We finished it yesterday. I thought it was great, didn’t think the lead was miscast at all, and the cinematography continued to be an absolute joy. I also loved the ending.
The resident historian convinced me to check out Manhunt, which is a fictionalized account of the Lincoln assassination. We watched a couple of epis, but dunno yet if we’ll stick to it.
Also started in on the fascinating documentary The Synanon Fix. The only time I’d ever heard about this organization / cult was in the famous German non-fiction book Christiane F., which is an autobiographical account of a child heroin addict/prostitute. She spent some harrowing days in their “institute” to get clean. Their ‘therapy’ approach seemed to consist predominantly of mental and emotional abuse, and brainwashing.
Do yourself a favor: don’t read the rest of this. Just go to Amazon prime or Apple TV (or if you’re lucky, an indie theater is showing it) and rent Hundreds of Beavers. It’s a comedy. Little to no thought is required. You’ll laugh. That’s all the knowledge you need. Trust me.
But if you MUST know more….
This is a live action cartoon. And I say that in the best possible way. Presented in black and white with highly rudimentary (but effective) VFX, this is the story of Apple Jack maker Jean Kayak, who must tame the wilderness and trap many beavers, hundreds of them, in fact, to win the heart of the local lass and satisfy her merchant father.
It takes all its rhythms from Loony Toons, old Fleischer films like Betty Boop and Popeye, and MGM’s Tex Avery. Every moment brings another joke, another site gag, it just doesn’t stop. Beavers, bunnies, and wolves (all hilariously depicted by actors in sports-mascot-like animal costumes, are gleefully hunted down, and shown to be filled with cloth-made stuffed ‘organs’ and cotton fluff and styrofoam packing peanuts. Cartoon physics rule exactly as they do in animated movies. There is no traditional dialog.
The crowd at my showing was dying laughing. Funniest film of the year so far. See this. You’ll thank me.
Also- no, no one makes any ‘beaver’ jokes the way you’re thinking. You have a filthy, filthy mind. Shame on you.
Recaps were made for you and me Don’t expect too much. I just went with it & had my PIC fill in a few blanks - he of the larger brain / better memory for shows
“A 19th-century French aristocrat, notorious for his scathing memoirs about life in Russia, travels through the Russian State Hermitage Museum and encounters historical figures from the last 200 plus years.”
This does not begin to describe what you’ll see. IThe film consists of a single unbroken Steadicam shot as you, the viewer, are guided through the Hermitage and encounter historical re-enactments of events that took place within its walls, including a full on ball with dances and a full orchestra, a classical play presented for Catherine the Great, and a host of other fascinating scenes. Wry commentary gives both context and a distinct editorial viewpoint, all the while being utterly dazzled by that particularly Russian ‘more is not enough’ aesthetic.
Beyond being a work of great beauty, and it is, it is a triumph of filmmaking logistics. There are no edits, no sneaking in a cut behind a pillar ala’ Hitchcock’s Rope. Digital image capture means it’s actually one continuous shot, deploying a cast of HUNDREDS, all staging elaborate scenes within this amazing space, like the most elaborate live play.
Finally finished up this year’s Great British Menu. I ended up skipping forward a lot and then watched the last week with all the chefs who had won their areas. It was fun and enjoyed it all. Loved the winner!
And casting Toby Jones, who was a “Detectorist” and can uncover anything, and Alex Jennings with his bearing (Prince of Wales in “The Crown”, among other roles) frosts the cake.
