We binge watched "Bosch" on Amazon. Quite good- very close to the novels, especially in that it was more about the characters than the mystery.

"Justified" continues to hold us in the edge of our seats, as we wait to see what will happen next. (Knowing it is going to be gut-wrenching regardless).

And, in keeping with our "police show" addiction, we picked up 2 new (to us) U.K. series on Netflix-

"Foyle's War" and "Hinterland"

Both were quite superb, especially the scenery of "Hinterland"- which could be called "McBadgereland," as it is set in Wales.

Finally, we also have caught up on "Backstrom" (yes, another police show). The humor is off-beat enough to appeal to me, and then there are moments of seriousness that work even better because of being unexpected.

Still working my way through Doctor Who, from the marathon I started a few months ago. I try to watch one episode per day, or one every other day. I just wrapped up the last of Season Seven a few minutes ago. The Matt Smith years are definitely my least favorite of the new show. The writing overall just is not the same as it was in the Chris Ecclesiastes/David Tennant years. But there were still some good episodes in there. I really liked the two-parter with the dopplegangers, and just fan-girl squeed to see Ben Browder in the Wild West episode. The Lodger - with Craig as a sort-of companion was another good one, as was the sequel with him in the department store.

The Seventh Season was definitely the best of the Matt Smith years. Of them, the ones with Clara really shine the most. The first time we meet her as Souffle Girl in Asylum of the Daleks she really stood out. The Snowmen -with her again - was the only truly decent Matt Smith Christmas special. Once she comes in officially in the second half of the season things markedly improve. The Russian sub episode with her was wonderful, as was the haunted house one. Plus it helps having co-stars like David Warner, Liam Cunningham, Dougray Scott, and Jessica Raine (from Call the Midwife).

Now that I finished the last of the official Season Seven episodes, I have also reached our first sighting of John Hurt as The Doctor. Whovians know what that means. Next up, The Last Great Time War!

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Mar 8 2015, 08:35 PM

I was watching Arrow on Netflix and I finished that, it is a great show, but of course now I can't find season 3 anywhere and I want to know what happens! Season 3 is what is airing on tv now and I don't want to jump in halfway through so I want to start from the beginning and catch up.

I am the same way BB. I usually wait for shows/seasons to come out on dvd to watch them. That way I don't miss anything, and I can watch the episodes all in a row, two or three a day if I like.


In other news, Gallifrey Stands!

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Mar 9 2015, 04:43 PM

on my quest for good anime I've stumbled across "Puella Magi Madoka Magica". A short series (12 episodes) which follows some schoolgirls (as always) on their journeys as 'magical girls' who use mysterious magical abilities to fight creatures known as 'witches'.

It was pretty good, with quite a lot of background lore which they did a good job of explaining. The characters are decent, with a good amount of development for some of them. The animation was really good too, though the witches have a weird pop-art/paper cut-out style which clashes with the anime style at first but once you get used to it it's not so bad.


and thus my anime quest continues...

Have you tried any of the Ghost in the Shell series? I am now working my way through Arise, and am liking it quite a bit. It is a prequel, showing us how the gang all got together in the first place. Sadly it is only four, one hour long episodes (or mini-films), and Netflix only has three of them.

I haven't checked it out yet, but if it's any good I might give it a chance. I don't tend to go for things set in 'modern' times (or futuristic times, come to think of it) unless there's a decent fantasy/magic element.

I'm far too picky for someone who watches so many films and TV series.

Then GITS probably is not for you. It is a futuristic sci-fi series, with cyborg super-action and lots of hacking, along with questions of what is reality, free will, and the soul.

It is really old and dated now, but you might try Record of Lodoss War. It is a solid fantasy story, which on the surface is very stock and standard, but gets more interesting as you dig deeper into it. I especially liked how the good king and the evil king were once adventuring companions, much like the story's protagonist and his own companions. The animation is not especially good, with a lot of still frames that they slowly move the camera over, rather than true video. But the characters are well done, and so is the story.

Claymore is one you might like too. It is also in a fantasy setting, about a group of women called Claymores who have been given super powers in order to fight monsters known as Yoma. It turns out they get their powers by becoming part Yoma themselves, and they constantly have to fight the monster inside them, and sometimes lose. It is very graphically violent, but the violence serves a purpose beyond just the gore factor. Instead it emphasizes the dark world the Claymores live in, where the only thing they have to look forward to is either being killed by Yoma, or lose their internal battle, and becoming something much worse.

The 12 Kingdoms was a truly outstanding anime set in an alternate dimension with a fantasy setting. The main characters are not especially likeable at first. But that is because this is a character-driven story, and it is all about how they change and grow into better people than they were to begin with.

Moribito is a very good anime set in Medieval Asia, about a female mercenary and her friends, who are tasked with defending a prince from his father, who is going to have him sacrificed. It is another good character-driven story, where things are not entirely as they appear to be.

Le Chevalier D'Eon is a fictional tale about the real life person of the same name. It is not medieval, but set in Pre-Revolution France. It has knights and spies and supernatural monsters and a main character who can briefly take on the ghost of his dead sister, becoming her and gaining super powers to fight the monsters.

Thanks for the recommendations 'Rosa, you have superb taste.

just finished Claymore. Holy moley that was good. The characters were great, the story was great, the action was great. I want clayMORE. *ahem* so anyway yeah it was really good. Plus it featured Teresa of the Faint Smile. I'm sure I've heard that name somewhere before...

Went to see Big Hero 6 this morning...

Beautiful film, which I very much enjoyed on so many levels...

Plus, characters created by Man of Action...Who created Ben Ten and Generator Rex (apparently)...One of whose members is Joe Kelly, my all time fave comic writer...he does love a goodly overdone plot... ...

I've been watching Sword Art Online. Possibly one of the best things I've watched.

It follows a young boy/guy/lad after he and thousands of other people become trapped in a Virtual Reality MMORPG. Over the course of two years they have to learn how to live within this game world, a world in which dead is dead - in game and IRL. There's a brief interlude about 14 episodes in which takes place in the Real World before we go into a different game.

It does a great job of incorporating game stuff like inventories and player profiles into the medieval setting - it's basically my dream come true.

The action and animation are really good, and the character development is some of the best. It made me feel emotions at one point, which hasn't happened for quite a while.

Sword Art Online sounds neat. I just added it to my Netflix instant queue.

I started going through my Ghost In the Shells a few nights ago, starting with the original movie, then Innocence. Today I just started the first episode of Standalone Complex. So it looks like I will be ghosting for a while...

Just saw Dirty Dancing. Even after all these years, it is still a good movie. Incredible dancing and music!

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Mar 18 2015, 07:37 PM

I agree!

"Nobody puts Baby in a corner!"



Watching: 'IZombie"

Ohh, that is my Netflix list, once it comes out on dvd!

This is the first one I've seen, it was interesting/okay/not bad.

just finished watching "Little Busters!", another anime. Didn't think I'd like it but it's actually really good.

Set in a school, the story follows a guy called Riki and his friends who form a baseball team called The Little Busters. At first it sounds kind of boring but the anime focuses more on the characters and their issues than sports.

It's hilarious in some parts at the beginning, then heads in a more emotional feel-good direction as the first season progresses. From the end of the first season and throughout the second there's a lot going on, and gets pretty deep at some points (I basically spent the entire time trying not to cry and failing).

There are supernatural/fantasy parts to the story which are really subtle at first, but this increases as the show goes on. The characters are good, the dialogue is really well done, and the animation is solid. Also, lots of cute high school shenanigans

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler (Sia) singing, two female dancers in those totally nude costumes dancing against each other as if mirrored; but then they broke apart and their dance told each's individual story while changing the dynamic between them like positive and negative ions; repelling but fractal and repeating each other's patterns; only to come together in the end once again when one crumbled broken and the other ran to save the first.

It was riveting, haunting, and left me feeling deeply touched to the point of nearly being in tears by the story of the dance without even knowing the lyrics of the song they were danced to - I don't even know if it was in English or not. Amazing, amazing performance; Sia has a beautiful and strong voice that seems to weave the story you are watching like a puppet-master. Tremendous performance, moving and unforgettable. Art at its finest.




This post has been edited by mALX: Mar 22 2015, 05:37 AM

...Fair enough...


Person of Interest is finally back!!!...Awesome stuff!!...

NCIS: New Orleans is properly good though...I absolutely love that one...May end up being my fave of the NCISsses...

We're back to the watching something every night thing...And I hate it...It's just too much tele... ...And no, my addiction won't let me stop when we actually like the things we're watching... ...