Episode 5 starts with Nevermore’s parent’s weekend, which means the rest of the family is back for a cameo. So there are some interacts between Addams family characters as well as between Enid’s and Bianca’s families which are stained and toxic. Though all these interactions are isolated from each other are more or less B-plots from now.
I haven’t watched any CW-type shows but on some cursory research I learned that a “prom” or some kind of dance episode is a standard for the demographic. For Wednesday’s prom episode there is a school dance is called “The Rave’n” because if there one thing this show loves it’s Poe. I suppose naming a character Lenore would’ve been too obvious.
At the start of this episode Wednesday learns that secret society, The Nightshades, are really just a social club who just like hang out and have mixers which is rather anticlimax which is the joke. The comedic aspects in this show are weak on average as it’s more snark than punchlines.
The second episode picks right after the first where Wednesday is nearly killed by a fellow classmate, Rowan but saved by the CGI Burton monster. However all the grown-ups are gaslighting her into thinking that Rowan wasn’t murdered by the goofy-looking monster and instead Rowan ran away/got expelled and that’s there is no monster except for the universal-style monsters who pay tuition.
Well, Well, Well, looks like Netflix is up to it again, they announced another Hunchback movie. For those of you who don’t know or don’t remember, this is the second time that Netflix has announced Hunchback adaptation, the first being in 2018 with Idris Elba as the lead with a modern setting.
This time we have Vincent Cassel taking the title role as Quasimodo. However instead of a by the book retelling according to Deadline they are doing a “retelling of the life of Quasimodo, the man said to have inspired Victor Hugo’s bell-ringer in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” and the log line is “Set in Paris on the eve of the July Revolution (1830), this film reimagines the life of the man said to have inspired Victor Hugo’s iconic character, Quasimodo. As the cholera epidemic spreads through the city, he’s caught between political turmoil and an impossible love.”
Back in 2010 it was reported that the inspiration for Quasimodo was a stone craver whose nickname was “le bossu.” So is Cassel going to play a dual role as the Quasimodo the bell-ringer of Hugo’s novel and the historical stone craver? We shall see.
Also another just nitpick is the presence of cholera. It’s true that cholera was pandemic of the time but they are rushing the timeline of it in Paris to coincide with Hugo working on the novel. It’s could be forgiven if there is a compelling reason. But what thematic basis is for the inclusion of a pandemic with the themes of novel? Again we shall see.
Then there is Cassel himself. While he is a competent actor, it’s disappointing to see cast him as Quasimodo. He has the right look and presence to play Frollo. While I do concede that traditionally 58 isn’t exactly “too old” to play the role Quasimodo as Quasimodo’s actors average age is 43, with the inclusion Steve Lemme from “Quasi!” which I’m loathed to include in the data points and 41 without, Cassel is defiantly at the older range of the actors who have played the role.
Also I concede that it doesn’t really matter whether his looks matter since he will most likely be in prosthetics so it’s a moot point. Still it’s a little disappointing of casting choice since Quasimodo is seldom ever played by a younger performer as in the book he is around 20 years old. And if you want to get even more exact, he’s most likely 19 years old. During his trial (Book Six, Chapter One) Quasimodo says that believes he will be 20 on Saint Martins’ Day which is November 11th and the events of novel are roughly between January to July of 1482. But that is a colossal nitpick.
So it looks this version is going to take a lot of liberties with the story both figuratively and historically in effort to differentiate itself from the other versions. Even though it’s following the trend of naming the movie after Quasimodo much like the two other odd takes that have come before it, 1999’s “Quasimodo d’El Paris” and 2023’s “Quasi!”
Since 2010 there have been eight Hunchback movie productions to get announced. Only one got made and released and that was only nominally a version and technically shouldn’t even count. This is the ninth Hunchback version to be announced so again we shall see if this THE version that gets released and is marginally good. So far my expectations are quite low. But on the plus side, Content!
Any thoughts or feeling on this news? Are you Happy with the casting of Vincent Cassel as Quasimodo?
The Wednesday’s premier episode has a lot of heavy lifting to do as it has to re-re-re introduce us to the characters and set up new rules for the world that Addams inhabit.
So this was another old request which was to review Netflix’s 2022 Wednesday series. However the reason I’ve decided to review season one now is because the second season is coming out in early August (at least part one) so it seems like a very good time to rewatch the show.
I have a very bad habit of not rewatching shows prior to the release of a new season because I’m under a false impression that I remember the show well enough from my intentional only watch through and I don’t. Example of my false sense of a of great memory would be Arcane and Andor.
So anyway Wednesday Season One review is a go and I think I’m going to aim for an episode a week but we shall could change that. Also of course these posts will be on Wednesdays.
Now for background preamble. I wouldn’t exactly say I’m big fan of the Addams’ Family but I do enjoy their kooky macabre antics. I love the Addams Family Values movie, I quote that movie a lot, and I have seen a few episodes of the 60s show and enjoyed it. I also had a pet named after one of the characters, I shall remain mysterious on which one character. So I do enjoy The Addams Family and their spooky antics, just not a massive major super fan.
I will FULLY admit at first I did not have high expectations for a Wednesday lead show as part of Addams Family’s core identity is that they are a weird eccentric family playing off “normal” society and a satirical reflection of American values. Also they are that they are not some kind of supernatural/cryptid in origin. They could be but that’s not the overall point of the characters or the humor. Separating the family is antithesis of the origin concept and the plots of the 90s movies. So the concept for a Wednesday Addams centric show that had shades of Harry Potter didn’t sound appealing, so I was going to pass on it.
BUT when it came out the word of mouth was positive so I did watch it and enjoying it at the time. I did and still do have criticism of it but we’ll get to those later and I will try to have an open mind.
Will it be better than the first watch or will the mystique be gone?
This suggestion was given back in March 2024, I’m just a forgetful procrastinator.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 characterization 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 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.
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.
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.
