Stranger Things [Netflix] [*** Spoilers ***]

Moist Bread

I just finished watching this and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hadn't heard much of the hype so I didn't go in with high expections. Shows like this hang on the child leads and they were all supurb. I liked the little twist they did with the Steve character. Winona Ryder grated on me though and by the end I struggled to get through her scenes. The original soundtrack was great too.

I'm not sure a season 2 is needed, but it's almost inevitable now given how successful it has been.

Duggy747

Binged it in one day :pac:

Thought it was entertaining and well-made but since it's been a few days I've had time to process it. I liked it but I don't think it quite lived up to the hype for me, a lot of unsurprising cliches and characters doing very obvious things in order to move the plot or sloppily create suspense.

Definitely wore it's references on it's sleeve with an endless amount of movie posters strewn around backgrounds and pretty much recreating scenes from a lot of them, sometimes to a fault as some were too on the nose to where you could tell how the scene was going to play out.

The kids were very good and they definitely helped with carrying that feeling of that era of movies, a far better job than Super 8. Was also good to see Ryder again in a prominent role, too.

While I don't think it matched it's hype, it's definitely one of the better shows this year. Look forward to season 2 and hope they show more of the parallel world.

Drumpot

Isn't it funny that people cant calm their expectations based on hype? I am talking about all of us, not pointing fingers.

I really enjoyed it but I saw it when it just came out, before the hype. Most of the gripes people have are irrelevant nitpicking IMO.

I haven't watched a TV show that was as enjoyable in some time, particularly one that is purely about FUN entertainment. The score, the characters, the children (really hard to get good child actors, let alone believable friends), the 80s theme and the sinister elements. . Seriously, what's not to love. .

py2006

Love the way Nancy is a nod to the Nancy character in Nightmare on Elm street. Also, Choppers police uniform and police car are a nod to Schneiders character in Jaws.

py2006

Excellent

Duggy747

Drumpot wrote: »

Isn't it funny that people cant calm their expectations based on hype? I am talking about all of us, not pointing fingers.

I barely knew anything about this show other than seeing it pop up in headlines and thread titles on Reddit and having a vague idea that it was set in the 80's.

After watching it I went and read through all that stuff to see other people's thoughts and discussions, I can understand how people could have the hype built up for them based on the reactions for this specific show.

S.M.B.

Drumpot wrote: »

Isn't it funny that people cant calm their expectations based on hype? I am talking about all of us, not pointing fingers.

I really enjoyed it but I saw it when it just came out, before the hype. Most of the gripes people have are irrelevant nitpicking IMO.

I haven't watched a TV show that was as enjoyable in some time, particularly one that is purely about FUN entertainment. The score, the characters, the children (really hard to get good child actors, let alone believable friends), the 80s theme and the sinister elements. . Seriously, what's not to love. .

Like yourself, plenty of people watched the series as soon as it was released so their expectations haven't been affected by hype.

Suggesting that legitimate criticism is no more than nitpicking is going to fuel the flames though.

The fact is that there's plenty not to love for many viewers.

py2006

Wigglepuppy wrote: »

^^^

Along with E.T., the most obvious comparison I would have thought.

The creature pushing the wall out reminded me of the scene in Ghostbusters were the demon dog claws are pushing against the kitchen door. But it is a nod to Freddie Krueger which I get too.

Basq

Don't know if it's been mentioned elsewhere but the score is being released this Friday..

http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/08/the-soundtrack-to-stranger-things-is-being-released-this-friday/

Noise Annoys

Just finished episode 7 but I've sort of lost interest. The story has run out of legs and it just seems to be an '80s homage (Spielberg, 'Poltergeist', Stephen King, ET etc.) with a standard 'secret government programme'/'scary monster' arc.

And Winona Ryder is a terrible ham.

Bandana boy

I get when some genres do not appeal to people or even Marmite shows like Left Behind ,Mr Robot and Curb can split an audience , but I am very surprised when people who appear to appreciate the specific genres but slag off really incredibly well made TV shows like Game Of Thrones or Stranger Things.I am left to wonder what possible show in the genre can you like , Do you just not enjoy any shows ?

Uncle Mclovin

Just finished watching. Thought it was brilliant. Really suprised by the negativity by previous posters. The child actors were excellent. Got some good laughs out of them. Every episode flew by.

py2006

On Ep 7...

Slydice

py2006 wrote: »

On Ep 7...

Good luck!

py2006

Slydice wrote: »

Good luck!

8 now...

S.M.B.

Bandana boy wrote: »

I get when some genres do not appeal to people or even Marmite shows like Left Behind ,Mr Robot and Curb can split an audience , but I am very surprised when people who appear to appreciate the specific genres but slag off really incredibly well made TV shows like Game Of Thrones or Stranger Things.I am left to wonder what possible show in the genre can you like , Do you just not enjoy any shows ?

Slag off? Seriously? I don't think anyone has torn into the show. A few posters have given pretty valid reasons as to why they feel the show just didn't deliver but get labelled as nit pickers or its assumed they don't like any genre stuff and are just being awkward.

cowboyBuilder

Watched first 3 episodes last night ... was meant to only watch 1 .. would have continued if more were available

Great show ..

entropi

Finally getting through this. Absolutely amazing show! I already want three more seasons!

pixelburp

Very belated thoughts on this, having finished it a week or two ago now, and that was definitely a TV highlight of 2016 for me. It tweaked certain tropes without ever completely smashing them & yes it was unapologetically riffing off many genre classics from the 80s, but when it's all put together with this amount of charm, energy and natural chemistry it makes for something very special indeed.

I think though were the child actors not perfect the whole thing would have collapsed and been forgotten pretty quickly. The kids who played 11, Dustin, Mike, Will and Lucas deserve so much praise; like the best TV and films that 'get' the mindset and perspective of children that age, the group behaved so organically you'd swear they were actual friends in reality & we were just looking in on their lives. The script let them all act like kids, not act like adults thinking that's how kids behave.

I'm going to go against the grain here and think that if there was to be a series 2, Stranger Things should go the anthology route and tell a different, if related, story. Those 8 episodes were so beautifully balanced and executed it'd only disappoint to return to that very specific well again.

py2006

The kids are a bit more grown up looking now. If a 2nd series goes ahead it will be 2017 before it hits Netflix. Nothing wrong with that I guess but some of the charm of may be lost?

Really enjoyed it. It is a pity there wasn't a few more episodes.

The scene were

11 arrived walking angrily towards the bullies just after rescuing your man (name escapes me) from jumping to the ravine reminds me of the T1000 in Terminator 2

Basq

Score has appeared on iTunes / Apple Music.. no sign on Spotify yet!

GottaGetGatt

It's on YouTube alright.

cowboyBuilder

So the cop was leaving food for 11 then ?
for a second I thought he was leaving food for a baby monster, since there was an egg somewhere shown ..

Slydice

cowboyBuilder wrote: »

So the cop was leaving food for 11 then ?
for a second I thought he was leaving food for a baby monster, since there was an egg somewhere shown ..

Well I sure hope he was now!!! Especially if that's the alternative

:eek:

McGrath5

Finished this last night.

Absolute top quality television, the soundtrack, pacing and episode length where all spot on, roll on season 2.

retro:electro

Finished this last night. I would never usually be a sci-fi fan but absolutely loved this show. The kids were fantastic, especially Eleven. I shed a tear at the end. Fantastic stuff.

Ben Gadot

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Isn't it crazy that at that point shoplifting lost Ryder so much, yet working actors have done much worse than that now?

There's probably more to her not working much in the naughties than the shoplifting case truth be told.

I mowed my way through this over the weekend and can't add much more than what's been said.

Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour and Gaten Matarazzo deserve particular praise while the score and atmosphere were intoxicating.

Liam McPoyle

Finished this with the missus last night.

Enjoyed it, the 5 kids were just brilliant and I really liked Hop too.

It was a massive nostalgia overload, little things like having posters for Evil Dead and The Thing in the background.

The walkie talkies, He Man on the TV, the way the boys interacted with each other, it all seemed so real, so natural.

The only thing I didn't like was the ending.

I don't know what it was but it just left me feeling quite disappointed, my wife the same.

Slydice

py2006

Don't laugh...it's not perfect! :-p

Joeface

OK so I finished it , 2 sittings . It would have been one sitting for all if it hadn't been for that pesky work thing.

What do I watch now to get that feeling.
That was wonderful . nostalgia galore , and it very well executed in its own right .

Mackman

cowboyBuilder wrote: »

So the cop was leaving food for 11 then ?
for a second I thought he was leaving food for a baby monster, since there was an egg somewhere shown ..

He was leaving food for 11, he left waffles (i think it was waffles), and it was mentioned in an earlier episode that she loved them.

SoupyNorman

Just finished it last night.

Although I thought it was good, cant say it has a re-watch factor. Production value and score are executed brilliantly but looking past the very original 80’s look and feel to the show the story was quite predictable. The majority of the audience could tell where it was going and although it was done really really well I was never shocked or surprised. Maybe that’s a bit harsh but tis how I feel.

pc7

I think those that saw it before the 'buzz' and 'hype' probably enjoyed it a bit more than those that heard how good it was and to try it. I watched it when it came out first and loved it and think it was scoring 9.3 or 9.4 on IMDB at that time. Its dropped to 9.1 there so seems to have lost traction as more seen it, either because they didn't enjoy it as much or the hype ruined it. (if that makes sense)

pixelburp

SoupyNorman wrote: »

Just finished it last night.

Although I thought it was good, cant say it has a re-watch factor. Production value and score are executed brilliantly but looking past the very original 80’s look and feel to the show the story was quite predictable. The majority of the audience could tell where it was going and although it was done really really well I was never shocked or surprised. Maybe that’s a bit harsh but tis how I feel.

Plot wise I'd agree it was a standard enough narrative, though would be hesitant about anyone speaking for 'the majority of the audience', and I'm not sure that's always the worst complaint about a show in any case. If the writing is solid & the drama kept bubbling over, even the most cliché of plots work fine. Unpredictability is sometimes a polite way of saying 'the writers don't really know where they're going'.

In terms of characterisation though, I really liked how it inverted some tropes here and there & without too much fuss: most notably the arc revolving around Steve and Nancy. The obvious, and somewhat telegraphed narrative was that

Nancy would dump douchebag Steve and hook up with the introverted Jonathan. Inner beauty blah blah etc. But the show neatly & quietly subverted this, first by making Jonathan a little bit of a creepy stalker, while letting Steve grow & realise what an ass he had become - in fact he saved the day at the cabin near the end.

. So while the show didn't break the mould, it played with tropes and clichés enough to make things interesting and different.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

pixelburp wrote: »

Plot wise I'd agree it was a standard enough narrative, though would be hesitant about anyone speaking for 'the majority of the audience', and I'm not sure that's always the worst complaint about a show in any case. If the writing is solid & the drama kept bubbling over, even the most cliché of plots work fine. Unpredictability is sometimes a polite way of saying 'the writers don't really know where they're going'.

Yeah, knowing where something is going is a common occurrence in TV/films, especially in particular genres. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it's how the show gets you there that matters, for me anyway.

S.M.B.

pc7 wrote: »

I think those that saw it before the 'buzz' and 'hype' probably enjoyed it a bit more than those that heard how good it was and to try it. I watched it when it came out first and loved it and think it was scoring 9.3 or 9.4 on IMDB at that time. Its dropped to 9.1 there so seems to have lost traction as more seen it, either because they didn't enjoy it as much or the hype ruined it. (if that makes sense)

Not everyone who mildy likes the show should have to face accusations of letting hype tarnish their opinion. I saw it when it first came out and had a very similar reaction to the above review.

Every luke warm review on this thread seems to be followed by the obligatory "that's probably because it was too hyped" comment these days.

Dravokivich

I enjoyed it. It was a fresh change of entertainment compared to everything else that comes out. I'd be interested to see how it develops if it was to continue, but for the ultimate sense of suspense I think the ending nailed it right on.

I don't need a season 2, I need something else similar to it that'll captivate, excitement, imagination and thrill.

pc7

S.M.B. wrote: »

Every luke warm review on this thread seems to be followed by the obligatory "that's probably because it was too hyped" comment these days.

It wasn't meant as a critisim or that, just I watched the show and hadn't a clue what it was going to be about. But when I told others about it I was all 'its set in the 80's, done so well, homage to Stephen King, ET etc.' so they had some idea what to expect, add to all the internet buzz I would have just thought it took some of the 'fun' of finding the show out of it. Also the fact the IMDB dropped the more it was pushed online (if that makes sense). Of course people aren't going to like it, but I've friends who love sci fi and that genre and weren't as excited by it as me, but maybe I ruined it for them with my excitement, who knows.

smilerf

It was not for me. Ryder roaring and screeching did my head in

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

smilerf wrote: »

It was not for me. Ryder roaring and screeching did my head in

I've always found Ryder a bit.... frantic? She did dial it down a bit as the episodes went on though.

PropJoe10

Just finished this. Justice for Barb!

Good show, the high point definitely being the performances of the kids. Winona Ryder on the other hand is just plain annoying. Will watch season two - good show, but not mindblowing is how I'd describe it.

py2006

...creators Matt and Ross Duffer first revealed Season 2 will take place in 1984, which is one year after Season 1. Regarding the story, Matt Duffer said Season 2 will be "a little darker and weirder," going on to say that he's sure many people will prefer the first season. At the same time, he expects a big group of people to enjoy the second season better.

Having already established the world and some of its characters and creatures gives the Duffers "a license to go a little weirder" for Season 2. Additionally, Season 2 will have more visual effects.

Overall, Matt Duffer said he thinks Stranger Things Season 2 will be like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which came out in 1984.

"I love that it gets a little darker and weirder from Raiders of the Lost Ark, I like that it feels very different than Raiders did," he explained. "Even though it was probably slammed at the time, obviously now people look back on it fondly, but it messed up a lot of kids, and I love that about that film, that it really traumatized some children. Not saying that we want to traumatize children, just that we want to get a little darker and weirder."

Season 2 might not be Stranger Thing's last, either. Matt Duffer said that he doesn't anticipate the show stretching on very long. "It's impossible for me to imagine a six- or seven-season series," he said.

Kind of dissapointing to hear the creaters say many people will prefer first season. But I guess its always the way. More here

anothernight

py2006 wrote: »

Kind of dissapointing to hear the creaters say many people will prefer first season. But I guess its always the way. More here

I think they're just being realistic. I'd say the creators of most series hope that their audience likes every new thing they come up with, but very often the public ends up preferring the first season regardless (or some other standout season, if the show is more of a grower).

mewe

Really enjoyed this. It was a nostalgia fest alright but had so much more going for it too. Loved the way it was shot, almost comic book style and the music was just immense.

flazio

It's now official.
https://twitter.com/Stranger_Things/status/770961890985938944

py2006

Ah ya beat me to it! grrrrrrrrrrrrr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXWG_kKDZlY

Notorious

I'll probably be in the minority here, but as someone mentioned it above, but I'd like series two to be based on a different story. I'd be happy to think that most of the loose ends from the original season are tied up (not including the last scene, which could have been excluded), and they really could leave that story alone.

I think the original season was wonderful, but I've a feeling that a second season could ruin it.

extra gravy

http://makeitstranger.com

This is pretty cool

py2006

Cast live now

https://www.facebook.com/StrangerThingsTV/videos/vb.615555128584174/783104181829267/?type=2&theater&notif_t=live_video&notif_id=1472662855912416