I'm not usually a fan of horror. My favourite horror films are Silence of the Lambs and Se7en. After this, I feel the genre has really gone downhill and is saturated by torture porn. Not exactly what i look for in a good horror film. That bit where you have to decide whether or not to chop your pinky finger off in Heavy Rain the video game, gets me way more than say, seeing peoples arses sewn to someone else's mouth.
So, Stranger Things, is it good?
Take it from me, a person who tends to avoid anything in this genre at all costs that, HELL fucking yeah it was one of the best pieces of TV I've seen in a little while.
The characters were so grounded. They all said or acted exactly how I would expect them to in that situation. Huge plus points here. Not only that, they were endearing, well written and extremely well cast.
Dustin is my spirit animal!
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/49830a2209e12a75d6941f662bbbfbfe/tumblr_oazecff1Lp1s3sirmo2_540.gif)
The icing on the cake for me was probably how they explained the monster. SPOILER ALERT! (but a very small one not including actual story, you can definitely get away with reading this and it shouldn't spoil anything for you, imo, but hey some people get funny about that shit so you've been warned!). Despite it coming from this paranormal place, they used science to explain it. This made everything much more believable for someone like myself, who doesn't believe in paranormal activity. Each to their own, I just like to believe things I can prove.
It also has an amazing 80s backdrop, the set and costumes were really cool.
8/10
I don't classify Silence of the Lambs and SE7EN as Horror.
Stranger Things is a lot of fun.
I would've preferred physical FX over CGI for the monster stuff at the end.
QuoteI don't classify Silence of the Lambs and SE7EN as Horror.
I guess you're right. I probably should have said.
"The closest thing to a horror film I can enjoy is something like Silence of the Lambs or Se7en."
If we're talking scary films in general, they would be my favourites.
I didn't mind the monster. Normally I'd agree with you on something lower budget like a TV show, as the CG could have been much worse, but I didn't think it was that bad.
Nothing like watching The Thing though ;)
Shame the remake of that was shite for the same reasons...
Physical FX would've gone in line with the eighties vibe.
I agree that the horror genre is garbage.
Best show in a whole long time. 2nd season soon.
This show was phenomenal. I was blown away the first time I watched it. The second time, I thought I'd be clever and try to find some faults or holes, something negative, only to be fully thrown into the story line again, and left amazed with the show. It left me captivated enough during the second viewing that I couldn't be bothered trying to find discrepancies.
Nice. Makes me want to rewatch it. Goddamnyou.
Season 2. Meh-city.
Season 2 - Epi 4 - best episode.
Episode 7 was horrendous. I enjoyed it but season 2 really doesn't need to exist.
How dare you!
While not as good as season one, and lets be honest, that would be almost impossible to better - the 2nd season was still good.
I look forward to season 3.
Put me in the "Season Two Meh" corner.
Granted, I'm only half way through, but lacks the "freshness" of the first season, and for obvious reasons, it's not anymore. The writing corners itself over and over again in a limited amount of episodes, [much like the last 2-3 episodes last year]. The cute kid thing is faded, and turned quickly into "gangly awkward pre-teen" show. Tries for too much tongue in cheek/forced humor this season, rather than a nice setup into tension with a bit of light humor "release"
I remember some good light moments last season. This season, not so much.
Season 3? jesus...no. I can almost tell where this is heading, and the shark may have already been jumped at episode 5 of this season.
MY gf likes it, so this and Walking Dead will be this fall/winter mercy watches.
Almost stopped after 2 eps. The Fly Episode was terrible but overall enjoyed it. Agree it should have just stopped at one season.... But money.
And the class has spoken once again. Helmets on, raring to go. Ride ride ride.
It's just a show dude I enjoyed it.
I know. I love u all .
I'm mostly done with season 2. I like it well enough, it's cool to have new stories and characters, and to see how some of the characters develop....and it definitely lacks the freshness of the first season, sure. That's kind of inevitable by nature of it, not being a brand spanking new show and all.
I think that it is a good show, that seems better than it actually is compared to a lot of the really rubbish horror that is on Netflix, the UK version anyway.
2nd season was a slight disappointment overall, but damn, the "Time After Time" scene in the last episode brought tears to old Deaner's eyes.
Is this downloadable anywhere? Mongo not smart. Hopefully it's easy.
Quote from: The Shocker on December 13, 2017, 09:55:57 AM
2nd season was a slight disappointment overall, but damn, the "Time After Time" scene in the last episode brought tears to old Deaner's eyes.
My co-worker just watched all of the second season, she also said that she cried and was surprised by this. She doesn't even like to watch television, usually.
I'm about to watch the last episode, I hope that they do a good job with it, because I disliked the Kali/Eleven episode, and the one after was really predictable....
I'm starting lose my passion for the show after those two episodes, so I hope they reign things in and sock it to me!
Conclusion was pretty cool. Nothing mindblowing, and it really shined in some of the more touching moments.
Quote from: Lumpy on December 13, 2017, 04:34:00 PM
Is this downloadable anywhere? Mongo not smart. Hopefully it's easy.
I found a link for season 1...
Looking for season 2...
Season 1 was fun. I liked all the 80s references and other movie references, even some of the corny parts and bad acting was part of that aesthetic.
I don't know why they were so mean to the Demogorgon though.
In every modern movie or show set in the 80s time period, it seems like the characters always listen to 'cool' new wave music. Whereas really, most teens were listening to Journey, Styx, Foreigner, Rush, Van Halen, ZZ Top, etc. A small town in Indiana? Come on...
I was outta high school in '79, but the 80s were NWoBHM, early thrash, and some proto-Black/Death metal for me & my buds.
In season 2 there's a character who listens to hard rock and metal. He's even got a Tank poster in his room!
BTW the writing on season 2 is kinda weird - they introduce new characters in the first week, then don't show them again until episode 6. The whole episode is about them, which is a huge distraction form the other plotlines. There are two new characters (Billy and Max) with no apparent purpose... etc.
Still pretty good, but getting a teeny bit tired of the formula and characters. I've never really followed a TV series for very long, but with the modern technology I can see it's a little easier than it used to be.
sub-reddit "open directories" has links to download shows.
Quote from: Lumpy on January 29, 2018, 12:22:15 PM
In season 2 there's a character who listens to hard rock and metal. He's even got a Tank poster in his room!
BTW the writing on season 2 is kinda weird - they introduce new characters in the first week, then don't show them again until episode 6. The whole episode is about them, which is a huge distraction form the other plotlines. There are two new characters (Billy and Max) with no apparent purpose... etc.
Still pretty good, but getting a teeny bit tired of the formula and characters. I've never really followed a TV series for very long, but with the modern technology I can see it's a little easier than it used to be.
Cool skate-chick's big bro? I did not notice the Tank poster.
It's kind of half-hidden, maybe behind the open door(?) Something's partially blocking it.
Quote from: Lumpy on January 29, 2018, 12:22:15 PM
BTW the writing on season 2 is kinda weird - they introduce new characters in the first week, then don't show them again until episode 6. The whole episode is about them, which is a huge distraction form the other plotlines. There are two new characters (Billy and Max) with no apparent purpose... etc.
I agree. Episode 6 was total filler. There's literally no point to it in my mind. None. I could have skipped that episode and not missed anything plot-wise. Sure, it develops a side of Eleven's character that we haven't seen before, and that was pretty much an afterthought. There are so many other ways that writers could have expressed that in a more convincing and cohesive manner.
I like Billy and Mad Max though, they shake things up a little. A little. I mean, they're both caricatures, the token girl in the boys' club and the unabashed 80's bully, and those are tried and true tropes from decades of "coming of age" movies and television shows.
I feel like episode 6 was just an avenue to make a new season with new characters in a new town.
Yeah it could be a way to introduce characters for Season 3, but they did a good job weaving different threads in Season 1, and a terrible job on episode 6.
They also had some gratuitous new characters, like Sean Astin. The divorced 1st husband could have played that whole role.
Kind of over-analyzing I guess, since it's pulp TV (or whatever you'd call it) and pays homage to a lot of garbage movies and culture (Children of the Corn reference, anyone?)
Quote
I like Billy and Mad Max though, they shake things up a little. A little. I mean, they're both caricatures, the token girl in the boys' club and the unabashed 80's bully, and those are tried and true tropes from decades of "coming of age" movies and television shows.
Agreed. Even the cheezey or awkward elements, bad acting, etc. are period correct. (It doesn't suck, it's retro!)
Has there been any Phantasm references? (I actually never saw Phantasm, just excerpts).
Oh man, you totally should see Phantasm. And Phantasm II. After that they get a bit hit or miss, it's a different kind of absurd cheese. The first two are pretty unfuckable with in terms of lack of coherence and continuity. They're glorious messes.
PHANTASM is a thing of Beauty
Okay, but have there been PHANTASM references in Stranger Things yet?
This show is cute and it's nice to see children played by children and portrayed as the intelligent people that they actually are. But, I can't help but feel like it's second hand smoke. If I want real 80s underground sci fi worship i'll reach for BEYOND THE BLACK MIRROR
Half of Season 1 episodes was Winona Ryder screaming and crying. Still, there were enough little payoffs to keep me engaged. This is the first TV series where I've watched every episode.
QuoteThis show is cute and it's nice to see children played by children and portrayed as the intelligent people that they actually are. But, I can't help but feel like it's second hand smoke. If I want real 80s underground sci fi worship i'll reach for BEYOND THE BLACK MIRROR
Wait, there is a series "Black Mirror" (haven't seen it) and a movie "Beyond the Black Rainbow" (highly recommended). Which one...?
I watched the first episode of season 3, which reminded me - it's kind of terrible at times, in a period-correct B movie kind of way.
Dude was playing a metal song is his Camaro (or whatever car that was) which I didn't recognize... probably some NWOBHM.
I enjoyed it but it fuels itself on nostalgia almost exclusively so I don't think it's all that fair, but I enjoyed it.
You want to hate on it because you recognize the massive praise it receives is undeserved and due to member berries or whatever.
(not YOU, the general "you")
It's okay. Dark is way fuckin better
South Park had an ongoing subplot about how everybody became addicted to "member berries"; talking grapes that waxed nostalgic about the sort of era Stranger Things or Ready Player One is built around.
It started as a joke about how Star Wars 7 actually sucked, but we were all so happy to see Chewie and actual puppet aliens and stuff that we overlooked its flaws. Everybody in South Park became addicted to these "member berries" and it led to the election of trump.
:thumbs up:
I really enjoyed S1 and thought S2 was decent. I'm hesitant to jump in to S3. I want it to be good, but I'm worried it's going to feel played out and only made because it's been so successful. I respect the people who made great movies and shows who knew when to call it quits and move on to something else, like The Americans, Mr. Robot, ect. Kubrick never made a sequel.
The monster is a moving blob of over sauced pulled pork.
Spoiler alert.
Made it through season 3, I had to tough it out a little. I hope it's over for good. I'm tired of the characters and the story and the stylistic approach. Yes, stereotypical characters, bad acting, bad clothes, bad scenes are all period correct 80's crap, but why do we need to torture ourselves? It wasn't bad, this season had some highlights (maybe the same amount as the other seasons?) but the novelty was kind of gone. I'm not saying it's not worth watching, but let it die already. I don't want to see Stranger Things: The College Years.
[spoiler]Why did the monster die when they closed the gate? Didn't make any sense. Maybe they explained that before, and (because I took my time in-between episodes) I forgot the explanation. I mean, I don't really care what the explanation is. But that part must have flew past me.
I loved the car crash scene in the last episode. Not enough surprises like that.
They left it open for Season 4. I kind of hope they don't do it.
[/spoiler]
The creators said they "need" 7 seasons to tell the "whole story".
::)
[spoiler]They did mention that the rift in the gate is what allows the monster to be animate... so I guess they're at least following their own arbitrary rules?[/spoiler]