Reading Roundup: The Hanging Tree + Doctor Strange and Ghostbusters

[hamsterwoman]

I have two weeks of life stuff to catch up on at this point, but meanwhile, I really want to talk about non-RL stuff, books and movies and things.

So we went to see Doctor Strange last weekend. B found the movie too bloody (the hospital parts) and too strange weird for his taste, but O and I really liked it. And I'm very glad we saw it a) in

Comments

[bacchuslives]

Agree that Cumberbatch was a good casting for strange. Haven't read the Hanging Tree, so I can't speak to that commentary :)

[hamsterwoman]

It seems like even the people who were annoyed by Cumberbathc's casting feel that he did a good job with the movie, so that's good.

I think you've said you're an urban fantasy fan. Have you read the other Rivers of London books, just not The Hanging Tree yet? Or is that not one of the series you enjoy/follow?

[bacchuslives]

I haven't tried it, yet. I'm always up for something new. I've been in a bit of a reading slump. I have two on my list and then I might look into it!

[hamsterwoman]

Gotcha! I do recommend them very highly -- it's my current favorite urban fantasy series and has been for several years. (But it's also one that I like a lot because it's combined with another genre I enjoy, being a fantasy police procedural.)

[therck]

My daughter adored the new Ghostbusters, warts and all, because it has so many women to admire. They may all be comic relief, but it's so very rare to see that many female characters at once. She's starving for women and girls in movies.

My problem with the movie was that I got really stressed out by the sexism the characters had to face. That was too real to be funny.

[hamsterwoman]

but it's so very rare to see that many female characters at once

It is, and I definitely appreciated that aspect of it... but that's actually all the more reason I wished it had been a better movie, because I feel like it posited these intriguing and capable characters and then... didn't actually do much with them that was interesting to me.

Having a women-centric action-comedy ensemble movie is something I really wanted to see! But I didn't feel like it really succeeded in being an action movie, or a comedy movie of a type I enjoy, or an ensemble movie really, which was disappointing.

[lyssa027]

Awesome friend Ali is really awesome :) I have yet to see Doctor Strange

[hamsterwoman]

She is! I'm just bummed that this semester she and L don't get to hang out much, because of non-matching schedules.

Doctor Strange was fun! I hope you get to see it soon, and enjoy it :)

[a_phoenixdragon]

*Skips spoileries to squish you!*

[hamsterwoman]

<3!

If'n you want a copy of The Hanging Tree, btw, I can fix you up (just need your email address), since the US release is so far behind the UK one.

[a_phoenixdragon]

Ohh, yes please!!! *Whimpers* I'll pm you my addy!

*Happy!Squishes!*

[hamsterwoman]

On its way! Enjoy! :)

[q99]

I liked GB more than you- it was cool to see a cast of woman in an action showdown, and I did like the four as a team.

Yet to see Strange. If the good reviews continue, I might.

[hamsterwoman]

I really wanted to like GB for that reason -- because I do think it's cool to have an all-female cast doing action (and non-romcom-type comedy, too), and I'd like there to be more movies like that. But it just didn't gel for me in that fashion. :(

Now that the movie is actually out, it does seem like even the people who were opposed/critical originally who actually went to see it did enjoy it, including the comics fans on my flist who, I'm sure, are judging it much more deeply than me.