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Reviews...
Jan. 1st, 2021 09:34 pm1. Making my way through Bridgerton - I've seen episode 4 now, which actually address the race question, making me wonder about the academics and critics. Rhimes is admittedly subtle in how she deals with it in the early seasons of her series, then slowly as they move forward, she starts to be less so. Laying the groundwork, and kind of sneaking it in there - so she hooks the white racist liberals who have no clue they are racist, and wham.
I applaud her for it, actually. ( spoilers for Bridgerton and I'm about to inflict my opinions onto you all - read at your own risk )
2. I've decided I'm addicted to chocolate. I had some, and my irritation disappeared. Like a salve or something. Spoke to mother tonight. She was funny. Apparently my father asked her if she lived nearby.
( off-beat sense of humor at play again...not for the faint of heart.. )
3. His Dark Materials S2
Finished watching His Dark Materials S2 today. It's not as good as S1.
But I kind of knew that going in.
I think it veers from the books a bit, but I don't remember enough of the books to be certain. I'm almost positive that ( spoilers ).
It does get a bit heavy-handed in its metaphors. But the casting continues to be spot on, and I like the twist. That said, I find it a little preachy/ranty in regards to the authoritarian religion bit. HBO - this works better, than it did in movie theaters. They'd never get away with that in the movies. In fact, the movie got blasted by the Catholic Church who felt, and rightfully so, slandered by the text.
I kind of hand-waved a lot of this when I read the books, helped by the fact that I have my own difficulties with the Judeo/Christian religion. This actually really is a biting critique of Judeo/Christian religions and Muslim religions or authoritarian based, patriarchial religion. And it was counter to CS Lewis's pro-Authoritarian based patriarchial religious novel, aka Chronicles of Narnia. (I hand-waved that in the Chronicles of Narnia as well, also I think it helped that Lewis isn't nearly as heavy handed with his metaphors.) Pullman outright states they are going to take down the authority - aka God. And Lyra is meant to be Eve, and to fall, bringing about the end of Paradise, and the advent of knowledge.
It's grating, but I love Lyra, and Will, and all the characters. Also Ruth Wilson is rather brilliant as the complicated Mrs. Coulter. There's also a strong theme about agency, and how growing older is not a bad thing. Pullman had issues with how Lewis and other writers romanticized childhood and placed it on a sort of pedestal. Arguing that growing older and becoming an adult is not a bad thing. In the Narnia books - only children can travel to Narnia, when they grow older - they can't go, and slowly forget. Pullman found that to be offensive. He also had problems with the latent misogyny in the Narnia novels. It helps if you see Pullman's novels as a kind of a critique of the Narnia style fantasy novel. Lev Grossman's The Magicians is equally a critique of that style novel but in another way.
His Dark Materials - is revealed in this season. ( spoilers )
Overall a good adaptation of the books, as I remember them. But problematic in some of the same ways. Golden Compass is still by far the best of the three. This season like the prior one, ended on a cliffhanger. More of one actually...curious to see how it gets wrapped up, assuming the pandemic doesn't get in the way of things.
4. Finished Great Pottery Throw-Down
I didn't like Series 3 as well as the prior two. Series 1 is by far the best, and Series 2 isn't bad. The change in judges and hosts kind of weakens things. Although in some respects the new host is better equipped and less awkward. The new judge is in contrast more awkward and less equipped.
The challenges got on my nerves a bit at times in the third series - there was way too much emphasis on decoration and illustration. It's pottery not drawing class. And I felt the judging was far too subjective in the third season. Jacob who had a crack in his toilet, beat out Matt as potter of the week - when Matt's toilet was flawless. Granted the design/illustration could be more bold - but that's a subjective thing. Also Rosalind won - top
potter based on her illustrations, not on the actual pots. It felt flawed to me, somehow.
Curious to see if they pull off a fourth season.
I applaud her for it, actually. ( spoilers for Bridgerton and I'm about to inflict my opinions onto you all - read at your own risk )
2. I've decided I'm addicted to chocolate. I had some, and my irritation disappeared. Like a salve or something. Spoke to mother tonight. She was funny. Apparently my father asked her if she lived nearby.
( off-beat sense of humor at play again...not for the faint of heart.. )
3. His Dark Materials S2
Finished watching His Dark Materials S2 today. It's not as good as S1.
But I kind of knew that going in.
I think it veers from the books a bit, but I don't remember enough of the books to be certain. I'm almost positive that ( spoilers ).
It does get a bit heavy-handed in its metaphors. But the casting continues to be spot on, and I like the twist. That said, I find it a little preachy/ranty in regards to the authoritarian religion bit. HBO - this works better, than it did in movie theaters. They'd never get away with that in the movies. In fact, the movie got blasted by the Catholic Church who felt, and rightfully so, slandered by the text.
I kind of hand-waved a lot of this when I read the books, helped by the fact that I have my own difficulties with the Judeo/Christian religion. This actually really is a biting critique of Judeo/Christian religions and Muslim religions or authoritarian based, patriarchial religion. And it was counter to CS Lewis's pro-Authoritarian based patriarchial religious novel, aka Chronicles of Narnia. (I hand-waved that in the Chronicles of Narnia as well, also I think it helped that Lewis isn't nearly as heavy handed with his metaphors.) Pullman outright states they are going to take down the authority - aka God. And Lyra is meant to be Eve, and to fall, bringing about the end of Paradise, and the advent of knowledge.
It's grating, but I love Lyra, and Will, and all the characters. Also Ruth Wilson is rather brilliant as the complicated Mrs. Coulter. There's also a strong theme about agency, and how growing older is not a bad thing. Pullman had issues with how Lewis and other writers romanticized childhood and placed it on a sort of pedestal. Arguing that growing older and becoming an adult is not a bad thing. In the Narnia books - only children can travel to Narnia, when they grow older - they can't go, and slowly forget. Pullman found that to be offensive. He also had problems with the latent misogyny in the Narnia novels. It helps if you see Pullman's novels as a kind of a critique of the Narnia style fantasy novel. Lev Grossman's The Magicians is equally a critique of that style novel but in another way.
His Dark Materials - is revealed in this season. ( spoilers )
Overall a good adaptation of the books, as I remember them. But problematic in some of the same ways. Golden Compass is still by far the best of the three. This season like the prior one, ended on a cliffhanger. More of one actually...curious to see how it gets wrapped up, assuming the pandemic doesn't get in the way of things.
4. Finished Great Pottery Throw-Down
I didn't like Series 3 as well as the prior two. Series 1 is by far the best, and Series 2 isn't bad. The change in judges and hosts kind of weakens things. Although in some respects the new host is better equipped and less awkward. The new judge is in contrast more awkward and less equipped.
The challenges got on my nerves a bit at times in the third series - there was way too much emphasis on decoration and illustration. It's pottery not drawing class. And I felt the judging was far too subjective in the third season. Jacob who had a crack in his toilet, beat out Matt as potter of the week - when Matt's toilet was flawless. Granted the design/illustration could be more bold - but that's a subjective thing. Also Rosalind won - top
potter based on her illustrations, not on the actual pots. It felt flawed to me, somehow.
Curious to see if they pull off a fourth season.
