Carnivale
- Thread starter Dinkeldog
- Start date
stevelabny
Explorer
I watched it with two friends and came away mostly unimpressed.. they both seemed to like it though.
it came across to me like an average Vertigo comic book. Which is to say, something that is trying way too hard to gothic and mysterious and magically edgy. I almost felt like I've seen it before. As soon as the crippled girl showed up, I knew he would have the power of healing. The various members of the Carnivale should have been fun, quirky and interesting like the characters that resided in Twin Peaks, instead we got a bunch of bad acting, bland characters and a total lack of charisma and charm.
as all cable shows must have now, there was gratuitous nudity. and i wont even go into how pathetic and cliche the use of absinthe is in any movie/show thats trying to appeal to the dark brooding goth crowd. EVERY comic book writen by a drug-addled british guy , and every trendy hip movie. ugh.
since its only 12 episodes, ill probably treat it as if it WAS a Vertigo comic book. Watch it because it has POTENTIAL. and walk away feeling "eh". nothing great. nothing awful. and trying way too hard.
it came across to me like an average Vertigo comic book. Which is to say, something that is trying way too hard to gothic and mysterious and magically edgy. I almost felt like I've seen it before. As soon as the crippled girl showed up, I knew he would have the power of healing. The various members of the Carnivale should have been fun, quirky and interesting like the characters that resided in Twin Peaks, instead we got a bunch of bad acting, bland characters and a total lack of charisma and charm.
as all cable shows must have now, there was gratuitous nudity. and i wont even go into how pathetic and cliche the use of absinthe is in any movie/show thats trying to appeal to the dark brooding goth crowd. EVERY comic book writen by a drug-addled british guy , and every trendy hip movie. ugh.
since its only 12 episodes, ill probably treat it as if it WAS a Vertigo comic book. Watch it because it has POTENTIAL. and walk away feeling "eh". nothing great. nothing awful. and trying way too hard.
I liked the imagery in the dream sequences. They were creepy without having to resort to mutilated bodies, which is what I liked. Definately makes me curious to see more story behind the images in it.
Pretty good opening episode, lots of questions opened up, almost demanding that you see the rest!
Between Six Feet Under, Dead Like Me, and now Carnivale, my week is filling up!
Pretty good opening episode, lots of questions opened up, almost demanding that you see the rest!
Between Six Feet Under, Dead Like Me, and now Carnivale, my week is filling up!
On the whole, I'm intrigued. For some people who have gotten more into gothic stories (via comics, unknown movies, etc.), maybe Carnivale would seem a little repetative. But then, so is everything, technically. It's all been done before in some manner. It's a matter of re-packaging and putting a new spin on it.
This is certainly something that we haven't seen on the networks.
The Absinthe made sense to me. In popular media (and the show is destined for the masses, not for the goth subculture or those interested in it), Absinthe hasn't been that visible. A few movies here and there, most notably Moulin Rouge. It was appropriate to the setting and time, and to the character. And it was a plot device...a reason for Samson to dismiss the seer's claims after having read Ben's dream.
As for nudity...I wouldn't call that gratuitous. There was little when Sophie was being accosted and there was a burlesque show. Both appropriate to the story, and both where nudity is a part of the story. Now, if they start flopping body parts around for no reason, then I'll be disappointed.
Also, I would hope that I'm not in the minority as someone who hopes to God that Ben and Brother Justin don't turn out to be father and son. Been done. Been done better.
Mostly I'm interested in the peripheral character. The Reptile Man. Iris. Sophie's mom. If I've learned anything from HBO series, it's that while there are typically 3-5 "main" characters, it's the peripheral characters that really make the show worth it.
I look forward to finding out if Ben is the cause of the Dustbowl drought. I look forward to when and if Ben heals Sophie's mom (thus making his powers known to at least some of the carnies). I look forward to (hopefully) continued ambiguity in who is the bad guy and who is the good guy. I like it gray sometimes.
Shiv
This is certainly something that we haven't seen on the networks.
The Absinthe made sense to me. In popular media (and the show is destined for the masses, not for the goth subculture or those interested in it), Absinthe hasn't been that visible. A few movies here and there, most notably Moulin Rouge. It was appropriate to the setting and time, and to the character. And it was a plot device...a reason for Samson to dismiss the seer's claims after having read Ben's dream.
As for nudity...I wouldn't call that gratuitous. There was little when Sophie was being accosted and there was a burlesque show. Both appropriate to the story, and both where nudity is a part of the story. Now, if they start flopping body parts around for no reason, then I'll be disappointed.
Also, I would hope that I'm not in the minority as someone who hopes to God that Ben and Brother Justin don't turn out to be father and son. Been done. Been done better.
Mostly I'm interested in the peripheral character. The Reptile Man. Iris. Sophie's mom. If I've learned anything from HBO series, it's that while there are typically 3-5 "main" characters, it's the peripheral characters that really make the show worth it.
I look forward to finding out if Ben is the cause of the Dustbowl drought. I look forward to when and if Ben heals Sophie's mom (thus making his powers known to at least some of the carnies). I look forward to (hopefully) continued ambiguity in who is the bad guy and who is the good guy. I like it gray sometimes.
Shiv
der_kluge
Adventurer
I figured there'd be a thread about this somewhere on here. 
My wife and I watched in halfway on Sunday, and then caught it with more detail again on Monday night. We were both quite intrigued by it. It wasn't until the second viewing when we noticed the grass all dying around the girl he healed.
Mostly, I'm thinking I might be able to get some good D&D plots out of the show.
My wife and I watched in halfway on Sunday, and then caught it with more detail again on Monday night. We were both quite intrigued by it. It wasn't until the second viewing when we noticed the grass all dying around the girl he healed.
Mostly, I'm thinking I might be able to get some good D&D plots out of the show.
RolandOfGilead
First Post
Jamdin said:
Hypothesis:
Could it be that the father of the priest was the german who killed Ben's father?
Could explain in some way the "link". The same event spawned them...
Djeta Thernadier
First Post
Ugh.... I've been without HBO for the last episodes. If I tune in this week, will I be really lost?
I've always been a fan of sideshow/carnival stuff. Actually went to a Sideshow convention once.
I've always been a fan of sideshow/carnival stuff. Actually went to a Sideshow convention once.
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