Guilty pleasures: Monarch of the Glen

I am not a TV person. My preferred storytelling mediums are books and films: I generally have little patience for TV dramas. Dramas, with their drawn-out, repetitive, convoluted story lines. Dramas, with their over-abundance of births and deaths, marriages and divorces, hookups and breakups, and, well - dramatic things.

The other thing about TV shows is they take such a DARN LONG TIME to watch. 13 one-hour episodes in a season? I could re-read a Jane Austen book in the time it would take me to watch that. In most cases, Jane Austen would win hands-down.

So, there has to be something very special about a show for me to stick with it. Other than that most diverting program chronicling the adventures of a certain inimitable Doctor, the only TV show that I've ever grown significantly attached to is. . . Monarch of the Glen.

For those of you who are not familiar with the show, here's MotG in a nutshell:

Monarch of the Glen was a BBC drama (it went for 7 seasons) set in present-day Scotland. An elderly lord - or laird - and his wife live in a castle on their estate in the Scottish highlands. It is difficult to make a profit out of the land, and for years they have been losing money. Their son, who lives in London, pays a visit to the family home, and is shocked at the state of affairs. Eventually he decides to leave London and move back to Scotland, where he can devote all his time and energy to saving the family’s ancestral house and lands, and making them profitable again. He takes the reins from his ageing father, and becomes laird of the estate - and the “monarch of the glen”. The son also happens to be quite young and good-looking. Cue numerous "romantic interests". 

I don't know what it was - the setting, the characters, the cast - but there was something about Monarch that I found absolutely irresistible.

I LOVE Scotland, and I love the highlands, and the gorgeous landscapes featured in this series, and the houses, and lochs, and EVERYTHING. I WANNA GO TO SCOTLAND!!! Ahem. I must exercise more restraint in my use of the caps lock for the remainder of this post. But seriously, how could you not love a show where THIS is the main setting?

Ardverikie House, "Glenbogle House" in MotG

The fact that my ancestors came from Scotland also helps make the show extra special for me.

I'm moving there one day. To Scotland, I mean, not to the Victorian castle pictured above (unfortunately). 

Aside from the beautiful setting, what made this show work was the fantastic chemistry between all of the cast. Scottish actor Alistair Mackenzie was good in the lead role of Archie MacDonald, though I was disappointed with how his character was written in later series. Susan Hampshire was radiant as Archie's mother, Molly; and Richard Briers was excellent as dad, Hector.

One of the highlights of this show, as any "Boglie" will tell you, was Julian Fellowes in his guest appearances as Kilwillie. (Yes, the same Julian Fellowes who has won Oscars and Golden Globes and Emmys and who-knows-what else for his screenplays for Gosford Park and Downton Abbey.)

Dawn Steele was wonderful as cook and housekeeper (of sorts), Lexie. She brought tremendous energy and personality to the role, and had loads of chemistry with Alistair Mackenzie/Archie. In a parallel universe, if I were a much less shy version of myself, I would be a slightly more demure version of Lexie. 

The writing of the show was good. In the long term, I didn't like the progression (or lack thereof) of the story arc and characters, but the episodes themselves are tolerably well written, with plenty of humour.

Whilst I would consider myself a fan of MotG, I'll be first to admit that this show had its flaws. Serious flaws. The first series, though not perfect, had plenty of charm, but I felt that the show deteriorated as it progressed through further series. As I said above, I was disappointed with the character and plot development in later seasons. The departure of several core cast members didn't help, either.

So, while Monarch of the Glen didn't live up to its potential, it still remained enough charm, enough of that magic "something" to make me persevere with the show. I am still working my way through it, having started the beginning of the first series sometime last year. I'm now up to the fourth series. I go on a Monarch binge whenever I get sick and want to watch something comforting and not too demanding. For 45 minutes of charming escapism, nothing beats an episode of Monarch of the Glen.

MotG is a "family" show, but parents should take the PG rating seriously. One of the few things that bothers me about this series, from a moral perspective, is that it is implied - and accepted as normal - that couples sleep together before marriage. I know it's only a true reflection of our culture, but it bothered me nonetheless. . .

So - I thought that I'd share this post, since I think many of my gentle readers would appreciate this - er - gentle show. Get it from your library if you can. I understand the Region 1 DVDs retain the original 16:9 (widescreen) screen ratio, so if you're in North America - lucky you! And if you can't get access to the DVDs, there is always Youtube. 

I should also mention that Monarch of the Glen was loosely - emphasis on loosely - based upon Compton Mackenzies' Highland novels. The books are, I understand, very different from the series, and are set in the 1940s, when they were written. I haven't read the books, but I'm keen to give them a look. If they have half the charm and humour of the series, they should be worth reading.

If you've seen any of the show, let me know what you thought. If you're a more-or-less rabid fan, like yours truly, please introduce yourself! And to the uninitiated, if I've inspired you to give MotG a try, please tell me what you think of it afterwards.

And please share any favourite TV shows that you're particularly fond of! Any suggestions for things that you think I might enjoy? 

I've just realised I've said the word "please" three times in about three sentences. Oh so what, I'm just trying to be polite, and I'm too tired to edit and rewrite any longer. Goodnight world!

~More pictures~

Movie review: South Solitary

George Wadsworth (Barry Otto) is sent to work as head lighthouse keeper at South Solitary, a bleak island off the coast of Australia. He is accompanied by his spinster niece, Meredith (Miranda Otto), who keeps house and does some secretary work for him. The island is already inhabited by Harry Stanley, together with his rather inhospitable wife and children; and Jack Fleet, an ex-soldier left emotionally and psychologically scarred by WWI. Stanley and Fleet both work shifts at the lighthouse.

Meredith is sweet and friendly, but she has apparently been starved for affection throughout her life. Uncle Wadsworth, her only family is very crusty and undemonstrative at the best of times. Unsurprisingly, this leads to Meredith looking for love in all the wrong places, and making some major mistakes in her life.

Don't be put off by the first half of the film, which is very slow, and slightly depressing. The story doesn't begin to blossom until the last 40 minutes or so, but it's worth the wait.

South Solitary was filmed on location in Australia, at Cape Nelson and Cape Otway. I've been to the Cape Otway lighthouse, so I found it fascinating to see this beautiful place captured here on film.

There was some profanity in the dialogue, and one scene that I fast-forwarded through, as well as a couple of other scenes that were a bit uncomfortable to watch.

The verdict: a quietly beautiful film that will reward the patient viewer. South Solitary could have benefited from being half an hour shorter, but it is still more than worth sitting through. The film ends on a beautiful, uplifting note. Oh, and Tolkien fans will get a kick out of seeing Lord of the Rings alumni Miranda Otto (Eowyn) and Marton Csokas (Celeborn) reunited here. 

I shouldn't close this review without mentioning the soundtrack, and of course the scenery, both of which are stunning. *** ff 12+ YT 

Trailer | IMDb | RT

Top 10 Period Drama Villains: #2

2. Sir Guy of Gisborne (Richard Armitage) - Robin Hood

I'll be honest, Sir Guy/Richard Armitage was the only reason why I ever watched the BBC's Robin Hood. The show itself was quite silly, and I found emo-kid Robin a bit irritating. What made it worthwhile for me, however, was the Robin/Marian/Guy love triangle. Especially Guy. (Then the show's writers killed off you-know-who, and all of the romantic suspense was lost - plus they gave Richard that awful hair. I didn't even bother to watch the third series.) But the first two series were alright. Sir Guy was alright. :-)

Sir Guy of Gisborne (as portrayed in this series) is more or less the archetypal romantic/sympathetic baddie: lots of inner conflict, torn between good and evil, in love with the saintly heroine, hoping that she can somehow "redeem" him, etc. etc.

Which brings us to something interesting: girls apparently long to "save" the baddie and "transform" him. (Just look at Twilight. Just look at Erik, or almost any of the other villains who will eventually feature in this series.) In the real world, however, to attempt such a course of action would almost certainly be a recipe for disaster. As a Christian, I believe that only God can truly redeem us and transform us! And in the end, I think most of my favourite love stories are those in which the hero and heroine, both flawed and imperfect, do their best to help each other, and bring out the best in each other - Jane Austen's books are some of the best examples of this.

LOL! Love this picture. These two played off against each other so well. Keith Allen was hilarious as The Sherriff ("La-di-da-di-da!").

However, having said all of that. . . I think there is a reason why stories in which the heroine helps "rescue" the hero (or vice versa) resonate so deeply with us - they remind us of Christ's redemptive love for us.

I'm probably sounding a bit contradictory here. All I'm trying to say is that. . . I love a good story in which the hero saves the damsel in distress, or the heroine helps bring the hero to his redemption - I think most people do. However, girls, just bear in mind that it is almost always always a bad idea to marry or get involved with a murderer/vampire/tyrant/jerk; and try to keep a balanced perspective. ;-)

(Notice that I've packed as many pictures of Richard as possible into this post? :P)

So - have you seen the Robin Hood TV series? Did you enjoy it? Any thoughts on Sir Guy's character?

Top 10 Period Drama Villains: #1

~A series of posts in celebration of those tortured anti-heroes and villainous. . . err, villains, whom we love in spite of ourselves!~

~~~~~

I had originally thought to publish this list as one big post, but then I realised that it would be far too long, and would take me days to complete, so I'm writing it as a series of shorter posts instead. I know I have a bad habit of starting series and not finishing them - I promise I'll finish this one! Also, I'm starting at the wrong end of the series - counting down, instead of up. Oh well - I hope you enjoy it anyway!

1. The Phantom/Erik (Gerard Butler) - The Phantom of the Opera. 

Yes, I am going through a second wave of Phantom-obsession. Why do I like this story (and this movie) so much? It's completely overblown and over-the-top. . . and I love every glorious, melodramatic minute of it. It's pretty much the only tragic love story that I actually like.

But about Erik. What is it that makes him such a tragic, sympathetic figure?

*POTO is a "Beauty and the Beast" tale, but The Phantom's and The Beast's stories differ in some significant ways. For instance, the Beast took on his beastly form as a punishment for his selfishness and incapability to see inner beauty in others; whereas the Phantom is punished for the deformity that he was born with ("Why, you ask, was I bound and chained in this cold and dismal place? Not for any mortal sin but the wickedness of my abhorrent face!").

*His hopeless love for Christine.

*Erik's musical genius also makes him a more compelling character, adding a certain "tortured artist" appeal, I suppose.

A word about Gerard Butler as the Phantom - yes, I know he was too young and too good-looking to play Erik (Gerry, a "repulsive carcass"?!). The Phantom is supposed to be physically repulsive - that's kind of the whole point, after all. But other than that, I think Gerard was really very good as Erik, especially considering he only had a half a face to act with, and an awful lot of lip-syncing to do. He conveyed Erik's character in all of its complexities - his simple, almost child-like nature in some scenes, as well as his more violent side. (Lets be honest, who wouldn't totally marry the Phantom if it wasn't for his unfortunate homicidal tendencies! :P).

And this is a little off-topic, but I think I may have found the perfect Phantom - vocally, at least. I like Gerard Butler's voice, but he did struggle at times. As for Michael Crawford. . . I know some people *cough*Alexandra*cough* will kill me (or at least, un-follow me) for saying this, but I don't like his voice that much! Not as the Phantom, anyway! His tenor is too high and whiny - not dark or mysterious enough. Anyway, the perfect Phantom is, in my opinion, Mikael Samuelsson from the Swedish production of POTO. He's got the rough, masculine edge of Gerard's voice, but his voice is MUCH more. . . well, more! Have a listen below (you might want to pause my blog music), or just search for "Phantom of the Opera Swedish cast" on Youtube. I know he's singing in Swedish, but I'm sure all you Phans know the libretto so well that it won't bother you in the least.



Meanwhile, I want to know:

-Who is your favourite Phantom? (In any movie or musical adaptation)?

-Do you feel that Christine made the right choice in the end?

-Who are some of your favourite costume drama villains?

Disney Princess Month

Disney's incredibly beautiful masterpiece, Sleeping Beauty

I have been remiss in not posting this sooner! As many of you know, I love cooking, but my rather shocking memory can be a great hindrance in the kitchen. ;-) Burnt biscuits, wrong measurements of ingredients, leaving ingredients out - I can't tell you how many scrapes I've gotten into in my baking escapades. Well - my memory (or lack thereof) can also be a jolly nuisance when it comes to blogging, too.

Ahem, so yes, I meant to post about this a long time ago, but hey, better late than never!

In celebration of the release of Disney's latest "Princess" offering, Tangled, the team @ Worthy of Note recently hosted a "Disney Princess Month", featuring reviews of 13 Disney classics.

They are also considering having a "Shakespeare" month (partly in honour of the upcoming film version of "The Tempest"). This will be similar, I presume, to the Disney Princess month, only featuring reviews of Shakespeare film adaptations instead. Sounds like fun! I actually haven't seen that many Shakespeare movies yet. Part of what puts me off is the fact that the Bard incorporated a good deal of bawdiness in his plays, and naturally, modern filmmakers tend to play up that element of his works as much as possible! But there are a few Shakespeare adaptations that I would really like to see sometime, including:

As You Like It - partly because it has a couple of my favourite actors in it (Romola Garai and Alfred Molina), and partly because the poster just looks so darn gorgeous; Twefth Night - because Helena Bonham Carter is amazing; and Much Ado About Nothing - though I gather there are couple of scenes in this one that will probably warrant fast-forwarding through.

So - if you have a weakness for Disney Princess films (like yours truly), head right over here. 

And about Shakespeare - any Shakespeare-based films that you love - or loathe?

New Dawn Treader trailer

My fellow Narniacs, have a look at the new international trailer for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (if you haven't already!). It's much better than the original trailer, IMO.



I like! It's clear they have taken some liberties with the book, but overall, I think this looks pretty awesome. . . especially the sea serpent! :-D

Three new clips from the Dawn Treader!

We finally get a proper look at Will Poulter as Eustace! He is perfect. 

So far so good. . . however, the dragon island is different to how it is in the book. Here it looks dry and desert-like, rather than dark, misty, and foreboding, full of dark forests and fjords. (Well, maybe not technically fjords, but that's the kind of country it is in the book. . .)

The Sea of Lilies is beautiful. :-)

Clip #1 - The Adventure begins



Clip #2 - Greedy Eustace



Clip #3 - The Sea of Lilies (Thanks Melanie!)

Voyage of the Dawn Treader Trailer!!!!

Yay!! It's finally here! :-D Forgive my fangirly semi-hysteria. . . 

(Once again, you might want to pause my blog music before watching. . .)

First thoughts:

*THIS LOOKS SO COOL!! I can't wait to see the movie!! Hehe. . .

*There have definitely been a few plot tweaks.

*The Dawn Treader itself looks stunning, and I love how they've visualised the landscapes (especially near the end of the trailer, the sea of lilies and the wall of water) and interiors from the book.

*We don't really see much of Caspian or Eustace - guess they're saving that for a surprise.

*LOL at the bit (at 1:42) where Eustace says "This place just gets weirder and weirder!" :-D Eustace is one of my favourite Narnia characters - I hope they retain a lot of his best lines from the book!

*The dufflepuds look pretty awesome, too.

*Lucy (Georgie Henley) is so grown up!!

*In the few hours since this was released, I have watched it about 10 times. . . and the more I see it, the more I like it! :-)

*Man, how I am going to survive until December 10th????!!!!  

~~~~~

Your thoughts???

Update on Disney's Rapunzel movie. . .

I don't know if any of you remember, but I posted about this waaaayyy back in December 2008! Well, just to give you a quick update. . .

The title has changed from "Rapunzel Unbraided" to "Tangled". Here's the plot outline:

The long-haired Princess Rapunzel has spent her entire life in a tower, but when she falls in love with a bandit who was passing by she must venture into the outside world for the first time to find him

And the trailer has been released! To be honest, I'm very disappointed with it, and I don't think I'm going to like this film nearly as much as I thought I would. It looks like it will be a silly, mildly funny and entertaining flick at best. Oh well. . . 

Here's the trailer: (you might want to pause my blog music first. . .)

And you can view several new film stills at IMDb.

Robin Hood S3 *finally* coming to Australia. . .

Robin Hood fans (and Richard Armitage fans) Australia-wide will be thrilled to know that the third series of the BBC's Robin Hood is about to go to air here. . . finally. The first episode will be on this Saturday (1st May) at 7:30 pm on ABC2. Hat-tip to my 8-year-old sister, who made this most interesting discovery whilst browsing through the TV guide. 

And if you miss it, you can always catch it on iView - but only if you live in Australia. . . 

Arwen's wardrobe: Part II

~The Grey Cloak~







~Blood Red Dress~









~The Bridge Dress~





~Various outfits~








I'm wondering if this the same costume as the blue dress above, only digitally altered to change its colour? It seems to be a very similar design. . .





~Deleted scenes~









And a couple that I couldn't identify. . .

This was certainly not a very organised or exhaustive overview of Arwen's costumes! For an infinitely more in-depth and informed look at Arwen's outfits, click here.

Arwen's wardrobe: Part I

Reasons why to do this post:

1. I'm a Lord of the Rings fan. A female LOTR fan. I mean, how many guys would write long blog posts discussing the various qualities of x character's costumes?

2. I love the costumes in LOTR. Why can't we dress like that today?? 

3. It's a good excuse to share some gorgeous LOTR pictures.

So, let's begin. I am no costume expert, but that doesn't mean I can't admire, even though I know nothing about sewing and costume design!

~Arwen Arrives~

~Fleeing from the Ring Wraiths~

This is one of the more subdued outfits worn by Arwen (played by the gorgeous Liv Tyler) in the trilogy, but it is nonetheless beautiful. Check out the unique egg-shell/spiderweb (which do you think it looks like?) lace trim on the collar.

~The Green Dress!~

Okay, so I guess I'm not doing this in chronological order, LOL. This is the dress worn by Arwen near the very end of The Return of the King, at Aragorn's coronation. 

A detail of the beautiful beadwork in the sleeves and trim around the neckline.

~The Fellowship's Departure~

This gown is made from an exquisite patterned fabric. The large sash adds a slightly oriental, kimono-like feel to the outfit. Speaking of oriental - some of these fabrics and colours remind me very much of India! :-)

Well, that was fun. Part II to come soon, hopefully.

Most of my pictures are from this website.