Sherlock Season 2

Two things.
1. Spoilers. Don't read unless you've watched the show.
2. Haven't seen the show? All the episodes are streaming in good quality for free on the PBS website. Here's a link to the first episode. I trust you can navigate a website well enough to find the rest. http://video.pbs.org/video/2229864759/

Before I got caught up in all The Avengers excitement (or maybe during, my sense of time is a little wibbly right now), I commenced watching Sherlock season 2 on PBS. My dad also started watching with me, which is awesome. There's nothing better than a family that can enjoy British television together.
Anyway, season 2 really blew me away. I'll go episode by episode. Warning: This is going to be a very very long post. Episode by episode, this is what I thought.

A Scandal In Belgravia- Season 2 starts with an episode based off of the original Holmes story A Scandal in Bohemia, a personal favorite of me. However, this one takes quite the turn with it. The focus is on Irene Adler, an opera singer in the books, and here in the show, she's an, erm, dominatrix if you will. I definitely was not expecting half of the things that happened in the episode. Lara Pulver does an excellent job of keeping Irene interesting. Benedict and Martin are completely awesome as usual, and let's not forget Andrew Scott's memorable ten minutes tying up the cliffhanger from last season (which by the way, hit me out of nowhere).

The plot is intricate and intriguing, as is every episode, but this one takes on an entirely new subject: Sherlock's lack of emotion. In fact, the reoccurring theme of season 2 is Sherlock gradually finding some emotion and sentiment. Not too much of course. I mean, he is Sherlock Holmes, but it's progress, I will say. Will we ever see a fully emotionally functioning Holmes? I doubt it. But it's interesting to see him confronted with not only a very sexual woman, but also an intellectual equal.

I laughed a lot in this episode too. There's always room for a few moments of comedy in these episodes, and that's something I really enjoy. Cinematography is top notch as well.

The Hound of Baskervilles- Wow. Oh my gosh. One of the most famous Holmes stories adapted for the small screen by the brilliant crew, and believe me, it doesn't disappoint. This is one of the most thirlling episodes of anything I have ever watched. It creeps up on you like the fog in the scenery. Everything ties together so amazingly that my jaw dropped a couple times.
Baskerville is no easy task. It's one of the most mindbending Holmes stories ever written, and from what I heard Steven Moffatt and Mark Gatiss (the writes, and Gattis plays Mycroft in the show) spent weeks puzzling over how to get it just right and make it work in the modern setting. It was no easy feat, but it's done so beautifully.
I enjoyed the twists and turns and was legitimately  very scared at times. The new characters were very involving (I'll let you guess who they are :) ), and there's a certain depth to one episode characters that you simply can't find anywhere else on television. The conclusion really sets up for the last episode while still giving you some satisfaction from the episode's plot. Five bajillion stars.


The Reichenbach Fall- Being a fan of the original Holmes books, I vaguely knew what we were in for when I started Reichenbach that Sunday night. However, I didn't expect how far everything would go, and how brilliant this episode would prove itself to be. This might be my favorite episode out of the six that have aired.  From the minute that Reichenbach starts, there's an inevitable and appropriate feeling of doom. Things just continue to spiral downward for the characters, but the quality of the show just keeps going up.
I won't give anything anyway, because even though I said spoilers, I know some of you have probably not watched Reichenach and are foolish enough to still be reading. But I was outright sobbing. Usually, when I get worked up over a film or TV show, tears well up, but I'm quiet. No. I was crying my wittle fangirl heart out. My family had to tell me to shut up.
First of all, Martin fladoodling Freeman. He breaks my heart in this episode. He won a BAFTA for his performance as John Watson for last season, rightfully so, but he's even better here. John is one of those characters that really grows on you the more you watch him. I'm very emotionally attached to him.
Benedict is also Martin's equal in the episode. The facade' of Sherlock Holmes falls a bit in this episode, and every line, every gesture, is there for a reason. Well done Mr. Cumberbatch.
Also, Andrew Scott, who is a mainplayer in this episode for once. We've literally seen Moriarty all of 20 minutes until Reichenbach, but here he is in almost every scene. Andrew plays a very mesmerizing Jim Moriarty. It's a little reminiscent of Heath Ledger's famed portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight, but very unique and different at the same time. You never quite know what he's going to do next. All the awards (which is kind of true, because Andrew won a BAFTA for this performance a few days ago).


I literally cannot express everything I feel about this show, and I love that about Sherlock. It's so big and intricate, but it also retains that dark sense of humor and fun that is what made Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original Holmes such a classic.

Rating: All the awards. Watch this show.

-Randi

The Avengers Reviewed! (SPOILERS)

After a failed first attempt, I finally saw Marvel's Avengers today.

Reaction:


If you don't want to read what is sure to be a long rant about character development, tasteful explosions, and Bruce Banner/Mark Ruffalo, here's the short answer: It was totally amazing and I loved ever minute of it.

Here's the long version.
Oh my gosh. The Avengers is everything you could possible want in a summer block buster... AND MORE. I'm not even kidding, I was in  nerd heaven the entire time. I'm still trying really hard to form complete sentences about it. If I were a lesser blogger, the review would be something like this:

asdfioasjgklangwbetjiaoejgoHOHMYGODTHOR'SHAIRISLUSCIOUS.aagihawdgnakldgnadAnd BRUCE BANNERrouguiagdhgopkasodhusgdfhhsdogjasiodhhgdojgposjuiGHOCOULSONarhiohgdnglangkjweeiejtihhitheiehndnndnLOKIMYBABY

You get the picture.

So anyway, let's go by categories or I'm going to get off track reeeeally quick.

1. Character building
It should also be noted that I've seen all of the prequels, so I might refer to things not in The Avengers that happened.

I love how the cast approaches the Avengers almost like a comedy ensemble. Everyone really plays off their characters personality. There's an exchange between Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America in a forest that cracked me up.  There's a lot of humor that you wouldn't expect. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man is funny as ever. The scenes with Tony Stark and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) are especially awesome.

2. Tastefully done explosions and action sequences.
I love  a well choreographed chase scene. The opening sequence is Loki breaking into S.H.I.E.L.D. and the chaos that follows. That's when you know you're in for a great ride. The last half hour of battling in Manhattan is also done just so. There's lots of action and explosions,  but not in obnoxious way a la Transformers.

3. I especially enjoyed the time given to characters that didn't have prequels. Jeremy Renner and Scarlett Johanson (not sure if I spelled that right) play Hawkeye and Black Widow respectively. They get great fight scenes and as much backstory as is possible. But the real star here is Mark Ruffalo playing Bruce Banner/The Hulk. I never liked the Hulk all that much, but after seeing The Avengers, my mind was definitely changed. Joss packs an emotional punch in the character of Bruce Banner (and Captain America for that matter). Kudos. And Mark Ruffalo is adorable.

4 TOM FLADOODLING HIDDLESTON! Never could there ever be a more perfect Loki. You can see he's totally evil, but you still feel for him, especially if you've seen the Thor prequel. Also, I don't think I've seen someone who is so grateful to their fans than Tom. Seriously, follow him on twitter, he is so sweet to everyone.

5. Everyone hanging out at S.H.I.E.L.D. is pretty cool too. You've got Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson. They really lay down the canvas for the characters to paint on, adding some color of their own too.


I just love how everything in The Avengers just really comes together and feel cohesive. Despite the two Iron Man sequels, Thor, Captain America, and the one Hulk movie (the one from 2008 does not count),  it all becomes whole and works really well together in the film. That's no walk in the park, and I'm so thankful to Joss and the cast for working so hard on something so great. Don't miss it.

Conclusion:


-Randi

In Which I Discuss Middle School, The Avengers, and the End of Some Things

Hey guys!
Sorry for the long post gap, stuff has been happening like crazy.
Anyways, this post is probably going to descend into crazy ranting so you can't say I didn't warn you.

I end my last days of middle schooler/ home schooler this week. Wow. Wow. Um, wow.
It's hard for me to fathom not being in middle school or home schooled. The though of going back to public school this fall is so....well, it seems like some kind of weird dream that seemed much farther away a few months ago.
But I'm glad middle school is over. It's been one...erm, how do I even try to phrase this nicely............interesting.


But off the sentimental stuff now.

I was in Sunday School this morning, sitting quietly and staring at everyone talking because I rarely get to take part in the conversation, when they started talking about The Avengers.
If you don't know yet, I went to go see the flim on opening day, but got sick about three quarters of the way through and had to leave. It was depressing, and I still haven't finished the movie, but oh my Gandalf, I loved every bit of this movie. And the prequels. Excellent stuff.
But back on subject. They were talking about the movie. Just not the plot. No, like most girls around the world, the focus was on Captain America's butt.
Look, I'm not going to lie, the cast of the Avengers is really attractive. But that's not what the story is about! The Avengers is a fantastic piece of cinema with great character development and plot and tastefully huge action sequences. Not to mention the absolutely HILARIOUS script.
I related the incident to my mom after church this afternoon and she was like "Relax, they're middle school girls." And I'm not? I think I'm  just some kind of abnormal film snob I think.
Oh, and I'll write  a review for the Avengers when I've finally finished the movie, but you can expect a lot of Loki feels and gifs.

Well, I promise I'll have some type of actual structured post up soon. Until then, here is a gif of Tom Hiddleston talking about Loki. Don't ask, I have a lot of feelings



-Randi

The Descendants

To be honest, the hype surrounding The Descendants is really confusing. It's alright, I guess, but nothing special.



The film has two hours to deal with a lot of harsh subjects that can't even be addressed in one film and have a satisfying conclusion. If there had been another half-hour, I might've at least felt satisfied with an ending. But in truth, I was quite ready for the film to be done with by about the half way point.

When George Clooney lets that little convincing tear roll down his cheek, I was about ready to hit stop. The melodrama was a little too much for me to enjoy.  It was just getting too big.

The only thing I thought was fresh and new was the setting. Hawaii has probably never been featured in such a tragic drama. The cinematography and location were fantastic, so props to those guys. But I couldn't really get into the rest of it. I just felt very meh by the end of the movie. It was a by-the-numbers drama that definitely didn't deserve the hype it got in my opinion.

In fact, if you took out George Clooney and Shailene Woodley (who by the way is actually excellent) and replace them with more mediocre actors, you'd probably have some kind of crazy Lifetime movie.


Proceed with caution.

-Randi

The Tree of Life (Or, The Movie That Could Have Been Great)

I'm not really sure what I just watched, but it was kind of pretty.
The Tree of Life is an overly ambitious venture into uncharted territory. Director Terrence Mallick tries to tackle the big subjects of death, life, beginnings, ends, nature, and grace with subtlety and beauty, but ends up feeling pretentious and becomes too abstract to make any sense.
I turned the movie off about half way through, simply because nothing was making any sense. I was bored and honestly, watching had become a chore.
The cinematography is stunning, and the score is quite stirring, and the acting is adequate (Jessica Chastain is particularly good here). But there is literally no narrative in the tree of life. None. I tried to be open to the movie, but The Tree of Life definitely would've benefitted from some actual story telling. It's very stream of consciousness story telling, but it doesn't work in this instance. I really needed some sense of direction in such an abstract movie.
I respect what The Tree of Life was trying to do, but it falls short of it's huge goals. There's a reason this movie hasn't been made before,  and that is because all of the things the film tries to cover are just too big for 2 and a half hours. It was a valiant effort though.
In conclusion:


-Randi

The Iron Lady Review

Oscar season came and went too fast for me. I still haven't seen a couple of the movies I vowed to see before the ceremony (although I did see everything that won. Just flaunting my hipster status). The only movie I had yet to watch that won anything important was The Iron Lady, for which Meryl Streep won Best Actress for portraying Margaret Thatcher.
I finally got a chance to check out the movie with my mom today, and I really enjoyed it. It's an interesting portrait of a little talked about political figure (well, on this side of the pond at least).
The story is told mostly in flashbacks. A very aged Margaret Thatcher keeps hallucinating that her husband, a very hilarious Jim Broadbent,  is talking to her as she sorts through his old things, giving way to flashbacks from her political career from beginning to end.
The acting is excellent, and the content is made interesting through good screenplay and excellent source material.
The film makers use real footage with the movie as well, giving it a really real feel. The Iron Lady is not an extremely dramatic biopic. It feels realistic in my opinion.
Something interesting that I noticed was that the colors in the flashbacks are more vivid than in the present-day scenes. There is a lot of blue in the Iron Lady, navy in the past and pale in the present. It was just a  cool way of making everything work together to tell a story.
I did get a little bored a few times. The story is interesting, but the movie wears out it's welcome.
But it's definitely an excellent British drama. I'd recommend it to those who liked films like The King's Speech.
-Randi

Born To Die by Lana Del Rey Reviewed!

Occasionally, Amazon will run these really great sales on MP3 albums, which I usually don't get, but sometimes it's just too tempting to pass up.

So I was checking my updates from them tonight and I had five bucks left from a bookstore trip, and Lana Del Rey's "Born To Die" pops up under the lovely price of three dollars, so I gave it a go.


Out of the 12 tracks on the album, only about five of them are worth even listening to. And most of those were on the short EP that was released before the album.
The fact of the matter is that the lyrical tone, pace, and instrumentation of the album is consistently the same except for two songs. It's slow, sad, swirling, lush music put to the syrupy, 60's inspired "vocals' of Miss Del Rey.  If that description makes you a bit sleepy, the actual album will be more effective than a sleep pill for you.
I'm not saying that it's all horrible and awful and nobody should be allowed to listen, it's just very blah and boring. Lana tries for scandalous beats and an old fashioned sense of sensuality, but hits the "I'm trying really hard to be hipster" level. It's almost sad really, because there are some genuine moments on the album.
For example, the song that launched her fame, Video Games is easily the best song on the album. It sounds like what everything on this album wants to be, but isn't. There is a sense of sweet sadness and the slow, moving, instrumentation is all really soothing.
One of the other highlights is Diet Mountain Dew. Whereas the early demo was slow and dreamy, this one is the only track on Born To Die where the speed of the song actually speeds up and feels alive.
I also liked Blue Jeans, Summertime Sadness, and the title Track, because while Lana's sound is distinct and easily recognizable, it's also very boring after 12 tracks. These 5 tracks are the best taste of the album you will get.

The other 7 tracks are disappointing to say in the least. Off To The Races and Carmen are especially abysmal. Something happened during the writing of Born To Die, and it seems like all the creative power that may or may not have been Lana Del Rey lost steam and really really wanted to write about something else instead of the melancholy love story that is all Born To Die seems to talk about. Literally three quarters of the lyrical content can be summed up in a bit of the chorus from Blue Jeans: "I will love you 'til the end of time/I would wait a million years/Promise you'll remember that you're mine/Baby, can you sit through the tears?
I myself could not sit through said tears. While I will admit that my life is not sunshine and rainbows, this album is so slow and depressing towards the end that it's hard to keep from falling asleep or doing laundry while listening.
It feels like Miss Del Rey was trying to create a portrait of a corrupted world where hot guys with tattoos always leave like you expected them to stay, trips to The Hamptons aren't that expensive, and maybe material success isn't all you'd hoped it would be. ALL of the album tone can be summed up in more lyrics, this time from the aptly titled National Anthem: "Money is the anthem of success/Now before we go out, kiss kiss/....or /God, you're so handsome/take me to the Hamptons.

I can honestly say that if this album had been more varied in it's lyrical content and instrumentaion, I would've liked it better. Lana's voice is smooth and her image is interesting, but it becomes so old and stale and boring after the first five songs that it's easy to give up on.


Say what you will about Born To Die, but there are some shining moments. They're just outdone by all the bland tracks that follow.

-Randi