'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.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 22 | December 4, 2024 6:57 PM
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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 Anonymous | reply 2 | October 7, 2024 2:43 PM
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I am watching it NOW, so I can report back LATER, 2.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | October 7, 2024 5:04 PM
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R4, be sure to note that wifi access is spotty at Michfest.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | October 7, 2024 5:55 PM
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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 Anonymous | reply 6 | October 7, 2024 5:58 PM
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I thought it was way too inside for the average viewer. I laughed my ass off.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | October 7, 2024 6:12 PM
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Meh. Ok but far from great. Don’t need to see more of it.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | October 7, 2024 6:40 PM
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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.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 9 | October 7, 2024 7:47 PM
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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.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 10 | October 7, 2024 7:47 PM
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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 Anonymous | reply 11 | October 7, 2024 7:58 PM
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Anyone still watching this? It's getting funnier by the episode, though still nothing to write home about.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | November 7, 2024 6:38 PM
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Does it have the Iannucci hallmark of very creative but brutal vulgarity thrown about in spades?
by Anonymous | reply 13 | November 7, 2024 7:19 PM
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Yep - it’s amusing but not more than that.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | November 7, 2024 7:29 PM
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Just started watching and it’s amusing. Good acting.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | December 4, 2024 8:40 AM
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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
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 17 | December 4, 2024 9:05 AM
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It's not bad but it feels a bit unoriginal: "Oh, I know, let's do 'Veep' with the Hollywood backdrop."
by Anonymous | reply 18 | December 4, 2024 6:11 PM
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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 Anonymous | reply 19 | December 4, 2024 6:31 PM
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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 Anonymous | reply 20 | December 4, 2024 6:41 PM
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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 Anonymous | reply 21 | December 4, 2024 6:41 PM
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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 Anonymous | reply 22 | December 4, 2024 6:57 PM
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