Why Reviewers Make me Crazy & Why I Love James Spader in "The Blacklist."
Okay, I am delving into the television world for a rant, but I watched The Blacklist with James Spader. I have been an admirer of his for years-from the teen flicks where he was the arrogant rich boy to his nerdy role in Mannequin to the handsome unlikely hero academic, Daniel Jackson, in the movie Stargate (one of the most underrated science fiction films of all time).
James Spader is an incredible actor. He will be one of those still standing when he is ancient and pudgy and a mass of wrinkles no amount of botox can remedy-because he was always more than a pretty face. He can act. Not all of Hollywood is a bastion of actors-many are cardboard images that will fade when their good looks have vanished.
But returning to my main point about reviews, is that the online reviews I am reading are often a bit stupid and even miss the whole point (not just for Blacklist but for many shows). People need a thesaurus. They need to craft what they say. They give wrong impressions. A reviewer I read today asked "Did James Spader pulled of his version of Hannibal Lector?" Let me explain why this is wrong, in my humble opinion. Yes-James Spader's character, Reddington, is a criminal mastermind and a monster wanted by the FBI and all that-but he is also "NOT A SERIAL KILLER WHO SNACKS ON PEOPLE." He is a master criminal: there is a difference you know. Apparently some people are not aware of this. Comparing Reddington to Hannibal Lector makes no sense at all. Are we so glutted by the serial killer fascination (which is creepy) that we compare all criminal masterminds to flesh eating cannibal serial killers? That is ridiculous.
If I had read the review title before watching, I might have discarded even checking out the show. I am sick of focus on serial killers on television and in movies, making the focus about them and even making them heroes. As much as I adore James Purefoy, I will never watch "The Following." But fear not James Purefoy (are all the James' in the world such good actors?) I own Rome and Solomon Kane.
But, thankfully, James Spader's character is not a people eater. He harks back to something more interesting than an serial killer. He is a criminal mastermind. A 'Moriarty' or 'Bond nemisis'. He is complex. He is quite sane. He is intriguing. He is quite scary. His darkness makes him interesting without resorting to the typical serial killer mode that is so prevalent today.
Thank you for considering my opinion. More later. My characters are calling me back to writing.
Verna McKinnon
James Spader is an incredible actor. He will be one of those still standing when he is ancient and pudgy and a mass of wrinkles no amount of botox can remedy-because he was always more than a pretty face. He can act. Not all of Hollywood is a bastion of actors-many are cardboard images that will fade when their good looks have vanished.
But returning to my main point about reviews, is that the online reviews I am reading are often a bit stupid and even miss the whole point (not just for Blacklist but for many shows). People need a thesaurus. They need to craft what they say. They give wrong impressions. A reviewer I read today asked "Did James Spader pulled of his version of Hannibal Lector?" Let me explain why this is wrong, in my humble opinion. Yes-James Spader's character, Reddington, is a criminal mastermind and a monster wanted by the FBI and all that-but he is also "NOT A SERIAL KILLER WHO SNACKS ON PEOPLE." He is a master criminal: there is a difference you know. Apparently some people are not aware of this. Comparing Reddington to Hannibal Lector makes no sense at all. Are we so glutted by the serial killer fascination (which is creepy) that we compare all criminal masterminds to flesh eating cannibal serial killers? That is ridiculous.
If I had read the review title before watching, I might have discarded even checking out the show. I am sick of focus on serial killers on television and in movies, making the focus about them and even making them heroes. As much as I adore James Purefoy, I will never watch "The Following." But fear not James Purefoy (are all the James' in the world such good actors?) I own Rome and Solomon Kane.
But, thankfully, James Spader's character is not a people eater. He harks back to something more interesting than an serial killer. He is a criminal mastermind. A 'Moriarty' or 'Bond nemisis'. He is complex. He is quite sane. He is intriguing. He is quite scary. His darkness makes him interesting without resorting to the typical serial killer mode that is so prevalent today.
Thank you for considering my opinion. More later. My characters are calling me back to writing.
Verna McKinnon
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