Pinch Punch First of the Month
November begins the countdown to the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special! We have all been waiting very patiently since Clara’s trip into the Doctor’s time stream to find out what will happen, but I can’t wait another day! The 23rd is just around the corner, I promise. Until then, I have compiled a list of my must watch sci-fi shows and movies to help keep your mind off the Anniversary Special. Without further ado, here is my November Watch List!
1. Doctor Who
Doctor Who follows the adventures of the Doctor, a Time Lord, and his companions through time and space. Traveling in his TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space), the Doctor and his companions face alien foes from like the Master, the Doctor’s lethal enemy, to the Weeping Angels. The Doctor strives to save civilizations, right wrongs, and do right by the name “Doctor”. After 50 years, the Doctor has had eleven regenerations—A process where, when mortally injured, a Time Lord reforms into a new body continuing their life cycle—and has had more than 35 companions. With 798 episodes, Doctor Who has been deemed the longest-running science fiction television show in the world.
Why It’s A Must Watch: The Adventure
Okay, so I lied; this one will not help you keep your mind off the Anniversary Special. But instead of impatiently tapping your fingers, why don’t you relive the adventures? For old fans, revisit your favorite classic Doctor or travel time and space with Sarah Jane. For new fans, hop onto the TARDIS with Rose and Ten or Eleven and Amy and Rory. (Personally, I will be re-watching all of the Pond’s era!) Submerge yourself into time and space with whichever Doctor you please, but whatever you do, you know you are in for an amazing adventure. The thrills and chills of the Doctor’s journeys is what keep us coming back for more. So, spend the time until the 23rd reliving your favorite adventures, and fall in love with the Doctor all over again.
Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special airs simultaneously across the world on November 23rd.
2. Hannibal
Will Graham, an FBI special investigator, help solve crimes by placing himself within the mind of the psychopathic killers. Forced to seek psychiatric help, Will meets Hannibal Lecter, a forensic psychiatrist. What may appear to be a caring man on the outside, Hannibal soon reveals his dark, manipulative nature. Hannibal soon becomes a destructive force in Will’s life leading him not away from insanity, but towards it. WARNING: Content is graphic and unsettling.
Why It’s A Must Watch: The Direction and Cast
What really appealed to me with Hannibal was the look of the show. I’m a visual person so I gravitate towards visually stunning work (I mean, if it doesn’t appeal on a visual level then it might as well stay a book). Hannibal definitely delivers visually. David Slade is a visionary when it comes to directing; the grit and grim is portrayed perfectly through his exquisite work. I also have to give a round of applause to the cinematographers for their amazing work. Along with the great directors of the series, the cast delivers convincing and promising performance. Mads Mikkelsen gives a chill-worthy performance as Hannibal, proving Dr. Lecter to be manipulate and disturbing out to destroy instead of heal. Hugh Dancy’s performance as Will Graham is fantastic. Will’s slow decline into insanity is played perfectly by Dancy, grasping just the right amount of “crazy” without being over the top. Hannibal proves to be a quality show for network television.
3. Orphan Black
After witnessing the suicide of a woman who looked identical to herself, Sarah Manning assumes the identity and life of the deceased Elizabeth Childs. Sarah is soon thrown into the secret, chaotic life of Childs, discovering that she and Elizabeth are more than twins, but clones. But are there more? Sarah soon finds herself in the midst of conspiracy, and must discover the mystery of her past.
Why It’s A Must Watch: Tatiana Maslany
Tatiana Maslany stars as Sarah… And Beth… Alison, Cosima, Helena, Katja, Rachel, Sarah impersonating Beth, Helena impersonating Sarah impersonating Beth… You get the point. Maslany plays all incarnations of the clone club, giving one of the best performances in television. Each character has their own unique personality and traits. Maslany conquers each clone with perfection, at times you forget she play all the characters. Maslany proves herself to be a promising newcomer to keep an eye on.
4. In The Flesh
The zombies have risen from the dead, and are causing havoc across England. In order to control this zombie problem, the government has arranged a rehabilitation program for PDS (Partially Deceased Syndrome) sufferers. The PDS patients are medicated and trained to return to their “normal human” state. Kieren Walker is a PDS sufferer, and isn’t exactly comfortable in his undead state. When Kieren returns home, he has to comfort a town that violently rejects the undead. Kieren must come to terms with his former life, his new state, and the events that led to his death.
Why It’s A Must Watch: The Story
I’m not going to lie, when I first saw the trailer for this show I groaned and cried, “Zombies again!” I was quickly proven wrong. The story is simple: the undead rising from the grave. But the thought provoking nature of this show is far beyond any zombie flick. The story is bursting with metaphors and symbolism that commentates on our real life society. The allusion to how society treats the mentally ill and homosexuals creates a program that far exceeds mindless television. In The Flesh is a stimulating show that will challenge the viewer, and allow for the rediscovery of provoking storytelling.
5. Cloud Atlas
Cloud Atlas follows six different plotlines set up in six different eras. All the stories are interrelated and interwoven. “Cloud Atlas explores how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present, and future. Action, mystery and romance weave dramatically through the story as one soul is shaped from into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future” (cloudatlas.com).
Why It’s A Must Watch: The Concept
What’s unique about this movie is its essentially six movies in one. I love character stories, so obviously this movie was going to appeal to me. Throughout the three hour long movie, you get to experience the telling of six different character based stories. All the characters are played by the same actors, a concept that I have never seen done before. Each actor has a main character (for example, Ben Whishaw’s main character is Robert Frobisher), but they also play smaller roles in the different eras (Ben plays a cabin boy in 1849, a store clerk in 1973, Georgette in 2012, and a tribesman in 2321). The overarching theme is the connection between all their lives (“Everything is connected” is the generic tagline); hence the connected characters are played by the same actors. It’s a complex idea, but it’s so amazing when you see it played out on screen. I think Cloud Atlas is a movie far beyond its years. It has a unique point of view and complex ideas. If you enjoy the art of film making as much I do, you will not regret watching this movie. Plus, you get to play a fun game of Find the Actor while you’re watching.
Photo Courtesy: firstshowing.net, bbcamerica.com, biffmapop.com, cinemacords.com, stephsfictionwonderland.wordpress.com
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