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shadowkat1. Just finished watching Anna And The Apocalypse which is basically a British High School Christmas Musical...with ZOMBIES. [No, it's not the Pink Floyd Film. - The Wall..which is actually much better and you should go watch that.] And, everybody dies in the film (Ann and the Apocalypse not The Wall) except three characters.
There's some good moments -- the characters navigate their way through a Christmas Tree warehouse...while zombies lurk among the trees. Also there's a great musical number where two characters obliviously and joyously dance towards each other while zombies attack people in the background.
It does drag in spots. The set-up? Anna is in her senior year of school. Her Dad wants her to go to University, she wants to Australia. Her best friend, who wears an ugly Christmas sweater that lights up all the time is in love with her. But she's in love with a bad boy. Meanwhile the nasty headmaster is putting on a Christmas musical. And is at odds with the feminist lesbian journalist.
All is going well, the students sing and dance...and all the while, in the background a dangerous pathogen is killing people and turning them into zombies (without much warning). Everyone who was doing the Christmas musical is stuck at the school. Everyone who went home -- is struggling to make their way back to the school.
So we basically have teen angst, musical numbers, and people fighting, smashing, chopping up, and getting eaten by zombies.
Just when you thought the zombie trope had been exhausted...leave it to the Brits to find a new angle.
It's not very good. There's only one memorable or catchy song -- "There's no such thing as a Hollywood Ending". But it is rather funny in places.
2. Manifest
Well, now that I've watched all of S1 Manifest, I can tell you all with absolute certainty that I'm not continuing with it. The plot does not work for me.
Shame, it had potential. But the writers got lazy and went with established cliches.
Also the twist, I thought was sort of silly. Everyone has an expiration date -- determined on the number of years they were gone or presumed dead. So basically they've been given five years to right various wrongs on the planet and help people, then dead. Which is...not that interesting to me and feels a lot like Lost. Although kudos for simplicity. Still have no clue whose behind it.
And they'll probably spend S2 trying to figure that out, how to foil the expiration date, and foil the government.
Meanwhile the subplot between Jared, Micheala and Zeke is also a bit silly. Why Jared and Zeke went after each other and are fighting over a gun -- makes no sense.
And of course it went off when Michaela entered. I doubt either is dead, injured maybe but not dead. Wish I cared. Michaela began to get on my nerves.
No, I'm done with this one. The plotting didn't work for me.
3. A Million Little Things -- feel much the same way about this series as I did about Manifest. The twist was disappointing and didn't make a lot of sense.
They spent the entire season building up to the reveal on Barbara Morgan and what John did, and it was... Apparently John talked his friend Dave into flying somewhere to see a Brewers game. But stopped to get a bottle of wine -- and as a result missed his flight. (Who does that?) He waves from the waiting area to his friend on the plane. (Okay you can't see anyone in the plane from the waiting area, nor anyone in the waiting area from the plane -- except on television shows.) And, Dave's plane is one of the planes taken over by terrorists that is flown into the World Trade Center. John spends the next twenty some years blaming himself for Dave's death and it is among the reasons he commits suicide. It's the one thing that stood between himself and Deliah, but it's also why he met Deliah. And she looks around and begins to realize how obsessed he was about not being on the plane. And that he has a shrine of sorts to the number of the plane A11.
Barbara Morgan was dating Dave and pregnant with his child when he died. She decides to marry one of the First Responders - a fire man, who was among the first responders in 9/11. The fireman adopts her son, and they cut all ties to John because John won't let it go and is upset that they've decided not to tell her son about Dave.
And I'm thinking...this is really stupid. And somewhat offensive. Really, writers?
And damn, John, who I thought was in his 40s, turns out to have been the same age I am.
The show also is very emotionally manipulative. With some rather pat...psychological statements. "Suicide is a million little things...stacked up over time like stones. You'll never know what caused it."
It builds up for the big dramatic moment, and...sort of peeters out. It's like its an anti-melodrama or something. Sort of tepid.
That said, if you ignore the whole John story-thread, which hasn't really worked from the beginning. Both John and Deliah are annoying. The show isn't that bad. I rather like Eddie and Katherine, also Gary and Maggie are interesting. I just wish I could get rid of Deliah.
And...I was rather relieved that Eddie chose to tell Katherine the truth about Deliah's baby, instead of letting Deliah call the shots. He's right, if he wants to get back together with Katherine, she deserves to know the truth. And where he currently stands with Deliah. Deliah can be a liar, but Eddie doesn't have to play along completely. I rather like how Gary phrased it to him and pushed him on that bit. Gary is the most honest of the characters - you know where you stand with Gary, the others are posers.
I don't know if I'll continue with this or not next year. It's okay, but there's a lot of better television shows to watch instead.
4. New Amsterdam
I love this show -- it shows how we should treat others, and how hospitals and doctors should care for patients and friends. I wish there were more television series on that showed people being genuinely kind to each other. I've grown weary of the television series where we're basically watching nasty folks beat up on each other and torture each other all the time.
It's one of the reasons that I enjoyed The Good Place. Also Russian Doll. Both series were about learning to be kind to others.
5. I also saw the latest Dark Phoenix trailer and I'm not sure how they are going to turn that into a three-part trilogy.
I'm beginning to wonder if they changed it and decided to cram it all into one film?
And I'm wary. It's not following the original comics as closely as I'd like. The problem with the X-men fandom is most of the newer fans came to it from the crappy movies and animated series. There's really only been three good X-men films, possibly four. 1) Days of Future Past (which was done several years after the first three films and manages to thankfully reboot the franchise by undoing that timeline completely), 2) Logan, (which did a good job of yanking Wolvie out of Marty Stu status and away from his obsession with Jean, which never made sense, and back to the Wolvie of the 1970s and 80s, before Claremount and others destroyed the character, 3) X-men First-Class (which made Prof X, Magneto, and Mystique and Beast interesting again), 4)X-men United (the only good film of the original three and the only one worth viewing). What worked in all of the above was they kept the plot fairly focused and simple.
The animated series were embarrassing. I know I tried to watch them. And didn't follow the comics at all, also they did character assignation on Cyclops, Gambit, Rogue, Storm and Jean, and turned Wolverine in a Marty Stu -- which overflowed into the comics, ruining the character of Wolverine completely. It's why I stayed away from the fandom -- too many movie and animated fans who don't really know the story of the characters. I went online and saw a vid about the Dark Phoenix flick and what the narrator knew about the Dark Phoenix Saga...and I thought okay this guy hasn't read the comics. Because he thought Psyclock was in the Dark Phoenix Saga -- Psychlock didn't show up in the comics until the late 1980s early 1990s. The people who were in the original story were Angel, Beast, Jean, Scott, Wolverine, Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler, Professor X, and Kitty Pryde was introduced. Mainly because they had too many male characters back then and not enough female characters. And it is at its heart a love story between Scott and Jean, with the others sort of playing supporting roles. They go into space, Jean uses her telekinisis to protect their ship from the radiation on re-entry, knowing full well it will kill her...and a cosmic entity named the Phoenix is touched by her sacrifice and chooses to help and takes her place. (It's not clear from the original whether this is the case or not, since we see Jean's fly out of the wreckage stating she's Phoenix from Scott's perspective and Scott for a bit believes she's dead, and she believes Scott is dead. There's a huge arc in which they are separated and the X-men believe Jean is dead and are busy in the Savage Land or in another dimension. And Jean believes the X-men are dead and gets seduced by Mastermind, who manages to manipulate her into joining the Hellfire Club. So when the X-men return, she's been compromised. They reunite, Kitty gets kidnapped by the White Queen along with Nightcrawler. The X-men go to save her, and the hellfire club triggers Jean, who becomes the Black Queen and knocks them all out. Scott fights a duel with Mastermind on the astral plane for Jean's favor and soul -- and is struck down in front of her. When she sees his astral form struck down, she freaks out and takes out the entire Hellfire Club in a fit of fury. Placing Emma Frost (the White Queen) in a coma (which she doesn't come out of until sometime in the 1990s and for a bit becomes a member of the X-men), and destroys Mastermind's mind. Then she goes nuts and eats a planet filled with peace-loving aliens, before Professor X and her love for Scott finally shuts it down. Except the Shiar Empire isn't happy about this and takes her into custody. She's tried and found guilty. The X-men agree to trial by combat -- instead of letting the Shiar kill her outright. During this battle, Scott is struck again -- and Jean almost goes nuts, and realizes that she has to die. That she can't control it. Out of love for him -- the Phoenix kills itself.
That's the Saga. No one but Jean does in this version.
In the movies -- they had her kill Professor X and Cyclops, along with some others, before Wolverine of all people kills her. Which makes no sense. And is the beginning of Wolverine's slide into Marty Studom. Actually it was happening a bit before then, but that movie and Jackman sealed the deal. Jackman redeemed himself a bit with Wolverine and Logan, the last two films he made.
Anyhow, from the trailer -- it looks like Jessica Chastain as Lillandra manipulates Jean into using her powers...or Jessica Chastain is the Phoenix in Jean's head?
I'm not certain. The movie could be great -- it has a really good cast and they are all on the same page. But, the second trailer...is worrisome.
There's some good moments -- the characters navigate their way through a Christmas Tree warehouse...while zombies lurk among the trees. Also there's a great musical number where two characters obliviously and joyously dance towards each other while zombies attack people in the background.
It does drag in spots. The set-up? Anna is in her senior year of school. Her Dad wants her to go to University, she wants to Australia. Her best friend, who wears an ugly Christmas sweater that lights up all the time is in love with her. But she's in love with a bad boy. Meanwhile the nasty headmaster is putting on a Christmas musical. And is at odds with the feminist lesbian journalist.
All is going well, the students sing and dance...and all the while, in the background a dangerous pathogen is killing people and turning them into zombies (without much warning). Everyone who was doing the Christmas musical is stuck at the school. Everyone who went home -- is struggling to make their way back to the school.
So we basically have teen angst, musical numbers, and people fighting, smashing, chopping up, and getting eaten by zombies.
Just when you thought the zombie trope had been exhausted...leave it to the Brits to find a new angle.
It's not very good. There's only one memorable or catchy song -- "There's no such thing as a Hollywood Ending". But it is rather funny in places.
2. Manifest
Well, now that I've watched all of S1 Manifest, I can tell you all with absolute certainty that I'm not continuing with it. The plot does not work for me.
Shame, it had potential. But the writers got lazy and went with established cliches.
Also the twist, I thought was sort of silly. Everyone has an expiration date -- determined on the number of years they were gone or presumed dead. So basically they've been given five years to right various wrongs on the planet and help people, then dead. Which is...not that interesting to me and feels a lot like Lost. Although kudos for simplicity. Still have no clue whose behind it.
And they'll probably spend S2 trying to figure that out, how to foil the expiration date, and foil the government.
Meanwhile the subplot between Jared, Micheala and Zeke is also a bit silly. Why Jared and Zeke went after each other and are fighting over a gun -- makes no sense.
And of course it went off when Michaela entered. I doubt either is dead, injured maybe but not dead. Wish I cared. Michaela began to get on my nerves.
No, I'm done with this one. The plotting didn't work for me.
3. A Million Little Things -- feel much the same way about this series as I did about Manifest. The twist was disappointing and didn't make a lot of sense.
They spent the entire season building up to the reveal on Barbara Morgan and what John did, and it was... Apparently John talked his friend Dave into flying somewhere to see a Brewers game. But stopped to get a bottle of wine -- and as a result missed his flight. (Who does that?) He waves from the waiting area to his friend on the plane. (Okay you can't see anyone in the plane from the waiting area, nor anyone in the waiting area from the plane -- except on television shows.) And, Dave's plane is one of the planes taken over by terrorists that is flown into the World Trade Center. John spends the next twenty some years blaming himself for Dave's death and it is among the reasons he commits suicide. It's the one thing that stood between himself and Deliah, but it's also why he met Deliah. And she looks around and begins to realize how obsessed he was about not being on the plane. And that he has a shrine of sorts to the number of the plane A11.
Barbara Morgan was dating Dave and pregnant with his child when he died. She decides to marry one of the First Responders - a fire man, who was among the first responders in 9/11. The fireman adopts her son, and they cut all ties to John because John won't let it go and is upset that they've decided not to tell her son about Dave.
And I'm thinking...this is really stupid. And somewhat offensive. Really, writers?
And damn, John, who I thought was in his 40s, turns out to have been the same age I am.
The show also is very emotionally manipulative. With some rather pat...psychological statements. "Suicide is a million little things...stacked up over time like stones. You'll never know what caused it."
It builds up for the big dramatic moment, and...sort of peeters out. It's like its an anti-melodrama or something. Sort of tepid.
That said, if you ignore the whole John story-thread, which hasn't really worked from the beginning. Both John and Deliah are annoying. The show isn't that bad. I rather like Eddie and Katherine, also Gary and Maggie are interesting. I just wish I could get rid of Deliah.
And...I was rather relieved that Eddie chose to tell Katherine the truth about Deliah's baby, instead of letting Deliah call the shots. He's right, if he wants to get back together with Katherine, she deserves to know the truth. And where he currently stands with Deliah. Deliah can be a liar, but Eddie doesn't have to play along completely. I rather like how Gary phrased it to him and pushed him on that bit. Gary is the most honest of the characters - you know where you stand with Gary, the others are posers.
I don't know if I'll continue with this or not next year. It's okay, but there's a lot of better television shows to watch instead.
4. New Amsterdam
I love this show -- it shows how we should treat others, and how hospitals and doctors should care for patients and friends. I wish there were more television series on that showed people being genuinely kind to each other. I've grown weary of the television series where we're basically watching nasty folks beat up on each other and torture each other all the time.
It's one of the reasons that I enjoyed The Good Place. Also Russian Doll. Both series were about learning to be kind to others.
5. I also saw the latest Dark Phoenix trailer and I'm not sure how they are going to turn that into a three-part trilogy.
I'm beginning to wonder if they changed it and decided to cram it all into one film?
And I'm wary. It's not following the original comics as closely as I'd like. The problem with the X-men fandom is most of the newer fans came to it from the crappy movies and animated series. There's really only been three good X-men films, possibly four. 1) Days of Future Past (which was done several years after the first three films and manages to thankfully reboot the franchise by undoing that timeline completely), 2) Logan, (which did a good job of yanking Wolvie out of Marty Stu status and away from his obsession with Jean, which never made sense, and back to the Wolvie of the 1970s and 80s, before Claremount and others destroyed the character, 3) X-men First-Class (which made Prof X, Magneto, and Mystique and Beast interesting again), 4)X-men United (the only good film of the original three and the only one worth viewing). What worked in all of the above was they kept the plot fairly focused and simple.
The animated series were embarrassing. I know I tried to watch them. And didn't follow the comics at all, also they did character assignation on Cyclops, Gambit, Rogue, Storm and Jean, and turned Wolverine in a Marty Stu -- which overflowed into the comics, ruining the character of Wolverine completely. It's why I stayed away from the fandom -- too many movie and animated fans who don't really know the story of the characters. I went online and saw a vid about the Dark Phoenix flick and what the narrator knew about the Dark Phoenix Saga...and I thought okay this guy hasn't read the comics. Because he thought Psyclock was in the Dark Phoenix Saga -- Psychlock didn't show up in the comics until the late 1980s early 1990s. The people who were in the original story were Angel, Beast, Jean, Scott, Wolverine, Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler, Professor X, and Kitty Pryde was introduced. Mainly because they had too many male characters back then and not enough female characters. And it is at its heart a love story between Scott and Jean, with the others sort of playing supporting roles. They go into space, Jean uses her telekinisis to protect their ship from the radiation on re-entry, knowing full well it will kill her...and a cosmic entity named the Phoenix is touched by her sacrifice and chooses to help and takes her place. (It's not clear from the original whether this is the case or not, since we see Jean's fly out of the wreckage stating she's Phoenix from Scott's perspective and Scott for a bit believes she's dead, and she believes Scott is dead. There's a huge arc in which they are separated and the X-men believe Jean is dead and are busy in the Savage Land or in another dimension. And Jean believes the X-men are dead and gets seduced by Mastermind, who manages to manipulate her into joining the Hellfire Club. So when the X-men return, she's been compromised. They reunite, Kitty gets kidnapped by the White Queen along with Nightcrawler. The X-men go to save her, and the hellfire club triggers Jean, who becomes the Black Queen and knocks them all out. Scott fights a duel with Mastermind on the astral plane for Jean's favor and soul -- and is struck down in front of her. When she sees his astral form struck down, she freaks out and takes out the entire Hellfire Club in a fit of fury. Placing Emma Frost (the White Queen) in a coma (which she doesn't come out of until sometime in the 1990s and for a bit becomes a member of the X-men), and destroys Mastermind's mind. Then she goes nuts and eats a planet filled with peace-loving aliens, before Professor X and her love for Scott finally shuts it down. Except the Shiar Empire isn't happy about this and takes her into custody. She's tried and found guilty. The X-men agree to trial by combat -- instead of letting the Shiar kill her outright. During this battle, Scott is struck again -- and Jean almost goes nuts, and realizes that she has to die. That she can't control it. Out of love for him -- the Phoenix kills itself.
That's the Saga. No one but Jean does in this version.
In the movies -- they had her kill Professor X and Cyclops, along with some others, before Wolverine of all people kills her. Which makes no sense. And is the beginning of Wolverine's slide into Marty Studom. Actually it was happening a bit before then, but that movie and Jackman sealed the deal. Jackman redeemed himself a bit with Wolverine and Logan, the last two films he made.
Anyhow, from the trailer -- it looks like Jessica Chastain as Lillandra manipulates Jean into using her powers...or Jessica Chastain is the Phoenix in Jean's head?
I'm not certain. The movie could be great -- it has a really good cast and they are all on the same page. But, the second trailer...is worrisome.