What's in/on Your DVD/VCR/PVR etc

[Matt2112]

Babylon

Damien Chazelle's 3-hour epic following the fortunes of those at either side of the camera as silent movies give way to "talkies".

Margot Robbie was deservedly Oscar-nominated starring alongside Brad Pitt and Diego Calva, who are also both very good indeed in their co-leading roles.

Yes it's bombastic and bloated, which is probably the point, as are the graphic depictions of debauchery that are not for the weak of stomach.  There's a Pulp Fiction-esque mischievousness in some of the set pieces, though the tone here is darker than anything Tarantino has done.

This had mixed reviews at the time of release, though it's worth seeing if you have a few spare hours.

Rating: ***

[David L]

Miriam: Death of a Reality Star. Second episode of a three-part series.

Documentary about what was possibly the most irresponsible reality show ever. Made by Endemol (Big Brother), the premise for the show (There's Something About Miriam) was to gather half a dozen young alpha males in an Ibizan villa to compete for the affections of a model. The winner gets to spend a holiday with her and £10,000. She, honestly it seems, believes she will find love.
You've possibly guessed already, and at least one competitor had his suspicions, the thing about Miriam is...........she's a bloke. Produced in the early 2000s, I was not aware this existed or I can't remember it (which is hard to believe). What a dumbass idea from the get-go. Deceive a lot of testosterone-fuelled guys into flirting, snogging and falling in love with a transvestite from Mexico that's desperate for fame, has silicone tits and is still package intactica.
Miriam whittled the field down to two guys who, by this time, could barely keep their hands off her as they tried to win her over. Tonight they showed the reveal, by which time Endemol had had the sense to employ a psychiatrist to deal with the inevitable fallout.
As it is now 2024, a lot of the sympathy is directed towards Miriam and the effect on her for being rejected by the 'winner', even though she was fully complicit in duping the guys. I guess she was initially duped by the production company into thinking the show was going to result in a TV entertainment high-water mark.
Anyway, Miriam found herself dead at 38. Only two of the guys participated in this documentary. What happened to the rest? One more episode to watch tomorrow night so we may find out. We'll definitely find out how Miriam met her end.
Absolutely jaw-droppingly stupid concept that some of those who were involved (mostly female) still don't seem to understand why. They're obviously not imbued with an understanding for the male psyche, unlike my wife who watched a lot of it through the gaps between her fingers.

[pxr5]

^ I've got the last episode to watch tonight. I do recall the incident but not so much the detail that this documentary is showing us. Gripping for sure and very well done.

[Fishy]

Up to ep5 on Fallout