Stranger Things(Netflix)

[ronnie mund]

Anyone else watch this show yet? Started last night and already plowed through all 8 episodes. Absolutely fantastic, the 80's theme was brilliant. Since this is a Netflix show and not a weekly show, those not wanting spoilers should avoid the thread.

This thrilling Netflix-original drama stars award-winning actress Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, who lives in a small Indiana town in 1983 -- inspired by a time when tales of science fiction captivated audiences. When Joyce's 12-year-old son, Will, goes missing, she launches a terrifying investigation into his disappearance with local authorities. As they search for answers, they unravel a series of extraordinary mysteries involving secret government experiments, unnerving supernatural forces, and a very unusual little girl.

 

[Crusaders]

Just started it. Better than I expected. Kind of has a Super 8 vibe.

 

[ronnie mund]

Was thinking the same thing. Super 8 mixed with E.T.

 

[vamp2syd]

Just finished it and I also got the Super 8 vibe as well as Stephen King's IT.

Good news is that there will be a season 2.

I really enjoyed it but at times I felt like it was rushed and did not care for the "idiotic military" theme.... Overall though it was great and looking forward to the next season....

 

[Crusaders]

Also just finished it. I thought the direction, acting, story, characters, pacing, suspense, music, and design were all really good. Winona Ryder over-acted a bit but it wasn't so bad that it ruined any scenes.

Just saw it will have a second season. I'm torn here. I'm not sure how much a continuation of the first season's story is necessary aside from a few things (spoiler............) like what happened to El, what's up with Will, what was the nature of Dr. Brenner's research, what happened to him definitively, and why does no one seem to care about Barb? (End spoiler). Only a couple of them really matter and I'm not sure they make for a compelling sequel themselves. I might prefer if they do something different within the Reality/Upside Down universe.

 

[ronnie mund]

How about what's going on with the police chief? When he got in the car at the end with the two agents. And the waffles.

 

[irish_buffalo]

5 episodes deep now. I get the E.T. feel but there is also some Close Encounters, War Games, Stand By Me feelings at times. My only knock is the black kid is a bad actor and a fish out of water.

 

[clarkgriswold]

5 episodes deep now. I get the E.T. feel but there is also some Close Encounters, War Games, Stand By Me feelings at times. My only knock is the black kid is a bad actor and a fish out of water.

I'm at the same point as you irish (through episode 5). Throw in a little X-men with El. I'm not much for sci-fi, but I am enjoying it. It is a little too hokey and predictable at times, but overall it is decent.

 

[irish_buffalo]

I'm at the same point as you irish (through episode 5). Throw in a little X-men with El. I'm not much for sci-fi, but I am enjoying it. It is a little too hokey and predictable at times, but overall it is decent.

"Hokey." Great description. But with the 80's theme it fits. Heck they even have hokey 80's type Sci-Fi thriller music.

It appears to be in rural Indiana but I cannot figure out what time of year they are in because there are times when the trees have full foliage and others with none and some look like autumn. El turned on the TV and He-Man was playing. He-Man was not on TV in 1980 (<---I understand that I incriminate myself to nerdhood by that observation).

At this point my only real beef with the plot is the girl has now gone missing and no one seems to care. Two kids missing? In a small town? Within a week of one another? Right next to a mysterious government lab? Sounds like a cheesy 80's movie!

 

[clarkgriswold]

Just finished the season last night. All in all, I thought the series was decent, not great. I think the highlight of the season was the young actress that played El. She was outstanding in her ability to convey her emotions with few words. That was one of the finest performances by a young actor I have seen a a while.

I do believe that it should have been a one year series. I don't see where it can reasonably go from here.

 

[irish_buffalo]

Could not agree more. I also think the kid that played the toothless wonder plays such a great 80's kid. But yes, El steals the show.

Matthew Modine is great as well. "Is that you? Is that me John Wayne." Such an underrated actor. Every show/movie is only as good as its bad guy and he is great.

Caddyshack is my favorite comedy of all time but it took me a while to realize that it was not Murray, Chase, or Dangerfield but Judge Smaills that made that film work.

 

[bob22]

"Hokey." Great description. But with the 80's theme it fits. Heck they even have hokey 80's type Sci-Fi thriller music.

It appears to be in rural Indiana but I cannot figure out what time of year they are in because there are times when the trees have full foliage and others with none and some look like autumn. El turned on the TV and He-Man was playing. He-Man was not on TV in 1980 (<---I understand that I incriminate myself to nerdhood by that observation).

At this point my only real beef with the plot is the girl has now gone missing and no one seems to care. Two kids missing? In a small town? Within a week of one another? Right next to a mysterious government lab? Sounds like a cheesy 80's movie!

Nov 83 according to the first episode. Though that makes the use of Sunglasses at Night a boo boo since it wasn't released until 84 and wasn't a hit until the summer.

Sent from my LGL34C using Tapatalk

 

[clarkgriswold]

The last 4 or 5 minutes almost felt like they got to the end of shooting the series then though "shucks, that was good, maybe we ought to set up a second season." (Spoiler alert) I'd have been happy to have it end with the police chief getting in the car and had them pass on the scenes of the kid in the bathroom and where the chief leaves the food.

 

[Yappi]

Just started watching this last night. Not totally hooked yet but definitely interested. Will be watching the next episode tonight.

 

[Jhubbs77]

The last 4 or 5 minutes almost felt like they got to the end of shooting the series then though "shucks, that was good, maybe we ought to set up a second season." (Spoiler alert) I'd have been happy to have it end with the police chief getting in the car and had them pass on the scenes of the kid in the bathroom and where the chief leaves the food.

Yeah, there's really no need for a 2nd season. This appears to be another of many shows like Homeland that were set up to be a great miniseries and then had to be stretched out because of the popularity when it came out

 

[TroyTrojan05]

I thought it was pretty good. I will probably watch season 2. 11 is the star of the show. Probably gonna be a breakout star.

 

[Nelson Van Alden]

It was decent, the child actors were absolutely fantastic.

 

[WykidWytch]

I loved it and so did my kids. I was 9 years old in 1983. It was kinda cool to watch a show based on a time where I was about the same age my children are now (they are 10 years old). Can't wait for season 2!

 

[Nelson Van Alden]

I just don't understand what mystery is left. They kind of spoon fed viewers the plot without encouraging much thinking. I also would have liked more grit, something equivalent to an R rating, not PG-13 like this.

 

[Vance]

El is the monster.

 

[eastisbest]

I got a "Doom" meets "ET" vibe from it with an enormous urge to slap Rider's character.

5 episodes deep now. I get the E.T. feel but there is also some Close Encounters, War Games, Stand By Me feelings at times. My only knock is the black kid is a bad actor and a fish out of water.

I was thinking all the boys were over-acting the parts, maybe by direction? And being fair, we got in our own heads ways a "black kid" should act, city-wise so watching one act like an over-reacting small-towner, might be going against our types.

Hopper was a cool character. Like how they avoided the stereotype with the boy friend, and he actually was a decent sort. Yeah, the kids were annoyingly good but I thought the best of the kid actors was the older brother. He was the only one didn't seem to be going over-the-top to play a personality type. Toothless was pretty funny though. With the younger boys, I wonder what came first, the writing and looking for actors to fit the personalities or matching the writing to the personalities they found?

Unfinished business: the boy friend's former friends need a horrifying death.

The last 4 or 5 minutes almost felt like they got to the end of shooting the series then though "shucks, that was good, maybe we ought to set up a second season." (Spoiler alert) I'd have been happy to have it end with the police chief getting in the car and had them pass on the scenes of the kid in the bathroom and where the chief leaves the food.

Yeah, that would have been a better ending. I think it was clear enough this wasn't the same kid, without having treated the audience as if they're stupid. "Spoon fed:" good description.