fast]

Agreed on all counts. I'm writing up a review of it for my WW2 blog. I know it generated some controversy, and I wanted to address those points. Hope to have it up today or tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to reading it.

 

[AmateisGal]

Decided to finish it up while it's still fresh in my mind. It's on my blog now:

http://bestofww2.blogspot.com/2015/08/generation-war-unsere-mutter-unsere.html

 

[Fading Fast]

Decided to finish it up while it's still fresh in my mind. It's on my blog now:

http://bestofww2.blogspot.com/2015/08/generation-war-unsere-mutter-unsere.html

Outstanding review. I couldn't agree more about the balanced view that did not - at all - whitewash out German atrocities, but did accurately show that not all Germans were true believers. And, yes, the transition of the characters was a triumph of acting skills. The five leads all went convincingly from youthful glow and optimism to worn-beyond-their-years physically and emotionally.

There is a lot of junk on TV (True TV, which, for some evil-cable reason I can't correct, comes up every time I turn on my Time Warner Cable box, is enough to cause one to almost lose faith in humanity), but every so often a quality piece of art like "Generation War" tumbles out and it makes one willing to keep looking for more.

 

[AmateisGal]

Outstanding review. I couldn't agree more about the balanced view that did not - at all - whitewash out German atrocities, but did accurately show that not all Germans were true believers. And, yes, the transition of the characters was a triumph of acting skills. The five leads all went convincingly from youthful glow and optimism to worn-beyond-their-years physically and emotionally.

There is a lot of junk on TV (True TV, which, for some evil-cable reason I can't correct, comes up every time I turn on my Time Warner Cable box, is enough to cause one to almost lose faith in humanity), but every so often a quality piece of art like "Generation War" tumbles out and it makes one willing to keep looking for more.

Thank you! Yeah, I was astonished at some of the reviews I read from major critics. But then again, like I alluded to in my review, there is this tendency to keep the narrative that *every* German was complicit in the regime and its atrocities. I don't see Generation War as revisionist history, either, but a balanced look at some of the untold stories. I applaud the filmmakers for being brave enough to confront the past like this and deal with Germany's crimes yet show those who didn't abide by Hitler's ideology. To me, it was far more realistic than the movies that show every German to be a fanatic.

 

[AmateisGal]

Here's an example of a review I didn't quite agree with (from the NY Times, no less): http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/15/movies/generation-war-adds-a-glow-to-a-german-era.html?_r=0

And here's one that I largely agree with:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/going...e69d4e-a92e-11e3-b61e-8051b8b52d06_story.html

 

[Fading Fast]

Here's an example of a review I didn't quite agree with (from the NY Times, no less): http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/15/movies/generation-war-adds-a-glow-to-a-german-era.html?_r=0

And here's one that I largely agree with:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/going...e69d4e-a92e-11e3-b61e-8051b8b52d06_story.html

The NYT review reads as if the author's opinion was formed before watching - this movie is not hard enough on the Germans, it softens historical atrocities to allow for modern German acceptance - and it wasn't going to be changed by the contradictory reality of the movie itself. Despite his intense desire to dislike it, you can feel the author slipping into admiration for the quality of the production in the middle of the review, only to force his "this movie is a whitewash" attitude to return later. It is a historical fact that not all Germans were ardent Nazis, that some Germans risked their lives to save Jews, that some were ambivalent to the war and some just went along with the tide. This reviewer seems scared that these facts might sneak out and break down the one sentence narrative that all Germans were bad Nazis in WWII.

While I could quibble here or there with it (when can't I), the Washington Post review is respectful of the limitations of a six hour movie that wants to succeed as entertainment and appreciates the thoughtful portrayal of the characters. Sure, it was an active, against-the-odds choice to highlight five not-Nazi youths in 1941 Germany, but as the reviewer notes, German atrocities aren't hidden and the intent of the film was to highlight those who didn't fit the mold. And it is a fair point to note that the Russians (who did, on the whole, engage in vicious, inhuman retribution on the Germans) get treated in the same two-dimensional way that Germans in WWII usually are. What I'd like to know - and am surprised I don't as I read regularly on WWII - is if the Polish resistance was as anti-Semetic in reality as they were portrayed?

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

finally caught up on a couple endings...

Boardwalk Empire. Not a bad final season, but in that final stretch of maybe five episodes, it felt more and more like they gave up on the series. Not a bad ending, considering. I enjoyed seeing Nucky's past. Anyone else think they sort of let the series walk itself home?

The Affair. The format was tedious at times, but they mostly used it well. It's a recipe for failure, so I have to give them credit. It could have been really boring, but it wasn't. Decent acting. Reminded me of Rectify in its vibe and mellow cadence. One of the standout elements was how successful it was at creating sensuality and intimacy, which are yet other things that Hollywood screws up a great percentage of the time. I'm looking forward to season 2.

The Newsroom. Another fair ending. Not a great series, but decent. Never was a fan of Jeff Daniels, and with the trying, quick, wit-attempted pace of the dialog, he was a pretty terrible fit. Sorkin should be a preacher. I'd sometimes listen.

Mr.Robot. I loved the A Clockwork Orange feel of the opening of this last episode. Maybe one of the best shows on TV? If it was on another network, I think it would be getting more attention.

 

[AmateisGal]

The NYT review reads as if the author's opinion was formed before watching - this movie is not hard enough on the Germans, it softens historical atrocities to allow for modern German acceptance - and it wasn't going to be changed by the contradictory reality of the movie itself. Despite his intense desire to dislike it, you can feel the author slipping into admiration for the quality of the production in the middle of the review, only to force his "this movie is a whitewash" attitude to return later. It is a historical fact that not all Germans were ardent Nazis, that some Germans risked their lives to save Jews, that some were ambivalent to the war and some just went along with the tide. This reviewer seems scared that these facts might sneak out and break down the one sentence narrative that all Germans were bad Nazis in WWII.

While I could quibble here or there with it (when can't I), the Washington Post review is respectful of the limitations of a six hour movie that wants to succeed as entertainment and appreciates the thoughtful portrayal of the characters. Sure, it was an active, against-the-odds choice to highlight five not-Nazi youths in 1941 Germany, but as the reviewer notes, German atrocities aren't hidden and the intent of the film was to highlight those who didn't fit the mold. And it is a fair point to note that the Russians (who did, on the whole, engage in vicious, inhuman retribution on the Germans) get treated in the same two-dimensional way that Germans in WWII usually are. What I'd like to know - and am surprised I don't as I read regularly on WWII - is if the Polish resistance was as anti-Semetic in reality as they were portrayed?

Spot on analysis.

I think that there was some debate on this particular Polish resistance group being as anti-Semitic as they were. It looks like this particular group, the AK, the biggest Polish resistance group (and the one depicted in the movie) did contain a lot of anti-Semitic attitudes, though again, not everyone in that group held to these views. This is a good explanation: http://jewishpartisans.blogspot.com/search/label/Polish antisemitism