3 ms·

I was dreading what Netflix were going to do with the Dahl books. I was sure they would balls them up and make them, for want of a better word, ...Netflixy. W

by Lio 3y ago

I was dreading what Netflix were going to do with the Dahl books. I was sure they would balls them up and make them, for want of a better word, ...Netflixy. Wes Anderson[1] is just a perfect fit though. The shorts are so, so good. Everything about them is spot on. The casting, the sets, everything. I couldn't imagine anyone doing a better job and I hope they do more. Of the current run, I'd pick The Swan myself but I reorder my favourites every time I rewatch them. - 1. My bias is that I've never seen a Wes Anderson film I didn't think was magic.

ndsipa_pomu 3y ago
> My bias is that I've never seen a Wes Anderson film I didn't think was magic Me too - I think he's getting better over time though and I'd love to see more Dahl adaptations by him. He really lets the writing shine through.
gs17 3y ago
Can you tell me what you liked so much about The Swan? It was my least favorite by a huge margin and I'm genuinely interested to hear the opposite opinion.
- Lio 3y ago
  Good question. I think because it reminds me of a stage production the most of all the shorts. I'm not sure I'm articulate enough to really explain this but the deliberate, stylistic break in reality brings me back to being read stories as a kid. It's like in Princess Bride when the granddad stop narrating to ask Kevin if he's getting too excited. Or Jim Henson taking off a puppet to break character. He'd just drop that muppet on the table. The listening kids don't care, they can see it's just a toy. When he puts it on his hand again, it comes back to life. That break in the narrative just enhances the effect. Kids don't care when it's laying limp on the table. They instinctively know it's the story teller that brings it to life. Wes Anderson does that, over and over, like with the doors opening in a hedge to had props to the actors. I know that's an affectation, and one that's easy to over do, but Wes Anderson nails it IMHO.
emmelaich 3y ago
FWIW, many Dahl stories including William and Mary were made into TV episodes. They're probably online somewhere. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tales_of_the_Unexpected_episodes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tales_of_the_Unexpecte... Don't read that if you don't want a spoiler.

by Lio 3y ago

ndsipa_pomu 3y ago

> My bias is that I've never seen a Wes Anderson film I didn't think was magic Me too - I think he's getting better over time though and I'd love to see more Dahl adaptations by him. He really lets the writing shine through.

gs17 3y ago

Can you tell me what you liked so much about The Swan? It was my least favorite by a huge margin and I'm genuinely interested to hear the opposite opinion.

Lio 3y ago
Good question. I think because it reminds me of a stage production the most of all the shorts. I'm not sure I'm articulate enough to really explain this but the deliberate, stylistic break in reality brings me back to being read stories as a kid. It's like in Princess Bride when the granddad stop narrating to ask Kevin if he's getting too excited. Or Jim Henson taking off a puppet to break character. He'd just drop that muppet on the table. The listening kids don't care, they can see it's just a toy. When he puts it on his hand again, it comes back to life. That break in the narrative just enhances the effect. Kids don't care when it's laying limp on the table. They instinctively know it's the story teller that brings it to life. Wes Anderson does that, over and over, like with the doors opening in a hedge to had props to the actors. I know that's an affectation, and one that's easy to over do, but Wes Anderson nails it IMHO.

emmelaich 3y ago

FWIW, many Dahl stories including William and Mary were made into TV episodes. They're probably online somewhere. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tales_of_the_Unexpected_episodes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tales_of_the_Unexpecte... Don't read that if you don't want a spoiler.