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shadowkatFinished watching The Originals and am currently watching the BBC's made for tv film entitled Burton and Taylor starring Helena Bonheme Carter and Dominic West. I'm admittedly watching it for Dominic West, who I have a huge actor crush on. He's brilliant in just about everything he does. My other current actor crushes are David Tennant, Ben Browder (who is never in anything so it's annoying), Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugh Laurie, James Spader,
Robert Carylyle and Michael Raymond-James (who are both on OUAT). I'm over my crushes on ASH and James Marsters, although both have the sexiest voices on the planet.
Burton regarding critics: "Elizabeth, critics deserve our pity. To be so close to art and yet to contribute nothing whatsoever towards it, it's like being an eunch at an orgy."
Similar to advice I received from professional theater actors when I was kid. Don't read your own reviews - they will only make you crazy regardless of the reception to the art you create.
1. The Originals - is unfortunately not that good. It should be. But I just wasn't engaged. Not quite sure why. I think it's a combination of the writing and the acting? The witches are incredibly dull and they look interchangable. The originals, outside of Niklaus, whiny. And it's hard to care. I liked the pilot last year, but the third and first episode of this season didn't really hold my interest. In short I was bored and going to sleep during it. My attention kept wandering. Missed the second episode. Reign in stark contrast was much more entertaining. (As EW put it - Reign is sort of Game of Thrones + Gossip Girl + The Tudors.)
It's a shame, because Niklaus' devilish manipulations should entertain. He's playing the witches and vampires against each other, pretending to be the friend of Marcel (king of the vampires in New Orleans) and friend of Sophie (head of the Witches). And doing a marvelous job of it. In short, the plot is okay, I guess, but the writing is sort of on the dull side.
I can't quite care about any of the characters, which is problematic. They actually feel a bit on the whiny side.
Watching this series is making me appreciate the acting and writing of Angel, which I admittedly didn't stick with during the first season either (it bored me to tears in S1 too), so there is that. This could get much better. But here's the difference between the 1990s, early 00's when Buffy and Angel aired and now. Then there were maybe five tv shows I was watching. Now? I have over 20 saved on DVR. Still haven't seen the last five episodes of Sleepy Hollow, luckily it has a rerun this week, so I can begin to catch up.
2. Taylor & Burton - the BBC made for tv movie that premiered on BBCAmerica about the period of time when Liz Taylor and Richard Burton chose to appear in the Noel Coward play Private Lives on stage together. It was the first and only time they appeared on stage together. Burton was a stage actor, Taylor not as much. But Taylor had gotten tired of doing General Hospital, and decided to try a play with Burton. Much chaos ensues. They always had a volatile relationship.
The movie is rather dull. It's written by William Ivory, and the acting is quite good. Helena Bonheme Carter does manage to do a good impersonation of Taylor, she sounds like her and has her mannerisms down. And West is quite good as an aging and world-weary Burton, who has stopped drinking and isn't quite sure how to handle his insanely famous, ballsy, ex-wife.
Who got more attention and more praise then he did, even though he worked far harder. Elizabeth didn't study her lines, and just became the character.
But other than that...it is rather dull. It feels like I'm reading a New Yorker article, not jumping inside their lives. I always feel sort of outside the story. Actually that's a fitting description for the Originals as well...I'm outside the story, it never pulls me in.
And I can't quite care or feel the emotion.
Overall ratings? The Originals - C, Burton & Taylor - C+
Robert Carylyle and Michael Raymond-James (who are both on OUAT). I'm over my crushes on ASH and James Marsters, although both have the sexiest voices on the planet.
Burton regarding critics: "Elizabeth, critics deserve our pity. To be so close to art and yet to contribute nothing whatsoever towards it, it's like being an eunch at an orgy."
Similar to advice I received from professional theater actors when I was kid. Don't read your own reviews - they will only make you crazy regardless of the reception to the art you create.
1. The Originals - is unfortunately not that good. It should be. But I just wasn't engaged. Not quite sure why. I think it's a combination of the writing and the acting? The witches are incredibly dull and they look interchangable. The originals, outside of Niklaus, whiny. And it's hard to care. I liked the pilot last year, but the third and first episode of this season didn't really hold my interest. In short I was bored and going to sleep during it. My attention kept wandering. Missed the second episode. Reign in stark contrast was much more entertaining. (As EW put it - Reign is sort of Game of Thrones + Gossip Girl + The Tudors.)
It's a shame, because Niklaus' devilish manipulations should entertain. He's playing the witches and vampires against each other, pretending to be the friend of Marcel (king of the vampires in New Orleans) and friend of Sophie (head of the Witches). And doing a marvelous job of it. In short, the plot is okay, I guess, but the writing is sort of on the dull side.
I can't quite care about any of the characters, which is problematic. They actually feel a bit on the whiny side.
Watching this series is making me appreciate the acting and writing of Angel, which I admittedly didn't stick with during the first season either (it bored me to tears in S1 too), so there is that. This could get much better. But here's the difference between the 1990s, early 00's when Buffy and Angel aired and now. Then there were maybe five tv shows I was watching. Now? I have over 20 saved on DVR. Still haven't seen the last five episodes of Sleepy Hollow, luckily it has a rerun this week, so I can begin to catch up.
2. Taylor & Burton - the BBC made for tv movie that premiered on BBCAmerica about the period of time when Liz Taylor and Richard Burton chose to appear in the Noel Coward play Private Lives on stage together. It was the first and only time they appeared on stage together. Burton was a stage actor, Taylor not as much. But Taylor had gotten tired of doing General Hospital, and decided to try a play with Burton. Much chaos ensues. They always had a volatile relationship.
The movie is rather dull. It's written by William Ivory, and the acting is quite good. Helena Bonheme Carter does manage to do a good impersonation of Taylor, she sounds like her and has her mannerisms down. And West is quite good as an aging and world-weary Burton, who has stopped drinking and isn't quite sure how to handle his insanely famous, ballsy, ex-wife.
Who got more attention and more praise then he did, even though he worked far harder. Elizabeth didn't study her lines, and just became the character.
But other than that...it is rather dull. It feels like I'm reading a New Yorker article, not jumping inside their lives. I always feel sort of outside the story. Actually that's a fitting description for the Originals as well...I'm outside the story, it never pulls me in.
And I can't quite care or feel the emotion.
Overall ratings? The Originals - C, Burton & Taylor - C+
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no subject
Date: 2013-10-20 07:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-10-20 01:53 pm (UTC)And of all the channels, CW is the only one without "On Demand" - annoying that.
So that may have affected the third episode.
Still not quite as engaging as I expected. But then, I'm admittedly not a fan of Rebekkah - I find her incredibly whiny. So that's a personal taste issue that may detract from my viewing pleasure. ;-)
no subject
Date: 2013-10-20 02:13 pm (UTC)Interesting. All my channels are in the "On Demand" program.
no subject
Date: 2013-10-20 04:05 pm (UTC)I looked last night, and finally gave up.
Time Warner subscribers don't get Ovation network at all.