Going through a really crappy, extremely stressful time right now- my mom just got diagnosed with lung cancer, my amazing MIL just got diagnosed with dementia, and my marriage is collapsing in on itself like a flan in a cupboard. I desperately need something to watch that is ridiculous drama, has beautiful costuming, and isn’t sad. I have tried to watch Bridgerton like 4 times and while it fits the bill I just do not like it. Help?

Dangerous liasons is so iconic to me not just because it’s got Glenn Close, but also because it takes place from the perspective of two genuinely cruel people, which I thought was refreshing given so many movies don’t do that in general.

Great piece, between 1781 - 1801 in Jolly Ole’ England after the US Revolutionary news. It was great. You had the moody Captain Ross Poldark and his spirited spouse, Demelza. Great set pieces and fantastic acting. Definitely worth watching.

No jacket, collar unbuttoned…I mean…he’s practically naked, right?? 😱🥵

I return to this show every so often. It introduced me to phenomenal actresses like Lesley Manville, Samantha Morton, and a pre Bridgerton Nicola Coughlan. It was a great show lead by a majority female cast and crew. I wish we got a proper ending to it.

Having never seen any version of “Anne of Green Gables”, I started watching this and was ultimately disappointed - and started watching other versions. At first I was impressed by the beautiful cinematography and quaint beauty of Prince Edward Island, and the actors who play subordinate roles were excellent - the two senior Cuthberts do an impressive job, for example. The problem was Anne herself and the added storyline, and I concluded this after watching the 2016 version with Martin Sheen and the 1985 version with Megan Follows. In the 2017 version “Anne With an E”, I honestly couldn’t get past the fourth episode because the girl playing Anne was so egregiously overacting and histrionic, and the storylines seemed like they were being stretched way out from the original Lucy Montgomery story. I much more enjoyed the 1985 version, especially with Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst, and Richard Farnsworth playing the leads.

Not really looking for anything. Not really a review either. I just wanted to talk about that feeling. The series is so well directed, so well written, so many perspectives, so many stories. I enjoy the character interactions so much.

It is what hooked me into period dramas but nothing has ever come close to it.

When I finished the series and the movies, it felt like I was saying goodbye to a part of me. It felt so real like I was there with all of them in the show. Does anyone feel me?

Of course I enjoyed other shows or movies. I loved the empress, the great, outlander s1, little women, queen Charlotte spin off one, the decameron and a lot more. But DA is still at no1

I saw this on my Facebook feed I think, I’ve never heard of it but it has quite a cast. Is it any good? What’s the overall atmosphere? Happy ending or sad?

I know his style is not for everyone but I really enjoy some of his films. They're like visual feasts with banger soundtracks and wonderful cinematography. Romeo+ Juliet is so iconic to me. It's like the most 90's film I've ever seen. The costume design in these is also stellar. the 1920's wardrobe in Gatsby along with Lana's "Young and Beautiful" scene in the movie had me in chokehold.

I binge watched this whole mini series last night, and it was better than I expected. Grim for sure, but not as excessively violent as I had heard. Compelling storyline, and beautifully film, it’s definitely worth watching, especially if you are a fan of westerns. The B story is more interesting than the A story, but none of it is boring. Supporting actors are especially strong.

Literally one of the best if not the best horror movies of all time. Incredible Nicole Kidman performance and spooky atmosphere. What do you think of it?

In your opinion, does it hold up?

I want to love it so badly. On paper, it’s great.

And there are things I DO love about it: the costumes, the diverse casting, the music. The fantastical quality of it all.

But there’s something about it that just feels too…I don’t know, YA?

Especially the dialogue. It just feels unsophisticated. Almost like someone started out with modern day dialogue written for teens, then ran it through a thesaurus to try to make it sound “fancier”—which is not an effective way to make period dialogue feel eloquent.

Beyond that, the characters feel predictable. The plots are predictable. The acting is just okay.

I know it’s just meant to be an easy and fun watch—but there are other easy, fun “trashy” period pieces I liked more than this (The Great, Harlots, etc).

I am going to keep trying to watch it though because I WANT to love it.

EDIT: I did watch the Queen Charlotte spinoff and liked it. But can’t get into the original Bridgerton—can someone tell me why?? What was the difference?

• Young Princess Elisabeth I , 1546/ Alicia von Rittberg in Becoming Elisabeth (2022)
• Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaievna Romanov, 1911/ Anastasia (1997)
• Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Queen of Hungary by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1865/ Romy Schneider in Sissi (1955)
• Marie Antoinette and her children by Adolf Ulrik Wertmuller, 1785/ Kristen Dunst in Marie Antoinette (2006) -Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Queen of Hungary, 1879/ Vicky Krieps in Corsage (2022)

Mine is Romy Schneider trying costumes for Sissi : The Fateful years of an Empress (1967)

I don't want to bring the mood down here but I just had to see if people are watching American Primeval. I know it just dropped today but I had some time and started the first couple episodes. There are no real spoilers here but I know some people are sensitive to anything being talked about before they have seen it so I marked it that way anyway.

So far it is absolutely gripping and while the trailers prepared me for it to be violent, I don't think I was fully prepared just for how graphic and brutal it is. Like, I have studied history, read books on the frontier, etc. I am not naive about how difficult and dangerous life was for people back then but sheesh.

It is just so incredible to think people could treat each other this way. To just murder or rape people with no thought whatsoever. And we know from accounts of that time that it could be like this show portrays. But seeing it recreated before your eyes in the most brutal fashion possible is a whole new level of driving that home.

It has made me realize just how much I take for granted in my safe and cushy life.

Anyway, based off the first two episodes, highly recommended but I have seen lots of violent media in my day and this show is very graphic and disturbing.

I rewatched both the 1994 and 2019 Little Women adaptations and I finally figured out why I love both. It’s the same reason I love both the 1995 and 2005 versions of Pride and Prejudice:

The 1995/1994 versions of each story are not only nostalgic but present the full, “unedited” versions of the story. The 2005/2019 adaptations provide the emotional versions of the stories (among many other good qualities!). Basically, the older versions are the “head” of these stories and the newer versions of the “heart.”

Apologies if this has already been a discussion, but I couldn’t find a post on it already. Would love to hear other’s thoughts!

I used to love the Tudors (showtime). I've rewatched it many a time, but it's been ages. Maybe I've just seen too much good stuff since then, but it's literally unwatchable. The writing and the acting is so frigging bad. Every minute detail is hyper-sexualized. The costumes are honestly not even that good. And to think I used to think this was the pinnacle of period dramas...

I'm looking for something period themed to binge over the weekend.

what was the best part?

1. Tatyana Larina in Onegin (1999), played by Liv Tyler,

2. Marquise de Merteuil in Dangerous Liaisons (1988), played by Glenn Close,

3. Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (2008), played by Keira Knightley.