Reels of the Week -- More "Game of Thrones", something old and something remade

So much news and so many months passed... I do apologize, but life does happen and it happens fast and often. Let us get to the good stuff, shall we?

Your Dose of Westeros News

HBO has just announced the titles and the usual succinct plot descriptions for the first three episodes of the juggernaut's seventh season. Check them out here. They sound amazing, don't they? Some people dislike these broad descriptions; personally, I cannot get enough of them. I love surprises, of which this show has plenty, and hate spoilers with a passion. Trust me, you do not want to know what happens in advance. You might think that you do, but you really do not. In any case, we are now in the single digits -- eight more days! 

  

Dolce (and Bloody) Vita

Capa Drama, the production company responsible for "Versailles", is developing fantasy thriller Dolce Vita, about a war between the Vatican and a vampire clan. The central character is thrust into the conflict and the series takes place in 1950s and 1960s Italy. It is a nice twist on vampire lore and, if you want power struggles, look no further than the Vatican. I am hoping that the show will be innovative with its vamps as well, possibly similar to what 30 Days of Night did with its creatures. No cast has been announced, although producers Arnaud Figaret and Aude Albano have stated that the cast would be international. An interesting take on the fantasy subgenre, this looks like a show not to be missed. We need fresh blood. Yes, I had to.

The cinematic Swan Lake

Felicity Jones, of Inferno and Rogue One fame, is set to star in Luca Guadagnino's adaptation of Swan Lake. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet has been adapted into film a few times -- it has even been animated! -- and this version looks like it might just be the lushest one. Having directed the multilayered I Am Love among other films and currently hard at work on the Suspiria remake, Guadagnino is an interesting choice for director. He has a unique, solemn vision and it will be fascinating to see what kind of dark mystery he can mine from the story of a cursed princess. I also like the artistic choices that Jones is making -- the roles of Jane Hawking, Sienna Brooks and Jyn Erso could not be more different and her performances always seem to be concealing something in the shadows. The film is definitely something to look forward to and I hope that it manages to capture at least part of the original work's magnificence.

The most cannot-in-my-wildest-dreams-believe-it moment of the week: The Grudge is getting ANOTHER remake! This time, it is Nicolas Pesce behind the camera and Sam Raimi producing once again. My first question is -- why? The 2004 remake was not great, although there were some memorable scenes, and the 2006 sequel was two hours that I will never get back. It is really not necessary, but we all know that Hollywood has been out of ideas for a while. Who would you cast as the lead? Personally, I would either cast an unknown actor or someone like Alexa Davalos (The Mist, "The Man in the High Castle") or Natalie Martinez ("Under the Dome", "APB") -- an actor who has not quite had their breakout film  role yet. This remake needs to be good or we might all end up holding a grudge. Oh, yes.