"Though lovers be lost love shall not; And death shall have no dominion."
August 16, 2011 8:59 AM Subscribe
I fell in love with Vincent. Alas, I have now watched all of "Beauty & the Beast." Who can I fall in love with now?
Looking for things to watch that are similar. What I enjoyed about "Beauty & The Beast" was the dichotomy of two worlds within one, the struggle of maintaining a life in both worlds, the mix of modern life with medieval ways, the secrecy, and of course the romantic focus of the plot.
I want to watch more of this type of thing. What else might I like? And just to add, I really like that it's the real world vs this secret world within the real world part a lot --- I wouldn't mind watching something that primarily takes place in a fantasy world of sorts, but I'm more looking for worlds within worlds than completely separate worlds.
Looking for things to watch that are similar. What I enjoyed about "Beauty & The Beast" was the dichotomy of two worlds within one, the struggle of maintaining a life in both worlds, the mix of modern life with medieval ways, the secrecy, and of course the romantic focus of the plot.
I want to watch more of this type of thing. What else might I like? And just to add, I really like that it's the real world vs this secret world within the real world part a lot --- I wouldn't mind watching something that primarily takes place in a fantasy world of sorts, but I'm more looking for worlds within worlds than completely separate worlds.
Bear with me in that it was a cartoon, but we really enjoyed Gargoyles. Gargoyles in 'modern' NYC, who turn back to stone during the day. Vincent and Goliath (the leader of the clan) have some similarities.
Tied in with the Ron Perlman connection - have you seen the Hellboy movies? There are some definate "secret world within the real world" aspects there. I think the first one is better than the second, fwiw.
(I also agree with Neverwhere. Watch the series before you read the book. It was a BBC series before it was a book, but don't let reading the book first color your impressions of the series.)
posted by librarianamy at 9:40 AM on August 16, 2011 [3 favorites]
Tied in with the Ron Perlman connection - have you seen the Hellboy movies? There are some definate "secret world within the real world" aspects there. I think the first one is better than the second, fwiw.
(I also agree with Neverwhere. Watch the series before you read the book. It was a BBC series before it was a book, but don't let reading the book first color your impressions of the series.)
posted by librarianamy at 9:40 AM on August 16, 2011 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I obviously can't make any claims as to their quality, but there are not one but two network dramas debuting this fall that involve fairy tales colliding with the real world. Early buzz around both seems to be mixed, but you might want to check them out once they debut anyhow.
posted by Johnny Assay at 9:50 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by Johnny Assay at 9:50 AM on August 16, 2011
Buffy, True Blood, Highlander, Batman: The Animated Series.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:53 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:53 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: It's not a series, but have you ever seen the 1976 Hallmark Hall of Fame version of Beauty and the Beast? You'll fall in love with George C. Scott's beast as well, methinks.
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:05 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:05 AM on August 16, 2011
There are lots of examples of this sort of thing in sci-fi (Men in Black, They Live). How important is "the mix of modern life with medieval ways" and "the romantic focus of the plot"?
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:15 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:15 AM on August 16, 2011
Don't forget the book spinoffs! Authored by my favorite author, Barbara Hambly, & quite well written.
posted by Ys at 10:23 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by Ys at 10:23 AM on August 16, 2011
Response by poster: How important is "the mix of modern life with medieval ways" and "the romantic focus of the plot"?
Very!
posted by zizzle at 10:23 AM on August 16, 2011
Very!
posted by zizzle at 10:23 AM on August 16, 2011
This sort of theme comes up quite a lot in Japanese anime (I'm thinking of Mushi-Shi and XXXHOLiC to name two). Check those two out, and if you've got Netflix you can find A TON more!
posted by Koko at 10:45 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by Koko at 10:45 AM on August 16, 2011
I think you might like Big Love. There is a lot of secrecy and intrigue, and adjacent to the seemingly sweet, off-kilter suburban world that the modern polygamists occupy, there is the hidden world of the polygamist fundamentalist compound with its Amish braids and humble ways and starkly amoral leaders.
Fascinating (and surprisingly romantic) through and through.
posted by hermitosis at 11:01 AM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
Fascinating (and surprisingly romantic) through and through.
posted by hermitosis at 11:01 AM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
(Don't let the title "XXXHOLiC" throw you; it's not porn. The title is pronounced "holic".)
posted by Koko at 11:03 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by Koko at 11:03 AM on August 16, 2011
Surprised no one has mentioned the Cocteau masterpiece, "La Belle et la Bête", which is a lush, silent, B&W treatment of that classic tale.
OMG, I love it so much.
posted by IAmBroom at 11:15 AM on August 16, 2011 [3 favorites]
OMG, I love it so much.
posted by IAmBroom at 11:15 AM on August 16, 2011 [3 favorites]
Thirding the Highlander TV series.
Sure, it's cliche to the point of campiness, but that sounds like what the OP wants. Also, it's not set in the sewers, you getVancouver Paris.
posted by Sphinx at 11:18 AM on August 16, 2011
Sure, it's cliche to the point of campiness, but that sounds like what the OP wants. Also, it's not set in the sewers, you get
posted by Sphinx at 11:18 AM on August 16, 2011
Best answer: OH!! Pushing Daisies is probably exactly what you're looking for. Very romantic :)
posted by Koko at 11:20 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by Koko at 11:20 AM on August 16, 2011
Best answer: What you're talking about sounds a lot like the recent anime "Dog Days". It's surprisingly good, though it isn't very deep. Two nations are at war. One nation is losing. So its leader, Princess Millhiore, decides to magically summon a hero to aid her army.
The kicker? Millhiore is a doggy girl, with ears and a tail, and her entire nation is doggy people. The enemy nation is lions and other cats. And the hero they summon is from earth as we know it. He's a 13 year old guy named Cinque.
Flonyard, the place he ends up, is much lower technology than our earth. But they have magic, and it permits them to do some amazing things. Cinque turns out to have a talent for magic and becomes quite good at it. He's also very athletic because he's been training to compete in something called "Iron Athletics". So it turns out he's also a very good fighter, using a staff (his preferred weapon).
Anyway, if by the end you haven't fallen in love with Ricotta Elmar, then you have no heart.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:21 AM on August 16, 2011
The kicker? Millhiore is a doggy girl, with ears and a tail, and her entire nation is doggy people. The enemy nation is lions and other cats. And the hero they summon is from earth as we know it. He's a 13 year old guy named Cinque.
Flonyard, the place he ends up, is much lower technology than our earth. But they have magic, and it permits them to do some amazing things. Cinque turns out to have a talent for magic and becomes quite good at it. He's also very athletic because he's been training to compete in something called "Iron Athletics". So it turns out he's also a very good fighter, using a staff (his preferred weapon).
Anyway, if by the end you haven't fallen in love with Ricotta Elmar, then you have no heart.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:21 AM on August 16, 2011
Response by poster: Just two more things.
A lot these will be watched while I am home with a new baby, so take that for it's worth.
Cheesy is fine with me, as long as it is SINCERE. Parts of "Beauty & the Beast" were really cheesy, but in the hands of Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman, they were so sincere that the cheese kinda melted into gold, so it's that type of cheese I'm looking for. Cheese you can believe in.
Loving what I've found about the suggestions so far! Thank you!
posted by zizzle at 11:28 AM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
A lot these will be watched while I am home with a new baby, so take that for it's worth.
Cheesy is fine with me, as long as it is SINCERE. Parts of "Beauty & the Beast" were really cheesy, but in the hands of Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman, they were so sincere that the cheese kinda melted into gold, so it's that type of cheese I'm looking for. Cheese you can believe in.
Loving what I've found about the suggestions so far! Thank you!
posted by zizzle at 11:28 AM on August 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: It's not a television show, but The Beast himself, Ron Perlman, has explored similar material in the Hellboy movies, both of which I have found myself watching many times over.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 11:33 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 11:33 AM on August 16, 2011
Nothing in Pushing Daisies seemed sincere to me. It was irritatingly wink wink from soup to nuts.
posted by small_ruminant at 11:36 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by small_ruminant at 11:36 AM on August 16, 2011
Anime series are perfect for picking up and putting down, as the episodes are usually only about 20 minutes long, so perfect if you have a new baby. I do recommend getting a Netflix streaming subscription if you don't already have it, and viewing them online. I think "Pushing Dasies" episodes are 30 min. each.
posted by Koko at 11:36 AM on August 16, 2011
posted by Koko at 11:36 AM on August 16, 2011
Farscape, Roswell, La Femme Nikita (the USA series) -- this is a rather eclectic group and it pains me to suggest, even by accident, that my beloved Farscape is on par with the other two in terms of sheer genius. But they have all appealed to me because of the 'from two worlds' stuff going on in them, and the strong romantic threads. Hesitantly I also suggest 'The Vampire Diaries' for a Beauty & the Beast feel, if you're willing to push through the painful six episodes that started the series.
posted by artemisia at 12:06 PM on August 16, 2011
posted by artemisia at 12:06 PM on August 16, 2011
Best answer: There's a show called Lost Girl on Showcase in Canada that sounds pretty much exactly like what you're looking for. It's about a girl growing up and realizing she's part of the fairy world. It's set in modern day Toronto, and the romance is the b-plot, but still very intriguing. The mixing and clashing of the human and "Faye" worlds is done pretty well. Not the best show ever but totally enjoyable. Also easy to follow plots so it'd probably be pretty good for post-baby watching.
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 6:46 PM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 6:46 PM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You might like Dead Like Me. While it doesn't have the modern life/medieval ways component, it does deal with a world-within-a-world situation (grim reapers living among the rest of the world in modern-day Seattle and keeping their reaper status quiet as they take jobs as temp workers and meter maids.) Much of it is snarky, but there is no shortage of sweet and sincere moments.
The parts with Rube and his daughter will have you crying like it's the first time you've read Charlotte's Web, just to warn you.
posted by corey flood at 7:58 PM on August 16, 2011
The parts with Rube and his daughter will have you crying like it's the first time you've read Charlotte's Web, just to warn you.
posted by corey flood at 7:58 PM on August 16, 2011
Nothing quite compares to B&B--the character of Vincent doesn't have too much in common with the "bad boy" monsters typical of more recent shows. Angel, Buffy, The Vampire Diaries, and the like have some of the forbidden romance and magic bits, but they all fall a bit short, partly because of writing & characterization and partly because of the limitations inherent in featuring teenagers. B&B is a sweet and somewhat naive story (except for the WTF ending), so I can see how Pushing Daisies might be a better match for what you're looking for. That show was also cancelled, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. I'll also second the Gargoyles rec. Weird, I know, but that show was awesome. And I'll throw the British version of Being Human into the ring--it's no B&B, but it's a really good show that features angst and romance and awesome British people. Sadly, no poetry.
Side note: George R. R. Martin was a writer on B&B, and you might enjoy reading his Song of Ice & Fire series--Tyrion Lannister, his demented and deformed dwarf, is one of my favorite literary characters of all time. Lots of romance but not much naivete. I wouldn't recommend watching the HBO series while bouncing a baby about, though.
posted by xyzzy at 11:25 AM on August 27, 2011
Side note: George R. R. Martin was a writer on B&B, and you might enjoy reading his Song of Ice & Fire series--Tyrion Lannister, his demented and deformed dwarf, is one of my favorite literary characters of all time. Lots of romance but not much naivete. I wouldn't recommend watching the HBO series while bouncing a baby about, though.
posted by xyzzy at 11:25 AM on August 27, 2011
Response by poster: Will mark more best answers as I watch more suggestions here!
posted by zizzle at 5:33 AM on October 28, 2011
posted by zizzle at 5:33 AM on October 28, 2011
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posted by FatherDagon at 9:20 AM on August 16, 2011 [1 favorite]