Just learned the main actor is a Kiwi, mind blown.
― Tsar Bombadil (James Morrison), Tuesday, 16 March 2021 23:28 (three years ago) link
Also the acting is fucking amazing, just a wonderful wonderful show.
― Tsar Bombadil (James Morrison), Tuesday, 16 March 2021 23:30 (three years ago) link
guess i gotta check this perpetual grace show. never heard of Epix tho...
― i was too much listening to your accent (Spottie), Wednesday, 17 March 2021 00:46 (three years ago) link
it's a one and done apparently
― G.A.G.S. (Gophers Against Getting Stuffed) (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 17 March 2021 04:11 (three years ago) link
Patriot is so good
― Washington Generals D-League affiliate (will), Wednesday, 17 March 2021 07:57 (three years ago) link
Okay, long overdue thread:Patriot on Amazon Prime: Let me Walk You Through Our Donnely Nut Spacing
― G.A.G.S. (Gophers Against Getting Stuffed) (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 17 March 2021 14:30 (three years ago) link
what's (not) good on Prime
In 2018, the artist Lorraine O’Grady said at a Brooklyn Museum book event, “In the future, white supremacy will no longer need white people.” That future is now.O’Grady’s belief nods to the ways the structures of white supremacy are so ingrained in our culture that to exorcise them goes far beyond reckoning with whiteness itself. But after watching Them, Amazon’s latest “horror” anthology series, which dropped this past Friday, this quote came to mind for its distillation of the way people of color sometimes participate in their own degradation and in the systems that damage our lives and, in many cases, cut them heartbreakingly short.Them — showrun and created by Little Marvin and executive produced by Lena Waithe — isn’t just rote, flagrantly biting the aesthetics of other filmmakers. It isn’t just morally bankrupt. It isn’t just grating in its empty platitudes and kiddie-pool-deep proclamations. I am comfortable calling it one of the most anti-Black pieces of pop culture I’ve seen in the last few years, one that left me spent after the grueling process of watching its virulent imagery. It is a stunning refutation to Hollywood’s belief that representation behind and in front of the camera will fix its inherent racism. (I’m not sure Hollywood can be saved, no matter how many people of color it ropes into its machinations.) Perhaps I should have known when, early in its first episode, it explains the Great Migration in text overlaying the screen, tipping its hand that it is not for Black audiences at all, but everyone else.
O’Grady’s belief nods to the ways the structures of white supremacy are so ingrained in our culture that to exorcise them goes far beyond reckoning with whiteness itself. But after watching Them, Amazon’s latest “horror” anthology series, which dropped this past Friday, this quote came to mind for its distillation of the way people of color sometimes participate in their own degradation and in the systems that damage our lives and, in many cases, cut them heartbreakingly short.
Them — showrun and created by Little Marvin and executive produced by Lena Waithe — isn’t just rote, flagrantly biting the aesthetics of other filmmakers. It isn’t just morally bankrupt. It isn’t just grating in its empty platitudes and kiddie-pool-deep proclamations. I am comfortable calling it one of the most anti-Black pieces of pop culture I’ve seen in the last few years, one that left me spent after the grueling process of watching its virulent imagery. It is a stunning refutation to Hollywood’s belief that representation behind and in front of the camera will fix its inherent racism. (I’m not sure Hollywood can be saved, no matter how many people of color it ropes into its machinations.) Perhaps I should have known when, early in its first episode, it explains the Great Migration in text overlaying the screen, tipping its hand that it is not for Black audiences at all, but everyone else.
https://www.vulture.com/article/review-them-amazon-series.html
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Thursday, 15 April 2021 13:53 (three years ago) link
People really seem to hate that show. I can't imagine it being worse than American Horror Story, but I'm unlikely to have enough spare time to find out.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Thursday, 15 April 2021 13:58 (three years ago) link
Three episodes into Invincible and it's really good so far. Pretty stellar cast too
― groovypanda, Friday, 16 April 2021 08:57 (three years ago) link
the Seth Rogen empire of surprisingly quality funnybook adaptations is def a thing I did not see coming circa Pineapple Express
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Friday, 16 April 2021 14:27 (three years ago) link
I'm kinda into Season 2 of City on a Hill ... it's still largely "The Departed: the series" (except with Kevin Bacon as a scuzzy FBI agent instead of Jack Nicholson as a crime boss). But they're kinda getting more into racial issues and politics and the conflicts of black people trying to enact social justice on racial issues from within "the system" ... as in, this show seems to be doing more with black people as more than just signifiers, which is kinda novel for the standard "corrupt Boston law enforcement show" which generally is v v white.
― sarahell, Friday, 16 April 2021 20:06 (three years ago) link
I watched the first ep of Invincible just cause it's getting good reactions - and I'm not into superhero stuff usually but this works for me, mainly because it feels more akin to a straight-faced/(all-)earnest Venture Bros than a typical superhero thingie, and also because even just in voice form Steven Yeun is extremely charismatic
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Wednesday, 21 April 2021 04:22 (three years ago) link
It also has me thinking that maybe Prime will be the ones to revive VB
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Wednesday, 21 April 2021 04:25 (three years ago) link
oooof mantzoukas' banter is brutal though
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Wednesday, 21 April 2021 05:13 (three years ago) link
We were out at the last scene of Ep 1. Yuck.
― DJI, Wednesday, 21 April 2021 15:54 (three years ago) link
At least Preacher and The Boys were funny.
― DJI, Wednesday, 21 April 2021 15:55 (three years ago) link
idk... yuck for sure but the abrupt/extreme shift in tone felt warranted
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 21 April 2021 18:01 (three years ago) link
Given that it's by the Walking Dead people, I worry that they'll have to shoehorn a bunch of awful gore every episode. If that is not the case, I'd love to know, since I was getting into it until that scene.
― DJI, Wednesday, 21 April 2021 18:09 (three years ago) link
gore INTO every episode
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Tuesday, April 20, 2021 11:25 PM (thirteen hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
oh man, your lips to god's ears
― voodoo chili, Wednesday, 21 April 2021 18:10 (three years ago) link
what show are you all talking about?
― Cocteau Twinks (jed_), Wednesday, 21 April 2021 19:05 (three years ago) link
Invincible, based on a revisionist superhero comic by the writer of zombie comic The Walking Dead.
― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Wednesday, 21 April 2021 19:36 (three years ago) link
ah ok, thanks.
― Cocteau Twinks (jed_), Wednesday, 21 April 2021 19:38 (three years ago) link
(afaik it's not "by the Walking Dead people" in any other way, but the comic writer also worked on both adaptations)
― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Wednesday, 21 April 2021 20:40 (three years ago) link
I worry that they'll have to shoehorn a bunch of awful gore every episode
There's at least a little in every ep so far.
I'm enjoying the pulpy worldbuilding more than the A-plot. weirdly overqualified voice cast for each and every single little part, but that's amazon for you
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Wednesday, 21 April 2021 20:49 (three years ago) link
isnt this an animated series? animated gore is turning people off? how explicit is it?
― akm, Wednesday, 21 April 2021 20:54 (three years ago) link
lots of viscera
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Wednesday, 21 April 2021 21:22 (three years ago) link
The presentation/tone is the real issue I suspect ppl are having, but to say more would be spoilery
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Wednesday, 21 April 2021 21:23 (three years ago) link
Did not dig the comic so would need to hear it deviates considerably as incentive to check out
― Draymond is "Mr Dumpy" (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 21 April 2021 21:38 (three years ago) link
― DJI, Wednesday, April 21, 2021
5 eps in there are a couple of winces here and there but only one other scene like the one you're thinking of, and again in that one a certain kind of point is being made. it's ugly but not gratuitous.
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Thursday, 22 April 2021 02:01 (three years ago) link
They've uploaded all 75 episodes of Jim Nabors' late '70s talk show and IT'S A VIBE...
― blue whales on ambient (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 28 April 2021 01:03 (three years ago) link
Good news
Twitter: Announce Season 2, you cowardsInvincibleHQ: How about Seasons 2 AND 3?!?!?!? pic.twitter.com/lWCSGbNTka— INVINCIBLE (@InvincibleHQ) April 29, 2021
― groovypanda, Friday, 30 April 2021 09:02 (three years ago) link
people who take issue with the violence will uh not be happy with that finaleI do like the show but it kind of grew off me over the course of the season, mostly small writing problems adding up
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Friday, 30 April 2021 12:15 (three years ago) link
chief among them:
I definitely see the appeal of a psychologically somewhat "realistic" superhero show where a big ol' chunk of the point is that in any sort of "real world" scenario, having godlike powers while being surrounded by fragile meatsacks called "people" would actually be a horrifying responsibility. that's a fine starting point to work from. so to then have our protagonist bounce back (physically and at least to some extent psychologically) within a couple weeks after his own father beats him nearly to death and murders "incalculable" numbers of people, including literally using Invincible's body as a battering ram to turn an entire subway car of people into gore, kind of makes it seem like Kirkman and co. have the same level of respect for human life that Omni-Man does.
but yeah I mostly came away from it wishing it was actually a new season of venture bros, which actually pulled off the "psychological quasi realism in a comic-book/cartoon/pulp world" without all the casual genocide
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Friday, 30 April 2021 12:35 (three years ago) link
Consequence-free violence for bloodlusting fans is the Kirkman motif. That and bad dialog
― Chuck_Tatum, Friday, 30 April 2021 18:35 (three years ago) link
yeah it's just jarring because it does feel like some people involved are trying to pull it in a less hateful direction and it ends up in a weird tonal place
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Friday, 30 April 2021 19:43 (three years ago) link
I watched the new Dave Grohl van touring documentary 'What Drives Us' this morning on Prime.
It's not really about van touring, most of that is just glossed over. It's mostly famous rock stars (some of whom have never toured in a van!) talking about themselves and how much they enjoy playing live. They did interview some younger bands (Starcrawler, Radkey), but they get very little screen time. Dave Grohl made himself the star of the documentary, so there is plenty of Foo Fighters content. I enjoyed it, but if you're looking for a van-touring documentary, the one that was recently posted in the youtube documentary thread is a much better one.
― braised cod, Saturday, 1 May 2021 10:54 (three years ago) link
Vannist critique
― flagpost fucking (darraghmac), Saturday, 1 May 2021 11:23 (three years ago) link
Simon OTM - I haven’t watched the finale yet but initial pleasure has dwindled
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Saturday, 1 May 2021 14:55 (three years ago) link
I'm wondering - is Prime's original content (not counting stuff actually intended for families/children) deliberately, notably edgier than Netflix's? (Disney+ is a foregone conclusion.) I thought it was just the Rogen/Goldberg joints but reading about the lowlights of Them has made me wonder if it's not a deliberate strategy.
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Monday, 3 May 2021 16:05 (three years ago) link
The most violent Netflix original I can recall was Daredevil and it seems tame compared to the most gruesome stuff in these series.
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Monday, 3 May 2021 16:07 (three years ago) link
I haven't thought about that before, but it does make sense
― Mr. Cacciatore (Moodles), Monday, 3 May 2021 16:08 (three years ago) link
The Boys is ott for sure.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 3 May 2021 16:32 (three years ago) link
Though it's animated, parts of Invincible are actually worse.
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Monday, 3 May 2021 16:33 (three years ago) link
Meanwhile Netflix's most popular(?) original superhero thing, Umbrella Academy, is family fare by comparison. (Based on s1, anyway.)
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Monday, 3 May 2021 16:36 (three years ago) link
Invincible spoilers:
I did not read the finale as "welp everything's okay now" in any way, shape, or form. I read it as Mark is still deeply wounded by his father's betrayal and is rededicating himself to humanity as a result. I also read it as him seeing the galactic coalition as an opportunity to stop intergalactic Viltrumite expansion once and for all, so others won't go through the same trauma he and Debbie went through. A lot of the epilogue to that fight was explicit rejection of his father and his father's values; it doesn't make sense to me to read it as if Mark has "bounced back" or to parse the events as creator contempt for humanity. If anything, the entire series was about how traditional superhero stories are casualty-riddled bullshit and Atom Eve is the only person whose heroic endeavors seem to make any sort of lasting positive impact.
― 80's hair metal , and good praise music ! (DJP), Monday, 3 May 2021 16:42 (three years ago) link
I know they were going for that but (imo) the writing and characterization doesn't back it up credibly.
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Monday, 3 May 2021 17:05 (three years ago) link
I mostly enjoyed the "baddie of the week" elements - I liked the way they went for heavy serialization while remembering to tell discrete stories. So many series do nothing to take advantage of the episode as a discrete storytelling unit.
― intern at pepe le pew research (Simon H.), Monday, 3 May 2021 17:12 (three years ago) link
sometimes when I watch shows on streaming that were on network/basic cable, I think that commercials in a way were a nice way of forcing writers to make each episode have a good 3/4 "chapter" structure
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 3 May 2021 19:07 (three years ago) link
that's generous. half the time it feels like they use the commercial break to expositionally recap what you just watched
― Nhex, Monday, 3 May 2021 19:29 (three years ago) link