I just saw the IT remake. I'll check out this new series when it comes to DVD or Blu-ray if it's good. IT was very good.
That kind of sucks but at least I know now; don't think I've watched any current Hulu shows since I got the service.
I binged the 3 episodes tonight, and by the end my attention was seriously waning. The show has a lot of qualities that I generally like, a slow-burn emphasis on atmosphere, less frenetic editing rhythms, and moody cinematography--but it's curiously inert. The sprawling cast is mostly uncompelling, a big problem since suspense is so dependent upon sympathetic, relatable characters. Over-plotting is another big issue. So much time is spent on exposition that any potential drama is thoroughly diluted. It's certainly possible that all of this will pay off later, but after three episodes, there's no real narrative momentum. I'd also argue that the show's relentless seriousness makes it a lot less enjoyable than it should be. It's virtually humorless, which makes the tone kind of monotonous after a while. A little levity could have given some of these characters more personality. As is, they're not a lot of fun to spend time with. It's apparent that this is a very ambitious endeavor, which makes me wish I enjoyed it more. I'll give it at least one more episode, but it's going to have to perk up considerably to keep me going.
Yeah, I started to watch this last night, but I was so bored, that I fell asleep. I've been burned by a lot of shows lately, and I don't know if I wanna invest more time into this one.
I went to Orange, MA today where this show is filmed and man, it has a LOT in common with the town of Castle Rock. You can’t even find a place to eat at noon on a Saturday. Lots of closed up store fronts. Pretty depressing. Still, got some photos in. Gotta say, I now understand why I have never been to this town even though it is just 40 minutes down the road.
With the finale coming this Wednesday, I finally started the series last week. Been doing one episode per night. I've seen through episode 5, which is the half-way point in the season. The first episode was decent, but everything after that has been zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... The show has gone nowhere. There's nothing that has happened so far that wasn't established in the first episode. I also fail to see the connection to Stephen King's work or style. Hey, it takes place in Castle Rock and there's Shawshank prison! Oh look, her name is Jackie Torrence! Get it? For the most part, the connections are pretty tenuous and annoying. I looked up a guide to see if there were any references I missed, and it was stuff like "in this episode Melanie Lynskey encountered a group of children wearing masks, which is a direct reference to Children Of The Corn." LOLOLOLOL STFU! The only interesting connection so far is the Scott Glenn character, who is a character from Needful Things and The Dark Half (previously played by Ed Harris and Michael Rooker, respectively). Anyway, this show is a huge disappointment so far. Baffling to see everyone all abuzz about it, while completely ignoring Mr. Mercedes, which is a pretty solid series based on Stephen King's work. I guess Castle Rock is more marketable and accessible for the mainstream.
Ugh. This is why I stopped after four episodes. I've been hoping one of you guys would like it enough to convince me to try again. You can see how much money and time was expended putting this together. Yet there's practically nothing compelling about it. The characters are dull. The situations are dull. The score is dull. The camera work isn't bad, but it's certainly not captivating. There's no strong dramatic through-line. What a bummer.
I like it quite a bit. It’s too bad so many are impatient because it gets really good with episode 6 (or maybe the 7th), which is an all Sissy Spacek episode. The 9th is also very interesting. Looking forward to the finale and the second season.
I've been really enjoying this as well. I'm a fairly patient guy; I also just read The Tommyknockers, so my bar is set pretty low right now.
The Sissy Spacek episode is definitely 7. I just finished it. It's character-driven, suspenseful, heart-breaking, and everything the show should be. Easily the best episode by far. Episode 6 though, just more of the same. Pretty dull.
Impatience is relative, and directly related to available free time. I don't have a ton, and I gave this 4 hours to make an impression. There are hundreds of movies in my library that I need to watch. I'd rather take my chances with them.
Please tell me this is supposed to be an anthology series, and that season two will start completely from scratch with all new characters. I don't think I'd be interested in another season with these characters, especially since Spoiler the two most interesting characters, Ruth and Alan, are dead. Anyway, episode 7 is incredible. A flawless hour of television. Give Sissy the Emmy. Episode 8 has some fun stuff in it, specifically the tangential story of the family who movies into the murder house, which has pretty much nothing to do with the main plot of the show whatsoever. Everything else was pretty boring. As for a recommendation, I guess you have to ask yourself: is it worth sitting through 9 mediocre episodes for 1 GREAT one?
