More Tales of the City

If anyone has ever seen the first series then More Tales of the City is an absolute must see. I had only watched the first series once before, but one of my very best friends and I decided to split the cost and order the sequel on DVD and neither of us was disappointed. While there are less startling revelations going on throughout as there was in the first series it is still highly addictive to watch. The progression of Laura Linney's Mary Anne character is startling, she's turned into a man hunting pot fiend, a far cry from her days as the prude at 28 Barbary Lane. Mona's journey into the desert is the most entertaining part of the whole movie, although true fans will be able to decipher who Mother Mucca is in a matter of minutes.

The new actors fill their roles well, with the new Brian being the only exception but it's good to see his role "fleshed out" more than it was in the first one. You have to see it to believe it!

More Tales find the characters just a few months after the last one left off. The characters stay pretty much the same, which really impressed me. In a lot follow ups the characters seem to change dramatically. Another aspect of the mini-series that I really liked was how the story expanded of of the first tales. Instead of creating a whole new circumstances, much of the story was just adding to what was all ready there.

The one main issue I had was with the cast changes. I realize that it has been almost five years since the first series ended and that it was hard to get everyone back to do another one. However, I feel that the actors they did replace the characters with did not come close to resembling those in the first one. I did however like the new Micheal (Paul Hopkins) better than the first one. It was mona and Brian that I had the problems with. I applaud Showtime for having the guts to air this mini-series and the cast and crew that were willing to take on a project that was considered to be controvsial.

Far better casting than the original TV series. Looks like the cable aspect of the production (as opposed to American public TV) opened up the writing and performances. Paul Hopkins is a far superior choice to play Michael! That Marcus Whoever was way too nineties for the 70s look and sensibility of Maupin's gay San Francisco.

a pale shadow of the original Tales. the replacement actors are really lifeless. its really impossible to feel anything for Michael as he's repugnant. the new Mona is vapid and uninspiring. the new Brian is so uninteresting its almost offensive. and in the original series it was really Mona and Michael who held it all together...they both had energy and vitality. in this round it feels like Nina Siemaszko (Mona) is being forced to do the role...shes totally uninterested and robotic. Paul Hopkins, the new Michael, basically smirks and wiseasses before getting (thankfully) crippled and left speechless for most of the show.

beyond the horrible casting, the story is sordid and so over the top that its difficult to get involved. the first Tales series had spunk...it felt fresh and alive. this version is just a pathetic soap opera knockoff. (wow its cable...we can show ass and say bad words, who needs a decent director?) the story line revolving around Brian and his binocular-driven lust affair is weak and frankly gross.

pathetic...

More Tales of the City is the 1998 cable-produced sequel to the Tales of the City mini-series, which aired on public television in 1993. Both series are based on respective novels by Armistead Maupin.

More Tales' plot and script are substantially shoddier than its predecessor. It focuses mainly on the intrigue and intertwining characters than the development of the personalities or the warmth of their interactions. And where sweet and emotional dialogue exists, the sentiment is marred by three vastly inferior "replacement" actors. The much beloved Michael "Mouse" Tolliver is played by the excessively smirky and over-doing-the-gay-bit Paul Hopkins. His performance is unnatural and devoid of Mouse's innate, lovable charm. Nina Siemaszko's performance is brittle and uneasy, lacking any of the spunk and charisma befitting the quirky Mona Ramsey. Whip Hubley is just plain uninteresting as the (supposedly) handsome, disillusioned Brian Hawkins. I had the opportunity to go back and re-watch the first series and was surprised to discover just how naturally and unaffectedly Marcus D'Amico, Chloe Webb, and Paul Gross inhabited Mouse, Mona and Brian. I had been unaware of just how good they were since I merely considered them as being the characters. Overall, the direction, cinematography and soundtrack are distracting.

If you simply like some of Maupin's most bizarre plot twists for the intrigue in itself, you might enjoy More Tales of the City. If you like more quality and substance, check out Tales of the City.