comix4fun Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Pretty awesome video comparing shots of classic 70s and 80s movies http://www.hitfix.com/harpy/side-by-side-comparisons-of-stranger-things-and-its-movie-inspirations Warning it has major spoilers in it. I finished last night and it has become one of my favorite seasons of tv of all time. just 8 really solid if not perfect episodes. I know im partial because i grew up with all that but it was just awesome That's pretty great. He didn't check out the similarities, right down to the walking down the train tracks scene, of Stranger Things and Stand By Me, but everything he included was great (except the stretch to "commando"...that scene was more "Data" from Goonies.) Not a spoiler.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWalkingDead Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 I guess I'll have to be the lone dissenter here. I loved the feel and look of the series, but the story did not hold up its end of the bargain. Felt like they put a lot of effort into the nostalgia/reference factor and forgot about plot. i agree 100%- the music and the random references sparked the nostalgia- but no children behave the way those kids do- "friends dont lie"-- ya right- when you are 10- all you do is lie! ***SPOILERS*** -the ending seemed to wrap-up with a nice bow on top- too convenient... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doktor Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Ok... so I gotta ask... what was up with the ending? Especially in the coda? What was going on with the box in the woods with the sheriff? Were those Eggo's? Was it supposed to imply that he was leaving food for Eleven? And based on him getting in the car at the end, I guess we're supposed to assume that he's like covertly working for MKUltra people or whatever now? And the kid hacking up that whatever-it-was? And then jumping over to the upside down for that split second again? Did I just miss something? I thought it was awesome, but I think I maybe just didn't get the end-end. I think the ending was designed to leave just enough hints and open threads (but not full on cliffhangers) that there's the potential to either continue this story/town/era in a second season, or to leave it as stand alone (and let peoples minds wander about the loose threads) (specifics in spoiler tag) Yes the food box is meant to suggest that Elle is still out there, is alive and is maybe in the upside/down other side (since the box is in the woods where it seemed like there was only a thin divide between the two worlds). My thinking with Hopper is that when he and Joyce were caught trying to get into the Lab he made a deal to work with them/for them (it'd be handy to have the local sheriff on your side covering things up) so that they could cross over to look for Will. It's part of his redemption story. And yeah Will has some of the upside/down in him after being there so long, so maybe now he's a portal himself.We'll have to see what comes in season 2 (fingers crossed) My thinking on that last point was that Will might be actually changing. Like he's becoming one of those faceless things or somehow has been "infected" sorta like the thing with Scully in the 1st X-Files movie or like in Alien/Aliens? Same sort of "knocked out and with a weird organic tube shoved town your throat stuffing weird alien/foreign stuff down inside you" thing when they pulled Will out of that webbing thing. And between the shifting ability and the thing he hacked up, it might be foreshadowing of him turning into one of those things. Especially when you add in the whole Dark Phoenix/UXM 134 mentions that were made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doktor Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 I guess I'll have to be the lone dissenter here. I loved the feel and look of the series, but the story did not hold up its end of the bargain. Felt like they put a lot of effort into the nostalgia/reference factor and forgot about plot. i agree 100%- the music and the random references sparked the nostalgia- but no children behave the way those kids do- "friends dont lie"-- ya right- when you are 10- all you do is lie! ***SPOILERS*** -the ending seemed to wrap-up with a nice bow on top- too convenient... The ending did, but the coda afterwards with the time jump? That pretty much left a lot of loose ends, IMO. The box in the wood, the sherriff getting in the town car, the kid in the bathroom and the shift & the hacking up of weird goo? Not a lot of clean ending there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaseman210 Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 I guess I'll have to be the lone dissenter here. I loved the feel and look of the series, but the story did not hold up its end of the bargain. Felt like they put a lot of effort into the nostalgia/reference factor and forgot about plot. i agree 100%- the music and the random references sparked the nostalgia- but no children behave the way those kids do- "friends dont lie"-- ya right- when you are 10- all you do is lie! ***SPOILERS*** -the ending seemed to wrap-up with a nice bow on top- too convenient... The ending did, but the coda afterwards with the time jump? That pretty much left a lot of loose ends, IMO. The box in the wood, the sherriff getting in the town car, the kid in the bathroom and the shift & the hacking up of weird goo? Not a lot of clean ending there I'm assuming they made the ending to set up future seasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manetteska Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 IMO the coda added "hooks" to make you think there was more to the show than there was. It seems those dangly bits are what people are talking about, so why not make them part of the actual story? Squeeze these original 8 episodes into 4 (shouldn't be a problem) and then deal with the extra mythology/questions from the coda in the back 4. A second season following this same group and story is stretching it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Cool Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 IMO the coda added "hooks" to make you think there was more to the show than there was. It seems those dangly bits are what people are talking about, so why not make them part of the actual story? Squeeze these original 8 episodes into 4 (shouldn't be a problem) and then deal with the extra mythology/questions from the coda in the back 4. A second season following this same group and story is stretching it. Could be but I'd still watch it and enjoy it better then 95% of shows on the air (Game of Thrones is still king). Show was so addictive it should have come with a warning label. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewWorldOrder Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I am 3 episodes in and this is an amazing series so far! Not understanding where some of you guys are comparing this to ET. Pretty obvious its Stand by Me mixed with Akira. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAM_NYC Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I am 3 episodes in and this is an amazing series so far! Not understanding where some of you guys are comparing this to ET. Pretty obvious its Stand by Me mixed with Akira. I really enjoyed this show, and can't wait for the second season. It's like Akira and Stand By Me mixed with a pinch of Goonies, and baked in a golden flaky 80's crust. The kids were the highlight of the show, I loved those little geeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewWorldOrder Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I am 3 episodes in and this is an amazing series so far! Not understanding where some of you guys are comparing this to ET. Pretty obvious its Stand by Me mixed with Akira. I really enjoyed this show, and can't wait for the second season. It's like Akira and Stand By Me mixed with a pinch of Goonies, and baked in a golden flaky 80's crust. The kids were the highlight of the show, I loved those little geeks. I retract my previous statement a tad. Stranger Things is Akira and Kings' IT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze_rules Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I am 3 episodes in and this is an amazing series so far! Not understanding where some of you guys are comparing this to ET. Pretty obvious its Stand by Me mixed with Akira. Definitely some similarities to ET. Kids take in, hide, and befriend alien kid of unknown origin and difficulty communicating (here, the kid is Firestarter clone). Even more so, no one remembers the 'ethagramuthavitch' ads from recess and the ET alien (inside comic books of the 80s)? Well, in ET, the alien was hooked on recess candy -- well, here you could substitute her obsession with EGGOs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Cool Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I tell people it has a similar feel of the movie IT and the show X-Files. Don't see a lot of Goonies in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aardvark88 Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I see Goonies, as Stranger Things based on adventures of elementary and high school kids from the 1980s. Interesting background music as I have not heard that Echo and the Bunnymen song for ages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comix4fun Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I tell people it has a similar feel of the movie IT and the show X-Files. Don't see a lot of Goonies in it. It was probably the small group of friends, heading out on a mission to hunt something down, having the scene where they prepare all their equipment, then ride out on their bikes to find it, one shown gearing up with items, another who's a little overweight but entertaining, then heading out into the unknown and danger, etc etc etc. That, along with the 80's wood paneling, the wardrobe, and the overall tone, I can completely see the goonies....especially those first few episodes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sl4ppy Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 (edited) Remove the nostalgia and I found the show boring for long stretches and devoid of plot. It strikes me as a blatant rip-off and equally bad for many of the same reasons as Super-8 which probably appeals to the same crowd. (yes, I grew up in the 70's and 80's but movies where that setting is the singular hook dont grab me on that aspect alone.) Literally nothing happens for the bulk of the series and things that do happen end up being entirely irrelevant. Would have been MUCH better as a 2 hour movie or single Amazing Stories episode. Also much of the the acting.. just wow. The kids were great, but the adults, particularly Matthew Modine and Winona Ryder; holy over acting hell... Entertaining? yes. Good? no. Edited July 30, 2016 by sl4ppy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAM_NYC Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I see Goonies, as Stranger Things based on adventures of elementary and high school kids from the 1980s. Interesting background music as I have not heard that Echo and the Bunnymen song for ages. Yeah, the idea of young kids and their older siblings having separate adventures, then coming together at the end, is what reminds me of Goonies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comix4fun Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Remove the nostalgia and I found the show boring for long stretches and devoid of plot. It strikes me as a blatant rip-off and equally bad for many of the same reasons as Super-8 which probably appeals to the same crowd. (yes, I grew up in the 70's and 80's but movies where that setting is the singular hook dont grab me on that aspect alone.) Literally nothing happens for the bulk of the series and things that do happen end up being entirely irrelevant. Would have been MUCH better as a 2 hour movie or single Amazing Stories episode. Also much of the the acting.. just wow. The kids were great, but the adults, particularly Matthew Modine and Winona Ryder; holy over acting hell... Entertaining? yes. Good? no. Removing the nostalgia also removes, entirely, the meaning behind the obvious love letter the creators were writing to everything 1983. That's like saying, "removing the sci-fi elements from Star Wars". It was a rather effective mystery, and I found the single driving plot, and all the subplots and tangents that were forwarded in the protagonists investigation of the main plot, interesting. It was far too short a season to get boring, really. And I'm going to disagree with the "nothing happens for the bulk of the series" simply because...well...a lot fricken happens....to a lot of the character...pretty much constantly. One man's "rip off" is another man's "homage". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50 Cent #II (1st) Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sl4ppy Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 (edited) That's like saying, "removing the sci-fi elements from Star Wars". Star Wars is a great classic story that's still quite good outside of Sci-Fi. In fact that movie was made; its called The Hidden Fortress. Stranger Things uses nostalgia as a gimmick; not something that adds to the story. The entire story could be set in 2012 with a modern soundtrack and nothing would change other than I suspect people wouldn't like it... Edited July 30, 2016 by sl4ppy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheeseFrog Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Just finished the series last night... I give it a solid 8/10. Started out really strong... I hope they make a series out of this where each Season is a completely different cast/scenario.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
