This and that - scattershot

[shapinglight]

A few more bits and pieces from the last few days. As you can see from my icon, I'm in a bit of a grumpy mood.

More behind cut, and there is mention of the end of Being Human season 3, if you're avoiding spoilers.



News from Japan is still appalling

There's a special place reserved in hell for the next lying toerag of a politician who says, "That's why we've always made it absolutely clear..." No you haven't, you lying bastard.

Over the weekend, M and I spent some time watching both the Daniel Craig James Bond movies. Have to admit, I love them. Okay, so they're still not very touchy/feely but I love the Bond/M relationship. Craig and Judi Dench play off each other so well. I also love that the jokiness is completely gone. Portraying a man with serious personality problems that make it very difficult for him to relate to women, or indeed anyone, and who kills people for a living? At least don't make a joke out of it. Only Joss Whedon can do that without causing major, major offence, and then not always successfully.

The best thing on TV by a long way at the moment is Friday Night Dinner. It's utterly and completely hilarious. I adore it. Anyone else watching, or am I the only one? I liked Episodes too. Did anyone else?

Speaking of TV, I've just deleted all but one of my Being Human icons. The more I think about it, the more I dislike what's happened to the show. Not saying the ending didn't fit the story as it was set up. It did. After what happened at the end of season 2, Mitchell's eventual fate was almost inevitable if the show wasn't to be a complete cop out. Not even saying it wasn't good. It was. There have been things I've really enjoyed in season 3, notably McNair and Tom and the awful suburban swinger vampires. But there's an awful lot of stuff I didn't like either. I blame season 2 myself. I hated all that overt religious stuff. Loathed it. And season 3 is, IMO, the consequence of its inclusion. It's sad.

And you know what else is sad? Because of the Buffy comic, I want what happens to Mitchell at the end of BH season 3 to happen to Angel. Except that instead of hugging him, I want Buffy to kick him in the balls before she kills him.

Haven't deleted my BtVS/AtS icons, though. At least the shows didn't disappoint me, only a stupid comic based on them.

Comments

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Blimey, you are in a bad, aren't you! *g*

[shapinglight]

About BH? Yes. The more I think about it, the more I dislike it.

As for politicians, I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like throwing things at the telly and screaming whenever one trots out that irritating phrase.

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

What was It applied to this time?

[shapinglight]

The NHS 'reforms'. But they say it all the time about pretty much everything, especially when what they originally said was anything but clear, or if they're trying to put a spin on something particularly horrendous.

Transparency, my arse!

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

What are the bastards trying to do now then?

[shapinglight]

What they've been doing all along, while pretending they're not doing it.

[quinara]

I still haven't seen the end of BH - I'm not sure how widely I mentioned this, but the episode where Nina was proved to be pregnant kind of repulsed me and I've been turned off ever since, though I have been popping in and out. At some point I really hit my threshold of soaring strings and angsty monologues - and the impression I get of the finale is that it'll just be that to the power of ten. I still respect the show - and I loved the parallelism of McNair and Herrick in the episode before this week's (where seeing a werewolf change sets them on a path of killing; I think cycles like that are interesting) - but it hasn't been aiming itself at me for a while.

I'm a big fan of Daniel Craig's James Bond, though it's all relative, I suppose, because I'm not a big Bond fan. Basically I mean that I really like Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace was OK, but it was one of those films where (to me) it felt like the subplot-that-gets-things-going was the whole plot, rather than resolving into the actual story. True Grit does the same. And Bring It On 2.

[shapinglight]

I'm not sure how widely I mentioned this, but the episode where Nina was proved to be pregnant kind of repulsed me and I've been turned off ever since,

I'm not sure you've mentioned it at all, but learning you felt that way doesn't surprise me. It does seem very cliched (though I know that's not why you don't like it). There was interesting stuff, though, and McNair was right at the heart of that. The eps with him in were definitely the best.

I'm a big fan of Daniel Craig's James Bond, though it's all relative, I suppose, because I'm not a big Bond fan

Same here. I hate all the old Bond movies. Unlike you, though, I love Quantum of Solace. It's got wonderful Bond/M stuff in it, and I really like the lead female character and most of all that she doesn't have sex with Bond. I love the sequel-yness of it. You couldn't understand it without seeing Casino Royale.

[quinara]

I think I mentioned it on Gill's review, but after that I didn't want to harsh anyone's squee, because I wasn't overly invested as it was, so it didn't bother me too much. I'm not sure I had enough time to warm to McNair, but he was definitely miles better than the set up last series (though conversely I was quite liking that and all the hints I saw that wotsername (Lucy?) was actually going to go with a message of forgiveness and try and make things work - up until the point she decided to just listen to everything the Demon Headmaster said).

You make good points in favour of QoS. :D I did like that it led on from the previous film, and that Bond didn't have sex with the lead - I suppose it felt to me like the second of a trilogy or something? (Are they making another at any point?)

[shapinglight]

I'm not sure I had enough time to warm to McNair, but he was definitely miles better than the set up last series (though conversely I was quite liking that and all the hints I saw that wotsername (Lucy?) was actually going to go with a message of forgiveness and try and make things work - up until the point she decided to just listen to everything the Demon Headmaster said).

I could have coped with the Demon Headmaster better, I think, if he'd been as completely and utterly useless as he first appeared. When he exorcised Annie for the second time and it worked, I just hated it.

Another Daniel Craig Bond film is in the works. It got majorly delayed because whichever film company makes the Bond films went bust. But they have it sorted now, I believe. I don't know if it'll be the third part of a triology. QoS seemed to finish off that storyline.

What brought on the Bond watching, btw, was Craig and Dame Judi doing that thing they did for International Women's Day. I just loved that they were both in character as Bond and M.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

To make yourself feel better about your politicians, quotes from one of our *cough* 'prominent' *cough* politicians (that isn't even Sarah Palin):

- (In a speech in New Hampshire)“You’re the state where the shot was heard ‘round the world at Lexington and Concord,” (Except both those cities are in Massachusetts-- still are and always have been -- and every fourth grader is taught this. It was kind of a big deal in the Revolution).

- The "Founding fathers worked tirelessly to end slavery, and they did" (erm...several of the founding fathers owned slaves and didn't even release them in their wills. And each and every one of the founding fathers was looong dead by the time of the Civil War... which was when the slaves were freed... by President Lincoln *cough*wasn't-a-founding-father*cough*).

- The United States might "move off the dollar" onto a "global currency." (What currency would that be?)

- The "Hoot-Smalley Tariff" caused the Great Depression (No such tariff has ever existed).

- Even today some towns here in the U.S. are being ruled by Sharia law. (What towns would those be?!)

- There are "hundreds and hundreds of scientists, many of them holding Nobel Prizes, who believe in intelligent design."


...and this person is seriously considering running for President. (I kid you not).

Feel better now?

[shapinglight]

Hmm, I'm not sure. I might feel worse actually, seeing as your politicians sort of become our politicians too because of the US's place in the world.

We're all doomed.

[2maggie2.livejournal.com]

It's just a matter of time before civilization totally melts down!

I haven't watched Being Human so I can't comment. Though I'm sorry to hear it hasn't held up. Everyone was so excited at the first series. I still plan on watching though. I think.

[shapinglight]

You may feel differently about it to me, Maggie. Like I said, I can see why it ended the way it did, I just didn't like it that the story went that way. It didn't have to, but the events of season 2 made it sort of inevitable.

[ex_peasant441]

I love the normal James Bonds (was brought up watching them as a bit of fun with my dad and sis) and I also love the Daniel Craig ones, but they are very much not in the same box in my mind. Casino Royale is one of my all time favourite films. QoS was nothing like as good because of some tiresome technical issues, but it has its points.

Did you see that thing in drag that Craig and Dench did the other day?

[shapinglight]

Tiresome technical issues?

I adored QoS. I like it more than Casino Royale - and it was the drag thing that made me want to watch them again. I love that Craig and Dame Judi were in character as Bond and M.

[ex_peasant441]

Admittedly this comment would make more sense if I could remember what the technical issues were. I think I found the directing a bit weird - too much close up and bad pacing in the chase scenes or something. It may not even have been that, but something along those lines. I also seem to recall I wasn't convinced by the plot and was confused because I couldn't remember vital details from Casino Royale, which is bad writing if you have to recall the previous film that well to enjoy this one.

[shapinglight]

Well, I first saw QoS very soon after watching Casino Royale for the first time, and it was very sequel-y. But I didn't find that a weakness. I liked that the story had emotional continuity.

Also, I thought the plot was pretty convincing, in a batty, global conspiracy theory of the rich, powerful and amoral way.

[green-maia.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen Being Human, and I'm not sure if I should or not. I don't like it when shows do overt religious stuff, and I have major issues with hell-and-damnation stuff, so...

[shapinglight]

If that's the case, you could try season 1 and then pretend to yourself that seasons 2&3 don't exist.

[sarian71]

"And you know what else is sad? Because of the Buffy comic, I want what happens to Mitchell at the end of BH season 3 to happen to Angel. Except that instead of hugging him, I want Buffy to kick him in the balls before she kills him."

Well, sad or not, but even the thought of that happening is highly appealing and oddly satisfying to me. One can only hope...

As for Being Human, the bittersweet ending felt exactly right to me. So much so, that I think they shouldn't have made the decision to continue making this series. The story's been told, all that needed to be said, has been said. Why drag this out any longer than necessary?

[shapinglight]

Well, sad or not, but even the thought of that happening is highly appealing and oddly satisfying to me. One can only hope...

Ah, it won't happen. Joss and Dark Horse haven't the least clue how badly season 8 trashed Angel. At least Toby Whithouse is clear eyed on that score.

Like you, I think BH should end here. At the moment, I'm really not interested in more.