Warrior

[Drunk Monk]

Dammit.  Am I gonna have to get cinemax for this?

[Greg]

I've always felt that what you really need is another premium streaming service.

[Drunk Monk]

I've always felt that what you really need is another premium streaming service.

[Greg]

Cinemax is having a free preview this week. I've been recording the episodes. You probably can, too.

[Drunk Monk]

That seems like a lot of trouble for something they should just give me.  If it's not on presented a silver platter, I don't want it.

[cranefly]

If it's not on presented a silver platter, I don't want it.

And with gold sprinkled on top.

[Greg]

First world problems.

And yes, you should have it handed to you on a silver platter.

[Drunk Monk]

And yes, you should have it handed to you on a silver platter.

And sprinkled with gold. Don’t forget the gold sprinkles.

[Greg]

Sprinkles are bad for Diabetics.

So, I saw it.

Yeah.

It's not horrible. It's great. It's very much a TV show. It doesn't have the deep rich patina that movies have. There was something very clean about the production design. I never got the grit and the mud of turn of the century San Francisco.

It's very soapy. Everybody has a secret. Everybody has an angle. Everybody sleeps with everybody else. And it's also Skinemax! Lots of nudity and sex. And many of the times it's just so they can have nudity.

The story is as old as time. Ah Sahm (The Bruce Lee Character) arrives on an immigrant ship from China in San Francisco. He's on the quest to find his sister and return her to China. The locals all hate the Chinese immigrants and want them to go home. Ah Sahm gets brought into one of the Tong's after he beats up the immigration police at the dock. Then we introduce the rest of the factions in the city. There is the corrupt mayor. His corrupt wife. We meet the two rival Chinese Gang Lords. We meet the corrupt Cops and the corrupt union bosses. There are plenty of fight scenes. Ah Sahm might have some skills but he's not Bruce Lee. I do like the fights. Basic and brutal. No wire work.

I've got one more on the DVR. I'll see if that strikes my fancy. Then I'll wait for the next cinemax free preview to see the rest. Or not.

[Drunk Monk]

Sprinkles are bad for Diabetics.

i'm a sad panda.

I think the only reason you don't hate it is because you can watch it and I am not watching it, when I really should. 

[Greg]

Yep. It's like you lose a little street cred when I see a Bruce Lee project before you. Even Emilio has watched it. Are they going to kick you out of the Wulin?

[Drunk Monk]

No silver platter

No gold sprinkles

Not even a hug from Gina Carano or Emily Beecham

What's in it for me exactly?

[Greg]

It's Bruuuuuuuuuuce! The leader of the Kung Fu Action stars pantheon. Ah sam even wears the iconic black outfit with the white sleeves.

To quote REO Speedwagon from Riding the Storm Out: I ain't missing a thing.

[Drunk Monk]

Woah. Corrupt Irish cops face off against Chinese Tong men.  This totally describes how Greg and I would relate if it was the 19 century.

Emilio hadn't watched it yet but he found a free link on sitonmyfacebook - https://www.facebook.com/cinemax/videos/...1421369897 - He may be watching it right now.  

Much as we predicted (by we, I mean me and Daniel Wu - off the record) it's full of Chinatown stereotypes - I guess my heritage is all peasants, tong men and whores.  The martial arts is mediocre and that Tai Chi at the end is just winceable.  Glad Greg tipped me off on the skinemax bit. Amused to see nekkid Olivia Cheng again (she was much better nekkid in Marco Polo) I found it oddly derivative of Badlands with its music and opening credits, some echoes of style, except this was all muddy colors and stereotypes and Badlands was super colorful and diverse without its diversity being any issue at all.  I'll tune back in to Warrior for the inevitable chase scene through the lion dance because what show based in Chinatown doesn't have that? I'm annoyed that this already is greenlit for Season 2 while Badlands is cancelled and Man at Arms is in limbo.

[Greg]

Was I going to be the Tong guy?

I rushed over here when I saw the news that this was already renewed for Season 2 with shaker of salt for your wounds. But I see you've already done your application.