Calvin's Canadian Cave of Coolness: I Hate That I Don't Get The Joke

Sunday, September 29, 2013

I Hate That I Don't Get The Joke

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15 comments:

Erik Johnson Illustrator said...: The Power of Twinkies turned Walter White from a villainous meth kingpin into a snack cake magnate.; September 29, 2013 at 3:00 PM
Kal said...: It was a dark and sugary road that he travelled down.; September 29, 2013 at 3:03 PM
Jordan said...: After tonight, the show is done...and you're free to watch it all on your own time and be disengaged from the slipstream.; September 29, 2013 at 4:20 PM
Kal said...: That is the way I felt. A month or so ago I made my peace with the whole thing. It's a major step in my pop culture development. You can't watch everything.; September 29, 2013 at 6:22 PM
Jordan said...: You should get around to it, when you can. It's being called the best show ever.

You're not into Mad Men, either, come to think of it. Is there some underlying truth here?; September 29, 2013 at 7:44 PM
Kal said...: I would like to know what you think of my lack of taste? I do love quality acting though. Maybe like the Walking Dead I have to watch it from beginning and absorb as many episodes as I can at one time.; September 29, 2013 at 8:35 PM
Jordan said...: Nobody's accusing you of a lack of taste! Quite the opposite. I wouldn't come to this site every day if I thought that.

But I'm just noticing that there are one or two things that I totally love, that seem like they'd be right up your alley (good TV), that you've totally avoided. And I'm wondering whether it's random or whether there's a hidden pattern or connection; September 29, 2013 at 8:37 PM
Kal said...: I sometimes go against the grain just to be a contrarian. It's the part of my personality that has never seen and will never see E.T. I gave into the binge of LOST during it's final 6 months and paid a heavy price in lost time. What else besides Mad Men and Breaking Bad have I missed? Please don't say Two And A Half Men.; September 29, 2013 at 10:10 PM
Kal said...: I also don't watch a lot of horror films. I love them but I am ultra selective and critical of them in a way that pisses off people. Horror movies stick to me like nothing else I experience in my life.; September 29, 2013 at 10:11 PM
Jordan said...: Well, Mad Men and Breaking Bad are, each in their own way, the fulfillment of the promise of this new form of television storytelling that began with The Sopranos (but really has roots all the way back in Twin Peaks, in my opinion -- that was the real breakthrough). Books are already being written about this new turn-of-the-century art form: television's artistic "coming of age," and I'm sure that, centuries hence, people will look at Sopranos and Mad Men as the "Guernica" and "Ulysses" of our time.

Heavy stuff, right...but the fact is that those two AMC shows (along with Walking Dead, the third part of the magic AMC trinity) are not just unusually innovative and brilliant but are genuinely riveting and spellbinding in a way that nobody's ever seen before.

Mad Men had its footing almost immediately; just a couple episodes after the first season pilot, it was clear we were in the grip of something incredible that we'd never seen before. Breaking Bad (which is in many ways more conventional) took a little longer to get going; before the final 8 episodes, I spent some time (since I was recovering from an injury and was laid up) re-watching the entire series and there's a massive jump in quality after the first two seasons. It's great before that jump...but it's not the "legendary" Breaking Bad until Season 3 (in my opinion). Once it truly finds its voice it just soars higher and higher...you have moments watching these two shows when you think, "I've never seen a television show quite like this. I've never seen anything quite like this."

And I'm the last person to jump on trends. I came to both shows late, only because friends and family were practically holding me at gunpoint and forcing me to start watching them. Once I started, I binged like crazy.

The reason LOST is bad is because they didn't have it planned out and they didn't know how many seasons they'd run...and there was a writers' strike...so there's lots of padding, and lots of nonsense at the end. Breaking Bad and Mad Men are not like that at all...each of them is exactly planned out as a precise beginning, middle and end. Matthew Wiener knew he had exactly seven seasons to get from 1960 to 1970 and he's been controlling it precisely all along. It really is something brand new. Anyway, that's how I look at all this.; September 29, 2013 at 10:27 PM
Jordan said...: The reason I love horror movies so much is that I was so sensitive to them as a child...far more than my peers. They would scare the ever-loving crap out of me, and give me nightmares, while my friends were much more acclimated to them. (I vividly remember the first time I saw the original Halloween, at a party...and, later that day, realized that I was walking down the street in broad daylight, in bright summer sunlight, absolutely scared out of my mind.

But that's totally why I love them as an adult. It's like "forbidden fruit," or something. Somewhere inside me is that little boy, and I love to absolutely terrify him.; September 29, 2013 at 10:32 PM
Jordan said...: The first time I saw The Ring (maybe my favorite horror movie of the last ten years) (The American one that Gore Verbinski directed, with Naomi Watts), I told my friend Jeff ("Octopunk" from Horrorthon) that I had rented the disc, and he said, "Don't watch it now! Wait until after dark!" I'm glad I followed his advice (although I barely slept a wink that night). Good God, is that movie frightening (and brilliant).; September 29, 2013 at 10:43 PM
Kal said...: The first time I saw Alien was really memorable. I felt trapped. Took a girl to that movie for the first time. I think I dug into her hand as much as she didn't into mine with my nails. That movie still freaks me out and I know how it ends. Not well for anyone.; September 29, 2013 at 11:07 PM
Kal said...: I like Hell on Wheels from AMC - it seems like the bastard stepchild but has three seasons almost finished up by next week. It's the only good thing on Saturday night besides Cops. I will miss it when it ends. I hope they get a forth season.

You are right about the Sopranos. I checked that one out sportingly because I though I got it right from the beginning. And I hated Eddie Falco until she was on Nurse Jackie - another of my favs. I guess we all have our tastes.

I was late to Firefly so go figure.; September 29, 2013 at 11:09 PM
Jordan said...: I don't like any Joss Whedon shows. I found Firefly unbearable -- I quit after four episodes. I've never seen Buffy and never will. I liked The Avengers enough that I decided to try out Agents of SHIELD, but I thought it was awful.

Mad Men and Breaking Bad. I'm telling you. Welcome to the next level of television.; September 30, 2013 at 9:08 AM

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