Stranger Things - AKA the Kate Bush Revival

[bobbie solo]

Winona Ryder is incredibly fucking annoying in this show. I mean, it's because she played the part well... but the part was pretty awful for most of the season. If I ever watch this season again, I will be skipping through her parts until the back half of the season. Eugh.

you're crazy, and in a major minority. Her performance was great, as was the arc they gave her. She powered through her despair to become a strong character integral to resolution of the story. She wasn't just "hysterical mom". Furthermore, seems like this will be a major bump for her career with all the buzz around her performance and the show in general. Expect to see her in bigger things again. I loved her here.

[bobbie solo]

My only minor complaint is with the finale. Really, really did not want to see that particular couple at Christmas. I feel like Steve's character was developed too much to simply be forgiven by one "oh hey guys maybe I was a dick" moment. In my mind he's still a total cock, and it just pissed me off to see someone intelligent go for him instead of the person she seemed to actually connect with.

that's the point.

But more importantly, I did not want to see Eleven go. Not convinced she's actually gone (I mean, that food box at the end...wtf?), but I cared a lot more about her than Will. Probably just due to screen time and the fact that at that point she was a strongly developed character whereas Will was just a kid that had been missing all season. I would have felt a little bad if they'd gone "nope, he's dead". But I felt way worse seeing Eleven just disappear.

that's the point.

[theimage13]

you're crazy, and in a major minority. Her performance was great, as was the arc they gave her. She powered through her despair to become a strong character integral to resolution of the story. She wasn't just "hysterical mom". Furthermore, seems like this will be a major bump for her career with all the buzz around her performance and the show in general. Expect to see her in bigger things again. I loved her here.

Major minority? I'll admit that most of the opinions I've heard on this show come from friends and not the internet, but literally EVERYONE I've actually talked to about this show has said how the young actors just completely overshadowed Ryder's performance, and that they could have easily replaced her with someone else but that they couldn't imagine the show without those specific kids.

[GibbonBlack]

I finished this yesterday and loved it. I think it could have been a couple of hours shorter but overall it was great. The kid who played Dustin was the stand out for me, he was so awesome!

I love Winona Ryder but she was straight up hammy in almost every scene she was in. I know she can act though so I'm happy to say she was probably directed to be that way, but I really don't get all the praise she's getting. I'm happy to see her back in the limelight either way

[bobbie solo]

My major complaint is a superficial one. I wish the show was released at the end of september. This would be the perfect show to watch with the autumn season kicking in. That's alright though, I'll watch the movie "Witch" a million times instead to get in the spirit.

[Deepvoid]

Really love the OST but is it better than the OST for It Follows? Tough call. I can't make up my mind.

[eversonpoe]

Really love the OST but is it better than the OST for It Follows? Tough call. I can't make up my mind.

yes.

10 characters

(no, but seriously, it is. the it follows score is fantastic, but it doesn't have nearly the depth or range that stranger things does. it's MOSTLY just "ahhh this is terrifying" with a few moments of calmness. stranger things has so many different moods and textures.)

[Jinsai]

I love both soundtracks though, and I'm fully down with the new synth revival horror soundtrack thing. Please let this keep being a thing.

[onthewall2983]

The whole synth revival thing in scores feels like it started with Drive. Maybe what TR/AR have done too of course, but that score felt more purely synthy to me.

[Jinsai]

The whole synth revival thing in scores feels like it started with Drive. Maybe what TR/AR have done too of course, but that score felt more purely synthy to me.

It's been a thing with horror films for a bit. Too many people missed out on the awesome soundtrack to the remake of Maniac, and I love that John Carpenter has been moving towards highlighting himself as a musician. Drive was definitely a milestone in this respect, but I think you can give some credit to The Social Network as well.

[eversonpoe]

ben schwartz (jean ralphio from parks & rec) delves into the theory that his character may be related to steve from stranger things

this made me laugh pretty hard, but it won't be nearly as funny if you haven't seen parks & rec

[onthewall2983]

Spoiler: The really spooky (and sad) thing I took away from the very end of episode 8 is how Will is triggered by the very environment that's inherently supposed to protect him. Maybe others who have seen the Upside Down experience this too, but that scene in the bathroom was almost a little upsetting to me in that regard. But it was also a little bit dramatically innovative, I'm not a horror guy so I don't know if that's been a trope before.

[Millionaire]

Started playing this as something in the background, and naturally I just got hooked on it and binged it over two days. Loved it. This isn't a "kid's show" necessarily, but I liked that it was a show with kids that isn't afraid to delve into darker themes. Those were the kinds of films that really stuck with me as a kid, stuff like the Neverending Story or Secret of Nimh.

I think the characters have a lot of interesting things set up for them for a 2nd season, like the love triangle thingSpoiler: (it was cool that Steve got gud, but man I wanted her to get with Jonathan), and if Eleven will go full-blown Akira or not. Looking forward to season 2...well, there better be a season 2.

[onthewall2983]

There will be one.

[center27j]

i'm a sucker for the 80s nostalgia, but this was average at best. edit about 4 hrs of repetitiveness and it wouldve been much better.

[GibbonBlack]

edit about 4 hrs of repetitiveness and it wouldve been much better.

Though I didn't find it repetitive I do think it could have been a few hours shorter

[neorev]

If anything, this show could have been 4 hours longer

[GibbonBlack]

If anything, this show could have been 4 hours longer

I don't know. I loved it, but I don't think there's much else they can do with it. I think doing a second season will kill it for me. They'll probably add too much to it to keep people interested or something.

I'm happy to be proved wrong though

[kdrcraig]

I would've loved an episode or two more, I was surprised that there were only 8 episodes. I've read a couple interviews with the creators and they have plenty more ideas about Eleven, the upside down and the monster to get into.

[Khrz]

I think doing a second season will kill it for me.

Yeah, I'm a bit worried they'll start trying to explain stuff, and go overkill. That first season had a great balance, it will be hard to not upset it.
I just read a Wired article about series that ought to just stop once their stories got told, which said that instead of treading on the same previous narrative it might be better to go the American Horror Story route and just hop onto another story, another place, and other characters. And yeah, I could see that. A mystery in the middle of Arizona, strange shadows in downtown Chicago...
Just, don't try to make a bigger scarier creature, don't answer what happened to Eleven, don't explain the upside down and its workings.

[kdrcraig]

don't answer what happened to Eleven, don't explain the upside down and its workings.

See I really want to know both of those things. I thought the upside down was really damn cool and I want to know more about it.

[onthewall2983]

[Khrz]

See I really want to know both of those things. I thought the upside down was really damn cool and I want to know more about it.

Just summon

[GibbonBlack]

don't answer what happened to Eleven, don't explain the upside down and its workings.

And for Christ sake don't introduce a new character called 12 that everyone calls 'T' that can shape shift or something and has a skateboard

[neorev]

Season 2 confirmed to be 9 episodes...
http://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/76...hings-season-2

They want to treat season 2 like the great sci fi sequels that brought something different to the table, for instance Temple Of Doom, Aliens, and Terminator 2...
http://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/76...details-emerge

[neorev]

"But no one says anything until you both start punching and yelling at each other like goblins with intelligence scores of zero." - Dustin

[onthewall2983]

The kids are on Fallon tonight.

[neorev]

Eleven, Mike, Dustin, & Lucas were great on Jimmy Fallon.
I'm pretty sure Stranger Things' numbers will shoot up after their Fallon appearance tonight.

Fallon to Mike...
Fallon - "Can you read?"
Mike - "Can I read? Can you host?"

[neorev]

This poll from JD Power has Stranger Things just behind Orange Is The New Black. Both shows are blowing away the rest...
http://www.poll-maker.com/poll792476...2?sf34338744=1

[onthewall2983]