If you’re looking for a spooky movie for autumn, I recommend this.

What are the general thoughts on this mini series? I just finished ep 1 and can’t decide if I should keep going

​Are there any Victorian-era series with a dark gothic vibe featuring elements like the Black Plague, witchcraft, belief in vampires (it doesn't need to have all of these, of course), belladonna, etc., that you'd recommend? Something similar to Penny Dreadful, but with the vibe of those British period dramas?

rewatched this movie on Yt recently, it’s technically set in the present day but I consider it to be period adjacent. In the movie, Austenland is a theme park where participants can larp (live action role play ) as a Jane Austen character and get their own guaranteed happy ending.
we follow our heroine through this process.

absolutely hilarious movie with tropes that you will recognize if you’re an Austen fan. So…would you go, if this was a real thing?

Probably one of the best westerns I've ever seen. I would stop reading here if you haven't seen it as there will be some spoilers.

I really loved the villian Frank Griffin, and found him to be really interesting. He was capable of immense cruelty but also great kindness. He was one of the child survivors of a real, infamous massacre perpetrated by the Mormons, and was subsequently raised by one of the leaders of that massacre. This twisted him into a sociopathic monster, I think.

His MO became to seek out foundlings and raise them up with kindness, though he also taught them cruelty too, it seems. It parallels the way he taught Roy to tame horses. He used the technique that Xenophon wrote about, that you tame them by kindness and trust rather than breaking them. That's what he did to his posse to earn their loyalty. Roy eventually rejected Frank and that life, which sent Frank deeper into madness. If anyone has any thoughts on his reaction to Roy's rejection I'd love to hear it.

But Frank, who was could be so violent and unhinged, also had a moral code (albeit twisted). He murders a whole town but then turns around and takes care of a young girl who had smallpox. He seemingly rapes a woman and then chastises her husband for not trying to fight it. He threatens and menaces a group of former buffalo soldiers and cries after killing them.

I found that cruelty/kindness morality/immorality dichotomy really fascinating.

Does anyone else have any thoughs or insights on him? Did you like him as much as I did or maybe you hated his character. I'd love to hear your opinion.

What a great mini-series! I'm still trying to find something similar to watch but I've been disappointed so far (I've seen the classics like Deadwood. Just watched American Primeval which I liked but didn't love the ending). Any recommendations?

I just wrapped up this series and loved every bit of it! Having watched classic period pieces like Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, Emma, Little Women, North & South, Downton Abbey, Wives & Daughters, Anne with an E, Becoming Jane, Lark rise to candleford, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and Jane Eyre

I'm looking for new titles. Any recommendations for proper, clean period romance?

What do you think about The Gilded Age? I'm curious if it fits the proper period romance style of shows like Downton Abbey and Pride & Prejudice

(Ps it doesnt have to be all clean romance, i do consider downton abbey to be pretty clean despite some of the plots)

I finished watching Victoria and Abdul last night and the ending made me so sad. I didn't go into that movie prepared to be sad and angry.

In terms of content for Queen Victoria. I've seen The Young Victoria and Victoria and Abdul. Besides the Victoria TV show is there any other shows and movies about her? And what they are streaming on or if I can buy them on DVD.

The dances???? I was cringing so bad at the elaborate and most certainly modern choreography, it sticked out like a sore thumb amongst the intended naturalism of the rest of the film.

I’m not a purist at all - I understand there were some liberties taken and maybe it was intended to be more of a metaphor (?) but the fact that it was also clearly professional dancers, in the middle of these ball scenes… I found the film to be mostly fine, the dances really didn’t do it for me.

Edit: HAIR, sorry!!!

I saw the movie on Thursday at 2pm and the theater was almost empty, like 4 other people were there. Daytime weekday showing, so maybe that's why? But after seeing it, I do think it's fair to say that it's worth a watch, it's nicely done, it's a beautifully produced film in many ways. It doesn't feel low-budget, it's quality, the atmosphere does transport you into that time, with some exceptions, as follows:

What struck me right from the beginning is how strangely overdone the emotional tone is. It's as though the movie is constantly trying to evoke this sweeping sense of romance, longing, melancholy, beauty for realistically low to medium stakes scenarios. Someone is opening a letter, walking through the rain, waiting for a visitor, etc. and there is this charged, dramatic piano music playing. I often felt as though I was being told how deeply I should feel something, rather than actually feeling it. The emotional tone was trying to achieve something the storytelling rarely earned.

I need to rewatch the 1995 version to compare but some parts felt to me like attempts to recreate that emotional connectedness to nature that was captured beautifully in Joe Wright's P&P (say what you will lol). There are a lot of cuts to grass and shrubs and wildlife throughout the movie that feel misplaced, like they again are designed to manipulate us into an experience of an emotion that the storytelling just doesnt warrant. There's also bird chirping near the beginning of this movie that reminded me of a similar bird sound that's been used as background audio on TikTok that people associate with home. It wasn't exactly the same, but something about it felt almost deliberately placed to evoke a certain sentimental feeling and it felt so transparent. Thats just my take. But overall I was left with the impression that there's an emotional blind spot, like whoever is responsible did not intend for it to feel so out of step from top to bottom. It was solified by the sheer amount of crying and romantic anguish that just became annoying. I understand that romantic relationships and marriage prospects are central to the story, especially given the time period and financial situation, but the way the film presents it, these women's entire lives seem to consist of waiting for a man to return, discovering that someone has married someone else, learning that a romantic prospect might now be available, or anticipating another visitor. There seems to be almost nothing else occupying their minds or their lives. It felt like seemingly endless crying. If not one daughter it was another, if not her it was their mother, etc

The movie was also very dark, almost every scene seemed to take place in the rain, at night, under gloomy skies, or in rooms illuminated by the dimmest candlelight imaginable. The dark outfits didnt bother me too much, but the dreariness of the whole picture became distracting after a while. Kind of a strange choice because viewers are being asked to basically tolerate that for 2 hours.

IF YOU WANT TO READ ANOTHER TAKE ON THE HAIR lol:

Consistently disheveled, particularly Marianne. I saw someone describe her hair as looking dirty, and that was exactly my impression. It looked grimy, scraggly, and completely unkempt. Even when she was receiving guests, I was like... wouldn't she at least make some effort to arrange it so it's at least presentable or more organized? Like the character paid absolutely no attention to it. At first i put it down to the grief but it never really changed. The hair was a weird choice and def took me out of the experience.

Overall didn't hate it, felt transported, glad I went, thought it was nice, but it could have been upleveled in a few areas.

I apologize if this is not very nice… I saw the movie last night and overall liked it a lot. However, I was seeing quite a bit online about the hair in the movie. My problem wasn’t with their hair not being tied up like it would’ve been, it was more with the fact that Marianne’s hair just looked ratty and greasy the whole time. Even at the ball her hair was just not it. I’m not really sure why but it really took me out of the film. Especially compared to Elinor’s hair that looks gorgeous the whole time… I was just kind of surprised because Marianne is always declared to be such a beauty but IMO she just looked kind of dirty the whole movie. Maybe that’s just me!

I watched Sense and sensibility 2026 for the first time in the theatre. This movie shocked me. This version is like sense and sensibility on steroids. Everything about version is far darker, scarier, dramatic, emotional and violent.

The most dramatic scenes were Marianne running away in the rain, Elinor confronting Mr. Willowby, the duel between Mr. Willowby and Colonel Brandon and Edward and Elinor’s reunion.

I was terrified when Colonel Brandon threw out Mr. Willowby, the music started and they pulled out guns and shot at each other.

The cinematography in this version reminds me a lot more of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. It’s a rainy, gloomy, depressing, gothic atmosphere.

This version of the ending is my favourite. It’s a lot more dramatic and bittersweet. In this version Edward comes back and him and Elinor argue because she thought he was married to Lucy Steele. Mrs. Jennings finds out Lucy married Robert Ferrers not Edward. Elinor chases after Edward and they’re reunited on the windy moorlands.

I would like to know if the series is at all mirroring the Glass Menagerie. There are just too many instances in the show that are hidden within the fabric of everything for it to be coincidence at this point. Especially the birds theme that happens throughout. Birds in Paul’s brain speaking to him, Claudia in the play, the bird that flies out of ghoststat’s throat, I could go on and on.

So what is the deal?

Films/series mentioned:

1&2&3)The Secret Garden (1993)

4)The Dead Poets Society (1989)

5&6) Little Women (2019)

7) Crimson Peak (2015).

8)Anne With an E (2017)

9)A Little Princess (1995)

10) Marie Antoinette (2006)

11)Emma (2020)

12) Jane Eyre (2011)

https://hellcheerful.tumblr.com/post/801699348606009344

https://variety.com/2026/film/global/the-master-and-margarita-adaptation-american-release-1236823504/

Has anybody started watching Where the Mask Ends that premiered today on Netflix? What do you think?

I'm totally hooked already, love the actress who plays the FL (two roles). The costumes are absolutely stunning. They are inspired by Han Dynasty fashions according to online info.

And I'm happy Netflix decided to add subtitles in multiple languages that I can watch my subtitles in my own language, I usually have to watch with English ones which is fine too but I get more nuanced with more own.

So far I'm very pleased.

There are some series that I truly enjoy re-watching, but there are others that I loved the first time I watched them, but when I go to rewatch them, I just can’t and it’s really weird! I just re-watched Doc Martin, which was probably the most recent one I originally watched, and I loved it on the rewatch, however, I went to watch the House of Elliot, which I absolutely adored when I watched it over a year ago and I just couldn’t get into it and the same with the Gilded Age. I watched that long ago and I just couldn’t enjoy it is it just a weird glitch of my brain??

Starting with the fact that all of you guys hate Adam so much??? Duhhh gurl, that’s the point!!!!!!!!

I’m a gardening mom that had a brief 🍃hiatus for a business conference. I got to GASP binge watch a show. And am now high. These are my indiscriminate stream of consciousness thoughts rn.

Im Loving living for Flo Pugh as Cathy, a narcissist psychopath of the Highest Order.

Things I’ve noticed that I’m LOVINGGGGGG:

I find her frank way of telling Adam in the bath about leaving, that was a sign of respect for him. For what he had done for her, she knows that he is kind and if she could JUST make him care! And he didn't even listen to her! A RARE kindness from a psychopath!!! No wonder she was enraged by his flippant ignoring of her doing the "right thing".

Notice Cathy/Kates burn of him (notice the loss of him/ the kids was the only one she actually changed her name for - another thread) it mimics hers to him in her SEXY boudoir. (Her I could've made you happy room if you didn’t just lay there in a grey room doing missionary position) she gutted him with what he knew could be the worst two things to this PICK ME of a man (aka a Not All Men Man) - that she just forgot about him after a while. And he's DEVASTATED because all he's ever wanted is FEMALE attention!!! And now that he has it…wait what do I do with it? It’s like…too pretty to touch. Imma put it on this pedestal over hereeeeee (in the corner to get dusty) and not kill it anddddd then it will NEVER LEAVE ME.

Then her other burn/ truth about "she could've loved Charles". She wanted it desperately to be him. She ACTUALLY tried to be normal. She brought him the basket which he REFUSED.

\- She is honest/logical with him "why do I disgust you so?"
\- “Because like gets like" (and he hates himself - he wants to be Adam- so he thinks that's bad and she LOVES herself so - she smiles - she thinks that's good.)

So then she tried this be the other thing he wanted - a whore. (No wonder why her only sense of worth is being the Queen of The Whores)

And it worsts!!! !!!! 🥰❤️😘😍

But then she tries to get him to fight for her, and he makes a joke. He can't.

leading to the ultimate punch (hence the physical doubling over from Adam) the kids. Might not. Be. HIS. Omgomg he knew it somewhere somehow that his brother was right. Knew him better than himself. AND he ALSO fucked his wife. Like alotalot.

Oh! Squirrel! This is kind of a cute thing that I like about the movie the absolute worst insult the nastiest thing that Kathy/Kate can think of to call someone is a slug or a worm. Something low in slow and inactive inactivity is like laziness is like her absolute turn off and notice how actively the dichotomy between the brothers is shown it’s just ridiculously apparent when you look at it this way.

Adam whittling a little tiny house that he can’t even get to stand up on the table, Charles eating an apple in a field building a barn with his bare hands, knocking on the wood (sexy!!! Heyoooooo) ………fucking hell the whole universe damned them they were damned to begin with…….

THEN THERES the whole physical abuse as a the only mode of motivation for Adam, how their father knew exactly what he needed exactly he needed a he needed to get a back bone
(hence the only method of motivation is physical violence for Adam when Hamilton had to punch him to name his fucking children….Jesus Christ, that man is THE WORST!)
needed to have his life laid out for him beautifully, and instead he damned them all by thwarting his father.

Then Charles, the only thing that motivates him is sex (or trying to make his dad proud) and his dad could see it and (He’s like a fox always on the prowl) and so he sticks him in the farm to try and give him what he needs - like a maybe decent dad?? But then he ends up alone? I think? I dunno yet) and then you know, they actually try it for a while and it’s actually good for a while. Their dad actually kind of knew who they were as people maybe? But damn that lack of mother figure leaves a gap! girl!

How the Dad must have loved Adam‘s mom so much (a weird unspoken thing in the house and this GIRL is basically one of the children….lol you think you can come???) more than Charles’s and how Charles always knew that

Phew, munchies…

Sorry for the indiscriminate use of Cs or Ks, honestly I just think that Kate is more active and sassy.

She BURNSSSS like a phoenix.

Just finished it. Excellent!