Tim Burton’s Wednesday, Cats – I was hugely sceptical until having realised the immensely talented adidas fan Miss Jenna Ortega had also appeared in various other televisual feasts I’d recently seen, most notably the second season of “You”.
Spoiler Alerts, Cats …
“Wednesday” may be among the last few gasps of Hollyweird greatness, which of course harks back to its history, in this case, the wonderfully weird Addams Family series from the Sixties. Wednesday was so enjoyable, I binge watched all eight episodes in three nights.
While there are some regrettable references to progressive woke idiocy, it still manages to emphasise many universal truths for young people (ultimately its target audience) about society, families, friends and making your own way in this world.
It is an intelligent and esoteric series, prominently referencing as it does Edgar Allan Poe and that famous statement of the Raven, “Nevermore”.
It never takes its audience for granted – they’ll either know the references or be motivated to look them up, such as my having to look up which Cramps’ song Wednesday dances to at the “Rave’N”.
A stellar cast includes Gwendoline Christie, Christina Ricci*, Freddo Armison and Catherine Zeta-Jones who complement some competent (but still obviously learning their chops) young actors.
But the standout is Miss Ortega. Portraying the unrepentantly deadpan and gloriously gorgeous gothic chick, li’l Wednesday Addams, she is magnificent. While not of course, being seen dead in anything other than her preferred clothing tones of Black, White and Grey (Monochrome, Cats, I love it and wear it whenever possible).
Staggeringly beautiful with her “Dark Berry” lips, luminescent pale skin and jet-black pigtails, very petite (even her Doc Platforms barely elevate her to anywhere near her peers and elders) and infinitely knowledgeable, she effortlessly carries the entire series on her less than broad shoulders.
See for example, the scene where Wednesday “plays” a local mädchen guide (clad in seventeenth century puritan garments) informing in allegedly not impeccable German, a tourist group about the history of Jericho Vermont (the town where her school, the Nevermore Academy, is located) while “inadvertently” encouraging them not to indulge in some of the town’s famous fudges – all while not mentioning “the War”.
And – there are very complicated mysteries to be solved, which Wednesday engages in with much enthusiasm, bored as she is with School life and her insufferable roommate.
But the biggest shout out goes to Tim Burton. Thanks to the technicians in Hollyweird, the man has been able to harness the fruits of his unrestrained imagination for many decades. In 4K UHD his vision of the Addams family’s world just looks bloody magnificent (in more ways than one).
4.75 stars, Cats.
*Played Wednesday in the 1991 “The Addams Family” film.
Ricci fans might enjoy the opening scene of ‘Prozac Nation’ (the fillum, not the book).
Tim Burton does good stuff even when he’s doing bad stuff, like Through The Looking Glass. May’ve flopped but the visuals are entertaining.
Aug 30, 2023 1:41 PM
Bruce O’Nuke
I’m curious about the level of noise for submarines using sonar systems.
It seems the soundwaves affect whales. Will they enable Russian or Chinese Boomers to hide close inshore to the Continental US? A depressed trajectory missile with 3 nukes each – the Type 094 carries 12 for a total of 36 warheads – could take out a large percentage of the US retaliatory strike capability in far less time than an ICBM launch from the Chinese mainland.
Black Ball Avatar
403 Forbidden.
Wednesday was very good.
Only quibble is the father. Nothing against the actor but the character’s supposed to be suave and handsome.
Jorge
How about outstretched arm with palm rotated 90 degrees, fingers closed into a fist, and a thumbs up?
ZK2A:
No.
If your kid doesn’t turn up at school and behave in a manner consistent with learning, then every fortnight, the parent will lose 10% of their sit down money. If the kid gets income from the State they can lose 10% as well.
Nothing else is working, so get bloody serious, Australia.
And I mean this for black and white, outback and city.
A bit of tough love will work, the current policies aren’t.
Gilas:
Already volunteered, but now I will have the T shirt.
Bruce O’Nuke:
Bruce you misunderstand my point.
If the Ecocrucifixes make enough noise to confuse whales, then the enemy missile subs will have a better chance of getting closer offshore without being detected because they will be shielded by the noise.
A noisy environment shields enemy subs from detection and USN hunter type subs will be operating in a degraded environment as they try to use sonar to detect the enemy.
John H.
John.
SOSUS is a sound detecting array. If the ambient noise levels double or whatever, the detection limit goes up.
The latest Chinese Missile submarine is noisier than its predecessor. The increase in noise from the offshore Ecocrucifixes negates that disadvantage. It makes it harder for the US subs to find them to destroy them.
Robert Sewell
Aug 30, 2023 4:34 PM
Wrong thread mate.
Dover
When you have, NPR, The Guardian, New York Times, Vanity Fair and every other leftwing publications, in the US, blaming Purdue Pharma for Opioid deaths, it’s always a good idea to seek a second opinion (pun intended).
Purdue most certainly over-marketed that drug, but let’s not forget that there is a firewall between Pharma and the patient. They’re called doctors!
And then lookee here: From where the pressure to deal with management also came from.
Pharma is there to sell meds. The firewall between the patient and pharma is the doctor and that’s where the real hidden blame lies.
Well, that went down a treat.
Jenna O remains the best.