ROSEMARY’S BABY 1968 9/10 vs 2014 8.5/10

1968

I saw the original Rosemary’s baby when it came out in 1968 and again in May of 2014, a couple of days after the new Rosemary’s Baby mini series ended.  The original starring Mia Farrow, was in the movies but the remake, starring Zoe Saldana as Rosemary Woodhouse, was on TV (NBC) as a 2 part mini series.  I am happy to see a modernize version of this classic tale of evil remade.  However, because it was remade for TV, Rosemary’s Baby was swarming with commercials.  The original was dark, mysterious and scary.  The remake definitely  lacked some of the mystery although most of the elements were there.  The scary and mysterious aura were not.  In all fairness, this could also be because I already knew what to expect.  I found a few small problems with the remake.  I think it should have been produced for and aired on a premium channel like HBO, Showtime or Starz.  The

2014

commercials were a huge turnoff.  Another really tiny thing that annoyed me was  Zoi’s long straight hair wig.  It looked artificial.  Over all, Rosemary’s Baby was excellently done the first time (a 9/10).   I would give the remake a 8.5/10 because of the obvious updates and how they fit it all in the story without compromising the plot.  In the original, Rosemary didn’t have the luxury of a cell phone or internet so she relied on using pay phones as well as books from the library.    I liked the way Rosemary and her husband interacted with one another.  They definitely seemed closer in the remake.  Now that the mini series has aired, I suspect you can catch it ON DEMAND then after a while on Netflix.  I think Roman Polanski did a very good job on the original and  Agnieszka Holland did equally as well on the remake.  The story was slightly changed to accommodate modern times without compromising the film.  I loved Patrick J. Adams (Suites) as Guy Woodhouse.   BTW:  I really am not into Devil movies but this one was an eye opener in it’s hay day.  You can learn a thing or two and keep your eyes open, you never know what so folks are up to.  Overall, check this one out especially if you’ve never seen the original.  I don’t think it will scare you as much as intrigue you.

TRUE BLOOD – My rating: 8/10

Every time I sit down to watch this HBO series, I brace myself for the introduction theme which I think is totally evil.  I tell myself once I get past the start up, things will get better.  I really enjoy True Blood even though I don’t like the lead in.  I think I like the series because of some of the hot characters and because it’s written so you’ll have some compassion for their situation due to no fault of their own.

Vampires, werewolves, fairies, change shifters, Satan, corruption, evil, good, bad, sex, nudity, murderers, you name it, True Blood has it.  They seem to introduce new species every season.  If it were not make believe, I would be very upset over the foul characters and their stories every week.  What a crazy show of freaks.  Still, despite the dark side, it’s quite entertaining.  I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone under 21 or anyone who is trying to live a clean lifestyle.  The consistent bloody mouths of this freak show’s characters are bound to upset the faint of heart and delight the strong willed.  I won’t say I recommend this show but I will say, if you can get past all that corruption, go for it.

THE NEWSROOM – My rating: 8.5/10

The Newsroom is an excellent series presented on HBO about just that, a newsroom and the goings on that go on.  Jeff Daniels, one of my all time favorites, plays Will McAvoy, the Head Anchorman and Emily Mortimer plays Mackenzie McHale, the Program Manager and former girlfriend to Will.  Sam Waterston plays Charlie Skinner, the General Manager of the whole news team and Jane Fonda plays as Sam’s boss.  This is a well put together cast and the dialogue is absolutely brilliant.  I’ve been glued to my seat since it started. It is fascinating to watch what it takes to put on a news show and be politically correct while pleasing the public at the same time.

I’ve just learned that The Newsroom has been cancelled after just 3 seasons.  I’m not sure why but I am terribly disappointed.  There is talk that perhaps Netflix will pick up the series and stream it.  I surly hope this happens.  It seems the good ones always gets canned.