bleeding heart Posted October 18, 2012 Report Posted October 18, 2012 I have given up on both of these shows. Treme is a good watch though. So I've heard. Quote “There is a limit to how much we can constantly say no to the political masters in Washington. All we had was Afghanistan to wave. On every other file we were offside. Eventually we came onside on Haiti, so we got another arrow in our quiver." --Bill Graham, Former Canadian Foreign Minister, 2007
Michael Hardner Posted October 18, 2012 Report Posted October 18, 2012 So I've heard. It's slow though -> S... L.. O... ... W ... Then again, a lot of these so-called long form cable shows are really not as mature as some think. Really, they're just well written action dramas with lots of gunplay. Don't believe me ? Let's list off the biggest hits: Sopranos The Wire Deadwood Breaking Bad Boardwalk Empire Walking Dead I'm getting sick of the violence - it's in some ways a cop-out (pun slightly intended) for writers who don't know how to make something interesting Even Six Feet Under added crime bits when the show was flagging. Quote Click to learn why Climate Change is caused by HUMANS Michael Hardner
DogOnPorch Posted October 18, 2012 Report Posted October 18, 2012 There's always "The Borgias"...that's pretty good. Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
TimG Posted October 18, 2012 Report Posted October 18, 2012 I'm getting sick of the violence - it's in some ways a cop-out (pun slightly intended) for writers who don't know how to make something interestingIt is like CGI and sci-fi. Many shows think overwhelming CGI can make up for a dull script. Quote
bleeding heart Posted October 18, 2012 Report Posted October 18, 2012 (edited) Then again, a lot of these so-called long form cable shows are really not as mature as some think. Really, they're just well written action dramas with lots of gunplay. Don't believe me ? Let's list off the biggest hits: Sopranos The Wire Deadwood Breaking Bad Boardwalk Empire Walking Dead I'm getting sick of the violence - it's in some ways a cop-out (pun slightly intended) for writers who don't know how to make something interesting Even Six Feet Under added crime bits when the show was flagging. I"m ambivalent about this charge. To clarify: I've considered exactly the same thing. And in a way, you could be right: even the best of these shows are arguably slightly overrated...but nevertheless, the programs you've mentioned --each of them, without exception--is superior to the overwhelming majority of programming that's ever been on television. In other words, and in my view, the real Golden Age of television is now, and began somewhere in the mid-to-late 1990's. It's not that your critique is definitely off the mark. Like Isay, I've felt the same way, at least from time to time. But their quality must be, by definition, relative. And there's no way that "Adam 12" (or for that matter, "Law and Order") are of the same calibre as "The Wire" or "Breaking Bad." Not in writing, not in acting, not in the meaningfulness of character and story. Still, probably an even better example of what you're getting at is in "Sons of Anarchy." I"m addicted to the show, and watched the first two seasons in about two weeks. However, the self-evident need to have a whole lot of "Holy Crap!" moments begins to weigh it down, after a while. "Big Love," ostensibly a quieter family drama, had the same problem: a relentlessness to the Big Events that wears the whole thing a bit raw. Still, to harp a little on my point, it's got to be seen relative to tv programming generally: so what's better than these dramas of the past fifteen years? Edited October 18, 2012 by bleeding heart Quote “There is a limit to how much we can constantly say no to the political masters in Washington. All we had was Afghanistan to wave. On every other file we were offside. Eventually we came onside on Haiti, so we got another arrow in our quiver." --Bill Graham, Former Canadian Foreign Minister, 2007
Michael Hardner Posted October 18, 2012 Report Posted October 18, 2012 I"m ambivalent about this charge. To clarify: I've considered exactly the same thing. And in a way, you could be right: even the best of these shows are arguably slightly overrated...but nevertheless, the programs you've mentioned --each of them, without exception--is superior to the overwhelming majority of programming that's ever been on television. years? No argument here. Long form television is an entirely new popular art form and as exciting as these things get. In other words, and in my view, the real Golden Age of television is now, and began somewhere in the mid-to-late 1990's.It's not that your critique is definitely off the mark. Like Isay, I've felt the same way, at least from time to time. But their quality must be, by definition, relative. And there's no way that "Adam 12" (or for that matter, "Law and Order") are of the same calibre as "The Wire" or "Breaking Bad." Not in writing, not in acting, not in the meaningfulness of character and story. Sure - now let's put some credit on the medium though. Cable is different than broadcast and the medium get some of the credit for the improvfement. Still, to harp a little on my point, it's got to be seen relative to tv programming generally: so what's better than these dramas of the past fifteen years? The true Golden Age was supposed to be something to see - live productions with actors, directors and writers who soon became household names. That was the early 1950s. The American baby boomer New Wave of cinema was pretty great too - starting with Easy Rider, and ending perhaps with Star Wars - you had ten years of fascinating art come out. Video games... Modern American Theatre... Steppenwolf... what else you got ? Quote Click to learn why Climate Change is caused by HUMANS Michael Hardner
Michael Hardner Posted October 18, 2012 Report Posted October 18, 2012 oh oh oh - let's not forget my favourite : BurningMan - a festival that gave birth to an art movement that is an entire philosophy to life - it aims to take over all of society and won't slow down until it does.. I have been 6 times. Quote Click to learn why Climate Change is caused by HUMANS Michael Hardner
bleeding heart Posted October 18, 2012 Report Posted October 18, 2012 The true Golden Age was supposed to be something to see - live productions with actors, directors and writers who soon became household names. That was the early 1950s. Yes, but inextricably bound up with the fact that it was brand spanking new. The American baby boomer New Wave of cinema was pretty great too - starting with Easy Rider, and ending perhaps with Star Wars - you had ten years of fascinating art come out. I have a lot of gaps in film knowledge...but 1970s American cinema is my favourite era. The consensus is that it was revolutionary, and it certainly feels that way to me. Quote “There is a limit to how much we can constantly say no to the political masters in Washington. All we had was Afghanistan to wave. On every other file we were offside. Eventually we came onside on Haiti, so we got another arrow in our quiver." --Bill Graham, Former Canadian Foreign Minister, 2007
Michael Hardner Posted October 18, 2012 Report Posted October 18, 2012 I have a lot of gaps in film knowledge...but 1970s American cinema is my favourite era. The consensus is that it was revolutionary, and it certainly feels that way to me. You need to read Easy Rider and Raging Bulls - a book chronicling that time. Basically, the American cinema studies kids took the European new wave way of shooting realistic movies but instead of shooting a couple talking in a Paris cafe in black and white - they filmed guys on motorcycles, desert scenes, ghost towns... American things... They they started shooting giant sharks ... and yeah it started to die at that point... Quote Click to learn why Climate Change is caused by HUMANS Michael Hardner
bleeding heart Posted October 18, 2012 Report Posted October 18, 2012 You need to read Easy Rider and Raging Bulls - a book chronicling that time. Basically, the American cinema studies kids took the European new wave way of shooting realistic movies but instead of shooting a couple talking in a Paris cafe in black and white - they filmed guys on motorcycles, desert scenes, ghost towns... American things... I do think I'll check it out. Thanks. They they started shooting giant sharks ... and yeah it started to die at that point... To its credit, it's my favourite Spielberg movie. Quote “There is a limit to how much we can constantly say no to the political masters in Washington. All we had was Afghanistan to wave. On every other file we were offside. Eventually we came onside on Haiti, so we got another arrow in our quiver." --Bill Graham, Former Canadian Foreign Minister, 2007
Michael Hardner Posted October 18, 2012 Report Posted October 18, 2012 Why was Jaws so great, though ? The chemistry between the 3 leads - archetypes of manhood - or maybe American manhood. You can even still remember the character names, they was so sharply defined: Quint - an old new Englander - a sailor ... he may have captained The Mayflower, we're not sure Hooper - the egghead geek scientist ... a smartass but he's basically right about everything - like a climate scientist, or maybe Al Gore's college room mate - when the chips are down, though, he has to hide until the day is saved by ... Brody - the outsider... regular guy and working man ... when all is said and done it's up to him to do the job ... we're supposed to identify with him and we do .... Now Spielberg is nothing if not lucky. If that book is correct, the actors and directors had a lot of downtime waiting for the mechanical shark to get fixed, so they used the time to do rehearsal - UNPLANNED rehearsal. If that shark hadn't broken we would have had much less of a movie. By the way, the other thing I got from that book is that, incredibly, many Hollywood movies have little to no rehearsal. Did you know that ? Quote Click to learn why Climate Change is caused by HUMANS Michael Hardner
bleeding heart Posted October 18, 2012 Report Posted October 18, 2012 Why was Jaws so great, though ? The chemistry between the 3 leads - archetypes of manhood - or maybe American manhood. You can even still remember the character names, they was so sharply defined: Quint - an old new Englander - a sailor ... he may have captained The Mayflower, we're not sure Hooper - the egghead geek scientist ... a smartass but he's basically right about everything - like a climate scientist, or maybe Al Gore's college room mate - when the chips are down, though, he has to hide until the day is saved by ... Brody - the outsider... regular guy and working man ... when all is said and done it's up to him to do the job ... we're supposed to identify with him and we do This all sounds about right.... Indeed, Spielberg pretty much always works in archetypes...usually oversimplistic ones, which I think can detract from the movies. But it worked well here. Now Spielberg is nothing if not lucky. If that book is correct, the actors and directors had a lot of downtime waiting for the mechanical shark to get fixed, so they used the time to do rehearsal - UNPLANNED rehearsal. If that shark hadn't broken we would have had much less of a movie. And further, the original plan was to have a lot more of the shark; the mechanical problems determined that it had to go usually unseen. This turned out to be highly effective. By the way, the other thing I got from that book is that, incredibly, many Hollywood movies have little to no rehearsal. Did you know that ? No, I had no idea. Quote “There is a limit to how much we can constantly say no to the political masters in Washington. All we had was Afghanistan to wave. On every other file we were offside. Eventually we came onside on Haiti, so we got another arrow in our quiver." --Bill Graham, Former Canadian Foreign Minister, 2007
Michael Hardner Posted October 18, 2012 Report Posted October 18, 2012 No, I had no idea. It's pretty stunning, when you think about the scale of these enterprises. Sometimes I can tell if a movie has rehearsal or not... or whether an actor just arrived on set and they turned the camera on. Quote Click to learn why Climate Change is caused by HUMANS Michael Hardner
wyly Posted October 20, 2012 Report Posted October 20, 2012 (edited) I watched a few episodes of Boardwalk Empire, and I usually like historical series' if they're relatively faithful to historical accuracy; but for some reason I couldn't get excited enough about this series to keep watching. if i don't know the history it doesn't bother me if there are a few dramatic liberties taken...I don't know anything about Nucky other than he was a real gangster so I'm enjoying the show... Edited October 21, 2012 by wyly Quote “Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives.”- John Stuart Mill
bleeding heart Posted October 20, 2012 Report Posted October 20, 2012 if i don't know the history it doesn't bother me if there a few dramatic liberties taken...I don't know anything about Nucky other than he was a real gangster so I'm enjoying the show... Me too. I think it's awesome. . Quote “There is a limit to how much we can constantly say no to the political masters in Washington. All we had was Afghanistan to wave. On every other file we were offside. Eventually we came onside on Haiti, so we got another arrow in our quiver." --Bill Graham, Former Canadian Foreign Minister, 2007
Boges Posted October 22, 2012 Author Report Posted October 22, 2012 Excellent Walking Dead episode last night. This third season is turning out to be fantastic. Rick is turning into the type of Anti-Hero I wanted to see from him in this show. A Walt White of the Zombie Apocalypse if you will. Quote
wyly Posted October 22, 2012 Report Posted October 22, 2012 here's a contradiction that I don't understand...everyone is infected but they don't become zombies until they die unless they get bitten then they become sick and die, then become zombies?. ..how exactly does that work?... cool episode last night, I thought the confrontation with the prison psycho would drag out for a number of episodes...I was thinking the logical thing to do was kill him asap but logical action never happens in tv drama, it was a nice surprise... Quote “Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives.”- John Stuart Mill
Boges Posted October 22, 2012 Author Report Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) here's a contradiction that I don't understand...everyone is infected but they don't become zombies until they die unless they get bitten then they become sick and die, then become zombies?. ..how exactly does that work?... The disease is airborne. Everyone has it lying dormant in them. Once someone dies, for whatever reason, they become a zombie. If you get bit by a zombie, you get a fever and die, then become a zombie. But if you died from, say Cancer, in this universe you'd come back as a zombie. One being a Zombie you can only be killed causing trauma to the brain. Now there are lots of questions one might have like: with all this Zombie blood flying all over the place, how can people not get infected the active version of the virus through contact. What if someone died from a Stroke or Brain Cancer? Do they become Zombies? What about people that are Brain Dead? Edited October 22, 2012 by Boges Quote
wyly Posted October 22, 2012 Report Posted October 22, 2012 The disease is airborne. Everyone has it lying dormant in them. Once someone dies, for whatever reason, they become a zombie. If you get bit by a zombie, you get a fever and die, then become a zombie. But if you died from, say Cancer, in this universe you'd come back as a zombie. One being a Zombie you can only be killed causing trauma to the brain. Now there are lots of questions one might have like: with all this Zombie blood flying all over the place, how can people not get infected the active version of the virus through contact. What if someone died from a Stroke or Brain Cancer? Do they become Zombies? What about people that are Brain Dead? the blood splatter seems an obvious infection route...a saw an english movie where the healthy wore spatter shields...if they're already infected why don't people get sick and die?..why does it take an additional dose of infection?...it doesn't make sense... Quote “Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives.”- John Stuart Mill
wyly Posted November 5, 2012 Report Posted November 5, 2012 wowzer i did not see that coming...just when you think some characters are safe from extermination in zombieland and it's not even mid-season yet!... Quote “Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives.”- John Stuart Mill
Guest Derek L Posted November 5, 2012 Report Posted November 5, 2012 wowzer i did not see that coming...just when you think some characters are safe from extermination in zombieland and it's not even mid-season yet!... It was a good one..........Had to laugh at my wife bawling her eyes out though Quote
DogOnPorch Posted November 5, 2012 Report Posted November 5, 2012 It was a good one..........Had to laugh at my wife bawling her eyes out though Yours too? Mine went "Noooooooooooo....T-Dog!" Quote Nothing cracks a turtle like Leon Uris.
Michael Hardner Posted November 5, 2012 Report Posted November 5, 2012 Do yourselves a favour and watch Treme ! Watching cardboard cutout characters covered in zombie goo loses interest after awhile, doesn't it ? Why not watch a grown up show ? Quote Click to learn why Climate Change is caused by HUMANS Michael Hardner
Guest Derek L Posted November 5, 2012 Report Posted November 5, 2012 Yours too? Mine went "Noooooooooooo....T-Dog!" LOL My son and I are in agreement that the “two timing Ho” had it coming………..What’s funny is that the wife use to make fun of us watching “zombie crap” and is now addicted to the show. Quote
wyly Posted November 5, 2012 Report Posted November 5, 2012 Do yourselves a favour and watch Treme ! I tried to 3 times, lots of yak, yak, yak nothing happens, got bored...Watching cardboard cutout characters covered in zombie goo loses interest after awhile, doesn't it ? nope, adults need cheap thrills too...we're no different than the romans that filled the coloseeum... violence, gratuitous nudity, copious amounts of sex or political backstabbing is what it takes to keep my attention, anything else is just Disney family(kiddie) entertainment... Why not watch a grown up show ? a grown up show that's being cancelled, evidently not good enough to attract and keep an adult audience ... Quote “Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives.”- John Stuart Mill
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