obscure television, obscure film

Lately with Netflix I’ve been watching Beauty and the Beast (a show that first aired in 1987, staring Ron Pearlman and Linda Hamilton). I only vaguely remembered watching it with my mom when I was younger, but I did recall that we both enjoyed it, so I decided to rent it.

It’s a little saccharine, and more than a little melodramatic–leading me to the conclusion that it was best taken in small, hour-long, weekly doses. You know, rather than three hours in one shot. Watching four episodes, one after the other, the dialog becomes repetitive; and Linda Hamilton’s behaviour is noticeably wishy-washy. I keep expecting her to do something bad-ass and Terminator-ish, so the softer-side-of-Sears attitude of Catherine just seems fake and annoying.

Even after all of these criticisms, I still enjoy the show. There’s something distinctly nostalgic in the feelings that I get from watching it. I remember sitting on the foot-end of the bed in my parents’ bedroom, eating popcorn, and being allowed to stay up late and watch this show. I always thought that Vincent and Catherine should get together–in spite of his being a mutant cat-faced man.

And I still think that ‘Vincent’ is better looking than Ron Pearlman. ****
I feel that I should say something about The River King as well, since that was the last actual movie that I received from Netflix. I can’t think of anything clever at the moment, though; only that it’s weird to hear ‘Elizabeth Bennet’ (Jennifer Ehle) with an American (or maybe it was supposed to be Canadian?–I know that she is actually from one of the Carolinas) accent and to see her with straight blond hair (though, for all I know, that may be her real colour).

It’s a hazy, gray film, and the surprises are more like depressing disappointments; but its brooding quality is also what makes it a beautiful piece. ***1/2