Merlin & Robin: Episode 6 and a DVD

You know, I’ve GOT to admit, last night was rather …

Busy …

Yeah, busy seems to be the exact phrase … !

After all, fitting in Movie Night — complete with me, Movie Night Adrian, Squeaky, Big Josh and Kevin D but minus Tootles Sarah — with an episode of Merlin … ?

Hmmm …

Remind me to organise my calendar a bit better … !!

But, either way, it meant — after Movie Night — I think I managed to get to bed long enough after 1 in the morning to make posting this afternoon a sensible idea.

Well …

Sensibleish …

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First things first, though, shall we … ?

Yes, that makes sense, doesn’t it.

First off, though, I’ve got to admit, I’m enjoying the fact that Film4 are doing an entire weekend devoted to the first ten Star Trek movies. I know I’ve an old friend — Sue, over on Facebook — who’s complaining about the amount of cuts made to accommodate the adverts.

Personally, though … ?

I’m not complaining too much.

Not actually owning copies, I’m happy to see they’re on.

And happy to explain, yesterday, to Squeaky, the back-story to Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan: generally considered the best of the films, to date, although I’d make a case for Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country — you can’t wrong with that many Klingons — or Star Trek: First Contact. You can’t be going wrong with that many Borg, either!

Ahem … !!

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Ooh, but I’ve been meaning to get that out of me system since, oh …

About 7 o’clock, yesterday, just after Wrath of Khan* …

Let’s get cracking on, shall we … ?

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Yes, lets …

And move on to Merlin …

Now, I’ve got to admit, I’m glad I didn’t post up about episode 6 of Merlin — The Changeling — last night. After all, I was a touch rushed.

Last night’s episode centre’s on the arranged marriage of Prince Arthur and and Princess Elena, the daughter of one of King Uther’s neighbours.

The twist, of course, is that Princess Elena has issues …

As you’ve probably guessed from the title …

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Now, I’ve got to admit, The Changeling was another one of the lighter episodes in Series Three. And one that struck me as a possible rerun of series two two-parter, Beauty and the Beast. Although granted, it has enough differences to make it a very different take on the idea of a hijacked wedding. Including the fact that the chief villains in this episode … ?

Were the Merlin take … on the Sidhe: plotting patiently to make sure they had a queen …

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Now, I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of the lighter episodes of Series 3Merlin. However, this episode, as ever, did throw a darker bone for those of us looking for it. One that saw Katy McGrath’s Morgana realising a thing or two about exactly how Angel Coulby as Guinevere feels about Arthur: one that — to my mind, at least — gets Morgana to thinking …

The other … ?

Is on that sees both Guinevere and Arthur having something of a big discussion …

Both of which I felt added to the on-going story-arc.

Personally, though … ?

I’m waiting for next week’s episode …

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The other thing I managed to catch, last night … ?

Or at least, me and the rest of the movie night gang … ?

Was the DVD director’s cut of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe’s version of Robin Hood: something I know that I, my ex, Allison, managed to see with Squeaky, back in May.

Now, I’ve got to admit, I was comfortable seeing it the first time around.

Second time around, though, and with the 16 extra minutes the director’s cut included?

I’ve got to admit, I had a case of the serious fidget’s, although I Movie Night Adrian, Kevin D and Squeaky thorough enjoyed it.

What I will say … ?

Is that Robin Hood is probably worth seeing if you’ve not caught before, even with Russell Crowe’s still wandering accent. It did manage to generate quite some discussion about what a Robin Hood movie should be about.

Meself … ?

I just wish I’d managed to talk everyone into catching something else … !!

* The obvious gag to get out of the way, here … ? What do you call the ghost of one of the stars of The Godfather … ? The Wraith Of Caan … Sorry, sorry

Riding through the Glen … OK, Romford … !

OK, I’ve got to confess, here’s where I tell you what I was up to, last night.

Or I should say, Allison, I, and Allison’s niece, Squeaky Sophie, were up to, last night …

Which sounds odd, now I put it that way, doesn’t it … ?

What we actually did was head into Romford to see a movie.

And, as you’ve possibly guessed, we actually ended up in Romford’s Vue cinema, to see the latest offering from director, Ridley Scott, and actor, Russell Crowe.

Robin Hood.

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Actually, just as a side point, here, one of the nightclubs owned and operated by Ronnie and Reggie Kray was called The Double R.

LORD knows why that’s springs to mind … !!

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Now, I’ve got admit, I’m something of a long time fan of Ridley’s.

You’d possibly not think so, would you … ?

So, when Allison told me she was planning to take Squeaky to see Robin Hood, and asked if I’d like to totter along, I happily said yes.

After all, the last Scott/Crowe collaboration was a bit of a biggy.

Now, Gladiator was an impressive piece of work.

Not my favourite of his, but nonetheless, still impressive*.

Robin Hood, on the other hand …

Hmmm …

Hmmm …

I’m thinking that Robin Hood, isn’t in quite the same league as Gladiator.

But then very few things are.

On the other hand …

Robin Hood sees Crowe as the eponymous hero returning from the Crusades quite literally at the head of Richard Cœur de Leon’s army.

And, as a result of Richard’s death, and an attempt to help Robert Locksley, who was ambushed by the traitorous Godfrey — Mark Strong, at his villainous best — Russell Crowe, as Robin Longstride, has to take Sir Robin Loxley’s ancestral sword home to his father, Sir Walter Loxleyº.

Which is where thing’s get …

Interesting …

To say the least … !!

Now, I’ll leave the plot summery to IMDb, they tend to do these things a touch better than I do.

But as a movie … ?

Robin Hood’s a good film. It’s not necessarily Ridley Scott or Russell Crowe’s best movie.

But it is entertainingª.

And as an attempt to try to do a historical retake on the story, it’s a better attempt than the Antoine Fuqua cut of King Arthur.

Cast List

Actor    Character

Russell Crowe Robin Longstride

Cate Blanchett Marion Loxley

Max von Sydow Sir Walter Loxley

William Hurt William Marshal

Mark Strong Godfrey

Oscar Isaac Prince John

Danny Huston King Richard The Lionheart

Eileen Atkins Eleanor of Aquitaine

Mark Addy Friar Tuck

Matthew Macfadyen Sheriff of Nottingham

Kevin Durand Little John

Scott Grimes Will Scarlet

Alan Doyle Allan A’Dayle

Douglas Hodge Sir Robert Loxley

Léa Seydoux Isabella of Angoulême

* I actually personally believe that Bladerunner was the better of the three movies. But there you go: Gladiator was the one that bagged the Oscars …

º Ably and sympathetically played by Max Von Sydow.

ª You know, I’ve also got to add that, while I’ve not seen the Kevin Costner film, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, I know that both Allison and Squeaky Sophie have. Both felt that, while the Scott/Crowe version wasn’t bad, they both preferred — action and feel-wise — the former.

Death, smiling at all of Us

You know, I think both me and Adrian will probably be asking a question of director, Ridley Scott.

“What is it, with the white gee-gees?”

No, I’m serious, here …

I’m mean, “Bladerunner” has a complicated dream sequence with a white unicorn, “Legend” has white unicorns at the centre of the tale, and “Hannibal” having a search sequence with Hannibal on a white horse … on a merry-go-round …

It wouldn’t surprise me if he tried working one into the “1984” ad …

At any rate, there are tons of white horses in the film Adrian and I watched, tonight, the 2000 film, “Gladiators”.

Which still looks as good as the first time I saw it; I know Adrian was saying the same thing.

The Ridley Scott directed “Gladiator” sees Russell Crowe, as Maximus, determined to avenge the murder of his wife and child by Emperor Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix. Which puts this as a good ol’ fashioned revenge drama.

And possibly one of Scott’s best works, although I personally prefer “Alien”.

But “Gladiator” is one of his more mature works, I know that. And it shows, I think, being a very tight hand on the pace, scripting and acting.

And editing.

I mean, it’s not that often one of the headline actors dies during filming, is it?

Hmmm …

What can one say, here, about the late Oliver Reed?

Possibly lots, although I don’t know if this is the place for that.

I do know that the mix of a riveting last performance from the late actor, the stand-up performances by the rest of the cast, plus the job and and half Ridley Scott and his production crew put in to salvage it, after Reed’s death, makes “Gladiator”, at ten years old, still a very good film to watch.

What did concern both of us, tonight, though was good old fashioned historical accuracy.

I’m not as bothered as Adrian, about this. I would have been more concerned if this had been the film of the book; then you’d be reading a list of complaints!

But it would be nice to know which bits were accurate, and which weren’t.

Actually, I will be fair, here, there was a rider at the end of the credits, to the effect that, whilst the story was fictional, the history was as accurate as they could get it for a movie.

I’m thinking, there, that you can’t say much fairer than that. And also that — as far as a historical film is concerned — we, as an audience, have to keep that thought very much in mind.

That — to quote the tagline from the Wes Craven original of “The Hills Have Eyes” — it’s only a movie.

Taking it as history, rather than entertainment, would be silly!

But it does leave thinking I could look up Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, on Wikipedia …

Body of Lies: Nobody’s Innocent …

Hmmm …

I don’t know if we’ve seen a good film, or not.

As you know, myself and whoever else wants to come along, have been watching a few movies, over the past few months.

Tonight’s film was a bit of a novelty for me; the Ridley Scott directed “Body of Lies”.

Which is … good …

I think.

Although not usually something that would — out of the box — grab my attention.

Normally, about the only time I’m guaranteed to to catch a spy thriller is if it’s a Bond movie; and the political thriller sub-genre usually

Body of Lies is a bit of a novelty for me, although I know Adrian goes for them more than I do.   It’s a film that — for me — doesn’t necessarily convince me to watch others in the genre, although I did find myself entertained.

Especially by Mark Strong’s performance as Jordanian intelligence chief, Hani Salaam.

Body of Lies is riveting to watch, for his performance alone.

Have you sometimes read a book, and thought that such and such an actor would be perfect as one of the characters in it?

There’s a scene , early in Body of Lies where Strong, as Salaam, is … persuading … a minor character to work as an undercover plant for Jordanian intelligence, to demonstrate to Leonardo DiCaprio’s character how these things should be done.

And doesn’t do it by threats.

Or bribery.

No.

He sets up the  character’s mother in a new flat.

TV, an indoor toilet, all the mod cons; and makes sure the character in question knows that his mother has her dutiful son to thank.

Salaam makes it very clear what’ll happen, if the job offer isn’t taken up …

My first thought was “Ooh, NASTY!”.

My second was of a Terry Pratchett character, called Lord Havelock Vetinari, who is the ruler of the Disc’s largest city state.

And much like a benevolent version of the Doges of Venice, Nicolò Machiavelli, and Cesare Borgia.   

Cunning, in other words.

What got me thinking that way, was part of Vetinari’s backstory.

When he took over as ruler, he legalised the various thieves guilds, and cut down crime overnight.   

Then got all the crime guild leaders together to gently remind them that he knew where they lived.

Where their children went to school.

Where their wives had their hair done …

Now, as Adrian pointed out, this scene could well be put down to the film’s highlighting  Western cultural values are very different to Arabic ones.

Scott shows us by contrasting Strong’s character with Russell Crowe’s; DiCaprio’s boss, Ed Hoffman, who I found reminiscent of  certain former US president.

Which it does, and quite nicely, too.

But I’d’ve not necessarily watched it, just by going by the box …

If I’d seen that clip, though …