Hypothetical Casting for Phoebus: Calahan Skogman

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This suggestion was given back in March 2024, I’m just a forgetful procrastinator.

Calahan Skogman
Calahan Skogman

Calahan Skogman’s name does pops up for Phoebus fan-casts, and does seems that people are spilt on him but then again Leo Tolstoy has two votes for Phoebus so I don’t think mycast is the best metric or maybe Tolstoy would have been a great Phoebus, we will never know. 

Also this suggestion is more skewed towards the Disney version of Phoebus which is a blond romanesque aesthetic, owning to his name rather than the novel. The novel is rather vague on Phoebus’ looks other than he’s handsome and has Burgundian mustache (Book 2 Chapter 4.) However it’s worth pointing out that most, if not all, Phoebus actors prior to  the Disney version had darker hair and Phoebus actors post Disney are blond even though there are all but two them (1997 and 1999). So Skogman’s fan-cast is Disney live action version minded which most of the fan-casts seem to be anyway.  

Calahan Skogman as Matthias Helvar & Danielle Gilligan as Nina Zenik, Netflix's Shadow and Bone (2021)
Calahan Skogman as Matthias Helvar & Danielle Gilligan as Nina Zenik, Netflix’s Shadow and Bone (2021)

So would Calahan Skogman make a good opinion for Phoebus – Disney version or otherwise? As of right now Skogman is only really known for his role of Matthias Helvar in Netflix’s Shadow and Bone. Oddly Skogman is one of the only actors in that cast who is American though he using a “Scandinavian-like” accent. Side note still salty about the show and the spin-off getting canceled. Also side note, the first time I watched Shadow and Bone, I loved Matthias and Nina’s (Danielle Gilligan) storyline.  

Matthias is not at all like Phoebus, he starts off a by-the-book prudish guy who falls in love with the enemy. He also quite religious and is falsely imprisoned – seems a bit more like Esmeralda the Phoebus. However one shouldn’t judge an actor based on one role. Is Skogman convincing a Matthias? Yes. Does he seem like he can act? Yes, he has MFA in acting so I should hope he can. So he more than likely could play a version of Phoebus. 

However as previously mentioned the suggestion for Skogman as Phoebus seems to be for a Disney version Phoebus which is quite different from the novel as Disney Phoebus is nobler/heroic and has moral compass. Given his role as Matthias and Skogman’s build and looks he defiantly has a good overall look for a “Disney-like” version of Phoebus. I hesitate to say the Disney live-action version since that version has been shelved but some versions of Phoebus are depicted more favorably than the novel so he could work well in the role and he deserve another high-profile role.

Calahan Skogman
Calahan Skogman

So yes, Calahan Skogman would be an great pick for Phoebus.  But what do you think?  

I did consider doing a post on fan-casting using the Shadow and Bone cast, much like the one I did for the Bridgerton cast. Still might but as was previously stated I’m a procrastinator. 

Also you can leave suggestions for a fan-casting in the comments.     

Hypothetical Casting for Esmeralda: Deva Cassel

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Deva Cassel
Deva Cassel

A while ago well I did a post on Vincent Cassel for Frollo, and someone suggested in the comments that Deva Cassel, his daughter, would make a good Esmeralda, though with a different person playing as Frollo obviously.

Flash forward till now, recently Netflix released a mini series version of The Leopard (Il Gattopardo) based on the 1958 novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. The novel was made in a highly-acclaimed movie in 1963. Now I have never read the book or seen the movie but the costumes are lauded very highly so it’s been on my radar. So when I learned there was a new version on Netflix I watched it and Deva Cassel’s involvement was bonus for the purposes of a fan-cast. 

Deva Cassel as Angelica Sedara, Neflix's The Leopard (2025)
Deva Cassel as Angelica Sedara, Neflix’s The Leopard (2025)

Deva Cassel herself is the daughter of Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci, so she defiantly luck out in the genetic pool department. 

I’m starting to get a little hesitant with fan-casting Esmeralda because how depictions of her character and back-story have shifted over time and representation. If she is to be a member of a specific group of people than casting should be more reflective of that choice made by a production. If and it’s a BIG if a version were to go for more by-the-book approach to Esmeralda’s backstory OR if the production wanted to emulate Gina Lollobrigida’s Esmeralda in some kind of subterfuge then I could see Deva Cassel fitting the role. I think she works in a very narrow specific chaprarization of Esmeralda.

As far as acting goes, she is still rather inexperienced. Prior to The Leopard she has three other credits with one being released later this year and the other being the voice of Ennui in the Italian dub of Inside Out 2. So it’s hard to gauge how she would play Esmeralda. But given her role in The Leopard as a sultry ambitious young lady, Angelica Sedara she seems to have only one look which is sultry and alluring. She either needs more experience acting, more direction or more acting classes. It’s hard to judge since Angelica comes off as sexy yet cool and Esmeralda should be effortless and warm.

Though I guess she did fine voicing Ennui but again Ennui lacks warmth, that just the role.

Deva Cassel
Deva Cassel

Deva Cassel is no doubt very striking and beautiful and given the type of Esmeralda, she could be a good fit for the role. I just would hope she could pull off Esmeralda’s personality, or maybe the production would just curtail the role for her style. 

Though if you do watch The Leopard, there is a love triangle that is similar, not exact, to the Esmeralda, Phoebus and Fleur de Lys dynamic. It’’s definitely a classic love triangle trope to be sure.      

Thoughts on the last DVDs from Netflix

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I was so sad when I got the email back in April that Netflix was discontinuing the red envelopes. I still had the service for many reasons. So it’s bittersweet now that it’s over.

Around the time of Netflix’s announcement, I was getting DVDs of a show. I had to get the discs from Netflix because the show was removed from HBO’s (Max) online catalogue. Oddly I had an impulse to to watch it back in 2020 but due to very personal issues I didn’t feel like mentally I could handle watching the show then because I saw one weird/violent clip from season 2 and deemed it too much for me then but not in December 2022 when I was ready but it was taken off the site. Not sure why I’m being cagey about which show, it’s obvious. And to make it more obvious I only watched the first two seasons……

So basically around early summer I tried to rent the backlog of DVDs that had on my queue that had been sitting there for years. There wasn’t that many but I’m sad to say I didn’t get to all them I missed out on four movies but two are easy enough for me to stream, at least for now.

So here are my very brief thoughts on the last 6 DVDs (roughly) I got from Netflix. I’m not including one that is for another post, or the final DVD since I got that as one intended to keep or the single bonus disc I got which oddly I added super last minute. I am grateful that I even got a bonus disc since I saw on reddit that many people didn’t but I was hoping for more.

The Movies I watched…

Let me know if you have seen any of these titles…

The Sea is Watching – The was screenplay was based one written by Akira Kurosawa before he died. It’s a Japanese romance drama about two prostitutes who work at a brothel by the sea. Both ladies have very different attitudes and hopes about men and relationships. I did not love this movie but the ending did have some gorgeous and nearly poetic imagery so that is a plus.

Persepolis – A friend of mine recommended this one to me. It the movie is based on graphic novel. I really could beat myself up for not watching this one sooner because I loved this movie. The animation is stunning and the story is poignant and bittersweet.    

Cleopatra (1934) – I watched this for costume reasons since Cleopatra’s costume in movie are so fabulously Art Deco. The story is pretty simplistic but the production is over-the-top and very theatrical.  

The Well-Digger’s Daughter – This one was recommended via a comment I received in 2022. This movie shocked me. I have seen quite a few French movies set during WWI and I have never seen one that has a happy ending. I enjoyed this movie but I was ready for this movie to be depressing or at best have a bittersweet ending and it did not. 

Princess Raccoon – Also known as Operetta Tanuki Goten. I can’t even recall how this movie got on my list. It was a type of movie that would have added randomly like decade ago though. But how did current me like it? This movie is beyond weird but very delightfully weird. It’s a very surreal musical with very symbolic approach to its visual style. It’s like an inscrutable dream. I throughly enjoyed it. I might just have a soft spot for overly theatrical stylized movies….. screw verisimilitude. I kid, verisimilitude has its place in cinema.

Ram-Leela – I used to enjoy Bollywood movies but the last few I tried to watch I quit mid-way through and Ram-Leela was no exception. I vastly disliked it. Listen, we all have a finite amount of time on this blue marble hurtling through space, so do not waste that time on movies that you do not even slightly enjoy. And owing to that one truth I turned off this movie and got it away from me. It was empowering! 

Farewell sweet red envelopes. I will miss getting them and then ignoring them for months.

Adventures in Netflixing; Questing in Foreign Lands; Wedding Unplanned

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Reem Kherici as Juliette and Nicolas Duvauchelle as Mathias Wedding Unplanned picture image
Reem Kherici as Juliette and Nicolas Duvauchelle as Mathias

Basically this is a French Wedding Planner. You know how it goes, the wedding planner falls in love with the groom but instead of a meet-cute where they have some sexual tension here they have a one-night stand at a costume party. Sure, whatever. Also to add more conflict in the mix the wedding planner/mistress (movie’s word), Juliette and the bride-to-be, Alexia were childhood class mates and by that  I mean Alexia was a pretty rich blond mean child and Juliette was fat and poor.

So there is the dynamic of the characters, unfortunately it’s all presented as very shallow and artificial, like this movie needed another round of rewrites and editing to the screenplay. Aside from Juliette’s connection to her childhood/inner child and her alcoholic mother nothing about that seems to impact her life or personality, she seems pretty together and confident.

There is nothing to really suggest that Mathias, the groom,  is at all unhappy being with Alexia except that he has been with her for five years but didn’t think of marriage until Alexia found Juliette’s professional card in his pocket and assumed they were getting married. Alexia is a sort of bitchy and shallow but not deserving  of Mathias’ wishy-washy/lukewarm attitude. Really it’s just bad character development. 

For instance the movie tells us that Mathias doesn’t have a family, ok fine but what happened to them? Are the dead or was there a falling out? I he going to reveal the truth to Juliette there by strengthening their connection? Nope, it’s a taboo subject never brought up again. He might has well have a family if it’s not important to the plot otherwise why bring it up? The movie isn’t at all that interested in flushing out the characters and their interactions beyond smiling,  drinking and the wacky antics they get into.

Which bring us to the humor. Now French humor is a little different, they like misfortune to happen to other people, other people’s pain is funny and BOY does this movie take that and run with it, with train and throws it over a cliff and then breaks its teeth just for good measure. And here are some that occur in the move; Mathias is forced into kissing a man to keep his trite with Juliette a secret, a Bride’s gets her mouth smashed during her wedding after a cross falls on her, Alexia is hit in the face with a tennis ball and breaks for front teeth, Alexia’s father’s prized wine collection is  broken by Juliette as she tries to hide after her Mathias are nearly caught having sex again in Alexia’s father’s house, and many more with one being so awful I nearly stopped the movie. This is a style humor that I don’t find very funny but maybe if the characters were better it could have worked. Like I didn’t care that Alexia got her teeth smashed in. There was no feeling it, it was supposed to be funny but that joke land on it’s face much like that random bride whose face was literally smashed which was also not funny.

While I did finish this movie it wasn’t good  or  enjoyable. Perhaps if you want just a  mindless movie to fill the void for a little over and hour then if’s a fine but you could want anything else and get the result  with your time.

Site Note–  While I’m happy I at least did the four reviews I set out to do this month but it came down to the wire. While like the idea of reviewing random movie streaming on Netflix I don’t think I will continue. I had mentioned reviewing French Musical in during the month of August, as I have wanted to do that for a while, the truth is my August is looking busy so I’m going to hold off on that for now. In the meantime I want to  at least try to do more Hunchback content even if it’s stupid, like 100 layers of Esmeralda. So no more random movie reviews for a while.  Not sure how frequently I will post but I will try and post something once a week at the very least and something related to Hunchback.

Adventures in Netflixing; Questing in Foreign Lands; ¿Qué culpa tiene el niño?

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Karla Souza as Maru and Ricardo Abarca as Renato ¿Qué Culpa Tiene el Niño? picture image
Karla Souza as Maru and Ricardo Abarca as Renato ¿Qué culpa tiene el niño?

I’m going to blame the fanfic I read right before I picked a movie to watch for my choice on this one. That’s right, I read something about a one night turning into something more meaningful and then I watch a 2016 Mexican movie about a one night stand turning into something meaning. Also I wanted something that was a different and not Asian/Indian Media. So we have ¿Qué culpa tiene el niño?

And like a one night stand turning into something meaningful this movie starts as some nothing and the gets a little more complex at end when there a twist that actually makes it rather sweet.

As you might have guessed this movie is about a young professional upper class woman, Maru,  who has a drunken one night stand and gets pregnant. The guy is a very young unemployed loser named Renato and he is all in on being a dad and marriage and love. Maru doesn’t want to get married to him but does due to family and societal pressures but in they end up in love and have their baby.

I haven’t seen many examples of Mexican movies so I can’t really rate the style of acting but it seemed fine. Maybe coming off a Bollywood where sometimes in the more mainstream movies, they tend to over-act without much subtlety, so in they were over-the-top in this movie it didn’t come across, aside from the weird musical moments but even then it didn’t seem like too much. Here the characters seemed like slight over-exaggerations of real people. They were fairly shades of gray, as in the characters had their ups and down. Were they amazing characters? No. Were they serviceable for the tone and story being told? Yes.

Was this a great movie? No. Was this a serviceable movie? Yes, I mean I finished it, that seems to be an accomplishment  for me right now.      

Adventures in Netflixing: Questing in Foreign Lands; Dilwale

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Shah Rukh Khan as Raj and Kajol as Meera, Dilwale (2015) picture image
Shah Rukh Khan as Raj and Kajol as Meera, Dilwale (2015)

Sorry, this posting series has gotten away from me, much like reviewing Hunchback versions. Anyway let’s see if I can somehow watch/review two more movies before then end of July. On a better note I did at least decide on the next Hunchback version.

Anyway I hadn’t planned on reviewing another Bollywood movie since I just did one but I watched this with a friend of mine so  I figured why not?

Before we get to this movie, a brief history. As a semi-casual Bollywood fan I enjoy the pairing of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. Prior to Dilwale I had seen every movie they have been toegther, which is not major accomplishment. But as a person who enjoys this pairing I was very excited to hear that in 2015 they were going to be a new movie and I had wanted to see it in theaters but then another movie came out around the same time and distracted me. That movie was Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Then I heard Dilwale sucked and I forgot all about it. That is until I saw it streaming on Netflix and I knew I should watch it. So was everyone right? Was this the worst movie with this actor pairing?

The answer is yes. I didn’t finish the movie, I’m such a pro at the whole reviewing movie thing. (I know am not.)

I was so confused by this movie. Most of the characters  are terrible. Shah Rukh Khan plays Raj, I think he repairs cars or something but he used to be a gangster. He has an idiot brother who likes a boring yet conventionally attractive girl. Raj is okay with the pairing until he meets the girl’s sister, Meera. Meera and Raj had an affair 15 years ago in Bulgaria but she was in a rival gang and both their fathers killed each other or something. And then she shot him.

Was there anything good about the movie? I mean maybe we should just focus on the positives.

Oddly I liked that the film said they were in Bulgaria, as random as that sounds. But there is a movie called Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam, which a way better movie, but in that movie they tried, and failed, to convince the viewers that Hungry was Italy. It was clearly Budapest and not Rome. So I guess kudos Dilwale for saying you filmed in a place and putting that in the story?

What else? The Shah Rukh/Kajol part of the story was better than anything with the younger couple. That should have been the movie. Their chemistry wasn’t as good as any of their other movies.

Some of the lighting was okay. It was OVERDONE in cluttering the frame but it was a nice distraction in parts.

Everything was bad. This movie was bad. If you like the pairing of these actors and want to be a completionist sure you could watch it  but I would recommend the other movies they have been in. Sometimes it’s not worth being a completionist.         

Adventures in Netflixing: Questing in Foreign Lands; Kyun! Ho Gaya Na

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Kyun! Ho Gaya Na picture image
Kyun! Ho Gaya Na

Instead of doing the roulette thing, I decided to take destiny in my own hands and pick for myself. I decided to go for a Bollywood movie since it had been a while since I last watch one. So I picked Kyun! Ho Gaya Na because it was a period of Bollywood I used to watch when I first started watching  Bollywood movies (mid 2000s) and I do tend to go for the romantic saccharine movies.

So how was this movie? Very boring. I turned it off after and hour because I just couldn’t muster any attention for this movie. I even paused it to try my hand at water-marbling my nails. Which didn’t go well either but I had more fun failing at nail art than watching this movie.

The center conflict of the film isn’t bad, basically the two leads have opposing attitudes on love. The guy, Arjun, wants his parents to choice for him because love is complicated and Diya rather fall in love. It’s a take on tradition vs modernity theme that you see in a lot of Bollywood movies but the stakes are not high so it’s not compelling.

Honestly that isn’t even the issue. A small love-story that is either chill or silly is fine but this is neither. It doesn’t really know what it’s doing with a tone. The acting is also weird combo of hammy and wooden. Aishwariya Rai is only as good as her director.  There isn’t much in the way of chemistry between the leads either which is detrimental in a romance movie.

The look of this movie is off. Some Bollywood movie have a weird super contrast look which makes color pop but darker tones are really dark. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai has that look however that movie knows to use a lot of color, Kyun! Ho Gaya Na doesn’t so it look weirdly washed out.

Then there is  the editing and dancing, both of which are  very jarring. To be fair I did stop watching so maybe the songs in the second act were better and the editing was tone down. But not the first three songs.

I would pass on this movie. It’s just all around dull.

I failed this quest line. Shame on me. Or did I beat it because I refuse to have it waste my time?  Those are the questions! That is the true debate! I did really fail at water-marbling though but I suck at nail art in general much like reviewing movies on the internet.    

Adventures in Netflixing; Fantasy Picks: The Seven Deadly Sins

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Meliodas and Hawk, The Seven Deadly Sins picture image
Meliodas and Hawk, The Seven Deadly Sins

Hahahahahahaaa. So the fact that I randomly picked this anime is funny since this anime used to be one my favorites. I still really enjoy this show but I just been on a downward swing with anime as I don’t watch it with some amount of frequency or enthusiasm as I used to. I do have plans to watch the actual second season of this show when it comes to Netflix. I can wait since I have read a lot manga though at present I’m behind.

I first watched this show back in November 2015. I didn’t watch it because I was interested in it though, shounen shows have never been my thing. The only one I ever really watch before this one was Bleach  WAY long ago. I also did watch Attack on Titan but that show drove me crazy. I did watch and enjoy Yu Yu Hakusho though. Anyway I actually watched  Seven Deadly Sins  because I was to making a list of the best Fantasy anime and this was on my radar. I had very low expectations of it but the first episode was a lot of fun and I binged watch the season after that and have rewatched it a few times since. And I have made three AMVs to this show which is actually harder than you would thing.

All that being said I’m not sure how to review this first episode since it’s just one episode and two unlike that Mermaid show and even the Sinbad show, I have a really good working knowledge of what happens in it.

Let’s just start with some world-building. This is clearly a European Medieval world with knights and magic and talking pigs. Nominally it’s going for Arthurian legend vibe but ONLY with names.

Exposition is done through dialogue of extras and the two leads; Meliodas and Elizabeth. We mosty learn that The Seven Deadly Sins, a group of powerful wanted criminals are still at large after ten years and Holy Knights. Elizabeth explains that she looking for the Seven Deadly Sins because the Holy Knights of her kingdom have taken over and she has concluded to Seven Deadly Sins  are the ones to help.

Now with regards to our two leads, there is a total of three fake out identity involving them in this episode alone and this just episode 1. It’s bit excessive especially as the show actually goes out it way to pull this off as Meliodas’ wanted poster in his own bar doesn’t look like him. There is a slightly plot reason for this but it’s really just a plot mechanic for people to be incredulous towards Meliodas as he looks like a child and not like his poster and to make the audience confused/giggle,   

I would say aside from all the exposition this episode is fun especially between Meliodas and Hawk, the talking pig.

Actually from the vantage point of review this episode it’s a little maddening since things occurred that make some of the characters outright liars.

All in all the first episode of Seven Deadly Sins is a fun introductory episode. It hooked me the first I watched it and while at this point I don’t really want to rewatch season one, it was still fun to watch it  the first episode.

 

Site Note – I’m a little bum that I didn’t get a Fantasy Movie from this exercise or a K-drama but can you do. Despite my lack of regular scheduled posts I’m considering continuing the random Netflix posts but with Foreign movies for July. And then in August I thought of looking at other French Musicals, which could be fun. As for getting back to Hunchback versions, I’m still thinking about which one will be next but I’m leaning towards that Roland Petit Ballet version next even though I know nothing about Ballet. It’s just been a crazy summer and it doesn’t look like it will let up soon.

2025 update- I no longer enjoy this anime. I did for a while but when season two rolled out I only got half through it and got annoyed while reading the manga.

Adventures in Netflixing; Fantasy Picks – H20: Just Add Water Episode 1

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Season 1 Episode 1 H20: Just add Water

Cariba Heine as Rikki, Phoebe Tonkin as Cleo & Claire Holt as Emma H20: Just add picture image
Cariba Heine as Rikki, Phoebe Tonkin as Cleo & Claire Holt as Emma, H20: Just add Water

I can appreciate that this children/teen show from Australia is not for me or my demographic but that being said everything about it sucks except for that one dolphin.

The premise is that these three teenage girls get stranded on a creepy island after a rich bully was a jerk. On this island they find this tide pool that was in a dormant volcano and somehow being in the water with a full moon causes moon magic to happen. So now when they touch water they turn into mermaids and they have water magic. Maybe the mechanics of the how is addressed later.

This show has a very 80’s approach to it. It feels like it was made in the 80’s but it’s from 2006. However it having an outdate vibe doesn’t make it bad, you know what does?  Everything. The acting is stilted and unnatural. The camera work is dreadful unless it’s underwater.

Even the structure of how the characters are introduced is awful. They just show up. I guess they all go to school together. Emma swims, that is her introduction. She’s on the swim team. Then Cleo gets tricks on a boat by the rich bully, the kind of character you see in every teen movie in the 80s. The rich asshole does this because the boat is broken because his spark plug was taken and for some reason he gets Cleo on the boat before untying it. Why does he do this? He’s an asshole.

The the last  girl, Rikki, jumps on the boat to saves Cleo. Rikki is the one who stole the spark plug, she admits this because tell don’t show.  They then boat around and run in Emma who joins them for boating fun-times.  That is how these three come to together. We don’t know much about them before said metamorphous.

At least we know that Emma is motivated, maybe. Rikki is impulsive, maybe.  And Cleo is timid, I guess.         

This is show awful, everything sucks. I suppose if you like attractive young ladies swimming you could like it. Or if you want ever wanted Splash meets the Secret Life of Alex Mack but with a Australian 80’s/2000’s vibe this could be the show of your dreams, but that is very specific.

*2025 edit – I think show is actually fairly well regarded by many so maybe it gets better.

Adventures in Netflixing; Fantasy Picks

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Now that Once Upon a Time is done I thought it would be a good time to do another round of random picks from Netflix but this time with Fantasy movies. Since Fantasy is like Fairy Tales.

Every Thursday in June there will be a review of some random Fantasy movie off Netflix.

Just like last time the selection is through https://reelgood.com/roulette/netflix.  There will be no re-rolls, you have my word.

A few guidelines;

  • If I get a show I will only watch/review the first episode.
  • I reserve the right to stop watching the movie/show at least the 30 minute mark. It does take me a lot to quit a movie but I don’t want to waste my worthless time either.
  • If I have seen the movie before I will still review it but in the event that I get a movie/show I have already reviewed before I reserve the right to re-roll but I shall make a note in the post of that event.  The odds of very low of though so I don’t imagine that will happen.

First one is on June 7th!