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trevorrymell
Reviews
Silo (2023)
Don't bother unless you've nothing else to watch
This review is based on the first 8 episodes. Good production, good graphics and FX etc as well as some solid acting from seasoned actors (apart from a wooden performance by Common). On the other hand, some very unconvincing science: high pressure steam making a containment hatch glow red hot? A steam turbine running with it's casing completely open? This is certainly not the first Sci-Fi show to take completely unnecessary liberties with real, everyday science and engineering but it is unsatisfying and distracting IMHO and a bit of an insult to the audience's intelligence. Perhaps most viewers won't notice or care.
As for the central plot, this seems basically a mash-up of "The Island" (2005) and George Orwell's "1984" with a garnish of "Farenheight 451" thrown in. I'll continue with the series but now I'm looking out for the science faux-pas as much as the plot development.
Penny Dreadful: Night Work (2014)
Quartz watch inexcusable.
"Goofs 00:8:21.00: Close-up on Ethan Chandler's cheap battery-powered pocket watch, whose brand name "Jean Jacot" was first registered in 2015 and belongs to a German company offering advertising gifts. The watch's quartz movement is obvious even to the layman on account of its jumping seconds hand. This watch could not have existed in 1891."
I noticed the quartz movement too. OK, OK it's a trivial detail but even so I'm shocked that the producers couldn't be bothered to rent or buy a timepiece of the period. This seems inexcusable when you consider the money they spent on period costumes, set design and special effects. How much would it have cost? I can't believe this was just a a mistake when the direction called for a such a tight closeup of it. I know that there are always nerds who can point out historical inaccuracies with costumes, military insignia, weaponry and what have you. Those require a certain amount of study and specialized knowledge. But c'mon, everybody knows what a quartz watch movement looks like even if they don't recognize the modern maker's name. It's insulting in an otherwise quality production to think that the director assumed the audience would be too dumb to notice.