What I have been watching
Jan. 22nd, 2015 06:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shapinglightDunno why anyone would be interested, but what the hell. Better to post something, isn't it?
Anyway, what have I been watching? Well, not Agent Carter, for a start, as there was no new episode this week. Booh! Hope it's back next week?
I did watch the first episode of Wolf Hall last night, though.
Spoilers for that behind cut, plu-us mention of the second Hobbit movie (long version), and of BtVS season 1.
I loved Wolf Hall. Found it completely gripping from beginning to end, with perhaps the only false note for me being that I thought the actress playing Liz Cromwell was too young and pretty. But never mind, it was only a small thing, and the scene where Liz and the Cromwell girls die (their deaths are spread over two years in the book, but it obviously works better to smoosh them into one terrible tragedy) was quite heart-rending - mainly due to Mark Rylance being such a bloody good actor. In fact, the actors were all brilliant - wonderful cast, though I'm not quite sure so far of the performance of Claire Foy, who playes Anne Boleyn. In episode one, Anne came across to me as a rather ghastly Tudor version of someone from Made in Chelsea. It'll be interesting to see how she develops.
It all looked wonderful too.
Otherwise, I've now watched the long version of The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug, and am beginning to wonder if my critical faculty has given up the ghost completely. Because I enjoyed it - really, really enjoyed it. Enough to snag and upload a nice Thorin icon when I saw it over on Dreamwidth. Unlike in the first movie, where I thought the extra scenes in the long version actually detracted from it, in the second they really do add something. I especially appreciated getting the Beorn scene more like the one in the book, and the revelation of what happened to Thrain. Also, the dragon scenes are just really, really good. So there.
Finally, having access to Netflix is like having the best new toy in the world. For one thing, I can watch BtVS whenever I want, without having to go and root around in storage for my DVDs.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
quinara was saying she fancied doing a complete re-watch, and I'm up for that, but I'm afraid I've jumped the gun slightly and already watched Welcome to the Hellmouth and The Harvest. My opinion of the episodes hasn't changed much from when I watched them in 2008 (reviews here) but have to add firstly, that though I still find Xander annoying, I'm more inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt now and think that, okay, he comes across as whiny and self-absorbed in The Harvest when Buffy doesn't want him to come with her to rescue Jesse, but then again, he's a sixteen year old boy. Being whiny and self-absorbed is practically a given.
In other words, there are certain characters where I'm aware of rushing to judgement on them far too easily, and I'm going to try and not do it any more.
That said, early season 1 Angel actually annoys me more this time around than he did back in 2008. I can't help thinking that Joss was muttering to himself, "I do not want this character in my show! I do not want this character in my show!" when he was filming the first Buffy/Angel scene in WttH, and determined to make Angel as useful to Buffy as a bump on a log - which is about how useful he is in this two-parter. Not to mention his needless cryptic-ness (that is a word, so there!) is very irritating. Why can't he just tell Buffy what's going on? Is it some kind of test?
Highlight of both episodes IMO is the Buffy/Giles confrontation in the library in WttH, after the first dead body has turned up in the locker. Right from the start, SMG and ASH have their characters absolutely nailed and the chemistry between them is wonderful. And Buffy/Giles really is the make or break relationship in season 1. Yes, Xander and Willow are important, but Buffy and Giles and their father/daughter relationship are the centre around which this season of the show revolves.
That's how I felt anyway.
Anyway, what have I been watching? Well, not Agent Carter, for a start, as there was no new episode this week. Booh! Hope it's back next week?
I did watch the first episode of Wolf Hall last night, though.
Spoilers for that behind cut, plu-us mention of the second Hobbit movie (long version), and of BtVS season 1.
I loved Wolf Hall. Found it completely gripping from beginning to end, with perhaps the only false note for me being that I thought the actress playing Liz Cromwell was too young and pretty. But never mind, it was only a small thing, and the scene where Liz and the Cromwell girls die (their deaths are spread over two years in the book, but it obviously works better to smoosh them into one terrible tragedy) was quite heart-rending - mainly due to Mark Rylance being such a bloody good actor. In fact, the actors were all brilliant - wonderful cast, though I'm not quite sure so far of the performance of Claire Foy, who playes Anne Boleyn. In episode one, Anne came across to me as a rather ghastly Tudor version of someone from Made in Chelsea. It'll be interesting to see how she develops.
It all looked wonderful too.
Otherwise, I've now watched the long version of The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug, and am beginning to wonder if my critical faculty has given up the ghost completely. Because I enjoyed it - really, really enjoyed it. Enough to snag and upload a nice Thorin icon when I saw it over on Dreamwidth. Unlike in the first movie, where I thought the extra scenes in the long version actually detracted from it, in the second they really do add something. I especially appreciated getting the Beorn scene more like the one in the book, and the revelation of what happened to Thrain. Also, the dragon scenes are just really, really good. So there.
Finally, having access to Netflix is like having the best new toy in the world. For one thing, I can watch BtVS whenever I want, without having to go and root around in storage for my DVDs.
quinara was saying she fancied doing a complete re-watch, and I'm up for that, but I'm afraid I've jumped the gun slightly and already watched Welcome to the Hellmouth and The Harvest. My opinion of the episodes hasn't changed much from when I watched them in 2008 (reviews here) but have to add firstly, that though I still find Xander annoying, I'm more inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt now and think that, okay, he comes across as whiny and self-absorbed in The Harvest when Buffy doesn't want him to come with her to rescue Jesse, but then again, he's a sixteen year old boy. Being whiny and self-absorbed is practically a given. In other words, there are certain characters where I'm aware of rushing to judgement on them far too easily, and I'm going to try and not do it any more.
That said, early season 1 Angel actually annoys me more this time around than he did back in 2008. I can't help thinking that Joss was muttering to himself, "I do not want this character in my show! I do not want this character in my show!" when he was filming the first Buffy/Angel scene in WttH, and determined to make Angel as useful to Buffy as a bump on a log - which is about how useful he is in this two-parter. Not to mention his needless cryptic-ness (that is a word, so there!) is very irritating. Why can't he just tell Buffy what's going on? Is it some kind of test?
Highlight of both episodes IMO is the Buffy/Giles confrontation in the library in WttH, after the first dead body has turned up in the locker. Right from the start, SMG and ASH have their characters absolutely nailed and the chemistry between them is wonderful. And Buffy/Giles really is the make or break relationship in season 1. Yes, Xander and Willow are important, but Buffy and Giles and their father/daughter relationship are the centre around which this season of the show revolves.
That's how I felt anyway.
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no subject
Date: 2015-01-22 06:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-22 10:20 pm (UTC)I haven't actually re-watched BtVS the whole way through since it went off air. I've re-watched various seasons, but not the whole thing from start to finish. I've just never found the time.
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Date: 2015-01-22 06:19 pm (UTC)"laughs out loud"
The first episode I ever saw was School Hard and I kept thinking to myself - "That's her boyfriend? He doesn't answer why this Spike person is dangerous" and "He's killed a bunch of vampires outside the school, why isn't he going inside to see if she's ok". "What a crappy boyfriend!".
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Date: 2015-01-22 10:24 pm (UTC)It does make Angel look like a useless waste of space, though.
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Date: 2015-01-30 12:50 am (UTC)I recently saw an ad for Wolf Hall and so wanted to see what you thought.
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Date: 2015-01-30 04:44 pm (UTC)Mark Rylance as Cromwell is terrific, though.
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Date: 2015-01-22 06:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-22 10:27 pm (UTC)But then I always do.
I didn't dislike the portrayal of Anne. I think she'll be fine. Just for a moment, though, her manner struck me as anachronistic. The moment she started speaking French, it was okay, though.
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Date: 2015-01-22 07:38 pm (UTC)I think the worrying thing is that 2008 was closer to the end of the series (and indeed the end of S5) than we are to it.
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Date: 2015-01-22 10:29 pm (UTC)Sorry. I'm too impatient. ;) But as soon as you're ready let's do a rewatch.
I think the worrying thing is that 2008 was closer to the end of the series (and indeed the end of S5) than we are to it.
Yeah, I know! I just watched The Witch, and the cheerleader tryouts are for 1996! That'll be 20 years ago next year. Aargh!
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Date: 2015-01-22 08:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-22 10:31 pm (UTC)But that doesn't jive with what we saw in Becoming.
I think it's more like they didn't know what to do with the character and didn't want people guessing he was a vampire too soon.
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Date: 2015-01-22 08:31 pm (UTC)I haven't seen any on the long Hobbit films yet. I need to get onto that. I do love Smaug.
Let's all rewatch Buffy!
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Date: 2015-01-22 10:33 pm (UTC)Really? Not anything?
Let's all rewatch Buffy!
Yay!
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Date: 2015-01-22 08:47 pm (UTC)"I do not want this character in my show! I do not want this character in my show!" when he was filming the first Buffy/Angel scene in WttH,
He didn't direct until Prophecy Girl, though I do remember him saying they added some stuff for 1/2 when they were filming 12. Still...yeah. Definitely seems like was leaving the option to edit him out after the fact.
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Date: 2015-01-22 10:35 pm (UTC)I know he didn't envisage having a character like Angel in the cast (too Anne Rice) but had to go with it against his wishes. So probably at this stage no one was really sure quite what they were going to do with him. Plus, they wouldn't want him around too much in the first few episodes because they wanted him turning out to be a vampire to be a real surprise.
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Date: 2015-01-23 03:22 am (UTC)Oh, he wrote them, yeah.
I don't know. There have been so many conflicting stories, I sometimes wonder if having him be a vamp was a certainty at that point. They threw him and and made him vague enough to not be stuck one way or another until Angel.
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Date: 2015-01-24 05:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-24 06:12 pm (UTC)Individual writers don't make those decisions, but Greenwalt wrote that ep and Angel was always his baby as a character. So... maybe.
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Date: 2015-01-24 06:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-22 08:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-22 10:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-22 09:19 pm (UTC)That's a really good point and something it is easy to forget in all the shipping wars.
Which is not only needless and really annoying but makes absolutely no sense against his back story. Which back story presumably Joss had not even begun to plan at that stage, but it does annoy when watching with hindsight.
I have wondered about watching some Buffy again, but I never quite dare - it feels too loaded now. Glad you are enjoying it though.
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Date: 2015-01-22 10:39 pm (UTC)Really? Why? That's how he first appears in the book.
I must catch up with that programs about dangers lurking in the Tudor home. That looked interesting.
Which back story presumably Joss had not even begun to plan at that stage.
True, which of course is why he's so utterly useless until after his back story is revealed (though he doesn't really get that much more helpful afterwards).
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Date: 2015-01-22 11:02 pm (UTC)Netflix is great, isn't it? I managed to wear out all of my Buffy DVDs, so finding Buffy on Netflix was nice. This Thanksgiving I rewatched Pangs and Something Blue with a friend. I forgot how brilliant the show was, the characters, the dialogues - we enjoyed it so much.
I was never a fan of the pilot, but Buffy and Giles interactions were really good in it, true. 1st season starts picking up with Never Kill a Boy On the 1st Date and it finishes pretty strongly. If I tried to get someone to watch the show I'd probably start them with that episode or Angel, unless they're very motivated to watch the whole thing. :)
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Date: 2015-01-22 11:21 pm (UTC)I managed to wear out all of my Buffy DVDs.
Blimey, I didn't know that was possible. :(
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Date: 2015-01-23 01:59 am (UTC)*In Monty Python voice* I will not buy zis record, it iz scratched. :) Well, not all of them but my favorite ones now get stuck in some places.
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Date: 2015-01-24 06:01 pm (UTC)I've no idea what state mine might be in. Last time I tried to watch something from the early seasons, I remember I could hardly make out what was going on, but I put that down to us having a crap DVD player.
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Date: 2015-01-22 11:36 pm (UTC)Mind you, the only person who has is Vanessa Redgrave who played a tiny cameo role at the end of - I think - Man for All Seasons.
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Date: 2015-01-24 06:03 pm (UTC)Hopefully, she'll improve when we see her interact with Henry.
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Date: 2015-01-22 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-24 06:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-24 07:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-25 06:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-23 05:49 am (UTC)But at least you've got "Wolf Hall"! I'm pretty sure they haven't shown it here. There's usually a long lag, except for very popular things.
I think the 2nd Hobbit was the best, by far. It's been a long while since I read the books, so I couldn't say, aside from the girl elf, what was added. And her, I liked a lot. I have many complaints about the 3rd one, though. Not least that the first 10 minutes would have been a much better ending for the 2nd movie.
I'm up for a Buffy rewatch at any time. Weirdly, I was much less patient with Xander on my most recent viewing. I didn't really make any judgments the first time through, as I was going so fast, but now it's difficult not to. I do think he's a good character, though. His faults are so normal, it would almost be ridiculous if they didn't have a character like that.
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Date: 2015-01-24 06:08 pm (UTC)I don't know, have to say. It looks to me like they have loads.
As for Wolf Hall, I'm sure it'll be shown on BBC America. Do you have access to that?
I second your many complaints about the third Hobbit movie. I hope that maybe the long version will improve it, but I'm not actually very hopeful. ;(
Agree about Xander. He's supposed to be the average, well-meaning guy with the average well-meaning guy's reaction, so he's bound to be exasperating at times. Over on Tumblr, from what I hear, he's the most hated of all the male characters in the show. More than Spike, even.
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Date: 2015-01-23 06:05 am (UTC)I have realised lately, when talking to sparrow, that I don't remember Buffy so well anymore. I used to have the entire plot of all 7 seasons memorised. Now, I can't remember some details. Your post brought season 1 back to life for me. I always preferred the early seasons, before they got into their serious evil-threat-arms-race. And I agree with you about Angel - I remember muttering "for goodness sake, just tell her", in the same way that later (and now, with other programmes) I mutter "for goodness sake, don't keep that a secret - tell them." *g*
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Date: 2015-01-24 06:10 pm (UTC)Me too! Plus, our telly has quite a big screen so the dark scenes don't bother me that much.
Your post brought season 1 back to life for me. I always preferred the early seasons, before they got into their serious evil-threat-arms-race.
Whereas I am very much a later season fan. Having said which, it's so long since I watched seasons 2&3 it will be almost like watching them for the first time.
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Date: 2015-01-23 08:31 am (UTC)I love my Netflix subscription. It's great as my boys can use our subscription to watch all the things too - so well worth the £6 a month IMO.
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Date: 2015-01-24 06:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-23 09:38 pm (UTC)2. Do you know if Wolf Hall is airing in the US? It sounds like something I would watch with my parents and be able to keep snarky comments to myself.
3. You can always tell the actors that completely understand their characters when they're next to actors who aren't as certain (and in the case I'm thinking of it's not necessarily the actress's fault; the writers didn't know who the character was in the beginning and now that she's supposed to be relevant it's just a mess).
4. Hi. I'm kind of back.
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Date: 2015-01-24 06:12 pm (UTC)I don't know when Wolf Hall will air in the US, but would imagine it'll be BBC America that shows it. Do you have access to that? Also, pretty sure it's snarky-comment safe.