Current Show to Binge: Poldark (and my Chromecast review!)

Hey guys!

So I know I’m waaay overdue for my next movie post, but I’ve been distracted for the past few days. I’m currently on Spring Break from school so I planned to do anywhere from 2-5 posts this week to finish catching up with my two movie per week plan, but that’s now how it’s panning out so far. And who is to blame? Poldark.

“What the frack is Poldark?” you might ask…? Well it’s this BBC show that airs on PBS’ Masterpiece Theather here in the States. I’d only heard of the show briefly — mainly through ads in my Entertainment Weekly — but I was a little intrigued. Well, low and behold, there was a preview episode of the first episode on a bonus disc included with my Downton Abbey, Season 6 set. ALAS, I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO WATCH IT!

Not gonna lie, the first thing I noticed right off the bat…

Oh haaaaaay there Ross Poldark.

Colonial era Aidan Turner is HOT AF. I thought the man was already dreamy — like who’s thirst didn’t need quenching after seeing him in The Hobbit — but damn, let me get a piece of that though! (Don’t tell my husband.) The show is about this guy, the aforementioned Poldark, who returns home after two years from war. He returns to learn his father is dead, his lands/inheritance is in ruins, and the woman he loves and had an on-the-side agreement with engaged to his cousin. Shiet’s about to be about his getting his and being all “started from the bottom now we here.” Anyways…

I got sucked into the story so I will finish watching all eight episodes before the end of break. I’m watching it all online via websites hosting the episodes but I’ve now got something better to make it more enjoyable. I recently purchased a Google Chromecast. What I had been doing while watching movies for my “1 Year…100 Movies” series that weren’t available to me on Hulu/Netflix/I don’t own them was either A) watching them via the YouTube app on my PS4 or B) finding them on a solid website  and then typing the page address onto the web browser on the PlayStation. Now, that was all and well but, sometimes, it wouldn’t let me go full screen so, even after zooming in a bit it’d still be small. I know, I know, first world problems. But this Chromecast business is now taking is to a whole different level. It pretty much simultaneously broadcasts whatever you’re watching on your phone/tablet/laptop onto your TV! So, now, if I go full screen on my computer, it’ll go full screen on my 40″ screen. It’s like using that bulky cable of the olden day to broadcast it to a larger screen/projector. NOW IT’S ALL WIRELESS! THE FUTURE IS NOW, KIDS! I’d been sitting on purchasing the Chromecast for months on end and I’m so glad I finally decided to buy it! I highly recommend it. I mean there’s only so much staring at a screen a bitch can do before I want to watch it on a bigger screen.

And just in case you were wondering how it looks laptop to TV:

Excuse the blurriness. I guess it wasn’t in focus as much as I thought it was.

BEST. PURCHASE. EVER.

If you have a Google Chromecast, how do you like it? Any problems you’ve experienced? Let me know in the comments. If there are any Roku users on here, how does that compare to the Chromecast (if you know)?

But for real though: haaaaaay Aidan Turner. 

1 Year…100 Movies, #94: PULP FICTION (1994)

This film holds many a dear memory for me. When I was a freshman in college nearly ten years ago I had never seen this movie. Up until that point, the only Quentin Tanrantino movie I cared about was Reservoir Dogs (I hadn’t even seen any of the Kill Bills). I absolutely loved that movie. I mean, who doesn’t? Unless you don’t, then please tell me why. I need to know. Anyways, my lack of having seen this film all changed when I met my, at the time, future husband. We bonded over the fact that we both were very fond of a specific Tarantino film — his was Pulp Fiction. The first time we tried watching the movie, we made out on and off for most of the night (this was like the third time we were casually hanging out) so I didn’t get the full effect. Fast forward a few months later, we watched it again and I was able to understand why people loved it so much. Honestly, I wasn’t completely blown away but I FINALLY GOT IT. One of the more recent times that I’ve seen it was actually on the big screen in theaters and that just made it all the better. But before I get too ahead of myself…

Basic Premise of the Film: The intertwining stories of about 12-ish people. The story is told out of order but it it starts and ends in the same side story. Low-key we follow the journey of a briefcase full of money/gold/diamonds/popcorn/who knows — all we know is that it glows and it’s valuable.

Honestly, it’s not too hard to see why this film is on the list. With every viewing it gets funnier, better, and funnier — to me at least. Samuel L. Jackson has some of the best lines! You can’t honestly tell me you’ve never seen a meme or heard people talk about his epic biblical speech before he unloads a couple of rounds on some crooks. The filming and writing of the film is just great. It definitely deserved that Best Original Screenplay Oscar it got. Not to mention it introduced the world again to John Travolta. I just want to know what changed in the way the film was perceived from when the “100 Greatest” list was first created in 1998 versus when it was updated in 2007 because it only moved up one spot! Like was it just a little bit more historically significant and had a little bit more of an impact on our culture? I guess Ben-Hur falling so many spots allowed it to move up one more. Maybe when the list is updated again it’ll crack top 90 because it’s only gonna be that much more significant as time goes by.

Another one of the several films on this list that I was able to skip over because I’ve seen it so many times — my husband and I own in on DVD and BluRay. The film is also available for rental on YouTube for the usual price of $2.99. Also currently streaming on Netflix.

And now, for funsies: Here’s one of my favorite scenes from the movie. Mia forcing Vincent to dance because girl really wanted that trophy. That, and who doesn’t love a good Chuck Berry song in an awesome film?

1 Year…100 Movies, #95: THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971)

This is a film that I don’t know too much about either. I don’t even know why it’s supposed to be great. What I do know is that it stars a very young Jeff Bridges (you know when he was super hot) and, after reading the cast list, a young Cybil Shepard as well. Also, it’s completely in black and white — you know, like that movie Nebraska was a couple of years ago. Other than that, a bitch knows nothing. Hopefully, I’ll like it. If not, oh well, I’m sure I’ll be able to figure out why it’s at #95.

 

Basic Premise of the Film: There’s two friends: Sonny and Duane. They live in a small town in Texas. Follows them through their senior year high school. Duane’s girlfriend, Jacey, is a life ruiner, and goes from one friend to the other. Pretty much we see Sonny and Duane go from boys to men.

 

I’m gonna come out and say it: my least favorite part of this film was Jacey.  She was dating Jeff Bridges, kinda sorta broke up with him, was interested in this other dude (Bobby) who wouldn’t bang her until she lost her virginity, got back with Jeff Bridges so they could bang and then broke up with him…AGAIN. OVER THE PHONE. Rude, much?!?! Then the guy she really wanted to hookup with is married by the time she’s bangable, so her mom tells her to try and get with Sonny. BISH, WHAT!? Uggh. I couldn’t stand her. Her motive honestly was to be the talk of the town. She even hooked up with her mom’s side dude. She made no sense to me.

 

BUT the rest of the storylines were good. Cloris Leachman gave a great performance — so much so that she won an Oscar for it. My biggest problem was that I had trouble keeping up with the passing of time. It was hard to tell when either a few weeks or a month or two had gone by. I mean, it wasn’t no Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (which was the worst when it came to keeping track of when we were in the past/present), but it was on it’s way there. Like I told my husband when he asked how the movie was: it wasn’t boring, but it wasn’t my kind of movie. I love movies, but this is not one that I’ll rush to watch again.I saw how and why it’s so acclaimed and won/was nominated for awards, but for me, it was okay. Not the first or the last time I will think this as I make it further up the lsit. Out of the six films I’ve gone through so far, this is the fourth film that was only introduced to the list with the 2007 update. In the next update it might just be off the list altogether, but I guess we will have to wait until next year to see how that pans out.

 

I viewed this movie hosted online. Surprisingly, not ad infested like other sites. CLICK HERE to watch. You can also watch it by renting it on YouTube for $2.99.

 

And now, for funsies..

 

While I was reading about how the movie was initially received (to critical acclaim like most of the films on this list) I just so happened to find out that there was a SEQUEL made to this movie in the 1990s. SAY WHAAAAT!? It’s called Texasville and takes place 34 years after the events of Last Picture Show. All the main casts pretty much comes back. It’s supposed to be just okay (according to Wikipedia). Here’s the trailer for that sequel in case anyone was wondering what it’s about. If anyone has seen it, let me know how it is…for a friend.

 

 

 

As always leave your thoughts, questions and opinions for me in the comments.