What are you watching tonight?

[DJBlu]

Just watched Blue Streak in full for the first time.

Everytime before the TV/DVD player broke. 3rd time lucky I suppose.

[hisroyalgingerness]

Rome series 2. Kevin Nolan and David Moyes kicking ten tons of shit out of their enemy. Good watch. Plentiful nudity and violence

[Bruce Rioja]

Wasn't it a different Unforgiven on tonight?

Well, there was something on called "Unbreakable", but I thought Bruce meant the western "The Unforgiven". Apologies if I got it wrong.

No need to apologise, Tango. It's a mini-drama with Suranne Jones and Peter Davison in.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Saw Slumdog Millionaire last night... I thought it deserving of much of the praise it is receiving, even if the underlying love story is pretty contrived and clichéd.

I was amazed to read this nonsense in the Telegraph though...

But the influence of Slumdog Millionaire could be felt well beyond this year's Oscar ceremony. Indeed, I wonder whether, in coming years, we shall not regard it as the first emblematic film of the Barack Obama era.

This is not merely because I think the US President-elect would like Slumdog Millionaire – though I am confident that he would. It is more that the film is such a radical contender for Oscars, and in ways that correspond to what appears to be Obama's world view.

[...]

If that hints at a new way forward for the film industry in this credit-crunch era, so does the theme of Slumdog Millionaire. One of the delights of Beaufoy's script is a contradiction: the portrayal of a city obsessed with amassing wealth – the hustle, the deal, the next get-rich-quick scheme – with a romantic young man at its centre who cares nothing for money. Instead, the overwhelmingly important thing in his life is his love for Latika, a slum girl he has known since childhood. He loses her for years at a time, and finally finds her living as a wealthy gangster's girlfriend and pleads with her to run away with him. "What will we live on?" she asks anxiously, in the story's key exchange. "Love," he says, simply.

And in that single word lie the key qualities of Slumdog Millionaire. It does not have an ironic moment. It is utterly devoid of cynicism. Instead, it is bright-eyed, optimistic – idealistic, even. To generations reared on a drip-feed of corrosive cynicism, the elevation of greed for greed's sake and weary disillusion with our leaders and our institutions it feels almost shocking.

Yet maybe we're ready for it. We saw these laudable qualities in the hundreds of thousands of people (most of them young) who toiled to elect Obama. Those whose work limits them to poring over the minutiae of life in Washington's Beltway and the Westminster village have already been murmuring that this idealism looks like naïveté. Yet look where our defensive cynicism has landed us: maybe we do need to look at the world anew.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film ... a-era.html

[General Mannerheim]

going to see it tomorrow, looking forward to it so will wait and read that article afterwards.

[William the White]

Saw Slumdog Millionaire last night... I thought it deserving of much of the praise it is receiving, even if the underlying love story is pretty contrived and clichéd.

I was amazed to read this nonsense in the Telegraph though...

But the influence of Slumdog Millionaire could be felt well beyond this year's Oscar ceremony. Indeed, I wonder whether, in coming years, we shall not regard it as the first emblematic film of the Barack Obama era.

This is not merely because I think the US President-elect would like Slumdog Millionaire – though I am confident that he would. It is more that the film is such a radical contender for Oscars, and in ways that correspond to what appears to be Obama's world view.

[...]

If that hints at a new way forward for the film industry in this credit-crunch era, so does the theme of Slumdog Millionaire. One of the delights of Beaufoy's script is a contradiction: the portrayal of a city obsessed with amassing wealth – the hustle, the deal, the next get-rich-quick scheme – with a romantic young man at its centre who cares nothing for money. Instead, the overwhelmingly important thing in his life is his love for Latika, a slum girl he has known since childhood. He loses her for years at a time, and finally finds her living as a wealthy gangster's girlfriend and pleads with her to run away with him. "What will we live on?" she asks anxiously, in the story's key exchange. "Love," he says, simply.

And in that single word lie the key qualities of Slumdog Millionaire. It does not have an ironic moment. It is utterly devoid of cynicism. Instead, it is bright-eyed, optimistic – idealistic, even. To generations reared on a drip-feed of corrosive cynicism, the elevation of greed for greed's sake and weary disillusion with our leaders and our institutions it feels almost shocking.

Yet maybe we're ready for it. We saw these laudable qualities in the hundreds of thousands of people (most of them young) who toiled to elect Obama. Those whose work limits them to poring over the minutiae of life in Washington's Beltway and the Westminster village have already been murmuring that this idealism looks like naïveté. Yet look where our defensive cynicism has landed us: maybe we do need to look at the world anew.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film ... a-era.html

Rolling on the floor laughing. Betrayed by the Telegraph... hard to bear... But, I'm confident the pencil will fall before you are taken in by such human naivete...

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Ha, not really a fan of the Telegraph anyway, believe it or not... still prefer the upper end of Murdoch's products to any of its rivals. No, someone sent that link to me knowing it would activate my gag reflex.

[William the White]

Ha, not really a fan of the Telegraph anyway, believe it or not... still prefer the upper end of Murdoch's products to any of its rivals. No, someone sent that link to me knowing it would activate my gag reflex.

The Times your 'paper of record'? ...

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Ha, not really a fan of the Telegraph anyway, believe it or not... still prefer the upper end of Murdoch's products to any of its rivals. No, someone sent that link to me knowing it would activate my gag reflex.

The Times your 'paper of record'? ...

And the superior alternative you would offer is....?

[William the White]

Ha, not really a fan of the Telegraph anyway, believe it or not... still prefer the upper end of Murdoch's products to any of its rivals. No, someone sent that link to me knowing it would activate my gag reflex.

The Times your 'paper of record'? ...

And the superior alternative you would offer is....?

i think you know the answer to that... One that has a consistent record in its viewpoint, rather than sidling from 'thunderer' to 'whisperer'...

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Ha, not really a fan of the Telegraph anyway, believe it or not... still prefer the upper end of Murdoch's products to any of its rivals. No, someone sent that link to me knowing it would activate my gag reflex.

The Times your 'paper of record'? ...

And the superior alternative you would offer is....?

i think you know the answer to that... One that has a consistent record in its viewpoint, rather than sidling from 'thunderer' to 'whisperer'...

Whenever I play golf with Bruce Rioja, he always shoots something round about the 100 mark.

Interesting virtue, consistency.

[William the White]

Ha, not really a fan of the Telegraph anyway, believe it or not... still prefer the upper end of Murdoch's products to any of its rivals. No, someone sent that link to me knowing it would activate my gag reflex.

The Times your 'paper of record'? ...

And the superior alternative you would offer is....?

i think you know the answer to that... One that has a consistent record in its viewpoint, rather than sidling from 'thunderer' to 'whisperer'...

Whenever I play golf with Bruce Rioja, he always shoots something round about the 100 mark.

Interesting virtue, consistency.

You shoot 98 one game, 102 the next? Not wanting to be consistent.

[Bruce Rioja]

Whenever I play golf with Bruce Rioja, he always shoots something round about the 100 mark.

Interesting virtue, consistency.

Well, I also prefer The Times. It's a bit like going round in 100 really - get your money's worth.

[William the White]

Whenever I play golf with Bruce Rioja, he always shoots something round about the 100 mark.

Interesting virtue, consistency.

Well, I also prefer The Times. It's a bit like going round in 100 really - get your money's worth.

to be honest The Times may be a great paper for all, i know. I loathe murdoch so much that I don't buy his papers, nor his tv. When the wanderers win I read the Times report in the library at work, but that's about it. But the pre-Murdoch Times was as dreary as whites v wigan...

[General Mannerheim]

going to see it tomorrow, looking forward to it so will wait and read that article afterwards.

Why is it when your really looking forward to a film you generally walk out dissapointed? Largely overhyped I reckon, I remebber feeling the same after watching the Dark Knight.

The film is good don’t get me wrong, especially the first half, and it looks stunning. But like mummy said, too predictable and clichéd – and a real poor ending I thought, the phone a friend business, then he’s sat on the floor in the train station… bollocks.

Dev Patel nominated best actor at the bafta’s!? he is only has to act in the final 20 mins, he just sits in chair for the rest of it. The best actor accolade should go to one of the kids who played him and his brother when they were little.

[General Mannerheim]

going to see it tomorrow, looking forward to it so will wait and read that article afterwards.

Why is it when your really looking forward to a film you generally walk out dissapointed? Largely overhyped I reckon, I remebber feeling the same after watching the Dark Knight.

The film is good don’t get me wrong, especially the first half, and it looks stunning. But like mummy said, too predictable and clichéd – and a real poor ending I thought, the phone a friend business, then he’s sat on the floor in the train station… bollocks.

Dev Patel nominated best actor at the bafta’s!? he is only has to act in the final 20 mins, he just sits in chair for the rest of it. The best actor accolade should go to one of the kids who played him and his brother when they were little.

I should mention my enjoyment of the film was hampered by my mood - the cinema was packed out, i mean no spare seats, people were sat in the isles - people talking, constant rustling of crisp packets, cans opening - and the bloke next to me stunk like he was a friggin slumdog! i couldn't wait for it to end

[Daxter]

Saw 'The Wrestler' last week. Absolutely brilliant film, that deserves the hype and praise it's recieving.

[TANGODANCER]

Going to give "Black Rain" a rewatch on one of the Freeview channels (32) tonight. Seen it a couple of times but it's one of Michael Douglas's decent films.

[William the White]

Saw 'The Wrestler' last week. Absolutely brilliant film, that deserves the hype and praise it's recieving.

Oh, nice one. That's on my list to see. Good shout.

[Lord Kangana]

Watched Simon Schama's History of America on't i-player (whilst trying to do some homework). I'm a big fan of his work, its worth a watch, if thats your bag.