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Post by kimalysong on Feb 6, 2016 22:54:07 GMT
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Post by Trace on Feb 7, 2016 3:31:15 GMT
Looks like a great schedule! Thanks for doing it!
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Post by acousticwolf on Feb 7, 2016 16:06:30 GMT
Looking good Kim and I'm getting excited now. Great to see that Alex Vlahos retweeted the group listen as well. Great work Cheers Tony EDIT: Here's Alex's tweet - We'll done Kim
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Post by muckypup on Feb 7, 2016 16:35:49 GMT
fine with me, only 3 weeks till my favourite episode.
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Post by pawntake on Feb 8, 2016 19:03:23 GMT
I am always interested in any Dorian adaptation, wether it be Tv, Radio or Film or any story featuring the Dorian Gray character, such as "Penny Dreadful" So when BF announced this new range I pre-ordered it straight away,it was DL, and very cheap, a no-brainer really. Extremely well written by David Llewellyn.(This World Our Hell) There are many versions of what Oscar Wilde actually said about the wallpaper, one was "This wallpaper is killing me" another is "Either this wallpaper goes, or I do" Of course he may not have said any of it. But the comment is slipped into the script, as is another famous wilde quotation, "I am dying beyond my means" The supernatural element makes it very creepy and scary. Although I am not sure if the horror element is really needed in this story. The meeting of Dorian and Oscar and their last conversation where both express much regret is for me the whole point.But some may disagree.For the "Hotel d'Alsace" read "Hotel California" (You can check-out any time you like,but you can never leave!!)
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Post by kimalysong on Feb 9, 2016 1:31:47 GMT
This World Our HellLove the opening a very dark & dreary description of Paris "something unique ugly..built on bones...perpetually crossing over someone's grave" and later on "...looking at the Eiffel Tower that I night I saw the Tower of Babel and it filled me with an immense sensation of dread " Note there is a current hotel d'Alsace in Paris with very poor reviews. I find this amusing. www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d1186531-Reviews-Hotel_d_Alsace-Paris_Ile_de_France.htmlBut it's not the hotel d'Alsace Oscar Wilde died in. That is now a boutique hotel called simply L'Hotel www.l-hotel.com/ so it looks like they did well for themselves since Oscar passed away. But I like to think the hotel Dorian is describing in the story is closer to the 1 star hotel d'alsace above. I thought in 30 mins this story did a great job of capturing Wilde on his last days and how he must have felt in his exile, his loneliness and regret. It was really well researched. I loved how the story used stuff that Wilde said (or supposedly said) about the wallpaper and spun a whole story around that. I also learned stuff about Wilde as I never really researched him myself (but this story got me to look up things which was fun). I never realized that Wilde visited America or the connection with Jesse James. But when you look at Jesse James career and when you look at Wilde's it is ironic who was treated as the hero at the time (of course I think time has been kinder to Wilde then Jesse James). The almost 10 min conversation between Dorian and Oscar is great and I feel it sets up the themes for the rest of the series...especially the line about Dorian's regrets piling up as the years go by. And of the course the title line. "We are each our own devils and we make this world our hell". There is an interesting contrast between Dorian and Oscar. Oscar is dying with his regrets and loneliness but Dorian will always have to live with them. As for Dorian as a character well I wasn't sure what to expect. One of my worries before starting was that Dorian from the novel wouldn't be able to carry a series. But I think making Dorian more gray and immortal (and all the baggage that goes with it) makes a very compelling character. And of course Alex sells the character right from the start. For me it was how he says "as you do". I also like that from the very first story we already see many facets to Dorian's characters: He's joking and kind with Oscar, he's terrified and filled with guilt alone in the room with the wallpaper, and he's arrogant and threatening with Genevieve Moreau. In one episode I feel Dorian is already an interesting character. When I first listened to this one of my first comment was I hope there is more of a focus on the human element rather than the supernatural/horror element. But I think the series does end up balancing this well. The supernatural/horror element adds atmosphere to the story but to me Confessions of Dorian is so good because it's ultimately a study of a complex character.
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Post by acousticwolf on Feb 9, 2016 14:33:13 GMT
Just finished listening to this ... my third or fourth time I think and I still love it. I took a risk on the range back in 2013 as it was so very different to what I'd heard from BF before. I remember not being sure whether to get This World Our Hell separately or to get The Picture of Dorian Gray which had this as a bonus. For some bizarre reason (probably the old forum), I decided to get Picture and was hooked at once. This World Our Hell takes a very different route from the book adaptation and this has been done very cleverly as it allows room for both in Dorian's world. I liked the interaction between Wilde and Dorian and the only niggle I have is that Wilde didn't really sound like he was on his deathbed (and it still niggles after so many listens), but that is a very minor issue. For a 30 minute presentation it didn't feel rushed and has enough time to tell the story (something that's true with the range as a whole). The soundscape is superb and the incidental music doesn't intrude as it does on some of BF's output - it's very subtle, but adds to the overall "visual" quality of the story (if that makes sense). The narration is probably what really made this series for me tho' and I could listen to Alex reading the phone book all day, his voice suits it perfectly. I generally don't like first person stories because the threat never seems real to me (in the back of my mind I'm always thinking that it's ok because they obviously survive). I don't know how they do it, but everything about this still manages to convey a very real threat, that things might not be ok. Of course being Dorian, things rarely are ... A good introductory story, well written, well performed and it cemented my love for Dorian Gray. Roll on next week Cheers Tony
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Post by kimalysong on Feb 9, 2016 21:08:44 GMT
The narration is probably what really made this series for me tho' and I could listen to Alex reading the phone book all day, his voice suits it perfectly. I generally don't like first person stories because the threat never seems real to me (in the back of my mind I'm always thinking that it's ok because they obviously survive). I don't know how they do it, but everything about this still manages to convey a very real threat, that things might not be ok. Of course being Dorian, things rarely are ... I can't believe I wrote 5 paragraphs and forgot to talk about the narration. But yes I love it too. First person narration is what I like best (it's also why I think I enjoy the companion chronicles so much). It makes the story more personal and I like getting into the character's head. And with Dorian being a pretty complex character I especially like to hear his inner thoughts (although I do have to wonder if he is always the most reliable narrator). As for the threat, it doesn't so much come in we are worried about Dorian's life (he is immortal after all) but I think the threat is more in the choices he makes and how they ultimately will affect him and those around him. And without getting into too many details I see both Confessions and the novel as very existential and while they take different paths I feel both versions are very much about free will, choice, and personal responsibility. Maybe I will get into that more as we go on.
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Post by gilliane on Feb 9, 2016 22:04:36 GMT
hello everyone. I'm just new here and because of Kim^^ i just began audio drama, and did it with the Dorian Gray series, cause the who series should have been a little bit difficult to handle as i'm a foreigner, with so much characters but it's my next step. I enjoyed Oscar Wilde writing (or i must say the translation) so i did i try there, as I really enjoy Alexander Vlahos's voice. I was a bit worrying i must confes, would it be series of cold murders after some seductive sequences. It could have been very boring.So hopefully it's different, i was quite surprised by the fact they made up a story with a real Dorian knowing Oscar Wide, it's a very good twist. I really enjoyed the atmosphere the introduction of the characters, and the Paris description (but quite harsh with my city). This first episode really helps to introduce the mood of the others. I thought that this audio drama would be dark, I didn't expected it to be also very very sad.
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Post by elkawho on Feb 10, 2016 3:55:31 GMT
I love the way this audio presents the Wilde/Dorian relationship. That was what really struck me the first time I heard this story. This friendship is quite a unique one and I have always wanted to hear more. The fact that Wilde is returning in Series 5 makes me very happy.
The ghost story is really spooky, and sets up the series beautifully, especially with the narration.
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Post by omega on Feb 10, 2016 4:07:25 GMT
It's a great mission statement for the range as a whole. Dorian is portrayed as part supernatural investigator and part anti-hero who stumbles into a situation and someone, or something ends up dead and/or out of commission.
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Post by Trace on Feb 11, 2016 3:17:37 GMT
Just finished my re-listen. It had been a very long time since I had heard it. It does a remarkable job of setting Dorian up as narrator/investigator/anti-hero (to use two words from your description, jbmasta.) I think it's a credit to Alex Vlahos that Dorian comes across right from the get-go as someone that we want to root for, perhaps against our better natures. His voice conveys raw emotion, sensuality, callousness, and pain...on one hand, a narcissistic aged jerk, on the other, a vulnerable, scared boy. Not an easy task. I know a lot of the credit goes to the writer, because the words themselves are beautiful--but I think that in a different actor's hands, the script could come across quite differently than it does.
Love that we're going to re-visit Dorian and Wilde in Series 5. I'm so glad that the final decision for the group listen was release order, because I think this one sets up the series nicely.
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Post by Trace on Feb 11, 2016 3:25:02 GMT
hello everyone. I'm just new here and because of Kim^^ i just began audio drama, and did it with the Dorian Gray series, cause the who series should have been a little bit difficult to handle as i'm a foreigner, with so much characters but it's my next step. I enjoyed Oscar Wilde writing (or i must say the translation) so i did i try there, as I really enjoy Alexander Vlahos's voice. I was a bit worrying i must confes, would it be series of cold murders after some seductive sequences. It could have been very boring.So hopefully it's different, i was quite surprised by the fact they made up a story with a real Dorian knowing Oscar Wide, it's a very good twist. I really enjoyed the atmosphere the introduction of the characters, and the Paris description (but quite harsh with my city). This first episode really helps to introduce the mood of the others. I thought that this audio drama would be dark, I didn't expected it to be also very very sad. Welcome gilliane! Great observations! I will assure you--no need to worry about this series ever becoming boring. It never happens. Yes, you're right...your beautiful city gets a harsh description here. I love Paris and have been twice. I think you'll find that's simply because of the darker nature of Dorian's soul (does he actually have one? The group can discuss that at length after many more weeks.) Meaning, the depths of Dorian's inner darkness have a tendency to color his view/descriptions of his surroundings.
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Post by pawntake on Feb 11, 2016 13:57:09 GMT
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Post by kimalysong on Feb 11, 2016 15:01:54 GMT
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Post by acousticwolf on Feb 11, 2016 15:09:44 GMT
Thanks Kim, makes for very interesting reading. I'm not sure it would have been as popular with a Cheers Tony EDIT: For completeness, David Llewellyn's quote in context - "We’ve been very lucky in landing the very talented (and very handsome) Alexander Vlahos as Dorian (yes, I know that with it being a series of audio plays we could have had a buck-toothed Mexican midget playing him, but it kind of helps knowing our Dorian would be equally convincing on-screen)"
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Post by kimalysong on Feb 11, 2016 15:40:37 GMT
EDIT: For completeness, David Llewellyn's quote in context - "We’ve been very lucky in landing the very talented (and very handsome) Alexander Vlahos as Dorian (yes, I know that with it being a series of audio plays we could have had a buck-toothed Mexican midget playing him, but it kind of helps knowing our Dorian would be equally convincing on-screen)" Ha Ha well I suppose if he was a buck toothed midget actor (I don't want to distinguish nationalities) and had a nice voice he could have played him. But Dorian should be British I think. And also an actor's height certainly doesn't affect voice. Just look at Peter Dinklage. I'd love if he did some work for Big Finish. I think his voice would be great for audio. Not Dorian of course because I wouldn't want anyone else in the world to play him except Alex.
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Post by Trace on Feb 12, 2016 1:37:48 GMT
Yes, I knew this. Many European cities have similar catacombs. Rome, for one, although I don't recall seeing so many bones in them...but they are there.
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Post by Trace on Feb 12, 2016 2:56:46 GMT
Favorite line from "This World Our Hell": "The world, Dorian, is selective in the rogues it chooses to love." I think that's very true. Regardless, I love the way Oscar says it.
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Post by pawntake on Feb 12, 2016 8:57:07 GMT
Yes, I knew this. Many European cities have similar catacombs. Rome, for one, although I don't recall seeing so many bones in them...but they are there. I thought I would just mention this in case anyone was interested.I have been to the catecombs in Rome,on the Appian way at Quo Vadis.Well worth a visit. In Paris I was just content to follow the normal tourist trail, Eiffel tower, Arc De triomphe etc.Two wonderful Cities! For purposes of the story I prefer your synopsis"The darker nature of Dorians soul(does he actually have one?)
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