Happy almost-weekend peeps! Is it Friday yet? It’s been quite a hectic week at the office, rushing against deadlines and all that, but let’s not talk about work on the blog shall we? I mean this is supposed to be my escape!
I almost forgot doing the LINKS post but there have been some great posts from my fellow bloggers so I simply have to share ’em. Let’s start with lists, as who doesn’t love those?
Josh listed his top 50 films of 2010s so far, which has some awesome picks as well as recommendations.
LOVE this list idea from Chris on discovering new music by watching trailers
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, I’m sure you’ve watched the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer. Well Keith broke down 5 phenomenal things about it.
Speaking of phenomenal, check out Margaret‘s recap of the latest Game of Thrones‘ episode (5×02)
Oh and have you seen Margaret‘s Black Swan/White Swan blogathon? Well, check out how you can participate and read Andrew‘s pick on the topic.
Speaking of blogathons, Wandering Through The Shelves‘ Weekly Blogathon’s topic is on Superhero Movies. I’m not participating this week, but I did make a list of Top 10 Favorite Scenes from Marvel Superhero Movies back in 2011. If I were to make it now, for sure I’d add a few from the two Captain America movies!
On to reviews…
Steven wrote up about Pink Floyd: The Wall
Stu reviewed Festen (The Celebration), a Danish drama from Thomas Vinterberg
Natalie reviewed Alan Rickman’s directorial debut A Little Chaos, starring his love interest in Sense & Sensibility Kate Winslet!
Last but not least, Michael shone the spotlight on a great opening title sequence: The Wild Bunch
My question of the week is really just an excuse to talk about my new obsession 😉 But hey, it’s my blog so why should talk about things I don’t really want to talk about, right? And frankly, right now my mind’s been preoccupied with one person…
Suffice to say I’ve been bingeing on all things Stanley Weber… but it’s even more agonizing as there are so few of his work out there. Much like most of my crushes in the past, Stanley did a lot of stage work in his hometown Paris. Oh what I would give to see him LIVE in the flesh in Anna Christie with Mélanie Thierry.
In any case, in between MSPIFF and other screenings, I’ve been sneaking time to watch Not Another Happy Ending and the StudioCanal’s BORGIA: Faith and Fear, both are on Netflix if you’re so inclined to check ’em out. Ladies be warned, you just might soon be obsessing over this c’est magnifique Frenchman 😉
…
Speaking of BORGIA, I simply have to include this insightful post from a historian comparing the two shows on the infamous Borgia family: StudioCanal’s BORGIA: Faith & Fear & Showtime’s The Borgias. This is the blog author’s conclusion: “Showtime’s series is more approachable and easier to understand, but Borgia: Faith and Fear much more interesting, in my opinion, and also more valuable. The Borgias thrills and entertains, but Borgia: Faith and Fear also succeeds in showing the audience how terrible things were in the Renaissance, and how much progress we’ve made.”
So tell me… what’s been your shameless TV/movie indulgences of late? Come on, fess up!
…
FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
Another great set of links and video clips, Ruth. You are so generous! I’m honored to be included among these. Many thanks! 😀
You’re most welcome Michael!
Thanks for the link love. I usually don’t watch a lot of TV as I need to catch up on recent episodes of Veep as I’ve been busy with other things. That trailer for the new Star Wars was amazing as I bounced out of my chair and screamed like a girl when I saw heard and then, saw Han Solo and Chewie and cried. I’m glad to know that I wasn’t the only one.
I don’t usually watch TV either, but there are exceptions of course. I did finish Daredevil (13 eps) and now on BORGIA season 1. Ahah, I figure tons of SW fans cried when they saw Solo and Chewie together 😀
I’m just not sure i could ever consider someone called ‘Stanley’ sexy. It just doesn’t scream ‘hot’!
Ahah, good point, I actually thought of that when I first discovered him. But in French it’s pronounced Stan-lay and it sounds far more exotic. Besides, so what if his name isn’t hot, he more than makes up for it in looks which screams ‘scorching hot’ 😉
‘Stan-LAY’! Ruth, i didn’t know you had such a filthy mind!
Ahahahaha! Well when the right stimuli comes around… 😉 Just kidding! That’s what I gather from the French interviews I’ve been watching, clearly I’m um, well-researched on the matter!
Best show thus far in 2015? Daredevil.
Gritty, violent “Batman-esque” television series ranks among the best, with Vincent D’Onofrio being the standout performance to beat this year.
I haven’t seen many shows so I can’t say, Rodney but for sure it’s one of the top 5 best shows of this year! I didn’t care for Gotham but glad that Daredevil delivered!!
Hi, Ruth:
Though I am not a huge fan of Romantic Comedies. ‘Not Another Happy Ending’ looks interesting. Huge fan of Karen Gillan (Amy Pond: ‘Doctor Who’ with Matt Smith). And like Emily Blunt. I expect great things from Ms. Gillan!
Catching up on Fox’s ‘Gotham’ and ‘Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD’. Also need to find something on Tuesday nights to fill the final episode of ‘Justified’. There are a few channels on my Cox TV package. It’s BBC/UK is full of Brit mysteries, Top of my list is ‘Foyle’s War’, ‘Inspector Morse’ and its earlier ‘Endeavour’ centered in the 1970s. And ‘Inspector Lewis’. Where Kevin Whatley takes over Morse’s mantle of Oxford/Cambridge murders. With the aid of Laurence Fox (Edward Fox’s nephew). Great Brit ‘partner” series!
One channel handles “Classic TV’. While two other focus on films from my stomping ground of 1940s to 70s films.
Hi Kevin! ‘Not Another Happy Ending’ is worth a look if you like Karen Gillan, it’s actually much more enjoyable and fresher than most US rom-coms, it has a European charm and wit, plus the Glasgow scenery is gorgeous!
Did you catch Daredevil by any chance? It’s sooo much better than Gotham IMHO. Btw, you might enjoy BORGIA, the main guy is from The Wire, John Doman, it’s filled w/ mystery, intrigue, suspense, sex & violence, just what you’d expect from a Renaissance mafia family.
Thanks for the link!
TV/movie indulgence? I’ve recently been watching the IT-Crowd with Richard Ayoade, which is quite amusing
Oh I LOVE the IT-Crowd! Watched a few episodes of various seasons, love all three of the cast, esp Ayoade!
Hey Ruth, thanks for the link. It’s very good of you to do so!
My shameless TV indulgence has to be First Dates. I guess there may be a US equivalent but it’s just a show in which 4 or 5 couples meet for a blind date in a restaurant and are filmed. Very simple but sooooo watchable!
Oh First Dates sounds fun! I haven’t heard of that but I could see that could be addictive. I’ll see if I can watch a clip of that somewhere.
I’m in the process of trying to watch all the Studio Ghibli films I missed, so – when I get a chance- i’ll try and sneak one of those in. Having said that, it’s all about Game of Thrones and House of Cards recently. Slowly beginning to feel that, as addictive and celebrated as they are, they’re far from perfect.
Hello Simon, welcome to FC! Oh, no need to be ashamed of watching Studio Ghibli films 😀 I actually have only seen one,Spirited Away. I think w/ TV shows, if they’re absorbing and entertaining enough, most people are willing to overlook the flaws. I think the variety of accents in BORGIA is distracting at first but after a while I was engrossed in the story.
My shameless TV indulgence is Chopped. I could watch that show for hours.
Oh is that from the Food Network? I could see how that could be addictive if you’re into cooking shows!
I shamelessly indulged in Downton Abby…like…INDULGED!!!
Thanks for the link 😀
Ahhh! I need to get back bingeing on Downton again, I’ve only seen season 1 so far. That’s awesome that you’ve been indulging in them!
Borgia’s Faith and Fear looks great. I don’t get Showtime or can keep up with many television series, but this looks right up my alley. Maybe I can rent the series and watch it over summer break….
Hi Cindy! I do think it’s right up your alley. I know you like Jeremy Irons but do watch the Euro version called BORGIA, not the Showtime one, I’m glad I did as based on some reviews I read, it’s more historically-accurate, gritty & atmospheric. There are only 3 seasons so it’d be easy to catch up to them. The scenery (both nature and people) are simply astounding! Juan is despicable but oh so easy on the eyes thanks to Stanley 😉 Found another trailer for the show, oh la la! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOTeIcLAubI
Thanks for the tip. I will gladly aim for the European version. 🙂
Shameless? Hmmm.
I don’t know that I have one, really, but the closest thing is this: The Walking Dead. Before my treadmill broke and I had to start running outside (gasp), I was watching at least one, and sometimes two, episodes everyday, while I completed my run. I managed to make it all the way through the first four seasons on Netflix.
Wow, seems that lots of ppl are obsessed w/ Walking Dead. I trust that it’s a fascinating shows, I just can’t get past the zombies. Too bad about your treadmill, I could see people can binge whilst doing their excercise 😀
That was the best part of the treadmill. I really hate running ….
But the TV makes it less painful.
Shameless! 🙂
Ahah, well that’s appropriate 😉
Thanks so much for the link! It would be awesome if you could participate in the blogathon!
Hi Margaret… I was just about to come over & let you know that I’m not sure I can participate. I struggle w/ finding the kind of split-personality character that really makes an impression on me but I can only come up w/ Gollum. I might have to sit this one out but will surely enjoy reading others’ post on that topic. I hope you’re ok w/ that.
Oh sure, no problem! It’s not the easiest task, hopefully you’ll enjoy reading the round up!
Oh for sure! I’ve read a few of them and they’re great, fantastic idea for a blogathon!
I’ve never heard of any of those shows you’re obsessing about nor the actors, so I can’t comment on them. For me I’m obsess over shows like The Walking Dead, Justified (which sadly aired its last episode last week), The Americans and later this summer Hannibal. Other than those shows, I don’t watch much TV except for food and traveling shows such as Parts Unknown and Bizarre Foods.
Like a lot of people, I was very impressed with the new Star Wars trailer. But then I remember many people were excited when Star Wars Ep. 1 trailer was shown years ago, which is very similar to this new one:
We all know how the actual film turned out. But I have a good trust in JJ Abrams since he did a good job with the two Star Trek films. Also, George Lucas is no longer involve in any creative process of the new films so no more childish humor and stupid sidekick like Jar Jar Binks!
That’s quite a lot of shows you’ve been watching Ted! I think BORGIA is fascinating if you like say, The Sopranos. It’s basically a mafia family set in Renaissance era.
Ahah yeah, all the hate for Jar Jar, I doubt Abrams will be stupid enough to insert such a dumb character. I sure hope it’ll be good, I guess we’ll find out in Christmas time.
I watched Con Air again the other night. What a crazy movie!
Ahah, I watched that twice in a row a few yrs back when I was sitting in my hotel room during a trip. Such fun guilty pleasure and Nic Cage rocked! 😛
Don’t watch any TV on a regular basis so my shameless obsession would have to be movie based. In fact, I’ll just say movies in general. I know, I know. That’s a cop out. And I’m sticking with it.
Hey no shame in not having a TV obsession, mine consist mostly of movie or actor obsession too 😀
Funny to see you have a new crush again 😉
As for indulging, after reading about Daredevil here and on Fernby Films I just had to give it a go and have been watching a lot of episodes since Tuesday….so I’ll probably finish the first season this weekend. It is an awesome show!
Ahah, well there’s no telling when and how hard it’ll hit!
Glad you checked out Daredevil and loved it. It’s certainly one of the best series I’ve seen in a while.
Thanks so much for the inclusion Ruth! Really appreciate it. Can you tell my excitement level for Star Wars has reached insanity level! I sure hope it delivers.
My pleasure Keith! Ha ha yes I can feel your feverish enthusiasm, seems that you’re as excited about it as I am w/ everything Stanley Weber 😉
I love these posts Ruth, as I get to find more blogs and am reminded of blogs that I haven’t checked out for a while. There are so many to keep up with!
Oh and I just nominated you for the first ever Official Award of Awesomeness!!
Thanks to Eric @ IPC for the Award image!
Hi Jordan, it’s always fun highlighting other great blogs out there. THANKS for your awesome award!
Thanks for the link! My shameless TV/movie obsession lately would be the White House action movies of 2013 – Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down. I watched them recently, and I actually enjoyed both of them a lot. For all the bad reviews they got, I thought they were a lot of harmless fun.
You’re welcome Josh! Ahahahaha, did you watch the two White House action flicks back to back? I’ve only seen Olympus Has Fallen and it’s indeed a harmless fun. I haven’t seen White House Down though.
I watched Olympus Has Fallen first, then White House Down the next day. They’re both fun, but WHD is a little more comical.
Ah I see. Well, there are some unintentionally funny moments in OHF too, I’m actually anticipating London Has Fallen, just to see how preposterous that would be!
A lot of links there, I wish I had the time to read them all…but unfortunately April-May_June are the most hectic months in school 😦
Anyway…I love your questions, I haven’t seen any of those series but your question is currently perfect for me as I have just finished watching 13 episode of Helix (currently writing about it)…I haven’t been watching American series in ages till Helix.
Hi Nov, hope you make time for a bit of fun even during your busy months!
I’m not sure what HELIX is about, sounds sci-fi-ish so I should look that up.
Thanks for the shout out Ruth. I’m definitely sold on watching Borgia: Faith and Fear after that quote. I’ve just finished binging on Breaking Bad (behind the times I know) but I’m feeling a little lost now it’s over! Might start watching another old box-set of The West Wing and I’m desperate to revisit my favourite show of all time The X-Files after the reunion news!
I’m almost done w/ season 1, 3 more to go, which makes me sad because Juan (Stanley Weber) will have less screen time in season 2 😦 But it’s a bloody great series Natalie, I’m sure glad I got to see it, it’s very dark but well-written & well-acted, so a great one to follow up after Breaking Bad I’d think.
It’s terribly embarrassing but I’ve been binge watching Gossip Girl on Netflix #theshame
Ahah, don’t be. I’ve been bingeing on all things Stanley Weber, from documentaries, tv, movies, EVERYTHING. It’s been an utterly-consuming crush.
Pingback: Movie Review – Titanic |