Sweeney Todd – March 1, 2019
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is making his triumphant return! Anyone craving mince pies and black-and-white striped clothing? Just me?
Lady J – March 8, 2019
Hey, how about that? Lady J premiers today! An adaptation of Diderot’s posthumously published 1796 novel Jacques le fataliste et son maître, the French film (titled Mademoiselle de Joncquières á français, but shortened to “Lady J” for us simple American-speaking folks), the plot explores a soured affair between a marquis and a widowed noblewoman and her attempt at exacting revenge by way of planting a young, ostensibly naive young woman in the marquis’ tracks. There’s not a whole lot of English publicity out there as I’m writing this, so that’s about as much as I know without watching it. The costumes look nice, though I’m not loving the marquis’ facial hair and pony nub.
The Highwaymen – March 15, 2019
Having recently binge-watched True Detective season 1, I was excited to see Woody Harrelson slated to appear alongside Kevin Costner as Texas Rangers attempting to capture notorious outlaws Bonnie and Clyde. It also features Kathy Bates as Miriam “Ma” Ferguson, first female governor of Texas. I’m equal parts a sucker for historical crime flicks and historical crime flicks that flip the script, so this is something I actually put in my calendar to watch.
Kung Fu Hustle – March 15, 2019
No lie, Kung Fu Hustle is on my Top 5 list of favorite films of all time. It’s visually stunning, the choreography is amazing, the costumes are gorgeous, and it is responsible for my huge girl crush on Yuen Qiu as The Landlady for well over a decade now. I, for one, am VERY EXCITED to see it returning to Netflix after god knows how long.
https://youtu.be/xffhAAxZKy8
The Alienist, Season 2 – Summer 2019
No solid release date yet, but The Alienist is coming back. We didn’t think too much of the first season, but I’m willing to give it another shot (see: obsession with crime shows). They haven’t released a trailer yet for the new series, so here’s a reminder of the first series.
What’s in your Netflix queue?
Omg neck beard. Ew. Ew. Gonna watch it for the costumes. Neck Beard.
Kung (dancing) Fu (in my chair) Hustle!!!!!!
I am fully capable of writing in full sentences. I elect not to. LOL
oooooh I normally avoid all kung fu schlocky but THAT may float my boat. Thanks!
Not knowing a lot about the others, but Lady J? Leading man Edouard Baer, one quite well known actor here. So the neckbeard stays, I’m afraid. I doubt there was even the shadow of a suggestion to take it off. It’s his look and his trademark, and he’s going to keep it, 18th Century be damned! Otherwise, the costumes look interesting, in a sort of modernist, streamlined way.
Me: ooh, does this mean the Alienist is coming to Netflix?
looks it up
Article: Starting April 19, The Alienist season one will be available to stream on Netflix, but there’s a catch. The show will be available to stream internationally, everywhere but the U.S. and France.
Me: … ?!?!?!.
I’m too cheap to buy it unseen, I don’t get TNT, and the library doesn’t have it, so… thanks, Netflix, for not buying the US rights to it. :P
Give season two of the alienist a try. I disliked the first book which is what the series was based on. The second book will be season two and it was really great. I have high hopes for season two despite my dislike of season one.
The costume designer for Lady J also designed another period (Empire) movie last year called Return of the Hero (Le Retour du Heros) starring Jean Dujardin. It was a pretty stupid movie but the costumes were pretty and Dujardin looked hot. I watched it on Kanopy.
OMG Kung Fu Hustle looks amazing!!
Gave up on the Alienist three episodes in. But down with The Highwaymen (Kathy Bates as a political leader — sign me up NOW) and Kung-Fu Hustle.
Alan. Rickman.
le sigh
It’s not Netflix but have ya’ll seen the trailer for Mr. Malcolm’s List?
Kung Fu Hustle is a great movie. I always knew you had good taste!
I have seen “Lady J” (they could have found a better name, it sounds like a RnB singer name). The pace is very slow, 18th century-esque but the dialogs are very refined (at least in French!, let’s hope they don’t LadyJize it in English :) and the costumes very nice. It is a small-budget movie, so there are not many extras and it is set in the countryside, so the costumes are “country-pastel” and not too grand. The only thing that bugged me was Edouard Baer’s mullet (a famous French actor very full of himself so I Imagine he just refused both whig and beard-shaving)
Because it so clearly is based on DL. Perhaps the wildly out-of-period beard is supposed to be enough difference from DL?
Diderot wrote this before the liaisons. This revenge story was famously made into film in 1945 by the great Robert Bresson. Il was called : les dames du Bois de Boulogne
OMG — I saw “Kung Fu Hustle” in the theatre and we totally bought the DVD after it came out. It’s in regular rotation here, and yes, the Landlady steals the show. (Just out of curiosity, am I the only one who freaked out over the fact that the only time you see her hair out of curlers, it’s straight and in a pony-tail? I felt like we’d been trolled for an hour with the curlers.)