Gone Girl Found: #Thirteen and Jodie Comer

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Thirteen is the best British crime drama of the year, and it will be difficult to top. I know that is a pretty bold statement to open a review with, but I believe it wholeheartedly. And it’s not because of Richard Rankin’s magnetic presence, though he can do no wrong and he was perfection yet again (that will be in the next blog). The plot continued to twist and turn and keep me guessing, questions still swirling around my head hours after having watched it. The writing was incredible, the theme unique, the soundtrack a gift, the characters all beautifully flawed and perfectly cast. But the most impressive factor of all to me is Jodie Comer and her portrayal of the haunted Ivy Moxam.

If you haven’t watched the finale of Thirteen, look away now (in fact, GO WATCH IT NOW!). Continue reading →

The Crimson Field: The Show that BBC Forgot

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To any casual viewer, The Crimson Field appears to be the essential BBC program; it is a period piece, taking place in France during World War I, and it has just the right amount of tension between the classes and sexes. The writing is impeccable, the acting is exceptional, and the cinematography is spectacular. When the six episodes premiered on the BBC, they averaged about 7 million viewers. Those sort of numbers would normally constitute calling a television show a success and it would be commissioned a second series. But, for some reason, The Crimson Field fell through the cracks and was surprisingly cancelled.

Many have had to theorize as to why this happened. The BBC never gave a specific reason why they decided to cancel a show that brought in that many viewers every week. Did it have to do with schedule issues? That’s highly doubtful as they are…

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TV: ‘The Syndicate’ Theories

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If you have yet to catch The Syndicate on Tuesday nights on BBCOne, then you are seriously missing out. Kay Mellor has done it yet again with a brilliantly weaved mystery surrounding a group of lottery winners. With only two episodes left, at this point there are far more questions than answers and it is anyone’s guess as to how it will turn out. Actor Richard Rankin revealed that the cast didn’t even know the ending until just before they were filming it! So, if you haven’t watched, look away now because there be spoilers and theories ahead.

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Richard Rankin – Your Next Leading Man

~ mistressmorris ~ 2 Comments

Recently, I was tasked to consider what qualities an actor should possess to be a leading man. Immediately, actors like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Colin Firth sprang to mind. Then there’s even the more recent wave of actors who are making their mark in cinema in the male lead roles, i.e. Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, and Tom Hiddleston, whose names still have the red, squiggly line underneath them. However, I thought I would look to the future to really consider who would exemplify the attributes that make up a leading man. These qualities, which I have decided upon, include but are not limited to versatility, appearance, personality, charisma, and vulnerability. One particular actor that dominates my thoughts is Richard Rankin.

Yes, I have already written a post about Mr. Rankin (An Ode to Richard Rankin) and it is still one of my more popular and widely read pieces of work, but it was written a week after I had discovered him, and it was to prove why I believe he would be the perfect choice for a particular character in Outlander. It was full of fan girlishness and the freshness of having just experienced his talent for the first time. I hope to be far more collected and formal about how much I believe him to be included in the next wave of actors to hit the big time. As of June 2015, Richard Rankin will be making his American television debut with two major works, American Odyssey on NBC and The Crimson Field on PBS, plus will be also featured on the BBC in the new series of The Syndicate.
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An Open Letter to Tobias Menzies

~ mistressmorris ~ 8 Comments

Dear Mr. Menzies, or Tobias if you would allow me to be so informal,

Wow.

For ten years, I have been seeing your film work completely unintentionally, and tonight’s episode of Outlander has left me speechless in the wake of seeing such talent. When I say I’ve seen your film work unintentionally, I mean that you have always been in the background of some of my favorite films and television shows (Finding Neverland, Casino Royale, Atonement, Any Human Heart, Doctor Who.. You know what you’ve been in so I don’t have to keep listing your incredible filmography). Or, with something like Rome or Game of Thrones, you’ve stolen the scenes you were in, and while they were great, there wasn’t really enough to truly see your abilities.

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Outlander Live Tweets – Lallybroch

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Hey, everyone! I am currently working on something for this show and it sort of needs a lot of attention. So I am going to do yet another live tweet post. This time I am going to try to write a bit about a tweet or two to explain some more, but I didn’t quite get to do that last time so we’ll see how it goes this time.

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