Binge worthy TV

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I have not not read the book, the acting is good, so I’m not thinking how this person might look in real life , and so far there has been nothing said about her looks and feelings of being ugly.

Besides the intro, this first episode is in the orphanage when she is a child, and the atmosphere, her experience, pulled me right into the story. Shockingly, apparently if this is not fiction, orphanages in the 1960s drugged their kids with tranquilizers to keep them orderly. And this seems to be intrical to her early affinity to chess.

Now this is just the first episode, 6 more to go, so we’ll see if it holds up.

Of course there's no mention of her being unattractive because the actress isn't. I just read it was is big factor in the book.

I will have to give it a view before I pass judgement, but I feel it's just going to tick off a bunch of formuliac heart string tugging boxes, which is fine because predictable escapism has it's place, but that shouldn't elevate it to more than what it is.

 

[Huntn]

Of course there's no mention of her being unattractive because the actress isn't. I just read it was is big factor in the book.

I will have to give it a view before I pass judgement, but I feel it's just going to tick off a bunch of formuliac heart string tugging boxes, which is fine because predictable escapism has it's place, but that shouldn't elevate it to more than what it is.

For myself, having not read the book, it’s liberating because I have nothing to compare it with , so I judge it on its own merits and at this point, I can only say episode 1 was good, can’t yet vouch for the series yet.

 

[Alli]

This is why I refuse to watch movies based on books. The characters never measure up to my mental casting, and they choose things that I felt were unimportant, whilst leaving out details that I felt were critical to the story.

That being said, Queen’s Gambit is not my cup of tea in book or movie form. My mother watched it and finished it yesterday and then gave me her short version. She loved it and cried at the end. Definitely not for me.

My telly-watching this week has consisted of the latest installments of The Mandalorian and Next.

 

[lizkat]

This is why I refuse to watch movies based on books. The characters never measure up to my mental casting, and they choose things that I felt were unimportant, whilst leaving out details that I felt were critical to the story.

Yep, this. Some movies are almost unrecognizable past kernel of a plot Hollywood figures will sell.

Often enough the matter of the Bechdel Test comes up (recently mentioned here in the thread on "Writing a Novel - Research Help"). In my view a particular novel might pass that test, but by time Hollywood finalizes a screen adaptation, the movie's going to flunk it. And to me this goes not just for matters of representation of women, so also: gender, class, education, plus implied norms for attributes of personality and physical appearance.

It's not even that stereotypes are insisted upon, sometimes it's more like This Is So Not A Stereotype It's The New Normal Yeah Our New Norm For Psycho Or Genius How Do You Like It Should We Turn Up The Volume And Make It More Turquoise?​

The process of squashing a complex novel into a Hollywood film is not really known to me but one can get the impression it's like feeding a box of exquisite petits-fours into a jello-making machine: "Lime this time, we nailed it!"

So, when a movie comes out and I realize it's based on a novel I've meant to read but haven't got to, I may elect to see the movie first and then read the book. Might not be saving the best parts for last, but at least if the movie disappointed me, then that sequence of exposure sometimes redeems the writer in my eyes and I may read more works by the same author.

 

[Alli]

The process of squashing a complex novel into a Hollywood film is not really known to me but one can get the impression it's like feeding a box of exquisite petits-fours into a jello-making machine: "Lime this time, we nailed it!"

I do make exceptions for short stories, but they don’t do that often enough.

 

[Huntn]

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix 2020)- Wow, this is good, a limited series, 7 episodes following a chess prodigy from an orphanage to adulthood. It’s not a true story, but the book’s author, played chess competitively and the story is inspired by real chess prodigies and chess competition of the 1960s. Only finished Episode 1.

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Completed episode 3 and it’s holding up nicely.

 

[Edd]

I completed Queens G a couple weeks ago and am unfamiliar with the book. It‘s an easy watch; it’s kind of like she has superpowers chess-wise. They certainly didn’t play down her attractiveness. Quite the opposite.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I started the first episode of The Queen's Gambit, fell asleep, and don't think I'll be going back to it. In what I did see it did seem to back up my perception that its not for me.

Planning to check out the first episode of Your Honor, the new Bryan Cranston series.

Bryan Cranston stars as a judge confronting his convictions when his son is involved in a hit and run that embroils an organized crime family. He faces impossible choices and discovers how far a father will go to save his son's life.

 

[Huntn]

I started the first episode of The Queen's Gambit, fell asleep, and don't think I'll be going back to it. In what I did see it did seem to back up my perception that its not for me.

Planning to check out the first episode of Your Honor, the new Bryan Cranston series.

Bryan Cranston stars as a judge confronting his convictions when his son is involved in a hit and run that embroils an organized crime family. He faces impossible choices and discovers how far a father will go to save his son's life.

We are all different in our expectations. 5 Episides into The Queen’s Gambit and both the wife and I are glued to it, good performances, interesting psychological profiles and characters. One more sitting will finish us up.

 

[Huntn]

Just finished The Queen’s Gambit, big thumbs up, this is a quality, human interest story telling even if it is fictional. The critique of this compared to the book, was in the book the lead character was not attractive and struggled with insecurity. In this production there are outsider issues, self destructive issues, and dependency on drugs, but not because of being unattractive physically, just being different and ironically the character‘s intro into drugs was forced on her by the system and it also awoken an ability within her to play chess.

I was going to post the trailer, but this is more info than you want imo. It’s better to start with an orphan at the beginning.

 

[Alli]

If any of you liked Shaun of the Dead, Run Fat Boy Run, or Hot Fuzz...they’ve done it again. This time it’s a sitcom called Truth Seekers. Hilarious! Available on Prime.

 

[Thomas Veil]

I don’t know WTF happened while I was watching The Undoing it actually played the last episode for the 4th episode which lead me to believe the last 2 episodes would either explain how things got there or possibly be an alternative ending that shows how people with money get away with literal murder. But nope, just played the episodes in the wrong order.

Believe it or not, I saw something like that years ago.

NBC was repeating a two-part TV adaptation of “Frankenstein”. I forget which night it was, but they either started off part two on the first night or part one on the second night, then realized their mistake, went to a commercial, and came back with the movie in its proper order.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

If any of you liked Shaun of the Dead, Run Fat Boy Run, or Hot Fuzz...they’ve done it again. This time it’s a sitcom called Truth Seekers. Hilarious! Available on Prime.

I'm 4 episodes deep. Good stuff.

 

[Huntn]

Tried The 4400 (2094-2008) a CW show, appearing on Netflix. A meteor/comet like object streaks towards Earth to deposit 4400 people previously abducted from as far back as 1945. It seemed to have potential as these people have abilities that are not at first apparant to the authorities who release them after 6weeks back into the world. Alas, it lost me by the end of episode 1 because it lacked an edge.

On the other hand I made it through episode 1 of iZombie (2015-2019) Sci-Fi/CW Network show currently on Netflix with a surprisingly 90% Rotten Tomatoes score. This is a comedy drama with a very implausible basis, a doctor bitten during an isolated zombie outbreak wakes up as a cognizant walking dead. Besides her hair turning white and a new pale complexion, she looks normal. And as an employee at the morgue where brains are readily available for dining, she becomes aware that eating brains gives her some memories of the person’s brain she eats often victems of foul play and becomes involved in a police investigation. I’ll watch another with no gurauntee how long I’ll last.

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[Alli]

Tried The 4400 (2094-2008) a CW show, appearing on Netflix. A meteor/comet like object streaks towards Earth to deposit 4400 people previously abducted from as far back as 1945. It seemed to have potential as these people have abilities that are not at first apparant to the authorities who release them after 6weeks back into the world. Alas, it lost me by the end of episode 1 because it lacked an edge.

On the other hand I made it through episode 1 of iZombie (2015-2019) Sci-Fi/CW Network show currently on Netflix with a surprisingly 90% Rotten Tomatoes score. This is a comedy drama with a very implausible basis, a doctor bitten during an isolated zombie outbreak wakes up as a cognizant walking dead. Besides her hair turning white and a new pale complexion, she looks normal. And as an employee at the morgue where brains are readily available for dining, she becomes aware that eating brains gives her some memories of the person’s brain she eats often victems of foul play and becomes involved in a police investigation. I’ll watch another with no gurauntee how long I’ll last.

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I watched both those shows when they originally aired. IZombie was pretty consistent, with only one mediocre season. Even the series wrap-up was relatively satisfying.

The 4400 got better with each subsequent season, but never got the chance for an ending.

 

[JayMysteri0]

Coming soon for the queue list...
https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1337197803483742214/

 

[Huntn]

Started Alias Grace (2017 Netflix) a TV miniseries period piece set in Canada, by the same author of The Hand Maiden’s Tale, about a teen who was locked up for her part in a murder, a clergyman who thinks justice was not served, and a psychiatrist who consequently has a series of interviews with her. We just watched Episode 1, it could be described as slow, but I’m interested enough to see where it goes. There are 6 episodes.

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[Alli]

Started the Flight Attendant yesterday, after reading comments on it here. Love it! Two episodes left, which I will probably get to after my football game.

 

[Huntn]

Started Alias Grace (2017 Netflix) a TV miniseries period piece set in Canada, by the same author of The Hand Maiden’s Tale, about a teen who was locked up for her part in a murder, a clergyman who thinks justice was not served, and a psychiatrist who consequently has a series of interviews with her. We just watched Episode 1, it could be described as slow, but I’m interested enough to see where it goes. There are 6 episodes.

View attachment 1847​

Just finished Alias Grace and I recommend it with the caveat that it is a slow story, the performances and character studies held my interest. There was a double homicide in the past, but most of the story is about the main character, Grace, her life growing up poor, with an abusive father, as a servant in the homes of the wealthy and not having much control of her life, locked into the role of hired servant, until the murder, and then locked away in an insane asylum for 15 years. My impression, but I could be mistaken, is that I would not have liked the book, other than a portrait of a servant girl’s life and the condition of women in certain classes in the mid 19th Century.

Has anyone seen this or read the story? What do you make of it?

One thing the Character said about religion and the concept of Divne Grace was very perceptive, coming from the mind of the author. The character hears a sermon in church about Divine Grace and her thoughts are from both the series and the book:

and I said to myself that if you could not get Divine Grace by praying for it, or any other way, or ever know if you had it or not, then you might as well forget about the whole matter, and go about your own business, because whether you would be damned or saved was no concern of yours. There is no use crying over spilt milk if you don't know whether the milk is spilt or not, and if God alone knew, then God alone could tidy it up if necessary.

Alias Grace

Margaret Atwood - Alias Grace

bookfrom.net

 

[Thomas Veil]

If any of you liked Shaun of the Dead...

I had no idea until I looked it up just now what kind of movie "Shaun of the Dead" was. It sounded kind of stupid to me, but from what I'm reading it sounds a bit like a companion piece to "The World's End", which was charmingly goofy.

But I'm getting away from TV. So to make up for it, I'll stay in the horror comedy vein by mentioning that I was surprised to find Ash vs. The Living Dead kind of...blah. Some TV adaptations of movies just don't click, and this was one of them. I don't know, maybe it was the new supporting characters. They never seemed that interesting to me, so I never got beyond three episodes.