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General => Movies and TV => Topic started by: lonestar on January 15, 2018, 04:19:21 PM

Title: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on January 15, 2018, 04:19:21 PM
Didn't even know this was coming... I had read the books years ago and devoured them as they came out. Great sci-fi cyberpunk stuff, hopefully Netflix does it a proper treatment. Based on the trailer, it seems they did it some justice...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhFM8akm9a4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhFM8akm9a4)
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on January 15, 2018, 06:53:35 PM
Yeah. This one looks cool. Can’t wait.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: faizoff on January 15, 2018, 07:32:43 PM
I'm excited as well. First episode is being directed by Miguel Sapochnik, so very excited to see how it goes.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Phoenix87x on January 15, 2018, 07:48:16 PM
Looks pretty cool. Like a mix between blade runner and Ghost in the shell. I'll be checking it out.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Logain Ablar on January 16, 2018, 08:53:58 AM
This does looks good, and I liked Joel Kinnaman from watching him in The Killing, so I really hope it's decent.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Shooters1221 on January 16, 2018, 10:11:50 AM
This does looks good, and I liked Joel Kinnaman from watching him in The Killing, so I really hope it's decent.

Exactly^^^^. From watching the trailer, it looks like a winner, we'll see. It's great to see so much good work being done on TV these days with all of the streaming services having original programming with some decent $$$ and even bringing some 'heavy hitting' actors on board.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on January 16, 2018, 11:45:25 AM
The books were a whirlwind...the type that would make you miss appointments and be late for work.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on January 19, 2018, 03:04:16 PM
The books were a whirlwind...the type that would make you miss appointments and be late for work.

Wish I could get into them ... I'm currently on book 2 of The Saga of the Seven Suns.

None-the-less, this looks badass.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on January 19, 2018, 10:43:13 PM
Did you try to read them? I'd find it hard to believe anyone of a nerd of our caliber wouldn't be hooked.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on January 20, 2018, 06:17:33 AM
Did you try to read them? I'd find it hard to believe anyone of a nerd of our caliber wouldn't be hooked.

No... never heard of 'em before - should've clarified that I wish I had the TIME to get into them.  I don't read a ton, and like I said... I'm only on book 2 of a 7-book series.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on January 21, 2018, 11:17:27 AM
Ah, gotcha. They're a captivating read for sure, though I'm kind of the same way these days. Maybe I could have time to read, but so much more in life commands my attention. Personally, I blame streaming services.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: TioJorge on January 21, 2018, 04:02:43 PM
Echoing the sentiments about Blade and Ghost and that is a very good thing for me. I'm definitely going to check this out.

Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: a51502112 on February 01, 2018, 08:31:19 AM
This does looks good, and I liked Joel Kinnaman from watching him in The Killing, so I really hope it's decent.

Loved his character in The Killing. I'd like to see a spinoff or something for that character alone.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Logain Ablar on February 01, 2018, 10:43:04 AM
This does looks good, and I liked Joel Kinnaman from watching him in The Killing, so I really hope it's decent.

Loved his character in The Killing. I'd like to see a spinoff or something for that character alone.

That would be cool, although I can't really see it happening. The Robocop reboot was alright-ish, but it would be cool to see him get a chance at something with real quality. Hopefully this is it..
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: faizoff on February 01, 2018, 03:25:51 PM
Love Joel Kinnaman, I too saw him first in The Killing. He was awesome in that show. I loved him in House of Cards as well. His Robocop portrayal was great but that movie was a dud not really due to him, the script was bad.

Altered Carbon drops tomorrow and can't wait to check it out.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 02, 2018, 04:32:29 PM
Aaaaaaaaaand GO!!!




So, two episodes in, and man, this is one dynamite show. Such a gritty, dark feel about it, though I can see for anyone who didn't read the books could get a bit lost in the details. Pay attention folks.

It's fucking dark though, and it's only gonna get darker....


Edit 3- Ep 4........ just, Ep 4....
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 03, 2018, 12:11:35 AM
With ya RJ! Episode 4 was insane! Wish I weren’t so tired I’d hammer out a couple more tonight but my eyelids aren’t cooperating

Really good show thus far.  :tup
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Logain Ablar on February 03, 2018, 03:45:28 PM
Just finished episode 4. Headmelter!

I’m enjoying it so far, but there sure is a lot to process!
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 03, 2018, 03:50:39 PM

I’m enjoying it so far, but there sure is a lot to process!

Totally this. I really like the show and I’m sure I’m not picking up on all the info and subtlety that they are placing in the episodes. There’s just a ton to absorb.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 03, 2018, 05:02:51 PM
Ep 7 explains a good deal of back story from  Tak's past, but yeah, it is a busy show, very curious to see how this plays out. I only vaguely remember the end of the book (read it years ago, when I was drinking heavily so not much was retained lol)
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 03, 2018, 08:21:47 PM
OK I'm done.



Outstanding show, some loose ends, for sure there is a possibility for more seasons (there's two more books I think), and I had some very minor issues, but man, been a while since a show had me that captivated.


Now hurry up and finish guys so we can shoot the shit about it.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on February 03, 2018, 09:31:12 PM
OK I'm done.



Outstanding show, some loose ends, for sure there is a possibility for more seasons (there's two more books I think), and I had some very minor issues, but man, been a while since a show had me that captivated.


Now hurry up and finish guys so we can shoot the shit about it.

Guess I'll download onto iPad, and watch on a few train rides this week.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 03, 2018, 09:48:00 PM
 :tup
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 04, 2018, 12:14:02 AM
Through Ep 8. Two more to go. Man this is really well done. I’ll finish it up tomorrow for sure then we can shoot the breeze RJ.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 04, 2018, 10:44:41 PM
Finished. Really liked it. Such an interesting concept. I’d like to see if they do attempt another season. They definitely left it open enough and from what I gather there are more books?
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 04, 2018, 11:27:15 PM
Yeah, there's two more books, and this season basically covered the first book. I think it's creating enough of a wave to warrant getting renewed.

Tiny font time.... The closing 20 minutes with Kovacs and his sister, especially after he shot her, was so well done. I think the strongest aspect of the series in general was how it portrayed the extremes of the class differences between the grounders and the meths. Between things like the fight scene at Bancroft's party, or the sex trade at Rei's brothel in the sky, the pay for snuff sex, it really showed how the human side of humanity is bred in the struggle of life, not in the success. They just nailed that man. Also, the scene where Garcia killed all of Rei's clones was just off the fucking charts intense.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Logain Ablar on February 05, 2018, 01:58:43 AM
Stayed up way too late last night to finish it. So much to digest, but very very good. There's some really interesting ideas about what humanity would become if it were possible to cheat death and live on forever. The production values of this show are top notch. It must have cost a fortune to produce.

One thing I'd say to anyone starting to watch it is - you need to keep paying attention. It's a complex story, and it's sometimes hard to follow along unless you have been concentrating the whole time. Maybe binge watching it isn't the best way to absorb all the details.

This is perhaps something I'd missed, but does anyone know the significance of the pink Hello Unicorn bag? Whose was it and where did it come from?
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 05, 2018, 06:35:58 AM


Totally agree. That’s what I thought was most compelling about the show was that I think it pretty much nailed how the social classes would approach eternal life. You’d still have your ‘religious’ sect that would view that tech as an abomination, you’d have the middle class (grounders) basically being shafted by the likes of the ‘sky’ folk.

I forgot the exact quote but I think it was along the lines of when you remove death from the equation our humanity would take a back seat to what you’ve described.....the deep, dark desires and impulses. There’d be no reason ‘not’ to act them out? Especially when your ‘soul’ has been diluted by living far beyond what was naturally intended.

Only bummer about going forward is that I’d assume they’d be done with Riker / Joel Kinneman. I thought he was excellent! I’m sure with the buzz and success of this season they’d be able to land a comparable actor for Tak’s next sleeve.

I felt bad for Poe. I’d assume an AI would have the belief they’d never ‘die’....so, his demise was probably a shock to him and it was tough to see him go out like that.


Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 05, 2018, 06:38:35 AM
Stayed up way too late last night to finish it. So much to digest, but very very good. There's some really interesting ideas about what humanity would become if it were possible to cheat death and live on forever. The production values of this show are top notch. It must have cost a fortune to produce.

One thing I'd say to anyone starting to watch it is - you need to keep paying attention. It's a complex story, and it's sometimes hard to follow along unless you have been concentrating the whole time. Maybe binge watching it isn't the best way to absorb all the details.

This is perhaps something I'd missed, but does anyone know the significance of the pink Hello Unicorn bag? Whose was it and where did it come from?

The bag was from the first episode when Tak chose to go out and get wasted for a night. He bought the entire bag of dope from the dope dealer.

And...totally agree. There is a ton to bite off and digest in this show. Especially in the first few episodes. It’s Game of Thrones level where there are just so many things to pick up on I’m positive I missed some stuff
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Logain Ablar on February 05, 2018, 07:25:08 AM
Ah - got ya. It's just his handy-to-have-around, drugs/weapons bag.

A bit like those eco friendly "bags for life" that the supermarkets are making us buy to cut down on plastic.  :lol
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 05, 2018, 09:45:05 AM
The bag was awesome. He'd be in a total bloodletting shootout and the thing in the center of the shot is his Hello Unicorn bag. Made me laugh every time.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Shooters1221 on February 05, 2018, 10:07:04 AM
Just to add nothing about the plot, but SHEESH!!! Does this show look AMAZING in dolby vision? :tup
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 05, 2018, 11:24:24 AM
RJ....do the other two books continue to follow Tak's story or is it just a continuation in that 'time' with other characters?
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 05, 2018, 11:32:25 AM
I only read the second, not the third, and that takes place some time after the Altered Carbon story. Takeshi is always the main character though.


I gotta do some reading now lol
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on February 11, 2018, 09:10:57 PM
Finally finished it yesterday.  All kinds of awesome.  Loved Poe.  So much T&A though... made it somewhat awkward watching it on the train to/from work!   :lol

Fuck tiny font....  Spoilers if you're still watching.  Just some random thoughts I wasn't quite following:

Did I miss Kovacs shooting Rei on Head in the Clouds?  I thought they only stabbed each other, then she shot him.
So many intricate details that I'm sure make a lot more sense in a book than TV.  Like, the whole casting thing... didn't quite follow that.  Also, is switching stacks like ejecting a DVD?  How did Rei switch into Ortega's sleeve so easily - or did she just print up an Ortega-clone?  And they never did explain how Leung was able to be the 'ghost walker'.  And Riker coming back... he's going to be in a synthetic sleeve.  I'm sure that'll go over well  :lol. 

So, is Quell really alive somewhere, or was Rei duping Tak with that?

And damn... now I want to read the books - but I'm only on book 2 of a seven-series book atm.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 11, 2018, 10:28:41 PM
Spoiler



Kovacs shooting Rei happened off camera when they were behind the sealed door. There was a gunshot then they cut to him holding her in his arms.

Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 11, 2018, 11:08:40 PM


Did I miss Kovacs shooting Rei on Head in the Clouds?  I thought they only stabbed each other, then she shot him.
So many intricate details that I'm sure make a lot more sense in a book than TV.  Like, the whole casting thing... didn't quite follow that.  Also, is switching stacks like ejecting a DVD?  How did Rei switch into Ortega's sleeve so easily - or did she just print up an Ortega-clone?  And they never did explain how Leung was able to be the 'ghost walker'.  And Riker coming back... he's going to be in a synthetic sleeve.  I'm sure that'll go over well  :lol. 

So, is Quell really alive somewhere, or was Rei duping Tak with that?

And damn... now I want to read the books - but I'm only on book 2 of a seven-series book atm.

By casting are you referring to their FTL travel or to how they manage their "immortality"

Yes, switching stacks is kinda like a dvd. I think Rei took on Ortega's sleeve when she was in the virtual torture chamber, right?

I have no clue how the Ghostwalker thing was done.

I can't for the life of me remember what happens with Riker's sleeve, or whether Tak is even in his sleeve in the next book, it takes place 30 years after.



I'm gonna have to watch the series again, and I read the fucking books  :lol
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on February 12, 2018, 04:58:51 AM
Spoiler



Kovacs shooting Rei happened off camera when they were behind the sealed door. There was a gunshot then they cut to him holding her in his arms.

Ahhhh... not sure how I missed hearing that.

@ RJ... casting as it relates to FTL travel.  Do they physically travel (stack and sleeve), or is it just the data in their stack that travels to a different stack/sleeve?  The couple times they referred to it (with Bancroft travelling to close that deal, and the Stronghold memories when the Envoy team was going to raid some facility), I couldn't tell what happened after they went in the 'pods'.

Just before the final two episodes, I thought it was gonna be revealed that Lizzie was actually Quell... but that would have been WAAAAAAAAY to coincidental.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 12, 2018, 09:42:33 AM
They just cast their personality data, that's what made the Envoys so special is that they had to be capable of dealing with a new body, which for others was a greatly disorienting experience. Remember in the first episode when Kovaks was just getting awakened and the guys told him it would be a while to "get his legs", then he immediately went all kick ass on them? Normal people can't do that. The Meths would have clones of themselves waiting at destinations where they're cast to.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 12, 2018, 09:46:27 AM
So Kinneman won't be around for S2, if it happens...

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/altered-carbon-how-joel-kinnamans-exit-could-impact-season-2-1083004 (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/altered-carbon-how-joel-kinnamans-exit-could-impact-season-2-1083004)
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on February 12, 2018, 10:22:42 AM
They just cast their personality data, that's what made the Envoys so special is that they had to be capable of dealing with a new body, which for others was a greatly disorienting experience. Remember in the first episode when Kovaks was just getting awakened and the guys told him it would be a while to "get his legs", then he immediately went all kick ass on them? Normal people can't do that. The Meths would have clones of themselves waiting at destinations where they're cast to.

Aaahhh... gotchya
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 12, 2018, 12:14:10 PM
So Kinneman won't be around for S2, if it happens...

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/altered-carbon-how-joel-kinnamans-exit-could-impact-season-2-1083004 (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/altered-carbon-how-joel-kinnamans-exit-could-impact-season-2-1083004)

Loved him in 'The Killing' and Loved him as Tak....was curious as to if it'd even make sense to have him involved in Altered Carbon moving forward given the circumstances surrounding that world. Kind of assumed Riker or Tak in Riker's sleeve was a long shot anyway.

but that new project sounds cool  :tup

I'm still waiting to hear from NETFLIX that a second season is greenlit. It's been a few weeks since the release and they usually confirm stuff like that pretty soon afterwards. From what I've read online it's been received well....i can't imagine they wouldn't do at least one more season.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 12, 2018, 01:00:37 PM
I did read somewhere that Netflix actually shot themselves in the foot by releasing it on Friday, then doing the huge Cloverfield thing at the SuperBowl, and how it actually slashed the viewership of Altered Carbon. Hopefully in due time the audience will grow to warrant a second season, I have yet to see a bad review of the show.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 12, 2018, 01:33:15 PM
I did read somewhere that Netflix actually shot themselves in the foot by releasing it on Friday, then doing the huge Cloverfield thing at the SuperBowl, and how it actually slashed the viewership of Altered Carbon. Hopefully in due time the audience will grow to warrant a second season, I have yet to see a bad review of the show.

That was an odd time to release if they knew they'd be doing the Cloverfield release. I thought the same thing....although, I hammered out AC before watching Cloverfield.

I'm curious as to who they'll cast as Tak for season 2?
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 12, 2018, 01:45:28 PM
I couldn't find any info on whose sleeve he used for the other books, but they could easily write it so he has his original Asian sleeve, supposedly he got a ton of money from Laurens for the gig before he sold him upriver, so he'd easily be able to clone himself a few times.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Logain Ablar on February 13, 2018, 01:46:48 AM
I have yet to see a bad review of the show.

I was kinda surprised to read this 2/5 star review from Empire: https://www.empireonline.com/tv/altered-carbon-season-1/

Quote
It doesn’t help that Kinnaman and fellow lead Martha Higareda have zero chemistry and fail to add depth to their characters. Then again, it’s hard to know whether their woodenness stems from them or the soulless script.

Yikes - harsh! I can't agree with this at all.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on February 13, 2018, 04:49:15 AM
No shit. Was this dude watching the same show as me?  Their chemistry was just fine.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 13, 2018, 08:37:06 AM
Damn, who the fuck pissed him off?
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 13, 2018, 08:48:54 AM
Damn, who the fuck pissed him off?

No kidding. That guy is insane. I understand if you just didn't like it or if it didn't click with you but his judgments are way off and they do feel personal. He must have auditioned for a role and not gotten it.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 13, 2018, 11:41:59 AM
Or he was a huge fan of the books and felt personally slighted that they didn't follow them to the T.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on February 13, 2018, 12:20:27 PM
Or he was a huge fan of the books and felt personally slighted that they didn't follow them to the T.

Or maybe he's Japanese and offended they put one of his own in "The White Man".  Seriously, how the fuck does anyone read that into ANYTHING to do with the story!?!?!  Haven't most evolved humans moved past that?  I was more bothered at the fact that Higareda couldn't lose her latin slang when portraying Rei.   :lol
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 13, 2018, 01:15:20 PM
Yeah, I gave myself a minor concussion facepalming at that line. I mean, you state that it's part of the original story, then bitch about "whitewashing"...wtf man?

Someone throw that into the offensiveness thread in P&R....
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Logain Ablar on February 13, 2018, 03:22:01 PM
Yeah I think it requires some mental gymnastics to read anything racist or discriminatory into it.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Super Dude on February 14, 2018, 08:30:52 AM
I’m not finished with the show yet (I’m halfway there), I just wanted to say all the Envoy stuff hits me right here: :heart
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: ErHaO on February 14, 2018, 10:04:30 AM
Just finished and I really enjoyed it. It is like a very solid, 10 hour scifi flick with plenty of awesome setpieces. My only real qualm is that the person who is ultimately the main villain was a bit too obsessive and evil, with too little story build up for said villain to get to that point (from the perspective of the viewer). I also preffered the first half of the season due to it's premise, it being more of a detective whodunnit type of show. But that doesn't mean I didn't like the second half.

One huge positive for me, the season just works on it's own. The story is wrapped up in a satisfying manner. Not some blue balls inducing cliffhanger that makes you wait a year or possibly leave you without any conclusion ever.




Also, in regards to it being racist: I am very left minded and all, but some people seem to be driven on confirmation bias rather than going into matters open minded. This is not in any way comparable to something, like say, Ghost in the Shell, due to the context of the story. I don't think it is racist at all.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: ProfessorPeart on February 14, 2018, 02:57:26 PM
I watched this over 3 nights. Really loved it.

The funniest thing I saw mentioned is the same thing I thought, they missed an opportunity by casting Paul F. Tompkins as Poe. I could totally have seen that. Not taking anything away from the guy that played him, he put in a great performance.

I also read that this was initially only intended as a one season thing. There were no plans beyond it. Now they are rethinking that.

The whole cast was fantastic and the range that some of them showed was just awesome. Case in point, the pierced thug that ended up becoming Ortega's grandma.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 14, 2018, 05:31:26 PM


The whole cast was fantastic and the range that some of them showed was just awesome. Case in point, the pierced thug that ended up becoming Ortega's grandma.

That one had me rolling man, I got a Latina friend who's running through the show right now, and I'm itching for her to get to that episode.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Super Dude on February 16, 2018, 02:15:54 PM
A thing I wrote about the show: https://thenerdymillennialblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/16/altered-carbon/

Feel free to agree or disagree, but I do strongly feel this is first true cyberpunk other than Blade Runner 2049 that we’ve had in decades.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 17, 2018, 03:48:04 PM
A thing I wrote about the show: https://thenerdymillennialblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/16/altered-carbon/

Feel free to agree or disagree, but I do strongly feel this is first true cyberpunk other than Blade Runner 2049 that we’ve had in decades.

that was a cool read, thanks a lot for that  :tup   I honestly had never heard the term ‘cyberpunk’ used to describe that genre but I’ll buy your definition and story. Altered Carbon most definitely fits the bill.


As far as Electric Dreams.....I battled through every episode so I could stand confident in my judgment of the series.....and that is....it sucked. Flat out, plain and simple it was such a waste of talent in the actors they had take part and (from what I’ve heard) the source material. I’ve never read any of the source material but Ive heard it’s fantastic. However, AMAZON completely missed the mark IMO. Very boring episodes.....most of the time no evident direction or purpose. I was bummed because I had high hopes
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Super Dude on February 17, 2018, 03:57:35 PM
Thanks, appreciate it!

There are two problems with Electric Dreams: first of all, the original short stories from Philip K. Dick were written in the 1950s and 60s. Even if they're interesting to think about, to call them outdated and even obsolete is an understatement. Second, the execution of these adaptations was just terrible. I don't know if it was bad writing or bad direction, but they don't do the original stories justice. Not even close. And it's such a shame too because look at the talent they were working with: Bryan Cranston, Steve Buscemi, Anna Paquin? These are not b-list actors.

If you're interested in other cyberpunk works, I mention a whole bunch in the post itself, but some of the major works include: The Matrix, Blade Runner (and 2049), Johnny Mnemonic (read the book instead, the movie sucks), Neuromancer (it's a hard book to get through but it's often considered the "first" official cyberpunk work), Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, A Scanner Darkly, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, and maybe Metropolis by Osamu Tezuka. There are a whole bunch of others that came out in the '80s and '90s but I would say these are the best-known works in the genre. :tup
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 17, 2018, 04:02:23 PM
Very familiar with the Matrix and (2) Blade Runner films. Been meaning to watch Ghost in the Shell but I hear the book is the way to go on that one. Will look into the others you’ve mentioned as well.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: faizoff on February 17, 2018, 06:49:38 PM
Watch the original Ghost in the Shell anime with subtitles, it's an amazing cartoon that touches on a lot of themes the same way Blade Runner and the Matrix movies do. I've only seen the first one which is outright phenomenal if you ask me. I haven't seen any of the other in the series or even the movie that came out last year, but will check them out.

I finished Altered Carbon recently and really loved it. It's a great series and I'm really sad that Joel Kinnaman won't be back for season two. I loved him on the show and he was definitely the highlight for me. I would rate the series 7.5/10, I did have some issues at times with certain parts of the episodes and something about the pacing didn't gel with me. I think the acting also at times was a bit off. I'm not complaining, it looked absolutely amazing, top notch production, very well shot, I loved the structure of the story and I thought they kept it very interesting when touching on themes of religion, mortality and ethics without really being heavy handed.

The fights were great, characters were really rich in depth with great motivations and story arcs. The grandmother sleeve was by far my favorite part of the whole series. Great acting by that actor, he was really endearing when portraying a frail old woman. Even the actor that played Lizzy's mom, he did great too. Overall a great watch and I hope they will continue with more seasons with the same production quality.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Phoenix87x on February 25, 2018, 02:19:33 PM
Just started watching. Me likey

Its like Blade runner + Ghost in the shell + demolition man + The Matrix + Total Recall. 5 of my favs.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Nekov on March 26, 2018, 09:15:48 AM
Ok, finished watching the show last night and here's my take:

Overall I liked the show, as people have said there's an interesting Blade Runner feel to the city that clicks all the right buttons for me, the mix of bright neon with the dark and damp streets is pretty good. I liked the whole background story of the world and how the human race has evolved and what society has come to, as Lonestar said, the difference between Grounders and Meths is pretty obvious and a good comparison to how society works nowadays.
I would love to know more about this ancient race and what we know about them, they were presented as an important part of the universe but not much was explained to us. I understand that it might not be that important to the story they were telling but I'm still curious.

Regarding acting, I loved Poe, I think he was by far the best character in the show. It's very interesting how he manages to be the most human character of them all while all the time showing signs that he's not actually a human.
Leung is also an interesting character, it was quite hard to place his real intentions before they are actually revealed. I thought he would be a part of some kind of religious anti-stack kind of cult and not the exact opposite.
Special mentions to Quell and Bancroft as well, both of them were portrayed excellently.
The rest of them are just OK, and I do have to agree with that guy that the chemistry between the main characters is not that good, but I think that might be because they are both a little too extreme in their portrayal, Tak playing the "tough dude" that softens and Ortega being the "End justifies the means" kind of person to an unrealistic levels. Those 2 were too cliche for their own good.

The ending is the thing that brings it down for me a little bit, all that final scene in Head in the Clouds is full of cliche and stupid things, like the fight between Tak and his sister, it's just so over the top. I forgot her in the acting section, but I think that was a bad choice. I can understand how after all the years of pushing people around and getting her way with things she thinks she can do that with Tak, but she's so bad at demonstrating emotions.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: ProfessorPeart on July 27, 2018, 11:06:20 AM
Season 2 is a go with Anthony Mackie as Kovacs.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/altered-carbon-renewed-season-2-new-star-anthony-mackie-1130243
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on July 27, 2018, 11:46:58 AM
Great choice  :metal
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on July 27, 2018, 11:47:55 AM
Cool and the Gang!
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on July 27, 2018, 01:03:25 PM
Fuck yeah!!!
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: ariich on July 27, 2018, 01:09:51 PM
Season 2 is a go with Anthony Mackie as Kovacs.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/altered-carbon-renewed-season-2-new-star-anthony-mackie-1130243
Fuck yes.

Really glad they're continuing with Kovacs' story. There was talk of whether they'd ignore the other books and make it an anthology series but that would have just been really weird to be honest.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: TioJorge on August 06, 2018, 11:25:56 AM
Awesome. While I'm not the biggest fan of Mackie and have a REALLY hard time seeing liking him even a smidgen as much as my boy Kinnaman, whom I adore in every role, I'm still excited to see the story itself go on. It's tough watching Mackie in Avengers movies (I know i've seen him in a couple non-superhero movies, but not many) cracking one liners and being fairly silly to imagining him in this, but if he can pull it off, that'd be awesome.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: ErHaO on August 09, 2018, 01:24:24 PM
Very cool! I only know the actor from the MCU films, but in those I like his work quite a bit, as to me he is one of the better "side heroes" in that universe.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 12, 2020, 09:20:49 AM
Season 2 starts February 27th. I'm gonna have to do some sort of recap vid or something....trailer below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MzbLQBeR9Y
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on February 12, 2020, 10:19:51 AM
Suh-weet.  Loved S1.  Though, I'm massively behind on other series that I want / need to watch.  Not enough disposable time, goddammit!
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on February 12, 2020, 10:21:42 AM
I'm gonna have to do some sort of recap vid or something....


Like this?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rKbyedQy9Y
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 12, 2020, 11:48:53 AM
I'm gonna have to do some sort of recap vid or something....


Like this?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rKbyedQy9Y

 :lol  Yep.....just like that. That was easy.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 13, 2020, 09:21:57 AM
Giggity!!!
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 28, 2020, 08:01:27 AM
I've watched the first two episodes. I'm hopeful the remaining episodes are 'better'.  Production value is certainly there....but for my taste it's lacking something and I just can't quite put my finger on it. I am only two episodes in though so it can certainly turn the corner.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: faizoff on February 28, 2020, 10:23:11 AM
I watched the first episode of S2 last night and also feel there is something missing. Everything looks great, I don't know exactly why I'm not fully enamored by it so far. Will catch the rest of episodes later.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on February 28, 2020, 10:45:31 AM
I'm so far behind on my TV watching - I still haven't spun up The Witcher.  Not sure when I'm gonna get to this one.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: ErHaO on February 28, 2020, 03:13:26 PM
I watched the first episode of S2 last night and also feel there is something missing. Everything looks great, I don't know exactly why I'm not fully enamored by it so far. Will catch the rest of episodes later.

Same for me.

There is no real emotional buildup or anything. Stuff happens, but the first episode feels more like the show was directed from a fact sheet or something. And the action looks flashy and all, but it was also so-so edited with a lot of cuts implying cool moves (or showing glimpses of them) but not fully showing them. Season 1 had fantastic fight sequence where the buildup and payoff was perfect.

Hopefully what follows grabs me more.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 28, 2020, 06:12:07 PM
I'm ok with the action sequences, I'm having trouble buying the way Mackie plays Kovacs compared to Kinnaman. I guess it's tricky to emulate the way another actor plays a character if that makes any sense. Otherwise I'm good so far with the show.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on February 29, 2020, 05:44:37 AM
I broke down and prioritized watching this (ahead of The Witcher).  Took in Ep 1 last night, gonna spin up Ep 2 momentarily. 

I'm ok with the action sequences, I'm having trouble buying the way Mackie plays Kovacs compared to Kinnaman. I guess it's tricky to emulate the way another actor plays a character if that makes any sense. Otherwise I'm good so far with the show.

I thought the fight scene was a little too acrobatic, but wasn't too stuffed about it.  The Mackie v Kinnaman thing is this is the part that isn't clicking for me.  Heck, I thought the lounge singer was a more convincing Kovacs than Mackie is so far.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 29, 2020, 09:04:08 AM
Ok, so I'm not the only one. The lounge singer would've been great throughout the show. I think the other thing that's bugging me is the novelity of it has worn of, yet there really isn't any intrigue to it either. In S1, it had both, this time both are lacking a bit. 

Think I'm at E5 right now, was pooped and fading in and out last night.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 29, 2020, 11:59:52 AM
Agree about the lounge singer. I’ve seen that actress in a couple other shows and she’s good. Would have been neat to have her around longer.

I like Mackie a lot as an actor but I think the ‘switch’ to him from Kinnaman is what is not clicking for me.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 29, 2020, 12:19:02 PM
Seems we're all in agreement on that point.


Also, I think they diverted severely from the source material. The first season followed the plot of the first book fairly close. They don't go to Harlan's world till the third book if I remember (it's been ages since I read them), but none of this story seems familiar.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on February 29, 2020, 06:35:05 PM
Seems we're all in agreement on that point.


Also, I think they diverted severely from the source material. The first season followed the plot of the first book fairly close. They don't go to Harlan's world till the third book if I remember (it's been ages since I read them), but none of this story seems familiar.

I didn’t read it.....but saw an article titled ‘5 Ways Altered Carbon Has Changed from the Source Material’ (May not be exact headline quite) but the point was the show has made several deviations. I didn’t read the article cuz I’ve never read the books.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on February 29, 2020, 08:44:56 PM
Well, I never read ‘em, so that’s not an issue for me.  Will try to snag Ep 3 tomorrow morning.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on February 29, 2020, 09:07:06 PM
Finished it today, though I'm gonna have to rewatch the last three episodes since I got my eyes dialated this morning and was fading in and out during ep6 and 7 which had a shit ton of info I missed. :lol
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on March 01, 2020, 05:30:58 PM
Ep. 3 and 4 were better for me. Still don’t think this season has that ‘grit’ and personality that S1 had. This season feels too refined....but it did pick up a bit for me.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: ErHaO on March 02, 2020, 07:47:06 AM
Honestly, I thought episode 2 was better already and I loved 3 and 4. Perhaps the difference in lead between s1 and s2, together with more over the top action, was a bit jarring to me initially. Anyways, only the first episode bored me.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: MirrorMask on March 03, 2020, 01:06:41 AM
So I just started watching the series. First two episodes (of season 1 of course) yesterday.

It's quite cool, I'm not yet completely invested, like "OMG why I waited so long to see this?", but I will follow it through the end. The homage to Blade Runner is quite evident in the atmosphere, we don't have replicants but sleeves. Curious to see how it will all unfold.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on March 07, 2020, 09:35:40 AM
Finished the season. I will say I enjoyed S1 a bit more....but S2 wasn’t ‘bad’ per say. It still lacked something for my taste. Just had a completely different feel than S1. It’s a show I’ll certainly watch a S3 if there is one but....for me.....it took a bit of a dive in S2 if I had to compare to S1.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on March 07, 2020, 03:02:55 PM
Agree completely Gary. It took a bit to get used to Mackie as Kovacs. I really liked the story arc, but the last two episodes just felt rushed  ... like all that mattered was getting to the end.

And how did original Kovacs come around in his beliefs in just 24 hours? That I wasn’t buying. Again, too rushed.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on March 08, 2020, 02:29:39 PM
Yeah, I'm still confused as to why they went from a 10 episode season to an 8 episode one. I'd bet those extra two episodes would've been useful.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: MirrorMask on March 09, 2020, 03:56:52 AM
Watched the entire season 1. Liked it, not loved it. At times it was a bit convoluted, maybe a rewatch will help to appreciate better all the nuances. Kovacs was cool and Poe was such a great sidekick. Season 2 will not be on the top of my priorities to watch, but all in all it was a great mix of cyberpunk, sci-fi, Blade Runner homage and good (although nearly impossible to follow) detective story.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on March 22, 2020, 09:59:48 AM
Watching the new single episode anime, Altered Carbon Resleeved. Ridiculously violent, and sooooo good.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on March 22, 2020, 10:17:31 AM
Watching the new single episode anime, Altered Carbon Resleeved. Ridiculously violent, and sooooo good.

Was gonna give that a peek.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on March 22, 2020, 10:35:25 AM
Watching the new single episode anime, Altered Carbon Resleeved. Ridiculously violent, and sooooo good.

Netflix?
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on March 22, 2020, 10:54:02 AM
Watching the new single episode anime, Altered Carbon Resleeved. Ridiculously violent, and sooooo good.

Netflix?

Yep
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on March 22, 2020, 11:01:28 PM
Yup, single episode, bout 1:15 long. Good compact story told in an efficient manner, left open ended for a shit ton of follow up stories.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: ariich on March 23, 2020, 08:21:17 AM
I enjoyed season 2 a lot, started slowish but got better and better throughout IMO.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on August 26, 2020, 02:38:27 PM
Netflix has Cancelled Altered Carbon. Not surprising, especially considering Netflix’s approach to renewals. Plus, S2 was a step down from S1 i believe in large part due to the recasting of the main character. Nothing against Anthony Mackie but it just never felt like the same person.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on August 26, 2020, 02:44:17 PM
Netflix has Cancelled Altered Carbon. Not surprising, especially considering Netflix’s approach to renewals. Plus, S2 was a step down from S1 i believe in large part due to the recasting of the main character. Nothing against Anthony Mackie but it just never felt like the same person.

Agreed.  Oh well, 1 great season; 1 pretty good season; one excellent animated episode.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: ariich on August 26, 2020, 04:30:54 PM
Ah damn that's a real bummer, in some ways I thought season 2 was stronger than season 1 and I was excited to see where the story was going to go next.

I'm not a fan of shows being cancelled without an opportunity to wrap things up narratively. This isn't the worst case of it though, the season 2 plot was resolved, there were just interesting threads left to set up the next season which now won't go anywhere, which sucks a bit.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: faizoff on August 26, 2020, 05:15:11 PM
Is the 2nd season worth watching? I saw only the first episode of S2 and thought it was very dry and just kinda blah. I thought the 1st season was mostly good but the ending kinda fizzled a bit.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on August 26, 2020, 05:50:53 PM
Is the 2nd season worth watching? I saw only the first episode of S2 and thought it was very dry and just kinda blah. I thought the 1st season was mostly good but the ending kinda fizzled a bit.

It’s not bad....but for me it lost that gritty, blade runnerish feel and was more produced and ‘clean’ looking. And, I had a real tough time believing Anthony Mack was Kovacs the entire time. Felt like a new character and I couldn’t get past it.

Story was cool.....action was good.....but I liked S1 better. S2 is worth a watch if you have the time.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on August 26, 2020, 06:01:00 PM
Is the 2nd season worth watching? I saw only the first episode of S2 and thought it was very dry and just kinda blah. I thought the 1st season was mostly good but the ending kinda fizzled a bit.

It’s not bad....but for me it lost that gritty, blade runnerish feel and was more produced and ‘clean’ looking. And, I had a real tough time believing Anthony Mack was Kovacs the entire time. Felt like a new character and I couldn’t get past it.

Story was cool.....action was good.....but I liked S1 better. S2 is worth a watch if you have the time.

Bingo on all accounts.  I didn't think much of Poe's story, but it was offset by Trepp's story arc.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: Shadow Ninja 2.0 on August 26, 2020, 07:04:38 PM
I assume Netflix knows their business model better than I do, but to me, it seems counterproductive to produce shows that they cancel before finishing, because they're just going to sit unfinished on their service forever. A story that'll never get an end doesn't seem like it's going to be appealing to new subscribers.

As a side note, has anyone read the books? The premise seems pretty interesting to me.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on August 27, 2020, 07:32:39 PM
Is the 2nd season worth watching? I saw only the first episode of S2 and thought it was very dry and just kinda blah. I thought the 1st season was mostly good but the ending kinda fizzled a bit.


For sure, though it's a bit weird trying to get used to the character switch. Also check out the animated movie, that was quite excellent.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: ErHaO on September 07, 2020, 03:32:07 AM
Loved the first season, did not really feel the second. I also do not like it when they cancel shows, but here the seasons themselved felt finished.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: lonestar on November 09, 2021, 08:37:12 PM
Giving the first season another go. As meh as S2 was, I'll always say that S1 was some of the best sci fi television ever. Love this one.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: faizoff on November 10, 2021, 05:24:54 AM
I never finished the 2nd season after watching the 1st episode. It seemed so different, might get on it later.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: jingle.boy on November 10, 2021, 06:30:06 AM
I never finished the 2nd season after watching the 1st episode. It seemed so different, might get on it later.

It was alright, but such a step down after the brilliance of S1
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: LudwigVan on November 11, 2021, 02:23:06 PM
I never finished the 2nd season after watching the 1st episode. It seemed so different, might get on it later.

It was alright, but such a step down after the brilliance of S1

Season 1 was solid. I bailed after watching 2 or 3 episodes of S2.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: gmillerdrake on November 11, 2021, 02:53:57 PM
I never finished the 2nd season after watching the 1st episode. It seemed so different, might get on it later.

It was alright, but such a step down after the brilliance of S1

Yep. I still stand by 100% of what I wrote about it after I watched S2. The whole 'feel' of the show was different. It was more produced and 'clean'.....it lost it's edge so to speak and wasn't the same. And the actor change IMO did the show zero favors. They should have either inked Kinnaman to a two or three season deal or waited to film S2 until he was available. Mackie is a fine actor and all but he just couldn't command a scene like Kinnaman can/could.....and it translated into a pretty poor season.
Title: Re: Altered Carbon - NETFLIX
Post by: ErHaO on November 12, 2021, 02:33:13 AM
I remember very little of season 2. Mackie is great, but not for this role/character. Thankfully season 1 stands on it's own and remains a great ride.