The War of the Worlds Review

Every genre has its founding work and author. In science fiction, that seminal work is The War of the Worlds and the author is H.G. Wells. His story of alien invasion has both thrilled and scared audiences for generations.

One of the most recent adaptions was released in 2019. Starring Eleanor Tomlinson, Rafe Spall, and Robert Carlyle, this version takes place in Edwardian era England. George (Spall) and Amy (Tomlinson) are living happily in un-wedded bliss. Shunned by most of the people around them because he is still married to someone else, their spent much of their time with Ogilvy (Carlyle). Ogilvy is a scientist whose methods and reputation are considered to be questionable by the establishment. George and Amy’s bliss is interrupted by an alien invasion from Mars. Now it is a question of survival, not just for them, but the future of the human race.

I truly enjoyed this three part miniseries. It was suspenseful, riveting, and extremely engaging. I haven’t read the book yet, so I can’t speak to what changes have been made. But I can say with certainty that if this is one of the definitive adaptations (with the most famous being the 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles), it has piqued my curiosity about the original text.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

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Love Wedding Repeat Review

Defined simply, a wedding is a public commitment between two individuals who are ready, willing and able to make a life together. But we all know that weddings are far from simple.

Love Wedding Repeat premiered on Netflix last month.

All Jack (Sam Claflin) wants is to make sure that his sister Hayley (Eleanor Tomlinson) has a perfect wedding day. The day starts out smooth, but then it goes to Hades. Combine Jack’s angry ex-girlfriend Amanda (Freida Pinto), his dream girl who he has unspoken feelings for, Dina (Olivia Munn) and Hayley’s drug addled ex-boyfriend, Marc (Jack Farthing), and you have nothing but trouble.

Hoping to prevent embarrassment, Hayley asks Jack to put a sedative in Marc’s champagne glass. But before they can sit down, their places at the table are switched and the perfect wedding day is about to descend into chaos.

I can kind of see why this film got the reaction it did, but it is not as bad as it is made out to be. The movie slightly invokes the screwball comedies of the 1930’s and 1940’s, but with a modern twist. It’s nowhere near award worthy, but as romantic comedies go, I’ve seen much worse.

Do I recommend it? I am leaning toward yes.

I Love My Red Hair

When you’re a kid, you want to fit in. The last thing you want is to stick out like a sore thumb. When you’re a redhead, you stick out whether you like it or not.

Though I am proud of my red hair now, there were many times as a kid that I wished that my hair was another color. It took many years and a lot of work, but at nearly 40, I have come to love my hair.

Today is National Redhead Day. Thanks to this day, How to be a Redhead and three of the characters below (which is a short version of a very long list), I appreciate my hair in ways that I did not in the past.

Zelena-Once Upon a Time (Rebecca Mader)

Zelena is a redheaded badass because she knows what she wants and she goes after it. Though she may not (at least in the beginning) care that she is hurting others, it is her confidence and her one-liners that makes me proud to be a redhead.

Mera–Aquaman (Amber Heard)

Mera is a queen in every sense of the word. But instead of being the standard female royal who waits for things to happen (i.e. rescued from the big bad), Mera takes charge of her own life. She is also unafraid to stand up for what is right, even if that means going into battle.

Demelza Poldark–Poldark (Eleanor Tomlinson)

It takes a strong woman to be true to herself in an era when a woman is supposed to be meek, mild and subservient to her husband. Demelza Poldark (nee Carne) may have been born a miner’s daughter, but she has not forgotten who she is. Though she is a member of the upper class through her marriage, Demelza is still a tough as nails working-class girl who is intelligent and more than capable of standing on her own two feet.

I am going to end this post with a quote for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider. It’s time to not care what others think and embrace who we are.

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”-Dr. Seuss

Poldark Series 4 Episode 1 Review

*Warning: this review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk if you have not seen the episode.

For the last three years, Poldark has brought romance, drama, politics and a shirtless Aidan Turner to millions of fans.

Last night, the fourth series premiered on PBS.

The series picks up shortly after the third series ended. Ross (Aidan Turner) and Demelza’s  (Eleanor Tomlinson) marriage is back on track. But Hugh Armitage (Josh Whitehouse) is still in love with Demelza, despite her gently turning him down.  While this is happening, there is turmoil in Cornwall. The rich get richer while the poor are starving and dying.  George Warleggan (Jack Farthing) still covets power and taking Ross down. But unlike last season, despite his misgivings, Ross knows that he must step up to protect the people of Cornwall from the greedy and power-hungry.

I really liked the episode. It felt like a natural continuation of the previous series. I also very much liked the potential narratives that the premiere introduced for the coming season.

I recommend it.

Poldark airs on PBS on Sundays at 9pm. 

Poldark Review

Warning. This review contains mild spoilers. Read at your own risk if you did not watch last night’s episode of Poldark.

The thrill and the danger of a beloved television show returning for a new season is that it must equally expand both character and narrative while keeping the same elements that hooked the audience during the previous season or seasons.

Last night, the third series of Poldark premiered on PBS.

The third series picks up a few months after the second series. Ross (Aidan Turner) and Demelza’s (Eleanor Tomlinson) marriage is both happy and stable. While all seems well in Nampara, the opposite can be said at Trenwith. Elizabeth Warleggan (Heida Reed) is pregnant and near her due date, but she is unsure if the child’s father is Ross or her husband, George (Jack Farthing). As per the previous seasons, there continues to be no love lost between Ross and George.

Meanwhile, there are new characters. Elizabeth’s son by her first husband, Geoffrey Charles (Harry Marcus) is becoming a young man who is feeling stifled under the control of his mother and stepfather. Morwenna Chynoweth, one of Elizabeth’s cousins (Ellise Chappell) is brought in as Geoffrey’s governess. When Demelza’s younger brothers Sam (Tom York) and Drake (Harry Richardson) join Ross and Demelza at Nampara, they bring trouble and a bit of excitement to their sister’s house.

I have not read beyond the 4th book, (which coincides with the ending of the last series), but I have a feeling that this will be a good season. It has the drama, the romance and roller coaster ride the fanbase is eagerly looking forward to.

I recommend it.

Poldark airs on PBS at 9PM on Sundays.