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shadowkat1. Finished watching Bird Box -- which would have worked better if they had gone the same route as A Quiet Place, with the focus fully on the trip down the river with the kids. Instead of the flashbacks to the people in the house and what had happened previously. Because what we end up with is the old cliche-ridden, six people slowly going nuts in a house afraid of whatever is stalking them outside plus the more unique trip down the river blind-folded.
It's a psychological thriller much like A Quiet Place, in that we really don't see the threat. Well, outside of a guy who has seen it and draws all these pictures of it. So, more character driven.
But I get the mixed reviews. The professional film critics really appear to hate it - If Bird Box is Such a Bad Movie, Why do so many people like it>. But the social media critics seem to like it.
It's sort of slow. And it breaks the tension with the flashbacks. But, it's an interesting character piece -- because it's about a woman who didn't want to be a mother or be with anyone. Who was cut off from people. And her only real connection was to her sister. Then this horrible thing happens...and she becomes close to these two kids, who she refuses to give names to, mainly because she doesn't want to be too attached to them. But she is, and is clearly willing to do anything for them. Through the flashbacks we see her journey to the point in which she's a militant but fiercely protective mother.
Is it good..eh...not really. But it's not exactly bad either. Just slow in places.
We are never quite sure what they are terrified of...since we don't quite see it outside of drawings. But those who do, are either driven crazy and commit suicide or compelled like insane zombies to make everyone look at the creatures -- so they too can see "the light" and evolve. Either way it drives you mad. Clever idea -- because it plays on the unknown, much as A Quiet Place did. Also plays on the idea of..."What we don't see, can't hurt us" -- the idea is the creatures destroy their victims through how they appear to them. If you don't look at them you are fine. But of course, you never know when you will see them. They come as a sort of whoosh and do everything possible to trick you into looking at them.
Like I said, clever concept and it is a creepy film in places, but also relies a bit overly much on various horror tropes. Some of which felt a bit contrived. I'd have preferred they cut out the flashbacks and just followed her on the journey with the kids to the sancturary.
[Now back to The Greatest Show as a palate cleanser -- because you know, I just watched a horror movie - not exactly great for sleep. I tried "Annihilation" early today...but it bothered me more than Bird Box, so chose to skip. I may try the book at some point.]
2. My Brilliant Friend Episode #1 - Dolls -- the HBO series based on Elena Ferrante's best-selling series that takes place in Post-WWII Naples Italy. HBO wisely films it in Italy, with an all Italian cast and in Italian with English subtitles.
The first episode was compelling. As are the little girls. I couldn't get into the book at all, so that's saying something. And it's a VERY close adaptation of the novel -- or at least the first fifty pages of it -- which make up the first episode. And I like it better.
3. Finished reading The Dream Hunter by Laura Kinsale which was better than expected. But I wanted to strangle the heroine towards the end. That said, I found what the writer did with the two characters to be rather interesting. She developed the romance off of the real life and somewhat turbulent one between Mr. Bruce and Lady Hester Standhope. The heroine is their daughter...and she's plagued by the same demons that plagued her adventurous mother, but in another way, and the hero, Lord Winter, an adventurer is plagued by his own demons. Her demon is her fear of being left alone, of being betrayed, she's so scared that she keeps pushing him away, and away from their child.
The best part of the novel is the first third, where they are journeying across the desert in Arabia.
Although, if you have issues about how Arabs and Whites are portrayed in novels it may annoy you. I found it more realistic than usual, and true to the time. Also we're in the point of view of two Brits -- considering that fact it's portrayed rather well. Far better than most.
The writer has done her research, and her characters are well-developed and complex. In short it's better than most. Laura Kinsale is one of my go-to romance novelists. Less flowery than most, more realistic and sensual love scenes (also not quite as many of them -- less is always more in that regard), and some good character moments...that is when I didn't want to strangle the characters.
While it's not a focus of the novel -- it is different enough to be worth mentioning. Kinsale touches on Queer or Homosexuality and how it was handled at that time. At one point the hero thinks the heroine is a boy that is enamored with him in that way -- which makes the hero uncomfortable and irritated at himself for being uncomfortable. At another point -- the heroine contemplates marrying her father's safe friend -- who isn't physically attracted to women and prefers me, but can't tell anyone -- because you didn't back then. (Both are dealt with more sensitively than most.
I think I may try The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry next, which is described as part historical ghost story/naturalist story, part romance and part feminist parable -
that I bought on sale some time ago from Amazon. (I got it for $1.99 not $10.99).
I'll let you know how far I get.
It's a psychological thriller much like A Quiet Place, in that we really don't see the threat. Well, outside of a guy who has seen it and draws all these pictures of it. So, more character driven.
But I get the mixed reviews. The professional film critics really appear to hate it - If Bird Box is Such a Bad Movie, Why do so many people like it>. But the social media critics seem to like it.
It's sort of slow. And it breaks the tension with the flashbacks. But, it's an interesting character piece -- because it's about a woman who didn't want to be a mother or be with anyone. Who was cut off from people. And her only real connection was to her sister. Then this horrible thing happens...and she becomes close to these two kids, who she refuses to give names to, mainly because she doesn't want to be too attached to them. But she is, and is clearly willing to do anything for them. Through the flashbacks we see her journey to the point in which she's a militant but fiercely protective mother.
Is it good..eh...not really. But it's not exactly bad either. Just slow in places.
We are never quite sure what they are terrified of...since we don't quite see it outside of drawings. But those who do, are either driven crazy and commit suicide or compelled like insane zombies to make everyone look at the creatures -- so they too can see "the light" and evolve. Either way it drives you mad. Clever idea -- because it plays on the unknown, much as A Quiet Place did. Also plays on the idea of..."What we don't see, can't hurt us" -- the idea is the creatures destroy their victims through how they appear to them. If you don't look at them you are fine. But of course, you never know when you will see them. They come as a sort of whoosh and do everything possible to trick you into looking at them.
Like I said, clever concept and it is a creepy film in places, but also relies a bit overly much on various horror tropes. Some of which felt a bit contrived. I'd have preferred they cut out the flashbacks and just followed her on the journey with the kids to the sancturary.
[Now back to The Greatest Show as a palate cleanser -- because you know, I just watched a horror movie - not exactly great for sleep. I tried "Annihilation" early today...but it bothered me more than Bird Box, so chose to skip. I may try the book at some point.]
2. My Brilliant Friend Episode #1 - Dolls -- the HBO series based on Elena Ferrante's best-selling series that takes place in Post-WWII Naples Italy. HBO wisely films it in Italy, with an all Italian cast and in Italian with English subtitles.
The first episode was compelling. As are the little girls. I couldn't get into the book at all, so that's saying something. And it's a VERY close adaptation of the novel -- or at least the first fifty pages of it -- which make up the first episode. And I like it better.
3. Finished reading The Dream Hunter by Laura Kinsale which was better than expected. But I wanted to strangle the heroine towards the end. That said, I found what the writer did with the two characters to be rather interesting. She developed the romance off of the real life and somewhat turbulent one between Mr. Bruce and Lady Hester Standhope. The heroine is their daughter...and she's plagued by the same demons that plagued her adventurous mother, but in another way, and the hero, Lord Winter, an adventurer is plagued by his own demons. Her demon is her fear of being left alone, of being betrayed, she's so scared that she keeps pushing him away, and away from their child.
The best part of the novel is the first third, where they are journeying across the desert in Arabia.
Although, if you have issues about how Arabs and Whites are portrayed in novels it may annoy you. I found it more realistic than usual, and true to the time. Also we're in the point of view of two Brits -- considering that fact it's portrayed rather well. Far better than most.
The writer has done her research, and her characters are well-developed and complex. In short it's better than most. Laura Kinsale is one of my go-to romance novelists. Less flowery than most, more realistic and sensual love scenes (also not quite as many of them -- less is always more in that regard), and some good character moments...that is when I didn't want to strangle the characters.
While it's not a focus of the novel -- it is different enough to be worth mentioning. Kinsale touches on Queer or Homosexuality and how it was handled at that time. At one point the hero thinks the heroine is a boy that is enamored with him in that way -- which makes the hero uncomfortable and irritated at himself for being uncomfortable. At another point -- the heroine contemplates marrying her father's safe friend -- who isn't physically attracted to women and prefers me, but can't tell anyone -- because you didn't back then. (Both are dealt with more sensitively than most.
I think I may try The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry next, which is described as part historical ghost story/naturalist story, part romance and part feminist parable -
that I bought on sale some time ago from Amazon. (I got it for $1.99 not $10.99).
I'll let you know how far I get.
no subject
Date: 2019-01-07 07:55 am (UTC)