I figured I would make an update on what I’ve been watching and listening to over the last month or so.
Television:
Hannibal
Explores the early relationship between the renowned psychiatrist and his patient, a young FBI criminal profiler, who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers
Hannibal is a show I started watching when it aired but got away from after three episodes. Since then, season one and two have been critically acclaimed and my friends who have watched it all won’t shut up about it. Since both seasons were on Netflix and season three is in production, I figured I would get back into it. Hannibal is a show I both like and am annoyed at. I think the acting, design, mood and imagery are amazing (show creator Brian Fuller is known for this). The actual story drives me nuts because Hannibal is such a slippery character and the other characters are so oblivious at times. I guess that is the point, Hannibal is a master at what he does. It will be interesting when the show starts introducing plots from Silence of the Lambs (which I am most familiar with). Check it out if you’re looking for a show with great ambience and tone, but be wary at how nuts it will make you!
The 100
Set 97 years after a nuclear war has destroyed civilization, when a spaceship housing humanity’s lone survivors sends 100 juvenile delinquents back to Earth in hopes of possibly re-populating the planet.
The 100 was recommended to me by a friend and I cautiously decided to check it out. The 100 is a show on the CW, and I know their shows can be hit or miss (especially when teen characters are involved). Colour me surprised when the show really drew me in. The plot is immediately interesting if you are into dystopian futures and space stories. I like the dual plot of the kids on the ground and the adults up above in the Ark. Both storylines deliver and feel important. There is a lot of forward momentum too, the characters don’t stop to linger or have filler episodes. The female cast is terrific too with half the cast being primary female characters in leadership roles. Usually in these shows there are a few grown worthy characters we don’t care about, but so far most have been consistent and engaging. The special effects and scenery are actually well done for a show like this too. The show is currently airing season two with no word on season three as of yet.
Misfits
A group of young offenders doing community service get struck by lightning during a storm, and begin to develop superpowers.
Misfits is a British show that I’ve been watching on and off over the years. The first three seasons follow the same five/six characters and has a solid conclusion for them. I stopped after that for a while, but decided to try season four which has a whole new cast (save two characters). I was a bit apprehensive about it since I really liked the original cast, but the new cast isn’t too bad actually. The stories are still interesting and I found season four to be really funny. The only real problem came with the powers, they were underused fairly often but it strangely didn’t take too much away from the story. I will probably watch the last season when it’s available (Netflix only has up to season four). If you ever had an interest in the show I would definitely recommend it, there are only seven or eight episodes a season so it is a quick burn.
Movies:
Interstellar
A team of explorers travel through a wormhole in an attempt to find a potentially habitable planet that will sustain humanity.
Before seeing Interstellar, I was fairly hyped for it. Anything directed by Christopher Nolan is worth seeing just to see what he does. I am a sucker for science fiction stories set in space, so this seemed right up my alley. I tried to stay in the dark on the movie because I wanted it to surprise me. Well, I finally saw it and I really enjoyed it. The story was intriguing enough to bring me in and the space scenes were incredible. I thought some of the science dialogue would go over my head, but everything was explained very straightforward. The ending is a bit strange and a tad coincidental, but I liked it. It is worth seeing along for ambitious filmmaking and if you want something to think about for a few days afterwards.
Big Hero 6
The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.
Ah, Disney’s first animated offering based on a Marvel property, and it delivers. Big Hero 6 was a great ride, filled with gorgeous visuals and style. The characters (which I knew very little of beforehand) delivered in numerous ways and had their own unique identities. The is a lot of genuine emotion to be found in the movie too. What can I say, everything just looked so cool and authentic, I wanted to be in that city!
Pumpkinhead
A man conjures up a gigantic vengeance demon called Pumpkinhead to destroy the teenagers who accidentally killed his son.
I didn’t get the chance to talk much about Halloween or horror movies last month because of work (two things I love). I was able to watch a few horror movies after work and I came across this gem on Netflix. The movie oozes with ambience and actually has a neat setup story that takes its’ time and introduces us to the characters and settings. The actual “monster” action doesn’t even start until halfway through. The title character of Pumpkinhead was very well designed and looked and moved convincingly. I actually felt bad when some of the teen characters died or were in danger, which doesn’t always happen in these slasher(ish) movies. If you are looking for a horror movie sometime, give this baby a try.
Music:
Thought I would post some songs I’ve been listening to lately.
Oasis – Don’t Look Back In Anger
I’ve been on an Oasis kick lately. They made some great songs, but I like this one the most.
Brandon Flowers – Magdalena
Mentioned in an earlier post that The Killers are one of my favourite bands. For those who don’t know, Brandon Flowers is the lead singer of the band and this song is from his solo album. There are some great tracks on his album, this one being my favourite.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood – The Power Of Love
One of the characters on Misfits sang this song during a scene and I really liked it. I was surprised to see it was done by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, who I thought was just that one hit wonder band who did “Relax”.
Yes – The Calling
Yes is a great band. They produce songs that are truly unique and layered. This one by them has been a favourite for the last bit and really gets me pumped!
Head East – Never Been Any Reason
Good old classic rock song.
This has been a taste of what I’ve been up to lately, hope to get back to updating my blog more often!
Jarthurdoyle 