Saturday, August 20, 2011

Top 10: Things I watched this week

I've been less than consistent with this, I know. The same old excuses, I won't bore you with it. I haven't done anything exciting and I don't have anything terribly creative to contribute, so instead here's a list of ten random things I've watched in the last week (or two).

  • Captain America: The First Avenger
Somewhere in the last two years, I seem to have sold my soul to Marvel. That said, this was probably my least favourite of the lot so far. It was...okay, entertaining, good production as always, but I just didn’t really care about it. It also had a significant number of Star Wars moments, so by the time it finished I kind of just wanted to watch Return of the Jedi. Still, The Avengers trailer at the end was enough to have me flailing like the pathetic fangirl I am. Loki! Tony! Hawkeye! Thor! I just hope it can live up to the hype.

  • Rise of the Planet of the Apes
This type of film is kind of unsettling. On one hand, you feel compelled to identify with the humans…after all, you are human. But then you sort of want the monkeys to have their revenge. Bit of a weird situation. I didn’t actually want to see this – it just not my kind of thing. That said, I think it deserves all the good reviews it’s had. The CGI is really amazingly well-done, and Andy Serkis is disturbingly good at playing these non-human characters so believably.

  • The Fountain
Um. It has Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz in it? I honestly don’t know what to say about this film. It’s so very existential. But I did watch all of it, so it has that going for it. In a nutshell, it’s about death. The film tracks three parallel stories over I don’t know how many years in a weird sci-fi-fantasy like way. It’s directed by Darren Aronofsky so really, weirdness is to be expected. Now I like weird movies, but this didn’t really do it for me. I didn’t think it was bad, but it didn’t make me think either – which is probably what it was trying to do. But I do like the film score though.

  • The Young Victoria
I’m not going to lie to you Marge, I loved this. Loved. It. I think I'm developing an unfortunate love for films dealing with royalty…wonder what that’s all about. But never mind! This film is so pretty. And I thought the cast were solid. However the real question is, will Mark Strong ever not play a bad guy? It’s a dead giveaway when I see him in a film. "It was him! I don’t know what happened, but whatever it was, he did it." I do like his evilness though…but maybe that’s just because I love Septimus from Stardust so much.

  • Jonah Hex
The things I watch for you, Fassbender. I sincerely doubt the people behind this gave it any significant thought. It’s barely over an hour long and would really have benefitted from some actual character development.

  • Band of Brothers
So. Much. Heartache. The tears, the tears everywhere. I fully expected this to destroy me. But it is so, so phenomenally good. Luckily mum was into as well, so that gave me someone to cling to – and I really did, I was cowering behind her arm pretty consistently from the moment they made the jump at the start of ‘Day of Days'. And ‘Bastogne’, oh dear god. As a general rule I avoid watching war-based things (well, realistic modern war things.) After Saving Private Ryan had me in tears within the first ten minutes, I decided I just wasn’t cut out for this sort of thing. It thoroughly depresses me and makes me hate humanity. But I'd heard such great things about BoB and since Life showed me what an amazing actor Damian Lewis is, I just couldn’t resist. And really, this series is just packed with brilliant actors. They’re all there! You can’t recognise them, but they’re there. It is a brilliant series. I cannot recommend it enough.

  • Brothers & Sisters
I’m just taking forever to get through the first season - only three episodes left! But my slowness doesn’t mean I don’t love the show. I really do. It’s consistently brilliant and often has me laughing like an idiot. Ah dysfunctional families, they’re the best kind.

  • Hex
A terrible show that makes me question what I’m doing with my life. There’s a reason I never got into it the first time it was on air. It makes so very little sense. I want to give it the benefit of the doubt but I’ve just realised there’s only 6 episodes in the first season and I’m already halfway. What the hell!

  • Wilfred
The only reason I paid attention to this was because I saw Elijah Wood in the ad. Fickle, me? Never. It’s based on an Aussie comedy show that I’d never heard of – not that it’s saying much, I’m not the most up-to-date with local things. But anyway, the show is basically about Ryan and his neighbour’s dog Wilfred, which Ryan sees as a man in a dog suit. I am actually ashamed to admit that I watch this because every fibre of my being tells me I shouldn’t, and I definitely shouldn’t enjoy it as much as I do. Ah well.

  • Spirited
This show. It’s like someone had a photo of me on their desk and thought ‘Hey, let’s write something for her!’ With the ghost of a punk rocker, how can you go wrong? It’s quirky, a little odd and awkward, with characters that are frequently cringe-worthy. And I adore it. I’m only two episodes into the second season, hopefully I'll have a chance to catch up soon.


Music: Holiday - Green Day

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