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Stranger Things

sherbetbizarre

Special Branch
Joined
Sep 4, 2004
Messages
5,230
Coming to Netflix in July...
Set in Hawkins Indiana in the 1980’s, Stranger Things chronicles the search for a young boy who vanishes into thin air under highly suspicious circumstances. His mother (Winona Ryder) opens an investigation into the boy’s disappearance with local authorities that unravels a series of mysteries involving top-secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one very strange little girl. A love letter to the ubiquitous cult classics of the 80’s, Stranger Things is also a coming of age story for the boy’s three closest friends that draws them into a world where mysteries lurk beneath the surface.
http://io9.gizmodo.com/netflix-series-stranger-things-looks-like-it-owes-a-maj-1781547124
 
a coming of age story for the boy’s three closest friends that draws them into a world where mysteries lurk beneath the surface.
- sounds rather Stephen King.

We'll give it a whirl.
 
Started last week on Netflix (in fact I think the whole series is already available). Think The Goonies x E.T. / Stand By Me to the power of Stephen King.


Seen the first two and they've been a good start, really hit the 1980s vibe. Hope it doesn't end up going to the Super 8 route of spoiling all the scene-setting and period detail with an OTT CGI finale.
 
Ta for the heads-up, I'll give that a whirl! :cool:
 
*Stranger Threads Merged - there's also a third post of this trailer around but I can't locate it..*

I've been following this since the production stage and am pleased to say that the early reviews are positive. The only dilemma is whether to wait for it to appear on my backward-region of Netflix or download it now.
 
Good to hear, I'll give that whirl as well.
 
Mrs Yith and I have just watched Episode 1 and really enjoyed it. Impressions:

Thematically, it's like X-Files with quirkier characters; cinematically it's pretty similar, too: lots of pale, rain-soaked faces in the forest and flashlights at funny angles.

Splashes of 80s U.S. high school tropes are present, but they aren't overdone.

Lots of period nods - technology, posters, music, brands: just enough to be unnaturally excessive, but they make you grin and are not in the foreground. Soundtrack is electrowave, which is a genre I like beyond this series.

Ordinarily kids in films are irritating, but these Goonies-lite D&D enthusiasts are quite endearing.

As you'd imagine from Episode 1, there's lot of oblique references to the characters' back stories and the supernatural element (that seems predictable-ish at this point) is largely undefined but spooky.

If you're a Fortean who grew up in the 70s or 80s in the U.S. - or in the U.K. with many of the cultural reference points that crossed the Atlantic - I can't imagine you not finding this kind of thing enjoyable.

The first month with Netflix is free, so I thought that even if I didn't like this series I could cancel at no loss; I won't be doing that, however, as I've already found about thirty classic films I really want to watch -- plus a handful of documentaries: I suppose they've hooked me.
 
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Right, well Episode 2 had Mrs Yith standing next to the sofa with hands unnecessarily high at times: the creepy psychic bits went up a notch and we're into some 80s teen-slasher territory, but with the slashing - if slashing it be - supernatural and off screen.

Lots more seeds being sown in this episode with crossed wires and canards looking to be in the offing. The kids, as in any good film, have found their own path into the heart of the mystery - a disappearance and much more - and are ahead of their parents and the cops. Lots of flashing lights and stereos surging with power as with The Fog. (A poster for The Thing is seen in Episode 1).

They have also paid for the rights to a lot of good music.

Any other viewers here yet?

Edit: daughter and wife confused.
 
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I binged Stranger Things the weekend it appeared on Netflix and I was transfixed. From the Stephen King style title font, the music, through to the extraordinary actors, I thought the whole thing was wonderful. It's made with so much love and affection. I was forever pointing behind an actor's head at either an Evil Dead poster or a poster for the Thing. The actors really are outstanding. You have Winona Ryder giving a masterclass in how to emote; Charlie Heaton, a British actor going full complex American young man; the gang of boys: Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, and Noah Schnapp, are such individual and unique looking young men - they didn't come from a lazy central casting session, Gaten particularly stood out not just because he has cleidocranial dysplasia but also because his real world confidence just made the character of Dustin sparkle. Finn Wolfhard as Mike is such a lovely old soul, remarkably sensitive and maybe growing up a bit quicker than the other boys. Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas captured that sense of fear and the somewhat angry and frustrated reaction when his friends don't seem to heed his words. All exceptional actors.

But my God, I have never seen a young actor as astounding as Millie Bobby Brown playing Eleven. She hardly speaks but everything single thought and emotion that goes through her mind is expressed in her eyes and through the micro movements in her face. I read a review that compared Millie Brown to Winona Ryder - that both of them were simply owning their characters in as complete a way as could be. And although that is expected of Winona, a 44 year old hugely experienced actor, for her level of achievement to be equalled by the 12 year old Millie with just a handful of roles behind her, is simply wonderful.

Beyond the actors the story is exactly what it says on the tin. A strange tale told with love and wit. It was very much what I wanted it to be; a bit Spielberg, a bit JJ, and a bit plain old odd. I definitely felt a bit lost and bewildered when the last episode ended - "what now?"

It's great, enjoy it. I envy Miss Yith the experience of such a peculiar TV programme at a young age.
 
Ahh! Well Road Runner is a pretty peculiar programme as well! I don't need to envy Miss Yith that as I spent more than a fair amount of time as a tiny person watching Road Runner and Bugs Bunny. The meep-meep might be a life long love!
 
Sadly...I don't have Netflix.....I heard it was only 8 episodes.
Maybe it will come on another media venue.
 
It is available online and I do recommend it. Currently finished ep6 with 2 more to go.

Amazing soundtrack :) Joy Division/New Order already had multiple appearance :)

Was wandering where I saw Millie Bobby Brown/Eleven before and then it dawned on me - she was also in the Intruders, in a kind of a similar role
 
^ I saw the Intruders......too bad they took that off the air as it was a well done series.

What's the best way to watch Stranger Things online...?
 
Netflix is free for the first month in many regions. Sign up, watch in High-Def, unsubscribe if you don't like their wider selection.
 
The Pilot script is online - turns out the series was originally called "Montauk" - and set around the very real military base, and alleged home of the Montauk Project...

TITLES OVER BLACK:
1942. WORLD WAR II. THE UNITED STATES BUILDS A MILITARY
BASE AT THE EASTERN-MOST POINT OF MONTAUK, NEW YORK.

IT SPANS 278 ACRES. IT IS CALLED CAMP HERO.

1972. THE COLD WAR. AN ALLEGED SERIES OF TOP-SECRET
EXPERIMENTS BEGIN TO TAKE PLACE AT CAMP HERO.

DECEMBER, 1980. CAMP HERO IS SHUT DOWN FOR
UNDISCLOSED REASONS.

TO THIS DAY, ITS RECORDS REMAIN CLASSIFIED...
http://la-screenwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Stranger_Things_1x01_-_Pilot.pdf

Montauk Project
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the conspiracy theory. For the book series, see The Montauk Project: Experiments in Time.
Coordinates: 41°03′44″N 71°52′27″W The Montauk Project is an alleged series of secret United States government projects conducted at Camp Hero or Montauk Air Force Station on Montauk, Long Island for the purpose of developing psychological warfare techniques and exotic research including time travel. Jacques Vallée describes allegations of the Montauk Project as an outgrowth of stories about the Philadelphia Experiment.[1] The history of the Montauk Project story is closely associated with — and often believed to originate in — the Montauk Project series of books by Preston Nichols.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Project
 
Netflix is free for the first month in many regions. Sign up, watch in High-Def, unsubscribe if you don't like their wider selection.

yep - apparently you can do it now multiple times, just wait for their e-mails - I am now doing the third round of free watching

There is also another way..... dr Wu PM me if you still need that
 
just finished this series yesterday. I have to say, it lived up to the hype surrounding it. Thoroughly enjoyable.
 
Just finished the last episode.

Watched it night by night (binge watching doesn't work for me) and was immensely satisfied - an antidote for all those dashed hopes from dud X-files plus a dose of nostalgia from my youth.

Best thing I've watched in years.
 
Seen 2 eps and staying with it for now. Enjoying the period setting a lot. The youngsters haven't grated yet. They're pretty good actors. I also like the Tangerine Dreamy score. However, it wants to go somewhere soon. Twin peaks it ain't. And I got sick of LOST about halfway through - clickbait. The reviews above are keeping me hopeful.
 
First two episodes everybody flails and nobody has the big picture. Episode 3 brings all the realisations - although they are all groping a different part of the elephant.

I know what you're saying, but eight episodes is perfect and you may rest assured that there's very little stretching of material to eke out more screen time or raise tension from now on.

Score sounds exactly like John Carpenter in places.
 
Now finished 4 eps and it is coming alive, as promised. ^
Who's first with a theory of the plot? Time for spoilers. Can we do spoilers yet?
 
As an antipodean, you should be able to guess.
(Cryptic, eh?)
 
Whatever's going on, it'll be linked to some great turning over of the galactic cogs ushering in a new paradigm of human existence. The Modine character is interesting. 11 is his daughter (Papa!!) but he's not entirely corrupt, despite his agents murdering the immediately likeable diner attendant in cold blood.

The question that I want answered soonish is this; is their surreptitious activity oriented toward the greater good?
 
They are now in the containment business.

As to new paradigms, remember the setting.
 
Sadly....the lady who works for me told me the whole story......but I still want to watch it. Does anyone know if it will be aired on any of the actual cable tv channels..?
 
Its a Netflix series... is Netflix a cable channel? I get my wirelesses crossed.

As an antipodean, you should be able to guess.
Upside down.

They are now in the containment business.
As to new paradigms, remember the setting.
I've finished 6 eps now and each scene builds the viewer's understanding really well. It isn't just mystery upon mystery for its own sake. The Acrobat and The Flea was a great reveal. I look forward to the final eps. I think I've guessed a few answers but won't spoil it for others by blurting. Seems we don't need theoretical discussion if the main devices are revealed by the end of the series. It'll make a nice change to give the pointless speculation a rest for at least one show.
 
Don't watch this until you've finished the series. It's a teaser from Series 2 (2017) that features each episode title - the first is a slightly oblique spoiler for Series 1.


I got excited just hearing the music again!
 
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