Merlin...errr Ok... True Blood - "I want to do bad things to you..."
So I watched the first 2 episodes of MERLIN. I'm assuming that a lot got cut due to the ENORMOUS number of commercials that aired during both episodes (NBC "we don't have a lot of viewers BUT we have A LOT of corporate sponsorship!) The first episode felt the most cut up and the second I'm assuming had a lot of fighting removed because watching the choppy "whack whack" of guys in heavy armor repeatedly banging on each others bucket heads was rather yawn inspiring after watching a season of Mr. Seeker Tight Pants and his cut-throat Confessor counterpart attacking armies without any armor and constantly busting out fighting moves that would make Anakin Skywalker jealous.
I love the castle that the series is set at. It's so beautiful that it almost looks fake. I do think that MERLIN the character is charming. The kid who plays him looks like a young Ben Cross. So far my King Arthur beast has remained unawakened so that's a good thing. I'm usually wary of watching anything Arthurian. I grew up on Mary Stewart's brilliant MERLIN books and to me anything else usually pales in comparison. About the closest that I've seen to my vision of Arthur was the film KING ARTHUR that came out a few years ago w/ Clive Owen (Y-U-M-M-Y!) But I digress.
I don't have a problem w/ the "Smallville-ization" of the show or even making Arthur a prat in the beginning. I do have a problem w/ the overly lazy modern language that they use ala "prat" "thanks" etc. The show doesn't SOUND Arthurian, nor does it really sound English for that matter. Also the FX in the show feel overdone and out of place. I'm an FX Nazi and my eyes can pick out every instance where there's CGI greenscreening and as endearing as the dragon is as a character, he was rendered too sharp - he looks drawn onto the scene instead of living in it.
I'll still watch MERLIN but it's no LOTS. I know that LEGEND has cheesy things to it but it's my kind of cheese...and it has Craig Horner. Sorry, Bradley James is nice on the eyes but I'm not into blonds. Give me dark eyed and haired Craig anyday. Umm...Craig..."I want to do bad things to you...."
Anna enjoying the view...
*Wipes drool off of mouth* - Sorry.
Onto the other show that I started this weekend "TRUE BLOOD." This was a year where a series of books that I'd read "Sword of Truth" and a series of books that my sister had read - Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire books had both gotten turned into TV shows. I caught the leaked pilot last year and wasn't overly impressed. I was also sad that they recast the part of Tara. The original girl had been one of my favorite stars of PASSIONS. Brook Kerr wasn't quite harsh enough, or black enough for the part though, I see that now that I've watched 8 episodes. I like the girl who they brought in, she's young, smart-mouthed, and charming. TRUE BLOOD is freaking addicting. I'm not into vampires (which is ironic since I want to write a series of vampire books - I wanted to do this LONG before they became the "it" thing) but the show is fun. Who wouldn't love a show where you see almost more naked men on the series than women? Seriously I think I count more male butt cheeks and bare chests than I do boobs.
Anna Paquin is great - I love the whole cast. It's wild, sexy, and weird - such a fabulous summer guilty pleasure show to watch. The show is great because it's very character driven w/o tons of FX. I'd watched "Six Feet Under" so I love Alan Ball's work. I'm 1/2 way through season 1 so don't spoil anything for me folks! If you haven't checked it out, I'd recommend "True Blood" by a mile and I'm not even done yet w/ season 1.
I love the castle that the series is set at. It's so beautiful that it almost looks fake. I do think that MERLIN the character is charming. The kid who plays him looks like a young Ben Cross. So far my King Arthur beast has remained unawakened so that's a good thing. I'm usually wary of watching anything Arthurian. I grew up on Mary Stewart's brilliant MERLIN books and to me anything else usually pales in comparison. About the closest that I've seen to my vision of Arthur was the film KING ARTHUR that came out a few years ago w/ Clive Owen (Y-U-M-M-Y!) But I digress.
I don't have a problem w/ the "Smallville-ization" of the show or even making Arthur a prat in the beginning. I do have a problem w/ the overly lazy modern language that they use ala "prat" "thanks" etc. The show doesn't SOUND Arthurian, nor does it really sound English for that matter. Also the FX in the show feel overdone and out of place. I'm an FX Nazi and my eyes can pick out every instance where there's CGI greenscreening and as endearing as the dragon is as a character, he was rendered too sharp - he looks drawn onto the scene instead of living in it.
I'll still watch MERLIN but it's no LOTS. I know that LEGEND has cheesy things to it but it's my kind of cheese...and it has Craig Horner. Sorry, Bradley James is nice on the eyes but I'm not into blonds. Give me dark eyed and haired Craig anyday. Umm...Craig..."I want to do bad things to you...."
Anna enjoying the view...
*Wipes drool off of mouth* - Sorry.
Onto the other show that I started this weekend "TRUE BLOOD." This was a year where a series of books that I'd read "Sword of Truth" and a series of books that my sister had read - Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire books had both gotten turned into TV shows. I caught the leaked pilot last year and wasn't overly impressed. I was also sad that they recast the part of Tara. The original girl had been one of my favorite stars of PASSIONS. Brook Kerr wasn't quite harsh enough, or black enough for the part though, I see that now that I've watched 8 episodes. I like the girl who they brought in, she's young, smart-mouthed, and charming. TRUE BLOOD is freaking addicting. I'm not into vampires (which is ironic since I want to write a series of vampire books - I wanted to do this LONG before they became the "it" thing) but the show is fun. Who wouldn't love a show where you see almost more naked men on the series than women? Seriously I think I count more male butt cheeks and bare chests than I do boobs.
Anna Paquin is great - I love the whole cast. It's wild, sexy, and weird - such a fabulous summer guilty pleasure show to watch. The show is great because it's very character driven w/o tons of FX. I'd watched "Six Feet Under" so I love Alan Ball's work. I'm 1/2 way through season 1 so don't spoil anything for me folks! If you haven't checked it out, I'd recommend "True Blood" by a mile and I'm not even done yet w/ season 1.