SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Two TV, movie recommendations that you should not miss

Apr 24, 2018, 2:19 PM

If you’re anything like me, when you sit down to watch a little TV, you spend most of your time just clicking around menus searching for something to watch. To that end, I’ve got a few recommendations. One on the small screen and one on the big screen.

RELATED: Welcome to the golden age of TV

First the TV Show: “Westworld.” It might just be the best show in the last few years. Season 2 debuted on Sunday night, and it did not disappoint. You will need HBO, or (cough) an HBO GO password, if you know what I mean.

Based on a book by Michael Crichton, this is the second time it’s been adapted for the screen. From the HBO website: “Live without limits in a world where every human appetite can be indulged. This dark odyssey follows the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin.”

For this reboot, they handed the reins over to Johnathan Nolan. You may not be aware of him, but you’re probably aware of some work he’s done with his brother Christopher. Johnathan wrote the story that eventually became the cult classic “Memento.” He was also a part of what most consider the most epic Batman installments “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” Oh, and he did a little film with his bro called “Interstellar.”

Nolan brings the same complex narrative and stunning visuals to Westworld. It’s smart, layered, and you’ll find yourself thinking about the characters long after you finish watching. One warning, there’s a lot of adult themes in this show, so it’s not for the little ones.

Big screen recommendations

Now let’s go to the big screen. I finally got my $7 a month unlimited MoviePass card, and used it for the first time this weekend to go see “Isle Of Dogs.” It’s Wes Anderson’s latest stop motion animated movie. I was a bit hesitant going in. For starters, it’s an animated stop motion movie. And sometimes Anderson can be a bit too cutesy and quaint for my taste. There’s still a lot of that Wes Anderson stuff in this movie, but it’s way better than I thought it would be.

It’s a tightly-made parable about modern politics around the world that uses dogs voiced by A-List Hollywood stars. The animation is stunning and expressive, and the story line is a brilliant canvas that allows audience members to project their own personal political biases and beliefs onto the story.

It’s a very satisfying movie. I think it’s one of those rare pictures that can play to kids and adults at the same time and be entirely different movies to each.

So pop some popcorn or sneak a snack into the theater and check these two out. You won’t be disappointed.

You can hear “What are we talking about here?” everyday at 4:45 p.m. on 97.3 FM.

More from Ron Upshaw

President Donald Trump arrives to board Marine One on the Ellipse near the White House, Friday, Sep...

Associated Press

US military says it killed four in strike on alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea on Saturday, killing four people, as the Trump administration continues its monthslong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America. The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by […]

2 hours ago

Drivers participate in the annual King of the Streets event celebrating lowriding, a Mexican Americ...

Associated Press

Lowriding culture celebrated in San Francisco as it receives broader recognition

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Drivers in vehicles built to move low and slow cruised Saturday down San Francisco’s Mission Street in celebration of one of the city’s most distinctive cultural traditions: lowriding. Music played as hundreds of customized cars bounced, tilted and otherwise made their way along the annual King of the Streets event, part […]

5 hours ago

Sound Sound...

South Sound

Jon Batiste Lights Up the Stage in Puyallup

Originally published on South Sound. Jon Batiste radiated joy at his Sept. 18 appearance at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup.

5 hours ago

Associated Press

Saudi Arabia confirms Yemen’s Houthi rebels tried to attack its capital with a ballistic missile

CAIRO (AP) — Saudi Arabia has confirmed that Yemen’s Houthi rebels tried to attack its capital with a ballistic missile. The statement late Saturday by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis came long after the morning attempt, which the coalition said was intercepted. It was the first attack targeting Riyadh since the escalation in fighting […]

6 hours ago

Associated Press

Michigan city defends itself against accusations of favoring Muslim holidays over other faiths

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — The city of Dearborn responded Saturday to a lawsuit accusing it of celebrating Muslim holidays and ignoring religious holidays of other faiths by blaming attacks against it on its diversity and “welcoming nature.” A statement from the Detroit suburb issued by a spokesperson came in response to a lawsuit on Thursday […]

7 hours ago

ml king shooting...

Tom Brock

Shots fired, vehicle crashed: 2 dead in south Seattle

Two people are dead following a shooting and car crash in south Seattle early Saturday morning.

8 hours ago

Two TV, movie recommendations that you should not miss