“You only think you are free.”

The AMC mini-series The Prisoner is an update to the cult favorite series from the 1960s about a government agent (James Caviezel) who is kidnapped and sent to a remote island known as “the Village”. When he wakes up in the middle of the desert, not remembering what happened, but having dreams and visions about his early life in New York, he tries to find out where and who he is. The government agent is called 6 by everybody and soon he has to deal with an old man named 2 (Ian McKellen), who he thinks of keeping him as prisoner, though 2 states that 6 is a free man. 6 finds allies in a doctor named 313 (Ruth Wilson), in a cab driver named 147 (Lennie James) and in 2’s own son 11-12 (Jamie Campbell Bower). 6 is looking for a way out of the Village.

Episode 01: Arrival
Ehm, yeah… Fascinating. Really. Maybe I should see the original, after AMC finished this remake, I only heard of it. Most interesting – even for me – is, that I almost knew nothing about the series before. I just knew the title, saw two promo posters for it, knew that Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel are in the main cast and that this one is a remake of an old original. Nothing from the story, and I read nothing about the series at all. And so, I am quite surprised after what I saw here. Really fascinating stuff; mysterious, deep, reminds me of a mixture of Meadowlands (which I could rewatch btw), Shyamalan’s The Village and a bit of Dark City. And maybe The Prisoner is a bit of all of them.
So, 6 wakes up in the middle of the desert, witnessing 96 being chased and killed. 6 has some kind of visions, he has memories about New York, his home, he knows names, he knows history, but he doesn’t know who he is or where he is. He has to learn that the Village is “the” Village – there is nothing out there. Maybe another village in the universe. The mystery part is definitely a great setting for the series, and the village itself really looks like the loneliest place on Earth. It already looks like that the village is some sort of a prison with persons, which original memories are wiped and replaced with new ones, which excludes everything outside of the Village. But where is the Village located and is it really that simple to understand? I think there is more behind all of this than just a prison with prisoners in it.
The episode itself was good. Jim Caviezel overacted a bit (especially in the scene where he meets 2 for the first time, when he smashes his hand on the table), but other than that he is a good “6″ (damn, now I am thinking of Battlestar Galactica…). Ian McKellen could have more screentime for the fact his name is billed first in the credits, I know nothing about his role, except he is the “2″ – now I am interested to know who (and where) is “1″. The rest is pretty much unknown for that. Here a possible love interest for 6, there the dying hope of a way out of the Village; here a cab driver, who possibly knows more than he says, there a kid, who starts to learn that there is more than this life. The first episode (as a part of a mini series I don’t really see it as a pilot) basically set up everything we have to know for the next minutes of the show. Lots of questions, a few answer, lots of possibilities how the story could evolve during the next parts. Only the cliffhanger seemed a little awkward and pushed the story more into a science fiction genre. Which, I think, could be a mistake story-wise. But I don’t know the original and I don’t know hoe the writers handled that at their time. I let myself surprise what’s to come and will not spoil myself. This is, after a long while, the first real series from which I don’t know anything. 8/10

Episode 02: Harmony
Between the first two episodes I read an article about the old series, and now all the surprises are gone, because I know what is going on in the series. Nevertheless the remake is still fascinating and definitely not clear which story it will take for the next parts. For a resistance story it could be already too late; after two episodes 6 is already almost crazy and short before not believing in his dreams anymore. The end of the episode made it clear.
The story is told a bit too slow. Instead of giving us a few answers about what is going on, the writers gave us the episode story of the brother and the therapy thing, which feels like a one-episode thing. The relationship between 6 and 313 is not really building, and 2’s son 11-12 is not thinking too often about 6’s words about something outside of the village. It still looks mysterious and complex, but it just feels like the writers wanted to not reveal secrets before the finale. Okay, I liked the story with 6 and his alleged brother, just the fact that the revelation of 16 (Jeffrey R. Smith) not being 6’s brother and instead telling about them looking at everybody all the time came too short (still: The tables in the pool looked great, I want to sit in there, too). And I still don’t like the big white ball; this is kind of too much. The story seemed just like a “filler” to prevent letting the viewers know about the mystery in the story. I already know that the writers cut the spy story and going in a complete different way than in the original, but it still feels that the writers don’t want to expose any information for their big finale. It is like Lost.
It was still a good episode, but it was a bit weaker than the first one, and I think the rest of the series, probably with the exception of the finale, will be the same. I like the story, I like how the writers try to keep it complex, and I like that nothing is certain for sure (especially the ending with 6 in the crazy house made it clear that anything can happen), but I don’t like that any new mystery series has to be the new Lost, keeping all the secrets in the back, revealing them only in the finale. I already get bored with this, but as long as The Prisoner is a mini series I will have fun with it. 7,5/10

Episode 03: Anvil
Pretty much another typical stand-alone episode. Even the man story arc didn’t have minutes to discuss. There really was nothing about it, except the “psycho games” between 2 and 6 and 6’s efforts to get 313 out of the tunnels, together with another appearance of the white ball of death. But the rest… uninteresting procedural to keep the viewers interested in what is happening next with 6. The undercover story was bullshit, though, because it brought nothing. Either 313 thinks 6 spied on her and wants him out of her live, or 6 explains everything to get a bit of a love story into the story. But doing nothing is a waste of time. And this was pretty much the biggest problem in this episode.
Which was, surprisingly, still good. I still like the mystery part of the story and I still like the “duel” between 2 and 6. Especially when 6 mentioned to work against everything, what 2 does and says. Other than that the episode had some interesting points: Not to mention the question about number 1 (I don’t believe there is no number 1), but the deal with the tunnel and the execution-style eradication of unwanted village inhabitants. And the fact that more and more people seem to dream (or have visions about their old life) – which marks one big question: Why is 6 the only one, who wants to find out if there is a possibility to escape? Even 11-12 starts to believe, there is more to everything, but he is doing nothing.
At least the flashback story got an interesting turnout. Though I have absolutely no interest in the bits and pieces from 6’s early life (if it is his early life), but the acting was good in here. But I don’t think that the flashback story has any meaning into the story at all, which lets me ask myself why the writers did bring that story into the show. It must have some significance…
The Prisoner is already a miniseries, and when the writers waste their precious time with stand-alone and filler stories, then they didn’t really have good ideas to keep all the six parts interesting, which is a shame, because the plot is awesome. 6,5/10

Episode 04: Darling
Well, now I am really confused. An episode between stand-alone stories (the matchmaker thing) and a secret about the main story arc (Lucy’s [Hayley Atwell] involvement, who was recruited by 2 to play mind games with 6). And everything gets more confusing with the story about the hole and the disappearance, probably death of 832. It is nice to bring the recurring characters into an important story arc, but why is it so confusing now? Psych games are now replaced with mind games now.
Finally the flashback story is connected with a story in the village, and it was quite surprising that Lucy a.k.a. 4-15 was 6’s girl for the future – even though it was all part of one of 2’s plans. But the flashback story lost all meaning, when Lucy came into the village and played a blind girl and the result of 6’s matchmaker. The flashback story was just interesting enough in the last episode, which obviously was intended to prepare the story of this episode, but now the flashbacks are not interesting anymore. I don’t even care about the explosion of 6’s house in New York. And I surely don’t care if Lucy survived the explosion (well, she did, as long as the flashbacks are REALLY flashbacks… I am thinking of Lost right now, which confuses me again), because she could have easily planted the bomb to fake her death or let 6 believe that she is dead or something else, whatever.
It seems unbelievable, that 6 wants to marry 4-15, after one day and night of meeting (though he knew her as Lucy before); this story was a bit stupid. And the relationship story between 6 and 313 (together with the kiss at the wedding), well, I don’t want to talk about it, because it seems like a filler to the finale and a story for the shipper.
Only 11-12’s story seems interesting, and finally he steps forward with his intuitions, but his story could be told a bit faster, because there are only two episodes left…
By the way, I noticed something, which confuses me even more: The episode’s cliffhangers are totally not concluded in the next episode. In “Harmony”, we had 6 in the psych hospital, in the next minute of the next episode he was out; in “Harmony”, he was in the tunnels, in the next minute of the next episode, he was happy somewhere else – what is with the open and unresolved cliffhangers? Do they have a meaning in the bigger story or is it just very bad writing? I hope there is something explainable coming… 6,5/10

Episode 05: Schizoid
Waah, now I am totally lost. Either the 6 in New York is crazy, ill, sick, and like the episode title schizoid, then the series has a really boring conclusion, but if not, then I want to know how everything fits together. This episode was even more confusing than the last one, and it kills the fun I had with the series during episode 1 and 2. Still complex, but I am losing interest, when I see scenes, which are completely
out of logic and probably even out of synchronicity of the story.
Now the writers bring us doubles, a two-times 6 and another 2 and nobody knows who is who, are they really doubles, or just imaginations in each other’s heads and minds. And with each other’s minds I mean that the confusing is happening in the illusion’s minds… Yeah, I really am lost.
At least I am getting into 11-12’s story, even though I am about not to see through this story. Not only do I not understand why 2 gave 11-12 the key, but I couldn’t get the sense of the actual story and of 11-12’s mother – is she now dreaming about the real world or about the village? Does she know about everything or is that just an illusion in somebody’s mind? Or am I getting crazy and I secretly watch the series finale of Lost without knowing the two previous seasons?
The idea with the doubles is good, and sometimes I thought about clones, astral illusions or something like that, but with every new scene the writers have something new to offer: The towers are in real the Summakor offices? Which 6 is now in the “office” and beating the crap out of the windows and which 6 is in the Village? Are there mind exchanges happening? How did 313 get to the Summakor office without being chased by the white ball of death? Did she really manage to get to the towers? Damn, with all these questions, no answers and confusing stories it is no fun to watch the episodes. Because there is no clue of what might be the bigger game in this episode, when it is not all a dream of 6 or something like that.
By the way: What was up with 147 and his wife? Did they already forgot the “disappearance” of their daughter? There is absolutely no aftermath of this story. And 4-15 is not going to be missed as well.
Seriously, I like all the complexity, but the series goes on my nerves in this form. 4,5/10

Episode 06: Checkmate
Hm, okay, I am trying to put it together: Everything was a mind game, the consciousness not really playing tricks, but manipulating it. Consciousness can be transformed into another place, while “normal” life goes on – basically: the consciousness of the people can be separated from the people. The consciousness notice its missing “host” (the people) and has dreams (that’s probably why 6 had the dreams from his early life at the beginning of the miniseries) – the dreams might be the connection between the separated consciousness and the people, so that a lost consciousness can return to its “host” – , wants to return, but cannot and gets crazy (like 6 did – kind of). It creates an enemy (the big white ball of death) and so it tries to put itself together. Basically: The consciousness of the people can “think” on their own without being connected to their “hosts” (the people). And now the biggie: Even though I didn’t understand the last three episodes and all the things about the consciousness (especially with Helen [Rachael Blake] in the center of everything – kind of), this is my own resume of the series and it might not be right, because I saw barely clues to what I just wrote. But I think this is the easiest way to describe the whole mini series. I just don’t understand why there were two 6s and two 2s in the last episode. I could explain it with 6, but with 2?
Seriously, even after the finale the plot is still confusing. I could write more stuff about the whole consciousness thing, but I don’t know if I even interpret it right, I already lost my thoughts writing together my own thesis. I can’t put all the things together I saw, especially the flashback scenes with 6/Michael and Lucy during the first four episodes (what has this to do with everything?) – whose consciousness is really controlling the village – 2/Curtis or Helen (after her death in the village, all the holes came up, which lets me believe that Helen kind of lost control over her consciousness, because she was the one who most dreamt stuff – in the village and in real)? Or is 11-12 behind everything (he died, too, and all the holes came up – by the way: It is interesting that 2 is holding a funeral for his son, but not for his wife; this one lets me think about that Helen’s consciousness wasn’t really a part of the Village, but a connection for 2 between the Village and the real world, which means, again, that Helen was the bridge between the world of conscious and the world of being awake). Oh my god, I am so confused right now.
A few words to the episode: It was… a good one, at least a few of my million questions were answered, and I think the viewers have to think for themselves now, how to interpret the series. Interesting is that the episode picked up some of the cliffhangers from the last episodes. 6 getting into the crazy house in “Harmony”, in here his conscious is in the crazy house, fighting his demons (the big white ball of death); 313’s fate totally confuses me (especially the ending scene – is she taking Helen’s position now? Is she he bridge between consciousness and the real world now?), and why the writers brought 147 into the real world as a driver, I don’t know – this scene was confusing as well. And why 2 killed his head with a grenade I don’t know. And the biggest thing: Even though it was clear that there is no number 1, I secretly think 6 was 1. When everybody already screams “6 is the one”, I translate it to “6 is 1″ – and in theory he could be 1 now, after he “takes over” the village.
I have to think about that now, maybe rewatching the mini series, maybe putting my thoughts together again. Maybe I understand then. But for now the writers managed to get to the point: Don’t conclude the mystery story, so the viewers have to think on their own. I thought hard, and I am not happy about my results. 7/10

Season average is 6,67. I definitely will rewatch this, just for the sake to understand the whole thing. And I will post another entry with more thoughts about the ending, the conclusion and everything in it, around Christmas time or so. When I was thinking about this show over the night, I still was fascinated and flashed with everything I saw. And I want to know, if the writers wrote together some unexplainable shit, not caring about the meaning of the conclusion, or if everything has a deeper meaning in religion, myths and so on.
By the way: I was already looking for the original series. I will watch this some time, but first I have to find the episodes…

4:53 pm: I just worked for over two hours on my upcoming “Best of 2009: Music” post.  I’m only 4 albums in out of the 23 I currently have selected.  Then there’s the “Best of 2009: Film” I have to do.  No, I don’t like to bite off more than I can chew.

5:00 pm: Cocktail time! Just kidding, I don’t have any booze.  Maybe later?

5:08 pm: I hate seeing commercials for local places you enjoy, because local commercials are comprised of crappy stock photography and bad acting.

5:22 pm: What is this I don’t even- some Syfy movie had two girls build a scarecrow, give it a corn penis, then it came to life and started going bonkers.  I wish I had thought of this.

5:44 pm: Ack, I just realized I’m yet to watch last night’s Dexter!  Be back soon.

6:30 pm: Back.  OH SHI!  That was bananas and coconuts!  Showtime’s Dexter is such an amazing program.  Michael C. Hall and James Remar play off one another brilliantly.

6:49 pm: I just ate some very meaty chili that would have benefited from additional spice.

6:57 pm: NBC’s Heroes is my obligated Monday night viewing, but there’s a 3 hour WWE RAW that begs for attention.  I like professional wrestling, big whoop, wanna fight about it?

7:10 pm: I’m going to watch The Powerpuff Girls until 8pm.  Craig McCracken is the man, for real.  And it really bothers me when people think the show is about girls and being girlish as that is full-on wrong.

7:32 pm: “The Mane Event” is totally classic.  Click HERE to watch.

7:38 pm: I just tinkled in the potty like a big boy!

7:59 pm: I want a deaf lover, like Dr. Emma Coolidge on Heroes.  I find that particular differently-capable trait so endearing and attractive.  Preferably I’d take Hayley Atwell’s ‘Lucy / 415′ ala AMC’s The Prisoner ♥ I think I’m totally normal for diggin’ deafness.

8:04 pm: Elisabeth Röhm!  Haven’t seen her since Angel and Law & Order.  Good for her getting back in the game.

8:13 pm: MR. MUGGLES! It’s about time my homeboy made an appearance.

8:41 pm: It’s gosh damn nice to see Sylar again, I tell you what.

8:55 pm: Okay, this is the last post because this video is the highest note one can exit on-

There’s something to be said for a show that was never particularly good (tell my best friend I said this if you want to see me get punched in the mouth [!]) going to such great distances to grow and mature and suck tons less, causing in me the desire to throw CW’s Smallville props for being the crappy little program that could as the treaser for the upcoming Absolute Justice event is online.  Congrats, guys, on putting together the most ambitious story arc on the small screen in years, barring some science-fiction shows that are of higher ambition to start with as it concerns their general premise and concepts, such as the phenomenal LOST and recently with AMC’s The Prisoner, which I found thoroughly enjoyable (for more reasons than the new love of my life, Hayley Atwell).  How well it pans out for the show is another story as the writers seem to love throwing non-Superman  Clark Kent into full on Supes situations, and utilizing characters far earlier than necessary.  Not to mention the show is obviously shot in a crappy warehouse most of the time and is visually telling of this sad reality.  The fact that every opinion I hold on the show being 100% true is one thing but I know I’m not being completely fair, or fully accurate.  Obviously the show tapped into something positive with fans as only real comic geeks would continue to watch, and yet the show is on it’s 9th season, a huge accomplishment for any series, of any genre or format.  Having heard for years now that every subsequent season would be the last, I now see precisely that for as unsurprised as I will be if the show has a 10th, the same could be said for it’s 20th season or for the 15th anniversary of spin-off show Martian Manhunter: Darker Than Space.  As much as I used to desire the show to go away so that another comic book show could come on and actually be good, I now must root for Tom Welling and Erica Durance’s awful chemistry and the sometimes, but rarely, cool battles.  You win, Smallville.

PS: Thank you for getting Michael Shanks to play Hawkman in the upcoming Absolute Justice.  My man crush for him just doubled, and that’s saying something after his turn as Victor on S2 of Burn Notice.

Be seeing you. Te observamos

Number 2. Número 2

Cuarenta y dos años después la cadena británica ITV conjuntamente con Granada Television y Out of Africa Entretaiment han realizado un ambicioso remake  de la famosa serie “EL PRISIONERO”, creada y protagonizada por el actor Patrick McGoohan en 1967. El original poseía 17 capítulos. En ella McGoohan interpretaba a un agente secreto que es raptado y llevado a una isla conocida como la Villa.  En Estados Unidos el canal American Movie Classics (AMC) ha distribuido esta nueva versión homónima y la estrenó el pasado domingo 15 de Noviembre. De momento no hay fecha confirmada de estreno en otros países, pero saldrá al mercado de DVD el próximo mes de marzo aquí en EEUU.

EL PRISIONERO

Es una miniserie de 6 episodios. Está protagonizado en los principales papeles por  James Caviezel que da vida a número 6, Ian McKellen a  2 y Jamie Campbell Bower que en la serie es 11-12 y le vais a ver en breve en los cines de todo el mundo haciendo de Caius en la nueva entrega de la saga Twilight, New Moon. Entre los personajes femeninos hay que destacar a Ruth Wilson y Hayley Atwell que son las siempre inquietantes 313 y 415. La serie comienza con el capítulo llamado…

“The arrival”-”La llegada”

Cuando un hombre misterioso se despierta en las montañas, ve como un hombre es perseguido y acaban matándole. Antes de morir le revela su nombre es 93. Trata de seguir huyendo pero acaba llegando a un misterioso lugar llamado La Villa. Allí dejará de tener un nombre y pasará a llamarse 6. La Villa es una especie de enorme carcel, de la que no se puede salir. En donde todo el mundo conoce a todo el mundo. Nadie posee nombre. Su máximo dirigente es número 2. Este posee una mujer que yace en estado catatónico en una cama, hasta que 2 le pone tres pastillas en la boca, resucita durante unas horas y vuelve a caer en coma. Además las cosas en casa de número 2 se complican porque el joven 11-12 empieza a cuestionarse lo que dice número 6. El único recuerdo que tiene número 6 de su vida en New York es una mujer llamada Lucie. Por más que lo intenta no hay de qué escaparse porque no hay realidad más allá de la Villa. De repente un buen día hay un atentado en una cafetería donde trabaja la amiga de 93, una de las pocas personas que cree a número 6, y antes de morir le dirá la clave: “Sigue a las torres”

“Harmony” -”Armonía”

En la Villa número 6 encontrará a su hermano 16. Pero a pesar de tener recuerdos sobre él, negará su existencia. Por ese motivo le obliga número 2 a acudir al psicoanalista. Este capítulo gira en torno a lo que es real o no. Así 6 se plantea que su casa no es su casa, su hermano no es su hermano. Así descubrimos a través de los recuerdos que tiene de su última cita con Lucie que trabajaba como analista de datos para una compañía llamada Encore y ha dimitido. Pero todo será todo un constructo su imaginación? El sigue soñando con la imagen de la playa.

“Anvil”- “Yunque”

En este tercer capítulo número 2 le propone un trato a 6, y ambos saben que es una trampa. Le propone dar clases en el colegio. El director es 955 del colegio, número 2 encarga a unos de sus agentes 909 que le investigue con la ayuda de 6. Lo que 909 no sabe es que 2 le propone a 6 que le investigue.

“Darling”- “Cariño”

Número 6 se levanta y encuentra una tarjeta de una agencia de contactos. La pareja que le encuentran  no es otra que Lucie, sólo que se llama 4-15. Pero 313 comienza a sentir celos y se siente traicionada, así comienza a ser manipulada por 2 y la necesidad de matar a 6 crece en su interior. 6 acaba encontrándose una noche en el restaurante de la Villa con 4-15, le confiesa que siente que se han conocido con anterioridad. Así realidad y ficción vuelven a mezclarse una vez más.

“Schizoid” -”Esquizo”

Número 6 sospecha que número 2 ha matado a 4-15 tanto dentro como fuera de la Villa. Mientras 12-14 quiere ver a su madre y número 2 le ofrece la llave de la habitación donde yace catatónica. Número 6 comienza a tener problemas con todo el mundo en la Villa, todos dicen que se comparta de un modo extraño, de forma agresiva hasta que descubre que hay dos número 6, y este le dice que mate a número 2.

“Checkmate”- “Jaque mate”

En este último capitulo 313 descubre que número 6 se muere. Este acude a ver a número 2 y este le plantea todo un dilema vivir en la Villa o morir. Así que comienza una verdadera cuenta atrás. Pero encontrará un aliado en 147. Número 6 trata de convencer a 12-14 para que abandone a sus padres y deje la Villa.

Un servidor tiene recuerdos vagos de la serie original. Sólo se acuerda del detalle del globo y de que nadie podía huir de la isla. Así que por ese motivo no puedo compararla con el original. Sólo os puedo adelantar que la trama deja de tener un trasfondo de espionaje. Así que es mucho más que una puesta al día, es toda una vuelta de tuerca.

Dirige esta radical puesta al día el británico Nick Hurran, su currículo es eminentemente catódico, así que no os puedo dar muchas pistas. Pero lo que os puedo adelantar es que ha hecho un producto televisivo con una gran factura, muy cinematográfica. Es más la influencia de directores como Tarsem Singh se dejan ver tanto en el montaje, como en el diseño artístico, fotografía o en la banda sonora creada por Christopher Willis. Así la imaginería es muy curiosa. La mezcla de estética rústica con la minimalista, de aires muy futuristas como la que se puede ver dentro de la consulta del psiquiatra hacen que el espectador esté todo el rato descolocado, y lo que es mejor no da pistas sobre lo que nos deparará el final. Es muy de agradecer que los efectos sonoros y visuales estén al servicio de la trama.

Impresionantes son las localizaciones donde han rodado. Sabe sacarles todo el rendimiento posible, haciendo que parezca un lugar ajeno y desconocido, con un marcado carácter irreal. Así las imágenes del desierto pertenecen al desierto de Namibia, el resto ha sido íntegramente rodado en Sudáfrica, concretamente en Ciudad del Cabo y localidades aledañas como Worcester, el tunel de Huguenot situado en las montañas de Toitskloof o el Resort de la playa de Monwabisi situado en  Khayelitsha. Las escenas del club son del interior del teatro Bijou de Ciudad del Cabo y las de la empresa al Centro Internacional del Convenciones de Ciudad del Cabo.

La serie funciona. Ian Mckellen consigue crear un personaje sumamente inquietante, no deja de ser una suerte de Gran hermano que lo controla todo, es manipulador, dentro y fuera de su familia, tiene a toda la Villa bajo su mando. Es un gran villano, digno del mejor Benjamin Linus, que últimamente anda en momentos de decadencia en “Perdidos”. Ni el menor detalle escapa a su control.

Las relaciones entre los personajes son tortuosas. Nadie saben en quien confiar. Nadie tiene claro si pueden creer que existe un mundo más allá de la Villa. Todos tienen sueños de una realidad diferente fuera de la Villa. Lugar aparentemente idílico, pero que en cuanto escarbas un poco te das cuenta que no lo es tanto. Eso sí, todos tienen cubiertas sus necesidades. Lo malo es que para sobrevivir en ella tienen que acabar traicionándose unos a otros. El argumento posee más dobleces, porque no puedes fiarte de tus sentimientos, ya que cabe la posibilidad de que alguien te los haya manufacturado. Este aspecto me recordó a los implantes de los replicantes en “Blade Runner”.

Los homenajes al original son obvios y directos, por ejemplo en el episodio llamado “Esquizo” podréis ver la famosa bicicleta colgada del techo del pub, o por ejemplo en el primer capítulo se puede ver como emerge del agua el enorme globo blanco y engulle a uno de los personajes. La gradación de los enigmas está bien y hacen que te sientas atraído. Como ver un ancla enorme en el desierto. No pude evitar recordar ese plano tan curioso de “Encuentros en la tercera fase” de Spielberg en el que aparece un barco en el desierto. Los derroteros de esta nueva versión son realmente sorprendentes, así que os aconsejo el visionado de este remake, es una buena puesta al día.

Pero si sois seguidores de Los Simpson en uno de los capítulos hay una estupenda parodia en la que el propio McGoohan ponía voz a su personaje Número 6. Homer es secuestrado y enviado a una isla por descubrir secretos en su página web.

LOS SIMPSON HOMENAJE A “EL PRISIONERO”

Jamie Campbell Bower as Number 11-12 in The Prisoner. Photo copyright of Granada/AMC

Imagine having a life where pretty much everything you want is within easy reach and all you have to do is ask for it. In AMC’s re-imagined version of The Prisoner, Number 11-12 wakes up to that every day as a resident of The Village. The son of Number Two, the overseer of this residential “paradise,” and M2, his idealistic mother, this 17-year-old is among the privileged and is being groomed to one day take over his father’s duties within The Village. It sounds like the perfect situation, maybe not for 11-12, but it was one that actor Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays 11-12, could not wait to jump into.

“There had been rumors of The Prisoner floating about, and then I got a phone call from my agent telling me, ‘I think you should go out for this.’ He’s rarely wrong, so I did,” recalls Bower. “I received four pages of audition sides from one of the episodes, and as I read them something really struck home with me. There was just something quite moving about the material and this idea of family and the connection between 11-12 and his father, Two, played by Ian McKellen.

“So I was very excited about the project to begin with, and it was, I think, a rainy Tuesday afternoon when I went down to London’s South Bank next to the Thames for my audition. Whatever I did must have worked because I received another call telling me that I got the role, which was brilliant.”

11-12 with his father, Number Two (Ian McKellen). Photo copyright of Granada/AMC

While a life of privilege may sound enticing to some, especially a young person, it is rarely all that is cracked up to be. And as typically happens, no one seems to have asked 11-12 what he wants.

“With my character, it’s that classic case of, ‘I don’t want to be the prince any more. I want to be an ordinary person,” says Bower. “But then he also thinks that one day he might inherit The Village, so like most people his age, 11-12 is definitely feeling some angst towards his father. As for his relationship with his mother, M2 [Rachael Blake], it’s very distant. He loves her dearly, but he never sees her. His mother is just this entity in the house they live in, and 11-12 strives to have a much closer bond with her.

“So as you might imagine, 11-12 is quite highly strung and emotionally charged. He also has this feeling that he’s missing something in his life, but he doesn’t know what it is. Acting-wise, maintaining that high level of intensity and emotion wasn’t easy. In fact,there was one particular scene that I did with Vincent Regan [Number 909] that screws up my character in a major way. We shot it over an entire day and I had to be incredibly emotional most of that time. Again, it was tough, but it was also a challenge and one I enjoyed because it really helped me to grow as a person as well as an actor.”

Not a good day in The Village for 11-12. Photo copyright of Granada/AMC

Much to his surprise, a frustrated 11-12’s eyes are opened to an entirely new set of possibilities for his future, thanks to The Village’s newest resident and The Prisoner’s lead character, Number Six (Jim Caviezel). “Six’s arrival throws a bit of a spanner into the works of The Village,” notes Bower. “He comes along and forthrightly and outwardly says, ‘This isn’t all there is’ and 11-12’s reaction to that is, ‘Well, maybe he’s right.’ So his interaction with Six is one of curiosity as well as questioning and trying to understand why it is that this man is saying what he’s saying. And I think 11-12 ends up believing in and trusting Six.”

While their onscreen personas are caught up in the turmoil of what is happening to them, The Prisoner’s cast as well as crew could not have enjoyed their time together more, Bower included. “Everyone involved in this project is incredibly talented and fun,” enthuses the actor. “Working with Ian McKellen is an absolute joy and a pleasure. The same is true of working with young British stars like Hayley Atwell [Lucy/4-15] and Ruth Wilson [Number 313]. We all became good mates and helped each other out, patted one another on the back when we needed it, and laughed at each other when we didn’t need it,” he jokes. “We spent four-and-a-half months together in South Africa. Not many people can say that, apart from those who live there, and we had a really nice time.”

Bower was 14 when he decided that he wanted to become an actor, and four years later made his feature film debut in director Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. “I had just turned 18 and was at boarding school in the English countryside,” he says. “I was sneaking out at five o’clock in the morning through my house master’s backdoor and getting into a car that was waiting for me outside the school gates to take me to set. I’d then return to school around seven at night and go back to bed.

11-12 shares a rare moment with his mother, M2 (Rachael Blake). Photo copyright of Granada/AMC

“I did that for about two weeks and then I made the decision that I should probably just leave school and not bum a free bed off them every night. So that’s what I did, and it was an incredibly terrifying experience for me, being just 18 and working alongside people like Tim Burton as well as Johnny Depp, Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall. It was also a phenomenal opportunity and it gave me such an amazing starting point that I could never have dreamt of, so I was very, very lucky.”

Besides The Prisoner, Bower can also currently be seen as Caius in the latest installment of the hugely successful teenage vampire tale The Twilight Saga: New Moon. “I was in Los Angeles not too long ago and they were casting for New Moon,” says the actor. “My American agent asked me if I would like to audition for it, and I said that I’d kill to audition for it. So I met with [director] Chris Weitz and then I got a call offering me the role of Caius, which I was really excited about.

“Caius, along with Michael Sheen’s character of Ar0, and Marcus,who is played by Chris Heyerdahl, are the leaders of an ancient Italian vampire coven known as the Volturi. We shot in Vancouver and I was there for about three weeks working with actors like Michael, Chris, Dakota Fanning [Jane], Rob Pattinson [Edward Cullen] and Kris Stewart [Bella Swan]. It was a real treasure of a role for me and another great set of actors to work with and learn from.”

Change is in the air when 11-12 crosses paths with Number Six (Jim Caviezel). Photo copyright of Granada/AMC

The actor has a lead role alongside Keira Knightley and Colin Farrell in the upcoming film London Boulevard and has guest-starred in an episode of the new British Fantasy TV series Game of Thrones. Harry Potter fans can also look forward to enjoying Bower’s performance in the two-part Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

“I play Gellert Grindelwald, who’s an old friend of Dumbledore’s [Michael Gambon],” he says. “They have this idea that they can create a utopian wizardry world, and then there’s a big fight and something awful happens,” teases the actor.

“So it was another fun project, and ‘fun’ is one of the things about this job that’s important to me. I hope I can continue doing this up until the point that it isn’t fun any more. That’s when people become jaded and become the person that they never wanted to be. I think growing as an actor and a performer is a wonderful thing to behold, and feeling like you’re learning as well. That’s especially important for young actors like myself who have chosen a different path. We haven’t gone to university, but, instead, have decided that acting is what we want to do, and as long as you’re learning while doing it, then I think that’s the main thing that will keep you happy.”

Steve Eramo

The Prisoner concludes tonight, Tuesday, November 17th @ 8 p.m. EST/PST.

As noted above, all photos copyright of Granada TV and AMC, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Two totally opposite numbers - Six (Jim Caviezel) and Two (Ian McKellen) in AMC's The Prisoner. Photo copyright of Granada/AMC

A man wakes up in a mysterious place where people have numbers instead of names, and all traces of his former life are renounced as delusions. Welcome to The Village, the setting of AMC’s second original miniseries television event, The Prisoner, premiering Sunday, November 15th from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. EST/PST. The six-part miniseries airs over three consecutive nights, with two episodes each evening beginning at 8 p.m. EST/PST. AMC’s reinterpretation of the 1960s cult classic by Patrick McGoohan tells the story of one man’s desperate quest to find his way back to his former life and reclaim his freedom. A co-production of AMC, ITV Productions and Granada, The Prisoner combines a wide range of genres, from Espionage to Sci-Fi, into an adrenaline pumping, edge-of-your-seat thriller that will ultimately make you question what you think is real.

Forty years ago, McGoohan’s original 1967 series – a riff on Cold War politics – changed the scope of the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. Now, AMC’s re-imagining explores and questions contemporary issues of power and control; family and love; privacy and security. What is the value and the price of freedom? Who is watching and controlling whom? What is love? Reflecting the same verve, complexity and uniquely disturbing commentary of the original, The Prisoner is an investigation into modern alienation, the corruption of power, rights of the individual, and the mysteries of the human condition.

The Village's iconic penny-farthing bicycle logo - an homage to the original Prisoner TV series. Photo copyright of Granada/AMC

The Prisoner follows a man (Jim Caviezel) who resigns from his job and wakes up to find himself inexplicably trapped in a strange and surreal place, The Village, with no memory of how he arrived. As he frantically explores his new environment, he discovers that Village residents are identified by number, have no memory of any prior existence, and are under constant surveillance. Called by the number Six, the man is driven by the desperate need and desire to know what The Village is, why he is there, and who controls it. Is he being brainwashed or debriefed? Most importantly, Six needs to find a way to escape and return to his previous life.

The Village is controlled by one man – the sinister and charismatic Two (Ian McKellen), who goes to extreme measures to convince Six that there is no other place but The Village. In order to hold onto his identity, Six engages Two in a battle of wits and challenges the oppressive nature of The Village. When he befriends a doctor, 313 (Ruth Wilson), and a taxicab driver, 147 (Lennie James), Six must fight the temptation to assimilate the hidden truth behind The Village, and in doing so, Six must also confront some dark truths about himself.

Number Two takes a little stroll through The Village. Photo copyright of Granada/AMC

“With great affection and respect for the original The Prisoner, AMC set out to re-imagine McGoohan’s brilliantly captivating story with the goal of creating a landmark television event,” said Charlie Collier, president of GM and AMC. “Just like our other originals which explore, among other themes, the mystery of human behavior, The Prisoner not only entertains, but also addresses larger life questions and asked whether we, as humans, can ever be truly free.”

Shot on location in Swakopmund, Nambia and South Africa, The Prisoner stars Jim Caviezel (Passion of the Christ, The Thin Red Line) in the title role of Six, a part that was originally made famous when played by McGoohan; two-time Oscar nominee Ian McKellen (Lord of the Rings, The Da Vinci Code) as Two; Hayley Atwell (Brideshead Revisited, Mansfield Park) as 4-15; Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre, Capturing Mary) in the role of 313; Lennie James (Jericho) as 147; Rachael Blake (Lantana, Tom White) as M2, the wife of Two, and Jamie Campbell Bower (Sweeney Todd, The Twilight Saga: New Moon) as 11-12, the son of Two.

Six finds himself in a sticky situation. Photo copyright of Granada/AMC

The Prisoner debut will be complemented by a variety of exclusive material available on AMC’s extensive Prisoner blog, www.amctv.com/originals/the-prisoner. Fans can watch the original 1960s series, which aired from 1967-1968, in full-screen, and check out episode re-caps, a photo gallery, trivia quiz, talk forum, and behind-the-scenes, making-of-video diaries.

AMC co-produced The Prisoner with UK producer Granada and ITV Productions. Granada International will distribute the series worldwide. Trevor Hopkins (Dracula, Poirot) is producer, and Michele Buck (Sex Traffic), Damien Timmer (Housewife 49) and Rebecca Keane (Lost in Austen) are executive producers for ITV. The miniseries is written by Bill Gallagher (Conviction, Clocking Off, Lark Rise To Candleford) and directed by Nick Hurran (It’s A Boy Girl Thing, Little Black Book).

As noted above, all photos copyright of Granada  and AMC TV, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

O AMC, canal-coqueluxe que exibe ‘Mad Men’ e ‘Breaking Bad’, dois sucessos de crítica, está em vias finais da pré-produção de ‘The Prisoner’, remake da série cult dos anos 1960.  A estreia está prevista para 15 de novembro e a intenção do canal a cabo é exibir o programa, apresentado como minissérie, por três noites seguidas com episódios de duas horas de duração.

No elenco estão Jim Caviezel no papel principal e Sir Ian McKellen como o famoso Número 2. Ruth Wilson, Hayley Atwell, Jamie Campbell-Bower e Lennie James também estão no elenco.

O roteiro da mini foi escrito por Bill Gallagher e a direção ficou a cargo de Nick Hurran. A distribuição mundial do show é responsabilidade da Granada Intl.

Para quem nunca assistiu a série original, que é uma produção britânica, o AMC disponibiliza os 17 episódios produzidos em seu site oficial.

O AMC, canal-coqueluxe que exibe ‘Mad Men’ e ‘Breaking Bad’, dois sucessos de crítica, está em vias finais da pré-produção de ‘The Prisoner’, remake da série cult dos anos 1960.  A estreia está prevista para 15 de novembro e a intenção do canal a cabo é exibir o programa, apresentado como minissérie, por três noites seguidas com episódios de duas horas de duração.

No elenco estão Jim Caviezel no papel principal e Sir Ian McKellen como o famoso Número 2. Ruth Wilson, Hayley Atwell, Jamie Campbell-Bower e Lennie James também estão no elenco.

O roteiro da mini foi escrito por Bill Gallagher e a direção ficou a cargo de Nick Hurran. A distribuição mundial do show é responsabilidade da Granada Intl.

Para quem nunca assistiu a série original, que é uma produção britânica, o AMC disponibiliza os 17 episódios produzidos em seu site oficial.

Georgiana 從小就讓母親培養成多才多藝的淑女,萬事順從母意, 有待嫁入更有勢力的家族, Georgiana 被當時最有勢力的公爵看中而結婚, 天真涉世末深的Georgiana為能嫁入豪門而欣喜, 但生性冷漠寡言的公爵只想年輕美貌且有地位身份的Georgiana為他生一個繼承人而已,Georgiana得不到丈夫的愛,但其聰穎美貌時髦且是有權有勢的公爵夫人,很快在社交圈走紅,成為上流社會大眾偶像, 正如當時人所說全倫敦的人都愛公爵夫人, 唯獨公爵不愛她,只視她為傳宗接待的人而已，Georgiana 成婚不久發現公爵情人無數, 更有個三歲小女孩來投靠父親,因為曾是公爵府女佣的母親去世了,善良的Georgiana視其為親女撫養, 在連續生了兩個女兒, 另兩個男胎流產後,公爵對 Georgiana更為 冷淡.Georgiana則忙於社交圈,在政治圈大出風頭.

在社交圈認識了Bess Foster, 和她成為好友, Bess向 Georgiana 訢說被丈夫謔打，不讓接觸三個兒子,且無處容身,Georgiana 同情Bess, 要求公爵收留 Bess在府中, 兩人均答應, 此時, Georgiana幼時玩伴Charles Grey學成回倫敦加入社交圈和涉足政壇, Charles象以往一樣仍迷戀Georgiana , Bess告訴Georgiana Charles 深愛她, 叫她勇於面對, 但不久發現Bess和公爵有染且懷疑Bess三個兒子是公爵的私生子,公爵不肯送走Bess, 硬要三人一起和孩子們住在大屋內, Georgiana遂漸磞潰, Charles競選, Georgiana 用她的影響力幫他拉票, 兩人漸生感情, Charles 說Georgiana一直討好別人,母親,丈夫和其他人, 而忽略自己的需要, 只是要別人接受她和喜歡她, Georgiana說從小就被調教成這樣, Georgiana回家和公爵講條件,要公爵接受她和Charles的戀情來換取她接受Bess留在府中, 公爵拒絕且恐嚇她,那會使Charles不能再在倫敦立足,甚至無命. Georgiana 怯於公爵的淫威, 不久為公爵生下繼承人, Georgiana覺得任務已完成,在Bess的安排下又和Charles愛火重燃, 被母親和公爵發現兩人的私情, 公爵恐嚇會奪去她見兒女的權利, Georgiana無法忍受再也見不到兒女和斷送Charles的政治前途而讓步,但此時發現已懷有Charles的骨肉,公爵要Georgiana到鄉下生產,然後將孩子送回Charles Grey的家族,回來繼續做她的公爵夫人. Bess堅持陪Georgiana待產.

回到倫敦後的Georgiana 已接受現實和命運的安排.

Terry 和Ian兩兄弟一直有個夢想擁有遊艇，，買了首遊艇取名為Cassandra。Terry有酗酒和賭博的惡習，欠了一身債，Ian則不安家族生意經營餐廳，想要投資加洲的酒店生意，又認識了演話劇的女演員憧憬擺脫倫敦的生活。兩兄弟都急需一筆錢。一直在母親嘴里是富翁的叔叔從中國回來，兩兄弟認為遇到了救星。

叔叔要他倆幫忙殺一個對他生意和財產有威脅的人才肯給錢。哥哥，Ian覺得這很公平，殺人很簡單，而Terry覺得殺人不可為，兩兄弟多次進行爭辯。但最後兩人殺人之後，Terry酗酒濫藥更甚，精神狀態日差，和Ian說要自首。Ian 動殺機，最後一刻還是住手,Terry和Ian在爭執中錯手殺死了哥哥Ian。

Woody Allen這次不探討性，而探討殺人的心態。電影中很多兩兄弟對此事爭辯的思想鬥爭的經過的對白。不是很容易明白。比較沉悶，很難看得投入。

Desde que el escritor galés publicó “Los pilares de la Tierra” en 1989, han pasado veinte años, y  la extensa obra, ha vendido más de 14 millones de ejemplares en todo el mundo (en España sigue en el primer puesto de los libros de ficción más vendidos de todos los tiempos).  Veinte años transcurridos también, cargados  de especulaciones por parte de sus lectores, sobre si en algún momento, podrían verla trasladada a la pantalla y quien se encargaría de hacerlo.

Muchos libros de menor éxito, y posteriores a la publicación de la novela de Follett, han tenido ya sus adaptaciones al cine, y hubiera sido extraño, que esta triunfadora veterana, no llegase a tenerla.

Hace más o menos un año, conocimos la noticia de que Ridley Scott había comprado los derechos de “Los pilares de la Tierra”, y como es normal, lo primero en que pensamos, es que su intención era la de emprender la faraónica labor de llevarla a la pantalla grande, y, por supuesto, bajo su dirección.

Otras noticias posteriores nos hicieron desechar la idea, hasta llegar a estos últimos días, cuando, ya completado el reparto principal, se hacía público que comenzaba su rodaje, y no para que una vez acabado este, ser distribuida en cines, si no que, adaptada la novela para una mini serie de ocho capítulos de una hora de duración cada uno, sea lanzada directamente al mercado del DVD.

Finales de 2010 es la fecha proyectada de ese lanzamiento.

Scott, que no la dirigirá, ejercerá en cambio, de productor ejecutivo junto con su hermano Tony, y Follett, que tampoco será el encargado de la adaptación (el guión corre a cargo de John Pielmeier), tendrá funciones de asesor de producción.

“Los pilares de la Tierra”, como ya sabéis los que la habéis leído, no cuenta tan sólo la construcción de una catedral en la oscura Edad Media, si no que nos presenta las vicisitudes de tres generaciones de personajes centrales, y está plagada también, de personajes secundarios. Conocemos a una parte de los actores que les van a dar vida, y, algunos de ellos, muy curtidos en las lides cinematográficas.

Son estos: Ian McShane será “Waleran”, Donald Sutherland interpretará a “Bartholomew”, Rufus Sewell encarnará al maestro albañil “Tom Builder”, Matthew Macfadyen, dará vida al promotor de la construcción de la Catedral, “El Prior Philip”, Sarah Parish será “Regan Hamleigh”, Hayley Atwell se meterá en la piel de “Aliena”, y Eddie Redmayne lo hará en la de “Jack”.

A todos ellos, y al resto del elenco, los dirigirá Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, procedente del mundo televisivo, y que ha dirigido excelentes series: “Battlestar Galactica”, “Héroes”, “Prison Break”… Ha sido también director de segunda unidad en varias películas de Steven Spielberg. “Parque Jurásico”, “Salvar al soldado Ryan” o “La lista de Schindler”, son algunas en las que ha participado.

El rodaje tendrá lugar en escenarios naturales de Austria y Hungría, y cuenta con un presupuesto de cuarenta millones de dólares.

Si “Los pilares de la Tierra”, la novela que ha sido traducida a treinta idiomas en este tiempo, ha tardado veinte años en tener su versión filmada, podemos aventurar que su secuela, “Un mundo sin fin”, editada a finales de 2007, no tardará tanto a rodarse, contando siempre, con que los resultados comerciales de la miniserie sean los previstos.

Entretenimiento promete, al igual que lo ofreció la novela, básicamente un Folletín bien estructurado y escrito, pero, al que, en mi modesta opinión de lectora veterana, le sobran unas 400 páginas. Talvez en la serie no sobre nada.  O sobre mas… Ya veremos.

-

Swanson  

I just re-watched “The Duchess”, fast-forwarding past the boring bits.  And by ‘boring bits’, I mean, of course, the parts where she’s wearing costumes I don’t care for!

There are a couple of dresses in there I’d love to re-create.  Several of them, actually.  I adore the “fox dress”:

And my other favorite is the pink ‘rape scene’ gown.  Which no one else seems to like particularly like – I can’t seem to find any photographs of it!

And this one, too:

I adore this style of hair:

For the Duchess’s costumes, the film site itself is wonderful.  You can rotate the costumes to see all sides, you can zoom in and see details…ah, the glory!  Finally a film web designer understands why people like me go to the movies!

http://www.theduchessmovie.com/main.html

I just wish they’d do a section for Hayley Atwell’s costumes (she plays Bess Foster).  Her costumes are even prettier than Keira Knightly’s.

Hayley just has the perfect face and figure for period films.  She’s so gorgeous!

And lastly, here’s a video where the designers talk about their costumes:

The Smoke Monster from Lost totally deserves it’s own show, am I right?

I feel like I might have to start something called the Reboot Report here or something. In this week’s entry: They’re rebooting Highlander. I never saw the movies, well, except for the one with the two of them, but shit. Seriously, guys? Highlander? I mean, who gives a shit? Remember back in the 90s, back in the glory days of syndicated sci fi ridiculousness, and this show as ALWAYS FUCKING ON. If it was on at 10 PM on channel A, then it was on at 11 PM on channel B. And channel C? No worries, they were airing it at midnight.

I wonder who they’ll get to play Sean Connery’s character. I mean, I’m sure it’ll be someone who sucks, but still, I’m curious. Weren’t they aliens in the original movie, rather than just immortal Scottish sheepfuckers? Well, if Connery’s character was a mentor type, I’m sure they can get Liam Neeson to play it. If he’s not busy doing Taken 2, in which he hunts down the manufacturers of that chairlift and makes them pay.

Joss Whedon on the Buffy movie redo: “I hope it’s cool.”

I remember a few years ago reading something where Joss had been asked why he wasn’t directing X-Men 3 after Bryan Singer left (at the time, Joss was writing a truly amazing run of X-Men comics) and Joss, ever the taker of the high road, said something like, “You know, I really searched my feelings, searched my heart on the matter, and I realized… They never asked me to.”

I’m just like Jerry here, I totally hated that Michael on Melrose Place back in the day. Somehow he kept getting these amazing women, and then he’d try to kill him (which is kind of a really huge jerk move when it comes to break ups) and they’d still take him back. Sigh. Heather Locklear was ehhh, and of course, everyone remembers Marcia Cross’ gross scar reveal. But my favorite character was always Laura Leighton’s Sydney.

I’m not going to lie and say it was because of any depth of character or anything, it was mostly just because she was hot. Anyway, she’s in the Melrose Place restart (a la 90210) and she dies in the first few minutes. She’s the big murder mystery that will run through the first season. Pause for a moment to think about how shocking it is that there will be a first season to a redo of Melrose Place. Have we completely burnt out on 80s nostalgia that we’re shitmining the 90s for their magic and wonder?

Other nerdy TV news: Freddie Prinze Jr. is joining 24 (wha huh?), Famke Jansen’s transsexual character is coming back to Nip/Tuck, Claire is rejoining Lost for it’s long rumored zombie last season, Tom Swift has daddy issues, somehow they won’t fucking cancel Scrubs, no Gossip Girl spinoff set in the 80s, and maybe, just maybe, Summer Glau will show up on Dollhouse. Also, a query: Who the fuck actually watches Burn Notice?

Of big dorky relevance to me this past week was news about the opening title sequence to next proper season of Doctor Who, dropping on our heads somewhere in 2010. Here’s the title sequence to the first season of the restarted Doctor Who a few years back with Christopher Eccleston…

Simple, classic. I wasn’t a geek who had stuck with this show for 40 years so I have no problem with that opening at all. In fact, the nice thing about it, along with a show like The Venture Bros is that they keep the opening teaser very short, very tight, and then end it on a sharp note and then boom you right into the hard, driving title sequence (the theme was redone to be even more booming and driving in the last season with David Tennant). But, that’s that. The dorktastic news I was mentioning is that when the show changes Doctors and creative hands next season, they want to go for more of a nostalgia kick and work in the large, floaty superimposed head of the Doctor (in this case, the very scary looking Matt Smith as the next regeneration) somewhere in the credits. This kind of nostalgia, like I said, means nothing to me, and as an example of why this is bad, I give you the credits sequence of the last Doctor, Sylvester McCoy, who had it:

And he winks at you! That just makes it so much more cheesy and stupid. Ha ha! Ah, but if I could steal your attention away for a moment for cheesy but great TV show openings…

Fuck yeah MacGyver. Although the Magnum P.I. one is pretty great too. And if you don’t believe me, I will fight you to the death. Hawaii 5-0 is probably the greatest TV credits sequence ever, but I would live happily with a Magnum P.I. theme ring tone:

Star Trek XXX…

…starring Sasha Grey. This works as a reboot, I think. I can’t wait for the sequel when they work the whales in.

The thing about Ian McKellen is that there’s always just a certain strength and class in just about everything he does. That said, I’m going to say ehhh not so much to this teaser for The Prisoner remake miniseries (up above there), cause there’s nothing here really to be for or against, but just that it was made at all. Ugh.

The Prisoner is probably one of my favorite shows of all time. Discovering this show back in junior high did something horribly wonderful to the way my brain worked and I’ve been grateful ever since. McGoohan actually died back in January, and the remake miniseries looks… not promising. Somehow the planned movie remake hasn’t been canceled yet, so who knows what’s going to happen. It may be a bit of a fiasco, which has Caviezel as it’s No. 6. That sounds… scary. And boring in a kind of unrivaled way.

But here you can catch a little behind the scenes teaser for the new miniseries.

AND the one thing that AMC did right here is that they put all the original episodes of the original show online free to view. That’s fucking brilliant. And until next time…

喜愛繪畫的Charles Ryder 到牛津大學修讀歷史，第一天到，寢室就讓貴族子弟嗜酒的Sebastian Flyte 吐了滿地。因此兩人認識並發展出一段暖味超友誼的感情。

Sebastian帶Charles參觀自己家和見祖母，Charles被豪華的Brideshead莊園深深吸引。並認識了Sebastian的妹妹Julia和其母親Lady Marhmain。兩兄妹對這個豪華的莊園毫不留戀，更欲言又止。Sebastian發現Charles愛上了Julia，遠離他，酗酒也更厲害了。日後Charles發現操控這個家所有人是他們的母親Lady Marhmain，她是個虔誠的天主教教徒，她按自己的意愿嚴格要求子女跟蹤教規，犧牲今世的自由，嚴於律己，以求來世的幸福。她派人在學校監視Sebastian，切斷他的經濟來源逼他戒酒，Sebastian逃到摩洛哥，寧願做苦工乞丐也不回莊園。兩人父親早已逃離此家。Julia和Charles相愛，但母親不準她嫁給無神論者的Charles，母親為她選了個只在哄她母女的假教徒而葬送幸福。Charles而後成名為畫家，和Julia重遇，愛火重燃。Julia最後還是不能放棄母親在她心靈從小絡下的宗教束縛，而離開Charles。

大戰時，身為軍官的Charles又回到了Brideshead，往事歷歷在目想起了兩兄妹和這個古老莊園的枷鎖。

This Arthur Miller play, about the self-destruction of dockworker Eddie Carbone, who lives in 1950s Brooklyn with his wife and niece, was beautifully revived and directed by Lindsay Posner. Ken Stott was excellent as Eddie, well demonstrating his insecurity, his intensely narcissistic love for his niece Katie and growing disenchantment with his wife. After overcoming his reluctance to let Katie go to work and become independent, he is presented with two brothers from their extended family in Sicily who move in to work as illegal immigrants. The elder one, Marco intends to stay five years and then go back to his wife and children, but the younger brother Rodolpho wants to become an American, and Eddie immediately senses a rival for Katie’s affections. When Rodolpho and Katie begin to fall in love, Eddie gets obsessed with the boy’s easy going and outgoing attitudes, accusing him of being gay. He eventually snitches on both brothers to the US Immigration Service, despite his lawyer’s warning that the reaction of his neighbours will destroy his own life. Eddie’s narcissism is well expressed by his cri-de-coeur “I want respect”. The wretched man cannot respect himself so he begs it from others, and his eventual demand for apologies, where none are due, leads to the execution of ancient Sicilian custom resulting in his own death.

The lovely 17-year-old Katie was beautifully played by Hayley Atwell, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio gave a strong performance as Eddie’s anxious and almost powerless wife. Harry Lloyd was a charming Rodolpho, and the elder brother Marco, who says but little, was powerfully portrayed by Gerard Monaco. The lawyer, who has a narrative role like a single-person Greek chorus, and attempts to turn Eddie from his fate, was excellently played by Allan Corduner.

Christopher Oram’s designs of the costumes and interior of Eddie’s apartment worked superbly, as did the lighting by Peter Mumford. The production by Lindsay Posner, which moved from the Duke of York’s Theatre in London’s West End, was well suited to this intense and emotional play, and the performance was riveting.

Title: The Ruby in the Smoke
Year: 2006
Network: BBC
Director: Brian Percival
Writer: Adrian Hodges, based on the novel by Philip Pullman
Starring: Billie Piper, Matt Smith, Julie Walters, JJ Feild, Hayley Atwell
Music: Martin Phipps
Length: 95 minutes
Synopsis: someone is out to kill a recently orphaned woman
How I saw it: on video (rented from Netflix), January 2009
Subjective Rating: 3/10
Objective Rating: 3/10 (gets points for dialog, pacing and acting)

The mark of a great mystery story is when it’s solved by the main character saying, “Oh, I remember what happened now.” F*** you, Phillip Pullman. I didn’t expect to like this movie, though. We just rented it because Matt Smith (eventually to be the 11th Doctor) is in it and I wanted to see how Doctor-y he is. Can’t really say, though; the director of this crap movie managed to never quite let you see his actors’ performances.

Hola!! hoy les traigo una pelicula buenisima, a mi me encantó pero puede que a muchos no le guste por que no es una super historia, al fin y al cabo está basada en una historia real, pero bueno, disfruten del paisaje y de los vestidos. Saludos!!

Dirección: Saul Dibb.
País: Reino Unido.
Año: 2008.
Género: Drama.
Interpretación: Keira Knightley (Georgiana), Ralph Fiennes (duque de Devonshire), Charlotte Rampling (lady Spencer), Dominic Cooper (Earl Grey), Hayley Atwell (lady Foster), Simon McBurney (Fox).
Guión: Jeffrey Hatcher, Anders Thomas Jensen y Saul Dibb; basado en el libro “Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire” de Amanda Foreman.
Producción: Gabrielle Tana y Michael Kuhn.
Música: Rachel Portman.
Fotografía: Gyula Pados.
Montaje: Masahiro Hirakubo.
Diseño de producción: Michael Carlin.
Vestuario: Michael O’Connor.

SINOPSIS
Hermosa, glamurosa y adorada por el pueblo, Georgiana (Keira Knightley) fue, como su descendiente Diana de Gales, la mujer más fascinante de su época. Pero mientras que su belleza y su carisma le forjó un nombre en la historia, el amor siempre se le escapó. Casada muy joven con uno de los hombres más ricos de Inglaterra, el Duque de Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes), fue confidente íntima de ministros y de la Casa Real, llegando a ser un icono de la moda, madre adorada e influyente política para el partido liberal. Sin embargo, en el núcleo de su historia está la búsqueda desesperada de afecto y amor. Desde el apasionado pero fatídico romance con Earl Grey (Dominic Cooper) hasta el complicado triángulo amoroso con su marido y su mejor amiga Lady Foster (Hayley Atwell).

.::Links::.

Parte 1
Parte 2
Parte 3
Parte 4
Parte 5
Parte 6
Parte 7
Parte 8

Subtítulos

Los links de la película son extraidos de Dark Ville y los subtítulos de Subdivx