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Only Murders In The Building (Steve Martin & Martin Short series)

Started by up_the_hampipe, August 31, 2021, 10:44:15 AM

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up_the_hampipe

Out on Hulu today (but I'm sure you'll be able to find it elsewhere), a new comedy series about 3 true crime obsessives who investigate a murder in their apartment building. Looks gently amusing, trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V1rQdXXXyI

Always enjoyable to watch Steve Martin and Martin Short together. Reviews are saying they have great chemistry with Selena Gomez, though that doesn't seem very apparent from the trailer. U going 2 watch?


letsgobrian

Enjoyed the first couple of episodes they have on Disney Plus. The scripts feel like they front load the comedy and then it moves to the background as the drama rises. I like the brief uses of animation so far too.

After enduring a rewatch of season 6 of 30 Rock, I may have just been relieved to watch a more grounded NY-set comedy.

TheMonk

It's lovely that this exists. I miss Steve Martin on screen.
Saw them live together pre-Covid and it was like a warm pair of slippers.

up_the_hampipe

Quote from: TheMonk on September 01, 2021, 01:37:26 PM
It's lovely that this exists. I miss Steve Martin on screen.
Saw them live together pre-Covid and it was like a warm pair of slippers.

Was that in Ireland? I was supposed to see them at the Royal Albert Hall, but that was right when everything shut down. They rescheduled it to later this year then suddenly cancelled it entirely. I was gutted, but then I got a refund for the excessive ticket prices and felt a little better.

up_the_hampipe

Really enjoyed the first three episodes. Not sure about Selena Gomez's performance yet, but the Martin's are enjoyable as ever and it's an intriguing enough mystery.

Timothy

This is absolutely fantastic. All three characters are great and so far it indeed is really intriguing.

Does anyone have an idea when episode 3 will go up on Disney Plus?

letsgobrian

Quote from: Timothy on September 04, 2021, 01:03:49 PM
This is absolutely fantastic. All three characters are great and so far it indeed is really intriguing.

Does anyone have an idea when episode 3 will go up on Disney Plus?

Tuesday I believe.

Ham Bap

Quote from: up_the_hampipe on September 01, 2021, 01:55:54 PM
Was that in Ireland? I was supposed to see them at the Royal Albert Hall, but that was right when everything shut down. They rescheduled it to later this year then suddenly cancelled it entirely. I was gutted, but then I got a refund for the excessive ticket prices and felt a little better.

I was meant to go see them in Belfast last March, the 12th, they cancelled 6 hours before the show was meant to start and flew back to the US.
Probably the correct decision but *weep*.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I thought the first two episodes were amiable enough, but nothing amazing. A few chuckles here and there, mostly thanks to Short. Maybe the sunny weather has me in a better mood, but I thought it really jumped up a notch in episode three. Some proper belly laughs, particularly the
Spoiler alert
cat in the freezer bit
[close]
.

It's really nice to see (Steve) Martin doing something good again. Despite a few attempts he never seemed to quite manage the transition into drama like Tom Hanks or Bill Murray did.

up_the_hampipe

Great episode this week. Cleverly done and lots of juicy plot forwarding. Last couple of episodes had been fairly plodding so it's nice to be on the home stretch.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Has anyone been keeping up with this? I just watched the season finale last night. The killer's actions once they were unmasked seemed a bit of a drastic gear change, but overall it was a thoroughly enjoyable series. Steve Martin in the lift was utterly hysterical. Also, Jane Lynch in the penultimate episode as
Spoiler alert
Charles' stunt double
[close]
was as great as ever.

The silent episode was still good, but I get the feeling it'll wind up overrated compared to the rest, simply because its standout quality is so easy to identify. It seems to happen with any episode that breaks with a show's formula in some way. It's no better than any other episode in the series, but their merits are harder to define.

colacentral

Easy to say in hindsight, but I thought the killer was obvious right from their introduction.

I like the show a lot but I like it more when it leans more heavily into the comedy rather than the drama, but then I think that most "dramedy" fails to blend the two with any success (as in a comedy with heavy drama elements, as opposed to a drama with funny bits). For that reason, I didn't much get on with much of Selena Gomez's stuff, or the romance, or Martin Short asking for money in the first episode, etc. I kind of just wanted those bits to end so we could get on with the fun stuff, eg the stunt double thing mentioned above. I hope a second season brings more of those elements out, which I think they will if the intention is to have the rival podcast come into it more.

For that reason, I think my favorite episode was the one with them interviewing Sting. Martin Short bursting into Steve Martin's apartment with the roast turkey was my biggest laugh of the whole series, and Martin Short in general was the clear standout.

phantom_power

I really enjoyed the series as a whole, good gentle fun. And Sazz Pataki (sp?) is the best name I have heard in ages

up_the_hampipe

I loved the finale. It was a really great series, perfect cast. I do agree with colacentral that some of the subplots weren't that interesting. Also hoping for a more comedic second season, with stuff leaning towards the whole brilliant lift sequence in the finale.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I thought it mixed the drama and comedy well. For all the laughs, the murder mystery never felt undermined and the cliffhangers were proper edge of the seat stuff. It wasn't the kind of dramedy that is actually just an unfunny comedy. Nathan Lane was surprisingly effective at doling out threats.

up_the_hampipe

Yes, Nathan Lane was brilliant. If anyone should get an award for this series, it should probably be him. He's someone I'd never have thought could be intimidating.

neveragain

The silent episode wasn't that ingeniously constructed really (apart from the sound design), it was just normal dialogue but in subtitles. Not enough physical comedy either. But I did love the scene with Nathan Lane trying to sing to his son.

phantom_power

I thought the mystery worked pretty well, and I only suspected Jan as a possible suspect along with a few others. They did a good job of sewing some seeds of the real killer while also giving others a realistic motive and method for committing the murders. The only slight bum note was how the people at the end seemed to all believe that they were killers despite everything that had happened but I imagine that will be dealt with quite quickly into season 2

Jack Shaftoe

Loved that we finally got some proper Steve Martin physical comedy in that last episode, and the soundtrack choice did tip it into something properly transcendent.

Ant Farm Keyboard

There was some physical comedy with the frozen cat in the freezer, but his turn in the last episode reminded me of Ruprecht from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels... which is a great thing.

The Ombudsman

Second season now showing. I'm up to ep. 5. Enjoying it so far and very pleased this exists.

Jack Shaftoe

First ep of S2 left me a bit worried (I can't bear Amy Schumer), but it soon picks up again and goes to some interesting places. Love how unafraid it is to go off on complete tangents and make lots of weird stylistic choices.

Hobo With A Shit Pun

The only series I can think of where I burst out laughing at seeing the episode title. ("The Sting")

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I have no particular opinion of Schumer, but having a comedian pop up as themselves is inherently less funny to me than seemingly humourless Sting.

This is probably my favourite telly programme of the past year. I'm not fussed about trying to solve the mystery, I'm just enjoying seeing it all unfold. Shamelessly manipulative as it might have been, the episode with Bunny really made me feel for her. I also nearly shed a tear at Charles having a heart to heart with his ex-stepdaughter. Also, it's really funny when it wants to be.

Quote from: Hobo With A Shit Pun on July 21, 2022, 12:16:29 PMThe only series I can think of where I burst out laughing at seeing the episode title. ("The Sting")
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia often wrings a laugh from episode titles, usually by juxtaposing it with whatever the gang were talking about just before.

up_the_hampipe

The reveal at the end of ep 5 was quite devastating. Also troubling to see
Spoiler alert
Charles getting close to Jan again.
[close]

This is actually quite a dark season so far.  Martin Short continues to be a goldmine in every episode though. Relentlessly funny.

The Ombudsman

Quote from: up_the_hampipe on July 21, 2022, 12:36:59 PMThis is actually quite a dark season so far.  Martin Short continues to be a goldmine in every episode though. Relentlessly funny.

It is a dark one for sure and I too felt the end of ep. 5 was a real shocker.

For me, Martin Short is so underrated. He carries the show for me. The others are great don't get me wrong, but his character/acting is just perfect in this.

I too was bummed by Schumers appearance. As much as I was surprised by that of Cara Delevingne. Do you think they saw a large number of UK viewers and decided to slip in a Brit?

up_the_hampipe

Anyone seen the finale then? Great ending I thought, some well executed twists and plenty of good lines. I liked the set-up for season 3, a show like this can get away with being overly contrived while still engaging.

Only criticism is
Spoiler alert
Cara Delevingne looks to be sticking around. They're going to have to do a lot to make her likeable if she's not an antagonist after all, especially since they just did away with Oscar so mysteriously.
[close]

sevendaughters


mjwilson

Quote from: up_the_hampipe on August 23, 2022, 08:09:36 PMAnyone seen the finale then? Great ending I thought, some well executed twists and plenty of good lines. I liked the set-up for season 3, a show like this can get away with being overly contrived while still engaging.

I can imagine that if you were really committed to trying to work out the answer, the number of twists might be a bit annoying. (I had my money on
Spoiler alert
Delevingne
[close]
as the murderer but I wasn't especially invested.)