05-04-2022, 11:44 AM
Speaking of westerns and Amazon...
There's a new show called "Outer Range" which has a touch of western, but it's modern times, so really the setting is "rural", but it definitely aspires to be a "modern western" under the umbrella of sci fi. And good lord does it ever suckle along the underbelly of oblong, heavily pocked and soft-yet-flaky balls.
The show is almost-but-not-quite saved by a consistently decent performance from Josh Brolin, and, at points, inspired cinematography.
Many of the supporting performances induce the sensation of cringe. Like the literal "oh god this is very clearly not working" level of bad. The first episode manages to create some intrigue, but all of that momentum is gone by the third. Some of it is bad writing. It can be hard for an actor to get behind it if they don't understand who the character is, and if the direction is lacking, which it very clearly is, then it becomes a shit show. And Outer Range is a shit SHOW.
... but it's the number ONE show on Amazon; a glaring indication of how low the bar is.
REACHER, another Amazon Original, is the far superior series. The actor is apparently much more similar to the novel's depiction than Tom Cruise (very tall, rugged, Arian). I didn't read the books; this is just based on fan comments. But the guy IS absurdly gifted in the physical dept. And he can act. Unfortunately, the story and characters are not sustainable for the amount of episodes in the series, but the first four episodes are strong.
The only "exciting" prospect coming down the pike for Amazon, as far as I can tell, is Lord of the Rings. If the teaser trailer is any indication, it's on the level of the Sci-Fi network. :(
The only place where Amazon shines is in being a catch-all platform that allows you to watch all forms of content for a price. So, if you want to watch the new episodes of Better Call Saul (totally amazing), then it's about 2 dollars an episode; that kind of thing.
And yes, DEADWOOD is a masterpiece.
There's a new show called "Outer Range" which has a touch of western, but it's modern times, so really the setting is "rural", but it definitely aspires to be a "modern western" under the umbrella of sci fi. And good lord does it ever suckle along the underbelly of oblong, heavily pocked and soft-yet-flaky balls.
The show is almost-but-not-quite saved by a consistently decent performance from Josh Brolin, and, at points, inspired cinematography.
Many of the supporting performances induce the sensation of cringe. Like the literal "oh god this is very clearly not working" level of bad. The first episode manages to create some intrigue, but all of that momentum is gone by the third. Some of it is bad writing. It can be hard for an actor to get behind it if they don't understand who the character is, and if the direction is lacking, which it very clearly is, then it becomes a shit show. And Outer Range is a shit SHOW.
... but it's the number ONE show on Amazon; a glaring indication of how low the bar is.
REACHER, another Amazon Original, is the far superior series. The actor is apparently much more similar to the novel's depiction than Tom Cruise (very tall, rugged, Arian). I didn't read the books; this is just based on fan comments. But the guy IS absurdly gifted in the physical dept. And he can act. Unfortunately, the story and characters are not sustainable for the amount of episodes in the series, but the first four episodes are strong.
The only "exciting" prospect coming down the pike for Amazon, as far as I can tell, is Lord of the Rings. If the teaser trailer is any indication, it's on the level of the Sci-Fi network. :(
The only place where Amazon shines is in being a catch-all platform that allows you to watch all forms of content for a price. So, if you want to watch the new episodes of Better Call Saul (totally amazing), then it's about 2 dollars an episode; that kind of thing.
And yes, DEADWOOD is a masterpiece.
