"The Uprising" trailer

A new film has been released about the peasant uprising of 1381 starring Andrew Garfield...looks worth seeing to me, but do share your thoughts in the comments should you decide to see it!

Trailer

History Tea Time

Noble Blood podcast ep. 301

"The Serpent Queen"

Seeing how the Starz series has returned for season 2, here is a post for the show based on the biography by Leonie Frieda:

Season 1 trailer

Season 2 trailer

"Firebrand" trailer

I recently discovered that this film has recently been released...I'm looking forward to seeing it, Jude Law is a fantastic actor, so while I don't think he really resembles Henry, I do think he'll most likely do a good embodiment of his essence:

"Shardlake"

New from Hulu, the series "Shardlake" based on the series by CJ Sansom:

Dissolution is an utterly riveting portrayal of Tudor England. The year is 1537, and the country is divided between those faithful to the Catholic Church and those loyal to the king and the newly established Church of England. When a royal commissioner is brutally murdered in a monastery on the south coast of England, Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s feared vicar general, summons fellow reformer Matthew Shardlake to lead the inquiry. Shardlake and his young protégé uncover evidence of sexual misconduct, embezzlement, and treason, and when two other murders are revealed, they must move quickly to prevent the killer from striking again.

In 1540, during the reign of Henry VIII, Shardlake is asked to help a young girl accused of murder. She refuses to speak in her defense even when threatened with torture. But just when the case seems lost, Thomas Cromwell, the king’s feared vicar general, offers Shardlake two more weeks to prove his client’s innocence. In exchange, Shardlake must find a lost cache of "Dark Fire," a legendary weapon of mass destruction. What ensues is a page-turning adventure, filled with period detail and history.

C. J . Sansom has garnered a wider audience and increased critical praise with each new novel published. His first book in the Matthew Shardlake series, Dissolution, was selected by P. D. James in The Wall Street Journal as one of her top five all-time favorite books. Now in Sovereign, Shardlake faces the most terrifying threat in the age of Tudor England: imprisonment in the Tower of London.

Shardlake and his loyal assistant, Jack Barak, find themselves embroiled in royal intrigue when a plot against King Henry VIII is uncovered in York and a dangerous conspirator they've been charged with transporting to London is connected to the death of a local glazer.

In 1543, while Tudor England is abuzz with King Henry VIII's wooing of Lady Catherine Parr, Matthew Shardlake is working to defend a teenage boy, a religious fanatic being held in the infamous Bedlam hospital for the insane. Then, when an old friend is murdered, Shardlake's search for the killer leads him back not only to Bedlam but also to Catherine Parr-and the dark prophecies of the Book of Revelation.

Summer 1545. A massive French armada is threatening England, and Henry VIII has plunged the country into economic crisis to finance the war. Meanwhile, an old servant of Queen Catherine Parr has asked Matthew Shardlake to investigate claims of "monstrous" wrongs committed against a young ward of the court. As the French fleet approaches, Shardlake's inquiries reunite him with an old friend-and an old enemy close to the throne.

Summer, 1546. King Henry VIII is slowly, painfully dying. His Protestant and Catholic councilors are engaged in a final and decisive power struggle; whoever wins will control the government. As heretics are hunted across London, and radical Protestants are burned at the stake, the Catholic party focuses its attack on Henry's sixth wife -- and Matthew Shardlake's old mentor -- Queen Catherine Parr.

Shardlake, still haunted by his narrow escape from death the year before, steps into action when the beleaguered and desperate Queen summons him to Whitehall Palace to help her recover a dangerous manuscript. The Queen has authored a confessional book, Lamentation of a Sinner, so radically Protestant that if it came to the King's attention it could bring both her and her sympathizers crashing down. Although the secret book was kept hidden inside a locked chest in the Queen's private chamber, it has inexplicably vanished. Only one page has been recovered -- clutched in the hand of a murdered London printer.

Shardlake's investigations take him on a trail that begins among the backstreet print shops of London, but leads him and his trusty assistant Jack Barak into the dark and labyrinthine world of court politics, a world Shardlake swore never to enter again. In this crucible of power and ambition, Protestant friends can be as dangerous as Catholic enemies, and those with shifting allegiances can be the most dangerous of all.

Spring, 1549. Two years after the death of Henry VIII, England is sliding into chaos.
The nominal king, Edward VI, is eleven years old. His uncle, Edward Seymour, Lord Hertford, rules as Edward's regent and Protector. In the kingdom, radical Protestants are driving the old religion into extinction, while the Protector's prolonged war with Scotland has led to hyperinflation and economic collapse. Rebellion is stirring among the peasantry.
Matthew Shardlake has been working as a lawyer in the service of Henry's younger daughter, the lady Elizabeth. The gruesome murder of one of Elizabeth's distant relations, rumored to be politically murdered, draws Shardlake and his companion Nicholas to the lady's summer estate, where a second murder is committed.
As the kingdom explodes into rebellion, Nicholas is imprisoned for his loyalty, and Shardlake must decide where his loyalties lie -- with his kingdom, or with his lady?

"Shakespeare In Love"

Another "modern classic" worth another rewatch, and least we forget, Gwenyth Paltrow won an academy award for her role in this film...

"Ironclad 2"

Until now, I was unaware that in 2014, a sequel to "Ironclad" was released...looks like I need to catch up! (Bonus: you may recognize "Catelyn Stark"...😉)

"Elizabeth" and "Elizabeth the Golden Age"

These now "modern classics" star Cate Blanchett as the iconic monarch...methinks it's time for a rewatch!

Elizabeth (1998) trailer

Elizabeth the Golden Age (2007) trailer

"The White Queen", "The White Princess", and "The Spanish Princess"

Back in 2013, 2017, 2019, and 2020, Starz released adaptations of three of Philippa Gregory's bestselling books...do have a look if you haven't already via Starz or Amazon Prime!

The White Queen trailer

The White Princess trailer

The Spanish Princess season 1 trailer

The Spanish Princess season 2 trailer

The King review

Released in 2019, this film stars Timothée Chalamet as King Henry 5 of Agiencourt fame and highlights his rise from "no count" prince to an unlikely victor. If this particular part of history appeals to you, it's definitely worth a watch!

Blood, Sex and Royalty

Blood, Sex, and Royalty on Netflix is a fun and more "modern" look at the Anne Boleyn and Henry 8 saga...while I was a bit put off by the use of some modern words, I nonetheless didn't find it awful and glad I wasn't screaming a majority of the way through. I feel it's worth a watch if you are curious and don't mind and/or can look past the modern language and that it's obviously more geared towards teens

Mary, Queen of Scots

Released in 2018, this film is a well acted telling of the rivalry between Queen Elizabeth and her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots...I quite enjoyed it!

A History of Britain: Medieval and Tudor Eras

I was just alerted to this series which aired from 2000-2002 and hosted by Simon Schama. Though there are 15 parts, I have chosen to focus, of course, from 1066-1603...from the heart of medieval times through the reign of Elizabeth 1. So if you have yet to see them, or wish to see them again, here you go...each clip is about 10 minutes long. Enjoy!

Part 2-Conquest

Watch here

Part 3-Dynasty: 1087-1216

Watch here

Part 4-Nations: 1216-1348

Part 5-King Death: 1348-1500

Part 6-Burning Convictions: 1500-1558

Part 7-The Body Of The Queen: 1558-1603

Rugrats go to to the Faire

One of my favorite cartoons as a kid was Nickelodeon's Rugrats and last night one of the episodes shown on Teen Nick as part of their '90s Are All That segment was called "Faire Play/The Smell of Success" in which the kids attend their local faire. Things soon go haywire as only the Rugrats can do it. For your enjoyment, you can view the Rugrats episode here:

Film Review: Anonymous

After what seems like forever, I finally got to see this film, and it was worth the wait! It stars Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, and Joley Richardson and is set during the reign of Elizabeth 1 with this premise: what if Shakespeare didn't write all those plays and sonnets he is known for? Though this has been a hotly contested idea for years, somehow this film makes it believable. It begins with playwright Ben Jonson being captured by Secretary Robert Cecil and his men in order for him to hand over all the plays done by Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford. Ben insists he doesn't have them, and we are quickly transported to five years earlier where Ben is let out of jail by the Earl (Ifans) who tells him he wants him to take credit for his works...seems that, as an Earl, he is not permitted to take his own credit. Though initially hesitant, Ben agrees, but then lets a loutish actor named, you guessed it, Will Shakespeare pretend he's the one behind the pen while Ben acts as a go between. That however, is only half the story, as we travel back even further to when the boy de Vere puts on a play for the young Queen Elizabeth (Richardson). She loves it, and when they meet years later, they have an affair that has serious after effects. We also learn that Edward becomes a ward of William Cecil after the death of his father, causing an instant rivalry between him and Robert (in one of the era's more bad marriage decisions, he is then married to William's daughter Anne). From there, the story moves along back to where we started, with the older Elizabeth played by Vanessa Redgrave in what I think to be a stroke of brilliant casting dealing with the building rebellion of Robert Deveroux, the Earl of Essex. There is also a twist in there that I found pretty wild. The acting is solid, and the costumes were definitely eye candy. I give Anonymous 4 out of 5 stars.

All's Faire in Love

Released in select theatres this past Friday, This uninspiring piece of work stars Christina Ricci, Bill Engvall, the legendary Ann Margaret (😮!) and Cederick the Entertainer among others...a surprisingly good cast that should've been given much more to work with. The story follows Kate (Ricci) an aspiring actress and Will (Owen Benjamin) a dumb jock who both take jobs for the summer working at Ye Olden Times Renaissance Pleasure Faire: Kate to earn money and spend time with her cousin (who also works at the faire), Will because he hast to get his professor (Cederick the Entertainer) to sign off on his many absences so he can play football next season. At the faire we meet Croket (Matthew Lillard), who befriends Will, Jester Roy and his puppet unicorn Horny, and the annoying Rank who keeps trying to get Kate to perform the grand finale production of Romeo and Juliet with him. In the end, Will and Kate find they're in love and Will finds that working at a faire isn't as bad as he originally thought. While the film's heart and story premise are in the right place, the lines and majority of acting in it are awful, and some things happen that would never happen at a faire. However, the costumes are decent, I'd have Ann Margaret as my faire's queen any day, and the look and feel of what faire is like is pretty much spot on. I give it 2 out of 5 stars

TV Review: The Borgias

This past spring, Showtime rolled out its Tudors replacement, this time going back a bit to tell the story of the infamous Borgia family. They are headed by patriarch Rodrigo (Jeremy Irons): a cardinal who has a driving ambition to be pope, letting nothing and nobody stand in his way. Eventually, he becomes Pope Alexander VI...with the help of bribery and, as legend has it, murder. Sons Cesare (the priest), Juan (the soldier), and Joffre (the youngest), daughter Lucrezia, and their mother Vannozza de' Catanei round out the family, though Vannozza is soon outsed by the younger Giulia Farnese after Rodrigo becomes pope. The Borgias have been dubbed the original Godfather, and indeed, Godfather author Mario Puzzo was supposedly inspired by them to write the classic series, and wrote the novel The Family about them. With the star power of Irons and Neil Jordan (who created the series), this new show is a good one, and will be back next year for season two. If you haven't seen it already, and are a fan of The Borgias, the mob, or renaissance Italy, I highly request you do and catch up before next season! 3 1/2 stars 🙂

Little Actor, Big Win

A big hip, hip, HUZZAH for Peter Dinklage for winning best supporting actor in a drama series for his role as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones at tonight's Emmy awards! Game of Thrones also won one for Outstanding Main Title Design. The Borgias also won a couple: Outstanding Costumes For a Series, and Outstanding Main Title Theme Music, while The Pillars of the Earth won one for Sound Editing For A Miniseries, Movie, Or A Special. Congrats to all the winners!

Film Review: Your Highness

Your Highness indeed! An appropriate title in more ways than one, this comedy stars Danny McBride as Thadeus, a lackluster second son living in the shadow of his hero brother Fabious (James Franco). Though wanting to escape his reputation, he also has no desire to change it...until he's forced on a quest by his father King Tallius (Charles Dance) to help Fabious get back his kidnapped betrothed Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel) from an evil magician named Leezar (Justin Theroux). Along the way they confront a perverted oracle, fight an evil savage chief with a wicked cauldron, an, er, lovelorn minatour, and enlist the help of a lone female warrior named Isabel (Natalie Portman) before finally taking down Leezar and getting Belladonna back. Despite the liberal use of the f-bomb, crude humor, and plenty of blood, there is also a surprise underlying message: with the love and loyalty of friends and family, you can defeat any obstacle if you try. Definitely a rennie man's buddy flick, there's also things in it ladies can enjoy too if they want a laugh. I give it 3 out of 5 stars 🙂

Film Review: The Virgin Queen

This four part mini series was aired on Masterpiece Theatre back in 2005/2006 and stars Anne-Marie Duff as Elizabeth 1 and Tom Hardy as Robert Dudley. Beginning near the end of the reign of Mary 1, the story follows Elizabeth and Dudley from the very beginning her reign all the way to the end...literally: the last episode ends with the queen's death. Anyway, I found the series decent, and thought Duff did a good job showing the mercurial queen's many different sides. However, compared to Cate Blanchette's or Hellen Mirren's versions, it doesn't quite measure up. Hardy was not quite as strong as Dudley, and didn't really have the command that one would think Dudley would have. I'd say the costumes were decent, but nothing that made me gasp.  A "hey, I know that guy!" moment: the actor playing Essex was last seen playing Cranmer in The Tudors. All in all, a film to see as a fan of the era, not horrible, but not great. 2 out of 5 stars

Film Review: Black Death

This morning saw the film Black Death staring Sean Bean (last seen in Game of Thrones), Eddie Redmayne (Jack in Pillars of the Earth), and Carice Van Houten. Set in the 1300's during the first outbreak of the bubonic plague in England, Redmayne is Osmund, a young monk who, with a small group of men lead by tough guy Ulrich (Bean), set out to find a village of people who have somehow managed to survive & not gotten the deadly sickness. Not only that, but people who have managed to make their way into the village and "died" somehow come back to life. After a few obstacles, the group make it to the village, and while at first everything seems fine, the men soon learn that it's everything but. A nice turn of events here reminded me of the 1970's cult classic The Wicker Man, albeit set in the medieval times with the sword fights, blood and guts that go along with the era. That aspect also reminds me of one of the last films I reviewed, Ironclad, and would make a good double feature with that movie. Like Ironclad, this film is not for the squeamish, but if you stick through it, you'll be rewarded. Decent acting, good visuals, and a strong storyline make this film and I recommend it for fans of the medieval era. 3 1/2 out of 5 🙂