Watchable telly

[BucksRam]

7 minutes ago, Kokosnuss said:

...not that the final commission resembled (or captured) Lenny Henry in the slightest bloody way, but everyone pretended it did, because they had to, because that's art

 

This.  I get her style was "different" but in my completely unskilled, unqualified opinion, there were far better artists dismissed for some arty reason.  Huge dramatic drum roll moment as the final commission was revealed and immediately I thought "who TF is that?".  

I've been watching this, and the landscape version for a few years now, albeit I record, watch the intros, then FF to the final reveals. I don't think I've ever once understood the drivel that's spouted about the essence of some of the paintings.....yet I keep watching. 

[Anag Ram]

12 minutes ago, BucksRam said:

This.  I get her style was "different" but in my completely unskilled, unqualified opinion, there were far better artists dismissed for some arty reason.  Huge dramatic drum roll moment as the final commission was revealed and immediately I thought "who TF is that?".  

I've been watching this, and the landscape version for a few years now, albeit I record, watch the intros, then FF to the final reveals. I don't think I've ever once understood the drivel that's spouted about the essence of some of the paintings.....yet I keep watching. 

At the risk of some racism accusation I would say that in general the artists have struggled to paint black sitters accurately across the years and it was no surprise when Lenny Henry was made to look like a generic middle aged black man.

it captured neither his fun side nor his serious side so the only arguments around character being as important as likeness fell down there too.

I’ve seen brilliant likenesses during the series and the judges don’t like them. So I struggle to see the point 

[May Contain Nuts]

1 hour ago, BucksRam said:

I've been watching this, and the landscape version for a few years now, albeit I record, watch the intros, then FF to the final reveals. I don't think I've ever once understood the drivel that's spouted about the essence of some of the paintings.....yet I keep watching. 

I didn't know even there was a landscape version, I'll have a look.

I suspect I won't find as much to get (/enjoy getting) annoyed about though, as another part of my irritation is all the fawning over whichever personality/celebrity is sitting for their portrait.

They're announced, walk into the room and all of the contestants are pictured looking excited, giddy that they're being graced with the presence of such luminaries, they've watched / listened to them since a young age, they were a big part of their childhood and whatever.

In reality a lot of the artists are probably thinking "Who?" and some may even be thinking "Oh god, I can't stand them" or similar. I swear they must take ages filming fake reaction shots.

That's not just on this show though, it's every TV show where the public and a 'star' are shoved into the same breathing space as each other.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Kokosnuss

[Anag Ram]

1 hour ago, Kokosnuss said:

I didn't know even there was a landscape version, I'll have a look.

I suspect I won't find as much to get (/enjoy getting) annoyed about though, as another part of my irritation is all the fawning over whichever personality/celebrity is sitting for their portrait.

They're announced, walk into the room and all of the contestants are pictured looking excited, giddy that they're being graced with the presence of such luminaries, they've watched / listened to them since a young age, they were a big part of their childhood and whatever.

In reality a lot of the artists are probably thinking "Who?" and some may even be thinking "Oh god, I can't stand them" or similar. I swear they must take ages filming fake reaction shots.

That's not just on this show though, it's every TV show where the public and a 'star' are shoved into the same breathing space as each other.

The landscape one is a bit better. 

There you may find yourself raging when someone faced with a lighthouse in front of them will choose to paint a nearby bicycle ?

The best artists are often the amateurs who hover nearby and paint alongside the contestants like some version of LAOTY dogging ??

[AndyinLiverpool]

On 06/12/2022 at 18:41, Bob The Badger said:

How do you know there is no reward if you haven't given it your full attention when you yourself say it needs your full attention?

Riddle me that one Batman.

We watched it all. 

Red Dwarf did it better

[Chester40]

19 hours ago, Kokosnuss said:

Oh god, PAotY, it drives me POttY.

I like it but I hate it, probably for the same reasons as everyone else. I only seem able to rant what winds me up about it though.

I don't think I successfully guessed which piece of art would win any of the episodes (top 3 I could get a few). I tried to listen to the judges comments throughout the show, take in what they did and didn't like and yet seemingly every time the winner was someone they'd expressed doubts about earlier in the episode. Suddenly though it's masterful, stunning, unique, emotive, challenging, like something they've never seen before, a clear winner.

...even though they've given Ellie Simmonds the hands of Andre the Giant (not a real example). Maybe that's empowering?

They never really explain their thought process behind the judgements with anything at all specific and so it always just feels like they've decided who they want to win quite early on, and then built up some pretentious narrative to suit their decision.

There was one scene where the Richard Ayoade lookalike stood there yapping away at one of the contestants about how one of the sitters hands not being in the same pose and not at right angles added - god I can't even remember what -  to the painting while she stared at him gone out, eventually she succumbed after he almost begged her to agree. That probably cost her the competition ?.

 

Broadly agree but then the 'arty types' can be irritating in their own ways.

The winner this year (spoilers, sorry) seemed a very gentle soul, but extraordinarily dull, twee and meek, difficult to talk to unless you were already ensconced in her world. You'd be surprised if she's ever had a conversation with another adult that doesn't surround her art in some form until Lenny Henry was thrust upon her, it seemed to rattle her.

...not that the final commission resembled (or captured) Lenny Henry in the slightest bloody way, but everyone pretended it did, because they had to, because that's art.

I get the impression (hah, art pun!) that a lot of the people in that world are the types of people who've been brought up in well-to-do families, encouraged from a very young age to follow their passion and allowed plenty of time, money and comfort  to get on with it unburdened by many of the worries faced by others.

Or perhaps that was just an opinion formed on the other finalist 'Binny' who painted her two sons (one resembled a young Meat Loaf) with equally daft names and dress sense who looked like they'd been allowed to live in a fantasy world all their lives.

 

Ahhh, but the point of the portrait is to capture their essence and personality, physical likeness is a secondary concern.

I actually get that to a degree, but yes, as you say it's when for instance they make out that an artist not doing a background, painting their boyfriend lying down at the top left of an otherwise blank cavnas is a 'powerful statement about how our lives are built on foundations that are barely there' that you remember just how much of it is complete and utter b*******.

It's b******* that perpetuates itself though, a multi million pound industry built on illusory qualities where if you're in, you're in and it doesn't really matter what you paint, it's worth tens / hundreds of thousands of pounds just because you painted it. Shove a paintbrush up your arse, pull it out and do a quick line sketch of Boris Johnson using your own excrement - that's got to be worth £200,000 of anyone's money, surely?

Wow, someone is overthinking....

And living in my head too I think ??

The Binny/Meatloaf/Gordon Gecko bit was just hilarious, it was almost Reeves and Mortimer stuff that they were so inoffensive, pleasant, mild and yet simultaneously off-the-scale disappearing up their own posteriori! 

The winner had most of the portrait white and in a sickly sentimental move painted her boyfriend lying down whilst the two had some mutual appreciation society that was both unassuming and toe-curling at the same time.

Some of the paintings are just unbelievably good, but inevitably are bland and robotic to the judges because hell yes they look like what they are painting.

Watched every episode and it always makes me ponder that central issue- am I just a know nothing caveman or are they pretentious entitled luvvies....possibly both and neither!

[May Contain Nuts]

I've been inspired. Here's my (landscape) portrait of @sage

 

Hope he likes it.

[richinspain]

4 hours ago, Kokosnuss said:

I've been inspired. Here's my (landscape) portrait of @sage

 

Hope he likes it.

I don't think he smokes 

[Comrade 86]

The Peripheral - watched a few episodes and it's quite pacey and intriguing. VR, AI and alternate realities all merge but it's quite easy to follow. Chloë Grace Moretz of Kickass fame takes the lead.

[BaaLocks]

History Of Now - Simon Schama. No shagging, and I can't remember any shoot outs or even anyone getting shot but it's a very interesting analysis of how history is a circle and how we seem to be willingily rotating ourself back to the worst part of it. Ep3, and the analysis of what the Americans wanted the post-war US to be is really interesting. Also, I think I get the 1984 references better now.

[Chester40]

The Handmaid's Tale 

Recommended by a friend, but the name didn't appeal and then I caught about 10mins of a random episode and the whole look/vibe confirmed it. 

Then tried 20mins of the first episode when I wasn't concentrating because the clamour around it grew deafening- but I didn't get sucked in at that moment and abandoned it.

Feeling a little tender ('bad pint') yesterday on the couch I gave it one last go. 

Already rattled through 4 episodes and I'm quite gripped. Elisabeth Moss is a really good lead and it's all very oppressive atmosphere and tense dialogue.

Any dystopian-nightmare type scenario is fertile ground for a series for my money ..so I'm hoping it stays this good?

Edited December 12, 2022 by Chester40

[Jubbs]

The White Lotus S2

Loved watching this season, more so than the first season.

Hard to describe but it's funny, dark, brilliantly written and all the actors are great. Impressive.

9/10

[Anag Ram]

2 hours ago, Jubbs said:

The White Lotus S2

Loved watching this season, more so than the first season.

Hard to describe but it's funny, dark, brilliantly written and all the actors are great. Impressive.

9/10

100% agree. I feel sad it has ended.

Like the first series, filled with characters it’s hard to feel sorry for but you just can’t help wondering what will happen to them.

Loved the lothario grandad.

[May Contain Nuts]

It may be cheesy and (lee) campy as f***, far from a cutting edge concept, and unlikely to win any awards for quality of writing, but I've still enjoyed watching the 'Chucky' TV series.

It's a rather unusual show though, in the sense that it's still written by the same person who did all the films, and has loads of the same actors / characters in it from way back in the original Child's Play / 'straight to video' Chucky films.

It's a direct continuation of (some) storylines that have been playing out for decades so and can be a bit meta and self referential.

I never actually watched those films though, so had to do a bit of reading to know just who people were supposed to be.

Edited December 13, 2022 by Kokosnuss

[Bob The Badger]

14 hours ago, Jubbs said:

The White Lotus S2

Loved watching this season, more so than the first season.

Hard to describe but it's funny, dark, brilliantly written and all the actors are great. Impressive.

9/10

We finished it last night and really enjoyed it. Stylish, good dialogue well acted. 

Not quite as funny as the first series but equally as good. 

[Bob The Badger]

12 hours ago, Anag Ram said:

100% agree. I feel sad it has ended.

Like the first series, filled with characters it’s hard to feel sorry for but you just can’t help wondering what will happen to them.

Loved the lothario grandad.

Do yo think he hurt his head in real life and they had to write it into the script? Otherwise it saved zero purpose. 

Both the Italian girls were bellissimo and filthyo. 

[sage]

Strike

Just watched all 5 series. Excellent. 

Made like a poor mans Sherlock, which still makes it pretty good. 

Edited December 13, 2022 by sage

[nottingram]

16 hours ago, Jubbs said:

The White Lotus S2

Loved watching this season, more so than the first season.

Hard to describe but it's funny, dark, brilliantly written and all the actors are great. Impressive.

9/10

Best theme song on TV as well!

[Anag Ram]

2 hours ago, Bob The Badger said:

Do yo think he hurt his head in real life and they had to write it into the script? Otherwise it saved zero purpose. 

Both the Italian girls were bellissimo and filthyo. 

Indeed so. Aubrey Plaza as Harper too.

[Comrade 86]

3 hours ago, sage said:

Strike

Just watched all 5 series. Excellent. 

Made like a poor mans Sherlock, which still makes it pretty good. 

Is it called CB Strike mate? Will give it a go.