Fifty Shades of Grey

[Hamatron]

LOL. Yeah, when they show some of the dates and the plane scenes, I couldn't help but think of the Bachelor. Nothing like extreme romance isolated from the world you live in to escalate situations...

But at least Ana has a bit of a spin in this. And it would be hilarious if they didn't make a sequel, since it ends with her dumping his sorry ass.

[Spinderella]

I'm in love with this Aussie's review of the WORST. MOVIE. EVAH.

"After two hours of complete drivel, I need more than a Choc-top to pop my corn."

[discoprincess]

Feb 12, 2015 10:24:17 GMT -4 @highondegrassi said:

I don't know how any actor could be expected to play a watered down Christian Grey. He was forced to make an obsessive stalker out to be a romantic hero. Not only does real life not work that way, movies can't even work that way!

If soap operas can turn rapists (exhibit A: Todd Manning from One Life to Live and exhibit B: Luke from General Hospital) into romantic (anti-)heroes, someone could have done that for the on-screen version of Christian Grey. *




*Disclaimer: I'm not equating rapists with stalkers. My point was that somehow soaps managed to build a following for rascally characters who exhibit some of the most pathological behavior! It makes you wonder why would anyone see something in this character?

[Deleted]

This is true. I hadn't thought about soaps. But even they eventually addressed the issue of rape more realistically:

The rape was revisited in 1998 when Luke and Laura's son, Lucky, finds out about the incident. This time, the writers scripted it as rape instead of a seduction. Lucky struggled to come to terms with the revelation while Luke and Laura dealt with the unresolved issues surrounding the rape. In a 2000 interview with Soap Opera Digest, Geary said, for the taping of the scenes, "Alan Pultz, who had directed the rape originally, used his original notes and directed me that day to recall all of that. I was able to finally put out what I think is Luke's definitive statement: that it was rape, it was ugly, he'd probably never recover." He added, "I was grateful that the directors and the writers were interested in what Luke's experience was and didn't try to spin it for audience control."

Todd was initially conceived to be a short-term character, but Roger Howarth‘s commanding portrayal led to the writers deciding to turn him into a main character. The storyline also led to Howarth winning an Emmy for Outstanding Younger Actor. The show obviously wanted to keep him around after that. In order to achieve their desired result, Todd would have to undergo a transition that most ‘bad’ soap characters go through, the ‘redeeming’ phase. Yet, this phase was done dramatically different than previous years.

Though viewers were given an explanation for his repulsive actions (lots and lots of childhood trauma), his crime was never excused or glossed over.

So it was really a case of writers later going DOH! and proceeding to fix things in the special ways that the freedom of soap opera writing can allow for. With Fifty Shades, from what I understand, the emphasis on Christian's childhood trauma more or less excuses all of his behavior. He is never really considered a bad guy in the way that Todd Manning was, or a bad guy with a heart of gold like so many other anti-heros are. Christian Grey is portrayed as the ultimate catch (at least that's my interpretation based on my limited knowledge of the series).

[Deleted]

Off topic -- I watched OLTL when Todd was introduced and Howarth was a damn good actor. He used to run circles around most of the rest of the cast.

That's all I got. Except I am feeling for Dornan that he is getting bad reviews. Although I don't know how anyone could truly pull this character off unless they embraced the creeper aspect of him. And it looks like they are trying to downplay Grey's squickiness here which probably made him impossible to play.

[scarlet]

Feb 12, 2015 16:43:15 GMT -4 @borokat said:

Except I am feeling for Dornan that he is getting bad reviews. Although I don't know how anyone could truly pull this character off unless they embraced the creeper aspect of him. And it looks like they are trying to downplay Grey's squickiness here which probably made him impossible to play.

I am, too. He comes off really charming and affable in his interviews.

[Alexis Machine]

NSFW

[Freelance Exorcist]

32% on Rotten Tomatoes

For perspective, the first Twilight movie clocked in at 48%.

[mementomori]

I think, at the time of THE FIRST Twilight Stewart was considered the best thing about it. I think Dalota is a MUCH better actress than Stewart so it's enough for me to spend money seeing it. Why the fuck not? My sister read and liked the books, and I was much angrier spending $15 on Selma and feeling it was awful rather than $7(girl you know I'm going matinee) and knowiing it's supposed to be hot-buttered shit!

[scarlet]

Currently sitting at 29% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus comment of "while creatively better endowed than its print counterpart..." LOL, lousy reviews and yet they still note it's better than the shitty book. I mean, Icy (her fan fic writer name) is laughing all the way to the bank but I'd love to think that massive ego of hers is taking a hit.