Watched "Sprung" on Prime Video/FreeVee this summer. It was made by the same creator as "My Name is Earl" and "Raising Hope", and has similar sensibilities -- if you liked them, I think you'll like this. The stars include Garrett Dillahunt and Martha Plympton, who were the parents on Raising Hope.
It takes place at the beginning of the pandemic, and a bunch of non-violent prisoners are released from a prison because of it. Dillahunt plays a guy who was sentenced for a low-level drug offense. He, his cellmate, and his in-prison girlfriend (a con artist convicted for identity theft) go to live with his cellmate's mother (Plympton). Dillahunt wants to go straight, but he can't get any legitimate work, so they have to commit crimes to make money; but since he wants to be good, he'll only steal against bad people (you can see the shadow of MNiE's premise of redemption). The running story is about them trying to pull a big heist against a corrupt politician who's making a killing with insider trading in a vaccine manufacturer.
What's most interesting is that all the characters seem like stereotypes at first, but except for the politician they all have more sides to them.
It's only 10 30-minute episodes, but he packed lots of character building and plot into it.
The Official BBO Netflix Movie/Show Referral Thread Hint: I did not like Mad Men
#102
Posted 2022-September-19, 10:17
barmar, on 2022-September-18, 23:02, said:
Watched "Sprung" on Prime Video/FreeVee this summer. It was made by the same creator as "My Name is Earl" and "Raising Hope", and has similar sensibilities -- if you liked them, I think you'll like this. The stars include Garrett Dillahunt and Martha Plympton, who were the parents on Raising Hope.
It takes place at the beginning of the pandemic, and a bunch of non-violent prisoners are released from a prison because of it. Dillahunt plays a guy who was sentenced for a low-level drug offense. He, his cellmate, and his in-prison girlfriend (a con artist convicted for identity theft) go to live with his cellmate's mother (Plympton). Dillahunt wants to go straight, but he can't get any legitimate work, so they have to commit crimes to make money; but since he wants to be good, he'll only steal against bad people (you can see the shadow of MNiE's premise of redemption). The running story is about them trying to pull a big heist against a corrupt politician who's making a killing with insider trading in a vaccine manufacturer.
What's most interesting is that all the characters seem like stereotypes at first, but except for the politician they all have more sides to them.
It's only 10 30-minute episodes, but he packed lots of character building and plot into it.
It takes place at the beginning of the pandemic, and a bunch of non-violent prisoners are released from a prison because of it. Dillahunt plays a guy who was sentenced for a low-level drug offense. He, his cellmate, and his in-prison girlfriend (a con artist convicted for identity theft) go to live with his cellmate's mother (Plympton). Dillahunt wants to go straight, but he can't get any legitimate work, so they have to commit crimes to make money; but since he wants to be good, he'll only steal against bad people (you can see the shadow of MNiE's premise of redemption). The running story is about them trying to pull a big heist against a corrupt politician who's making a killing with insider trading in a vaccine manufacturer.
What's most interesting is that all the characters seem like stereotypes at first, but except for the politician they all have more sides to them.
It's only 10 30-minute episodes, but he packed lots of character building and plot into it.
Thank you for this-have been looking on prime but didnt know what to pick.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
#103
Posted 2022-October-31, 15:30
I'm finally getting around to watching the Ken Burns documentary, The US and the Holocaust, Link to PBS page.
Like all the Ken Burns documentaries I have watched, this was excellent. Unlike most Ken Burns documentaries I have watched, this was difficult to watch because of the subject matter and the ugly glare from shining a light on a very dark period in America.
The similarities between pre-WWII America and today are unsettling. There was a cult like racist and Nazi wannabe celebrity Charles Lindbergh, there was rampant antisemitism and racism on a wide scale that was displayed openly and proudly. Once large numbers of Jews from Nazi occupied or adjacent countries tried to immigrate to the US for obvious reasons, large numbers of Americans were opposed to immigration, and antisemites that controlled US immigration did everything they could to decrease immigration numbers. There was the original America First organization which was coopted by antisemites like Lindbergh.
Whatever I thought I knew about that time was clearly an overestimation, as there were many facts and details that Burns covers that were important enough that I think I should have known, but didn't.
Like all the Ken Burns documentaries I have watched, this was excellent. Unlike most Ken Burns documentaries I have watched, this was difficult to watch because of the subject matter and the ugly glare from shining a light on a very dark period in America.
The similarities between pre-WWII America and today are unsettling. There was a cult like racist and Nazi wannabe celebrity Charles Lindbergh, there was rampant antisemitism and racism on a wide scale that was displayed openly and proudly. Once large numbers of Jews from Nazi occupied or adjacent countries tried to immigrate to the US for obvious reasons, large numbers of Americans were opposed to immigration, and antisemites that controlled US immigration did everything they could to decrease immigration numbers. There was the original America First organization which was coopted by antisemites like Lindbergh.
Whatever I thought I knew about that time was clearly an overestimation, as there were many facts and details that Burns covers that were important enough that I think I should have known, but didn't.
#104
Posted 2022-October-31, 16:21
johnu, on 2022-October-31, 15:30, said:
I'm finally getting around to watching the Ken Burns documentary, The US and the Holocaust, Link to PBS page.
Like all the Ken Burns documentaries I have watched, this was excellent. Unlike most Ken Burns documentaries I have watched, this was difficult to watch because of the subject matter and the ugly glare from shining a light on a very dark period in America.
The similarities between pre-WWII America and today are unsettling. There was a cult like racist and Nazi wannabe celebrity Charles Lindbergh, there was rampant antisemitism and racism on a wide scale that was displayed openly and proudly. Once large numbers of Jews from Nazi occupied or adjacent countries tried to immigrate to the US for obvious reasons, large numbers of Americans were opposed to immigration, and antisemites that controlled US immigration did everything they could to decrease immigration numbers. There was the original America First organization which was coopted by antisemites like Lindbergh.
Whatever I thought I knew about that time was clearly an overestimation, as there were many facts and details that Burns covers that were important enough that I think I should have known, but didn't.
Like all the Ken Burns documentaries I have watched, this was excellent. Unlike most Ken Burns documentaries I have watched, this was difficult to watch because of the subject matter and the ugly glare from shining a light on a very dark period in America.
The similarities between pre-WWII America and today are unsettling. There was a cult like racist and Nazi wannabe celebrity Charles Lindbergh, there was rampant antisemitism and racism on a wide scale that was displayed openly and proudly. Once large numbers of Jews from Nazi occupied or adjacent countries tried to immigrate to the US for obvious reasons, large numbers of Americans were opposed to immigration, and antisemites that controlled US immigration did everything they could to decrease immigration numbers. There was the original America First organization which was coopted by antisemites like Lindbergh.
Whatever I thought I knew about that time was clearly an overestimation, as there were many facts and details that Burns covers that were important enough that I think I should have known, but didn't.
I agree it was difficult mainly from my own ignorance of our US history - the history so many want silenced.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."