Off Topic The Review Thread

Basically nice guy, Vivian rights supporting champion contender boxer wrongly convicted of a triple murder by racist America and serves 20 years inside before being found innocent and released in glory......

Except that isn’t quite how it happened

 

Oh I do know this, long story in the Atlantic magazine about him a couple of months ago. Mixed story. Initial conviction seemed very unsound, and especially for the young bloke who was fitted up at the same time. Can’t remember the details. Celebrities supported him then kind of disappeared. Very violent past if I remember correctly.

 

Yeah I did wonder why the celebs deserted him.......seems after he was out on bail for the second trial (I think), he beat up quite badly one of his female supporters. Once that made front page news it seems a lot of his celebrity supporters quietly disappeared.
Seems Dylan was also unsure as he hasn’t performed the protest song live since 1976.

 

Finished watching the second part of the Ali film this morning and it was honestly one of the most emotional films I’ve watched in ages.
Dealt with the triumph and eventual twilight of his career and ultimately showed this was a man who should of retired while on top and took on 1 or 2 fights more than he should of, becoming just a shadow of his former self.
Proves even the greatest aren’t invincible. Well worth a watch to any boxing, sports or life fans.

 

Anyone given the new Top Gear a try? I thought it was quite enjoyable - Flintoff and McGuinness are good fun and have good chemistry with Harris and one another. They've stopped trying so hard which has made it a lot more fun. Big improvement.

 

They have a winner there Top Gear is coming home and combining the fact that The grand tour is very poor

 

Just watching the first episode of Catch 22, the George Clooney project. I read the book many years ago, from what I remember it was very good, a bitter, surreal satire, very wordy, brutal, amoral, lots of characters, and unconventional timelines. Said to be ‘unfilmable’.

This seems like a valiant effort, they’ve straightened out the timelines to make it linear, which is a shame. It’s beautifully filmed and very well acted but I’m not feeling any sympathy for these young American aircrews desperately trying to finish their tour of 25 (raised to 30 when a new CO arrives) missions bombing Italy and get out alive. It was still incredibly dangerous with a huge death rate, but I can’t help thinking they were lucky bombing Italy at a time in the war when there was not an enemy plane in sight.

Leaving me oddly cold. Perhaps it is unfilmable.

 

Think Will Gompertz feels the same as you....

Catch-22: Will Gompertz reviews George Clooney's Channel 4 drama ★★★☆☆ - BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48666573

 

Not that anyone cares but I didn't like it either

 

Gompertz always copies my stuff.

It’s a shame because I really wanted to like it, partly because I doubt I’ll have the energy to read the book again, and there is very little glaringly wrong with it, it’s just not right somehow. I’d be interested to see what people who haven’t read the book think of it.

I’d have to check the book to see if this is faithful, which I probably won’t do, but it might be that in this version every single character is a caricature, no depth to them. Even the main character, Yossarian, is really just a cipher for fear of dying, he seems to have no other interests or motivations.

 

He's a plagiarist even down to the timeline stuff you complained about!

I've not read the book, so I'll give it a go and let you know - looking for something new to watch anyway!

 

I cannot see the fuss over Clooney, I understand he is a fine male specimen but his films and acting are utter ****, gompertz never said that.

 

Catch 22 was one of my favourite books. Haven’t seen the C4 series but will give it a go. There generally seem more misses than hits when a good book is translated for the screen/tv.

 

Book title / Author 9’s???

 

Sorry if this has been discussed earlier, but has anyone else been watching "The Looming Tower" on BBC2?
It's a 10 episode series covering the lead up to 9-11.
It claims to be based on real events, testimonies and accounts and if it is, I can't quite believe how badly the CIA handled things.
There were plenty of warnings about terrorists being in the USA and learning to fly (without bothering to learn how to land) etc.
Obviously, crashing planes as weapons (apart from the Japanese in WW2) just wasn't something that crossed the minds of the security agencies, but the total ineptitude of the CIA is incredible.
Not so much their work in getting information which was very good, but because they wouldn't share their intelligence with the FBI or anyone else.
Some of those responsible for this almost certainly have a lot of blood on their hands (if it is indeed all true).
Condolesa Rice was also seemingly culpable in ignoring warnings and refusing access to the President with this info.

Last episode next week when the attack takes place.

Excellently written series, well acted and combined with real pictures and film of the subsiquent enquiry, totally enthralling.

 

Haven't, but I'll look it out on catch up

 

Why wouldn't they make it all available? Strange!

Have you been watching it?