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FishyFish

By FishyFish
in Film, TV & Radio

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mlewis

mlewis

Posted
Posted

Did anyone watch it in HD? Was it actually filmed in HD or just upconverted?

I did- looked gorgeous in HD, so presumably properly filmed in HD too- those long aerial shots they loved to do were wonderful in HD. Apparently they switched to better cameras a few episodes in, so it should look even better soon too.

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JohnC

JohnC

Posted
Posted

Do the bits stuck to the windows and sides of the Torchwood Landrover serve any purpose other than making it look a bit space agey?

I didn't watch all of it (came in halfway through the first episode, left soon after) so maybe it was explained at some point...

It's just to make it look futuristic. If you are living in the 50's. Just looks really shit to me.

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Beertiger

Beertiger

Posted
Posted

I did- looked gorgeous in HD, so presumably properly filmed in HD too- those long aerial shots they loved to do were wonderful in HD. Apparently they switched to better cameras a few episodes in, so it should look even better soon too.

Nice. I haven't seen it yet because Season 2 of Who was so disappointing that I lost interest. I've heard this is really good though so I'm downloading the HD version now.

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Badger

Badger

Posted
Posted

Hmmm.

Quite enjoyed it...

But for the unbiased record, and I can demonstrate this quite clearly on an etch-o-sketch. The first two episodes weren't up to the standards of Buffy or Angel. Then again, why should they be? Two shows can co-exist without having to be placed into some kind of mythical global ranking scheme.....

And it's great for the fact it isn't set in London, and there's something about girls with a Wlesh accent. And there were the occasional laugh out loud moments, such as with the lift etc.... For all the arguments coming up, quote me as giving it a promising/10.

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c-cat114

c-cat114

Posted
Posted

Must admit I thought the first two eps were amazingly poor television. All of the CSI styled panoramic shots because hey that's what adult drama has, the off-on acting, the poor blue screening at times, the inept plotting, the entire 'we're a secret organisation who do things in the most overt posey manner possible' (hey, police teams use these things called 'tents' which hide their actions from the public who could put the whole thing on Youtube quicker than you can say 'plotholes for the sake of lack of sensible alternatives', the slightly slo-mo shots of the team walking towards camera, long coats billowing in the breeze, the phallic symbol logo. the entire letting the character go because you can change what's written on the computer: get this: she could have used a pen and paper eat that dipsticks etc...

Bits had possibility but were underutilised (the reincarnation glove primarily) lots were overblown and mock stylised... The entire last shot with the two main characters just standing and talking meaningfully on top of whichever building it was can't remember (all I can visualise is the two of them walking for ages with her whinging on about why he can't tell her whats up until the view is right and the wind is coming from the right deirection and she's standing next to him facing outwards (because that's how we do conversations). The whole writing off of public understanding of the Cyberman Dalek war as a bit of a bad dream...

The whole lot. I thought one part was good: the CSI kebab line, the rest was a reimagining (complete rip off) of Ultraviolet (which was in every way, shape or form better the Torchy). All it means is that there's one less thing for me to try and remember to keep up with (although I'll try and catch the end of season episode assuming that it'll get 30% of the seasons budget).

Utterly rubbish from beginning to end, if this gets beyond one season I'll be surprised. Ironically Dr Who proves itself to be better television for adults by, get this, having scripts that don't rely on immature teenage referances to sex and mature language (read: swear words). Cardiff was a nice setting, that was about it for the whole kit and kaboodle.

Now at least parents have a good line to work on when they try and put kids off watching it: sorry fellas... It's just too rubbish for us to let you watch, now go to bed and have a good nights sleep.

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c-cat114

c-cat114

Posted
Posted

And having read the past couple of pages now I can't see why people are saying it's so clever to have Cap'n J ask what the fella saw when he died...

a: well, that kills off the mystery of death then, nice one. After all there's so much mystery in the show that there's no point laying on the possibility of something intangible

b: Cap'n Jack has died once already. Presumably he was watching another channel when he did so?

c: if he has now got a death obsession surely the fact that there's nothing to strive for in that sense (surely the least clever angle for character progression since the entirety of Star Trek Voyager - episode 1: narrowly miss getting home, episode 2: narrowly miss getting home, episode 3: narrowly miss getting home, repeat until cancellation) means that all told he's not got much to look forward to in any sense whatever.

and

d: there's no point doing a clever piece of foreshadowing if it does not become clear later that that's what it was (it wasn't until I was reading this that I put the two things together and came up with 0.003% slightly heightened interest than I had before). If it was a death obsession why did the other characters not react in a 'not this again' manner. If it was an unsettling question why didn't they look at him from odd angles. If it had any part in the greater scheme of the plot why didn't they react at all. Then, later, when he said he couldn't die normal scripts, not ones trying to be cleverly sexyclever, have someone then say 'that's why you wanted to know what death was like' or some such to reenforce a point made a long time ago in a plotline dull, dull away.

Anyhow. Ultraviolet for the win. So say we all :( (apart from those who are wrong).

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c-cat114

c-cat114

Posted
Posted

If positive endorsements can be visualised as cups of tea then Torchwood 1 and 2 the weakest, blandest, cheapest bag on it's second use with water from a rusty old second world war urn, using slightly suspect milk in a grimy, greasy cup (complete with floating bits that defy investigation and a filmy -about as filmic as it got really ba-boom! - layer that clings to your lips and a nasty, rancid aftertaste).

It's that good (and on the strength of the first two eps that sexy as well). So all told it depends what you want to dip your mind in.

I was going to say that anyone arguing with that would be wrong but then I realised that I'd be turning into Cackophflabbus so shall just simply end that this is all in my own, very humble, opinion :)

However it was, in no way, anywhere near good cup of char good.

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Lorfarius

Lorfarius

Posted
Posted

Maybe its an unpopular view but I dont care. I thought both episodes were pretty poor, average at best and indicative of just how badly the BBC treat Sci-Fi. Besides the odd laugh in the sex story and the hint at the Doctor+hand it really was 2 episodes of average stories and average scripts.

Why was the Welsh Copper even involved? She has no skills, nothing special about her. If you want to humanise the group why not go for some highly trained Psychologist or someone similar. Not just some random Bobby on the beat. Very silly. If Torchwood is such a hugely secret department, why was the pterodactyl allowed to fly around outside at the end of episode 1? Why is Jack wearing that daft coat and cardigan? His character was all flashy and showy in DW, now hes a poorly dressed hero. Was it really necessary for the line "beyond the United Nations". Makes me cringe even now. Why does it still feel like a kid's show? It had plenty of adult themes and swearing but still seemed to be aimed at 5-10 year olds.

When you have the likes of Heroes to compare it too from the US, this whole show was weak and pathetic. Now Im sure someone will kick in about the BBC not having the right budget for proper SciFi but thats BS. Each of these types of shows is gaining bigger and bigger budgets, especially since Doctor Who became really popular so that arguement doesnt really hold up. Besides they dont pay millions to the script writers of Heroes do they? Yet look what happens there. The likes of Red Dwarf were filmed in a broom cupboard during their first series, it was the script that made all the difference.

The show does have some potential and it is early days, but in order to reach it they need better writers and some better stories if the first 2 episodes are anything to go by.

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Mogster

Mogster

Posted
Posted

I thought that was excellent, comedy chase scene and all. It seems to have settled down a lot since the first two episodes, and it was nice to have a more adult, as opposed to "adult" plot to enjoy. Also next week...

Cyberwoman thing. Oh yes.

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So. Angry.

So. Angry.

Posted
Posted

Also, those fucking lights are still in the windscreen of the Land Rover.

The Torchwood gang even have their own version of The Mystery Machine, although theirs is a spectacularly ugly SUV with two daft strips of throbbing LED lights either side of the windscreen whose sole purpose is to make the entire vehicle look outrageously silly - they might as well have stuck a big inflatable dick on the bonnet, to be honest.

First episode I've watched properly. Not a fan. Not a fan at all.

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delb2k

delb2k

Posted
Posted

Its weird, not necessarily in a good way but at least its so silly you cant even start to take it seriously. Pure powder puff programming which really means nothing and appears to be an excuse for T Davies to outpour all that repressed Doctor Who X rated stuff. Not sue if this will last longer than the one series but i have to admit i`d watch it if it was on but would never make any special time for it.

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Graham S

Graham S

Posted
Posted

So s Torchwood any good then or what?

No. I can't think of anything positive to say about it. Having said that, I was finding this weeks to be mindlessly watchable, and then the last 15 minutes just couldn't resolve things in a satisfying manner. I'll probably keep watching, but I'm only going to be disappointed.

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c-cat114

c-cat114

Posted
Posted

Couldn't be bothered to watch it last night (past my bedtime :D ) but that Charlie Brooker probably sums the car up tbh. Where's it from? (the quote not the car).

At least now we know why it was probably delayed then thrown on the screen with only a couple of weeks warning... Probably hasty edits trying to make it try and work.

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