Let me think about... Penny Dreadful

Usually rather popular things are thought to have no hidden meaning or rather good things are not popular enough.  I`m going to take sometimes some of them for a discussion.

The Nineteenth - "Do you believe in god?". Review on the "Penny Dreadful" series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penny Dreadful seems to be some sort of a reply to American Horror Story of rather a high quality. The action takes place in London, 1890. People in England of Victorian age were full of beliefs and superstitions, which inspired many writers. The darkest ones merge into single entity here. Dark tones, gothic violin, black robes, bloody red drapes, flesh and mud, pain and screams, sex and blood – all of those genuinely recreated atmosphere, perfect for a horror series.

The first episode begins with demons, vampires (here is when many want to stop watching, I guess), Jack the Ripper, then – surprise, surprise – Frankenstein. Those who are aware of the history of British literature, know, that the novel was written a bit earlier (1818), but like AHS, time doesn`t predominate here. The story is changed a bit – it`s a sequel, I can say – but so beautifully conveyed, mostly the tragedy of the Creature and the nature of Dr. Frankenstein, with allusions to Wordsworth and Shakespeare.

 Then comes Dorian Grey, seeking pleasure at the edge between life and death. The actor was well chosen well – a true beauty of sin. Well, generally, actors here make the most of the picture. Eva Green is a gothic princess, who seems to be born for such parts, but you can`t tell for sure whom she plays: a fortuneteller, a sinner, a witch, a sufferer, an obsessed with the devil. Perhaps, the scriptwriters are ready to make her everything that fits. However, Vanessa (Eva Green) and Dorian together convey the tempting devilish beauty of the series.

  



Unlike AHS, that gave many new and old faces a chance to uncover themselves, in Penny Dreadful actors is a mean of attracting the audience. That`s why here are Eva Green, and Josh Hartnett, whom I haven`t seen for a long time, as long as Timothy Dalton and Billy Piper for those, who wants something more serious and dark than Doctor Who. Unlike AHS, where there are no particular characters of literature – they are more like collective images of characters from horror stories of the past. Unlike AHS, there are no breathtaking soundtracks, and the introductive titles include scenes with the characters, which I don`t like (why show me the faces I don`t know yet?). I don`t know what`s become of the characters, but I don`t see the perspective of them changing their roles each season, like in AHS. Finally, when AHS works with the feeling of utter disgust, PD works with the feeling of temptation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Penny Dreadful” was a type of British fiction publication in the 19th century that usually featured lurid serial stories appearing in parts over a number of weeks, each part costing one (old) penny. The penny dreadfuls, named for both their cheap nature, and poor, sensational quality, erupted into existence and met the desires of the poor class. The tricky thing is the Showtime`s “penny dreadfuls” seem to be as cheap (surely I don`t mean money), meaningless and transient, that the series won`t last long. However, isn`t any series nowadays just another penny dreadful`s entertainment for our post-industrial information society?

Travel report: US - Miami

Place: Miami, Miami Beach (they are 2 different cities)
Time:  August 2013
Hotel: Double Tree - Hilton ***** (Bloody yeah!!!)
Company: a group of Russian teachers and students and me

Practising English, flirting with strangers, being scared while riding buses and metro, relaxing in jacuzzi and swimming pool - that`s what Miami was:) All that for 2 great weeks!


The thing is we didn`t expect the appartments at all! I mean, we expected sharing a small room with strangers somewhere near the ocean and things like that. Nobody told us we`re given this! Five stars appartments in Hilton!!! With a jacuzzi inside the room!!! With a swimming pool and a jacuzzi one floor below!!! For students! Yeah!!!

Alligators like eating cans:)

I was seriously amazed by these automatic cash desks!

View from the upper floors: the closer one is our pool, the farther is of the neighbouring one.

These ones belong to our neighbours, I guess:) 

View from our appartment: the magnificient Miami storm sky!

Here we used to take our bus to Miami Beach every morning to be in time for classes.

Miami Beach

Yeah, I love Miami sky!

Lincoln Road Gallery Walk

Art Deco. Remember this. The style is called Art Deco.

Jerry`s Famous Deli - a nice place to have a dinner in. Cheap and tasty! Warning: big portions!

Ocean Drive in the evening

Other localities

At the front of the bus you (hardly) can see transportable holders for 2 bikes!

And here under the seats are special fastening for wheelchairs. The seats can be removed and a chair can be promptly fasten. By the way, this is the bus driver who does it. 

First time at Shake Shack waiting for my first for so many years burger! The buzzing device was a surprize! "I scream. You scream. We All Scream For... Frozen Custard!" 

EC Miami School

Amazing EC staff! Special thanks to Mark and Allie!

 Fake cameras in the coridor will keep you safe:))

Welcome sign 

That was a bad idea to walk in Miami in the evening, we were really scared of the absence of... somebody in the streets and quickly decided to come back...

Trip to Dadeland Shopping center for my Lenovo tablet:) People, where are you??) (Saturday, 12 am)

The Camera tree. 

Miami Beach

Sherlock Season 3 episode 3 failures

1) The Spectacles

For not a single moment I believed that the spectacles might be a device. Honestly. I was deeply dissapointed, that Sherlock thought so (it was written that he thought so). For the God sake, he told himself, that the files can`t be kept on a computer because it can be hacked! What hard drive are you talking about then?! "Sherlock" is not a sci-fi movie, and there isn`t any technology like that by now, except for the Google Glass, but it looks like a Bluetooth headset put on in a wrong way! 

2) The Guards

At the first meeteing Sherlock and John were searched for the guns. At the second one neither Sherlock nor John were searched. You saw the result, a quite logical one. Some say, that`s because Magnussen considered them both harmless, but can`t he, such a smart disgusting buisnessman, do something just to be sure?

Well... I still consider Episode 3 the best of the season, really:) Nevertheless, the idea of working with fans this way, taking into account their ideas and mocking at the same time, was pleasant, a real delight! If you ask me, Sherlock BBC is still my favorite TV show ever. Just because it is that unpredictable and crazy, but witty and charming. Doctor Who is Doctor Who - it has the same features, both series are outstanding. But... 

Doctor Who has about 3 generations of people grown watching and loving it. In 2010 I turned on my TV knowing nothing about what I was going to see. And noone knew. (Well, almost noone, you understand). So I was among the first ones. The earliest explorers, you may call us. And it is amazingly thrilling to have the feelings remain the same. 


Thank you.