They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, a weekly column where we gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we’re all about the latest hit HBO show, a new trailer for Disney’s next live action fairy tale, lush movie posters, and the best K-drama portal fantasy you’ll ever see. Intrigued? Then read on for more.
Shara’s Favorite Thing is… Westworld!
I have to admit, I feel like I’m jinxing myself by squeeing right now, because as I type this, HBO’s Westworld still has yet to air the season one finale. But nine episodes in and I’m entranced, excited, and hunting down fascinating theories about the characters and the show’s structure and timeline. Westworld has been a surprise hit for me. Maybe it’s because I’m one of the few people who still love Lost and actually loved the ending of the show, but I’m fine with slow-burning think-pieces that ask you a lot of questions but are stingy with answers. What’s better is being able to appreciate just how rich the adaptation is. HBO takes the subtle, disturbing discomfort of the original movie and moves it front and center (and naked). Yes, there is some disturbing shit going on, and yes, you SHOULD be uncomfortable by it. That’s kind of the point, right now.
The acting is also so, so stellar. Evan Rachel Wood as the bright-eyed Delores, Thandie Newton as the sharp-edged Maeve, Anthony Hopkins as quietly egotistical Robert Ford. There is so much talent here, and it’s hard not to be captivated by the story and the subsequent theories that spin out of it. And then there’s the feminist commentary, but to say more would be a spoiler. Yes, this show is violent against women, and yes, these women are seen as objects. But the show doesn’t stop with just the women: all of the hosts (aka robots) are objects in the eyes of everyone around them, and all of the hosts are victimized and killed over and over and over, depending on the narrative they’re trapped in.
It’s a heady show, and I’m utterly hooked. Let’s just hope the finale didn’t sink under the weight of the show’s narrative (pun intended).
Betsy’s Favorite Thing is…. the Beauty and the Beast Trailer!
It should surprise no one that I am still ridiculously excited about the official trailer that Disney released earlier in November for the upcoming live action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. It looks wonderfully lush and detailed, with just enough realism — especially in the village — to feel grounded. Basically, I love everything about it. Sure, we can hope there is a bit more fine rendering of Beast’s features, and I know some folks feel like his horns aren’t well done, but if you look up a picture of some bison (which were the basis of the animated Beast’s horns) and imagine them rendered realistically in a live-action situation, just try to tell me there wouldn’t have been an even bigger outcry. I’m just saying I definitely understand the decision. And then there’s a debate about whether Belle’s iconic dress ought to be yellow or gold, and consequently whether the movie got the color right, and folks who can’t handle that Angela Lansbury doesn’t voice Mrs. Potts, and on and on and in the end I really don’t care because my actual childhood is about to come to life, and it’s going to be glorious. Anybody who wants to nitpick can go somewhere else. I’m an optimist, and there’s pretty much nothing anyone can do to squash my excitement about this one. So there!
Janicu’s Favorite Thing is…. Dramaworld!
If you are into the “falling into an alternate universe” trope, or stories that wink at well-loved territory (think Lost in Austen and Galaxy Quest), then I highly recommend watching Dramaworld on Netflix. This series centers around Claire Duncan, a superfan of K-Drama (that’s Korean Drama if you were wondering), who, thanks to a malfunctioning smartphone and some odd magic, finds herself in the middle of her favorite show, Taste of Love. Claire learns she’s a “facilitator” and is meant to help the Hero, Joon Park (a brooding chef), and his intended love interest, Seo-yeon (his plucky sous-chef), get together according to the rules of Dramaworld. Once they share True Love’s kiss, the drama is over and the couple’s memories are wiped and reset so they can meet and fall in love again in another story. Unfortunately, things in Dramaworld aren’t exactly working as they should be. If you have ever watched a Korean Drama, you will be amused by this tongue-in-cheek homage to the genre (for example, there’s a rule that there has to be at least one scene with the Hero taking a shower). K-Drama fans may also notice cameos by many of its stars. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Honestly, I was addicted after the first episode. There are 10 episodes all together, and they flew by (at 9 to 17 minutes each, it’s easy to binge watch them all). I really hope there’s a season two to look forward to.
Tez’s Favorite Thing is… Arrival‘s Beautiful Movie Posters!
I like my movie posters how I like my book covers — without people. And you’re in for a treat today, because I have found TWELVE amazingly beautiful promotional posters.
While the film Arrival is set in Montana with only brief glances elsewhere, the story itself takes part in twelve different locations on Earth. And here they are. Stunningly photographed, with a “shell” (aka UFO) hovering above.
These striking artworks depict coastlines, bodies of water, deserts, mountains, and cities. The skies range from day to night, and my favorite poster — representing Greenland [pictured] — features the Aurora Borealis.
I am in love with these posters. What are your favorites out of the twelve?
Any thoughts on the selections above? Let us know in the comments!
Just added Dramaworld to my Netflix queue! I’m not a fan of K-drama, but the premise looks delightful and intriguing. Thanks for the rec!
I just started watching it. It’s super adorable, and very friendly to people that aren’t already fans of the genre.
I feel a bit weird reading about Dramaworld. It’s a K-drama, but the main character is a white girl? Or maybe it’s the Mary Sue premise that bothers me? Hmm…
🙂 YMMV? Not sure if this helps sell it but my take:
She could have been any race. She’s basically a super-fan of K-Drama. Which I find believable because here in the U.S. I see SO MANY K-dramas and Japanese dramas available to watch on Netflix. Sooo many. That stuff is popular here. She messes up a LOT when she gets to Dramaworld too, so I think her not being from that culture and being overly excited sort of aids the storyline. And this was written/directed by Asian American, so it’s coming from this outside-Korea but fan-of-the-genre lens.
Ha, Betsy’s choice is making me giggle. I was actually surprised no one picked that earlier! Just waiting for you Betsy. 🙂
The Arrival posters are amazing. All very silent an ominous looking. Can’t decide which is my favorite.
Westworld: I’ve been told to watch it by a couple of people. The violence against women sort of concerns me, but will give it a try at some point. I don’t have HBO so maybe if we get a 3 month trial or something, that seems to happen once a year..
Honestly I was also surprised that no one else nabbed it, either! But then I guess by now I might be the designated B&tB squee-er.
Those Arrival posters really are amazing… interesting that more of them aren’t iconic Western cities. And now my living in the middle of nowhere gets a highlight because I still haven’t gotten to see it!
Trust me, when you see the film, it makes more sense. 🙂
Ah, are you in Montana, or another of the poster locations?
Jaincu: I won’t lie: the pilot may make you run the opposite direction, but as I said above, you’re SUPPOSED to be upset and disturbed by what you see. And it’s not a spoiler to say by and large, you will root for the robots!
Have you ever seen the original film?
I’m a little more excited about Beauty and the Beast than a grown woman with no kids should be, although I’m starting to think that people who grew up on the cartoon version are more excited for this movie than little kids are. I was never a Barbie doll kind of girl but I had a Belle doll with the blue-and-white dress and the gold dress.
See, if this movie was The Little Mermaid, I’d probably be in the same boat as you, Kelly. I never saw Beauty and the Beast until years later, and I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I was just finally able to check the movie off my mental list. 🙂 I do look forward to seeing this version though!
You can tell a lot about a person based on their favorite Disney princess. If that’s not a BuzzFeed article, it should be. Belle is my favorite princess but The Lion King is the best Disney movie from my childhood.
Ariel was my favorite, hands down. Given that I’m a singer, that shouldn’t be a surprise, but I wanted to be a mermaid SO BAD. I loved swimming as a kid!
But yes, The Lion King was also my favorite Disney movie. I never saw Beauty and the Beast nor Aladdin until later, so my favorites were, in order:
1) The Lion King
2) The Little Mermaid
3) Oliver & Company