Sense8 - Netflix original by The Matrix & Babylon 5 creators

[8den]

I still think their best film by far was their first, the lesbian neo-noir Bound and that was written by them. None of that messianic crap in that one.

Bound is terrific as is the 1st Matrix, it's painfully obvious that they really didn't plan or anticipate the sequels and they are a muddle. Lana was also struggling with her gender identity and was nearly contemplating suicide during the making of reloaded (which is basically a complete mess of a film saved by the freeway scene)

I think Sens8 is a great idea the Warkoskis do tremendous visuals and JMS does exceptional story arcs so it'll be interesting to see where this goes.

One thing I didn't like in Sens8 was the apartment break on scene the comedy was overlong and belaboured like a scene from scooby do. Also the Icelandic chicks flashbacks made little sense (she lost her baby in a car crash, was the old lady supposed to be her mother or another sens8?)

 

[8den]

I have read Bone Clocks by the same author and was mighty impressed, been meaning to ge round to cloud atlas

Vice versa for me. Cloud Atlas doesn't jump between storylines each story is self contained but tied together. I can understand why they utilised the time shift but some characters looked preposterous in the makeup.

 

[Vintage Paw]

*ignores spoilers*

Started watching this last night, watched the first two. Second episode was better than the first. Enjoying it so far. The opening theme is dark and ominous, which I like.

 

[8den]

Sorry VP I'll edit out the spoilers when I get home

 

[SpookyFrank]

*ignores spoilers*

Started watching this last night, watched the first two. Second episode was better than the first. Enjoying it so far. The opening theme is dark and ominous, which I like.

It gets better from that point, once you've got an idea who everyone is and they start to connect with each other.

I think the music is by Tom Tykwer, one of the co-directors of the show.

 

[Vintage Paw]

Sorry VP I'll edit out the spoilers when I get home

It's ok, it wasn't a rebuke. I'm reasonably good at skipping over stuff I know might be spoilerish if I don't want to see it. Spoil away! I'll probably not take another look at the thread until I'm done with it.

 

[lolo]

finished this yesterday; loved it. everyone giving it their all despite some hokey dialogue - looked fabulous and sexy and just great to see something on that scale on TV.

 

[Jon-of-arc]

Just saw that they're doing a second season. Can't wait.

Whilst I loved the shows more subtle aspects - the unpatronising way it dealt with "big themes" like sex, gender etc, the character development, the odd genuinely funny humorous bit, some really nice monologues - I'm really hoping that they up the action a little bit for the second season. Not in an OTT way, as the Matrix chaps have done in the past (see Matrix sequels, in particular) but it just felt like they didn't quite have the budget for the actions scenes there were to be really exciting. In particular, Nomi's car chase through San Francisco felt like it was just getting started when suddenly it ended, but there are other examples. Hopefully Netflix will invest just that little bit more cash for series 2.

 

[Jon-of-arc]

At the same time, I hope they keep any bigger action scenes as refreshingly minimal on the cgi as the first series was.

 

[wayward bob]

re cgi - did you see the documentary? i loved the way they literally ducked out so the other actor could take their place. old school

 

[Jon-of-arc]

re cgi - did you see the documentary? i loved the way they literally ducked out so the other actor could take their place. old school

Yeah, I did watch that, and yeah, that really took me by surprise - it was so slickly done it felt like it must have been an effect, and yet it wasn't.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

I just watched the episode with the multiple birth scene and was very moved by it. Fucking Icelandic musicians on E playing Beethoven. I found it a companion piece to the orgy. Fabulous!!
I'm quite blown away.

I've never seen anything quite like this.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

It's ambitious, but no masterpiece, and I am enjoying, but some of the dialogue and acting is proper creaky...

 

[Vintage Paw]

Up to episode 8 now. It's really good, I'm enjoying it a great deal.

 

[Vintage Paw]

Season 2 looking likely

http://www.vcpost.com/articles/7945...-2-renewal-netflix-announcement-this-week.htm

Apparently already scripted, and a 5 season arc mapped out. I never watched babylon5, but apparently that also had a "proper" planned arc over its many seasons, something which I think delivers a more satisfying viewing experience than shows which have an amazing idea which the scriptwriters muddle through without knowing exactly where they are going. See Lost, for a perfect example. Here's Peter Watts ranting about this very issue...

http://www.rifters.com/crawl/?p=1331

A 5 season arc?

*fans self*

This pleases me very, very much.

I just finished it, and watched the 'making of' short they did too. Absolutely loved the whole season. My faves were Sun, Lito and Capheus, but all of them were great really.

It really was a very 'grown up' series, without falling into the usual traps of trying to be gritty for the sake of it. It nailed the right balance between humour, warmth and danger, with just the right dose of wtf for good measure.

 

[Vintage Paw]

One thing I liked was how it genuinely kept me guessing right until the last episode whether Jonas could be trusted or not. Usually you learn to recognise whether they're setting you up for a false twist/double twist or whatever, but this was really nicely done. It helped that he came across as genuinely untrustworthy and dodgy anyway (to me, at least).

I also liked that it kept a lot of things quite vague, letting you piece them together later on, or leaving it relatively unanswered, like just who that woman talking to Riley was, and where her allegiances lay.

And spangles is right on the money: it's a beautiful and powerful piece of LGBT- and feminist-positive television, without even once being overt about it. This is what television should be like.

 

[DotCommunist]

the way a subscriber model consistently produces drama of high quality is an endorsment of socialism imo

 

[Vintage Paw]

the way a subscriber model consistently produces drama of high quality is an endorsment of socialism imo

I guess you could see it that way. Netflix are constantly under fire by those it licences from, to ensure it cracks down on vpn use, but there were also some hairy moments when net neutrality was in the balance, with their speed potentially being affected, which in turn would have necessarily led to far higher prices or a pricing tier structure. Thank god that didn't happen (yet).

 

[Mrs Miggins]

It's ambitious, but no masterpiece, and I am enjoying, but some of the dialogue and acting is proper creaky...

It's pretty good compared to e.g. New Tricks though eh?

 

[Mrs Miggins]

I've just started Season 3 of American Horror Story and they've really up the ante on shocking imagery
It's an absolute treat so far.
And Jessica Lange is fucking awesome AGAIN.

 

[krtek a houby]

I can't say I'm that dissapointed, I'd rather a new series of the brit version

and agreed bob, Van Damn was great.

That's Amyl Ameen; who played PC Lewis some years back in The Bill!

 

[Vintage Paw]

He doesn't look bloody old enough to have played a copper 'some years back'

 

[Sea Star]

The best trans woman character I've ever seen on t.v. and with very recognisable TERF scenario too. and apart from that I really enjoyed the rest of it too, and I'm only slightly in love with Jamie Clayton, honest.

 

[krtek a houby]

The best trans woman character I've ever seen on t.v. and with very recognisable TERF scenario too. and apart from that I really enjoyed the rest of it too, and I'm only slightly in love with Jamie Clayton, honest.

She's great. I loved the bicycle chase!

 

[bi0boy]

2nd episode atm. Reminds me of Lost. In fact it could all be one of Sayid's flashbacks or something.

 

[DotCommunist]

2 hour special on the 23rd, fans!

 

[SpookyFrank]

Capheus has been recast

 

[Vintage Paw]

Capheus has been recast

What? Oh no That's sad news.

Edit: Just watched the trailer. Damn. That's going to be a difficult readjustment. The new guy seems to have an entirely different demeanor. Difficult to tell, I know, in a short trailer like that, but still...

Do you know why?

 

[DotCommunist]

'creative differences' says io9 blog

 

[Vintage Paw]

Gosh. The nosy parker in me wants to know what that means. Sad times.