Christmas TV and Films
Dec. 28th, 2013 12:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
redfiona99Which was complicated by finding things that at least 2 of the family would watch.
TV-wise we watched:
Jonathan Creek, 'The Judas Tree', which was pleasingly fiendish. I sort of guessed part of the resolution, I just couldn't figure out how they'd done it.
The Tractate Middoth - which was based on an MR James ghost story and was suitably terrifying.
Mark Gattis's documentary about MR James afterwards was interesting too. Admittedly I was amused by the bit where he thinks collecting gory saints's deaths is a bit odd and I'm like "you mean everyone doesn't do that?!" Apparently, no, not everyone collects gory saints's deaths.
Film-wise there was:
This was gorgeously filmed. The music, the costumes and sets, oh my, the sets looked lived in.
And, of course, having Mia Wasikowskia in your film is always a plus. She's a wonderful, magnetic actress. Actually, the whole thing is pretty stacked on the acting front. Judi Dench's Miss Fairfax is a delight.
I am of the party that says Michael Fassbender shouldn't be allowed to play Romantic leads until I manage to get myself a fainting couch.
Also, all concerned made a creditable attempt at Yorkshire accents, which was pleasing.
The Samantha Morton Jane Eyre was on earlier in the day and my Grandmother said she preferred the Mia Wasikowska one, except that the cut the "Reader, I married him" chapter, which annoyed my Nan immensely.
I'm still not entirely sure about the way they structured it but I give them point for not doing the cheap and easy thing of letting Jane's hair down to show her happiness.
Or whatever it's really called. I've been repeatedly told it's not called "Skeletons vs Terracotta Warriors: The Movie with Yetis" despite that summing up all my favourite things about it.
On second viewing, I have decided that the major problem with the film is that Alex O'Connell is such a snot that he needs to be punched in the face. Not hard, just for medicinal purposes.
I had, however, forgotten how good Jet Li is as the bad guy.
And
With Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
Which gets away with an awful lot of heaving bosoms given when it was made. And a lot of texty sub-text in any scene with Dracula and a woman.
I enjoyed it a lot more than expected, I particularly liked Peter Cushing's Van Helsing, because he was a man of science and was testing and experimenting with his theories on vampirism.
That being said, Jonathan Harker wins the award for "most incompetent vampire hunter ever".
And also, last night,
I know why people talk about the dance routines, but why does no-one ever mention the comic timing or the brilliant silliness. Even if I did end up shouting "just tell her your name" at the TV a couple of times.
TV-wise we watched:
Jonathan Creek, 'The Judas Tree', which was pleasingly fiendish. I sort of guessed part of the resolution, I just couldn't figure out how they'd done it.
The Tractate Middoth - which was based on an MR James ghost story and was suitably terrifying.
Mark Gattis's documentary about MR James afterwards was interesting too. Admittedly I was amused by the bit where he thinks collecting gory saints's deaths is a bit odd and I'm like "you mean everyone doesn't do that?!" Apparently, no, not everyone collects gory saints's deaths.
Film-wise there was:
This was gorgeously filmed. The music, the costumes and sets, oh my, the sets looked lived in.
And, of course, having Mia Wasikowskia in your film is always a plus. She's a wonderful, magnetic actress. Actually, the whole thing is pretty stacked on the acting front. Judi Dench's Miss Fairfax is a delight.
I am of the party that says Michael Fassbender shouldn't be allowed to play Romantic leads until I manage to get myself a fainting couch.
Also, all concerned made a creditable attempt at Yorkshire accents, which was pleasing.
The Samantha Morton Jane Eyre was on earlier in the day and my Grandmother said she preferred the Mia Wasikowska one, except that the cut the "Reader, I married him" chapter, which annoyed my Nan immensely.
I'm still not entirely sure about the way they structured it but I give them point for not doing the cheap and easy thing of letting Jane's hair down to show her happiness.
Or whatever it's really called. I've been repeatedly told it's not called "Skeletons vs Terracotta Warriors: The Movie with Yetis" despite that summing up all my favourite things about it.
On second viewing, I have decided that the major problem with the film is that Alex O'Connell is such a snot that he needs to be punched in the face. Not hard, just for medicinal purposes.
I had, however, forgotten how good Jet Li is as the bad guy.
And
With Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
Which gets away with an awful lot of heaving bosoms given when it was made. And a lot of texty sub-text in any scene with Dracula and a woman.
I enjoyed it a lot more than expected, I particularly liked Peter Cushing's Van Helsing, because he was a man of science and was testing and experimenting with his theories on vampirism.
That being said, Jonathan Harker wins the award for "most incompetent vampire hunter ever".
And also, last night,
I know why people talk about the dance routines, but why does no-one ever mention the comic timing or the brilliant silliness. Even if I did end up shouting "just tell her your name" at the TV a couple of times.
