What is the last Television series you watched?

[Disco Stu 15,495]

1 minute ago, Lonnegan said:

I was winding you up you know I was! 

 

Black Mirror episode 1?

 

Jason couldn't handle it! 

 

I was talking about Hannibal (specifically S3E7).  But yeah that too.  It was a weird couple of years for pigs on dark TV shows.

[Quintus 5,399]

Pigs have had a good few years on tv lately, a renaissance Porky Pig must be smiling down on from heaven. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Having pork chops right now! 

[A24 4,340]

 

We all poke fun at Ridley Scott but I shall never forget the pig scene in his Hannibal either.

 

 

 

"Before I saw that movie, I always thought pigs were kinda funny, sir."

[A24 4,340]

18 hours ago, Jay said:

 

The cinematography and directing style of Hannibal is a step above anything else on TV, though.  It's not what you think.

 

Still, Jay, it's not for Steef. Not only is it not Sci-Fi of Fantasy, there are also no warm and lovable characters. Steef needs that so he can relate to the show.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Sigh....

[Quintus 5,399]

Finished the completely unremarkable Stranger Things, and I just don't see what all the hype is about. It was alright and quite easily digestible in between more absorbing fare, but I know people who have raved about it and I don't know why. Sure, it's well worth a watch if you're big a fan of schlocky sci-fi movies (it's purpose built for Drax and Justin), but like Super 8 it was disappointingly vanilla by the end, and about as well done as that movie was. Enjoyable enough but leaves no lasting impression. 

 

Forget the Goonies comparisons too, because they're well off. This is all ET and The Twilight Zone. The nods to those two are clear and purposeful - there's a grin inducing twist on the bicycle escape flight towards the end which gleefully hits the mark and the alien creature and its origins are pure Rod Serling campy scares. These are definite plus points, as are the kids who are enthusiastically caught up in the adventure (better than the Super 8 equivalents). I suppose it's like one of the better X-Files storylines, or Doctor Who. I reckon I'll stick with it for the follow up season, because like those shows it is far from perfect, but it's nice to just switch off and enjoy a little light fantasy from time to time isn't it. I certainly prefer the small suburban style of Stranger Things to the repetitiously grave tones of Mulder and Scully anyway. 3 out 5

 

[publicist 4,643]

Also: The Fury, Poltergeist.

[Quintus 5,399]

And umpteen others, but ET and Twilight Zone the most. 

 

So did you finish it? 

[publicist 4,643]

So is there any worthwile stuff after E5 or stays it strictly within these parameters (lame ending)?

[Quintus 5,399]

It is consistently harmless throughout, it doesn't deviate from that for the finale, no. I was hoping for a bit more fireworks I suppose. 

 

It struck me that the budget was probably very small but smartly utilised. I expect the sequel to open it up a bit, visually speaking. 

[Jay 37,369]

We finished Stranger Things this week too, and I absolutely loved it.  It's my favorite show to have come out on any channel / network / service in years.

 

The characters are well developed, the mysteries are setup up well then explained satisfactorily, the acting is good, the cinematography is good, the editing and directing is good.  There's some poor CGI in the early episodes but that's about it.

 

I think the best part is that it totally sticks the landing.  As the final episode was going on it was very satisfying, then as it approached the epilogue portion I didn't know what to think, but man, they absolutely nailed it, the show ended just perfectly.

 

Very much looking forward to the sequel!

[Quintus 5,399]

I wouldn't go anywhere near that far about it, but I'd like season 2 to build on the success they're enjoying. If they did I could certainly see Stranger Things becoming another 'event show' with audiences. 

 

Oh - the score! It's weird. Some of it works but a lot of it really doesn't. The sound isn't compatible with the photography. The era songs chosen however work perfectly, and are very well spotted. 

[publicist 4,643]

Though i would have found a perfectly synched orchestral score much more insufferable in this biotope. It gives the show at least a bit of its own identity.

[Quintus 5,399]

True. There's just something wrong about it though imo. I think I'd have prefered acoustic. 

[publicist 4,643]

A wayward little Jerry score perhaps? 

[Jay 37,369]

I didn't like the score either.

 

I LOVE the main title cue - no problem there.  I loved all the use of existing 80s pop and rock songs.  No problem there.  And sometimes, the original synth score was fine, for certain scenes.  BUT, for MANY other scenes, the original score was completely inappropriate, wasn't the right way to score the scene.  Big misstep if you ask me.

 

I'm not even saying anything about the quality of the original score on its own, or how it might work outside the show.  That's a separate thing.  But within the show, many scenes were craving for a completely different score style than what they went for.

[Quintus 5,399]

18 hours ago, publicist said:

A wayward little Jerry score perhaps? 

 

Yeah, you know the sort. Devious wonder. 

 

Identity isn't something I'd personally pull this show up on though, since homage is basically its raison d'etre. I don't mind that. 

 

Lonnegan - getting tired of missing ninja'd replies because of this site's fucking stupid thread refresh requirement. 12 hours later till I noticed this one, by chance. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I haven't watched the show yet, but I do love that main theme music.  I'm a sucker for the old-school analog Moog-type synthesizer sound.

[Jay 37,369]

Yup, its great!

[Quintus 5,399]

I enjoy that sort of music too, Goblin, Carpenter etc. But it didn't really work here for me.  

 

Did you see It Follows? That's how to do throwback synth underscore properly. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Yeah I liked that a lot.

 

Cliff Martinez's scores for Refn films are also great!  Speaking of, I need to listen to The Neon Demon

[Quintus 5,399]

Just to clarify btw: I do quite like the sound of the music in Stranger Things, in its own right. The title credits cue is pretty cool. 

[Jay 37,369]

5 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Cliff Martinez's scores for Refn films are also great!  Speaking of, I need to listen to The Neon Demon

 

I listened to that at work this week and enjoyed it!

[nightscape94 965]

The score was not a distraction to me.

[Quintus 5,399]

Netflix announces soundtrack release

[Quintus 5,399]

I'm getting fucking tired of missing ninja'd replies because of this site's stupid thread refresh method. Took me 12 hours to notice one here. 

 

Down with IPBOARD! The devs are muppets! 

[KK 3,307]

Spot on review Lee. I stuck through it hoping that at least we'd get some kind of big finale, but that was ultimately just as vanilla, as you put it, as the rest of the show. Ultimately, the execution is all great, but content just isn't there. It's all nostalgic fluff.

 

But like you said, it's pleasant TV fare I suppose. I might check out S2 when its out.

[Quintus 5,399]

Yeah, I wouldn't call it 'golden age', but not everything has to be. The first season is a decent enough foundation for the sequel to build on. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Just looks like yet another memory lane trip for hipsters and people who grew up in the 80's. A TV version of Jurassic World, Terminator Genisys etc.

 

I dont really see the point.

[KK 3,307]

To its credit, there is more conviction and better execution here than any of the examples you just mentioned. The attempt is genuine (which is probably why it struck a chord with so many people), but the content is flat and uninspired.

 

Oh and when did movies like JW and The new Terminator flick become hipster films?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Aren't they "vintage" ?

[Quintus 5,399]

Your definition of 'hipster' seems to be very different to mine. Stranger Things is the exact opposite of what I'd call hipster. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I know I'm being loose with the definition, but I think you know what I mean. Is this just a rose tinted look at  1980's stylings. A love letter to Amblin (like Super 8)? If so, then i won't bother with it. I'm a 90's person.

[Jay 37,369]

52 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

Just looks like yet another memory lane trip for hipsters and people who grew up in the 80's. A TV version of Jurassic World, Terminator Genisys etc.

 

I dont really see the point.

 

1 minute ago, Stefancos said:

I know I'm being loose with the definition, but I think you know what I mean. Is this just a rose tinted look at the 1980's as depected at the time via Amblin (like Super 8)? If so, then i won't bother with it. I'm a 90's person.

 

You're wrong on both accounts.  It does embrace its setting, but ultimately uses it to tell a cool original story.  It's much more than a simple Amblin pastiche.

[Quintus 5,399]

Pastiche is what it is. It's a good little tribute band.

 

Like The Force Awakens. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I think I will pass then, thanks Lee.

[Quintus 5,399]

No worries. What you watching lately? 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial

Return Of The Jedi

Batman

Independence Day

[Quintus 5,399]

Heh heh

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Not really watching much at the moment, my attention is a bit divided with hals a dozen other things to commit to a show now. Still need to set down and watch Better Call Saul season 2

[Quintus 5,399]

Maybe give Star Trek a rest for a bit and try something completely different. 

 

Do you have a streaming service yet or are you still accessing the latest stuff via alternative means? Having Netflix does make watching so much less of a hassle. It sort of makes your mind up for you about what to watch next, because of that simple button press and outstanding viewing quality. I've started bookmarking stuff I fancy for later on there now as well, it let's you do that. 

 

If I have to torrent a series instead I often decide I can't be bothered to make a start on it. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Lee, i havent watched any Star Trek on TV in nearly a year. And that was only because i was in Maine and Ren and her husband netflixed two eps of TNG.

 

Havent watched any Doctor Who either since Christmas.

[Quintus 5,399]

Yeah yeah yeah!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

My hard drive is filled with Top Gear, QI, Would I Lie To You, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Mock The Week.

 

Not to mention porn and ASMR.

[Quintus 5,399]

What a waste of drive space!  

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I bet you stream your porn so the missus doesn't find out!

[Quintus 5,399]

I stopped downloading porn when free 720p streaming became an option. 

 

36 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

Lee, i havent watched any Star Trek on TV in nearly a year.

 

And this is how you make up for it! 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I wore that shirt to several showings of The Force Awakens too ?

[Marian Schedenig 8,205]

2 hours ago, Stefancos said:

Is this just a rose tinted look at  1980's stylings. A love letter to Amblin (like Super 8)? If so, then i won't bother with it. I'm a 90's person.

 

Interesting, actually, considering you're 2 years older than me if I remember correctly, and I'm far more of an 80s person than a 90s one.

 

Haven't seen this show yet though, but I mean to check it out.