One of the main differences between US and UK humor is that UK humor can be funny on multiple levels.
A line can be said, with inflections. The kids giggle because they like the fun, the adults giggle because they get an entirely different joke.
With the US humor - it is reduced to the lowest common denominator and still requires a laugh track so the audience knows when to laugh.
In essence - UK humor is a fine soup and US humor is akin to gruel.
That being said - Galavant is a laugh. There are so many levels of fun, the singing, the dancing, the little sarcasms. Sadly they don't break the 4th wall as they did in Jeffery.
I can understand that our US cousins would be uncomfortable. They are jests about everything, irrepressible tongue in cheek humor, and some subjects that would make the more.. tender souls clutch their crucifixes and pray.
For the UK viewer it is a feast - one that we have not seen since the PG brigade stormed the BBC and burned the Monty Python and the Goodies scripts.
Having giggled and chortled my way through season 1, I am now eagerly watching season 2.
Please - UK folk who have been brought up on To the Manor Born, The Good Life, Yes Minister - give this a watch. You will not be disappointed
Reviews
6 Reviews
The Great Martian War 1913 - 1917
(2013 TV Movie)
Brilliant alternate history project.
22 February 2017
We all have to suspend belief when alternate history is the subject, and it's often a fun intellectual curiosity. Like what would America be like of JFK did not die. Or that Hitler has not been born. Or the great library of Alexandria survived. These are all key crossroads in our history that forever altered the future. In this case it is current day historians looking back at The Great Martian War. The Martians have landed in Germany in 1913 and the world mobilizes to fight them. Archival footage of that time is used and CGI seamlessly spliced in to give it an authenticated look and feel of that time. Various experts talk and show their displays - all with the reverence that real artifacts of that time deserve. Even veteran's of that time tell of their experiences. Various viewpoints are offered on different arguments, and prospects for the future. All in all what one would expect from a detailed and well crafted documentary. Except. It never happened :)
Harbinger Down
(2015)
Low Budget.. But not Cheap!!!
1 September 2015
OK.. I may be a bit bias but please read my reasons.
This is a homage to the practical creature effects. Nearly $400,000 was raised by the Kickstarter campaign, to which ADI added their own skills and expertise. Mose of the actors are not well known except for Lance, and he gave his skills for free to keep costs down.
That being said - we have a movie that did not have the multi million backing of big studios. On what would have been a shoestring budget. Locations would have been limited, and the number sets reduced too.
Is it a good movie - for what it sets out to achieve then Yes.. There is NO CGI here, all the effects are real and touchable, the slime is cold and slippery, and the blood would be.. well at blood temp.
To compare it against the recent "The Thing" which had a budget of #38mill, and this which was about $2mil max then what they have done is great.
So enjoy a good creepy movie - but accept that a lot of this was a labor of love :)
This is a homage to the practical creature effects. Nearly $400,000 was raised by the Kickstarter campaign, to which ADI added their own skills and expertise. Mose of the actors are not well known except for Lance, and he gave his skills for free to keep costs down.
That being said - we have a movie that did not have the multi million backing of big studios. On what would have been a shoestring budget. Locations would have been limited, and the number sets reduced too.
Is it a good movie - for what it sets out to achieve then Yes.. There is NO CGI here, all the effects are real and touchable, the slime is cold and slippery, and the blood would be.. well at blood temp.
To compare it against the recent "The Thing" which had a budget of #38mill, and this which was about $2mil max then what they have done is great.
So enjoy a good creepy movie - but accept that a lot of this was a labor of love :)
Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets
(2004 TV Movie)
Brilliant simulation of a real voyage
23 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
After reading many of the other reviews here I felt that I should add my views on this wonderful simulation of a voyage to the planets.
This is a 2 hour film set as an accurate as possible documentary on a Voyage to the Planets. The plot lines to add the humanity into this were well though out and covered most aspects of human frailty (considering that the astronauts had worked together for many years and were all professionals in their own right) People will get sick, people when trying to discover new things will push their own limits - these are the two aspect that I felt were realistic. Not the fake bravado of an action movie but viewing a dedicated professional who has trained for years for a task and then trying to achieve it.
Mentioned in other posts is the time lag of conversations over an extended distance. It was mentioned very early in the movie that these were expected and had been EDITED out for the audiences benefit.
Technology was likewise well though out. A trip to Venus has a suit that had been tested in a blast furnace and has a time limit on use on the planets surface.. plus additional example of how hostile the environment was.
A visit to IO likewise had a suit that used a magnetic field to protect the wearer for a set duration.
All in all the anticipated problems had been well though out and a solution provided - as if it was a real trip we were watching. And yes - even professionals have spats during stress as shown in Apollo 13 and the over monitoring of the astronaut's physical condition.
all in all this is a program that I have watched many times, and will watch again - feeling a welling of hope and pride in my heart that maybe - with work - humanity could undertake this trip and really see the wonders of the solar system. Until then excellent programs like this can give us a realistic glimpse of the "What If's"
This is a 2 hour film set as an accurate as possible documentary on a Voyage to the Planets. The plot lines to add the humanity into this were well though out and covered most aspects of human frailty (considering that the astronauts had worked together for many years and were all professionals in their own right) People will get sick, people when trying to discover new things will push their own limits - these are the two aspect that I felt were realistic. Not the fake bravado of an action movie but viewing a dedicated professional who has trained for years for a task and then trying to achieve it.
Mentioned in other posts is the time lag of conversations over an extended distance. It was mentioned very early in the movie that these were expected and had been EDITED out for the audiences benefit.
Technology was likewise well though out. A trip to Venus has a suit that had been tested in a blast furnace and has a time limit on use on the planets surface.. plus additional example of how hostile the environment was.
A visit to IO likewise had a suit that used a magnetic field to protect the wearer for a set duration.
All in all the anticipated problems had been well though out and a solution provided - as if it was a real trip we were watching. And yes - even professionals have spats during stress as shown in Apollo 13 and the over monitoring of the astronaut's physical condition.
all in all this is a program that I have watched many times, and will watch again - feeling a welling of hope and pride in my heart that maybe - with work - humanity could undertake this trip and really see the wonders of the solar system. Until then excellent programs like this can give us a realistic glimpse of the "What If's"
The Pirate Movie
(1982)
G & S was always for the Masses
21 May 2011
One of the wonderful things about G&S is that their operetta's were written for the common person. They were short, had simple plots with twists, catchy tunes, and could easily be adapted for whatever time period they were performed in.
The Pirate Movie is a wonderful example of this where the timeless 'Pirates of Penzance' had been introduced into the 80's with style. Having seen both the Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinnifore, and the Mikado several times it is great how the songs and speeches can have little modernizations introduced to them yet still keep the plot true.
G&S was never never serious - not is meant to be taken seriously (not like Wagner's Ring) and the cast of The Pirate Movie has taken that to heart.
This is a movie for everyone. Witty comments that can have many meanings, old and new songs, great characterizations, and lot's of nods to other classics.
If you are looking for something deep and meaningful then this movie is not for you. If you looking for a few hours of light hearted fun, music, swordplay then this is something to grab and cherish for a few viewings. Believe me you will need a few viewings to catch all if the little gems hidden in it.
Enjoy..
The Pirate Movie is a wonderful example of this where the timeless 'Pirates of Penzance' had been introduced into the 80's with style. Having seen both the Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinnifore, and the Mikado several times it is great how the songs and speeches can have little modernizations introduced to them yet still keep the plot true.
G&S was never never serious - not is meant to be taken seriously (not like Wagner's Ring) and the cast of The Pirate Movie has taken that to heart.
This is a movie for everyone. Witty comments that can have many meanings, old and new songs, great characterizations, and lot's of nods to other classics.
If you are looking for something deep and meaningful then this movie is not for you. If you looking for a few hours of light hearted fun, music, swordplay then this is something to grab and cherish for a few viewings. Believe me you will need a few viewings to catch all if the little gems hidden in it.
Enjoy..
Race to Mars
(2007– )
Realistic of a steady pace.
8 May 2011
I really enjoyed "Race to Mars" and have watching it several times.
One of the things that people forget is that space travel is SLOW and BORING. Yes there will be people who find the level of action slow but it also brings to light just how routine the astronauts lives will be.
I am old enough to remember the first and the last Apollo mission. From when people cheered and watched in awe, to when they complained because the re-runs of soaps were cancelled for the moon missions.
The accident scenario's in this are likewise realistic - although they do push the limits a little. But the solutions are likewise realistic and would work.
Just my views. Marc
One of the things that people forget is that space travel is SLOW and BORING. Yes there will be people who find the level of action slow but it also brings to light just how routine the astronauts lives will be.
I am old enough to remember the first and the last Apollo mission. From when people cheered and watched in awe, to when they complained because the re-runs of soaps were cancelled for the moon missions.
The accident scenario's in this are likewise realistic - although they do push the limits a little. But the solutions are likewise realistic and would work.
Just my views. Marc
Tell Your Friends