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Reviews
Beauty and the Beast: A Latter-Day Tale (2007)
Amoral film
Don't get me wrong, it's not good, but I would have given it three or four stars if it had resolved the weird stalker storyline.
Craig is a dangerous psychopath. He doesn't take no for an answer, spies on Belle, impersonates Eric, continues to not take no for an answer, keeps turning up unannounced, etc. At the end, there's no resolution to this subplot. What are they saying? That Christians are creepy weirdos?
If he'd been hauled away in handcuffs I wouldn't have deducted stars.
Shameful.
Anastasia: Once Upon a Time (2020)
God is dead
If it isn't the cause of God's wrath upon humankind, it is at least another indicator that 2020 is the end of days.
The Quest (2014)
Something fresh
**There may be one or two mild SPOILERS, but nothing that would ruin first time enjoyment.
There is a glut of scripted reality shows these days, and a huge variation in quality. They tend to merge into a bland, nebulous mass, with only a few exceptions (Bridalplasty's final episode is TV you should not miss). The Quest is an exception. Amidst the picturesque Viennese woodlands, we see the ever-dwindling group of Paladins strive to be the One True Hero, or else face Banishment.
But what is it about? Yes, it's a competition, but there's no fabulous cash prize, no dream wedding with all the plastic surgery you can eat (seriously, though, "Bridalplasty final vote" on youtube. Do it now), just the honour of leading an army against Verlox (a demon of sorts). Every aspect of heroism is tested in specific challenges, from bravery to observation, from strategy to intelligence.
And the contestants are so totally immersed, and genuinely happy to be there, that we are too. Everyone has a common goal, so any petty squabbling that might exist is abandoned in favour of working together. If someone avoids banishment, it's because they can help the remaining Paladins do better. Alliances and playing strategies just don't work in this environment, which one Paladin finds out the hard way (although with a rigidly-defined villain already in place, painting a Paladin as such was perhaps a minor mis-step).
Even the finale is something new for this sort of show - once the one true hero is found, that's not the end, there's still the tension of the final battle, as we follow a story arc throughout the series to its conclusion. Granted, it's a game show, so there are certain expectations, but we've been following the Paladins' progress for months and we're rooting for a happy ending. The Quest officially replaces Face Off as my favourite scripted reality show. For Everealm!