Brilliant UK TV Part II - Whimsical Sci-Fi Fantasies

Disclaimer: A [long overdue] continuation of my pursuit in finding great UK TV. This (short) list is of the sci-fi/fantasy elk- so prepare yourself for plenty of shiny nerd gems.

(via Cinewise)

1. Misfits (2009) series 1-2
Tastes Like: radioactive potato salad
American Counterpart: Heroes
Why it is brilliant: Misfits is like Heroes but with the no over-the-top drama and evil cackling villain (well, so far...). Give powers to a bunch of (Heroes) American teenagers: epic journey with the good vs. evil storyline. Give powers to Brit teens (albeit juvenile delinquents): ...life goes on. These super-powered teens do what normal teens do: have lots of sex, talk back to adults, and live life without much fear. Their newly acquired powers (from a weird electric thunderstorm) are relatively minor to the drama and problems they face. Led by smart-ass Nathan (played by the very talented Robert Sheehan), this group of motley teenagers faces the consequences of reckless actions, while discovering the price of their new found gifts. Although there is a main plot that strings the episodes together- each episode has a self-contained A Day in the Life of a Unique Teen Story. Without really focusing on the novelty of their powers, each teenager faces his or her personal issues as normally and reacts as realistically as possible.
Why others might miss out on it: graphic sex, language, and violence.
The humor: Robert Sheehan's charismatic acting skills as the loveable shameless asshole Nathan, who hilariously rips on everyone.
The hook: The relationship of these teens with society and with each other. The grittiness of the script makes this show believable and the cast's spectacular performances make the show absolutely entertaining.
Most memorable scene: Watch any scene with Nathan in it.

(via seriefreak)

2. Being Human (UK) series 1-3
Tastes Like: Tea, hot chocolate, blood
American Counterpart: Charmed
Why it is brilliant: I admit I was a little on the fence about this one. But after getting through my prejudice against vampires (Twilight is to blame)- I actually kind of like the show. Three supernatural (vampire, werewolf, and ghost) beings live together in a dark cold world filled with selfish vampires and werewolf drifters. Facing against various adversaries while trying to maintain a normal human lifestyle, the main characters depend on one another for emotional support. Given this description, one would assume that Being Human is on the drama-side of the sci-fic genre. And yes, one would be absolutely correct! Vampire Mitchell struggles with his blood sucking nature, Wolf George with his painful moonlit transformations, and Ghosty Annie with her Unfinished Business. There are loads of sullen-angsty-staring-out-at-the-setting-sun scenes from all three characters. However, despite the cliche emo-storylines, the series truly shines from the wonderful performances- especially Wolf George played by high-pitched Russell Tovey. There is a serious emotional depth to not only George but all of the characters; the struggle to reclaim stability and safety is very much a believable goal that all the characters strive toward.
Why others might miss out on it: Sometimes moody characters are not fun to watch. Especially moody vampires. You are immortal and sexy and have supernatural strength- get over yourself. Feh.
The humor: George's panicked outbursts (think Chandler from Friends) to his friends' sometimes ridiculous suggestions and ideas.
The hook: George the Werewolf.
Most memorable scene: George's transformation to a werewolf- painful and heart-wrenching to watch.

(via thefirstpost.co.uk)

3. Doctor Who Series 5-6 (exclusively)
Tastes Like: Fish sticks and custard, the breakfast tea
American Counterpart: The X-Files
Why it is brilliant: I'm a latecomer to the Dr. Who series. According to Wikipedia, the first series ran in 1963 and has been through eleven lead Doctors (the present being the 11th Doctor portrayed by Matt Smith)! The Doctor, aka Time Lord, is a regenerative/immortalish being. His ability to reincarnate has allowed the Dr. Who series to flourish to the sixth series and beyond. I started with series 5 with new Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and his trusty companion, Amy Pond (Karen Gillan). Instantly taken with the Doctor's quirky adorable personality and his cool bow-tie, I was swept away by the imaginative otherworldly adventures the characters experience in various points in space and time. Some of the adventures Amy and the Doctor go through(and later Amy's boyfriend/fiance Rory) are spectacularly dangerous and nerve-wracking (the "Weeping Angels" episode comes to mind). Though the Doctor is a genius, a Time Lord, and somewhat immortalish- he is still a fallible character with his share of mistakes and regrets. The imperfectness of the Doctor allows tons of room for suspense and drama. The Doctor's flaws and his sudden burst of eureka are a joy to watch. And it is mostly Matt Smith's charismatic performance as this fabulously dorky Doctor, which keeps the show amusing and addicting. A must-watch for all who enjoy time travel, strong characterization, and just good fun!
Why others might miss out on it: Some filler episodes weigh down the genius of the main storyline.
The humor: The banter and chemistry among the TARDIS crew. Listening in to the Doctor's rapid-fire thought process.
The hook: The plot with its mind bending twists and the script's truly snappy dialogue.
Most memorable scene: The season 6 finale- the great reveal. River Song's true identity and what it could mean for series 7! (Spoilersss~River Song's identity...)

Done Talking Typing,
SJ

Brilliant UK TV Shows

Disclaimer: This post is not for the purposes of pitting US television against UK television. It's a simple recommendation of great shows that all happen to be from BBC. The super cool accents are just a bonus.

(via pixunlimited.co.uk)

There is something so refreshing and engaging about the following shows from the UK (BBC). Unique, realistic, with an emphasis on character development - the following are some of the greatest television shows I have ever watched in my 22 years of living.

I am a stone-faced Buddha when it comes to emotion. I only barely crack a smile at funny jokes, as it is rare for me to display any extreme emotion when watching the TV. However, the following list has had me laugh my entire jaw out, to which I quickly judge as especially good comedy. I adamantly recommend these shows to any fan of HBO or off-beat quirky humor or those with a healthy level of curiosity.





1. The Office (UK)

(via Hulu)

Tastes like: Cup of coffee, pint o' beer, sandwich

American counterpart: Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office (US)

Why it is brilliant: The Office (UK) portrays the doldrums of life through a small paper company (Wernham Hogg), where a self-delusional boss and his passive employees bring about insanity and hilarity into the workplace. The Office hits the nerve of the human experience: the realities of failure, jealousy, humiliation, and petty office drama, packaged to an off-beat humor. It is a sad but poetic analysis on everyday life but not without laughter. Ricky Gervais' subtle and brilliant comedy shines through the otherwise rainy and boring Slough, Berkshire.

Why others might miss out on it: It is not your usual sitcom humor. The pacing and mood imitates the office workplace (lots of grays, glazed eyes, and keyboard clacking). The stark difference between this and the US version (for those who enjoy Dunder Mifflin).

Laugh-out-loud meter: Lots of cringing followed by sudden frightening bursts of laughter.

The hook: The insufferable awkward boss David Brent and his philosophies on life ("If your boss is getting you down, look at him through the prongs of a fork and imagine him in a jail" - David Brent Quotes). Oh, and of course the office romance.

Most memorable scene: [SPOILER] All throughout the series David Brent is a complete jackass, which isn't too terrible since that is what makes him the star in almost all of the funniest scenes. However, the most memorable (and saddest) scene is when Brent gets laid off (or made redundant). Here you see this detestable figure crumble; it is hard to watch Brent's pride finally break down when the only stable and worthy aspect of his life is taken away from him.





2. The Thick of It

(via pixunlimited.co.uk)

Tastes like: Hard liquor, espresso, and cigarettes

American counterpart: The West Wing gone horribly sour

Why it is brilliant: The Thick of It gives audiences a glimpse of the ugly side of UK politics (albeit fictitious). The charismatic Peter Capaldi gives an explosive performance as Malcolm Tucker the Director of Communications or in other words the government's spin doctor. As the government's "public image enforcer", Malcolm Tucker frantically runs about to sort out the mess caused by government officials. Focusing on the political environment of a clumsy Department of Social Affairs (and Citizenship), we see all sorts of characters: from the ambitious and morally deficient junior adviser to the passive and dimwitted social worker. The Thick of It is chock full of profanity, back-stabbery, high-stress intensity, colorful characters, and very funny consequences.

Why others might miss out on it: Cussing, cussing, cussing, and swearing.

Laugh-out-loud meter: OMFG-what-just-happened kind of laughter.

The hook: Take a closer look at the man in the middle in the photo above. The man is the embodiment of evil. Ruthless and efficient, Malcolm Tucker runs a tight ship. There is much hilarity that ensues when things do not go his way. It is entertaining to watch the venomous Malcolm Tucker flay his political cohorts with verbal abuse ("Come the fuck in or fuck the fuck off" - Malcolm Tucker responding to a knock on his door). Stringing up f-bombs in a sentence becomes an art form in The Thick of It.

Most memorable scene: Tucker screaming at Hugh Abbott the hapless minister of social affairs to stop revealing certain information to the media. Further words cannot describe what happens here.





3. The IT Crowd

(via Web TV Wire)

Tastes like: Coffee, chips crisps, and soda

American counterpart: Big Bang Theory, Scrubs

Why it is brilliant: The IT Crowd follows the lives of three members of an under-appreciated IT department of a major global corporation. Two geeks, Roy and Moss, and one "normal" girl, Jen, face the challenges of social ineptitude, the advances of a skeevy boss, and general insanity. The IT Crowd's characters steal the show; the writing for each episode is top-notch, but the delivery of those lines, especially by Katherine Parkinson (Jen) and Matt Berry (The boss of Reynholm Industries), carries the show to its fullest comedic peak. Witty, smart, and an homage to the geek culture, the IT Crowd and its colorful cast are well developed and lovable in their own way- reminiscent to Bill Lawerence's ensemble in Scrubs. Each character of the IT Crowd has his or her own eccentric twitch but not without depth or growth. The believability of these characters far extends typical stereotypes and 2-dimensionality found in similar genres, making the IT Crowd incredibly worthwhile.

Why others might miss out on it: A very slow and admittedly unfunny first season. The canned laughter soundtrack.

Laugh out loud meter: Laugh-out-loud times one million. The IT Crowd is beyond your ordinary sitcom. It is a masterpiece.

The hook: The fun chemistry between characters: the interaction between the IT geeks Roy and Moss, and Jen, the oblivious IT manager. And the interaction between the utterly weird but charismatic boss Denholm and Jen.

Most memorable scene(s): [SPOILERS] Enduring hours of Jen showing off for winning Employee-of-the-Month, the boys decide to play a prank on Jen to teach her a lesson. They convince the totally technologically-impaired-and-ignorant Jen that a small black box is the Internet. Unexpected chaos ensues.

Another hilarious scene showcasing Jen's Internet knowledge.

When Jen opens the forbidden door to the forbidden room in the IT Department only to find that a Goth lives there. Totally unexpected but equally funny.





4. Sherlock

(via johnstoysoldiers)

Tastes like: Tea, biscuits, and perhaps red wine

American counterpart: House

Why it is brilliant: Sherlock portrays a very believable Sherlock Holmes in the 21st century. Moffat's Sherlock features amazing and inventive ways of editing and storytelling that keep audiences engaged with Sherlock's lightning fast thought process. Die-hard Sherlock Holmes fans may be delighted with Sherlock, as it is littered with faithful details, while newcomers revel at Sherlock's proficiency with smart phones and laptops. Placing London's favorite 19th century hero into modern times is so natural; one wonders why this has not been done before. Thankfully under the hands of the creative Moffat, audiences get to enjoy a superb retelling of Holmes. Both leads (Cumberbatch as Sherlock and Freeman as Watson) are a joy to watch as they carry an edgier interpretation to their characters. Sherlock as the danger-junkie and Freeman as the awestruck but level-headed companion, both these characters are presented with flaws and eccentricities.

Why others might miss out on it: Unevenness; a spectacular first episode followed by a rather mediocre second might put some people off. Luckily the third episode brings about a climactic end to the first series.

Laugh out loud meter: A sociopathic genius at work. Very funny. Lots of laughs.

The hook: Watching an epic mystery unravel under Holmes' ingenious deductive skills is fun but seeing Holmes struggle with a simple social interaction is even more entertaining.

Most memorable scene: [SPOILER] Without any further introductions, Sherlock deduces that Watson must be a war veteran from Afghanistan, with an alcoholic brother who, after an unhappy marriage, is divorced- all in a flash. Afterward, Sherlock proceeds to explain his deductions to an amazed Watson. Sherlock then badgers Watson if he had been 100% correct, concluding that his deductions usually contain some small error. Watson admits that he does have an alcoholic sibling with a failed marriage but she, is in fact, a lesbian. Watch the trailer.





5. The Apprentice (UK)

(via Tellymad)

Tastes like: Sausage (Series 6), croissant, champagne

American counterpart: The Apprentice (US)

Why it is brilliant: Smart, surprising, and intelligent. You have a handful of young business prospects and one job. Faced with thoughtful tasks, contestants need to survive this harsh job interview process for a successful career with Lord Sugar. There's an even more detailed ode of the brilliance that is The Apprentice, which you should take a look here.

Why others might miss out on it: Not a high-drama reality show in a sense that it lacks alcohol-sex-filled debauchery. Repetition with some of the tasks within each series.

Laugh out loud meter: Minimum; although watching Sugar's aides (a la "eyes and ears") become increasingly exasperated with some of the contestants and their foolhardy ways can cause a chuckle or two.

The hook: The few unbelievably self-delusional or outstanding contestants, innovative challenges, and a fun way to learn about business.

Most memorable scene: All the series had its highs especially with some outrageous contestants, however series 5 stands out due to James McQuillan, the funniest contender for the winning apprentice position. McQuillan made it all the way to the semi-finals (top five), but was fired during before the grand finale with two others. The most memorable scene was when James, tasked with selling birth water pools to pregnant women, describes to a potential buyer that the next model of the pool comes with a telly (TV) and ashtray.

Diva Talkin',
SJ

JunkFood Fun.

Has your mother ever told you not to play with your food?

For me the answer is no, because a) I was an okay-well-behaved child and b) also an intensely paranoid kid; something about germs and touching and food did not mingle well for me.

However it is a different story with junkfood. As kids you are encouraged to play with your snacks. Whether it is to slap your friend with a Fruit by the Foot or to play make-believe as a fantastical zoo keeper (of your animal shaped crackers), junk food simply tasted better as toys.

I, myself, have fond memories with cigarette-shaped bubblegum (harmless really), Dunkaroos, Pop Rocks, and the Fun Dips.

Even as an adult, I find myself categorizing my Skittles by their colors and then later rearranging them into my latest and greatest artistic masterpiece before stuffing them down my gullet in gleeful frenzy.

However, the more 'adult' we get, the less playful our junkfood becomes. It's the kids that get the fruity flavored crystal Ring Pops while the mature population gets stuck with the less conspicuously fun Welches Fruit Snacks. Well, I have several suggestions that might revitalize the fun in the way we see common snacks.

Enjoyable Snacks to Play With in an Adult-like Manner:

1. Skittles

Ingredients: 2-3 regular packets of Skittles (more if you prefer), Creativity (art degree not required)

Serving Size: 1

Time: 5min - 10min

Instructions: Open the packets and just lay the candy out on a clean table. With washed hands, rearrange them by color (ROYGBIV, if you'd please). Then- release your inner artist spirit/demon, and go crazy! Make yourself a nice mosaic of colorful images. If you have leftover Skittles, feel free to munch on them while appraising your artwork.

Suggestions: I usually create a lone sunflower in an open grassfield. The purple could be used as pollen or bugs on the ground.

2. Pocky

Ingredients: 1 regular sized Pocky (chocolate), Mischief

Serving Size: 2

Time: Depends

Instructions: Open your Pocky packet, take a Pocky stick, and chew until you have a 1 cm of chocolate covered part left. Now you have yourself a fake match. Repeat until you have loads of fake matches. Collect them in a container if you'd like. Wait for an opportunity to take them out to show people.

Suggestions: Great for April Fooling a smoking friend when they ask for a light. They shouldn't be smoking anyway.

3. Oreos

Ingredients: 1 package of Oreo cookies, Steady Hands or Patience

Serving Size: 1 or more

Time: 20min - 30min

Instructions: This is a bit difficult to master but not impossible. Open your Oreos package and take apart every single Oreo cookie sandwich until you are left with double the amount of cookies. Using the cream as a building paste: stack the Oreos so that there is cookie at the bottom, cream, cookie, cream, cookie, cream, and you get the gist. You will most likely have a leaning tower of Oreos. Feel free to take pictures and show them off to a possibly disinterested friend.

Suggestions: None.

4. Dum-dums

Ingredients: A package of Dum-dums variety pack (120), Some honesty

Serving Size: 2-3

Time: 1hr and up

Instructions: No, no, do not bang these potential drum sticks on the table although it might be highly tempting. We are not children. We are adults and can't possibly afford nasty glares and/or annoyed faces.

Real Instructions: Do not unwrap the lollypops. Instead tug on the candy until the head pops off the stick. Do this for all candy. Throw away sticks. Clean your hands and begin unwrapping all the stick-less candy. Throw away wraps. You will have a pile of colorful orbs. Mix them up and place them on a clean surface. Your guessing game begins. Begin by pointing at a orb and guessing its flavor. Your friend will pick it up, eat it, and confirm whether you are correct or wrong. If correct you earn a point. Next, it is your friend's turn. Turn by turn, repeat until there is no more candy. Count points and name a winner!

Suggestions: A great drinking game. The game allows for an easy change/switch to a punishment or reward system.

5. Welches Fruit Snacks

Ingredients: A package of Welches Fruit Snacks, A flair for drama, Imagination

Serving Size: 1

Time: Depends

Instructions: Simply, lay the snacks out and individually pick it up the way you would the normal fruit. This might be hard for those with big hands- use fingers. For example, with the Welches grapes (the fruit snack), you'd pick them up by the stem with your pointer and thumb. Take a tiny bite off of an individual grape. The aim? Imagine you are a giant in a tiny land, eating tiny fruit.

Suggestions: You can stick your pinky out when daintily chewing on your fruit snack and pretend you are a classy fruit eating giant. Do not swallow the whole fruit- you might choke on it.

Delicacies Talkin',

SJ

A Very Specific Request on Craigslist

An eloquent way of putting things...

Dilly-dally Talkin',

SJ

Movie Review: 71: Into the Fire (2010)

Introduction

I get especially excited when I see foreign films make it into the US "big screen." It somehow feels like rooting for the underdog. It's the contraflow of foreign films to the US (opposing the usual Hollywood flow to the rest of the world), which enriches the US cinemas with commendable films like Pan's Labyrinth (2006) and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000).

I just looked up the definition to "contraflow" to make sure I used it properly, and found this very cool picture:

A "contraflow" lane reversal traffic to evacuate Houston from Hurricane Rita (2005). (via Wikipedia) Looks like the apocalypse dunnit?

[Warning: May Contain Spoilers.]

And so when a friend discovered South Korean hit 71: Into the Fire (2010) playing in a local movie theater, I had to watch it.

Before Watching The Movie

I was excited because the synopsis seemed so intriguing: "71 South Korean high school students (volunteers) fight in war to defend South Korea from a formidable North Korean invasion." Oh and the "true story" part made it even more appealing. I expected a wave of emotions to be felt, as well as some powerful lessons to be learned.

During the Movie

First fifteen minutes of the film: Emotions were most certainly felt and powerful music most certainly heard; alas, the tragedies of war.

Middle of the film: Powerful music heard but emotions dried out by redundant war images.

Last fifteen minutes of the film: Oh, so this is what a war porno looks like. Lovely.

After the Movie

Thoughts on 71: Into the Fire (2010)

It's obvious the director (Lee Jae-Han) of 71 wanted to convey the atrocities of war but went about it rather poorly. Showing lots and lots of guns, lots and lots of gore, and lots and lots dead bodies is all fine; I'm okay with that. I'm sure that is how real warfare looks like. Saving Private Ryan did the same thing: smoke, blood, and tears. But Private Ryan had critical somethings that 71 does not: character...and characters.

Characters that looked felt, smelt, and tasted real. Private Ryan had audiences emotionally invest in these fictional people. Suddenly those piles upon piles of dead bodies actually meant something to us. When people died in Private Ryan you felt an overpowering sense of loss and grief. You personally felt the consequences of war right down your gut because you closely followed these individuals and their story no matter how it fit in the general schema of World War II.

71 on the other hand does the exact opposite. It takes real people and reduces them to 2D cardboard figurines in an elementary play set. 71 creates a good vs. evil story with a typical wide-eyed hero on one end and a typical wizen villan (who severely resembles King Leonidas from 300 btw, fyi, tysk) on the other. 71 sets up 2D puppets that either run into gunfire or shoot at those running into gunfire (I guess the title makes sense). This small but true heroic event becomes over-bloated as the crux of the overall outcome of the war; diminishing the heroism of the actual event to a Sunday morning cartoon.

There's no backstory as to why these 71 children want to fight in the war (I guess they were just all courageous or something); the one rebellious student with an actual motive (revenge) is your usual prototype bad guy with an abnormally large heart. 71 throws aside potential content that expands on personality and depth, and instead relies on the flashy horrors of warfare to carry the weight of its eye-rolling message: "War = bad" or as one character puts it "Mama, why does such a[n awful] thing as war exist?" (or something ridiculously similar to that).

The Pessimist: Yes, I'm furious. My expectations have fallen flat on their faces and have been repeatedly run over by a tank full of bad cliches. Yes, true-story-inspired movies are all embellished to an extent. But was the Hero vs. Villan Showdown gun duel at the end of the film necessary? Or the inevitable redemption sequence of the rebellious wayward student popping back out from nowhere to save the day? Was there any originality in 71? Was there any new or thought provoking messages that 71 put out on the vast table of war flicks?

[.oN .oN .oN .oN :rewsnA]

The Optimist: If I wanted to watch a mindless war movie, I'd watch this. There are plenty of bodies shot, liters of blood spillt, and loud war cries hollered. It's perfect. And also, if I wanted to watch a burning car, I'd YouTube "burning car" and watch a car burn for hours until it slowly reduces itself into bits of ashes.

More importantly, comparing the similarities between these two madmen becomes an enjoyable activity:

Bad Guy of 71... and

King Leonidas. His muscular Grecian twin.

P.S. I was going to finish off with something witty and biting like: "I'd put 71: Into the Fire (2010) into a fire" but I'm not going to even try. It's too easy and it's not worth it. (Just kidding! It's really hard! But still not worth it!)

Snarky end comment: Watching 71: Into the Fire (2010) may be an equal experience as to viewing a full season one marathon of Joey without the commercials.

Conclusion

What is most disappointing about 71: Into the Fire (2010) is that it is a typical Hollywood action clone. What about the diversity and inventive quality of the foreign film contraflow to the US media? It is easy to stereotype all foreign film as magical masterpieces that go against the grain when in fact there are loads of unsavory flicks out there. Such as this one, which revels in mainstream American action cinema without it retaining much of an identity. Or soul.

Overall Diva Scores:

71: Into the Fire: C-

Saving Private Ryan: A-

Joey: C-

Diva Talkin',

SJ