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Outlander (2014)
Great worldbuilding, juvenille plot
In an age where diversity and feminism is core components of modern TV, Outlander is definitely one of those shows, although it can be a stand out at times (and a turn off). Almost a perfect encapsulation of this era in media.
If you're turned off by the politics, sorry. But otherwise, if you're new to this show and want to get into it, watch the first four seasons and you'll be fine. Even then, the first few seasons still have a lot of issues. I don't particularly buy the character of Claire Fraser, a Mary Sue doctor who travels back 300 years with the hindsight of modern medicine and feminist beliefs and somehow successfully survives 18th century Scotland by being a modern girl boss (and getting a hot guy for it). Nor do I like the plot (there's certainly good elements to it but there's too many r***s throughout the show and all the Brits are portrayed as psychopaths (the Patriot gets torn to shreds for its portrayal of the Redcoats while Outlander uses girl power to bypass that still warranted criticism), except for, obviously, a gay officer). I also think that the original male love interest was tossed off too haphazardly and recklessly (of course the Bond Women are considered sexist by today's standards, but it's not sexist to misuse your male characters). What message is it that you can leave your partner because his great grandfather committed terrible crimes in 1700? So he gets tossed aside for the REAL male love interest, who also has ridiculous plot armor throughout the show (and he gets to screw other ladies and cheat because he's hot).
My personal favorite season is the second half of season 3, where the show really goes into its worldbuilding phase and goes to the Carribean and it's like the only time in the show where there is no overused existential threat of a war or r***s that happens to every, single, character, in the show.
Season 4 and after is like the America bit of the show (in which watching Season 4 is probably good enough to stop before you get bored). It's basically the same old American Revolution story from here on out (Americans are good, Brits are bad imperialists). Plus you get new main characters that you don't really care about.
King of the Hill: Maid in Arlen (2003)
Excellent view at low-key Asian interactions in American society.
Quite a unique and excellent episode about Asian-Americans. Mike Judge has a talent for nonwhite characters in his stories (I'm especially surprised that he knows that some elder Southeast Asians liked to curl their hair). Although as a Thai-American, I would have liked to see the grandmother interact with Connie, what a missed opportunity (this grandmother has an uncanny resemblance to my own grandmother, who has recently passed away). I'm also not sure if Mike Judge made the correct decision to not use Lao speakers instead of having the non Lao voice performers speak gibberish instead. I also wonder if having the grandma be sexed was a good idea (Asians aren't really known for being sexed people), but it's possible on an individual level.
Unironically, this one episode is perhaps the best representation of Asian-American culture in American TV or media (looking at you Fresh off the Boat). Low-key, highlights the nuanced interactions between Asians and whites, the tension between elder and adult Asian generations (if only they did just one scene between the grandma and Connie). I wished that they used more of this grandma character instead of this one-off episode. What a wasted potential.
The Adams Chronicles (1976)
Very boring series, despite it having so much story potential
I am deeply disappointed by this series. The plot points are so boring and tedious, I mean they reduced the character of Abagail Adams to a recurring character. It doesn't help things that the actress playing Abagail Adams portrays her like a plank of wood. We see very little of the other Founding Fathers as well in the John Adams portion of the series, you get a bit of Franklin, as well as Washington, Jefferson, and Monroe later on, but they are also planks of wood.
The acting and costumes are terrible as well. The actor playing John Adams has a full head of hair for most of John Adams' story, all of the characters have these ridiculous accents that they should've hired more serious historical linguistics teachers as consultants. At the end of the day however, you have to blame the screenwriters for writing such bland and boring dialogues and scenes for a historical series covering the lines of an influential Founding Father family that had so much potential, only for the screenwriters to fluff it since its inception.
You'd be better off watching Liberty's Kids, Captain James Cook 1987 miniseries, or the 2008 miniseries on John Adams.
L'amant (1992)
The best elements of the film were the setting and the love scenes and the plot progression.
If you're into history and you just happen to decide on whether you want to watch "Cinema Paradiso" or "The Lover" 1992 film, watch "Cinema Paradiso" first, particularly for cinema nostalgia enthusiasts for the "Golden Age of Hollywood" from a place that is far away from that as Italy. A lot of "The Lover" is a sadist's wet dream, the protagonist's family is abusive and very dislikable and the protagonist is more of a cardboard cut-out rather than a character you can sympathize with. Everyone in "Cinema Paradiso" is much more likable in comparison and the plot points are actually emotionally well-conveyed. I personally prefer the director's cut of "Cinema Paradiso".
There were scenes in both films that made me cry (both in "The Lover" and director's cut version of "Cinema Paradiso"), which is a rare thing for me.
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Above-average film, some sentimental moments, but pretty cookie-cutter dry.
If you're into history and you just happen to decide on whether you want to watch "Cinema Paradiso" or "The Lover" 1992 film, watch "Cinema Paradiso" first, particularly for cinema nostalgia enthusiasts for the "Golden Age of Hollywood" from a place that is far away from that as Italy. A lot of "The Lover" is a sadist's wet dream, the protagonist's family is abusive and very dislikable and the protagonist is more of a cardboard cut-out rather than a character you can sympathize with. Everyone in "Cinema Paradiso" is much more likable in comparison and the plot points are actually emotionally well-conveyed. I personally prefer the director's cut of "Cinema Paradiso".
There were points in both movies that made me cry (particularly the director's cut version of "Cinema Paradiso"), which is rare for me.
Edit: I have to admit that if you're not a mega-movie fan, the film is quite a bit of a chore to watch. Toto stops being as sympathetic as a teen while everyone else around him is forced to prop him up as a result, especially Alfredo, his mother, and Elena (the latter two in the director's cut). The first time watching this was fine, this and the director's cut, but something tells me that I would be bored to death if I had to watch this in whole again, even the director's cut.