Being Human Series 1-3

Quick opinion: Fun, sometimes gross, melodramatic.

U.S. or U.K.?:  BBC.  I tend to not enjoy remakes, and I haven’t spent the time to finish this series, let alone starting the American version.  But I will.  Someday.

So what is this?: It’s like a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Odd Couple. A vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost become flatmates. Hilarity ensues. If you find life and death struggles hilarious. There are moments where this show is damn funny, but for the most part you have to be prepared to see your favorite guy covered in gore because he just ate someone. (He’s a vampire! Really! But he’s trying to be good.)

But why watch an “old” TV show?:  My Aidan Turner obsession.  All I’ve done since finishing Poldark is work, sleep, and watch Being Human on Netflix.  SPOILER:  And now that he’s gone I’m not in a hurry to finish the series.  I frankly don’t care.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, but without Mitchell (Aidan Turner) I don’t have the urgency to watch.

Why is he so pretty?:  He just is.  I’m too old to have a crush, but an unhealthy obsession is right up my alley.  When he smiles I lose it.  Normally, when an actor gets all dark and tortured I roll my eyes, but not so in this case.  Even with bits of other people stuck to his face I found him attractive.  That’s devotion.

Other people are in it, too:  I guess.  The ghost is played by a mostly too chipper lady named Lenora Crichlow that is dressed like an extra from Fame…for all eternity.  The werewolf is played by Russell Tovey, and that man can scream in agony like no one else.  It is such a retched, girly scream that I actually forgot it wasn’t real.

Bromance:  The best moments of this show are when Mitchell (Turner) and George (Tovey) are being “guys.”  Who cares if they’re supernatural beings?  They hang out watching tv.  They solve problems with a couple words and a change of subject.  They get each other, and Annie (Crichlow) is often dumbfounded, being a “let’s talk it out” kind of girl.

Final thoughts:  Being Human is a great show with some unique and insightful moments, but I am blinded by Aidan Turner.  I found myself annoyed when he wasn’t on the screen.  I will, someday, finish the series, but I don’t see myself watching it soon.  Now to track down Desperate Romantics….

Image from fanpop.com.

Poldark Series 1

Quick opinion:  Addictive.  Brooding.  Fast-paced.

Awkward kisser:  This is not just a romance.  It is a drama about social and societal injustices.  However, the romance is the addictive part for me, and it’s what kept me up until 4am.  The wistful gazes of Demelza; the intense stares of Ross; eventually the sexy smiles between the two…those are it.  However, the part that made me sad was that all the  chemistry in the world can not save an awkward kiss.  Maybe I’m spoiled by Outlander, but while everything up to the kissing is filled with emotion, the kisses are oddly chaste and…off-center?  Not quite bullseye?  Disappointing.

Do the time warp:  The first series spans years.  By the time I realized that was happening I was very confused.  “You’ve been my kitchen maid for two years…” was my first clue.  (Paraphrased.)  I had been thinking she had barely been there a year when things started getting interesting between Ross and Demelza.  Not so.  Pregnancies are announced and babies are christened within 2 episodes.

Your mascara is running:  Sorry, my bad.  That’s your scar.  Horrible make-up job, guys.

Disturbingly fake-looking baby alert:  While some parts show the actual baby, there are quite a few moments where there’s no way a baby is in that swaddle.  It’s a pet peeve of mine.  Even a few times when you could see a baby it looked oddly stiff and sharp.  I know that’s a weird word to use, but it’s the most accurate one I can think of.

Well, hello!:  Everyone’s running around properly covered from head to toe for entire episodes and suddenly BAM! Aidan Turner shirtless wielding a scythe.  Holy crap.  Well. Formed. Man.  I was unfamiliar with Mr. Turner before now, but I will definitely be watching for him.

Droughtlander:  This series was recommended to me for the exceedingly long period of time between the first and second seasons of Outlander.  To whomever that was?  Thank you.  Just what I needed.

Worst.  Cliffhanger.  Ever.:  SPOILER:  When Ross and Demelza are suddenly in the church in front of the vicar and he asks if Ross takes Demelza as his wife and Ross turns to look at Demelza, then back at the vicar, then CREDITS, I thought the next episode was going to start there…AT THE CLIFFHANGER.  Nope.  We never get to see the wedding vows.  We never get to see the look of joy on Demelza’s face when she says her vows.  We do not get to see the customary kiss.  Sadness.

Outlander/Poldark:  Twice Poldark reminded me of Outlander.  First, there is a “following feet walking through a meadow” scene.  That is forgivable.  Secondly, and I understand that both stories are taken from source material, but SPOILER when Demelza seduces Ross with the old “help me with my dress” routine, the whole unlacing the dress scene was so reminiscent of Jamie and Claire’s wedding night on Outlander that I was unduly distracted and had to watch it again.  Yup.  That’s why I had to rewatch it.

Final thoughts:  Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson, essentially playing opposite characters, are fun to watch.  She sometimes seems like she’s in a screwball comedy, and he’s tragic and serious.  There are times when Demelza comes off as a mouth-breathing simpleton, which bothers me in a romantic lead.  The way the show is constructed does not give us the time to adjust to her growth and changes.  Looking forward to the next series!

Image from tvcastname.com.

Inside Amy Schumer Season 3

Quick opinion:  One trick pony.  But she does her trick well.

I just…:  I just don’t find her funny.  After the first skit of the first season I had her figured out.  And she has rehashed that same joke over and over.  Being shockingly frank about her sex life isn’t funny to me, and I never, ever laugh.  Reacting unexpectedly becomes expected after a few times.

But…:  I still like her.  I appreciate what she does.  I just don’t see it as humor.  What is it?  Girl talk on an epic scale with the raunchy friend that always gives too much information.

80’s Ladies:  I loved the time-warp of the “80’s Ladies.”  The whole thing was spot-on from the hair and make-up to the advice.  Took me right back.

Word on the street:  I enjoyed the interviews, both on the street and “real people” varieties.  You could tell they were being completely truthful, especially when Amy was fishing for salacious answers and she got true-to-life human responses that were logical, sometimes sad, and always rang true.  Sometimes the answers were boring, but I didn’t care.  It was sometimes edited for effect, but I only felt that way a couple times.

Final thoughts:  Just because I don’t find it funny doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it.  I do.  The “12 Angry Men” sketch was painful to watch, but I kept thinking that it was genius.  Looking forward to next season!

Image from blog.whipclip.com.

Miracle Mile (1989)

Quick opinion:  Unexpected and took it self too seriously.  Extremely entertaining.  A surreal thriller.

Living the Dream:  How much do I love a Tangerine Dream soundtrack?  So much.  In Miracle Mile the music is overwhelming, but it works for the over-the-top everything of this movie.  Can’t imagine it?  Think Legend (1986), Risky Business, and Vision Quest.

How have I lived my life without this movie?:  Really, how?  I have always been a movie nut and I’m shocked and appalled that this movie slipped through.  I thought I had seen the best crazy 80’s movies!  And this is crazy.

Mare?  What did you do to your hair?:   Good Holy God, does Mare Winningham have horrible hair in this movie.  I kept staring at it.  Awful.  Bad.  And worse, it’s stolen directly from David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Pinups era.  Ugh.

Dr. Greene?:  I knew Anthony Edwards had been in things before “making it big” on ER, but I did not see this performance coming.  At the beginning, when I thought this was going to turn into a comedy, I got really excited to see him doing goofy things.  I was not let down.  I saw him do super goofy things, but this is definitely not a comedy.

Time-capsule?:  Not exactly.  This is so incredibly 80’s, and at the same time so bizarre that it was more like watching science fiction taking place on a distant planet.  This is one of those movies that mostly takes place on one night, and that pacing and the type of thriller this is made it possible to see a lot of stereotypical 80’s L.A. characters.

Final thoughts:  Wow.  I couldn’t look away.  Cheesy and oddly tension-filled, mostly due to the relentless soundtrack.

Image from syfy.com.