Josh’s social anxiety is hilarious. Just think of how he guzzled the wine when Sally’s mother was there for that awkward dinner, or how he edges out and avoids uncomfortable situations. I love it.
Demonic, dark side Sally is actually really entertaining, hectic plot to watch. The introduction of the Reaper and then all the things that subsequently happen? So good.
Seeing Aidan delve deeper into the world of the vampires, and it is messy, ugly, and digs up another side of him altogether, which is quite cool to see.
More of Aidan’s past was also welcome.
The friendship between Aidan and Josh will just always be awesome. They are definitely besties.
Zoe was a character I liked. She was so awkward and amusing, but I also felt so sorry for her later on – the Nick situation was a killer.
Aidan and Josh banding together to save Sally – friends for life! It was also quite funny to see how they had no other choice but to let Zoe know that they are totally not normal humans.
What I didn’t like:
Nora irritated the crap out of me this season. I really like her and Josh together, but this new Nora? Nah uh! What a bitch.
Those thoroughbreds are a real issue – they come in out of nowhere, make issues for Nora and Josh, make Josh to feel a fool, nope. Just not on man.
So many story arcs were introduced, rushed through, and then discarded. Like, really? What was the point of all that?
Josh and Julia being together again was something I wasn’t a fan of. Not because Josh isn’t allowed to be happy, it was just a silly plot device.
Rating:
Yep, another really entertaining season if you ask me. Aidan will just never get the freedom he wants, to lead the life he chooses, there is just always something lurking about to make him miserable. The assumption was that the end of Bishop would have bought him his freedom, but instead left him in the precarious place of leading Boston. Never mind that, it put him in the line of fire of Mother, an acient vampire, and Suren, her daughter who crushed his heart many years ago.
Josh and Aidan are trying so hard to just be normal, and it is failing miserably. Aidan is still judged super harshly for ever slipping or just for being loyal, but is still expected to carry the world. I was pleased to see in this season that Nora knew all about Josh’s werewolf secret, and thought it was going to be amazing (after they dealt with the fact that she, too, is a werewolf). But oh no, it could never be that easy with Josh, and instead we got these annoying thoroughbreds introduced to us, and they just got right in there what with tearing Josh and Nora apart. She was such a bitch and so cruel in this season, really, she annoyed me the whole way through. ICK.
While Sally can still make things all about her, it was interesting to see how her arc went this season, what with her making friends, learning about possession, getting hooked, and leading a Reaper into her world. The consequences were rather dire there, and the way she snapped was fantastic. Seriously, it was worth a watch. Something that amused me endlessly was Aidan sleeping with Julia, only to find one super awkward morning that Julia is, in actual fact, Josh’s ex-fiancé. I know it sounds bad, but that scene was handled well. The friendship between Aidan and Josh survived it, so all is well. However, later, after Nora and all her stupidity, when Josh and Julia were together again? Not a fan. It’s just not supposed to work that way. Nope. Plus, he belongs with Nora. She just needs to get over her crap.
Aidan and Suren was a relationship that needed to grow on me, and I still don’t think they were properly suited, but definitely better than Aidan and Rebecca, that’s for damn sure. Suren originally grated on me, but she gets better. Still not a huge fan, but better. I also happened to thoroughly appreciate the story she told of how Aidan kept a black orchid from her mother alive once a upon a time. It was beautiful. The effects are still a bit sketchy, and there are times where the narrative stumbles a bit, but Being Human is still a damn fine show that I would highly recommend to anyone that wants a supernatural comedy/drama mix. Worth your time, for sure.
Hayley and Elijah getting some awkward time together, and finally caving to it. YAY!
More Vincent. I really like this character, definitely interesting, and I am so looking forward to seeing where it goes for him.
The relationship ties between characters really improves more with each passing season.
I warmed to Freya – she annoyed me last season, but she has grown into herself, and definitely fits into the family better now, and I like that.
The relationship between Klaus and Elijah. I love how they can mess each other up intensely, but they are the only ones allowed to mess with each other like that, and then they will have drinks. Nicely done guys.
The guest appearances from Stefan and even Matt Donovan, as pompous and annoying as he still is.
The Mikaelson family drama remains absolutely enthralling every step of the way.
Those last two episodes! That finale! Like oh my goodness!
Okay, okay, okay. I can’t help it, but Elijah. So cold, so efficient, so classy, sohot.
What I didn’t like:
Lucien. Ugh. I don’t even want to really type out what I think about this… prat. It’ll get ugly.
All these first turned vampires got on my nerves, not even going to lie.
This whole Camille/Klaus and Aurora/Klaus thing. It just annoys me. He doesn’t actually have any proper chemistry with them, anything that would convince me that they are supposed to be together (whichever he wants).
Camille annoyed me enough as is as a human, but as a vampire? UGH.
Finn coming back.
That whole prophecy angle, while it was good, was dragged out way more than necessary.
Minimal werewolf story arc, and I actually liked knowing more about them all.
Rating:
Oh my goodness! What a season! Initially I was a little peeved, and there were sections I didn’t like, but there was also so much that was so right with this season! When it started up, I was a little sketch about all these first sired vampires, one for each Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah. Lucien Castle particularly annoyed me, even just the way he spoke. Soon it was evident that it was going to be an issue. Tristan didn’t peeve me like Lucien, but Aurora was a piece of work I didn’t like, and neither did I like this forced, ancient love story.
Davina leading the witches and finding herself wasn’t bad, either, I have warmed up to her as the show has progressed, though she truly still is a flawed individual. A character I adore is Vincent, and the man is fantastic, has his own set of morals, and works totally different. He is a character that is immensely sure of himself. I was also pleased to see how the Freya story arc was sorted out, because I really didn’t like her in the last season. I was so sad to see Jackson killed off – like I said, I really liked the dude, I just didn’t want him to be with Hayley because I am a Haylijah shipper for life man. Elijah is so freaking in love with Hayley, but he is such a good man and would put her happiness above his wants, and would step back so that she could just live her life. Man, too much for me.
Anyway, you obviously know I was over the moon when Klaus wheedled Hayley into admitting that she still had the hots for Elijah, and that she should do something about it, and then she did. My heart sang. Anyway, the Mikaelson “Always and Forever” motto is really put to the test here, and it was insane to see Kol brought back, but Rebekah taken, Finn brought back, though it was short-lived (thank goodness), and there is just melodrama everywhere, as is Mikaelson tradition. I loved seeing how this season tied into The Vampire Diaries (season 7), and it was great to see Stefan again.
Freaking heck, can we just talk about this Camille/Klaus crap for a second? It has always irritated me, this you know, but this last season it was particularly bad. Then the bitch was turned, and was even more annoying. I know this sounds awful, but when she passed, the only person I felt bad for for losing her was Vincent. Anyway, the way the Mikaelsons sorted out the warring sirelines was fantastic, and Klaus’s disposal of Lucien was cold, like wow. All that aside, that finale nearly drove me crazy! People dying left, right, centre, wars starting, this super dangerous hybrid whatever Lucien crafted, Klaus’s life, my poor Elijah getting snacked on (I literally cried out “no” when it happened), all sorts, it was some intense stuff! I was riveted.
Sally, Josh, and Aidan becoming so tight, especially after the guys initially tried to send Sally away.
Tony helping Sally to be a more interesting ghost. This was quite amusing for me.
Josh and Aidan’s struggle to be normal can be quite amusing at the best of times. Things work, and then they don’t, and then there are, of course, these insane complications. Makes for an interesting watch.
Josh and Nora and their super quirky, strange relationship – it’s hilarious, and they really click quite well.
Josh’s facial expressions are pure gold.
The intricate relationship between Bishop and Aidan. You get glimpses of it throughout the season, and while you don’t get far too much depth from it, you get enough to know it’s actually quite good.
This dinner scene, that went from amusing to hilarious (convince the family Josh is not a werewolf, let the vampire consume garlic, and wham, there we have it):
Josh reconnecting with his family was also a good thing – the show didn’t drag it out for forever and six days, when it would have lost its impact.
Sally’s death reveal – sheesh, that was some crazy stuff, but I think it was handled really well.
What I didn’t like:
Rebecca. This character just grated on me. So many of my complaints about this season come purely from her, and her antics.
Ray, and how he tried so hard to split Josh and Aidan apart when they are such besties.
The camera work is a little sketchy at the best of times.
Sally really can make everything about herself.
Rebecca and Aidan being painted as this epic love story confused me. They were not that tight before she passed, they were not that tight after she was turned, but we are supposed to buy into them being each others everything? CONFUSED.
Rating:
The first time my husband and I watched this show (although the rewatches have just been me), we put it on as a filler something to play on the TV while we munched some junk food and chilled. What happened, however, was us burning through five episodes and getting to bed late (it was a weeknight) because we got hooked. I had it for a while but the premise just sounds absurd: “A vampire, a ghost, and a werewolf live together in an apartment and try to be normal”. It sounded so silly, and yet, when you watch it, it just works.
The show is so stupidly entertaining, but I can’t get enough of it, flaws and all. I think it is a crying shame that it was cancelled what with only four seasons. I know that this is based on a U.K. show of the same title, but that I have never watched. After this, I don’t know if I can ever watch it. This is actually quite a solid introductory season, and it has a smaller budget, sure, you can see this, but it never really detracts from the entertainment. I quite enjoy the characters, or I do, for the most part.
Sally, while she can be annoying and supremely self-centred, is also very sweet and exceptionally loyal. Then there is Josh, who is constantly overthinking things, but he is smart and quirky. Aidan brings up the last leg of this trio, and is the character I enjoy the most, because he is (so far) the most layered of the lot, but I suppose it is easier to create a more complicated character if they have been around for a few hundred years. Aidan is constantly sorting everything out for Josh and Sally where he can, being the loyal friend, pushing them to do more, to be more, always being supportive, but is also the one that gets the most flak if something goes wrong, which I really don’t think is fair. He is judged the harshest all the time, and expected to be perfect, when he is just a flawed individual.
Anyway, the show also has its share of superbly irritating characters – Rebecca and Marcus definitely top my list here. For one, Marcus was jealous and competitive and whiny, not to mention he did’t have a backbone. Then there was Rebecca. She was just some chick Aidan went out with one night, banged, and killed. Yes, that is bad, but then the show paints it like some epic love story when she comes back to life (thanks to Bishop) and all. I just didn’t get it. I could have bought into it if they just left it as a purely sexual thing, but they tried to force emotion into it the whole time and that was just awkward. Not to mention, she does super questionable things. The worst was when she turned Bernie, which crushed Aidan, who was forced to kill Bernie, and then Rebecca was all torn up like she had lost everything when she knew this kid all of one day? I don’t get it man!
The effects are a little dodgy, sometimes the pacing is a little off, but Being Human is packed with awkward humour, is tons of fun to follow, and has three great leads that carry this show really well, making it one heck of an entertaining watch, something I definitely didn’t initially believe it had any right to be.
So. Much. Klaus. I am a huge Klaus fan, and I was from the moment we met him in The Vampire Diaries. He’s just bad to the bone, really, and so unapologetic about it. He is what he is, and he doesn’t care who you are.
Elijah. Again, I have always like this Original. He is so honourable, has amazing suits, always looks good, speaks beautifully and has such a dignified air about him that you cannot help but respect him. On the flip side, do not get on his bad side. Like holy wow, the man is brutal as heck.
Being able to manage the stories of witches, werewolves, and vampires. New Orleans, man, was the best setting for this, because there are a ton of each of the supernatural beings, and it doesn’t seem out of place in New Orleans.
Glimpses of the Mikaelson past. Seriously, having been around for centuries means that there is history to tell.
Elijah and Hayley and all their back and forth. Yes. This couple? I think they are great. I just want Elijah to be happy, and he is so into Hayley, and being the man of honour that he is? Man, it’ll just be fantastic.
The warring between Marcel and Klaus. Really, to see where Marcel came from, the relationship between him and Klaus, and how things have gotten? Oh my.
Father Kieran. I actually really like this character – I was a bit worried when there was the requisite priestly character for this type of thing, but it worked quite well.
The story arc of the wolves. I like that they are actually quite important here, not just a side plot to the vampires. The Originals has managed to successfully involve all these factions, and really well, too.
The relationships between characters is great. Elijah and Klaus, Klaus and Marcel, Marcel and Davina, Davina and Josh, Cami and Klaus… there are just so many and they all work exceptionally well.
What I didn’t like:
In The Vampire Diaries, in season two, Elijah was against Klaus because he was convinced that Klaus had killed off their whole family, and then Klaus brokered a deal to give the Mikaelson family to Elijah/reunite them, if he helped him. It was then revealed that the family had merely been daggered and lying in coffins. It was big news to Elijah. However, in The Originals, there are daggerings happening left, right, and centre, and it is well known knowledge that Klaus daggers the siblings that peeve him to teach them a lesson. I was not a fan of the inconsistency.
Davina actually irritates the hell out of me at the moment. She is so… she’s such a bloody child, and whiny. Get your things together sweetie, such is life!
Rebekah still irritates me. Not as bad as before, what with getting to spend more time with her, but enough to peeve me still. I guess we will have to wait and see how all this goes.
Francesca. Oh. My. Gosh. You can just tell she is trouble from the off, and what an ugly chick to boot, too. What an ego she has, too! Wow!
Rating: Okay, so I ended up watching this because I finished all The Vampire Diaries and was all sad cause I was so hooked. Naturally, I turned to The Originals because you all know I love my Klausie. And Eljah. A lot. So I was, of course, willing to watch a show where they were the central leads. Of course I was. I wasn’t going to look down my nose at an opportunity to see as much Klaus as possible, as well as Elijah and his gorgeous suits, phenomenal poise, and stunning vocabulary. Seeking this out was well enough, as The Originals happens to be a really good spin off series, which is rare.
The plots are well developed, the characters have depth (even if it takes time to reveal them), the show ties in nicely to The Vampire Diaries, but only briefly and quickly, so you can easily watch this without the former, and the pacing is cool. The first few episodes fumble a little, as is to be expected, but as soon as the ball is rolling, we are on a fantastic mission here. It was interesting to see how Klaus’s opinion of Hayley and her pregnancy changed as the season continued, and it showed an extremely hidden side of him. Elijah, too, stepped up and showed another side to him, which I love. The man has impeccable taste and is a man of honour, integrity, and his word mean everything. He is super polished. However, under all that, he is a brute of note.
Klaus taking on Marcel for the city was interesting, too, because they both want such different things out of the whole deal. The story arc of the witches, their oppression, and then eventual completing of the Harvest was great, and resurrecting the fallen. I thought it was crushing to see how Rebekah had brought their father, Mikael, to New Orleans all those years ago to run Klaus out of town so she and Marcel could be together, because it is a really sad thing that Klaus is painted terrible and treacherous (he is), but nobody examines what happens before all these things.
Another thing I love? The chaste relationship between Elijah and Hayley. I am quite taken with it, and the tension between them is driving me wild. Let’s not forget the Camille side of things – I actually don’t particularly enjoy her character, I find her flat and needy. Also, the jumping between Marcel and Klaus is silly, and I don’t feel that her and Klaus click at all. I just wish it would work out. I particularly enjoy all the politics going on here, and the history of the Mikaelson family is compelling. New Orleans is the perfect setting for all the power plays and all the magical factions coming together. It is really good.
And that final episode? The dramatics! The intensity! The blood, rage, and anger? Eeeeeeep! As if I didn’t dislike papa Mikael enough, seeing more of his history, what he did to his kids, and especially Klaus? Never, ever going to like him now. UGH. I am a really big fan of seeing the Mikaelson history, as well as delving into their exceptionally messy family ties. For reals. Also, Mikael returning in the end? This could get absolutely fascinating.
The Originals is a really solid series with great characters and interesting stories. It is quite well written and really well acted. No time is wasted getting into the story, and I like that. The Mikaelson family is fascinating, and watching the broken dynamics of it is engrossing, and to see how all the relationships between characters tie in together is great. Truly well worth the watch!
“The Vampire and Lycan clans have been at war for centuries, turning our world into a battlefield. For me, the fight is personal. Everyone I’ve ever loved has been hunted down. Now a new war is being waged.” – Selene
SYNOPSIS: Vampire death dealer, Selene fights to end the eternal war between the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. – via IMDB
Hoo-boy, was I ever excited for this! I know there are tons of people that have issues with the Underworld movies, but come on peeps, lighten up! They are fun and entertaining. Don’t overthink it. So when we got Blood Wars in December, I was out in full force to catch up with ass-kicking Death Dealer Selene, and to see what has become of the ever-precious Michael.
Now, right off the bat, I wanted to love the costume design. It is usually pretty good, but then this movie looked like The Hunger Games in terms of outfits. The parallel didn’t stop there. When I saw how the new Death Dealers were being trained, I was a little shocked. Seriously guys, since when are you guys in cages, wearing the same creepy leather vests, and training like you are going to get in the arena? Then the makeup and costumes that were so over the top also made me keep up with that line of thinking. Oh well.
I was pleased to see David and his father Thomas return, and I particularly enjoyed the story arc involving David’s lineage. Theo James is a welcome addition to the franchise, and works quite well with Kate Beckinsale. The story was again (surprise surprise) lacking here, but again, not a deal breaker for me. There is enough story to keep you mindlessly entertained, with plenty action to glue it all together. I was not pleased with the stupidly weak coup that took place, because really, there was so much more potential there to use than was actually realised. Another major issue I had with Blood Wars is that it felt rushed, and that is such a pity. It came across as a bit clunky.
The movie, as its predecessors, is dark and gloomy and looks good (even if you take that whole Hunger Games vibe and toss it). I appreciate the continuity of these movies, as it is more consistent than most franchises. I found Lara Pulver to be a total nuisance, and hopefully we will not have to suffer through any more of her in future. Bradley James reminds me of a young Mads Mikkelsen, which is pretty cool.
Underworld: Blood Wars is another silly, popcorn entertainment film that should satiate fans of the Underworld franchise, but might not appeal to people who are not familiar with the mythos of the vampire and lycan clans. I suppose it might not even really win over existing fans, but I thought it was alright! SPOILER:I absolutely refuse to accept this crappy premise that Michael is dead. REFUSE, I tell you. Guess we will have to see where it goes from here. Worth a watch, I’d say.
“Do you think I’m foolish enough to take you at your word? No reason to fear a Death Dealer who fell in love with a Lycan, who murdered two of our elders, and who, at every turn, has betrayed her own kind.” – Thomas
SYNOPSIS: When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrior Selene leads the battle against humankind. – via IMDB
While this is not my favourite Underworld film, it has grown on me since I first saw it, which was the only time I saw it. I wasn’t bowled over, it was a bit messy, true, and all over the show, and I was dead set against it because so little Michael just shattered me. But I watched it again and it actually isn’t that bad.
I am not a fan of the humans knowing about the clans, and the wars that have popped up because of that. I don’t know, I like the vampires and the lycans moving in secrecy, fitting in. This was a spin that I wasn’t keen on, and as the movie progressed, I thought things got even more bizarre. For instance, the humans are hunting them, etc. but the further on it goes, the less the movie even focuses on humans, which is just silly. It becomes just about the lycans (building a super breed) and the vampires. The humans just disappeared. Hello, where?
A child in a film pretty much always grates on me, and this was no exception. I was not a fan. I understood the arc, but didn’t much care for it. At least the kid wasn’t around the whole time. I would just not deal. Aside from her, I actually appreciated some of the new characters, like Detective Sebastian, David and his father, Thomas. I was interested to see how David and his father didn’t always see eye to eye, both having different ideals and how to go about them. Then there was Sebastian, a human, but very much on their side.
The one thing I really didn’t dig about this movie? The effects. They were beyond dodgy… looked like a bunch of first year graphic design students were given this movie and told to have a good time. I don’t know, it just wan’t okay all the time, and the other movies usually looked pretty good. Another thing? The story to this was, again, pretty thin. That being said, I suppose their is plenty action that is supposed to distract you from that, and the movie is shot pretty well and looks all dark and gloomy.
So while Underworld: Awakening has issues, it was still a light, fun watch. Definitely not as bad as I remember it, but it could definitely do with more Michael and Selene (yes, I will ship this for life man).
“For six centuries I was a loyal soldier to the vampire clan. But I was betrayed. The war was not as it had seemed. In one night, the lies that had united our kind had been exposed.” – Selene
SYNOPSIS: Vampire warrior Selene and the half werewolf Michael hunt for clues to reveal the history of their races and the war between them. – via IMDB
So this film had some issues, for reals, but it was still not a waste of a film. For one, I really liked getting more history on the original players, because history is always interesting, and it just goes to show how consistent these movies are about what they are giving us. It is well thought out, so there aren’t tons of holes. I also liked how this picked up straight after the last one. The story is quite messy at times, to be honest, and just doesn’t come together as well as you would hope. There are so many issues at play here. I just wanted more bite (har har), and it didn’t quite deliver on that front.
I found that the effects were a little sketchy in this one, but that is hardly ever a make or break for me. The sets were not as great as Underworld, which is disappointing because I really liked the way that film came together visually. I was a particular fan of the way that William’s tomb/crypt/prison was designed – so intricate! The costume design was not my favourite thing in this one, either, which is a pity. So much more potential!
I was so pleased to see more of Michael and Selene in this one – the two just fit together and work perfectly. Not to mention I think that Scott Speedman and Kate Beckinsale work off of each other fantastically. They don’t have this super soppy romance; it’s edgy and heavy and beautiful, but they aren’t clinging to each other and swearing to die if they are apart. Plus they are quite a hot couple.
Also, we have tons of action to focus on in this one again. Crazy big fights, some more of Michael and his powers as a hybrid, the love between Michael and Selene, and the never-ending politics of the vampire clans. There have been so many lies there, and now nobody trusts anybody. The story is (too) simple to follow, but the cast performs well, and it is always fun to watch Beckinsale be a kickass Death Dealer. Speedman was super easy on the eyes, too, and Michael is just… yeah.
While consistency is key, Alexander Corvinus having cleaned up after his sons and their offspring was something I was a little confused by. It wasn’t hinted at at all, and here you see this crew constantly cleaning up. Surely the vampires and lycans would have known if there was some special force looking out for them and fixing everything? Anyway. I did like that he gave Selene another gift, because it alters the way that the story could unfold, and the different plot devices at play.
Evolution is, without a doubt, not as good as its predecessor, and while it is a little messy, it is still infinitely better than most. It focuses too heavily on the action sequences and less on story, and for me, that cost it some points. That being said, me? Still a fan. Big one. It will take more than that to ruin these for me.
Damon Salvatore. For all sorts of reasons, and not just science. He is such an immensely layered character, especially when you get to see how he was as a human, before he was turned, before Katherine broke his heart.
Caroline Forbes as a vampire. While she irritated the crap out of me as a human, as a vampire she is fiercely loyal, strong, more self-assured, much less whiny and quite fun and sassy. Who knew she just needed to be the undead?
The friendship between Caroline and Tyler. It really just works on so many levels, and she really makes Tyler a more tolerable person.
Elijah. His character is so… intense and incredibly interesting.
These Original vampires have so much potential to be awesome, or just downright entertaining. Klaus is crazy to boot though, but so fascinating.
Damon’s reaction to Katherine is priceless. He has been in love with her for 145 years, but to find out about her betrayal crushed him, and he has gone out of his way to block her out of his life, to shut down his feelings.
What I didn’t like:
How many murders/disappearances per capita can a small town like Mystic Falls conceivably get away with before rocketing to the top of the most dangerous cities in America list? For reals man, people are just dying left, right, and centre.
Seriously, just because a person heals, doesn’t mean there isn’t blood left on the skin.
Katherine Pierce. Gosh, the woman is a nightmare.
The Jules/Mason arc that came and went. Seriously, there are better things out there to deal with. Plus Jules was the most annoying thing ever.
Rating: Sheesh. This was one hell of a busy season, but it was highly entertaining. Unlike the first season, this one hits the ground running and wastes no time searching desperately for momentum. From the off, we are dealing with Katherine finally making an appearance, and how Elena actually ties into everything, and we meet the Originals, the beginning of all vampire bloodlines, and that comes with its own fascinating story. Dramatic, left, right, and centre, of course, but it is good.
Caroline changing was really one of the better things – initially I was dismayed, because now we were never going to get rid of that selfish, needy, whiny bitch, but wow, the change is amazing because she has grown into a character I actually enjoy. While Tyler started really irritatingly in this season, his character changes so much, and a huge part of that is Caroline, and I like that. Matt Donovan is still a whiny child though.
I was, again, a huge fan of watching Damon and Alaric together, they really are just besties that work. Constantly snippy, but always looking out for each other, it is great. Damon had some real deep character reveals here now, which makes one think back to when he was a human, and a much nicer soul, so different. Lacing that with a cocky bastard was destined to win points all round, and every now and then he lets his nice side out, but hides it so well. He really is a damaged, impulsive, selfish creature, and it is more concerning that Stefan and all his broody history, because Damon is so in your face about his flaws and doesn’t acknowledge a better side, whereas Stefan is so desperate to cling to humanity and not acknowledge the evil of his past.
Stefan is a character that I really enjoy. As I have said, he dedicates so much of his energy to denying himself and what he is, but it makes for a complex character, constantly living on the edge. He also truly loves Elena, and I like watching the two of them together, even though I am interested to see where this is all going to go. I appreciated this season tackling the question of Elena potentially turning, as it is something that had not been addressed, which is off considering her choice of partner.
This season also spends a lot of time showing how Damon is actually falling for Elena, and how other people are picking up on it more. It works though, it does. I am not actually peeved with this love triangle because it is handled pretty decently, and I usually hate the freaking things. The first time Tyler turns is really sad, too, as you can see things will never be the same again, either. I do like the developments of things with him and Caroline, I was never convinced she should be with Matt.
I am quite a fan of these new, strange Original vampires being introduced – this has immense amounts of potential to bring awesome to the table. Elijah is a character that fascinated me from the off, and Klaus? What an evil SOB! Like wow, he is just evil, not like a maybe or something, and he just embraces it, which is madness, but I love it. So refreshing. There is so much to explore concerning the Originals, and the bits that we have been given so far are really good. So looking forward to more of this, these Originals really do captivate the audience without fail. Great season, I seriously enjoyed every moment of it.
“Yeah some of our clothes are from victims. You might bite someone and then, you think, ‘Oooh, those are some nice pants!’.”
– Viago
SYNOPSIS: Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav are vampires who are finding that modern life has them struggling with the mundane – like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts. – via IMDB
I have been meaning to get to this for so long, and finally I got the opportunity. You know what? I had such a good time with this movie! It was hilarious. Wow. I cannot tell you how much fun my fiancé and I had watching this. We popped it in, had no real expectations, and promptly started laughing and it continued in that fashion for the next hour and a half.
The vampires we are introduced to, Vladislav, Viago, Petyr, and Deacon, are just mad. Arguing about dishes that haven’t been washed in years, all tiptoeing around Nosferatu lookalike Petyr, arguing as to what it means to be a vampire, the mundane lives they are living, this all came together well. The fact that this was shot in a mockumentary style, which is something that I was a little wary about because it is usually something that filmmakers try and fail dismally at. However, it was it he perfect medium to tell the story. Imagine these centuries-old vampires living together in a flat, from all sorts of avenues of life, and now together in New Zealand for their different reasons. New Zealand has been doing a really great job with the horror comedy genre recently, I have to say.
Anyway, Nick was a character that came in and I liked, but let’s face it, we all still liked Stu more for some absurd reason. The werewolves with their classic line on being “werewolves, not swearwolves” had me in stitches every single time they said it, and the interactions between the vampires and werewolves was highly entertaining. The play that was made on vampires today and what we know was done very well, and I found the movie to be really witty and balancing just enough cheese and lunacy in it to be wonderful.
What We Do In The Shadows is a comedy that is smarter than most will probably give it credit for, and is infintely quotable. In a day and age where vampires have been overdone and made to be superbly ridiculous, this is such a refreshing watch which I highly recommend.
Alrighty, I know this is Thursday and there should be a book review, but that will go up tomorrow. I have to complete this run of Twilight Thursdays properly. Might as well disrupt my OCD for one day 😛
Recently I sat down to watch these with Natasha for a Shitfest 2015 entry after I had read those godawful books (which most of you have read all about over the last few weeks). At any rate, I was not watching them alone. In actual fact, I was not going to watch them ever, at all, but after some mild forceful coercion, the Kidney won out and I prepared to watch them. Prepared, because I faffed around for ages, prolonging the inevitable. But eventually it happened.
However, something was soured for me. Completely. They are by no stretch of the imagination good movies, but I have read the books (ugh), and in terms of that, it cannot be denied that they are actually pretty decent adaptions. How does that work? Crappy books get loyal adaptions and remain shitty movies, while good books get crappy adaptions and ruin stories? Gosh, the world we live in. I really should consider another career.
Two big reasons that I actually made it through these movies:
Jackson Rathbone is absolutely ridiculously fucking hot and yummy and he happens to portray the one character I simply adore;
The fact that Natasha damn near bolted me to the couch. And found it highly amusing to watch me wallow in my unhappiness. My bestie is sadistic…
Huh, what? Sorry, sorry, got a little sidetracked there. I am back. Okay wait, last one…
However, after surviving these movies (and believe me, I had my doubts along the way that I would), I cannot help but have a soft spot reserved for them because I had ridiculous amounts of fun watching these with Natasha, ragging them blind, clinically assessing the type of adaption they were from the books, both of us having feminist freak out sessions because Bella is a useless lump and suicide is not the answer when your love moves along, but really, ripping it apart was a sheer blast. This does not make them good movies, I want that on the record. I don’t know if I can watch these again, or if I could ever view them on my own, but with the Kidney it was well worth it.
Ten points to Gryffindor. Bella evidently missed the lesson.
Alright, enough waffling (see, even now I am still procrastinating). I am going to talk about some things, but I will keep myself (mostly) in check.
The Good:
Casting choices. No, seriously. Most of the casting was done pretty well in here. Most of the time. The performances were also about as good as you could get on this level (a bit… uhm… wooden at the best of times, but they all tried). Michael Sheen was pretty entertaining, even when he ventured into territory that was a little dodgier than was required.
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson actually managed to bring some passion to a really dead relationship (in the books – in there it was just poison, no passion), and they have to be given credit for it, even if they were a little wooden at times.
The Volturi’s outfits when they came for their showdown. Really good. You can’t blame me… you know how I get about the sweeping cape-like look… eeek. Plus there were all black and red and luscious and lovely.
Jackson Rathbone. I would just like to take a minute (again) to wax lyrical here about how insanely gorgeous the man is. I mean, how hot is this guy?! He isn’t in many other things, which is a serious pity, and I have always enjoyed him. I guess I will take what I can get.
Obviously I enjoyed the way the baseball scene was cobbled together, and not just to get an eyeful of Jasper… I swear… *super innocent whistle*
The wedding scene was really well done. I will have to give them credit for that.
Pattinson has the world’s mostsmugsmile to demonstrate when Edward is getting his way, and I love it. I can’t help it, he starts smirking and then I do, too.
The Bad:
Some things were changed from the book to add more drama. As if things weren’t melodramatic enough.
Some extremely questionable effects, which is unacceptable in the later movies (where they got so much worse) considering the budget increased. How is it that the smaller budget films managed to look that much better? It evades the limits of my understanding. While we are at it, how you could see which sets were backdrops and what not. Awkies.
I was actually really, really looking forward to all the betting between Jasper and Emmett. Absolutely no such luck for me there, and it was the one thing that actually provided significant entertainment in the books. They were relentless.
Bella was whiny in these films, but seeing as it wasn’t internal dialogue for us to wade through like the books (thank goodness), it was more bearable, but I still wanted to shake her and slap her. She does not need Edward to breathe, there is no need to kill yourself if you cannot be together. The things this story taught young girls. Ugh. The feminist in me is revolting again just thinking about it.
The wolves communicating with each other telepathically (which would have been bearable if done correctly). I actually cringed. Like holy crapsticks….
That baby that they made up as Renesmee? Good gracious, that thing was just creepy. WTF was angelic about that?! #confused
The What-The-Fuck:
The love story between Bella and Edward. Goodness, true to the books it just came out of nowhere and became an obsession. I just… I don’t… what… it’s… so dangerous and creepy and scary and dodgy and poisonous and… eeeeek.
Somebody checked off that list here with examples.
Always the descriptions about how dreary and overcast it is in Forks (in the books). Which is fine. Twilight and New Moon both stuck to that concept for the movies, but the last three? Vampires everywhere in the sun with no freaking sparkles. And not because I am into the sparkles, this is purely based on consistency and continuity…. because who cares? Chuck it right out of the window.
Natasha’s biggest gripe (and I am wholeheartedly behind her on this): all these books and movies teach you is that you can only be a real woman after you have gotten married and popped out some kids. Nice, really, very classy. I cannot be complete without a man, a ring, a rugrat. Men are what women need to be whole, apparently. Our very core and essence. Pfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff. What the fuck? Are you kidding me?!
Stephen King was so totally right about this. He also went on to say what he wanted about Meyer and her godawful books here, and actually had a girl criticize Stephen King for knowing nothing about real books. OMG?! REALLY?! Yes. Quote?“Steven [sic] King doesn’t know what a real book was if it hit him in the face. He’s just a bloody guy who is jealous of Edward’s good looks.” – I don’t even know if I want to comment on that.
The fact that this is some huge phenomenon actually hurts my head. How did this happen? How?! It’s twisted and creepy and toxic!
How a love story could become so massive when it is flat, bland, unsexy, completely devoid of passion, but rates highly in the dangerous and toxic department. Is this what girls want nowadays? Stalker husbands, controlling boyfriends? I am so confused. Or I am too independent. I don’t know.
Naming your child Renesmee. Seriously, what the fuck was up with that?!
That even in the movies, Meyer’s supporting characters are still the ones you want to know more about. That is just something that boggles my mind, that she writes the most useless mains, but her supports are really good. I don’t understand.
How they took one of the things that was actually excellent in the books (the history of the Quileutes, their legends and why they are as they are) and managing to bone it completely. That wasn’t even the right history, or the same, or told as gracefully. Meh. What the hell was the meaning of this?! It’s embarrassing to say the least, ruining the one thing that worked. Offensive.
I will never understand how it was socially acceptable for Jacob to be head over heels in love with Bella and making out with her and lusting after her and hating Edward to death, but then imprinting on their daughter (like OMG) and she becomes his life… because that isn’t a little sick and incestuous at all… no ick involved!
Then there was this article, one of the millions of articles you would find on the matter of how the cast hated the movies I know, but still. Also, this one had me giggling quite a bit, it really captures how silly things were at the best of times in the first book, Twilight. The AU-DA-CI-TY, I tell you!
So, overall, I have definitely watched infinitely worse movies in my life. I have, sadly. I am sure you have, too. I wanted to hate and despise these more than I did. They still sucked. They are Shitfest worthy. But maybe because I had way too much fun on the viewing experience, it lifted them all up for me a little. But I can recommend them if you are looking for a movie to watch with your bestie and trash beyond any and all logical reason.
The Sporadic Chronicles 