What are you watching right now?

[Cavaliere (moderator emeritus)]

Criminal Minds: "Amplification"

[Henry R. Kujawa]

Kirk G:

"the first episode of the rebooted Doctor Who series"

No, no, no, no...  MANY fans (including myself) were anxious over whether the revival would be a reboot or a sequel.  In fact, it was difficult to be sure watching the first episode.  But by the time several weeks had gone by, it became clear, it was NOT a reboot-- it was a SEQUEL!!!

[Kirk G]

I've just finished watching Oblivion with Tom Cruise, and really enjoyed it. Great special effects, and plenty of depth to it. Also, there are some twists, so I won't spoil anything.

There's a reference in the credits to a Graphic Novel that the movie is based upon, but I'm having trouble locating it.

Does anyone know where this is from or who the writer was?

[ClarkKent_DC]

The "Southland" season -- and possible series -- finale. I barely caught my breath from the previous episode.

[Luke Blanchard]

Kirk G said:

I've just finished watching Oblivion with Tom Cruise, and really enjoyed it... There's a reference in the credits to a Graphic Novel that the movie is based upon... Does anyone know where this is from or who the writer was?

 

According to this article at the publisher's website it hasn't been released yet. The publisher is Radical Publishing - my hat-tip to Wikipedia's page on the film for its name - and developing properties to get movies made is apparently part of its business model. The article says the story was director Joseph Kosinski's, but the as-yet-unpublished book is a "30,000 word novella by Arvid Nelson... with widescreen paintings art by Andree Wallin that resembles high end concept art".

[Henry R. Kujawa]

Alexandra Kitty:

"I didn't mind the first season, but I think I dropped out after Season Two. Loved Frieda Evans (Elizabeth Ashley) -- self-indulgence at its finest..."

What cracked me up about her was, she seemed like such an annoying character (seems like most shows have at least one), but the longer the 1st season went on, she was written so well, I got to like her anyway.

All the same, in some ways I would have preferred a 3rd season of B.L. STRYKER.  ABC apparently decided to axe their entire ABC MYSTERY MOVIE format-- it was a ratings success in its 1st season on Monday nights, but dropped off badly when they stupidly moved it to Saturdays.  But then they changed their minds.  Peter Falk, who had taken over as co-exec. producer of COLUMBO in its 2nd revival season, and really improved the series drastically, was obviously happy to keep doing more... and more... and more.  But by the time they got in touch with Burt Reynolds, he was ALREADY starting to work on EVENING SHADE!  (He even brought Ossie Davis along with him.)  Idiot network execs...

I just watched all of these again within the last year or so.  The 90's COLUMBOs remain my favorites in the history of that series, while B.L. STRYKER is still my favorite of the ABC MYSTERY MOVIES.  Dana Kaminski (who played B.L.'s secretary) also really cracks me up.

[Henry R. Kujawa]

It annoys me that the only PETER GUNN stories I've ever seen (so far) are the 2 movies (the feature film with Craig Stevens and the TV movie with Peter Strauss).  I've got both on the same tape!

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

I never could get past Kyra Sedgwick's crappy accent. My boss really liked it.

Alexandra Kitty said:

Just finished watching Season Six of the Closer -- still like that show -- always had a wonderful sense of surrealist humor...

[Mark Sullivan (Vertiginous Mod)]

I've been watching it on MeTV, so I don't know what seasons I've seen. But I really enjoy it. As a jazz musician I love the jazz club Gunn uses as his office. His girlfriend is the singer, and every episode has at least some "live" jazz performance in it (I investigated, and although the music was created for the show, it was pre-recorded). The cultural differences are striking. Gunn gets beat up in practically every episode, and they frequently climax with a big gunfight out on the street. It's a hoot!

Alexandra Kitty said:

Season One is pretty good so far -- definitely worth picking up...

Henry R. Kujawa said:

It annoys me that the only PETER GUNN stories I've ever seen (so far) are the 2 movies (the feature film with Craig Stevens and the TV movie with Peter Strauss).  I've got both on the same tape!

[Kirk G]

It's also interesting to see that this is where Blake Edwards (of S.O.B., Pink Panther, and Inspector Clusoe fame) came from...and Henry Mancini as well.  The theme music was so popular at the time (late 1950s) that it was issued on a CBS records 45 and sold well enough that we have/had a copy in my house when I was growing up in the 1960s. I used to play it, but never understood the flip side "Fantasy in Black and Tan" title for the B side. My parents would never explain it for me.

[Philip Portelli]

I haven't watched them yet but I did buy Columbo Season 1, The Addams Family Season 1 (and got a raincheck for Season 2) and The World's Greatest Super-Friends Volume 1 AKA Super Friends Season 4.

[Mark Sullivan (Vertiginous Mod)]

I've had the DVD set of The Flash TV show for awhile. It only ran for one season (1990-91), so there's only 21 episodes, which was a season's worth in those days. I just dipped into it for a long time, so I decided to watch it all the way through. It used Barry Allen's name and origin story, but the rest of the characters and setting are from the Wally West era (they even have the Flash needing to eat after a bout of speed, like in the Baron era of the comics). As a longtime Flash fan, I enjoyed it at the time, and for the most part it has dated pretty well.There was one episode featuring a 60s drug icon who faked his own death that was pretty silly, "trippy" in a way that resembled the camp Batman TV show. Howard Chaykin was heavily involved in the writing of much of the series, a fact I had forgotten.

[Henry R. Kujawa]

THE AVENGERS -- 2nd season of Purdey & Gambit

THE SAINT -- the tail-end of Roger Moore's run

KUNG FU: THE LEGEND CONTINUES -- about halfway thru the 3rd season

DARK SHADOWS -- Peter Miner has just taken over as Producer. this is the guy who single-handedly KILLED the show's ratings.

LOST IN SPACE -- I've only got 6 episodes of this on tape (grrrrr), but today I watched the 2nd one-- "THE DERELICT".  Closest they ever got to the look and feel of an OUTER LIMITS!

Roger Corman's POE films-- at a rate of one per week this time.  I got up to THE HAUNTED PALACE Friday, which is funny, considering what's going on on DARK SHADOWS at the tail-end of 1969.

MIKE HAMMER -- the 2nd half of Stacy Keach's 3rd season.  I just got up to "LADY KILLER", which guest-starred Barbara Carrerra.