Tag Archives: Television

Jamaica Inn DVD Review

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Jamaica Inn was all over social media and also got widespread media coverage concerning the sound quality of the transmission when it aired. Rather unfortunately this distracted from the show when it was aired. I didn’t watch it but saw the reaction on social media. Now you can watch it without any problems, as it has been released on DVD.

Jamaica Inn catches the period very well, the costume and tone really add to the story. I didn’t even recognise Jessica Brown Findlay until I looked up Jamaica Inn on IMDB. She is very brave, wearing no makeup and shapeless clothes. She still looks beautiful, but it is rare for an actress so successful to lack vanity so much, and it bodes well for her future career: it truly shows a dedication to the role.

Jamaica Inn is well shot, drawing you into the story. It has a good script. It is paced well and is an enjoyable, dark, gothic drama. Worth a watch.

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Set in 1821 against the forbidding backdrop of windswept Cornish Moors, Daphne du Maurier’s
Jamaica Inn is a dark, gothic tale of desire, survival and morality which has been brought to life in a stunning new TV adaptation by Emma Frost (The White Queen, Consuming Passion). Initially broadcast in three hour-long episodes as a major feature of BBC One’s prime time Easter schedule, the entire series will be released on DVD by FremantleMedia International on 26th

This new adaptation of du Maurier’s iconic novel is directed by BAFTA-winning director Philippa Lowthorpe (Call The Midwife, Five Daughters) and stars Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey, Labyrinth) as Mary Yellan, Matthew McNulty (The Paradise, Room At The Top) as Jem Merlyn, Sean Harris (The Borgias, Southcliffe) as Joss Merlyn, Joanne Whalley (The Borgias, Gossip Girl) as Aunt Patience, Ben Daniels (The Wipers Times, House of Cards) as Francis Davey and Shirley Henderson (Southcliffe, The Crimson Petal And The White) as Hannah.

Certificate: 15

Single disc DVD

Run time: 180 minutes

RRP: £17.99

Bonus features: Behind the scenes/making of featurette

Each episode is also available for download via iTunes for £1.29 in standard definition and £2.49 in high definition. A series pass costs £4.99 in standard definition and £6.99 in high definition.

Why House of Cards Is So Addictive

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As any other student, I suffer from procrastination. We all know the deadlines or projects are due soon, and yes it is always soon, but we keep doing everything but whatever we should. As a master student, assessments fill up my schedule, which means I spend a lot of time on my computer doing ‘research’. This particular research brought me to the American series House of Cards.

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House of Cards stars Kevin Spacey (American Beauty & The Usual Suspects) as congressman Frank Underwood in his pursuit of power at Capitol Hill, Washington DC. It features corruption, homicide and sex.

It sounds like many other dull political series produced for the supposedly politically interested audience; however, House of Cards captivates the audience on another level. It is not about politics, of course the premise is American politics, but ultimately the series is about power and how to use it.

Frank and his wife Claire, Robin Wright (Forest Gump), spare no means in their quest for political influence. Frank comes across as extremely calculated and ice cold when it comes to almost everything in life. Spacey’s controlled voice and persona is extremely manipulative and in many respects arrogant in his conversations with his peers. Furthermore, there are montages in every episode where Frank speaks directly to the camera, which sounds unusual and perhaps a bit intrusive, however, after a few episodes these montages quickly become favourites. These scenes give the audience the rare opportunity to understand how Frank actually considers and calculates his options and decisions.

Although Claire does keep an elegant and gracious façade as a beautiful career woman, she appears just as cold and ruthless as her husband. Despite her inhuman behaviour she shows a very few times that her almost cruel decisions touches her.

(Spoiler alert)

The marriage between Claire and Frank appears as calculated as their respective characters. Their relationship and its development will keep you wanting more even if you don’t find politics illuminating. They are both having affairs, and they are both aware of the other’s sexual encounters. If that is not unusual enough, their intimacy is never portrayed, although their affairs are heavily covered. This questions whether their marriage is based purely on reason and not on passion? That Frank is at least bisexual is insinuated several times during the two released series. Besides sharing loving memories with an old school mate and having a threesome with his wife and their bodyguard, Frank states the amazing statement after having sex with Miss Barnes, Kate Mara, that Everything in the world is about sex, except sex. Sex is about power. Read into it what you want.  (Spoiler ends)

As an audience, we never question the couple’s power to manipulate the people around them, and that might be why they are so interesting. How can Claire sack almost her entire staff she has worked with for many years without showing any emotions? How can Frank stand up to the President and go against his direct orders without showing any sign of insecurity? And how can a marriage possibly based purely on reason and not passion function in a world where emotions don’t exist?

Together they make many sacrifices to rise in power, but they never reconsider or look back. They are as a couple so focused and determined to reach the ultimate goal that their Machiavellian perspective leaves no time to be human.

They are fascinatingly not like ‘us’, but somewhere inside us, we want to be like them. It is this fascination with a mysterious political society hidden behind closed doors where very few powerful people are making world-changing decisions that makes this brilliant series so addictive.

 

House of Cards have been nominated for several prestigious awards, including Golden Globe’s Best Television Series (Drama), Best Actor, Best Actress (Winner, Robin Wright) and Emmy’s Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Actor, Outstanding Actress.

It is possible to watch House of Cards series 1 and 2 on Netflix.

New 24 Trailer Live Another Day

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We’re pretty excited: Here is the trailer for the new 24 miniseries, Live Another Day. It is set in London (even more exciting) and will premiere on Fox on the US on May 5th. A UK release will follow soon after.

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House of Cards Season 2 Premiere

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Netflix’s “House of Cards” Series two Los Angeles Premiere on Thursday, February 13th. Cast members in attendance included Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright and Kate Mara.

Kate Mara, Kevin Spacey Dana Brunetti, Kevin Spacey, Kevin McCarthy Molly Parker, Jayne Atkinson, Michel Gill, Jimmi Simpson, Derek Cecil Michel Gill, Jayne Atkinson, Robin Wright Ted Sarandos, Robin Wright, David Fincher Mozhan Marno, Jimmi Simpson Nicole Avant, Ted Sarandos Sakina Jaffrey Kevin Spacey Gerald McRaney Gerald McRaney, Gil Birmingham Molly Parker Constance Zimmer Kate Mara Robin Wright Sam Page Kate Mara

The second season of the Netflix original series, from Media Rights Capital, “House of Cards,” premieres Friday, February 14, 2014. All 13-episodes of the season starring Academy Award® winner Kevin Spacey (“Horrible Bosses,” “American Beauty,” “The Usual Suspects”) and Golden Globe® nominee Robin Wright (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “Forrest Gump”), who both received Emmy® nominations for their performances in the first season, will be available for members to watch instantly in all territories where Netflix is available.

Are you excited?

 

Channel 4 commissions Benefits Street live

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After only one episode Benefits Street became one of the most controversial television shows, sparking debate and a slew of articles. After the controversy (which included a petition for Channel 4 to stop broadcasting the show attracting 17,000 signatures after only one episode, so much for free speech), Channel 4 has commissioned a live debate.

BenefitsStreet_logo_wChannel 4’s Head of Special Programmes, Ed Havard, has commissioned Mentorn Media to produce a 1 x 60 live debate around the issues brought to the fore by the observational documentary series Benefits Street. This series, filmed over the course of 12 months, documents the reality of life on a street in Birmingham where the majority of households are dependent on benefits and in an area of Birmingham that has had the highest rate of unemployment in the country for the last eight years. It has attracted a great deal of attention – generating tens of thousands of responses on Twitter, press headlines and questions raised in parliament.

Channel 4 Head of Factual, Ralph Lee, says: “This is a series which reflects the reality of day-to-day life for some of the residents of a single street who, for the most part, rely on benefits to survive. It does not and never has set out to reflect the experiences of every person who receives benefits yet it has triggered a national debate about state welfare at a time in which further welfare reforms are being proposed. We feel it is timely to provide a forum in which these issues can be raised and discussed.”

The programme will be live and interactive allowing viewers to submit questions; it will be chaired by broadcaster Richard Bacon. The panellists will be confirmed closer to transmission but will represent the views across the political spectrum – and crucially those who claim benefits.

It will be broadcast at 10pm on Monday 10th February, directly after the final episode of the five-part documentary series airs. The Executive Producer is Mentorn Media’s Director of Current Affairs Hayley Valentine, she says: “It is vital that voices on all sides are heard, and we are pleased to be providing a forum for both public figures and viewers to debate the series that has brought a pertinent political issue to life so vividly.”

 

The Good Wife Season 5: Robert and Michelle King Interview

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the good wife series 5.4_A2ROBERT and MICHELLE KING – Co-Creators / Executive Producers

How does it feel to be on Season 5 of “The Good Wife”?

Michelle King: It’s tremendous. We’re coming up on our 100th episode. It’s really exciting for us.

Robert King: And exhausting. We end the year very tired and ready to collapse and then start reading the news and go ‘that’s interesting, this is fun, Anthony Weiner, really?’ So, all this starts to get you excited about going the year again.

2. How does the Season 4 finale set the stage for Season 5?

Sometimes it’s great to swerve left and then you swerve right, but I thought thematically it worked for us, in that you thought it was going to romance when in fact it was going to career-end romance. That sets up the next year, as we get to see how Alicia and Cary follow through. If they’re going to start a firm together, what is that going to look like – and they’re going to start the year saying it’s going to be the most ethical firm – and how are they going to be able to follow through? What will that do to Alicia and Will, especially if they take clients along with them? If you’re stealing money from the other firm, which is the way Will and Diane might interpret it, it’s not going to end well. The year for us is about civil war through seeing these characters we’ve embraced in a family and the wedge go in the middle of the family – and how will that renew itself or will it ever?

3. More on setting the stage for Season 5

Michelle King: I feel like we set ourselves up very nicely at the end of Season 4 so I am really excited with the stories we get to tell in Season 5.

Robert King: There is a certain inevitability from the way we left it in Season 4. I would say each year we start with this real excitement and fever pitch to do well, except you have to stretch it out over a marathon and not over a sprint. There can’t be just one burst of energy. There has to be this constant renewal and burst of energy.

4. How has Alicia’s attitude towards Cary changed since Season 1?

Robert King: Julianna’s character over the years has grown respect for Cary, because he wasn’t the yuppie suburban boy that you expect. He has gone through a lot of turmoil. He was fired. He went to the state’s attorney’s office then he came back. He was overlooked for partner, so I think Jules’ character has a real respect for how he keeps bouncing back and that is different from the very first year where everybody thought he was the cliché.

5. How have the fans reacted to the direction the show has taken in Season 5?

Michelle King: What has been nice with the fan reaction is people seem very genuinely excited to see what’s going to happen next professionally with Alicia. With these two firms splitting and starting up I think people see the possibilities and are excited about it.

6. More on fan reaction…

Robert King: I think fans embrace anything new – seeing new versions of relationships, different ways to click people together – and so it’s fun to see Alicia and Cary try to be the new Will and Diane. Everybody knows what that means, all the fans know what that means, and are they going to be up to it.

7. What challenges will Peter and Alicia face going into Season 5?

The bottom line is Alicia and Peter have agreed to recommit to each other and that played into Alicia wanting to move away from Will. The difficulty is that Peter now has moved into a position of power in the governorship and as much as he has sworn over the years to be a changed man, now the test is really going to be put to a test because our theory is that the closer men get to power – and women probably too – the more it becomes that Henry Kissinger like aphrodisiac to women. He is also tempted by using his power as we saw with Anthony Weiner. Power comes with some sense of sexual loosening, so that’s difficult for Alicia and Peter – it’s not that Peter necessarily even acts on it – but that kind of divide in the marriage is difficult and it’s happening at a time when Alicia is feeling her own roots in a way. She has got her own firm, she’s got power, and she may not need Peter as much anymore, so that is a tension in that relationship.

8. Can we expect more big name guest stars in Season 5?

Robert King: It’s still early days but there are people – we’re building a little further ahead so we know Carrie Preston is coming back – she is lovely as Elsbeth Tascioni, and was nominated for an Emmy. We know that Gary Cole is coming back. He plays Kurt McVeigh who is in this relationship with Diane. We know America Ferrera is coming back. She was with us the second year and she has this odd relationship with Eli Gold. Melissa George who is this wonderful actress who is the Ethics Committee Commissioner in the governorship and causes Peter many problems and…

Michelle King: Jeffrey Tambor.

Robert King: Jeffrey Tambor who plays a judge on Arrested Development and Larry Sanders Show. He plays a judge in two of our episodes and is going to cause troubles for Alicia in the future, and then there is Juliet Rylance who plays the romantic interest to Kalinda and we couldn’t be more excited. I mean, there is an intent on our part to focus on our cast – the civil war going on in our cast – but it’s always wonderful to get these people back.

9. What are your plans for the 100th episode of “The Good Wife”?

Robert King: We are intending for it to be a blowout episode. We want the 100th episode to be one of the best we’ve written, but we don’t know what we’re doing yet. There is a movie called Drowning By Numbers that had a countdown in the movie from a 100 to 0. We were thinking about that but then our shows rely on the ability to edit out scenes that aren’t quite working, so you’d throw it off. I think it will come down to a real turning point in Julianna’s life and a case that just blows everybody away.

 

Interview thanks to Channel 4.

An interview with the star of The Good Wife, Julianna Margulies, is here.

24’s Back! New Series Announced

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24 fans can start getting excited: Jack’s back and this time he is in London.

Star Kiefer Sutherland said: “I’m about as anxious and wound up as I’ve been in a long time. There’s a great impetus for all of us to create something new with the show.”

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Dexter star Yvonne Strahovski, Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe), Kim Raver (Audrey) and William Devane (James Heller) will all star alongside Sutherland. The series will air in the states from May 5 2014 with a two-hour special to start.

A movie is also in the works. Sutherland said: “If this ends up rebooting the show or causing a film to be made, so be it, The film is sort of an ongoing situation.”

Full Game of Thrones Season 4 Trailer

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Here it is, the hotly anticipated season four trailer for Game of Thrones. It is as action packed as ever and we cannot wait until early April to catch up.

What do you think?