Stranger Things

[Brock Beauchamp]

Netflix did it again. I'm halfway through the series and the amount of painstaking detail to recreate the 1980s: clothes, houses, music (SO GOOD), even the title font... It creeps up on you and increases the enjoyment of everything in the miniseries.

 

And the characters are great, too. The Duffer brothers bait you with trope-laden characters (the skeezy boyfriend, the lazy sheriff) and then pivot with the characters in delightful ways. When a character is on-screen, you're interested to see what happens to that character and the moments where you want the show to "move on" are few and far between. There are no bad characters. There are no boring characters.

 

I don't know if it'd be possible for me to enjoy this any more than I am. I'm watching it slowly just to soak in the glorious details like perfect synth background music, the overtures to Stephen King, and those 80s jeans.

[ashbury]

Netflix did it again. I'm halfway through the series and the amount of painstaking detail to recreate the 1980s:

You really know how to make me feel old. This is some kind of accomplishment??? Tell the producers to just come over to my house; they can start with my sock drawer.

[Vanimal46]

I've been binging The Americans the past couple of weeks, so might as well stay in the 1980's with my TV shows! Currently adding this show to the list. 

[Squirrel]

I lived the 80s. Not sure I want to go there again. It was enough to get over the 70s.

[TheLeviathan]

We're planning to binge this weekend!

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I lived the 80s. Not sure I want to go there again. It was enough to get over the 70s.

It's revisiting the 80s in a very fun way. It's an homage to 80s entertainment but in a modern, less-cheesecake filled way. It's one of those fascinating examples of entertainment tipping the cap to inferior products and delighting the audience without falling into the pitfalls of the worst parts of the genre. I'm never quite sure how producers/directors pull it off but they can and they do.

 

The synth background music is to die for (but it's the spooky, subtle kind of synth that isn't poppy, just mood-setting).

[Mike Sixel]

Is the story any good? 

[Squirrel]

I actually saw this advertised and thought it would be something I'd need to check out. Guess I really will now.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Is the story any good? 

Yes, in a very schlocky way. You don't really understand what's happening until the third or fourth episode but there's enough intrigue building that the story's relatively slow progress never hinders your enjoyment of the series.

 

The mini-series is basically a mash-up of Stephen King, 70s/80s Speilberg, and a slew of horror/thriller stuff from the 80s.

 

It has two of the most endearing characters I've seen in awhile: a goofy-looking kid with a teeth problem and a young girl with a shaved head and mysterious origins.

 

The show is so much damned fun, the four kids and the sheriff being the most fun.

[Pardon My Dinger]

I watched the first one a few nights ago. It was saweet. Like Super-8 the TV show. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I watched the first one a few nights ago. It was saweet. Like Super-8 the TV show. 

Yeah, Stranger Things feels a lot like Abrams because they're both pulling from the same inspirations.

 

And I quite liked Super 8 so that's a good thing.

[nicksaviking]

I'm on episode four and it's midnight. Really tempted to be juvenile and finish her off.

 

So many awesome referrences. Basically ET + Firestarter + Poltergeist with oodles of nods to Spielberg and King. The police chief's Indiana Jones fedora is only my second favorite tribute after the classic Stephen King paperback title font. Wynona Rider is awesome, she seems to be doing the Jobeth Williams' Poltergeist character but as an unstable Sally Field. If this doesn't get her back in high demand, nothing will. And the child actors are doing a great job as well.

 

I have never watched a Netfix show twice, but I will this one to try to catch all the stuff I missed.

 

Oh, and the music is fantastic.

[Vanimal46]

Watched the first episode last night. I'm slightly confused as to what's happening right now, but I'm certainly intrigued to keep going. 

[joethastud]

I'm two episodes in and I'm very intrigued.  Definitely going to run through the show.

 

As far as the music goes, anyone else notice that it is a slight rip-off of The Knick's?  

[Craig Arko]

Watched from beginning to end during the storms on Saturday. Very good. Will be interesting to see what they do for an encore.

[Vanimal46]

#allBarbsMatter

We'll never forget you when you're lost, Barb. 

[ALessKosherScott]

It's definitely making me jam out to a Stranger Things playlist at work.

[PseudoSABR]

Really enjoyed it, for all the reasons listed above.  I have to say that last scene, was such an 80s thing to do to set up an unnecessary sequal, not that I think there will be one.

 

Have the Duffer brothers done anything else before this?

[Vanimal46]

According to their IMDB page, this is their first big hit show. They've also done something called "Hidden" in 2015. Never heard of it. 

Like Pseudo said, they set it up for an unnecessary sequel, but that's really not going to happen, right? What direction could they go if there is a season 2? 

[Craig Arko]

 

According to their IMDB page, this is their first big hit show. They've also done something called "Hidden" in 2015. Never heard of it. 

Like Pseudo said, they set it up for an unnecessary sequel, but that's really not going to happen, right? What direction could they go if there is a season 2? 

I'd guess an entirely new story with new characters. Possibly maintaining the RPG central theme.

[PseudoSABR]

 

According to their IMDB page, this is their first big hit show. They've also done something called "Hidden" in 2015. Never heard of it. 

Like Pseudo said, they set it up for an unnecessary sequel, but that's really not going to happen, right? What direction could they go if there is a season 2? 

I thought it was them staying true to the genre; I certainly hope they won't try to milk the upside-down world any more than they already have.

 

There next project probably needs to be something totally different, or it might fall in the True Detective Season 2 trap.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I thought it was them staying true to the genre; I certainly hope they won't try to milk the upside-down world any more than they already have.

 

There next project probably needs to be something totally different, or it might fall in the True Detective Season 2 trap.

 

or heroes.....

[Vanimal46]

Interesting side note about True Detective. I was at a pool party this weekend and met a guy who writes scripts for TV series. I'm not sure if he knew the creator of True Detective personally, or just heard it through the grapevine, but what he said makes a ton of sense why we saw a huge drop-off between season 1 and season 2. 

The whole story of Rust, Marty, and the Yellow King was written over the course of 7 years before it went to production. Then they wanted the creator to write season 2 in less than a year.. I would have been fine with waiting longer for a higher quality season 2. And now it doesn't appear they're going to get a shot for season 3. 

[nicksaviking]

I read something somewhere that made it pretty clear these guys were going to do a season two.

 

I wish they wouldn't, season 2's for these kinds of shows are usually such a let down. And I'm typing this after finishing season two of Bloodline.

 

Clearly Stranger Things was well thought out and very detailed. Not only is it unlikely that they would have enough time to put the same effort into a season two, but almost certainly they already used their favorite plot details from their favorite movies, used their favorite music and scripted their favorite homages.

 

Logic says that what is left would likely be second rate.

[Vanimal46]

 

I read something somewhere that made it pretty clear these guys were going to do a season two.

 

I wish they wouldn't, season 2's for these kinds of shows are usually such a let down. And I'm typing this after finishing season two of Bloodline.

 

Clearly Stranger Things was well thought out and very detailed. Not only is it unlikely that they would have enough time to put the same effort into a season two, but almost certainly they already used their favorite plot details from their favorite movies, used their favorite music and scripted their favorite homages.

 

Logic says that what is left would likely be second rate.

If they're really going to do a 2nd season, then I hope they take the time to do it right. I wouldn't care if it took longer than a year to produce a high quality sequel. Like you I hope they leave this one alone. 

[nicksaviking]

 

If they're really going to do a 2nd season, then I hope they take the time to do it right. I wouldn't care if it took longer than a year to produce a high quality sequel. Like you I hope they leave this one alone. 

 

Yeah, take their time if they're going to do it, I'm not sure Netflix really has any set schedules, so maybe they can.

 

Fargo was pretty similar in that it was a very detailed period piece using boatloads of homages. Perhaps they can match Fargo season two. I guess I'm talking myself into some hope, though as much as I liked Stranger Things I think Fargo had a more cohesive plot, better dialog and more tension even though it was only a dark comedy.

[PseudoSABR]

If they set Stranger Things Season Two, a decade later, say 1993; they might be able to mine a similar retro feel; though the early 1990s don't feel, as of yet, a time-period rife for re-exploration...

[nicksaviking]

 

If they set Stranger Things Season Two, a decade later, say 1993; they might be able to mine a similar retro feel; though the early 1990s don't feel, as of yet, a time-period rife for re-exploration...

 

Agreed, to use my Fargo comparison again, Fargo probably originally intended to draw Cohen Brother fans, Stranger Things is probably trying to draw people with 80's nostalgia, though perhaps they could just aim at Spielberg and King fans, they were still doing stuff in the 90's.

 

Though they may get some pushback if they try to do a mashup of dinosaurs and the Holocaust.

[PseudoSABR]

Whelp, Season Two will be a direct sequel. 

[Vanimal46]

 

Whelp, Season Two will be a direct sequel. 

Meh. I think I would have preferred them going with a whole new story and characters. Most of the characters in season 1 had their stories tied up pretty well where they could have went either direction for season 2. 

I'm worried they may have just caught lightning in a bottle and they won't be able to follow up on their success with a direct sequel.