Stranger Things

[JujuFish]

Don't ever say I say something like trump without a much better case than 'little and big things'..

You spent a couple sentences saying absolutely nothing and using an extremely limited vocabulary. That is absolutely Trumpesque. Take it for an insult if you want, but destrekor's observation was amusing and spot on.

 

[Craig234]

I didn't because I didn't feel a need to parrot the poster above me who asked for exactly that. Was my comment essentially unnecessary? Yup.

And, as noted, others understood exactly what I was referencing. I'm sorry you found offense. It's like referencing Bushisms. It isn't political, it's a cultural reference.

You say I should have ignored your brief comment, if I didn't get it... is there a reference there that I missed? If so, then we both missed references.

I was hoping for this to be a brief non-interesting side note but apparently someone got all riled up as if personally offended. If Trump's your boy, cool, I don't care, this isn't the thread for it. When I was growing up I found amusement in the Bushisms yet I also liked his politics (at the time). Don't make mountains out of mole hills, it ain't personal.

As far as you and me, I think we agree - go back to where I said, that you were simply reacting to a mention of big and small things and didn't mean anything, and that makes it a non-issue.

It only got escalated because someone else was a bulldog about being wrong.

There's no issue finding humor in Bushisms or whatever.

I was always more appalled than amused but plenty were amused.

 

[Craig234]

You spent a couple sentences saying absolutely nothing and using an extremely limited vocabulary. That is absolutely Trumpesque. Take it for an insult if you want, but destrekor's observation was amusing and spot on.

No, it's more like 'you used vowels and consonants and trump does also!'

It's your shallow view of the issue that's the point, but ok.

 

[ImpulsE69]

No, it's more like 'you used vowels and consonants and trump does also!'

It's your shallow view of the issue that's the point, but ok.

More like high level view that went way over your head. Many of us here understood. Let it go, it was said in jest.

 

[zinfamous]

Don't go Trumpian on us now, use your big boy words!

lol, I thought the same thing when I read that.

 

[Craig234]

lol, I thought the same thing when I read that.

et tu, zinfamous? And ya, et tu are not big words, but don't expect them from trump.

 

[destrekor]

et tu, zinfamous? And ya, et tu are not big words, but don't expect them from trump.

That much is true. lmao

 

[zinfamous]

et tu, zinfamous? And ya, et tu are not big words, but don't expect them from trump.

it's not an attack man....I also responded to that comment exactly as I read it and did not know that it had erupted into a nonsense shitstorm in the meantime.

 

[purbeast0]

Jesus christ those guys know how to derail threads...

 

[Paratus]

Hey was t this thread about Stranger Things....

You might be right, but I didn't feel like getting into it. Usually I'll post more detail for such an opinion but just didn't feel like it here.

Little things done right were things like the D&D stuff was actually nice and even fit the show's narrative usefully (e.g., the choice between a 'protect spell' for himself versus a fireball to help the group that was dangerous making a point about his character, though not quite accurate); or the somewhat refreshing 'gray area' of the character Steve, not being just a 'jerk' or a 'good guy' but having some of each you don't see enough in tv stories.

I agree. One of the strongest points of the show was how they got you off and running by using stereotypical archetypes but then had the characters go through real character arcs changing those archetypes.

But things such as the whole premise of this 'alternate universe' as just some gooey crap you walk into, things like the interface including pounding on the wall to break through where a moment later it was just a wall, Will going from helpless kid stuck there to switching lights on and off...

I'll tell you why that doesn't bother me. Stranger Things isn't strictly a sci-fi show, it's also horror.

So I wasn't upset the portals didn't look like the stargate or Ricks greenish circle dimensional portal from Rick and Morty. It was more like the living stuff was an infection from an evil or deranged dimension inflitrating our world. It put me in mind of something like Event Horizon.

I took the part where Will almost pounded his way through was due to Elevens influence. I think when she found him with the schools radio she tried to tear another hole in reality to get to him. It's why I think she passed out.

As for Will, I'll point out the Demigorgon pulled Barb through but didn't physically have her in its hands in the upside down. It had to grab her physically once she was there. Unlike Barb who was stuck in the pool with it and unarmed, Will got transported in the shed with his gun. Will was also small, quick and it's mentioned good at hiding.

My bet is he was transported, pulled the trigger which distracted the demigorgon long enough to run and hide. In the last episode they show that humans in the upside passing by lights trigger them. Whispers from outside also seemed to cross over. I'm sure Will must have been able to realize he could affect the lights on our side and was using them, (and the phone) to get attention.

For that matter, the idea of the 'monster' that could capture Will in the first place but then not catch him again or eat him in the other universe, how did Will get the stuff to make the 'fort' and its sign in the other universe - it was a lot of very cheap, not in the financial sense, sci-fi.

The fort was built on our side. They showed it in the first episode as a flashback. Things on our side reflect in the upside down.

He chose to hide there in the upside down because it was familiar and hidden.

The idea the girl could levitate a van and be worn out, but also do things involving reaching the 'other dimension' we were told takes more energy than mankind can create by a lot? There were a lot of good things in her character and acting, but in ways it was quite a 'cheap' ET character.

Well I took it that she was weaker in the past but her powers were growing. She almost passed out throwing the one orderly into wall and breaking the others neck. In episode 6 she throws the one kid to the ground and breaks the other ones arm without slowing a bit.

Even when she threw the van she might have been tired but she didn't pass out. The only times she passed out and it wasn't a flashback was when she seemed to almost open a portal to Will in ep 4 and in the last episode after she had projected herself to find Will and Barb and then had to kill half a dozen agents an hour later.

It seemed to me that the show was also saying that when she was extremely frightened, (when she opened the portal the first time), or filled with rage, (when she destroyed the demigorgon), she was much more powerful.

I could go on of course.

Why would the government have felt it was a good idea to kill the diner owner? Why wouldn't they have had a better plan against the girl than to stand there and have her kill them?

While I think his killing and her subsequent escape was mostly done for plot it still made sense to me. The project was obviously above top secret, probably "black" and it had just gone all to shit. Interdimensional monster just tore everything up allowing their prize experiment to escape. It's likely whatever plan they had for a possible escape and recovery was screwed from the beginning.

They killed Benny to try and keep a lid on it. It wasn't likely Eleven would have gone quietly with the blond woman at which point Benny would have been a witness or actually tried to aid her.

Also remember by this point she had killed two orderlies and passed out. By sending two red shirts around back either they caught her or she passes out killing them and the blond woman captures her. Instead it's another example of how her powers have increased and how much more powerful she is when frightened.

I do appreciate the show's message on history of the actually horrific MKULTRA program (it could have made it stronger - thousands of Americans many made 'vegetables' by an evil and misguided CIA leadership). They were pretty accurate about the LSD and sensory deprivation used.

At any rate the Duffer Bros apparently had a 30 page document on how the Upside Down works. So it should be at least a bit more internally consistent than other shows like Lost where they were making it up as they go.

 

[Craig234]

Well, that's a relevant reply - the one point I feel was addressed was the fort in the 'upside down'. But the whole relation between the two dimensions I was was quite poorly done, sort of 'horror porn' that makes no sense but shows icky slimy things.

 

[Paratus]

Well, that's a relevant reply - the one point I feel was addressed was the fort in the 'upside down'. But the whole relation between the two dimensions I was was quite poorly done, sort of 'horror porn' that makes no sense but shows icky slimy things.

Well I was just explaining why I don't feel the same way. It's perfectly fine to feel differently about the show. :beer:

 

[destrekor]

Well, that's a relevant reply - the one point I feel was addressed was the fort in the 'upside down'. But the whole relation between the two dimensions I was was quite poorly done, sort of 'horror porn' that makes no sense but shows icky slimy things.

I guess I just didn't take that level of critical eye to the show. This wasn't a show where I expected a 100% faithful "realistic" adaptation, because let's face it, it's not at all realistic (so far as we know...) so I feel they get creative license.

But that's A-OK in my book, after all, you should only invest your time toward things you enjoy. We all have our preferences.

 

[Craig234]

Well I was just explaining why I don't feel the same way. It's perfectly fine to feel differently about the show. :beer:

Exactly - a fine post with your views.

You apologist. (I'm kidding!).

 

[darkswordsman17]

I remember really disliking the children actors in Super 8, so that might be the difference (at least for me). That said there's still plenty of things in Stranger Things that could have been improved, but I was more interested in that show than I ever was in Super 8.

I rewatched Super 8 recently, and yeah I don't really like pretty much any of the characters. I don't hate the main group of kids but I also don't like them much either (either ridiculously stock, or kinda assholes).

I think one area that really shows the difference between the two shows is the mom of the friend. In Super 8, she's a stock "just background mother character" (oblivious and there more to show concern about the main kid character, where she asks if he'd like to stay for dinner knowing his situation), but in Stranger Things its so much more. She initially seems to be that (even does the dinner offer), but then we see that she's not quite so oblivious (still is in a bit ridiculous manner to serve the plot when Eleven is there). Namely when she talks to her daughter, she doesn't just throw up her hands and be like "I can't reach you!" to serve the ridiculous parent cliche, she shows genuine concern and understands more. Little things like that is what made this show so much more than what it seemed.

Well, that's a relevant reply - the one point I feel was addressed was the fort in the 'upside down'. But the whole relation between the two dimensions I was was quite poorly done, sort of 'horror porn' that makes no sense but shows icky slimy things.

I don't feel like it was poorly done although I do think it is kinda wonky and just not well established (which I think makes sense in this case, as they're dabbling in things they don't understand). Like the gooey portal, but then yeah they can break through in other ways. We'll see how they address things from here.

I guess I just didn't take that level of critical eye to the show. This wasn't a show where I expected a 100% faithful "realistic" adaptation, because let's face it, it's not at all realistic (so far as we know...) so I feel they get creative license.

But that's A-OK in my book, after all, you should only invest your time toward things you enjoy. We all have our preferences.

A lot of times my issue is that a movie/show will go out of its way to explain something, but then doesn't hold consistency to that or shits all over it. I feel like Stranger Things held consistency, even if it wasn't well established or seems a bit silly on the face. That and it didn't establish itself as something and then change (so it didn't start out as just a drama about a missing boy and then out of nowhere all this supernatural stuff).

The other thing is, its easy to overlook a lot when you have likeable characters.

 

[destrekor]

A lot of times my issue is that a movie/show will go out of its way to explain something, but then doesn't hold consistency to that or shits all over it. I feel like Stranger Things held consistency, even if it wasn't well established or seems a bit silly on the face. That and it didn't establish itself as something and then change (so it didn't start out as just a drama about a missing boy and then out of nowhere all this supernatural stuff).

The other thing is, its easy to overlook a lot when you have likeable characters.

I agree completely. Stranger Things isn't perfect, but it created a world and stuck by it with consistency. And, remember, it's also an 80s sci-fi inspired masterpiece. I think the weirdness of the world is entirely consistent with 70s and 80s sci-fi, and things like gooey portals and weird dimensional planes of existence. Stranger Things is one thing for sure, entirely comprised of stock concepts from throughout the 80s. And yet, like most story telling, almost everything is the exact same in many genres, but you get different flair and sequences rearranged, essentially. It's dealing in tropes. But where the show displays its magic is HOW they do it, like the unique world they've built, and how they've created and established the characters. We all had favorite kids in this, because the acting and directing were phenomenal. Some things are definitely going to bother some people, but I just feel it is simply the work of borrowing all the ideas from that decade, and putting their own twist on it.

 

[Craig234]

Why didn't they kill the Sheriff as casually as they killed the cook, when they had him in custody? They were going to - how much sense does it make they took his word to keep quiet and didn't?

 

[darkswordsman17]

Why didn't they kill the Sheriff as casually as they killed the cook, when they had him in custody? They were going to - how much sense does it make they took his word to keep quiet and didn't?

Because they saw an opportunity to use him. He seems to also have some unique connection to the situation. So there might be some possibility for him to get resolution or something to his own loss (or are manipulating him into believing that so that he'll help them).

Finding out why he was willing to make the deal just for the opportunity to help Winona Ryder (whom he doesn't have any particular connection with, so its not like they used to be married or its their kid or something like that, which is often the case), is one of the things I'm really looking forward to seeing where it goes.

But it might have just been that, after having experienced such loss and how devastating it was to him, he might be wanting to save the boy and save her from having to experience it as well, so it was like a way to redeem himself and make his hopeless pit of an existence have some meaning.

 

[CZroe]

Why didn't they kill the Sheriff as casually as they killed the cook, when they had him in custody? They were going to - how much sense does it make they took his word to keep quiet and didn't?

I seem to recall him discouraging them by saying that others were aware of where he was, what he was doing, and who would be responsible for his disappearance, implying that killing him or making him disappear would only bring a bigger investigation.

 

[Craig234]

I seem to recall him discouraging them by saying that others were aware of where he was, what he was doing, and who would be responsible for his disappearance, implying that killing him or making him disappear would only bring a bigger investigation.

Killing the diner owner had that risk as well - and didn't seem to dissuade them from planning to kill the Sheriff. It's unclear why his offering to just not reveal them changed their mind - I didn't see another benefit to them.

 

[Kaido]

Finally got around to watching Stranger Things season 1, super fun! Things I particularly liked:

* Great music, Tron-esqe
* Excellent opening title sequence, very 80's
* Actual character growth (particularly Steve, not just with attacking the monster, but helping with the spray paint)
* The girl who played 11 was fantastic, the way she looked around without talking had real presence
* Adults (ex. the Sheriff) weren't just "idiots", like in say the Goonies
* One of the things that really bugs me in movies is when people don't talk to each other for no reason (happened a lot in Lost), as a way to add drama to the plot. It's just lazy writing. They did a good job with people not talking to each other for the right reasons in this show, however - like Nancy not talking to Mike because they're siblings. Their paths wouldn't normally intersect because kids tend to talk to their friends & not each other, so it was believable. And then they did a good job of intersecting the right people, like when the Sheriff talked to the kid who attacked Mike with a knife about the girl with superpowers, or Jonathan talking to Nancy about the faceless monster.
* Another thing that bugs me is blatant product placement. They did a good job in this one. Yes, it was obvious (the Eggos), but it wasn't out of place.

I don't have any major complaints about it. If I were to criticize, I would say that it needs a stronger tone (a bit more heart, like the Goonies had)...imo they should have used more of that great soundtrack throughout the episodes because it had a really good vibe to it - I felt like they definitely didn't use it enough! Other than that, it was a little bit light & loose on the sci-fi/horror details, but it looks like we're getting some more info on that in season 2. I'm excited!

 

[OutHouse]

Season 2 Friday, Oct. 27

 

[TheVrolok]

Season 2 Friday, Oct. 27

Looking forward to it.

 

[OutHouse]

 

[destrekor]

Finally got around to watching Stranger Things season 1, super fun! Things I particularly liked:

* Great music, Tron-esqe
* Another thing that bugs me is blatant product placement. They did a good job in this one. Yes, it was obvious (the Eggos), but it wasn't out of place.

If you want more of the music (the synthy type), check out /r/outrun/.

And one thing I find a little annoying is how many find "product placement" annoying. Let's face it, we are surrounded by brands all day. We use these brands. We see people use these brands. Sometimes I feel like some people would rather see everything 100% generic. While media is an escape from reality, it still helps to be grounded. Many products used/mentioned are mentioned simply because it was wrote into the story. Many novels will casually namedrop brands all the time. Iconic brands are, well iconic, and they ground things for us when they are casually displayed. Now I'm sure some of these studios get kickbacks but more often they were going to reference a brand somewhere anyway. It's no different than focusing on a car's grill and readily identify it. Let's face it, we'd rather see our characters drink Coke or Pepsi or whatever, as opposed to displaying some fake brand name. You see it and immediately think fake, and that can honestly cause you to alter your subconscious review of everything else happening in whatever you are watching. Think of a character going to a store to buy a blender going through the aisles of blenders, and all of them, including the one they picked, is a fake brand.

I never even considered the Eggo thing as "product placement" at all, it was just a thing, part of the charm of the quirky girl.

Now if people are mostly only concerned with the radio ad style placement, I could get that. Think of characters uncomfortably namedropping complete brand/model combinations in a way that breaks the fourth wall as far too blatant and not something a human would say even if they had a terrible grasp of the language. Think of talk and sports radio, the classic radio/occasional pitch-man.


This post of mine is largely out of boredom and aching for a reason to discuss Stranger Things. lol

When it comes out, I won't be in here (or new ST 2 thread, I think we should have one actually) until I've completed it. Could be awhile, others are watching it at my place with me so probably going to be a few nights. I'm hoping to complete it in a week.