Dexter

Who would have thought a serial killer could be likable. Dexter certainly is. This is what we have been watching at our house this week. We rented Season One and have watched the first 2 discs in as many days. Loving it.

Tristan & Isolde

This is a medieval tale of a love triangle between Isolde the princess of Ireland, Lord Marke the Cornish King, and his adopted son Tristan. Tristan loves Lord Marke as a father. Marke loves Tristan as a son. The beautiful Isolde is loved by and loves both men. Despite all of this love, politics are at the center of this love story.

I was initially excited to watch this film yet in the end disappointed. I didn't have any real sense of compassion for the characters involved nor the political situation they were in because the film makers didn't take enough time to make them important to the viewer. Some of this could have been caused by some of the editing or choice of shots as well. Several times a scene would end prematurely making me feel like I needed just a few seconds more to digest it. The love stories felt "almost" real, but in the end I didn't really care about the characters.

The "kingdoms" of Ireland and England seemed a bit deflated as well. The sets looked more like the forts that were made in America's west. In fact, the "castle" in Cornwall reminded me more of Fort Mandan than a great kingdom of England.

I wanted this film to be a great love story that pulled me in and made me fall in love with the characters and their time. I felt let down instead and left wanting more.

Food: Turkey Leg
Drink: Mead

Planet Earth

Planet Earth is a BBC created documentary that comes to you in a 5 DVD collection. The photography is phenomenal. I have only watched disc one so far, but am hoping that the quality continues in this series that really makes me appreciate the world I live in. All together, there are 11 documentaries in this series each dealing with a different ecosystem and a final documentary that looks at the future of our planet.  It is masterfully narrated by David Attenborough whose voice knows just how to fluctuate to draw you further into the beautiful imagery.

This was a joy to watch with my 5 year old daughter. She was so inquisitive about everything on screen that we have had numerous conversations in the last 2 days about climate, mountains, animals as well as animals eating other animals. She has decided that if she was a wolf or a crocodile or a snow leopard that she would be nice to the other animals rather than eat them.

The cinematography blew me away. I kept wishing my television was an IMAX screen so that I could have a closer experience. My TV didn't do the film justice. There is a shot of some migrating birds that you initially look at and think, "Gee, that's a lot of birds." Then the camera starts to pull back and back and back. Now, THAT'S a lot of birds.

Seriously consider renting this series.  It is many hours of television viewing, but well worth your time.  

5 out of 5 stars

What to eat with this documentary delight?  Perhaps a fruit & vegetable plate.  Maybe a bit of cheese.  Oh and a good wine, red or white will do. 

The Brain From Planet Arous

What would you do if you suddenly noticed concentrated bursts of gamma radiation coming from a nearby mountain? If you're anything like scientist Steve March, you grab your geiger counter and your best friend, leave your fiancee and her father to wash the dishes, and you go over there, that's what you do.

Enter Gor, a floating brain with eyes. He hijacks Steve's body and threatens every country on Earth and comes on to his fiancee, Sally. She and her father find help in another brain, Val, and together they must stop Gor from taking over the world.

Brain has all the staples of a typical 50s sci fi story: hobnobbing men who sweet-talk their loved ones into submission, goofy aliens, and complete trust in the US government. What sets this one apart is John Agar's portrayal of Steve, a man possessed by a criminal alien mind. When he's under Gor's influence he becomes genuinely scary, and you aren't sure what he might do. He even gets to wear cool black contacts. Look for an especially creepy shot of his possessed face from behind a glass water cooler as he tries to conceal his anguish.

The film spends a lot of time on the cheesy transparency-like effect of Gor going in and out of Steve's body. And there are several props that are so good you can even see the strings. So if you like horrible special effects you won't be disappointed. 

Beyond their need to save Steve, Sally and her father don't have much to do. And their reaction to meeting the good-guy-alien-brain is anything but convincing. They might act the same way if they were meeting an estranged family member.

The voice of Gor sounded like all men from that era -- old radio announcers who smoked. But I liked his attraction to Sally. He was a better kisser than Steve until he got forceful, another risky play for an older movie.

The music was odd, it sounded like Benny Goodman wanted to try his hand at scoring a science fiction movie. But it kept the pace going.

I give The Brain From Planet Arous 3.5 stars, one for each character.

What to eat with this movie: grilled tilapia on rice pilaf with a diet caffeine-free soda. Good brain food with a hint of camp.

The Lord of the Rings - Two Towers

Two Towers is the second installment in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The story begins just after our Fellowship of the Ring has been trisected and are off on their own paths.  Frodo decided to go take the ring to Mordor by himself, but Sam wouldn't leave without him.  Frodo and Sam meet up with Gollum/Smeagol who has promised on "the precious" (aka the ring) to take them to Mordor.  That is basically it for this story line except for a quick detour where they are found by the men of Gondor and held for a short period of time before they go on their way again.  That's basically it with this trio.

Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn let Frodo & Sam go onto Mordor alone even though they promised to guide him.   The trio are now in search of Pippin and Merry who have been hobbit-napped by Ork & Uruk-hai (nasty creatures).  The hobbits are forced into a scary forrest to escape their captors where they are met by someone they least expected.  They also see things come to life in ways previously unknown.  Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn meet up with a horse-riding people called the Riders of Rohan who leave them with little hope of finding their friends.  Yet, when they are led into the forrest they also meet someone they didn't expect and plans are then made to help save the world of men, or at least protect some of them.  The Riders of Rohan are all moved to a huge fortress called Helm's Deep where a huge battle is fought.  Old alliances are reformed and a huge sense of hope fills you near the end.

This film is fun to watch because it has humor in unexpected places.  Since it is basically a huge "let's get 'em" film, the humor brings the story to a more accessible place rather than turning it into a huge epic like Ben Hur.  The story of Frodo and Sam is necessary to the film although a bit dull at time.  You learn a lot about Gollum and about the power that the ring has over it's possessor.  You are also introduced to the men of Gondor, who play a big role in the next film.  

The tree-hugger in me was very satisfied by the scenes in Fangorn Forest and we become aquatinted with the Rohirrim, their King Theoden and the beautiful princess Eowen.  Rohan's fortress, Helm's Deep, is where the huge battle takes place that can even make a softie like me get excited about strapping on a sword.  Again, the humor interspersed throughout, the wonderful soundtrack, and the shear certitude of defeat is enough to make me tear several times for various reasons.  I wish I had one of those Rohan horns that I could blow while I watch this film.  And the rain!  It rains for almost the entire battle.

Cinematography is wonderful, making me actually feel cold during battle.  The sets and the detail to set dressing is like no other film I've seen and the costume design is out of sight.  This is a film that I watch again and again and never tire of it.  It is long running at 3 odd hours.  I would highly recommend the directors cut rather than the cut shown in theaters.  I'm not sure what our rating system is going to be yet but here goes.  ***** out of 5

Food Suggestion: Sausages wrapped in Phyllo Dough

Beverage Suggestion: Spring Ale