We watched Adolescence on Netflix last night.
Powerful series, 4 episodes
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I suddenly recognized Bronson Pinchot in episode 3.
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You are dead to me.
But you’re right about the song.
I tried to watch that, but I never really took to it. Kids in the Hall, on the other hand.
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Just finished binging season four of bron /the bridge/broen and boy oh boy was it excellent!!
Brilliant writing and acting, plot twists and turns galore, highly recommend.
Up next is season three of Mayor of Kingstown and perhaps season four of Fargo(yes I’m way behind).
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Nova, “When Whales Could Walk” on PBS. Aquatic fossils in the Egyptian desert. Fascinating!
We watched the interesting and unusual The Dead Thing, which was a bit of a slow burn. Originally thought it might be a vampire movie, but it’s not.
Then followed up with two more episodes of The Studio, which we enjoy.
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Watched the first two episodes of Ludwig and enjoyed it very much! Thanks for the recommendation!
Also, the latest episode of The Studio.
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The Bloody Lady (1981) - dir. Viktor Kubal
“Once upon a time, the Countess Elizabeth Bathory lived in a castle in Čachtice…” are (more or less) the only spoken words (in Slovak) in the animated version of this (formerly the Kingdom of Hungary, now Slovakia) folktale about the fabled Countess and how she would bathe in the blood of virgins to keep her youth. The rest is a masterfully told, wordless tale about love, losing one’s heart, scheming servants, and murder. It was said to have inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula (though Stoker’s notes contain no indication of this). This is considered “one of the crown jewels of Slovak animation”.
Kubal was a well known and prolific director of animated films and television both for children and adults. Like a lot of other eastern European / Soviet-era animation, much of this has only recently begun to receive restoration and wider distribution, allowing us westerners a look atnjust how innovative and what different directions animation was taking behind the iron curtain. The Bloody Lady is a strange, but really beautifully rendered mix of gothic horror/tragedy and kids’ After School Special. A grim fairytale with a tone and sensibility that feels more at home with, say, A Charlie Brown Christmas, rather than, you know, murder.
I found it completely absorbing. Its simplified forms and the backgrounds with clear pencil lines and watercolor brushstrokes readily visible emphasize just how careful and sophisticated these artists were. I found myself thinking of the lovely ‘hand made’ touches of things like seeing animator’s fingerprints on Wallace and Grommit figures. Minimal design leaves nowhere to hide, and there is never a line out of place here. The uneasy mix of juvenile tone and mature subject matter give everything a certain tension that works extremely well for this particular tale.
To see what I mean, have a look at this trailer:
If you have any interest at all in animation, eastern european/slovakian culture, or just think a “children’s story” about The Bloody Countess sounds intriguing, I urge you to seek this out. It’s absolutely worth the watch.
4.5/5 cute furry forest animals
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My Penguin Friend (available on Hulu) is a family movie that fit the bill for a comforting watch. Jean Reno plays a Brazilian fisherman who rescues an oil-soaked penguin that recovers under his care, then returns for a stay season after migration season. Sentimental for sure. Loosely based on a true story.
I couldn’t get enough of those penguins being penguins.
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They are pretty adorable as a species.
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The final episode of White Lotus, with a few unexpected twists and turns, but overall I thought it was weak. Not as weak as the farcical 2nd season, but the 1st one will always stand out.
Also, the next Rigtheous Gemstones installment, sadly without any more Goggins’ noggins.
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The Elephant Man (1980) - dir. David Lynch
Lynch’s second feature, this is a story that is loosely based on the life of Joseph Merrick, who lived in late 19th century England and suffered from what is believed to be Proteus Syndrome, causing severe deformities. It is, with the exception of The Straight Story, the most un-Lynch-like of his films. Most of the time, it’s a straightforward, beautifully photographed black and white biography ( credit to cinematographer Freddie Francis). The exceptions are two bookending sequences, one depicting the ‘legend’ of Merrick’s mother being frightened by an elephant while pregnant with him, and a final coda. Both use Lynch’s trademark multi-layered imagery and creative use of sound. But even in it’s most ‘ordinary’ moments, this film is an absolute masterwork.
The cast is fabulous, of course. Hopkins, as the surgeon Fredrick Treves, Merrick’s benefactor, is excellent as expected, and Freddie Jones, who memorably played Malcom McDowell’s parole-officer in A Clockwork Orange, makes the most of his oily smarm as Mr. Bite, a freak show proprietor who exhibits Merrick. But it’s John Hurt as Merrick that is the main draw. Under layers of prosthetics that required up to 8 HOURS to put on each workday, Hurt imbues Merrick with depth and a deep humanity that honestly had me tearing up on more than one occasion. Not something that happens to me often. But while most Lynch films aim to make the viewer somewhat uncomfortable and out of sorts, it’s worth noting that he is every bit as effective at basic drama, able to wring emotion from the audience with the best of them.
I can’t leave out the huge credit, of course, which goes to makeup artist Chris Tucker. The Elephant Man was nominated for eight Oscars (though it didn’t win any), but there was such an outcry that there was no award to acknowledge the makeup work that the category was created the following year. Lynch was chosen to direct by executive producer Mel Brooks (yes, THAT Mel Brooks) after being shown Eraserhead by his producing partner. Brooks kept his name off of the credits and out of the press, not wanting the public to expect a comedy due to his involvement. It also explains the lovely presence of Brook’s spouse, Anne Bancroft, in a supporting role.
One final, interesting note; so far as I can determine, The Elephant Man was the first film to use Barber’s Adagio for Strings in the soundtrack. The film’s composer, John Morris, didn’t like it, claiming “it’s going to be used over and over again in the future…” and thought it would diminish the power of the scene when viewed later on. He was absolutely correct in his prediction about its use, though it was really Oliver Stone’s Platoon that gave it its biggest boost. I think it works perfectly as intended in this case, even given its now much wider cultural presence.
5/5 card stock models of cathedrals
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Just started White Lotus season 3 and already really enjoying it. Very much the same themes as in the previous seasons, eg the richer the more miserable and ‘identity is a prison’, but now in my favourite Thailand! Production, music, acting (Parker Posey eg) all very good imho. Just finished episode 2. Going to enjoy this immensely!
Also finished Reacher season 3 yesterday. Quite formulaic, eg the handsome female cop counterpart, but episodes just roll on nicely and I finished the season easily. Not as good as season 1 though, but that is also because the surprise factor is not there anymore.
For me, neither sequels were as good as the first season. There’s not been another Armond since 
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I have now seen the White Lotus finale, and I has a disappoint. I liked the season as a whole, but meh - bad ending. Especially the whole “I am your father” (Luke?) which came out of nowhere. I did kind of like Belinda being lured to the dark side, though, which makes me think she dies in S4.
I literally uttered those words while watching the recent The Simpsons episode about “Othinquic.”
For reference: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0761292/
And I thought South Park did a better job.
We also watched the next two episodes of Ludwig, which we are still enjoying quite a bit. Very well written & witty.
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So I’m about halfway through Twin Peaks season 2. This is right about the point that things began to become difficult. The network began sending notes and demanding that the “Who killed Laura Palmer?” get resolved. Lynch has correctly pointed to this as a specific reason the second season lost its way. He has long maintained that they were not “just making it up as they go” and that the eventual killer was ALWAYS the killer. To him, the identity wasn’t the point. It was just the motivation that gave you access to the world. By solving it, they cut off motivation for further expansion.
As a break, I found season 8 of The Great Pottery Throw Down up on YouTube in one giant 10 hour video, so I’m gonna fly through that before the copyright cops come get it. I’ve only seen the first couple of seasons. There’s a new host, a new additional judge, and new assistants, but it’s all following the nice ‘friendly competition’ formula and I find it fascinating to watch a process I have almost zero familiarity with (and little desire to try. See also: portrait/landscape painting, bladesmithing, woodworking)
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thanks for the tip. love this show and have been missing the later seasons (hbo only has seasons 1-5). will definitely binge this before it’s pulled from youtube.
Finished Residence, and greatly enjoyed most episodes more than once.
I am also enjoying Ludwig
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