Beowulf: Return To The Shieldlands.

[Dreadhead]

I certainly think the pearly white teeth is a problem. Bear in mind the old kids comics with one of the kids gang always had a bandage round their jaw (abcess) and people giving their daughters the gift of having all their teeth pulled.

For all of the historical inaccuracy, my main problem with the Uhtred adaptation is that it was just badly done. Bear in mind that the Sharpe adaptations of the same author were pretty damned good - so it can be done well. All the pathos and drama of the original Uhtred story were lost - he should be a young lad at puberty at the hall burning, he spends ages learning battle skills doesn't miaracuolously just "know" them etc.

Doubtless the idea of a 12 or 13 year old boy sleeping with a girl and going to war, however historically accurate, would offend the Mary Whitehouse brigade of curtain twitchers so all the grit and drama has been cleaned up - and the story os worse for it.

absolutely well said Red, what also nanoyed me is that they completely bypassed the tactics inherent in the books. Each battle in the novels is played out to varying sound tactics, as these were warriors after all. In the tv adaption they went for the whole "lets throw two small armies together in a rabble and randomly pick one to win, hooray!"

 

[GGTBod]

I love these threads where we all get a cathartic venting of our spleens, makes me chuckle to think the majority of the tv audience probably don't blink an eye at all this, i bet it is a similar feeling for a cop sitting watching cop shows

 

[Dreadhead]

I love these threads where we all get a cathartic venting of our spleens, makes me chuckle to think the majority of the tv audience probably don't blink an eye at all this, i bet it is a similar feeling for a cop sitting watching cop shows

NO! IT'S NOT THE SAME! I want to be righteous in my fury... haha


...In all seriousness I think you're most likely right

 

[The Lord Poncho]

Well I actually enjoyed the last kingdom series. Not read the book though, so perhaps that helps. Anyhow, isn't one of the beauty of stories that they get re-told and to an extent constantly change?! Also if i wanted authenticity, I'd read a history book rather than watch a TV drama.

That said, I get the same fury watching military in portrayed in films - especially over the state of peoples berets! So i'm guilty as well....

 

[John Fenna]

I do not like to watch dramas made from books I have enjoyed ... the pictures in my skull are better than the pictures on the screen and the acting is better
One exception is "Sharpe" - I forgive that the errors and slips as I have found (except for the obvious like the exploding cannon balls and lack of numbers in crowd scenes) pretty darned good.
The trouble with watching a film or drama set in an era you have more than a passing interest in is that you probably know more than the folk responsible for the production - I mean - just look at that awful film Waterloo! Total pish! (I was living about 20m from Waterloo when that film came out and Napoleonic history is a bit of a "thing" for me...especially the uniforms - and the battle of Waterloo!)
I have not watched Last Kingdom, Beowulf - nor Lord of the Rings - as I know I will be disapointed and rant at the screen!

 

[MT606]

I saw clips of the making of it on the local news in the summer/autumn last year ( I lived 7 miles from the old quarry they filmed it in and never heard of it doing the local (Weardale) economy anygood) and I didn't like what I saw,I don't have a tv now so can't comment on the show as a finished product.

m

 

[Corso]

I love these threads where we all get a cathartic venting of our spleens, makes me chuckle to think the majority of the tv audience probably don't blink an eye at all this, i bet it is a similar feeling for a cop sitting watching cop shows

When I was at Uni we used to play spot the balls up when watching casualty...

 

[Dreadhead]

I made the mistake of watching the first episode today whilst working away. I composed myself, and kept it to a mild chuckle and kept working whilst thinking la la la la it's just fantasy shennanigans ignore it la la la la la

 

[Goatboy]

I made the mistake of watching the first episode today whilst working away. I composed myself, and kept it to a mild chuckle and kept working whilst thinking la la la la it's just fantasy shennanigans ignore it la la la la la

You saw the leather armour right?










MWHAHAHAHA!

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Dreadhead]

You saw the leather armour right?

MWHAHAHAHA!

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

hah yup, but I also know the lads who done most of the leatherwork for the show so not going to go down that road as I'm sure they were subjected to the whims of the costume department

 

[Goatboy]

Sorry Hamish I was just trying to wind you up. It was the weaponry & hall that really got me going. Especially the Conan the barbarian sword and the crazy axe at the beginning. At least there were no horned helmets like in Doctor Who.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Dreadhead]

Sorry Hamish I was just trying to wind you up. It was the weaponry & hall that really got me going. Especially the Conan the barbarian sword and the crazy axe at the beginning. At least there were no horned helmets like in Doctor Who.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

haha Conan the barbarian is EXACTLY what I was thinking, and aye that axe at the start is clearly made of foam it's about an inch thick!

You know Lindybeige is right on their doorstep as it was filmed in Geordieshire, they should have bent his ear for some advice

 

[Wayland]

It was a bit of a cheap GOT rip off but oddly it did not infuriate me as much as Last Kingdom did for the simple reason that is obviously pure fantasy and does not pretend to be "history".

Fantasy is fantasy but history should be as accurate as it is possible to be.

The "Vikings" series earns some leeway from me for the same reason.

 

[Goatboy]

haha Conan the barbarian is EXACTLY what I was thinking, and aye that axe at the start is clearly made of foam it's about an inch thick!

You know Lindybeige is right on their doorstep as it was filmed in Geordieshire, they should have bent his ear for some advice

I'm waiting for his spotlight of ire to be turned onto it, Will be a Lloyd Rants no doubt.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.