Stranger Things (Netflix) [Spoiler Thread]

[HexMachina]

6 hours ago, Risto said:

Just saw this comment... You know what, one has to feel sorry for the kid who played Will. The lack of prominence in first season affected his popularity... 

Also, this show is wonderful thing to remind us how amazing Winona Ryder can be. I hope this will be her comeback. 

I thought Winona Ryder was great. Who knew it was possible to make talking to a bundle of Christmas lights so enthralling? 

(She was way better than Clare Foy. Hmmph.) (Foy is good but not as good as any of the other Globe nominees were)

Back to the teen thing though, I didn't think they were bad. The characterisation was good (except Steve's two friends who were pretty one-note) particularly the whole Steve-Nancy-Jonathan thing. Were they great actors? No, but they were good enough. Plenty of middling actors out there still capable of making a good tv show or film.

Plus, Nancy looks so much like someone I went to school with I just kept thinking of her throughout the show.

 

[Maithanet]

That was my main complaint with Nancy.  I felt like 95% of her character was just that "she looked like the character we were trying to portray".  Once you got past that, there really wasn't much there in terms of personality, dialogue, writing, or acting. 

[Mladen]

1 hour ago, HelenaExMachina said:

I thought Winona Ryder was great. Who knew it was possible to make talking to a bundle of Christmas lights so enthralling? 

(She was way better than Clare Foy. Hmmph.) (Foy is good but not as good as any of the other Globe nominees were)

This is like Oscars 2006 all over again... And please don't make me start explaining how Hellen Mirren shouldn't have won

But, I was thoroughly impressed by Winona. We forget sometimes how some people are good at what they do when we don't see them around. And she is amazing. Truly fascinating. 

1 hour ago, Maithanet said:

That was my main complaint with Nancy.  I felt like 95% of her character was just that "she looked like the character we were trying to portray".  Once you got past that, there really wasn't much there in terms of personality, dialogue, writing, or acting. 

I think this is, what I like to call it lately, Sansa-phenomenon. You have the young actress, of relative capability who is lost in what she is supposed to do. I feel that they were stuck with what Nancy is supposed to be - good girl fall for bad guy or just annoying teenager in rebel phase. And again, the beautiful girl not being in love with the jock but the outsider... I can't even...

[mormont]

8 hours ago, Maithanet said:

That was my main complaint with Nancy.  I felt like 95% of her character was just that "she looked like the character we were trying to portray".  Once you got past that, there really wasn't much there in terms of personality, dialogue, writing, or acting. 

Couldn't disagree more. Nancy is quietly a terrific character. Her relationships with Steve and Jonathan are almost always on her terms. She sleeps with Steve because she wants to. She like Jonathan but doesn't fall into his arms because he rescues her - she wants to be his friend, not his prize. She's low-key but in control, determined, and passionate. And Natalia Dyer does a great job with that. Low-key is hard to pull off, but she does a fine job.

[red snow]

15 hours ago, Risto said:

 And again, the beautiful girl not being in love with the jock but the outsider... I can't even...

But she chose the jock in the end - although I guess he became a bit of an outside when he ditched his mates. I thought that was one of the fun aspects of her arc how she stuck with the "I don't take photos of people" guy which doesn't usually happen in movies. That and the fact the jock didn't die, as someone mentioned upthread, was a surprise.

[Maithanet]

8 hours ago, mormont said:

Couldn't disagree more. Nancy is quietly a terrific character. Her relationships with Steve and Jonathan are almost always on her terms. She sleeps with Steve because she wants to. She like Jonathan but doesn't fall into his arms because he rescues her - she wants to be his friend, not his prize. She's low-key but in control, determined, and passionate. And Natalia Dyer does a great job with that. Low-key is hard to pull off, but she does a fine job.

I agree that on a high level, episode by episode, Nancy's character is fine.  I just felt like in the details, a lot of her scenes just didn't really work, the dialogue felt very by-the-numbers.  She also made some really baffling decisions, like climbing alone into the tree (good thing she had plot armor there). 

[Mladen]

3 minutes ago, red snow said:

But she chose the jock in the end - although I guess he became a bit of an outside when he ditched his mates. I thought that was one of the fun aspects of her arc how she stuck with the "I don't take photos of people" guy which doesn't usually happen in movies. That and the fact the jock didn't die, as someone mentioned upthread, was a surprise.

Yeah, but her sad face as Jonathan was going means that the triangle is not over. Although, those are good points.

[DunderMifflin]

The Duffers Bros said they originally planned to kill Steve the jock and make the tropey ending of the pretty girl choosing the outcast over the jock. 

He was supposed to come off as much more of a steaming douche than he actually did. The actor who played him was such a nice guy in real life and came off more likeable on screen than intented that they decided not to kill him.

 

My only tiny complaint about the show is I don't think it's conveyed enough what incredibly epic outcasts these kids would have been. Playing D&D in a small town in the 80s??? That's basically the equivalent of sacrificing babies to satan.

[red snow]

1 hour ago, Risto said:

Yeah, but her sad face as Jonathan was going means that the triangle is not over. Although, those are good points.

The dreaded distant gaze. Hopefully they continue to leave it as is.

1 hour ago, DunderMifflin said:

The Duffers Bros said they originally planned to kill Steve the jock and make the tropey ending of the pretty girl choosing the outcast over the jock. 

He was supposed to come off as much more of a steaming douche than he actually did. The actor who played him was such a nice guy in real life and came off more likeable on screen than intented that they decided not to kill him.

Sounds like a case of someone not sticking to the actor's notes changing the story into something more less cliched. Funny how the "what usually happens in real life" is the alternative in film. Guess we know which demographic a lot of the writer/directors come from

[DunderMifflin]

Well in this particular show cliches are kinda the point. I'm beginning to think that every single scene is a throwback to something from the 80s like the government hazmat suit guys are exactly the same as the ones in E.T.

Every time I watch it I notice something new. 

[dbunting]

2 hours ago, DunderMifflin said:

My only tiny complaint about the show is I don't think it's conveyed enough what incredibly epic outcasts these kids would have been. Playing D&D in a small town in the 80s??? That's basically the equivalent of sacrificing babies to satan.

Well they did show them being tormented and bullied more than once. They also made it clear that they had no "fringe" friends either, it was just the four of them.

[red snow]

1 hour ago, DunderMifflin said:

Well in this particular show cliches are kinda the point. I'm beginning to think that every single scene is a throwback to something from the 80s like the government hazmat suit guys are exactly the same as the ones in E.T.

Every time I watch it I notice something new. 

there's a good video lining up many of the influences on the series - some are uncanny.

Although it does make me worry about the second season as they clearly picked the best homages for the first season so the next one may be a bit "best of vol.2". It was one of the reasons I thought they'd maybe switch to a different decade.

32 minutes ago, dbunting said:

Well they did show them being tormented and bullied more than once. They also made it clear that they had no "fringe" friends either, it was just the four of them.

Didn't one of the bullies essentially try and kill one of them at the quarry. If Elle hadn't turned up the kid would have died.

[dbunting]

3 hours ago, red snow said:

there's a good video lining up many of the influences on the series - some are uncanny.

Although it does make me worry about the second season as they clearly picked the best homages for the first season so the next one may be a bit "best of vol.2". It was one of the reasons I thought they'd maybe switch to a different decade.

Didn't one of the bullies essentially try and kill one of them at the quarry. If Elle hadn't turned up the kid would have died.

Yeah, was going to push him into the quarry.

[DunderMifflin]

3 hours ago, red snow said:

 

but it was in retaliation,  he didn't try to kill him due to his nerdness

[Prince of the North]

6 hours ago, DunderMifflin said:

My only tiny complaint about the show is I don't think it's conveyed enough what incredibly epic outcasts these kids would have been. Playing D&D in a small town in the 80s??? That's basically the equivalent of sacrificing babies to satan.

Yeah, can't say I agree with this.  You see, I grew up playing D&D in a small town in the 80s and was in no way an "epic outcast".  I also played sports, partied like a rock star, dated, got good grades in school, and enjoyed all sorts of nerdy things like reading science fiction and fantasy books, watching science fiction and fantasy shows, playing video games, playing other games/board games, etc.  And from people I met/knew in college and have met and talked with since then I don't believe my childhood/teen experience is all that unique.   

3 hours ago, red snow said:

Didn't one of the bullies essentially try and kill one of them at the quarry. If Elle hadn't turned up the kid would have died.

I remember this being discussed here on the board at the time and I agreed with those who felt this was quite a bit over the top and obviously intended to showcase Elle (Eleven).

Bottom line, though, bring on Season 2! 

[DunderMifflin]

1 minute ago, Prince of the North said:

Yeah, can't say I agree with this.  You see, I grew up playing D&D in a small town in the 80s and was in no way an "epic outcast".  I also played sports, partied like a rock star, dated, got good grades in school, and enjoyed all sorts of nerdy things like reading science fiction and fantasy books, watching science fiction and fantasy shows, playing video games, playing other games/board games, etc.  And from people I met/knew in college and have met and talked with since then I don't believe my childhood/teen experience is all that unique.   

I remember this being discussed here on the board at the time and I agreed with those who felt this was quite a bit over the top and obviously intended to showcase Elle (Eleven).

Bottom line, though, bring on Season 2! 

Which none of them do.

[Prince of the North]

1 minute ago, DunderMifflin said:

Which none of them do.

So?  Why do you say that kids playing D&D in a small town in the 80s would be "epic outcasts"?  I disagree with that contention and I'm living proof otherwise.

[Fez]

3 hours ago, red snow said:

there's a good video lining up many of the influences on the series - some are uncanny.

Although it does make me worry about the second season as they clearly picked the best homages for the first season so the next one may be a bit "best of vol.2". It was one of the reasons I thought they'd maybe switch to a different decade.

They could genre-shift in Season 2, focus less on the homages to '80s coming of age stories and more on homages to '80s horror stories. 

One of the episodes in Season 2 is going to be called "The Pumpkin Patch" after all.

[DunderMifflin]

6 minutes ago, Prince of the North said:

So?  Why do you say that kids playing D&D in a small town in the 80s would be "epic outcasts"?  I disagree with that contention and I'm living proof otherwise.

OK kids that played D&D and didn't play sports, date, or "party like rockstars".

Now you are no longer "living proof" 

[Prince of the North]

2 minutes ago, DunderMifflin said:

OK kids that played D&D and didn't play sports, date, or "party like rockstars".

Now you are no longer "living proof" 

Sure I am.  I'm still living proof that being a kid in a small town in the 80s that happened to play D&D didn't automatically make me an "epic outcast".  Your initial post in this regard seemed far too broad, that's all.  There certainly may be correlation between playing D&D and being a "nerd" or being seen as an "outcast" but there isn't necessarily causation.

Also, "partied like a rockstar" is an absolutely spot-on description of how I and my friends partied in high school and college