superfunk

Did anyone think Paul Bettany was channeling Rik Mayall a bit in episode 2?

Hooo boy, I had to rush off to the kitchen at the end of that one to do the washing up. Pretty ridiculous that a 35 year old barn has to retain its rotting frame simply because it's in a conservation area. Still, the guy persevered and I was really impressed with what they achieved.

The house in the new episode was ridiculously extravagant but it was hard not to admire the execution. That stone staircase was beautifully done, and reminded me of a miniature version of the staircase in IM Pei’s Berlin History museum extension. I think it was the first time I’d seen a handrail carved into the stone. The plucky self-builds on Grand Designs are good, but it’s also nice to occasionally see beautiful architecture that shitloads of money can buy.

Not only is Soul the best Pixar movie in ages, the mastery of CG animation demonstrated by Pixar is simply phenomenal. The scenes in the jazz club were so ‘real’ and yet so stylised. And the switches between the ‘live action’ and the abstract stuff was masterful. Just top notch on every conceivable level.

Yeah - I loved this too. I lived in Portnall Road and Ladbroke Grove in the late 80s and early 90s so I enjoyed seeing all that stuff. This is an interesting BBC article, especially the 'then and now' pictures. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/extra/jGD9WJrVXf/the-mangrove-nine-black-lives-matter

Why...

The Mandalorian's darkest moment now available to buy!

Yeah, it’s like they’re now running with it and ensuring that the accent could be a real thing. It’s excruciating and yet somehow admirable.

Me too. Absolute shitshow.

The first ever same sex shower scene made me guffaw.

Laughing and crying with goosebumps at that Jimmy Fallon video. Especially at the guy who saw Black Panther on bootleg .

When I went to South Africa a couple of years ago, I was at a bar and the waiter brought the bill to the table. He’d written a smiley face and “Wakanda Forever!” on the bill. It made me realise how important a symbol that movie and Chadwick Boseman had become. What a loss.

Aliens is in my top five favourite films. It’s so perfect I was really offended when I was watching it with a friend one time, when Ripley opens the airlock in the climactic battle with the alien queen. The moment (about 1:07 in this clip) when half-a-Bishop gets sucked across the hangar made my friend guffaw really loudly. I threw her daggers for being so irreverent, but now I laugh every time I see it.

It has always been around in English but it seems to be more prevalent these days as a 're-import' from the US. It's an excruciatingly infantile euphemism. Just say 'died', FFS.