Griffith said:Anyone else check out Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp? It started promisingly enough, but sort of lost focus in the middle and just meandered through to the end. I think there was enough material for a fun follow up film in there, but there was also a lot of underwhelming filler and even at its best it never quiet took it as high(er and higher) as the original. On that note, while Meloni is fantastic at all times, Gene was criminally underrepresented; that they didn't have anything more to say with/about him was a pretty telling indictment to me.
I'm about halfway through it (geez, do I watch these Netflix series like an old man or what?), and I'm enjoying it quite a bit -- but it's just about what I expected it would be, and not much more. Big fan of the original; huge fan of The State. I literally grew up watching most of this cast develop their brand of weird comedy, so it hits a weak point for me. Even the lamest of jokes tend to work. I'm pretty much either smiling or laughing anytime Ken Marino is on the screen, warranted or not.
Agreed about Gene, at least so far. His "transformation" into the proper Gene felt like they'd wasted the first half of this show just because they needed to fill time. I feel that way about a lot of the scenes, primarily the musical bits (though seeing Electric City in action was worth it).
Ultimately, I feel like the format enables lazy writing. A leaner movie would have made more sense with the material they have here.
Also, my wife and I are watching The Sopranos (she's never seen it), are now about halfway through season 2, and HOLY SHIT the contrast with wannabes like True Detective 2 (which we were honestly bummed to watch in lieu of another Sopranos episode). I forgot how good this show was when it still had it's fastball. Even knowing that beforehand it impresses. Season 1 alone was better than anything I've seen lately. The novelistic approach to its overlapping themes and subtle delivery of them in a straightforward and easy to understand presentation makes even modern boutique television look like contrived, paint-by-numbers garbage by comparison. I'm sure I'll change my tune as we get to seasons 6a/b (), but right now I'm partying with Tony like a TV critic from 1999.
Seasons 1-3 were fucking magic. Nothing on TV like it before or since, and the same can be said of Tony. I feel like that show began the current era of television, for better or worse (maybe that's not even a very profound statement at this point...) But it ... sort of trailed off after that, at least from my memory of watching it as it aired back then. As you and i have talked about before, it feels like success caught up with David Chase around that point, and he began dragging his feet.
It only took Nic Pizzolato ONE season though!