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Mar. 6th, 2016 06:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. Finished watching the first five episodes of The Magicians, apparently I'm in a supernatural television show mood. It's definitely compelling in a weird off-beat sort of way. Not sure what to make of it yet. It's sort of depressing, and the characters aren't exactly likable.
What's it about? Well, it's based on Lev Grossman's best-selling series of the same name. And is sort of adult Harry Potter, but lacks the charm, wit, and imagination that made that series so...lovable.
The characters are a bunch of spoiled former prep school kids, with the possible exception of Penny,
that find themselves enrolled in a university that teaches magic. The show seems to be more interested in examining the horrific possibilities of magic than the fun of it. Which may well be its mistake. Also, it's very drab...with little use of color or bright light - so sort of depressing to watch. The lead character, Quentin, is a nerdy wallflower, who is more passive than active. He sort of lets other people yank him around. The far more interesting character is Julia, who is desperate to learn magic but was refused entry into Braithwaite's - the Magical University, and has decided to figure it out on her own - with disastrous results. I think I'm watching because of her, and various other supporting characters that I'm intrigued by. The lead, Quentin, is obsessed with a series of cult children's fantasy novels entitled Filigree, they involve a bunch of British children escaping into a fantasy world through an old clock. (Yes, it reminded me a bit too much of the Chronicles of Narnia too. Writers like to plagiarize ideas from each other.) And the kids are based on actual children who lived near the writer...except the kids disappeared after the books were written. No one knows what happened to them. So, Quentin has become obsessed with the idea that Filigree is real.
Before the story starts, he's taking anti-depressants, and is depressed. His entry into Braithwaite's allows him to go off anti-depressants, and enter into this new world. Julia who had introduced him to the books as a child, and was going to get married and go to Yale with her boyfriend, their mutual friend James...discovers Braithwaite..and this subsequently turns her world upside down. She can't live without it - and becomes desperate to become part of the magical world.
The story is rather dark. And there's a clear analogy between magic and drugs. It's also depressing.
But, compelling...definitely compelling.
2. Apparently Sundance has a new tv show that reminds me a great deal of Justified or rather Terriers meets True Detective by way of Justified ...called Hap and Leonard - a noir gothic detective mystery dramedy series. It's based on a series of novels by Joe R. Lansdale - the latest Honky Tonk Samurai. And stars James Purevoy (The Following), Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar - The Wire), and Christiana Hendricks (Mad Men). Problem is that it is on Sundance, and Sundance doesn't have HDTV and I don't really get it. So, I may end up streaming it, should it become available. [The first novel in the series, Savage Season, was about two well-meaning pals - the white, straight, Hap, and the black, gay, Leonard Pine - who attempt to retrieve a fortune in stolen money from the bottom of an East Texas River. (So maybe more like Terriers?)
3. Lifetime is airing the BBC Agatha Christie miniseries "And Then There Were None" - on March 13.
4. According to EW, the DC comics movie verse is about to take off with the 250 million dollar Batman vs. Superman, followed by Suicide Squad,(2016) Wonderwoman movie, Justice League Part I (2017), The Flash (who is being portrayed by Ezra Millex), Aquaman (2018), Shazam (seriously?), Justice League Part II, (2019) Cyborg, Green Latern Corps(2020), Batman Reboot...
Damn, that's a lot of superhero movies.
5. Saw A Little Night Music last night at my church for 18 dollars, it was an 18 dollar show.
The singing was good, the acting okay, the production on the amateurish side - but seriously, what can you expect for 18 dollars? I thought we did a better job last year with The Vagina Monologues, to be honest. But then one lends itself more to amateur productions than the other. This was an outside group - that rented out our church space to do their production. I knew it would be rather amateurish when I arrived at the theater, half an hour before it was due to start, only to discover that the cast hadn't arrived yet. The show was supposed to start at 8, it didn't start until 8:30.
But it was fun, and the signing was top-notch. I did think the costume designer hated the guy playing Frederick - he was wearing a horrific suit that was too big for him.
What's it about? Well, it's based on Lev Grossman's best-selling series of the same name. And is sort of adult Harry Potter, but lacks the charm, wit, and imagination that made that series so...lovable.
The characters are a bunch of spoiled former prep school kids, with the possible exception of Penny,
that find themselves enrolled in a university that teaches magic. The show seems to be more interested in examining the horrific possibilities of magic than the fun of it. Which may well be its mistake. Also, it's very drab...with little use of color or bright light - so sort of depressing to watch. The lead character, Quentin, is a nerdy wallflower, who is more passive than active. He sort of lets other people yank him around. The far more interesting character is Julia, who is desperate to learn magic but was refused entry into Braithwaite's - the Magical University, and has decided to figure it out on her own - with disastrous results. I think I'm watching because of her, and various other supporting characters that I'm intrigued by. The lead, Quentin, is obsessed with a series of cult children's fantasy novels entitled Filigree, they involve a bunch of British children escaping into a fantasy world through an old clock. (Yes, it reminded me a bit too much of the Chronicles of Narnia too. Writers like to plagiarize ideas from each other.) And the kids are based on actual children who lived near the writer...except the kids disappeared after the books were written. No one knows what happened to them. So, Quentin has become obsessed with the idea that Filigree is real.
Before the story starts, he's taking anti-depressants, and is depressed. His entry into Braithwaite's allows him to go off anti-depressants, and enter into this new world. Julia who had introduced him to the books as a child, and was going to get married and go to Yale with her boyfriend, their mutual friend James...discovers Braithwaite..and this subsequently turns her world upside down. She can't live without it - and becomes desperate to become part of the magical world.
The story is rather dark. And there's a clear analogy between magic and drugs. It's also depressing.
But, compelling...definitely compelling.
2. Apparently Sundance has a new tv show that reminds me a great deal of Justified or rather Terriers meets True Detective by way of Justified ...called Hap and Leonard - a noir gothic detective mystery dramedy series. It's based on a series of novels by Joe R. Lansdale - the latest Honky Tonk Samurai. And stars James Purevoy (The Following), Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar - The Wire), and Christiana Hendricks (Mad Men). Problem is that it is on Sundance, and Sundance doesn't have HDTV and I don't really get it. So, I may end up streaming it, should it become available. [The first novel in the series, Savage Season, was about two well-meaning pals - the white, straight, Hap, and the black, gay, Leonard Pine - who attempt to retrieve a fortune in stolen money from the bottom of an East Texas River. (So maybe more like Terriers?)
3. Lifetime is airing the BBC Agatha Christie miniseries "And Then There Were None" - on March 13.
4. According to EW, the DC comics movie verse is about to take off with the 250 million dollar Batman vs. Superman, followed by Suicide Squad,(2016) Wonderwoman movie, Justice League Part I (2017), The Flash (who is being portrayed by Ezra Millex), Aquaman (2018), Shazam (seriously?), Justice League Part II, (2019) Cyborg, Green Latern Corps(2020), Batman Reboot...
Damn, that's a lot of superhero movies.
5. Saw A Little Night Music last night at my church for 18 dollars, it was an 18 dollar show.
The singing was good, the acting okay, the production on the amateurish side - but seriously, what can you expect for 18 dollars? I thought we did a better job last year with The Vagina Monologues, to be honest. But then one lends itself more to amateur productions than the other. This was an outside group - that rented out our church space to do their production. I knew it would be rather amateurish when I arrived at the theater, half an hour before it was due to start, only to discover that the cast hadn't arrived yet. The show was supposed to start at 8, it didn't start until 8:30.
But it was fun, and the signing was top-notch. I did think the costume designer hated the guy playing Frederick - he was wearing a horrific suit that was too big for him.
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Date: 2016-03-06 11:55 pm (UTC)And apparently there's rumblings that everything after Wonder Woman (which is already shooting) may still be scrapped, since the people at DC are really scared that Batman vs Superman might not make as much money as they need it to. We'll see.
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Date: 2016-03-07 10:31 pm (UTC)The other push-back is Superman - Man of Steel wasn't that good of a movie, it felt like I was watching a video game, but then that's true of 98% of these movies...so.
And, Zack Snyder, who is...okay as a director (300, Watchman, Man of Steel...). He's no Whedon, (although, I have to say that Avengers 2 did not work.)
And...there's burnout on the whole superhero thing.
Shame, because the plot looks sort of intriguing...we have Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince competing with each other to steal Lex Luther's secrets - they are both investigating Lex. Lex is played by the ultimate nerd, Jess Eisenberg, who is playing Batman and Superman against each other, while he creates the ultimate weapon to take them both down, Doomsday. Meanwhile, we have Batman and Superman's competing savior complex's, issues with power, and sense that no matter what they do, nothing gets better.
If executed well? It could be a great movie. But...alas, I don't trust Zack Synder.
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Date: 2016-03-07 10:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-08 03:43 am (UTC)But the marketing campaign and the title couldn't be worse...like you said, all grey filters and brooding heroes in the trailer, with a title that is...just beyond campy, and a focus on fight scenes.
I think they made some bad marketing choices. Also whomever comes up with these superhero movies sucks at titles.
Christopher Nolan was the only one who could create a half-way decent title - "Batman Begins", "The Dark Knight", "The Dark Knight Rises" -- good titles. Superman - Man of Steel? Eh - serviceable. The Avengers Part II: Age of Ultron (really?), Batman vs. Superman? People, put a little bit of effort into it.
And it is expensive. Although I think X-Men: Apocalypse may beat it. Hard to tell. They have to make big bucks both domestically and world-wide for it to break even. If it bombs, like Fantastic Four did last year....uh-oh, there goes that franchise. Although when Fantastic Four bombed -- it didn't kill the franchise entirely. This baby, however, could kill the franchise and hurt Snyder.
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Date: 2016-03-07 04:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-07 10:17 pm (UTC)There's a review at Slate.com that is by someone who read the books. Go HERE (http://www.salon.com/2015/12/17/harry_potter_and_the_quarter_life_crisis_the_magicians_conjures_the_dark_side_of_a_enchanted_education/)
I've no clue how close they are to the books. You definitely don't need to have read the books in order to follow it.
And according to the review, it veers away from the books in places. The review and comments are however based on the first two episodes, and the series gets a lot better by episode 7. I agree with the Slate reviewer regarding the first two episodes.