Dresden Files on DVD
Sep. 8th, 2007 06:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethAm watching the Dresden files on DVD. Have watched three eps I think. Have just started the next one. Need to get up and stretch or my head'll get stuck on one side.
Am not really comparing it to the books. There's so many differences they don't clash any in my head because they've just got their own boxes. It's not just the obvious, like the car or the skull spirit or Murphy. It's things like the rhythm of the stories or the central preoccupations. The themey stuff is there but a bit different, the stories have a bit of the noir detective but not very much, and the rhythm of the investigation is quite different to fit TV episode timescale.
I like the magic. It's varied, it's interesting to look at, and he's using everyday stuff that's both thrifty for the props department and kinda fun too. Plus I like the look of his offices. It doesn't match the description in the book at all, but it makes a great set. There's bits and pieces I'd know how to buy, and symbols everywhere. I like the protection hangings, those are neat. And he's got a winged dragon rather like one I wanted to buy but couldn't afford. Plus the set has a nice visual divide down the middle, when seen from certain angles. You can put Harry on one side and whoever is visiting on the other and have the door and a gap between rugs in between them and you get this great feeling of what seperates them.
He's lacking the iconic coat and staff, so far, imho. He's got an okay coat, but it's not The Coat like Spike or Angel or Captain Jack manages. He's kind of too scruffy and... hmmm, he fits in his surroundings? I don't quite know how to express that perception. Like... like Jack in his coat stands out, and Spike stands out, and Angel stands out, and Harry just looks kind of... like an old sofa or something? Oh that sounds terrible. I don't mean he looks bad. I just mean he's got this lovely office set full of clutter and he's part of the clutter. It's not the iconic lone hero thing really.
Yeah, I pay a lot of attention to clothes and sets, but I don't always make so much sense about them.
Shield bracelet is yaay, watching it stop bullets is a tad low tech, but then they put in random FX like the 'get back in your skull' bit... it's interesting.
I like Bob. He's not book-Bob. He's a ghost with a past. And, well, he was just now talking a bit about how much he'd love to be able to touch a woman again, and I'm just thinking "You're not fooling anyone mate". And then he suggests Harry bring a girl back and let him watch, and that I could believe.
... is camp the word? Or just overdressed and prissy and fussy and stuff.
I like Murphy. I don't like that Harry tried to lie to her, I do like that she caught him and told him off. I don't so much like that she did a bit of a damsel in distress bit already. But I'm not getting *facepalm* on a what are they doing to women level. I mean he's another guy with a dead mom to motivate him, and the bad things has been women in, hmm, alternating episodes? Well, there was a skinwalker being a woman at the time, and then a possessing dude who ended up in a woman's body (I loved the moment watching 'Murphy' sit there being a guy, with the different body language. Just a few seconds but you could see they'd changed the way they sit just for that.) And then it was a couple, a guy and a girl, both ending up werewolves.
Actually given that the skinwalker and the possession could both switch genders that's a bit difficult to figure in gender terms.
They were chicks some of the time?
Hmmm.
Anyways, there's several women, not just the one. They talk to each other. They relate to each other. There's female friendships. These are things that are missing in quite a few things I watch. Actually, these are things that are missing in most episodes of Torchwood, except the one where Tosh dates a woman who ends up evil-insane-dead. Oh, and when Gwen tried to look after the 50s girl and had the facts of life chat and tried to stop her getting in trouble with boys. And then there was that whole Gwen-and-Suzie thing which mostly consisted of threats to kill each other.
All I'm saying is Torchwood does not feature a strong female friendship even though it has two female characters. The only time the two talk to each other it's about a guy they both fancy anyway.
Already in this Dresden thingy there's two women that were flatmates and worked together, and there's Murphy who talked to that lady who's son disappeared, and that's women talking to each other quite a bit already.
I'm being fairly random. I'm tired.
... and whilst tired default to portrayal-of-women as a viewing filter. Huh.
I think I'll get some juice and finish watching this here episode.
Is quite fun so far. Little bit clunky around the edges, but it's the first episodes, of course it'll need smoothing off. Could get good.
Has a whole... power and responsibility and dark sides and identity and people not being who they appear thing going on. Wonder if that'll be a Thing.
Finished watching the 4th episode. So, they had a love messes everything up couple followed by a love conquers all couple. Neat. That's two sets of symmetries so far then, with the two that walked around in other people's skin. I like it.
Bob's superpowers help save the day. I think I like that too. He's much more sidekick than datasource that way. Even if all the deciding to help comes from Harry.
Morgan - a Warden, the Law on the magic side, agent of the High Council. Also, black. I like.
They're playing politics up front, showing there's twisty going on.
And he's being stone faced and saying he does what is necessary and thumping Harry, but also helping.
Murphy - you know it didn't occur to me until the opening voiceover that she doesn't know about the weirdness. I mean, why on earth would they employ him then? Is that in the books and I forgot? *shrugs*
and there's Hellions and trying to tempt people into becoming them and Chain of Sin. So again there's a whole dark side/light side thing, internal battles, and the idea that you can fall, but you can also come back. I think that's a Thing. themey.
I like it.
I'd like to watch more of it but I'm real sleepy.
... though given the number of "We will rock you" repeats I've heard just sitting here typing I don't know if sleep is actually in my future.
Am not really comparing it to the books. There's so many differences they don't clash any in my head because they've just got their own boxes. It's not just the obvious, like the car or the skull spirit or Murphy. It's things like the rhythm of the stories or the central preoccupations. The themey stuff is there but a bit different, the stories have a bit of the noir detective but not very much, and the rhythm of the investigation is quite different to fit TV episode timescale.
I like the magic. It's varied, it's interesting to look at, and he's using everyday stuff that's both thrifty for the props department and kinda fun too. Plus I like the look of his offices. It doesn't match the description in the book at all, but it makes a great set. There's bits and pieces I'd know how to buy, and symbols everywhere. I like the protection hangings, those are neat. And he's got a winged dragon rather like one I wanted to buy but couldn't afford. Plus the set has a nice visual divide down the middle, when seen from certain angles. You can put Harry on one side and whoever is visiting on the other and have the door and a gap between rugs in between them and you get this great feeling of what seperates them.
He's lacking the iconic coat and staff, so far, imho. He's got an okay coat, but it's not The Coat like Spike or Angel or Captain Jack manages. He's kind of too scruffy and... hmmm, he fits in his surroundings? I don't quite know how to express that perception. Like... like Jack in his coat stands out, and Spike stands out, and Angel stands out, and Harry just looks kind of... like an old sofa or something? Oh that sounds terrible. I don't mean he looks bad. I just mean he's got this lovely office set full of clutter and he's part of the clutter. It's not the iconic lone hero thing really.
Yeah, I pay a lot of attention to clothes and sets, but I don't always make so much sense about them.
Shield bracelet is yaay, watching it stop bullets is a tad low tech, but then they put in random FX like the 'get back in your skull' bit... it's interesting.
I like Bob. He's not book-Bob. He's a ghost with a past. And, well, he was just now talking a bit about how much he'd love to be able to touch a woman again, and I'm just thinking "You're not fooling anyone mate". And then he suggests Harry bring a girl back and let him watch, and that I could believe.
... is camp the word? Or just overdressed and prissy and fussy and stuff.
I like Murphy. I don't like that Harry tried to lie to her, I do like that she caught him and told him off. I don't so much like that she did a bit of a damsel in distress bit already. But I'm not getting *facepalm* on a what are they doing to women level. I mean he's another guy with a dead mom to motivate him, and the bad things has been women in, hmm, alternating episodes? Well, there was a skinwalker being a woman at the time, and then a possessing dude who ended up in a woman's body (I loved the moment watching 'Murphy' sit there being a guy, with the different body language. Just a few seconds but you could see they'd changed the way they sit just for that.) And then it was a couple, a guy and a girl, both ending up werewolves.
Actually given that the skinwalker and the possession could both switch genders that's a bit difficult to figure in gender terms.
They were chicks some of the time?
Hmmm.
Anyways, there's several women, not just the one. They talk to each other. They relate to each other. There's female friendships. These are things that are missing in quite a few things I watch. Actually, these are things that are missing in most episodes of Torchwood, except the one where Tosh dates a woman who ends up evil-insane-dead. Oh, and when Gwen tried to look after the 50s girl and had the facts of life chat and tried to stop her getting in trouble with boys. And then there was that whole Gwen-and-Suzie thing which mostly consisted of threats to kill each other.
All I'm saying is Torchwood does not feature a strong female friendship even though it has two female characters. The only time the two talk to each other it's about a guy they both fancy anyway.
Already in this Dresden thingy there's two women that were flatmates and worked together, and there's Murphy who talked to that lady who's son disappeared, and that's women talking to each other quite a bit already.
I'm being fairly random. I'm tired.
... and whilst tired default to portrayal-of-women as a viewing filter. Huh.
I think I'll get some juice and finish watching this here episode.
Is quite fun so far. Little bit clunky around the edges, but it's the first episodes, of course it'll need smoothing off. Could get good.
Has a whole... power and responsibility and dark sides and identity and people not being who they appear thing going on. Wonder if that'll be a Thing.
Finished watching the 4th episode. So, they had a love messes everything up couple followed by a love conquers all couple. Neat. That's two sets of symmetries so far then, with the two that walked around in other people's skin. I like it.
Bob's superpowers help save the day. I think I like that too. He's much more sidekick than datasource that way. Even if all the deciding to help comes from Harry.
Morgan - a Warden, the Law on the magic side, agent of the High Council. Also, black. I like.
They're playing politics up front, showing there's twisty going on.
And he's being stone faced and saying he does what is necessary and thumping Harry, but also helping.
Murphy - you know it didn't occur to me until the opening voiceover that she doesn't know about the weirdness. I mean, why on earth would they employ him then? Is that in the books and I forgot? *shrugs*
and there's Hellions and trying to tempt people into becoming them and Chain of Sin. So again there's a whole dark side/light side thing, internal battles, and the idea that you can fall, but you can also come back. I think that's a Thing. themey.
I like it.
I'd like to watch more of it but I'm real sleepy.
... though given the number of "We will rock you" repeats I've heard just sitting here typing I don't know if sleep is actually in my future.