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House of Cards

It's good. I liked the second season better than the first.

There are a few little things I don't like about it. For one, it has this somewhat antiseptic and dreamlike quality to it, i.e. the opposite of gritty and real. I never got immersed or stopped remembering it's a TV show.

Also, although I've always liked Spacey, I don't think he quite has the charm to pull of the talking-at-the-viewer bit. It's a device that's supposed to close distance and make you feel more intimate with the character, but for me it just didn't seem to do that, never made me want to cheer for the character. It worked a lot better in the British version.

None of this is to say I don't like the show, because I do. It's just not in my top ten.
 
Yeah, I saw the 1st season. It's cool, a little formulaic at times but it's a decent watch. I haven't seen anything from the new season though...
 
VINYLONE said:
Yeah, I saw the 1st season. It's cool, a little formulaic at times but it's a decent watch. I haven't seen anything from the new season though...
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Well if you are at all interested in it, some pretty big stuff happens in the first episode of season 2.
 
Cyrone Torbin said:
Well if you are at all interested in it, some pretty big stuff happens in the first episode of season 2.
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Oh, I'll definitely watch the 2nd season, I'm just catching up on other stuff.

Have you seen Les Revenants? Now that's a good show.
 
Cyrone Torbin said:
Well if you are at all interested in it, some pretty big stuff happens in the first episode of season 2.
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I have to say, that scene near the end of episode 1 of season 2 (you know the one I mean) was really well-done. The first time I saw it, I immediately went back and watched it again. Great cinematography, well-choreographed, just the right speed, visceral but not overdone. They really nailed it. I can't immediately recall any other scene similar to that one from another show or movie that impressed me as much.
 
Season 2 has been much, much better. The storylines have been fantastic.

I'm not sure how everyone else feels but the characters are sooo ****ing unlikable. I am hoping and wishing that both Frank and Claie get theirs. Same with Doug.
 
VINYLONE said:
Season 2 has been much, much better. The storylines have been fantastic.

I'm not sure how everyone else feels but the characters are sooo ****ing unlikable. I am hoping and wishing that both Frank and Claie get theirs. Same with Doug.
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Agree. As I mentioned above, I think Frank's "talking-into-the-camera-at-the-viewer" thing was supposed to be the counterbalance to his fundamental unlikeability. But whether the writing is poor on this aspect, or Spacey is just bumbling it, the fact is that it just doesn't really work. You don't end up hating him any less. It did work in the BBC version. And John Cusack showed what a great device it can be High Fidelity. But in this show? Not so much.
 
AtheistPreacher said:
Agree. As I mentioned above, I think Frank's "talking-into-the-camera-at-the-viewer" thing was supposed to be the counterbalance to his fundamental unlikeability. But whether the writing is poor on this aspect, or Spacey is just bumbling it, the fact is that it just doesn't really work. You don't end up hating him any less. It did work in the BBC version. And John Cusack showed what a great device it can be High Fidelity. But in this show? Not so much.
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I admittedly have not seen the BBC version of this show, so I can't comment on the success or failure of the thematic tool in that version but I just can't see him saying anything that would sway my opinion of him. He's a cold, heartless career politician with no regard for anyone around him.

Can you give me an example or give me a reference from the BBC version?

Also, comparing the HF character to Underwood regardless of the connection is quite a stretch.
 
VINYLONE said:
I admittedly have not seen the BBC version of this show, so I can't comment on the success or failure of the thematic tool in that version but I just can't see him saying anything that would sway my opinion of him. He's a cold, heartless career politician with no regard for anyone around him.

Can you give me an example or give me a reference from the BBC version?

Also, comparing the HF character to Underwood regardless of the connection is quite a stretch.
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Yeah, I realize High Fidelity is a completely different thing, it just happens to be the best example of this technique I know of.

Hard to say exactly why it works better in the BBC version. Part of it may be that the whole show doesn't seem quite as dark in tone as the American version, even though FU's character does most of the same actions. It really may be just the performance. When Ian Richardson talks at you, it's just more endearing, while when Spacey does it, he still feels a million miles away. Maybe it's just me, but I think you'd just have to watch the first episode to be sure (the original series is also on Netflix).

Probably the best example is just the opening minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8GFaUa-W_w
 
VINYLONE said:
Season 2 has been much, much better. The storylines have been fantastic.

I'm not sure how everyone else feels but the characters are sooo ****ing unlikable. I am hoping and wishing that both Frank and Claie get theirs. Same with Doug.
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Season 2 was cool and all, but WTF was up with that scene w/ the body-guard?

I guess Frank's bisexuality will get exposed in season 3?

Otherwise it was just kind of a wasted scene..
 
AtheistPreacher said:
It's good. I liked the second season better than the first.

There are a few little things I don't like about it. For one, it has this somewhat antiseptic and dreamlike quality to it, i.e. the opposite of gritty and real. I never got immersed or stopped remembering it's a TV show.

Also, although I've always liked Spacey, I don't think he quite has the charm to pull of the talking-at-the-viewer bit. It's a device that's supposed to close distance and make you feel more intimate with the character, but for me it just didn't seem to do that, never made me want to cheer for the character. It worked a lot better in the British version.

None of this is to say I don't like the show, because I do. It's just not in my top ten.
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I don't think they ever had the intention of using the close up to make you want to cheer for the character. Take the very first scene of the series. I think spacey is one of only a handful of actors that could have pulled that scene off without making me roll my eyes.

I also don't think that they used the device that way in the BBC version either. Even with the accent.
 
Cyrone Torbin said:
Season 2 was cool and all, but WTF was up with that scene w/ the body-guard?

I guess Frank's bisexuality will get exposed in season 3?

Otherwise it was just kind of a wasted scene..
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Dude, how 'bout you use some of that "spoiler" technology. What the ****, yo.
 
I tried but just could not get into this show. And I always found Kevin Spacey a little smarmy. Not sure if there is any connection to the recent developments, but there it is.
 
LogGrad98 said:
I tried but just could not get into this show. And I always found Kevin Spacey a little smarmy. Not sure if there is any connection to the recent developments, but there it is.
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Agreed. I find him more pompous than swarmy but yeah. And I quit the show after season 2. The **** he was pulling, as just one person, was ludicrous, as if no other politicians around him knew as they got ****ed over and he smiled through his teeth. No subtly at all.
 
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