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The Starling City Times: News and Media about Arrow

Grammaeryn

By Grammaeryn
in Arrow

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Something else to keep an eye out for - videos from Leanne Aguilera, TV Editor/Producer/Host of ETnow are coming...

Leanne Aguilera @leanneaguilera
Basically, @emilybett and I are total professionals. (Get ready for A TON of #Arrow scoop, y'all!) https://instagram.com/p/-M27NPkTel/
1:24 PM - 17 Nov 2015

https://twitter.com/leanneaguilera/status/666728602956791808

Leanne Aguilera @leanneaguilera
#Arrow fans! You're getting AT LEAST 4 videos from my chat with the lovely @EmilyBett! The first is #Olicity-themed & it's coming tomorrow!
3:24 PM - 17 Nov 2015

https://twitter.com/leanneaguilera/status/666758807893245953

Moira Curran ‏@MoiraCurran
BTS with @EmilyBett and @LeanneAguilera. It got real. It got funny. There were many dramatic emoji enactments.
1:17 PM - 17 Nov 2015

https://twitter.com/MoiraCurran/status/666726937847459840

Edited by tv echo
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Morrigan2575
Morrigan2575

I always find it odd when people blame the writing for LLs failure. I'll give them that for Lauiver because of the whole cheating thing but, let's be honest if SA/KC had the chemistry that SA/EBR had,

lemotomato
lemotomato

Sorry, that argument rings really hollow when the show has had a history of killing off/mistreating other female characters without a peep of protest from those same "concerned" people. Moira Queen, S

ComicFan777
ComicFan777

I know that this is supposed to be Felicity's dark arc, but...Felicity desperately doing whatever she can to save people (damn the consequences down the road) doesn't make me think that she's losing w

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

From ET's twitter and tumblr accounts...

EntertainmentTonight ‏@etnow
.@EmilyBett fans: We have lots to share — TOO much, so we're putting bonus pieces on Tumblr! http://bit.ly/ETtumblr
10:40 AM - 18 Nov 2015

https://twitter.com/etnow/status/667049680531038209

Prepare for an EPIC Q&A with Emily Bett Rickards! We address some BIG topics like jerseys. Socks. Dogs. And this little show called Arrow.
 

We have SO much to share that we’ll post some of her answers HERE and some on Twitter today at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
 

Follow ET on Twitter!

http://entertainmenttonight.tumblr.com/post/133476638910/prepare-for-an-epic-qa-with-emily-bett-rickards

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

Another Nov. 17 interview to look out for...

fanstangofficial  We had such an amazing time interviewing @emilybett today ! It's always a pleasure to see you #emilybettrickards #felicity #arrow #interview #celebrity #exclusive #fanstang

11939491_1645876289000981_954494626_n.jp

https://instagram.com/p/-MmRGSzMGI/

FansTang ‏@FansTang
Thank you for the love Emily's fans! We'll post the link to the interview once it airs. Check back for updates!
3:28 PM - 18 Nov 2015

https://twitter.com/FansTang/status/667122148616577024

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

This video discussion is such B.S. (mostly about FitzSimmons on AoS and Olicity on Arrow) - what I got from it is that you think shipping ruins the show if you don't like the couple being shipped, but you don't think shipping ruins the show if you like the couple being shipped...

 

Does shipping ruin TV shows?| FANDEMONIUM -- #30
By Roth Cornet | WEDNESDAY, NOV 18, 2015 11:54 AM
http://www.hitfix.com/the-dartboard/does-shipping-ruin-tv-shows-fandemonium-30

Edited by tv echo
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dtissagirl

dtissagirl

I just can't get over this notion that me being a talkative fangirl on the internets about romance nonstop since the very first time I got online in 1994 until this very day ends up shaping the end product that billionaire conglomerates put out. They're hearing MY VOICE, and giving ME power. I AM MULTITUDES AND I RULE THE UNIVERSE, WOO.

 

/lol

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wonderwall

wonderwall

(edited)

Marc Guggenheim has a new phrase... Drumroll please............

 

We do something I don’t think anyone is going to anticipate. One of the biggest seismic changes we have ever done happens in the Arrow half of the crossover.

—  Marc Guggenheim on the Flarrow crossover event, TV Guide 11/23 - 12/6 issue
Edited by wonderwall
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Ann Mack

Ann Mack

I enjoyed the interview and it stayed specifically on topic. I'm sure they'll talk "Brroklyn" and other things of interest to Emily and her fans in the future upcoming segments. Isn't there 4 installments altogether in her interviews with them?

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Sakura12

Sakura12

We do something I don’t think anyone is going to anticipate. One of the biggest seismic changes we have ever done happens in the Arrow half of the crossover.

—  Marc Guggenheim on the Flarrow crossover event, TV Guide 11/23 - 12/6 issue

 

Daisy from AoS shows up in a Marvel/DC Crossover Event! No one is going to anticipate that. :D

 

EBR has been seen hanging out with Chloe Bennet recently. Lol. 

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

EW and Vulture reviews of 407...

 

Arrow recap: 'Brotherhood' Season 4, Ep. 7 | Aired Nov 18
November 18 2015 — 11:24 PM EST  BY JONATHON DORNBUSH
http://www.ew.com/recap/arrow-season-4-episode-7

So James Bamford stepping in as director feels of a piece with the story being told. Yes, there’s his touted extended one-shots at the center of the episode, but his direction of the entire episode clarifies, rather the obfuscates. He employs a number of lengthy tracking shots, some hanging just a beat or two longer than most TV editing would dictate, to let the choreography of a scene, whether it’s a fight or a conversation, take center stage.
*  *  *
Ollie and Diggle are spotted, Andy commanding his fellow ghosts to kill the green one, proving the caring brother he presumably once was is still in there somewhere. The two almost die as Ghosts swarm their location, leading to an all-out brawl — and one of Bamford’s longest one-shots of the episode, complete with handheld camerawork. (ASIDE: While I enjoyed this one-shot, it certainly won’t go down in my personal book as one of the better ones I’ve seen in recent memory, and I think Bamford’s directing work is quite strong throughout the episode at highlighting the fight sequences. The one-shot is great, but there are decisions in fights before and after it that I think surpass it. END ASIDE)

 

Arrow Recap: Bros Before Foes
By Jenny Raftery  November 19, 2015 3:46 a.m.
http://www.vulture.com/2015/11/arrow-recap-season-4-episode-7.html

... All I know is that Team Arrow needs to find a chemical that can "unscramble" the DNA markers. It's patented by Wolfman Biologics, which means that just like last week, Team Arrow has to break into a company to steal a patented technology. (At this point, I'm beginning to wonder if this season's big bad is actually patent lawyers.)...
*  *  *
Anyway, he has much less exciting issues on his mind, like Oliver's speech at the police union's benefit dinner. (I know Stephen Amell's mouth was moving during this scene, but all I could hear was tux tux tux. The man can wear a bow tie.)...
*  *  *
... Eventually, Dig joins the fight at the psych ward because his "brother" needed him. He doesn't mean Andy; he's talking about Oliver. (The line was predictable and cheesy, yet I still ate it up.)...
*  *  *
Oliver whips it out for Conklin. Flashback girl loses a brother, but gains a name!
*  *  *
I enjoyed the dynamic between Oliver and Darhk. It's fun to see Oliver show a bit more of his alpha-male side.
 

Thea's fight scenes are nicely executed and choreographed. The show has handled her transition to Speedy so well.
*  *  *
"Resurrected siblings are kind of in my wheelhouse." Ugh, Laurel, why would you be so glib and/or proud about such a terrible choice?

Edited by tv echo
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bijoux

bijoux

IGN - It was Thea in the elevator, not Laurel.

 

Ahaha. They got the wrong character for the "epic" fight sequence? I got the intent of it but it looked so obiously choreographed that it was boring to watch.

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dtissagirl

dtissagirl

I admit I'm a sucker for long takes on steadycam, because I know how incredibly difficult they are to pull off.

 

But I also need them to add something to the narrative. And here what happened was that Thea and Andy fought uninterrupted and uncut for almost a full  minute, and... where's the emotional resonance? The other fights Thea had in this episode added a lot more to her story than the this one. As it were, I stopped paying attention to the fight itself the second I "saw" the steadycam operator going into the elevator backwards, and then I spent the rest of the scene watching him instead of the fight.

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tv echo

tv echo

Review: ‘Arrow’ Takes ‘Brotherhood’ to an All-Time Stunt High for TV
by Kevin Fitzpatrick November 18, 2015 11:00 PM | ScreenCrush
http://comicsalliance.com/arrow-brotherhood-review/

The other aspect worthy of mention, longtime Arrow stunt coordinator James Bamford finally got his turn in the director’s chair, easily elevating “Brotherhood” as the most action-heavy and visually-dynamic hour of the series, even if the end result felt a bit disjointed. Intrusive and elaborate camera movement occasionally distracted from the moments at hand, especially as the more involved takes would seemingly speed up the frame-rate, almost looking like a live episode, rather than anything particularly cinematic. Don’t get me wrong, I love both Arrow and Bamford’s ambition, and the effort shone through more memorable sequences like Thea’s two-floor elevator fight, or smaller details like Laurel leaping down from a high surface in one take, but some instances clearly stretched Arrow’s ability to polish its visuals in such a short timeframe.
 

And to his credit, Bamford did a stellar job keeping emotions high in scenes without any major action, but I think either side of the hour didn’t end up interlocking as well as they could. However involved and impressive, certain fights might have proven too flashy for their own good, lacking an overt connection to the drama at hand. There was already a bit of disconnect whether Diggle’s brother could return to the light even after his rescue, that such visually impressive stuntwork rang hollow without a higher sense of stake.
*  *  *
*The idea of Oliver “needing” the hope that someone can come back from darkness dovetails nicely with the killer we know him to become on the island, one of the rare instances in which the increasingly-disparate Olivers retain at least some thematic connection.

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tv echo

tv echo

Arrow S4: E7 -- 'Brotherhood'
By Robert Dougherty November 19, 2015 08:18AM EST
http://www.themovienetwork.com/review/arrow-s4-e7-brotherhood

Through these talks and arguments, David Ramsey has ample opportunity to be heartbreaking, and he runs with every bit of it. Nevertheless, his blind rage, stubborness and inability to see a grey area in Andy's actions time and time again make the arguments start to run in circles.
 

What's more, given his ultimate ability to finally forgive Oliver, his past ability to work with Oliver despite his killer past, and his and Lyla's own sins once upon a time, there is something hypocritical about his point of view no matter how justified it is. This is constant with him being the moral center that kept Oliver in line for 2 1/2 years, yet he's still been forgiving about the grey areas in others, and even some of the black ones, until now. Perhaps it goes to show that Oliver isn't the only one with a blindspot of sorts when it comes to family.
 

This is the second week in a row where Oliver tries to be the moral center and voice of reason to someone who's always been his voice of reason time and again. Diggle seemed to be slipping back into his old 'prepping up Oliver' role last week after things with Felicity hit a snag, but the tables are turned this time. But for Oliver, things really aren't so much about Andy, as they are about trying to maintain his newfound need to believe there is hope for anyone and anything, as Stephen Amell passionately conveys midway through.

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tv echo

tv echo

'Arrow' Recap: Another One Unbites the Dust
Robert Chan   November 19, 2015
https://www.yahoo.com/tv/arrow-recap-another-one-unbites-the-dust-070834188.html

Diggle’s brother is back from the dead — and just in time for Thanksgiving! Unfortunately, he appears to be an unrepentant H.I.V.E. flunky, so the holiday dinner will probably just as awkward as yours. Thea ups the awkwardness by inviting her father (and head of the League of Assassins) Malcolm Merlyn. The sword fight over who gets to carve the turkey will be legendary.
*  *  *
It’d sure be nice to think that Laurel could offer some good advice, but she bungled the situation with her sister so badly, you’d get better help dealing with siblings from Cain and Abel.
*  *  *
Alex’s response to Thea beating the bejeezus out of the creep at the bar suggests that the course of their relationship won’t repeat last season’s DJ/assassin pattern. Instead, it look like Thea will have to find a way to hide her feral side from her perfectly ordinary, perfectly adorable, perfectly dull boyfriend. Which is worse: dating a guy whose job is murder, or a guy who might possibly murder you with boredom?
*  *  *
* What if Oliver actually does beat Darhk in the light of day? It would be interesting to see if he has what it takes to beat a big bad with his brains instead of his fists.
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tv echo

tv echo

A.V. Club calls 407 "the best episode of this bounceback season" (?!)...

 

All the little things go right on a season-best Arrow
By Alasdair Wilkins  Nov 19, 2015  1:45 AM
http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/all-little-things-go-right-season-best-arrow-228639

... As played, that exchange between Diggle and Oliver is more than the thematic scaffolding it might have been a season or two ago. Instead, this is about two people trying to navigate impossible situations and being honest about the things they need to keep hold of their identities. While there’s plenty of Oliver in “Brotherhood,” his story is more or less equal to those of his costars’, as his decision on how best to fight Damien Darhk is informed by Diggle’s decisions without subordinating Diggle’s own journey. The characters make one another better, both in and out of universe.
 

That’s true even on the margins. Consider Laurel, who after a few episodes of starring subplots as she worked to get Sara back moves back into a supporting role for tonight’s episode. I know some fans are more convinced by Laurel’s recent work than I am, but it’s hard to argue that what we see tonight just naturally fits better the strengths of both character and performer. Katie Cassidy is at her most fun when she can offer some empathy and do a little wisecracking, and that’s precisely what she offers Diggle at the gala dinner....

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

More praise for JBam, but scored episode only 3 stars (Good)...

 

‘Arrow’ Recap: “Brotherhood” – Hoods of Leather Fight Together
BY DAVE TRUMBORE      11 HOURS AGO
http://collider.com/arrow-recap-brotherhood/

At this point on The CW’s Arrow, any episode that features unique fight scenes and a fresh take on stunt choreography should automatically command your attention. “Brotherhood” was one of those episodes, thanks in large part to its director James Bamford whose main credits on the show are for fight choreography and stunt coordination. This is the first episode he’s directed, however, and if this level of action is just a hint of what Bamford is capable of, I hope he gets more chances in the future.
*  *  *
The high points of “Brotherhood” were the action scenes and the chance for Diggle to get a little story of his own going on. Unfortunately, most of the supporting cast took a back seat in this hour. That’s not a bad thing, especially considering how focused last week’s episode was. It’s just that this particular rescue mission lacked most of the tension and emotional connection that the rescue of Ray Palmer inspired, and without that, “Brotherhood” just kind of left me with a shrug.
Edited by tv echo
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Morrigan2575

Morrigan2575

http://www.examiner.com/review/arrow-s04e07-more-direction-than-development-brotherhood

 

 

“Brotherhood” was the Arrow directorial debut of James Bamford, who has worked on the show as stunt coordinator from the very beginning, and the action background was apparent in his episode as stunts galore began to bore and the dearth of humanity began to drag. Episodes of Arrow are 42 minutes, and they need far more nuance to the plot and character relationships for the action sequences to feel anything but particularly flashy filler killing time.

 

 

The issue is that the action sequences in which the close camerawork was most evident were ones in which a sense of intimacy and isolation was needed to create suspense. Speedy vs. Andy wasn’t truly terrifying because there was an observer in the elevator with them. Oliver being bashed around storage containers wasn’t nerve-wracking because he wasn’t alone among enemies. Digg flinging an arrow and dragging Oliver away didn’t feel desperate because there was somebody tagging along. The sequences felt like they were lifted from a hybrid episode of Arrow and The Office, and that is a crossover that nobody has ever needed to imagine.

 

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Guest

Guest

Everyone commenting on the directing seems like a conspiracy to me, especially when Lexi Alexander received no comments AT ALL. Is he paying them? What's going on? Still feels like a sexist little boys club. Not impressed. 

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

I also liked these parts from the above-posted Examiner review:

... Arrow, however, isn’t about athleticism. Arrow is about Oliver Queen and the mission of Team Arrow to save Star City. If Arrow were about athleticism, the cast would be comprised of stunt experts and martial artists rather than actors. Stephen Amell can do many of his own stunts, but he wasn't cast because of it.
... The most effective moments within the action sequences were when Digg came to reaffirm his brotherhood with Oliver and when Thea had her unexpected showdown with Darhk. Those were moments in which the actors who have brought these characters to life were visible and recognizable behind their masks, not beats in which they epically landed the most epic punches in the history of epic punches.
... Arrow becomes remarkable when the actors are allowed to elevate the material and turn the series into something compelling enough to become invested. Stuntwork and action sequences are important to Arrow, but they are not the most important, and balance between action and development should never be 50/50.
Edited by tv echo
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Guest

Guest

I just don't get it. You could actually see at times where Bam Bam had obviously just said 'And action' or something because sometimes the actors were poised in position before the scene. It was just so damn sloppy. I am baffled by this. 

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AyChihuahua

AyChihuahua

I just don't get it. You could actually see at times where Bam Bam had obviously just said 'And action' or something because sometimes the actors were poised in position before the scene. It was just so damn sloppy. I am baffled by this. 

I thought the story and acting were fine (with the usual exceptions, POPPY), but the actual episode was the worst I've ever seen.  Like I actually SAW the directing, which I never do, and it was BAD.

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Guest

Guest

(edited)

I thought the story and acting were fine (with the usual exceptions, POPPY), but the actual episode was the worst I've ever seen.  Like I actually SAW the directing, which I never do, and it was BAD.

 

I didn't mind the episode. It wasn't the greatest and didn't live up to the masses of hype but it wasn't bad. I thought DR was amazing and he saved most of it for me. But noticing the directing and camera work is a big no for me and I noticed it a lot. 

Edited by Guest
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AyChihuahua

AyChihuahua

I didn't mind the episode. It wasn't the greatest and didn't live up to the masses of hype but it wasn't bad. I thought DR was amazing and he saved most of it for me. But noticing the directing and camera work is a big no for me and I noticed it a lot. 

That's what I mean.  I didn't mind anything that happened.  I loved Thea's moment with Darhk and Oliver's stuff with Darhk and Felicity and Oliver and all Diggle's stuff, but the directing was so obvious and weird and uncomfortable that I couldn't get into it. 

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tv echo

tv echo

(edited)

This reviewer compares Bamford to Lexi Alexander...

 

Arrow "Brotherhood" Review: Light It Up
By Noel Kirkpatrick 10 hours ago
http://www.tv.com/shows/arrow/community/post/arrow-season-4-episode-7-brotherhood-review-144771243359/

And before I wade into all of that, I need to discuss my need for James Bamford and Lexi Alexander to just alternate weeks directing Arrow. When it was announced that Bamford—who has worked as the stunt and fight coordinator on the show since it began—would direct, I was intrigued but also hopeful about what his episode would look like, at least in regards with how he staged and shot the fights. I've been critical of Arrow's slice-and-dice approach to fight sequences that often hides the choreography in quick, scattered cuts to build excitement and momentum instead of allowing the choreography to do that. This season, Arrow has steadily pulled away from that. There was a little taste of it in the John Behring-directed "The Candidate," and then Alexander really pushed the show's overall shot composition in "Beyond Redemption." After that, however, the show settled back into its general rhythms for two episodes.
 

Bamford more or less picked up Alexander's baton in terms of pushing the show's look but where she went for wide and smooth dolly and crane shots with fewer cuts in her fights, Bamford favored a more in-the-mix, handheld video style with (seemingly) longer takes (in the age of digital editing, single takes aren't always a sure thing). There's the Thea and Andy fight through one room, into a hallway, into an elevator, out of an elevator and into another room that was a really impressive bit of choreography and cinematography in general, but for Arrow in particular. Yes, of course, plenty of action shows do this sort of thing and better, but most of them aren't operating with a CW's show budget and shooting schedule. This kind of thing takes planning, extensive rehearsals, and the time and money to do the planning and the rehearsals, to say nothing of the need to get it right in as few takes as possible (or as few takes as a digital editing can seamlessly accommodate).
*  *  *
Outside of the action sequences, Bamford didn't push things too much outside of Arrow's typical style the way Alexander did. There were nice flourishes, including his repeated use of dolly shots to settle into conversation-heavy scenes—look at the shot in Diggle's apartment before he starts talking to Lyla, or when Felicity and Ray move to the table in the loft—but he still mostly kept to Arrow's fondness for tight medium shots/loose close-ups that are nicely centered as opposed to Alexander's use of negative space to offset the closeness of the shot.

Edited by tv echo
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tv echo

tv echo

MTV reviewer also gushes over Bamford's directing...

 

‘Arrow': Diggle’s Bro is Back From the Not-So-Dead in ‘Brotherhood’
by kayti burt 13h ago
http://www.mtv.com/news/2511328/arrow-diggles-bro-is-back-from-the-not-so-dead-in-brotherhood/

Tonight’s episode was helmed by first-time director James “Bam Bam” Bamford, who usually acts as the stunt coordinator of “Arrow.” The result was a refreshing aesthetic style that particularly shone in the action sequences. The filming style for those fights was similar to the way in which Bamford usually films his pre-visuals for all of the stunts — i.e. handheld long shots that clearly displayed the choreography of the fights.
 

It’s that last point that might have delighted fans the most. One of the criticisms of season 3’s action sequences was that, because of the way they were shot, we weren’t able to clearly see the elaborately-choreographed fight sequences. That’s not the case here. Filmed in the midst of the fight, it felt like we were on the ground with Team Arrow and it was scary, thrilling, and oh-so-refreshing — almost like a first-person video game, at times. More, please.

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Chaser

Chaser

I kind of understand the praising of the stunt directing, because they were very involved and very different from previous episodes. I don't understand why no one is calling out the fails of what happened outside of the stunts. The framing and transitions and what not.

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tarotx

tarotx

(edited)

We want to see the characters as they live in the action scenes. We don't want it to look and feel like a video game. And no it didn't feel like I was there watching. I could see the camera movement instead of felling like I was holding the camera.

The whole episode was shot that way. Even the Stunt work. It was a big mess and too massive to do on a CW tv budget. Imo. I and some other fans did mention the non action scenes on the episode thread. So I also don"t understand why very few are mentioning the camera work fails.

I kind of understand the praising of the stunt directing, because they were very involved and very different from previous episodes. I don't understand why no one is calling out the fails of what happened outside of the stunts. The framing and transitions and what not.

Edited by tarotx
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looptab

looptab

(edited)

I feel like I'm in an alternate universe, because, pardon my French, WHO THE F- CARES that Bamford directed? Why is everyone praising him, when other directors get rarely a mention? But going from these reviews, it looks like the stunt guy directing it's like the second coming of Christ.

 

And, I mean, I wasn't much impressed one way or the other with the direction. It's not that I hated it or I hate him or whatever, I simply don't get why these so-called reviewers feel like they have to spend paragraphs and paragraphs commenting on it. I feel like I'm missing something.

Edited by looptab
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dtissagirl

dtissagirl

Probably because the CW pushed the episode as such. The way they painted it, this was more BamBam's episode than Diggle's episode.

 

Funnily enough, Lexi Alexander's episode was advertised as Lance's episode. It was Lexi's fans that pushed some noise about it, it didn't come from either the show nor the network.

 

And... it's just so completely tone deaf to be talking about how a white dude ~finally got a chance to debut as director~. Uh. That happens every other week on 90% of tv shows?

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Guest
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