Well, if you all thought my comeback post, 'Trainspotting 2' (Blog #294) in 2017 was a welcome return to the blog, only to be dissapointed with a 'one off' submission following a 3yrs gap then rest assured, I'm re-vitalised, re-married, re-invigorated and the blog is back!
In a world that's 11yrs older than it was last time out (ignore the T2 post!) so much has changed!
Is the written a blog a thing of the past? Do I have it in me to re-launch onto Tik-Tok or result to viral streaming to visualise my ramblings - or are there enough of you out there still interested in the typed script, well, we will see!
The Blog will now take a new turn - with the successes of Netflix, Paramount+, Apple TV, Disney +, Amazon Prime plus much better terrestial T.v offerings outside of 'soap world', you don't need to go to the Cinema four times a week to keep up with all the new releases. There is so much Blockbuster action now focussing itself into streaming services and big named stars appearing in TV shows that I am hoping to blog more about the everyday accessible viewing, not just the cinema realeases that are very much (for me), few and far between compared to the beginnings of this blog and hopefully - everyone will be happy!
Where to start!
Box sets have exploded - the 'binge' TV show is a current normality for most and my household is no different - saving up espisodes to smash out over a week or weekend. The culture of 'everything everywhere all at once' (see what I did there?) has gripped us all so although this blog is a return to publication (and don't worry - there is a movie I have in mind to kick things off) - let's not forget some of the awesome stuff I've missed out on talking about over the last few years. If you have ever read my blog and used it to decide what to watch - then below is especially for you!
Netflix:
Territory, The Diplomat, Lincoln Lawyer, Gangs of London, Black Doves, American Primevil, The Night Agent, Riviera, House of Guiness.
Disney+
Rivals, Skeleton Crew, Dr Odessey
Sky
Industry, The Penguin, The Day of the Jackal, Sweet-Pea, Dune Prophecy, Seal Team, SWAT
Apple TV
Disclaimer, Your Friends and Neighbours, Slow Horses, Highest to Lowest, The Morning Show
Paramount+ (Or, the Taylor Sheridan channel!)
Lioness, Yellowstone (plus all prequals), Landman, The Agency, Mobland, Tulsa King
Amazon Prime
The Better Sister, Lie to Me, Ballard, Suga, The Termination List: Dark Wolf, Marching Powder, Handmaids Tale, Cross
(and many more I have probably missed - so just a few thousand of viewing there to crack on with - all recommended!)
............ and don't even ask me to list the hundreds of movies I've seen inbetween all of that! Just imagine if I had stuck with it across the last 11 years, - I'd be well on my way to over 1000 posts.
That's 2017 to 2025 all caught up - on with the Blog.
A House of Dynamite on Netflix starts out as a gripping thriller - set 18 minutes from potential USA devestation, you get to see the launch of an undisclosed foreign power nuclear weapon making a beeline for central USA and our story focusses on key areas of American Government, Defense and Public Opinion that has you gripped to your cushion and sitting on the edge of your seat for the first 40 minutes.
The cast is phenominal - Rebecca Ferguson, Idris Elba, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Jason Clarke - the list goes on. Netflix can command this sort of cast & this size of budget and they rarely dissapoint so by the time the movie gets to around 37 minutes - I am as excited as a puppy with 2 tail's and then.....................reset.
Yes! just like that - seconds from devestation we get a rewind and Act 2 begins. Basically, a repeat of Act 1 but from another perspective.
Okay - breathe, they are building anticipation - no need to panic.
But alas, Act 2 lacts the conviction of Act 1. Is this because we now know whats happening - so nothing is a surprise? Perhaps the Director (Kathryn Bigalow - Hurt Locker, Zero-Dark-Thirty) wanted a soft reset, to allow the chance for that anticipation to build once more - high following high? and just as you get there again, ACT 3! another reset - come on!
The movie has been out a few weeks now so assuming some of you have already seen it, I dont want to spoil the ending for the rest - but for those who have seen it, I'm sure they would agree with me that we should spoil it for you! If anything to save you from a complete dissapointment at the end and save you all the 112 minutes of your life you'd waste if you do watch all of this movie.
I read that the idea was to prompt a conversation - what would you do in this situation but in reality, we all like a conclusion to our movies or shows! I remember 'Lost' - did they ever really explain it (I never got to the end) so to commit to the promise of this film - the cast, the director - the expectation. I have to say, it sadly wasn't really for me.
That said - DO watch the first 40 minutes as a 'TV episode' and you get all you need - excitement, anticipation - and if I remember, you get to play "Guess the President" (as you only hear his voice in Act 1)
Well - that's Post 295 done and dusted. I hope my loyals will come back to me (I think we got over 20,000 at it's peak) which I know is nothing compared to the dizzy heights of streamers nowadays but I'm back in my happy place, and I look forward to you all sharing the ride with me.
