TeeVee

Jun. 30th, 2013 08:24 pm
meganbmoore: (batb: partners)
Agatha Christie's Marple 6.1: "A Caribbean Mystery": Pretty good adaptation overall. Once I got used to the extreme liberties this series takes (my favorite in this one when it jut randomly introduces Ian Fleming in a bit role), it became pretty near and dear to me. I am a bit confused, though, as Nemesis, whose plot is largely dependent on the death of a character in a Caribbean Mystery, was adapted in an earlier episode of the series, back in the Geraldine McEwan days, and I'm pretty sure the McEwan and McKenzie episodes are still considered part of the same series. Oh well. On a superficial note, it took me about 20 minutes to realize that Charity Wakefield was playing Molly, as blonde hair makes her look very very different.

Agatha Christie's Marple 6.2 "Greenshaw's Folly": If I've read the short story this is based on, it's been changed enough that I don't recognize it. That said, aside from a few "No! Stop traumatizing the abused little boy!" moments, I liked this one a lot. Fiona Shaw! Julia Swalhala! Julia McKenzie! Judy Parfitt! And...other perfectly fine actors and actresses. The mysteries and twists were rather standard for Christie (and, admittedly, I shudder a bit to think of how many adaptations of her stuff I've watched at this point), but but I thought they worked well anyway.

Agatha Christie's Poirot 13.1 "Elephants Can Remember": I haven't read the book this is based on (I haven't read many Poirot books, actually. Much as I love him when it's David Suchet, he aggravates me in the books) and so can't comment on it as an adaptation, but I liked this a lot, and especially enjoyed all the gothic tropes, and found myself almost rooting for the killer due to motivations.

Beauty and the Beast 1.21-1.22: My childhood memories are vague, but i'm pretty sure elements of the last scene were genderswapped versions of the season 2 finale of the 80s series.

spoilers )

Bomb Girls 2.7-2.12: GUYS. Rose O'Donnell guested as a character named Dottie. If you don't know why it made me figuratively bounce around with joy to have Rosie O'Donnell play a character named Dottie in a show about women taking on men's jobs during wartime, then either you haven't seen A League of Their Own, or it's been too long since you've watched it. Either way, it should be corrected.

Also, the series is cancelled, which is tragic beyond words.

spoilers )
Continuum 2.5-2.8:

spoilers )
Revolution
1.19-1.20: I rarely deliberately spoil myself before watching things, but I'm glad I did this time.

spoilers )
I watched a little bit of the first episode of The White Queen, based on the Philippa Gregory novel, but didn't care for it. A pity, as I'd really been anticipating it. I also watched season 4 of Community. I didn't dislike it the way a lot seem to, though maybe that's because I"d heard that it was really bad, and so had lowered expectations? But while a lot of it felt off and sometimes characters felt like regressing (and they went even further with "Britta's a dumb blonde" than last season, which is saying something, and not something good), I'm pretty sure this is also the first time Troy and Shirley have had a plot for just the two of them, and there seemed to be more scenes of Annie, Britta and Shirley interacting than I remember there being in the second and third seasons.

and sundry

Jun. 17th, 2013 04:56 pm
meganbmoore: (arang: boat)
1. Thanks to the wonders of kindle and the internet, I've acquired a decent selection of wuxia novels to try out (a couple of these aren't actually wuxia, but I'm including them anyway):

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7


What should be my first wuxia novel?

View Answers

Legend of the White-Haired Demoness
3 (42.9%)

Legend of the Condor Heroes
0 (0.0%)

Return of the Condor Heroes
0 (0.0%)

A Deadly Secret
0 (0.0%)

Ode to Gallantry
0 (0.0%)

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
1 (14.3%)

The Book & The Sword
0 (0.0%)

Journey to the West
3 (42.9%)

The Legendary Siblings
0 (0.0%)



(My personal inclinations are Legend of the White-Haired Demoness and Legend of the Condor Heroes, but I bow to the advice of people who have actually read wuxia novels before.)

If you know of a wuxia novel that's available in English (either through licensed translations or fan translations with working links) that you'd think I'd like but don't have listed, please feel free to rec them.

2.I'm very behind on kdramas and do terribly at trying to watch airing dramas (when I try to, I manage to stay roughly on top of things until around episode 10, and then I flake and wait until it's done. Since I don't even do a good job of keeping up with shows I can watch as soon as they air and son't have to wait for subtitles for, this shouldn't surprise anyone) but I think I'm going to try to follow Sword and Flower as it airs. It's about a princess who sets out to get revenge on the military dictator who killed her father and then inconveniently falls in love with his son. Not sure how long it's is, but hopefully they'll keep it in the 16-20 episode range, as I think that's about as far as they could stretch that premise. trailer:



3. This isn't brand new news, but The Bletchley Circle has been picked up for a second season. Based on wikipedia, it'll be 4 episodes and they're adding Hattie Morahan to the main cast though hopefully not at the expense of the existing female leads.) Also, new episodes of Poirot and Marple have aired in the UK, though I haven't watched them yet.

4. I am very behind on TV in general and not doing a good job of applying myself when when it comes to fixing that (and am managing to fall even further behind despite several of the shows being on hiatus) but I have now watched all of the first 3 seasons on Community and Pretty Little Liars and have almost finished season 2 of The Good Wife, and while I'm overwhelmed at the idea of trying to write up my thoughts on them, please feel free to ask for my thoughts on anything up to those points. (Aside: only ask about paintball in Community if you want squealing and handflapping, and I don't recommend asking about Toby or Ezra in Pretty Little Liars if you like hearing positive things about them.) I've also almost finished Fox Volant of Snowy Mountain, and it's pretty solid and I've been enjoying it well enough, but it's not overly engaging and I have no strong thoughts or feelings on it or most of the characters.

5. So, I haven't watched The Fall and don't really intend to, but I am curious about opinions of those who have on this article (unsurprisingly by a dude) which argues that The Fall is feminist, effectively, for not glorifying the serial killer who kills women and for having the female lead tell him he's nothing but a pathetic misogynist. Mind you, this is my reading from the article, and you and I may watch it and come out with VERY readings, but apparently, the bare basics of awareness is what we aspire to now? The article: http://www.salon.com/2013/06/16/can_a_show_about_murdering_women_actually_be_feminist/singleton/

Note: I didn't look at them just now in bringing up the link, but based on what was there this morning I do not recommend reading the comments, as they were very faily and triggery and several commenters were trying to make the focus all about violence against men. (Which I do think theere's issues with violence against men in the media and how it's "ok" for women to hit men because they're physically weaker, as seems to be Hollywood's reasoning, but I don't think that comes anywhere close to the media's issues with violence against women, or the portrayal of women's corpses in many things.)
meganbmoore: (borgias: giulia/vannozza)
1.  Someone remind me why Sherlock had evidence taped up all over the bathroom in ep 9 of Elementary.  I was looking at caps of the episode the other days and for the life of me, I cannot remember why he did that.

2.  I have discovered the existence of a romance novel called The Roman's Virgin Mistress.  The description actually describes the 1st century Roman as a playboy.  I am not making this up.  I am considering attempting to read it, but i don't know if my ability to force myself to deliberately read what appears to be awful fiction (and for all I know, it's a great book with terrible presentation by the publisher) just to point at the awfulness.

3.  Apparently both Caleb and Jason's actors are leaving Pretty Little Liars for other shows.  NOES THEY ARE THE ONLY MAJOR MALE CHARACTERS ON THE SHOW WHO I ACTUALLY LIKE.  (Though I'm only about 1/3 through season 3, it could change.)  Take Toby and Lucas and Garrett instead.

4.    I'm almost definitely using airmiles to stay until Wednesday at Wiscon, and so still in the market for roommates for the extra day if anyone else is staying longer.  (Also, any locals want to recommend things for me to do downtown Tuesday afternoon and Monday morning?)

5.  I've started watching Community and am almost through with the first season and enjoy it (though I like pretty much everyone but Pierce more than I like Jeff.  I kind of wish there were no Pierce.) even though it gives me secondhand embarrassment at times, and the "we know this is faily but you know that we know and don't think you should approve so it's ok" doesn't  work for me a lot of the time.

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