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'The Franchise' satire series on HBO

From Jon Brown, Armando Ianucci and Sam Mendes. With Billy Magnussen, Aya Cash, Himesh Patel, Daniel Brühl, Richard E. Grant.

[quote]A team trapped inside the dysfunctional hell of creating franchise superhero movies. At the end of the day the question they face is: is this Hollywood's new dawn or cinema's last stand? Is this a dream factory or a chemical plant?

Eight episodes, starts October 6th.

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by Anonymousreply 22December 4, 2024 6:57 PM

Trailer.

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by Anonymousreply 1October 1, 2024 4:18 PM

Did anyone watch this? I'm not a MCU fan and the trailer did nothing for me. But maybe the series is still worth checking out?

by Anonymousreply 2October 7, 2024 2:43 PM

Low hanging fruit

by Anonymousreply 3October 7, 2024 2:45 PM

I am watching it NOW, so I can report back LATER, 2.

by Anonymousreply 4October 7, 2024 5:04 PM

R4, be sure to note that wifi access is spotty at Michfest.

by Anonymousreply 5October 7, 2024 5:55 PM

OP, did you watch it? Unlike R2 I actually am a Marvel fan (albeit not of most of its more recent movies aside from "Deadpool & Wolverine"), but it'd be absurd to deny the extent to which comic book movies have ridiculously overwhelmed Hollywood. (That plus DC's are worse, but since both DC & HBO are owned by Warner Bros, I wasn't sure if they could take potshots at a corporate sibling, despite bullshit like The Snyder Cut richly deserving it.)

by Anonymousreply 6October 7, 2024 5:58 PM

I thought it was way too inside for the average viewer. I laughed my ass off.

by Anonymousreply 7October 7, 2024 6:12 PM

Meh. Ok but far from great. Don’t need to see more of it.

by Anonymousreply 8October 7, 2024 6:40 PM

r6 Yes, I watched it just now. I thought it was just okay. The insider stuff is something new, but the dialogue really should have been punched up, and by a lot. It's unforgivable that so many of the jokes aren't landing in the pilot already.

They gave Daniel Brühl this heavy German accent coupled with fast quirky lines and super specific American references, and that unrealistic disconnect is just killing me.

Love Lolly Adefope, but my god those rear shots of her denim onesie were brutal, I felt so bad for her.

Richard E. Grant was the best thing about it and Billy Magnussen was pretty entertaining as well, to my complete surprise.

Cute North Carolina twink Isaac Powell caught my eye.

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by Anonymousreply 9October 7, 2024 7:47 PM

Second cute twink who caught my eye was Scottish-Italian actor Ruaridh Mollica. You might have seen him in that "Too Rough" gay movie a couple of years ago.

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by Anonymousreply 10October 7, 2024 7:47 PM

r10 He also plays a rent boy in the fi;lm Sebastian if you want to see him doing sex scenes with old men

by Anonymousreply 11October 7, 2024 7:58 PM

Anyone still watching this? It's getting funnier by the episode, though still nothing to write home about.

by Anonymousreply 12November 7, 2024 6:38 PM

Does it have the Iannucci hallmark of very creative but brutal vulgarity thrown about in spades?

by Anonymousreply 13November 7, 2024 7:19 PM

Oh yeah, for sure.

by Anonymousreply 14November 7, 2024 7:24 PM

Yep - it’s amusing but not more than that.

by Anonymousreply 15November 7, 2024 7:29 PM

Just started watching and it’s amusing. Good acting.

by Anonymousreply 16December 4, 2024 8:40 AM

I gave it a shot

I like the superhero movies and I like things that mock hollywood/showbiz (ie 30 Rock, The Other Two)

But this show is shite. Tries WAY TOO HARD. Too much fast talking with so many "zingers" and odd-ball behaviors stuffed in - it's just too overwrought. I really wanted to like it but I gave up after the first episode

Such a great concept with lots of on screen talent but it's just weird combo of fast-paced boringness

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by Anonymousreply 17December 4, 2024 9:05 AM

It's not bad but it feels a bit unoriginal: "Oh, I know, let's do 'Veep' with the Hollywood backdrop."

by Anonymousreply 18December 4, 2024 6:11 PM

I know virtually nothing about comic book franchise movies, but I enjoyed the series. Richard Grant steals every scene he is in, and is probably the funniest part of the show; though Lolly Adefope is a close second. Himesh Patel and Billy Magnussen were also fun to watch.

It may not be the greatest thing I watched recently, but I definitely looked forward to each new episode, and was sad to discover the one before Thanksgiving was the finale. I hope there is a second season.

by Anonymousreply 19December 4, 2024 6:31 PM

Daniel Brühl is a good actor who has had terrible luck. If he’s attached to a project chances are it is second rate.

by Anonymousreply 20December 4, 2024 6:41 PM

I really enjoyed it. Thought the writing was superb and Magnussen was a revelation. It looked like everyone was enjoying themselves and agree Richard E Grant stole the show.

by Anonymousreply 21December 4, 2024 6:41 PM

Agreed about Grant and Magnussen, but the rest of it left me, well, not cold but lukewarm. I want my Ianucci shows to be blistering with people just ripping strips off each other. See Veep, The Thick of it and The Death of Stalin. I did watch all of The Franchise because it has a lot of actors I like; I only made it through one episode of Avenue Five.

by Anonymousreply 22December 4, 2024 6:57 PM
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