[worry]

I started The Haunting on Hill House (on Netflix) and so far so good, mostly. Mike Flanagan is a pretty good horror director (Hush, Oculus, Gerald's Game besides the epilogue all worked) who occasionally makes some astoundingly bad choices imo (Gerald's Game's epilogue, the Oujia sequel). This is his first longform/TV show thing I believe, at least as director and I think as writer too. The show has multiple timelines going, so there's like flashbacks that inform the present day and that's working pretty well, though it does mean you get that thing where someone is dreaming the literal past/flashback and then it turns 'scary' and wakes them up. I hate those. Still, it's doubling the tension and hopefully it pays off in both timelines.

Also the casting is really good. Michiel Huisman is in this, and while he's not a rogue, he's still annoying & condescending in other ways when appropriate. He really is quite good in those roles. The family mostly looks related to one another, and getting Timothy Hutton to play the older Henry Thomas is particularly inspired casting. I'll let you guys know if this nosedives off a cliff or anything though.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Boyd Crowder really is a through-and-through miner — he keeps digging himself a deeper and deeper hole.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Briar King, on 22 October 2018 - 11:10 PM, said:

Justified?

Yep.

[Slow Ben]

worry, on 22 October 2018 - 10:21 PM, said:

I started The Haunting on Hill House (on Netflix) and so far so good, mostly. Mike Flanagan is a pretty good horror director (Hush, Oculus, Gerald's Game besides the epilogue all worked) who occasionally makes some astoundingly bad choices imo (Gerald's Game's epilogue, the Oujia sequel). This is his first longform/TV show thing I believe, at least as director and I think as writer too. The show has multiple timelines going, so there's like flashbacks that inform the present day and that's working pretty well, though it does mean you get that thing where someone is dreaming the literal past/flashback and then it turns 'scary' and wakes them up. I hate those. Still, it's doubling the tension and hopefully it pays off in both timelines.

Also the casting is really good. Michiel Huisman is in this, and while he's not a rogue, he's still annoying & condescending in other ways when appropriate. He really is quite good in those roles. The family mostly looks related to one another, and getting Timothy Hutton to play the older Henry Thomas is particularly inspired casting. I'll let you guys know if this nosedives off a cliff or anything though.

The wife and I just finished this. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Yeah, the casting is great.

I won’t say more until others have watched it.

[Abyss]

Briar King, on 23 October 2018 - 03:43 PM, said:

Hell yes! Mars S2 hits Nov 11!!

Really excited

THERE IS LIFE ON MARS!!!!!!!!!!


....really teeny tiny dead but was alive like a million years ago LIFE ON MARS WOOOOOOOOOOOOO.....

[worry]

Maybe every season he gets a different job.

[Cause]

Briar King, on 24 October 2018 - 03:27 PM, said:

38 minutes in Ep 1 of The Rookie. Pretty good. Love Fillion.

Only seen episode 1 so far. Was not overly impressed. I was expecting more castle, which to me was very comedy focused (great show) even though it was a serious show. Not sure what the rookie is. Low key drama. Love the Fillion though

[worry]

Finished Hill House. Mostly stayed quite good and gave me one of the biggest jump scares I've ever had in my life (and tbh, I wouldn't even call it 'cheap', as fit right into the story). But it's a haunted house movie, so did it stick the landing?
(I'll avoid direct spoilers)

Spoiler

Uh it had an ending that made sense, I suppose, but also halfway wussed out. It didn't like negate everything that went before, or break the 'rules' it set up, and it still had its dark moments and implications, but it also -- imo at least -- neutered the threat a bit. Also, this is another Flanagan thing with an awful epilogue. Luckily there were 10 hours of mostly good stuff leading up to it, so it wasn't as severe a clunker as Gerald's Game's epilogue, but also he can't blame this one on Stephen King. Anyway, I still gave it the ol' Netflix thumbs up, and I thought it was by and large quite good. Maybe that ending will work better for others, who knows.

[Slow Ben]

worry, on 25 October 2018 - 06:49 PM, said:

Finished Hill House. Mostly stayed quite good and gave me one of the biggest jump scares I've ever had in my life (and tbh, I wouldn't even call it 'cheap', as fit right into the story). But it's a haunted house movie, so did it stick the landing?
(I'll avoid direct spoilers)

Spoiler

Uh it had an ending that made sense, I suppose, but also halfway wussed out. It didn't like negate everything that went before, or break the 'rules' it set up, and it still had its dark moments and implications, but it also -- imo at least -- neutered the threat a bit. Also, this is another Flanagan thing with an awful epilogue. Luckily there were 10 hours of mostly good stuff leading up to it, so it wasn't as severe a clunker as Gerald's Game's epilogue, but also he can't blame this one on Stephen King. Anyway, I still gave it the ol' Netflix thumbs up, and I thought it was by and large quite good. Maybe that ending will work better for others, who knows.

I concur

Spoiler

10 hours of pretty quality tv. The ending? I mean.....meh.

But not meh enough to ruin it.

[Malankazooie]

Holy crappola! I recently discovered BoJack Horseman. I did some googling and see the show has five seasons under its belt. I'm three episodes in to season one and loving it! How did this awesomeness elude me for so long?! I'm a little disappointed in you T.V. addicts. I lean on you for ideas about new shows to try. You need to do better. #BeBest

[Tiste Simeon]

I've mentioned BoJack Horseman multiple times and I think Worry has too. It's one of my favourite shows. Brutally dark and utterly hilarious. It's just sublime TV and you have some groundbreaking episodes ahead of you.

[Malankazooie]

No worries. I've mentioned various movies and television shows (to no response), only later, and usually not that much later, to have someone post: "Oh have you guys seen so-and-so?" or "I really enjoyed 'show/movie x', any of you guys watch it?" So it's all good in the neighborhood. I usually am attentive to your posts TS, so my apologies. Posts by others, not so much.

[worry]

I do think you'll like it. It is dark and heavy as TS mentions, with accompanying gallows humor, but it's also so delightfully silly too. So many visual puns.

[Malankazooie]

When BoJack said: "That was worse than a hundred 9/11s", and "I would rather the holocaust happened every 4 years like the Olympics than this." I knew it was going to be pushing the envelop and not shy of being edgy. The kind of show that finds space right in my wheelhouse.

[Tiste Simeon]

worry, on 26 October 2018 - 09:25 PM, said:

I do think you'll like it. It is dark and heavy as TS mentions, with accompanying gallows humor, but it's also so delightfully silly too. So many visual puns.

Yeah that show is LAYERED as heck. Todd is genuinely one of my favourite character creations of all time.

[Morgoth]

The Haunting of Hill House is so good. The funeral episode was incredible on so many levels.

[Gorefest]

Dont know if anyone mentioned it here yet, but I can heartily recommend 'Inside no.9' (BBC). It is from the guys who did League of Gentlemen. Think Black Mirror but then with a dark comedy twist. Very neat.

[worry]

Nice, that's on Hulu. Added it.

An anthology show I've been catching up on (still haven't watched the latest S4 yet) is Channel Zero on SyFy/Shudder. It's a horror anthology, each season is one story over 6 eps, and it's pretty great. It doesn't seem to have any major restrictions regarding language or content, and it takes the horror element seriously. So far only S3 tended towards AHS-style camp (but with 6 eps, much less sprawl) and I believe it's the most divisive, but Seasons 1 & 2 are just excellent, tense, creepy horror stories played straight. It's not heavy on the social commentary per se, but I'd still recommend it if you like the scarier eps of Black Mirror.

[QuickTidal]

worry, on 01 November 2018 - 09:31 PM, said:

Nice, that's on Hulu. Added it.

An anthology show I've been catching up on (still haven't watched the latest S4 yet) is Channel Zero on SyFy/Shudder. It's a horror anthology, each season is one story over 6 eps, and it's pretty great. It doesn't seem to have any major restrictions regarding language or content, and it takes the horror element seriously. So far only S3 tended towards AHS-style camp (but with 6 eps, much less sprawl) and I believe it's the most divisive, but Seasons 1 & 2 are just excellent, tense, creepy horror stories played straight. It's not heavy on the social commentary per se, but I'd still recommend it if you like the scarier eps of Black Mirror.

The Channel Zero stuff is all based off famed Creepypasta entries. Solid stuff.

[Malankazooie]

Finally watched Stranger Things season 2 the days around Halloween. Really liked it. Not as good as season 1, mind you, but still great. Loved the nods (obvious or subtle) it gave to Gremlins, Terminator, Goonies (Dart = Sloth ), Aliens, cheesy MTV 80s music videos and more. Looking forward to another season. I hope they can keep the nostalgia feels going along with excellent story telling. Hopefully they will know when to stop and not try to keep milking it for all it's worth.