OT: Stranger Things on Netflix...

[BBrown]

who's watching?
I am loving it. It had me hooked in the first 10 minutes.
Watching it I can but help to think how good Netflix could do on another
couple of my favorite books. Boy's Life by Robert McCammon and Summer Of Night by Dan Simmons.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

who's watching?
I am loving it. It had me hooked in the first 10 minutes.
Watching it I can but help to think how good Netflix could do on another
couple of my favorite books. Boy's Life by Robert McCammon and Summer Of Night by Dan Simmons.

Started it last night but only made it about 15 minutes or so - I love the vibe; really feels like it's 'the 80's' and this was me when i was little - comic books, D&D, liking your friend's older sister....can't wait to get further into it. Really cool so far!

 

[BBrown]

Started it last night but only made it about 15 minutes or so - I love the vibe; really feels like it's 'the 80's' and this was me when i was little - comic books, D&D, liking your friend's older sister....can't wait to get further into it. Really cool so far!

Yea, just loving everything about it.
Soundtrack is pretty good and C'mon they played Echo and the Bunnymen's "Nocturnal Me" to end an episode. How cool is that? LOL.

 

[Sandinista!]

Finished it yesterday. They really did a wonderful job. My wife and I were addicted. The casting was exactly on point and they really nailed so much of the 80s vibe.

They are going to get a season 2 I am pretty sure and I can't wait for it.

 

[Obliviax]

I watched "Stranger Things" last night too, but it was on CNN, MSNBC and Fox. (sorry, couldn't resist).

 

[BBrown]

Finished it yesterday. They really did a wonderful job. My wife and I were addicted. The casting was exactly on point and they really nailed so much of the 80s vibe.

They are going to get a season 2 I am pretty sure and I can't wait for it.

I finished episode 5 last night. I'm kind of spreading it out since I know there is very little if anything else on the tube right now.
Unless of course you like watching Clowns (both conventions) or bizarre obstacle course races and kids who think they can dance. LOL.

 

[jimarnp]

who's watching?
I am loving it. It had me hooked in the first 10 minutes.
Watching it I can but help to think how good Netflix could do on another
couple of my favorite books. Boy's Life by Robert McCammon and Summer Of Night by Dan Simmons.

Watched all 8 episodes over 2 days. -- liked it a lot.

 

[#OneTeam#NextLevel]

...on episode 4. Thanks, man! Now I can't stop.... pretty interesting.

 

[lockhavenlion3]

...on episode 4. Thanks, man! Now I can't stop.... pretty interesting.

just finished watching 1 & 2. pretty hooked at this point.

 

[BBrown]

just finished watching 1 & 2. pretty hooked at this point.

Yea it really is addictive. I'm just loving everything about it.

 

[Lion Lineage]

Great show. Anyone think there will be a season 2? Going into it I thought it would be a one and done type show, but after watching the last episode, I'm not so sure

BTW, for anyone that cares, I'm flat_cap. I had this username (LL) for years and rarely posted. Couldn't recall my password and so created a new account, and now for some reason when I use my lap top I'm flat_cap and when I use my phone I'm L.L.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Yea it really is addictive. I'm just loving everything about it.

Bump because I finally finished Stranger Things last night.....***SPOILERS***

First, as an 80's kid, this show ticked off a lot of big, awesome nostalgia boxes for music, movies, video games, etc. for me - thinking ET, Firestarter, Goonies, and Stand By Me, with a lot of early 90's influence too - X-Files, Twin Peaks, and especially the video game Silent Hill. That, above all else, is the biggest influence in this show. It too is about traveling to/from a 'dark world' that mirrors our own, but with more monsters, evil, etc. Anyway, the tone and attention to detail of this show was meticulous - right down to the super awful clothes and hairstyles. And the cast - just fantastic. Everyone was soooooo good! I will say I loved Dustin and El the most, but Wynona Ryder was really compelling in a nice return to form for her - still looks great too.

Anyway, I'm fine with how things played out, and I've read that if/when there is a Season 2 it will be with the same cast moving forward, but that the Upside Down will be more fully explored and explained. I loved some of the sci-fi/meta-human stuff that was going on, but I thought there were a lot of big questions that went unanswered and/or didn't make much sense. For me, I got hung up on:

1. Why, after all these years, did 'The Monster' decide to reach into our world? Was it that he was only recently 'created' by El (by virtue of her entering the 'void' world or whatever it was when she was sent to listen to people via the isolation chamber)?

2. Why can't El speak very good English? She was born in the U.S., right? Was it because she was special? She seemed to be able to talk when she wanted but nothing more than a few words at a time. They could explain this a little better IMO.

3. How on earth did Will survive in the Upside Down? He was captured before Barb, and she was dead way before he was.

4. Why did El suddenly decide to escape? She seemed pretty 'okay' with 'Papa'. Was it to track down the monster?

5. The Monster? Who/what/where/when/why?

This stuff is mostly minor but when you're worldbuilding, I think you really need to have a solid set of rules and the viewer has to at least have some idea of what they are. I do think most people love this show because it does such a nice job of making parallels to movies and songs you loved in the past, but at heart it was a solid, if not spectacular, coming of age story. 8/10

 

[LionDeNittany]

I just saw this show. HEre are my answers based on just watching it...

1. Why, after all these years, did 'The Monster' decide to reach into our world? Was it that he was only recently 'created' by El (by virtue of her entering the 'void' world or whatever it was when she was sent to listen to people via the isolation chamber)?

El opened the rift allowing the monster into our world. She was in the tank trying to listen to someone very far away, she reached into that world and saw the monster. The second time she was put into the tank and asked to search out the monster. She met the monster and screamed. That scream opened the rift between the worlds. Not so clear as to why the monster has several openings, but thinking her scream created an anomoly along with the main opening at the lab.

2. Why can't El speak very good English? She was born in the U.S., right? Was it because she was special? She seemed to be able to talk when she wanted but nothing more than a few words at a time. They could explain this a little better IMO.

Makes for a good story. Also, her mother is a mute. Maybe something related to that.

3. How on earth did Will survive in the Upside Down? He was captured before Barb, and she was dead way before he was.

Barb was captured and killed by the monster. I have the sense Will was able to get into the world himself and run away. While he was hiding the monster wasn't able to kill him.

4. Why did El suddenly decide to escape? She seemed pretty 'okay' with 'Papa'. Was it to track down the monster?

She escaped because she wasn't OK after her scream. The monster freaked her out and she wanted to get away. She also realized in the lab when all the men were there that this wasn't her dad (although I think it may be her dad) and these people weren't her friends. she just wanted to get away. I didn't see the drawing she made well enough to draw any conclusions from it but I imagine there's something there as well.

5. The Monster? Who/what/where/when/why?

The whole show is about the game the kids were playing in the beginning. Dungeons and Dragons. My 9 year old said it was basically Jumanji or however it is spelled. MY sense is that the boy is able to throw fireballs (you said firestarter earlier) once his abilities develop. But the fireballs are green. El is the dad from Firestarter. The monster is that demon whatever they kept calling it.
The kids are a team and the monster lives in the upside down which is hell or the netherworld or whatever they call it in the show.

They left a lot of room for the next show. The chief met with the lab. The mom is still out there who hasn't met El. I was sort of bummed out they didn't fix that problem. The boy who was kidnapped will become a wizard.
I feel like if I went back and watched the initial game the boys were playing a lot of my questiosn would be answered.

Ldn

 

[Lion Lineage]

Oh, that's an interesting theory. So the game (D&D) mirrors their personalities and possible future abilities?

Q: You said El was the dad from Firestarter. What makes you say that?

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Oh, that's an interesting theory. So the game (D&D) mirrors their personalities and possible future abilities?

Q: You said El was the dad from Firestarter. What makes you say that?

I think he was saying 'power-wise', they have similar abilities, at least as far as the telekinesis goes (though El seems more powerful and may have other abilities not fully explained, such as her ability to hear people via the water chamber).

 

[LionDeNittany]

In Firestarter the dad had telekinesis and would get a bloody nose whenever he used it and become exhausted. The daughter (a young Drew Barrymore) had more powerful abilities and could effectively throw fireballs.

There were several references to the kidnapped kid and fireballs. First he didn't fireball the enemy in the game in the beginning, he protected his friends. Second he drew the wizard that threw green fireballs (this picture was brought up a couple of times) third he fireballed the bad guy in the D&D game they played at the end. I mean if he can't throw fireballs in the next run of episode I for one will be disappointed.

LdN

 

[sluggo72]

This is not really my genre, but I really enjoy this so far (1 more to go).
One thing though, in the scene in the junk yard, I swear I see my old boat there!!!
(one other thing, as a boater, in 2016 they are old boats, but in the 80's they would be relatively new!!)

 

[LTFox14]

Stranger things is awesome! Right there with Jessica Jones as the best. Highly recommend. Mille Bobby Brown(El) was unreal in her role especially for her age.

 

[Judge Smails]

Yea, just loving everything about it.
Soundtrack is pretty good and C'mon they played Echo and the Bunnymen's "Nocturnal Me" to end an episode. How cool is that? LOL.

They are in concert in Philly 9/10. I'm seeing them in NYC 9/12.

 

[uscgPSU]

I finished episode 5 last night. I'm kind of spreading it out since I know there is very little if anything else on the tube right now.
Unless of course you like watching Clowns (both conventions) or bizarre obstacle course races and kids who think they can dance. LOL.

Agree there is not much on. Summer TV is the worst. Not to derail this topic, but I just finished Last Chance U on Netflix. Pretty good, but frustrating to watch as some of these kids have all the talent in the world but just throw it away because of academics. Makws you appreciate what the PSU student-athletes are doing.

 

[AWS1022]

Agree there is not much on. Summer TV is the worst. Not to derail this topic, but I just finished Last Chance U on Netflix. Pretty good, but frustrating to watch as some of these kids have all the talent in the world but just throw it away because of academics. Makws you appreciate what the PSU student-athletes are doing.

I agree with you, I thought it was pretty good also. It is frustrating but let's face it, many of those kids have no business being in college. They can't even be bothered to bring a pencil or paper to class. And they even have someone babysitting them every day. The NFL needs a minor league program.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Yea, just loving everything about it.
Soundtrack is pretty good and C'mon they played Echo and the Bunnymen's "Nocturnal Me" to end an episode. How cool is that? LOL.

They also managed to get both Joy Division and New Order in separate episodes.

 

[BBrown]

They also managed to get both Joy Division and New Order in separate episodes.

Yea was that "Atmosphere"?
I recognized it but pretty sure it wasn't on "Unknown Pleasures".
Its one of their more obscure songs.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Yea was that "Atmosphere"?
I recognized it but pretty sure it wasn't on "Unknown Pleasures".
Its one of their more obscure songs.

Yup!