To be honest, I wasnt initially jazzed. My horror tastes are more adult. However, the show had a few things going for it right out of the gate:
- Millie Brown- I did not recognize Millie initially. She plays the mysterious Eleven. Millie is #5 on my list of Top 10 Most Intriguing TV Characters Of 2014 (The Women) for her portrayal of Madison in "Intruders". The girl has some major acting chops. Incidentally, if you havent watched "Intruders" you SERIOUSLY own it to yourself. It's wonderful.
- Government conspiracy- I love a good conspiracy story.
- The Duffer brothers- They previously brought us "Wayward Pines" which I adored. Well, I adored season 1, season 2 not so much.
- Homage- The show is a tribute of sorts to Stephen King, John Carpenter, and Stephen Spielberg. You cant go wrong with that trio. One character is even seen reading "Cujo".
- Wynonna Ryder- We need lots more Wynonna on our screens.
Hawkins National Laboratory has been experimenting on a girl named Eleven ("El" for short). The boys find her in the woods. They hide her from the baddies (who are murdering everyone in their path). El knows something about Will's disappearance-- but we're not initially sure what.
El has telekinetic powers. She was used in an MKUltra type program. There is a Dr Brenner whom she refers to as "Papa". He pretends to care about her but we all know he's a sneaky snake.
During one test, El accidentally unleashed a demon from another dimension. Said demon (who is describes as having long arms and no face) is hungry and takes people to the "Upside Down" to chomp on them. It's either Hell or another dimension (depending on how you look at it). First up is Will. But he hides and tries to communicate with his mother (via Christmas lights) and his friends (via walkie talkies). He's also very fond of the song "Should I Stay OR Should I Go"? Next the beast attacks Nancy's friend Barb. She doesnt fare quite so well.
The body of Will is found... or so it appears. Joyce is not fooled for one second. Hopper later sneaks into the morgue and finds that "Will" is stuffed with cotton. He sneaks into Hawkins Lab and see the gooey stuff on the wall. The plot thickens. I wont give the rest away. You get the idea. There is a satisfying ending with a bit of a twist (which leaves the possibility of a season 2).
The child actors are excellent. They even look like REAL people (instead of perfect Hollywood clones). Very refreshing. Millie Brown continues to be a standout in everything she does. I predict great things from her in the future.
A few people have mentioned that Wynona Ryder overacted but I still enjoyed her performance. She was portraying a quirky, exhausted mother who lost her child.. and that's how she acted.
I especially enjoyed the microfiche readers, rotary pay phone booths, and kids on bikes. Remember when people actually outside (and it wasnt related to Pokemon Go)?
http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/07/08/how-steven-spielberg-john-carpenter-and-stephen-king-influenced-stranger-things
http://www.fashiongonerogue.com/winona-ryder-the-edit-2016-photos/winona-ryder-joyce-stranger-things-axe/
http://www.filmstarts.de/nachrichten/18505051.html
http://www.tunefind.com/show/stranger-things/season-1/36509
GMonsterTV
Previously The World According To GMonster
TV: Heavy On Sci Fi, Horror & Adventure; Light On Reality
August 1, 2016
TV: Heavy On Sci Fi, Horror & Adventure; Light On Reality
August 1, 2016
Oh yeah, that's who Eleven is, I just thought it was me who felt the face was familiar and that I saw her do a similar awesome role and then I discarded it, probably because of the whole shaved head. But yeah her role in the intruders was pretty amazing as well. She will grow into one hell of an actress. I am expecting a great acting career for her, for Maisie Williams (Aria Stark - GoT) and for Bella Ramsey (Lyanna Mormont in GoT).
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