Tag Archives: castle

What’cha Watching Wednesday #13

As I’ve been putting up finishing this for quite a while now, I think, it’s about time to face the truth:
I’m bored by this segment.

I don’t really want to get rid of it entirely, but I do think I prefer doing it similar to what I did with the The Gamer’s saga and Attacking the Darkness.
In this one I’ll give you a brief overview of the backlog and starting with the next one the „Specials“ will be the normal version – hence the change of numbering, even if this one would have been #11. You will still get the occasional movie review, but I think I’ll use this segment more for talking about several things at once and not focusing on one thing alone as I do in those.

WWWWhat is this about?

Every other Wednesday I will publish a post in which I talk about (the latest or any episode of) a series or a (series of) movie(s).

In most cases this will be a collection of thoughts that cross through the different media.
You’re warned: There will be Spoilers.

Let’s start

JourneyQuest

A while after the successful Kickstarter for Season 3 I just had to re-watch the first two Seasons of JourneyQuest and with that link included I’ll leave you to read what I already wrote about this incredible show with many female leads, incredible characters and a hilarious and interesting story line.
By the way: In this campaign you had the chance to coin a new Orcish Word, which I didn’t do, I went for the „Bardic Immunity“ Badge instead. 😉

As I’ve already helped with the subtitles on Attacking the Darkness, it was a no-brainer that I’d also apply for Season 3. Let me tell you: It’s an epic (pun intended) Season and I’m proud to be a part of it, even if it’s only through contributing to the subtitles (Episode 5 and 8 are completely translated by me, Episode 9 until ~3/4 minutes and there are edits by me all over the place 😉 ). 🙂

Glitch

Another gaming related web series that was partly created by ZOE, featuring at least four of their returning cast members (Jesse Lee Keeter, Conner Marx, Brian S. Lewis and Trin Miller). The series is about a young Game Tester (Glitch) who’s bored with his life and wishes that it would become more like a video game – which of course becomes true, but different then he expected, as now he occasionally gets stuck in Glitches. The idea is fun and it has some funny moments, but also some really strange and weird ones. It is especially strange to see Keeter, the Glitch actor, out of his Rilk costume (though I have to admit, it took me a while to recognize him in The Gamers: Hands of Fate too…).

And now for the other stuff I watched in bulk, but was too lazy to discuss:

When you start a series, you have to catch up with new stuff, so of course I watched Orange is the New Black Season 4, started with Lucifer Season 2, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Season 4 (even if I forgot to talk about Season 3 – Episode 10-17 somehow) and Elementary Season 4 and continued with Marvel’s Netflix adventures and Luke Cage Season 1.

I think, I don’t need to discuss the horrible twist we saw in OITNB, it’s been discussed enough and I still think that losing Poussey (especially that way) was a bold, yet somehow necessary, move to stir up some things that are rarely talked about. She’ll be missed in the coming Seasons… (Did anyone read the book and knows if this really happened?)

Just as bold was the whole story telling of Luke Cage. I loved it. A cast true to the demographics of Harlem (even if that meant I had to watch it with subtitles, as I did not always understand people, but that’s a small price to pay), strong female leads that aren’t just there for the eye candy, important topics, no focus on unnecessary sex- (the one that we saw was an interesting contrast to the ones on Jessica Jones) or fight-scenes, everything that was said/done got straight to the point, interesting, multifaceted characters and all in all just an incredible narration (If your German is good enough, check out Joseph’s great review here: Luke Cage). The only thing I missed were comments regarding the Hulk who „broke Harlem“ during his last visit, though that was probably already water under the bridge.
As I summarized on Twitter, I’d quite like a show with this premise:

Daredevil’s theme song, Jessica Jonesdiversity & Luke Cage’s storytelling. Anyone knows something like that? 😀

S.H.I.E.L.D. and Lucifer had some nice turns this Season (Ward finally gone, Ghostrider, Uriel & Mom, telling Linda the truth), but haven’t gotten much different to what they showed last Season(s). Elementary is basically the same old story, but a nice diversion.

In addition to that did I also complete Dead Like Me (including the Movie), Lost Girl and got up to date with The Librarians. Where the first two had interesting premises the result was soon boring and weird (never entirely got over „Der Waffelhaus“, that grammar mistake just makes my skin crawl…). Both shows could have been something great the Grim Reapers and the Succubus? Yeah, that made for interesting story material, but it focused too much on trivialities and too little on actual character development. After Rube was gone Dead Like Me went downhill, probably even before that. Just like Lost Girl made a dive down with the whole Hades-thing and love-triangles/rectangle-thing and Bo’s horrible case of Main-Character-Syndrome, it got annoying after the second iteration of her saving the day because of … reasons … Other than that was it a great show, with a relatively diverse cast and an interesting premise. Even if again all the characters I liked either ended up dead or leaving the show…

The Librarians on the other hand still needs to find its footing. It’s fun and I really liked the movies preceding it, but there isn’t much in terms of character development. What little they had was either retconed or undermined by other actions. And the Point of Salvation was one of the better time-loop episodes I’ve seen so far and a prime example of what I just said. Both Season finales (And the Loom of Fate and And the Final Curtain) had me on edge and it’s generally great story telling, if I would get some deeper connection to the characters (and Agent Baird – I always want to hear/read Bard somehow – wouldn’t turn into a lovesick puppy whenever Flint is around…)…well, we’ll see what Season 3 brings.

I also tried Alphas for two episodes (two-parter unfortunately), but it didn’t quite catch me. My venture into Hemlock Grove lasted for Season 1 and the first Episode of Season 2, but I haven’t continued yet. Maybe it’s partly due to the fact that I want to know how it’s written after Season 1, as I’d like to see if the twist is as well written, as it is portrayed and partly because that ending was kind of good and I’m not sure I like the turns made in that first Episode of the second Season. Maybe I’ll try continuing one day, who knows.

When I’m not catching up with up-to-date shows I started watching Castle. Before I’ve only seen a few Episodes here and there when I was at my Dads at the right time, but now I’ve seen Season 1-4 and a couple of Episodes of Season 5, but I’m currently taking a break as a part of me is afraid to see what will become of Castle and Beckett and how it’s handled, while the other one wants to finally finish the Advent Calendar I have planned for this year. >_<

Hence my Tweet:

Is it weird that I started watching a show about a writer doing research, while I should be writing myself?

Different movies

Most of the movies in this list came through Netflix. I just scrolled through different categories and decided to watch them on a whim. This way I watched No Filter – I believe – my first Spanish movie (with subtitles) and I was highly surprised and amazed by the concept of a timid woman just blurring out everything that was on her mind. Some people need to do that more often. 😉 It was refreshing and well made, a recommendation for everyone who wants to try something different. 🙂

I also discovered Ellen Page’s Roller Girl and Tallulah through this. Roller Girl was great and it just shows that sometimes being yourself means becoming someone entirely different and that’s absolutely okay. More people should watch it. 😀 The pretty much only thing I got from Tallulah was an earworm of Sonata Arctica’s song by the same name. It was strange, jumpy, yet still well played, but not really my kind of movie.

Neither was The Fundamentals of Caring which felt like it wanted to capture the success of Intouchables, but failed pretty horribly. I did not want to see a five minute scenery shot of a boy peeing into a beautiful lake … Most of it felt forced and meh, not even close to the French stories‘ atmosphere.

Aside from new discoveries did I also re-watch some „old“ favourites. Namely Alfie and Avengers. Honestly I have to say that I did not remember Alfie as dark as it was and with a look into the Behind the Scenes stuff regarding the original version, I now know that it could have been worse. It’s a fascinating character study and known far too little. Unlike the other that is part of a high grossing franchise. I just felt like re-watching it.

It was a tiny bit a preparation for Doctor Strange that I saw in cinema earlier this month, but not really. The movie is visually amazing. The story is nothing new, Doctor Strange reminded me a lot of Cumberbatch’s other roles (mostly Sherlock though), but was still filled with some funny jokes and stunning visual effects (though – unlike Ghostbusters – they didn’t use the coming-out-of-the-screen 3D effect, at least not that I noticed… 🙁 ). My favourite was certainly the Cloak of Levitation. 😀
Only downside for me was, that you couldn’t really grasp the time line. Some say the initial accident takes place during Iron Man 2, potentially making the „man with the twisted spine from experimental battle armour“ the one from Hammer Industries – which is denied by Marvel – otherwise this could be Rhodey after Civil War, yet he is seemingly too old and it’s also denied or unconfirmed. We also see the Avenger’s tower which wasn’t really like that during the time – it wasn’t even Stark Tower back then if I remember correctly. If it all takes place after Civil War then the training sequence is far too short. Sure Strange might be skilled and desperate to learn, but mastering something in a couple of months, when he isn’t really mastering his own hands after weeks/months of surgeries and mistrials? Sound unreasonable to me – and I know we’re talking about magic, but come on…have at least SOME realism here….
(Again, if your German is well enough, check out Joseph’s review: Doctor Strange).

On an unrelated note do I now own an official movie poster after participating in a selfie-competition by Marvel and the KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens, Mall of the West) Berlin. >_<

What were you watching?

What episodes (or movies) did you enjoy/dislike throughout the week/month(s)?
Anything you’d recommend checking out?
Let me know in the comments below!

Final Words

I hope you enjoyed this little look into the different stuff I watched throughout the last months.
Which version of the WWW do you prefer? The one were I split everything or were I focus on something?

No idea when I’ll even make one of these again, but make sure to keep an eye out for more information on my Advent Calendar. 😉

And I’m off now to attend the advanced showing of Fantastic Beasts and where to find them with Unmei and one of her friends as a birthday present for her. 😉

PoiSonPaiNter

A watchful Halloween

Well, it’s been a while since my last post and I’m not entirely sure why I couldn’t get myself to write anything here, I just didn’t feel like it…
But I did get a few things done – or semi-done at least.

  • I drafted my Advent Calendar and am in the process of typing it.
  • I sketched a special story for a friend and finished the first nine chapters of it.
  • I concluded my participation for fruehstuecksflocke’s #Projekt24
  • I translated and edited two old stories (including The Quest for Ore – reading at own risk as I haven’t included the edits on the Blog yet. ;)) for another project I’ll announce when it’s time.
  • I also finished my entry for Bücherstadtkuriers‘ Literary Advent Calendar. Let’s see if they like it. 😉 (If not, you can read it on the 25th of December).
  • I also was at two conventions (on the same weekend >_<) and at another HGWAnime-Event.
  • And I finished and caught up with a few more series, though I didn’t feel like writing another WWW.

Anyway!
Back to the topic at hand:

Halloween

Just as I did the last couple of years, did I want to write something for this years Halloween.
So far you got: (Childhood) Halloween Memories and some spooky local legends.
This time it’ll be a recommendation of spooky Specials of TV Series or Movies. So have fun checking them out and maybe you want to add your own favourites to the list. 🙂 (Note: I know there is a full list on Wikipedia, but I prefer recommending stuff, that I’ve seen before 😉 ).

Halloweentown I-IV

Movie Poster for the first Halloweentown movie

One of the must-haves for me. It’s quirky it’s funny, not that scary, but scary enough to make little children cringe and most of all: Full of fantastical creatures.
The stories might not be the most innovative – and it still bugs me that they changed Marnie’s actress for part four, as I like Kimberly J. Brown since I first saw her in Rose Red – but they’re a lot of fun and definitely one of those things that just fit the newer sense of the holiday by combining the partying attitude with the old legends and creating something unique. 🙂

Castle – Vampire Weekend

Screenshot from the episode with everyone in costumes

I recently started watching Castle, because of reasons, and this Episode is filled with all kinds of nods and references to stuff the actors (Nathan Fillion, especially) did before.
You have a joke about Firefly, a mentioning of Buffy (which brings an entirely different angle to the table: If Buffy is fiction in Castle, is Caleb then played by Castle in this version? 😀 – and I finally know why Stana Katic looks so familiar; she played the female lead in The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice…) and all of the classic stuff like Dracula, the Wolfman and so much more that makes this episode fun and enjoyable. There is another Halloween Special, but I haven’t seen it yet, so I can’t tell you if it’s good. 😉

Psych – This Episode Sucks

Screenshot from the episode with Shawn and Gus dressed up as Lestat and Blacula respectively.

Full of Vampire references this one might not be a Halloween Episode per se, but still fun enough to add to this list. And who doesn’t enjoy childish grown ups dressing up as fancy vampires that are unable to talk through their fake teeth? 😀
For some reason I also want to add 100 Clues to this list, that is even less of an Halloween-Episode, but it still has the flair of old mystery flicks.

Grimm – La Llorona

Screenshot of the episode of Monrow in a skelleton costume fully woged.

One of the creepiest episodes of Grimm I’ve seen so far – and I’m still missing a huge chunk of the later Seasons…
With Grimm you basically have a set number of things something could be: Human or Wesen, but with La Llorona they add something entirely different. A real ghost? A special Wesen? No one knows and at the end of a terrifying hunt, she’s gone.
Besides: Monroe’s love for Halloween and the fact that Wesen take a break on this day is also quite fascinating.

Honourable Mentions

There are a lot more Halloween themed Episodes or Movies, but I want to leave it at that, you still need some time to go Trick-or-Treating, right? 😉

But if you still haven’t gotten enough spooky stuff do try the original Sleepy Hollow movie or even Nightmare Before Christmas.
Buffy and Supernatural themselves pretty much are constantly Halloween-themed, but there are episodes that are considered Specials like Hush or It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester. And not to forget the twenty-something Special Halloween Episodes of The Simpsons. 😉
Then of course there are all the horror classics, but everyone knows which those are, so I’m now leaving you with this:

Stay save in this spirit filled night and have Happy Halloween – or Samhain! 🙂

Photo of a selfcarved pumpkin with a small and a large eye and a grin with two canine teeth
Have a pumpkin for the way

PoiSonPaiNter

(c) The pictures (except the pumpkin, that ones mine) were taken from the Wikia or IMDB pages of the episodes/movies linked within them. All rights for them belong to their respective owners.