aradia22
-
Posts
9.1k -
Joined
Content Type
Blogs
Gallery
Downloads
Discussion
Posts posted by aradia22
-
-
Speaking of remakes, I recorded The Opposite Sex and while I've seen some of The Women (I remember Joan in the tub and when they were at the ranch) I've never caught it in its entirety. Do you think I should risk watching the remake before the original?
-
So, this was a thing. I didn't enjoy it as much as the rest of you. I don't think there was much humor and the humor that was there fell flat for me. And I love ballroom dancing (and most non-sport competitions) but that had no... pow to it. I will only accept this storyline if it changes the Shane/blond girl (I can't remember her name) relationship or if Pablo comes back. This episode felt like it was supposed to be particularly titillating, more than all the shirtless Matty scenes on Awkward because of the intimacy of it. Liam came across as a little too goofy. I think they're struggling with his character. They want to make him desirable but they also want to make him the bad guy sometimes and then they're struggling against the actor's looks. It's just... not working very well. That said, I liked the last 1/2 or 1/3 of the episode when Amy took charge and turned the tables on Karma. We've been talking about how the show has made Karma quite selfish and unlikable so far so this was a nice change of pace. Hmn... what else? I kind of liked the music and I appreciate that MTV puts the artist and song at the bottom of the screen. I guess that's it.
-
I'm still catching up on the battle rounds and I swear, the guys are tricking Shakira. I think they did it a little in the audition rounds but there was less room for it as they were mainly concentrating on getting their acts. But I definitely feel like they're steering her wrong when it comes to which of the acts to pick (when it isn't obvious). Of course, Shakira is screwing up on her own with her steadfast commitment to Dani. Why, Shakira? Why?
-
So, the first scene with Marisol was as boring as ever. She is seriously the worst detective. It's one thing to ask kind of obvious questions with Taylor who was a bit dim and going through emotional issues (though even she knew something was up). How in the heck did she think she was going to fool Opal with her really obvious hinting? I think the "gossip" thing is kind of interesting. Opal is fine dropping all these hints but I don't know if you can say she ever "gossips". Later she threatens Marisol by trying to leverage her story which Marisol refers to as "tattling." I don't know if the distinction is the collaborative/sharing part of gossiping or a distinction between Opal and the way the rest of the maids behave. I'd like to see other maids, please. Kick out Opal and Valentina and bring back the maid one of the Powells' old maids who didn't speak much. There's a lot you can do with nonspeaking characters and characters who speak very little, especially with the comic side of this show. Also, anything's better than Valentina.
I liked Zoila's interaction with the chef. I hope all her possibly romantic encounters with men don't follow the same pattern but I like that the estrangement from Pablo frees her up to do more as a character than judge Genevieve and have to deal with the mess that is Valentina. I like her sassyness. Someone needs to stand up for herself in a non-Valentina, non-Carmen kind of way.
Speaking of Valentina, what in the heck is wrong with people on this show? Remy is worried Valentina is "falling in love" with Ethan after what, maybe a month at the most? Genevieve is convinced that no one in the world would be better for Remy? Seriously? Did all the other eligible women in the world die in a freak accident? I get her wanting Zoila to be family and how last season she was swept up in the romance but uh uh. Valentina is horrid. No one is that stupid. At least she didn't tell Genevieve "make sure Ethan's acception to Brown is withdrawn." You know that was in the first draft of the script. Ugh, I hate her so much!
Not slut-shaming here but they definitely tarted up Rosie for her date what with the slow pan up (I thought it was Carmen), the way they squished her boobs into that too tight dress, and the hair and makeup. Isn't Rosie supposed to be the more conservative one? Also, oh, no! Why does everyone go bad so fast! Not Reggie! The moment Lucinda asked for financial statements I knew it wouldn't end well. Though maybe it's just that this show telegraphs plotlines with all the subtlety of throwing people out of windows. Anyway, all the work they've been doing to build up the storyline with Rosie's new employers paid off this week. That was some Tyler Perry/Tennesee Williams family drama/acting. The kind that gets you all tense but it deliciously soapy at the same time. "Give your maid a raise, old man. She just saved your life." Love it!
LOL. They're really running with this Carmen-is-the-worst-maid-ever thing. Now she's just outright refusing to do her job. But hooray that she's going to an open-mic and doing something meaningful to try and move her career forward.
I'm not going to touch how uncomfortable the "Opal's a lesbian!" *stage gasp* thing was. Though I don't believe they had an affair. The hoarding of the photos and negligee and scarf seemed more obsessive than loving. Like, we were a step away from a shrine and if that's the way the writers think of lesbianism.... right, forgot, not going to touch it.
"Elegant badass"? What? That's not even a thing.
-
1
-
-
Also, did you see the smirk on Ramona's face when Sonja was talking about what a master manipulator Ramona can be, she was taking it as a compliment, oy.
I've been noticing Ramona smiling at inappropriate times all season. I haven't watched RHONYC for a full season before so I don't know if this is normal. It was making me wonder if some scenes were super scripted (as opposed to just slightly staged) and Ramona was a horrible actress. Now I'm thinking she might just enjoy the drama. She was smiling when she and Kristen had their first water/wine fight (side note: totally sounds like they had a Jesus turning water into wine fight by that description, take that how you will) and before/after other shouting matches and instances of blatant lying (I think she was smiling during the Heather hypocrite conversation and other similar scenes).
-
1
-
-
Ugh, I do not want a Juliette baby, but I'm not sure the writers can resist doing an "is it Avery's or Jeff's?" story line, not to mention all of the "now I'll be able to raise someone who will really love me" and "I won't make the same mistakes my mama did" drama.
Honestly, for creatives who say they want to write good female characters, they're kind of awful at it sometimes.
-
I was just at Wink a week or two ago. That's so weird. Anyway...
I usually hate or am bored by the Carole segments but the one this week when she was interviewing assistants wasn't so bad. I feel like she's definitely attempting to play a character. She's not doing a very good job of it but it leaves hope that the real Carole isn't this terrible and awkward. Also, I found it funny that almost all the applicants hadn't read her book.
I'm a skeptic to begin with but I would not pay that woman with her bag of tricks for that weird therapy session. There are people who will talk you through meditation that don't charge a ton and don't need special toys. Are you a healer or are you Carrot Top?
Dinner at Aviva's was gross but not as awful as it could have been. Sonja was weird. Was she jealous or acting out because of her own securities about her dating life?
I've been on the "well, Josh doesn't seem so bad" side of things but it was not cool of him to hang around mocking Kristen while she did her workout video. I wonder if they would have hired her without the exposure from the show? Isn't the point with these workout videos to convince you that everything is effortless even though you kill yourself when you try it because they're not adapted to all body types and experience levels?
Sonja is crazypants but I love my dog so I'm very sympathetic. Even if I did laugh when Siri was having none of it.
But oh, Lord, those funeral outfits. They were not doing this cast any favors. Let's just say it was very Death Becomes Her.
-
I thought When Ladies Meet had Joan Crawford and Greer Garson. I keep missing that one.
-
Sshe was 44 and Walter Huston was 53, which isn't a huge age difference, especially in Hollywood terms. I agree that she was a very young looking 44 and Huston was a pretty old-looking 53. I think the character got married very young, probably as a teenager, had a child immediately - so she went from being in a child in her parent's house to marriage and motherhood and barely had the chance to go to dances, etc., after her debutante year. She's having a midlife crisis and mid-forties makes sense for such a woman - finding out she's going to be a grandma, etc.
Ah. I thought she looked like she was in her 30's with some kind of old age makeup. Maybe it was the way it was shot but she still looked too glamorous. Like, her skin was a little too smooth. And yes, I don't think Walter Huston looking like an old 53 helped. I get the age difference as it's called out in the script, I think he tells Mary Astor "I married a young wife" but to me, she looked too young to have a daughter that age already having a child. I suppose that's part of the point of the movie, but I think it loses something if you don't believe it's a woman in her 40's who just looks young. Of course, audiences at the time probably knew her age going into the movie so they wouldn't have this issue (e.g. when Charlize Theron is cast in Young Adult).
I didn't find Walter Huston bad in the part but I think he was held back to some degree by the character. He was winning in his boyish exuberance over the light he spied from the boat and in his first conversation with Mary Astor's character but he wasn't too charming. Which makes sense. He's supposed to be a real guy, a normal person, a hick. He can't have this charming movie star persona. But I found myself growing a little bored. I appreciate the story and the acting choices but I don't necessarily find it entertaining to watch.
-
Oh, sorry, guys. It's already up on hulu. I just assumed it had premiered.
-
I decided to watch Dodsworth (1936) today. These are my thoughts in no particular order. Ruth Chatterton is way too young for this part. Mary Astor and David Niven shone. Fran's negative qualities were exaggerated in such a way that they made me uncomfortable. I've certainly seen a fair number of flighty characters in the past but there was something about her. Maybe she was a little more grounded. It made me look at the kind of arguments being made. A woman who wants more out of life than living in a small town not doing anything more than attending to her social character is a horrible person for wanting to finally go on a vacation once her daughter is grown and for wanting her husband to enjoy his retirement. A woman who flirts too much is 'asking for it.' A woman is terrible for clinging to youth when she hasn't had the opportunity to accomplish much in her life. Not that I'm excusing the cheating, but I feel like buried in the stereotype are some valid points. Oh, and if we're to believe that she didn't love him, I don't know why we were supposed to want her to stay in the marriage. Was the point just that he was supposed to decide when he was done? And while I enjoyed Mary Astor's performance, that scene when she was begging him not to go back to his wife made me roll my eyes. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a "lone woman" must be in search of a man to build her life around. Sigh...
-
I have mixed feelings about Scarlett leaving. I'd be fine cutting out her plot lines, but I still want her to sing every week (preferably duets). Can we somehow arrange for that?
This made me think of something. How did she get out of her writing deal?
Who does Juliette think told Avery about Jeff?
I'm assuming she thinks it was Jeff.
-
I was glad Jeff called Rayna on using all her connections. I feel like this show keeps shying away from admitting that outside of her work and "talent" (which, yeah, I still find questionable because of Connie's voice and the fact that they don't give Rayna the best songs) she's gotten a lot because of money and connections and schmoozing. I would rather have them play that up than deny and ignore it. It's similar to the way they write Luke as the guy who isn't the most talented but who knows how to play the game.
Even though this is yet another 'artist in a bad place, authority figure pushes them out on stage anyway' scene a la the two we've gotten with Scarlett this season, I liked that 1) Rayna made a bad call this time because she lacks empathy for Juliette and didn't really try to probe what was wrong and 2) Deacon was able to step in and save her from another scandal. I love this Deacon. 3) I actually enjoyed the scene in the bathroom after Rayna confronted Juliette. It actually didn't feel like a Saint Rayna scene. I thought she was actually trying to be supportive without being judgmental and condescending. Yay! Though eyeroll at 'you have to tell him and face the consequences and be a big girl about it'. Like you've done so many times, Rayna?
Will and Layla's reality show seems like the most boring thing ever.
I do think we needed more buildup to give the Juliette/Avery scene more impact. They were trying their best but Jonathan and Hayden couldn't sell it when we just plopped into that scene after a quick cut from Zoe and Gunnar. That last scene, though. Woo, that was a killer.
That little whistle when Rayna was about to forget the guitar? Swoon. I don't think Chip Esten is ever going to be recognized for his work on Nashville and that's a real shame.
I wish we'd had more of Rayna and Juliette teaming up to take down Jeff earlier. One of my biggest problems with this show is that they say they're all about their female characters but there's a real lack of girl power and collaboration and friendship. I wish we'd also gotten more of the Rayna who said that little prayer at her dressing room table. A Rayna who really was strong and grateful with deeply held beliefs who was flawed but doing her best and trying to be honest and genuine.
I feel like Maddie used to be a better character when she was calling Rayna on her shit and now she's just become incredibly bratty.
"She's not a good person" feels like a weird response from Avery. He knows that Juliette is a little broken. It's naive to think that a few months of a healthy relationship will fix years of damage.
Daphne is just the cutest little chipmunk. All she has to do is giggle and I'm like, awww, Daphne is one of the best characters on the show.
So... Luke proposed. I still find him sketchy. I think this is either going to blow up as his nefarious plan is revealed or he's going to get into a car crash of his own.
I'm sorry but Gunnar's song is stupid. I hoped they would have written a new Gunnar/Scarlett duet for the ending.
I'm still not totally in on Rayna and Deacon but this is one of the only times they've made the "epic romance" of it work for me. I thought there was a definite lack of chemistry season 1 and tempering for this long and throwing in the family stuff has really helped.
-
I didn't really think I'd want to watch another season of this but the first few minutes of the first episode pulled me in. I can definitely see the types already. The healthy eating woman with a bit of Giada/Nigella sexiness, the retro/rockabilly butcher with the tats, Asian guy, Cuban guy, Mr. Gimmick, etc. Still, I'm kind of intrigued.
Love that Sarah the pageant girl said there was a stereotype about pageant girls and then followed it up with "I'm a much more deeper person than that." Yeah, you tell 'em.
Why does everyone always show up seeming like they've never seen this show before. It's all about packaging yourself as this palatable, familiar, but unique cooking instructor and being able to convey that in 30 second to maybe 15 minute soundbites or demonstrations. Come on, people.
Luca is adorable. And Giada clearly likes him.
The Cuban guy reminds me of the other Latino guy who used to be overweight and then refused to play into that and instead came up with some weird message about teaching guys to cook. Of course, later we saw that he's clearly willing to play into his "culture."
Oh, no, Sarah! Don't make soup for a party bite! I find the tuna tartare and beef tartare to also be bad choices.
"Ross is literally a fixture at all E red carpet events." OK, calm down, now. He's in the booth babysitting Kelly Osbourne and not talking to any celebrities.
Oh, Sarah. At least she didn't shimmy.
The frontrunners definitely emerged quickly by the podium challenge.
I'm sorry to see Donna go so soon. Why do all the healthy cooks get knocked out so fast? I definitely could see them repackaging her as more of a Giada/Nigella home cook with a healthy twist. I don't think she'll be able to get it together fast enough on Star Salvation but I still like her.
-
And so it begins.
-
OK, so I actually watched the episode. It's weird. It doesn't feel quite like a dating show. With the announcer and music it almost feels more like Masterchef. And the butler and mystery make it feel more like Whodunnit. And then there's the fact that unlike most dating shows, the women don't seem at all interested in the guy. That said, these women all clearly know how to fall into reality TV mode.
Edited to add that I wish they would really play up the mystery thing. So if one of the girls guesses she is asked to leave, or maybe asked if she'll continue to play along with the deception, or given some kind of a prize. I don't know. I just feel like there's a way to make this more interesting.
-
Bearing in mind that I've only seen them in their time on the show and they have this whole relationship off camera, I have to say that I don't think Josh is that bad of a guy. He's not perfect but he does seem to spend time with his kids and Kristen does seem to be a bit dramatic and to like harping on things. I'm kind of getting the feeling that she's heard all these arguments about time flying by when it comes to raising children and just picks the ones that seem the most appealing to her and then uses them as ammunition. I don't know if I really believe her. There are definitely women who go to therapy and are attracted to the idea that they have all of these issues and that the people around them have all of these issues and that it's so hard doing what they do even when they don't do all that much and have help. Maybe it's that I'm also just not that into kids. It's a swim lesson. It's not like he's in high school having monthly swim meets that Josh keeps missing. You don't really need to go to your kid's swimming lesson. And how old is he? What could he possibly be learning that's so interesting that you need to ask about it every day?
I no longer know if the Ramona/Mario segments are horribly awkward or if I just think they are because I know about the cheating.
The Sonja segment was horribly awkward as usual. Poor Naomi. They're actually putting "Pickles" on screen when they show her name. Also, tacky tacky leopard-print napkins and blue and white china. And handwritten placecards. Ugh. Ugh.
I usually hate the Carole segments but it was fun to see Jacques (quite rudely) tease her and rate her performance while Luanne made that joke that Carole should be better at this after writing her Widow's Guide.
Anyway, next week seems like it'll be fun.-
1
-
-
I swear this show keeps using a clip of the same damn squirrel. I get it. We're in NY. There aren't even that many squirrels in NY. Use a pigeon.
The episode started off slowly. Honestly I was pretty bored and wanting to fast forward through but not wanting to maybe miss a quip. Cash seemed over it too, getting himself out of the way of Heather and Kristen's chattering. I don't think Kristen has any future as an actress. To put it kindly, she's "too" expressive.
I saw the new summer by Bravo commercial spot for the first time during this episode. I liked the circus theme and oh, lord, those ladies know it's not a compliment for them to be getting out of a clown car, right? Ramona...
What was that horrid pink monstrosity Heather was wearing at dinner?
-
I. LOVE. THIS.
OK, yeah, I've basically signed up for anything with even a little bit of singing in recent memory from Pushing Daisies to Glee to Smash to Nashville. And I have been burned on all counts. But they've also brought me so much joy. I am in. I am in. I am in. I hope they found a good lyricist for Menken. I love that man but with the wrong lyricist everything goes to hell and all you've got is pretty scoring and I doubt he'll do much scoring for the show. And yes, I'm totally talking about Tangled.
First, it's got Lassie from Psych. Second, it seems like Princess Bride meets Spamalot. Third, why do you need a third thing?
Yes, I am not sold on whether everyone in the cast can sing. Yes, I am wary of whether they really have a plot. Yes, it seems a little too goofy, like the Psych musical stretched out to an entire series without the wit of Spamalot backing it up. But as we've reviewed, I'm basically going to support anything musical so here we go.
-
4
-
-
Same here. I stopped watching Arrow because Arnell just bored me to tears and I don't think he's a good actor and wooden as a bunch of Lincoln logs. The actor playing Barry/Flash is a LOT better in this trailer I've seen, so it looks like I'm headed back to the CW. Plus, there's the added bonus of Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Panabaker, and Tom Cavanaugh!
Get out of my brain! But yes, my parents watch Arrow so I catch bits and pieces of it and I'm amazed that this far into the series, Arnell's acting hasn't improved one bit. That is dedication. Or a true lack of talent. Either one. I've only ever seen Grant in his small part on Glee but he seems much better here (though obviously, he's doing a lot more heavy lifting here). And yes, happy to see Jesse L. Martin and Tom Cavanaugh. I recognize Danielle from my Disney channel-watching days but I can't say I'm excited to see her. She goes bland very easy. Not as bad as Arnell because that man is truly skilled... or awful.
The show strikes me as very Smallville-y. It seems much more (meteor) freak of the week than Arrow and the explanation of how everyone got their powers is very reminiscent of 'your landing in your spaceship in Kansas with all this Kryptonian energy created meteor freaks that you must battle every week, Clark'. The fact that this show is skewing younger also feels very Smallville though Grant and Danielle seem too young for their jobs. The thing that really makes me nervous is the 'we have a team to study and help you' aspect. It felt natural when Clark's friends helped him out on Smallville. Even Arrow sort of managed to make things feel natural. Sort of (cough pretty blond girl who works for the company who just happens to be a magical TV hacker). I'm not really sold on the randos who aren't Tom Cavanaugh. I've had enough comic relief 2-D stock characters to last a lifetime, thank you very much. Also, I think the only time I've liked the studying the paranormal/scifi weirdness is Alphas. I think the reason it seems to work best as a one-off episode on shows devoted to something else is that longterm, the writers don't really have the answers... Kyle XY, other shows I can't remember the names of.
Still, the trailer was much better than I expected it to be and I'm in for the pilot (and probably a handful of episodes after that).
-
2
-
-
I was really not sold on this after watching the short trailer but now that I've seen the longer trailer, I'm cautiously in. I can definitely see this going wrong or being too safe (and thus dropping off my watchlist when all the other shows come out to play a la Trophy Wife). The acting and writing already has me a little nervous. Sometimes the actors seem there and sometimes they don't seem into it. I always look at the eyes. There are moments in the trailer where Anthony Anderson seems to be in the catatonic state he was in for his brief appearance on Rake, moments where he's shouting a la Hollywood Game Night, and moments where he seems to be awake and engaged. However, I think the concept has potential and of course I'm going to champion this new crop of shows that are attempting to bring some diversity to network TV (and not in the way Rob or Welcome to the Family recently tried to).
-
1
-
-
I speculate that Matthew Perry will be Matthew Perry-ish and Tom Lennon will be Tom Lennon-y. I can't see this as being anything but DOA unless the older crowd just eats it up. And I say that as someone who watched all of Mr. Sunshine and Go On and who just finished the screenwriting advice book Tom wrote with his screenwriting partner. I can kind of see why they cast Tom Lennon but they really needed to pair him with a heavy hitter and Matthew Perry just doesn't have that anymore. So I speculate that I should not even get invested in this because it will be a miracle if it lasts longer than a season.
-
I hate all the Latisse ads. For a while it was just Claire Danes and the weird eye darkening part that sounded like poison. Now I've fixed on the "inadequate or not enough lashes" part. If you don't trust that your audience (of 40+ year old women) knows that inadequate translates roughly to "not enough" I feel like it's kind of taking advantage of them to sell them your weird poison.
-
2
-
-
I am absolutely delighted with this. This was the first episode of The Bachelor or Bachelorette I've ever watched though I did watch all that terrible Flavor of Love/Rock of Love/spinoffs stuff back in the day. It's just that all the Grantland podcasts are discussing it and I did enjoy those two seasons of Burning Love so I decided to give it a shot. Oh my gosh, I love it. I don't know if I'll be able to make it through the entire season but this first episode was brilliant. So awkward. So incredibly awkward. Anyone who has met someone online or been set up with a stranger knows the awkward of those initial greetings as the guys got out of the limo. But this was worse because there were cameras around. I feel like I kept noticing how the guys were getting out the things they wanted to say and then basically ran away. I'm sure they were timed but still. I was almost hoping they'd walk backwards a few steps because it just seemed so awkward when they turned away from Andi. And then there was the actual episode. The cookie guy! I can't. That was some Burning Love shit.
The first rose ceremony was interesting. I feel like she didn't want to seem that shallow because she saved some of the hotter guys (in my opinion, of course) for the middle and the end. I'm surprised lamp guy made it. I thought she might have kept the "anal" pilot instead.
The "this season on" was so dramatic. All of the feels! Happy, angry, sad. I was like, is someone going to get straight up murdered? This is so dramatic.
I was also totally faked out when she originally put on the hideous, cheap-looking gold dress instead of the gown she ended up in.
Chris the farmer is adorable!
He's got a bit of McConaughey about him.
Right off the bat, for completely shallow reasons I like Andrew, Eric, and Marcus. Patrick and Dylan are also fairly conventionally attractive but something about the cutaways during the rose ceremony made me a little suspicious of them. Let's just say I can see them having some behavioral issues. Chris, Craig, and JJ seem sweet but they don't seem like real contenders. The rest of them didn't really make an impression and Marquel was a little scary in the "this season on". I liked him at first but it seems like he could be a schemer. That's never fun.
-
1
-
Devious Maids - General Discussion
in Devious Maids
Yeah, I wasn't clear on that either. I'm sure we'll find out. On the one hand, he clearly seems to like Carmen... happy that she made a joke instead of coddling him when they first met, calling her "nice" (who calls Carmen nice?), putting up with her shit and forgiving her pretty easily (especially with the other characters on this show in mind). But we know that he actually wasn't suicidal. But he did join up with the very punchable Ethan's gang of thieves. For now, I'll say, not fatal attraction.