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Post by Incandescence 112 on Sept 10, 2019 5:09:26 GMT -8
The thing is, I've only seen both series all the way through once. I've re-watched some episodes here and there, but I've never had the compulsion to do a full series-re-watch.
I've also slowly been losing interest in new tv recently. I've only seen Chernobyl and What We Do in the Shadows in terms of new shows this year-and I'll definitely watch The Good Place's final season, and Bojack Horseman's upcoming one. Beyond that though, I'm not sure. It seems like quantity has long surpassed quality-and due to my very selective tastes, there's not a lot out there that truly interests me right now.
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Post by Jeremy on Sept 10, 2019 6:55:44 GMT -8
Hi Fili! Glad to see another familiar face return. I've seen both Buffy and Angel all the way through twice, though it's been years since I've sat down with either. Probably won't be able to make the time to rewatch such long TV shows ever again. But I'm happy with the time I spent with them, and the appreciation they've helped me cultivate for TV at large. On a side-ish note, I believe my appeal to this idea partially stems from a general disinterest towards the state the medium seems to be settling down to, a phase I'd say I entered to since the end of The Leftovers. The only shows I watched this year and found excellent were Russian Doll and both seasons of Fleabag, which is keeping up with the current trend of half-hour dramedies by and about complex women being brilliant, game-changing stuff and the true must-watches of this time. I think this is due to several reasons, the main being that it's very difficult nowadays to find stories that if not inherently political still don't make grand, on-the-nose statements and, even moreso, criticism's tendency to strip down a story's meaning to the most shallow of assessments and to become moral judgement for the writers' intentions rather than focusing on the narrative itself. Don't get me wrong, the conversations that are finally happening in the last few years are ones which had been a long time coming and actually depicting these issues on screen doesn't necessarily deprive of artistic value and can actually go on to build a piece of work that manages to be educational and still not be completely defined by today's news, allowing the characters agency and not making them puppets with the sole purpose of spitting out the author's feelings on said subject matter. That's what Buffy excelled to, actually: in a way it was "political", as in the foundation of the show was basically a commentary on and clever subversion of the inherent sexism in most horror stories and some minor storylines could feel as if their only purpose was to make a statement, but at the same time it never felt completely defined by it, because it would also feel universal in how it treated its characters as legit human beings - even those who couldn't call themselves such - and made their day-to-day struggles so relatable despite the fact they had to do with supernatural forces that it would still feel fresh for the most part today, more than twenty years past its starting point. I also understand that our planet is doomed so I'm not really sure why I'm debating so fiercely on the preservation of something as meaningless as "complex and creative storytelling"! It's interesting you should bring this up, as I've been thinking a lot about messaging in modern TV shows myself, and how it's affecting the quality of the output. I've actually been meaning to write an article about it on the main site for a little while now, but haven't yet got around to doing so. That said, while I do think the overall quality of television has dipped in the last couple of years, there are still some excellent shows being produced. In addition to Russian Doll and Fleabag, I can vouch for Barry and Better Things. And while it might not be very deep, What We Do In the Shadows is among the funniest shows I've seen in years.
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Post by filibanfi on Sept 10, 2019 11:34:40 GMT -8
Thank you for the suggestions! I've heard plenty of great things about the shows you both mentioned and some of them I've watched and enjoyed several episodes but am not caught up with.
I actually realized I probably didn't emphasize that the biggest part of my problem is criticism of said content rather than the content itself, which even at its most politically charged at least theoretically could provide plenty of other interesting material that unfortunately rarely gets noticed or, even worse, it does but gets lost in iotas and empty adjectives - think about how many times you stumble into a review that passes on the cinematography simply describing it as "beautiful" and without really taking the time to address how it helps to convey whatever message the show is trying to bring home. I said "show", but actually I think that is more of a problem within film criticism, where this stuff is arguably even more important and essential to fully understand what the director is trying to do. I'd argue that some of the current TV critics who on a regular basis offer interesting takes are Matt Zoller Seitz and Emily VanDerWerff, among others. There's also FilmCritHulk but he doesn't really write with continuity.
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Post by otherscott on Sept 10, 2019 11:52:01 GMT -8
Hi Fili, I am also thrilled to see you again. You are always very thoughtful in what you say and your tastes have always aligned quite well with mine.
I've found Succession to be a bit of an enjoyable remedy to the "politically charged" criticism thing, even though often the criticism about the show misses the point. It takes the people that the internet hates the most, and actually gets you to feel some form of empathy for most of them despite their privilege and general all around lack of awareness and consideration. I wasn't really on board with the first season, but I've understood this one a lot better.
I also second Jeremy's recommendations, even the ones I haven't seen. Barry in particular I found has been a little bit underappreciated in the general community this year. Russian Doll was not really for me but it wasn't a bad show by any means.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Sept 10, 2019 12:25:24 GMT -8
Hi Fili, I am also thrilled to see you again. You are always very thoughtful in what you say and your tastes have always aligned quite well with mine. I've found Succession to be a bit of an enjoyable remedy to the "politically charged" criticism thing, even though often the criticism about the show misses the point. It takes the people that the internet hates the most, and actually gets you to feel some form of empathy for most of them despite their privilege and general all around lack of awareness and consideration. I wasn't really on board with the first season, but I've understood this one a lot better. I also second Jeremy's recommendations, even the ones I haven't seen. Barry in particular I found has been a little bit underappreciated in the general community this year. Russian Doll was not really for me but it wasn't a bad show by any means. Also glad we roped back Scott into posting somewhat regularly. Just when you thought you were out, we pulled you back in...... Very glad to have you back posting here Fili-and not just because it means I am no longer the youngest. The more, the merrier. Regarding your doomed planet scenario, if I remember correctly, you live in the European Union? You can always move to Denmark or something to escape climate change. I suppose we in the states have Alaska too. One last point-Jeremy, I definitely think an article about the state of tv criticism right now would spark a great discussion-it's an....interesting topic.
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Post by ThirdMan on Sept 10, 2019 13:40:10 GMT -8
I'm glad to hear you stuck with and ultimately enjoyed S1 of What We Do In The Shadows, Jer. Perhaps it's not deeeeep, but in addition to being very funny, I think it has a lot of visual/thematic texture and warmth, and a surprising amount of world-building. I mean, look how much time they devoted to an incidental character like Gregor/Jeff's backstory, even given his end result. I think the cast are real pros at this sort of material, and I'm curious to see how they develop Guillermo's story going forward.
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Post by Jeremy on Sept 10, 2019 14:42:07 GMT -8
I think the world-building in What We Do in the Shadows is a key factor in making the comedy click. Having much of the detailed mythology dispensed in one-liners and brief cutaways never stops being funny. And the full commitment of the cast goes a long way as well. I'm glad I stuck with the show, and will happily be back for next season. One last point-Jeremy, I definitely think an article about the state of tv criticism right now would spark a great discussion-it's an....interesting topic. It's more about the state of TV in general right now, though I'd say the state of TV criticism is playing a key part in that overall fabric. It's in the early drafting stages at this point, but maybe I'll get to writing a full piece soon. (I've got another Blog article set for later this week which I think you'll enjoy, Flame.)
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Sept 10, 2019 16:40:17 GMT -8
I think the world-building in What We Do in the Shadows is a key factor in making the comedy click. Having much of the detailed mythology dispensed in one-liners and brief cutaways never stops being funny. And the full commitment of the cast goes a long way as well. I'm glad I stuck with the show, and will happily be back for next season. One last point-Jeremy, I definitely think an article about the state of tv criticism right now would spark a great discussion-it's an....interesting topic. It's more about the state of TV in general right now, though I'd say the state of TV criticism is playing a key part in that overall fabric. It's in the early drafting stages at this point, but maybe I'll get to writing a full piece soon. (I've got another Blog article set for later this week which I think you'll enjoy, Flame.) Also, the show is wildly, ludicrously funny-the most uproarious thing I've seen in years. So if it doesn't have much 'depth' to it I'm really okay with that. Better to know what you are than try to create the illusion of depth as other shows would do. I really need a cathartic article about tv criticism.
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Post by Jay on Sept 12, 2019 12:11:42 GMT -8
Ten years ago, I was sometimes watching BtVS on Mike's couch. Now I don't even know where that couch is. That apartment building no longer has Mike in it either. But I know the general part of the state that he lives in. Truly, seismic shifts.
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Post by Jeremy on Sept 29, 2019 12:42:41 GMT -8
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Post by otherscott on Sept 30, 2019 10:16:52 GMT -8
Thanks for writing this Jeremy! Obviously the landscape of CT has changed a lot since its early days, not least of which is the removal of the Buffy reviews that made it gather the traffic in the first place. That being said, I really like the small community we have now but still hope it doesn't grow too much smaller. Just me, Jeremy, and Quiara yelling at each other over the internet wouldn't be the same, I don't think.
Good luck to the future of the site and the future of these boards!
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Post by Jeremy on Oct 1, 2019 18:18:56 GMT -8
Thanks! I'm happy to keep the site humming and updating it as long as real life allows me to (and frankly, I'm surprised it's allowed me to do so for this long). I'm proud of the little community we've maintained as well, though newcomers are always welcome.
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Post by MikeJer on Oct 14, 2019 4:30:26 GMT -8
Hey all! Just wanted to pop my head in here briefly to thank Jeremy for a wonderful write-up on the history of Critically Touched. For those of you interested, my 'website management and review writing' retirement is going very well. I've since moved my family (two boys now) to Montana where we are about to move into a new custom self-sustainable zero-energy house a little ways out in the country with a whole lot of land and a view of at least 6 mountain ranges. We will have free-range kids going forward. Faith, family, work, and fun: all the marks of a very, very fulfiling and happy life. Oh, and Jay: that leather couch is still in our home, although it's showing a bit more wear and tear thanks to our toddler putting it through its paces. My wife still loves the electric reclining feet, especially during her pregnancies.Click on attached images for a little idea of what part of our view looks like. Montana is a truly gorgeous state. So happy to be far away from the dark gloomy skies, endless traffic, and general overpopulation of western WA. Life is goooood! (The only thing I miss about WA is being able to see the ocean frequently.) Attachments:
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Oct 14, 2019 5:21:18 GMT -8
Congratulations Mike! Those mountains are gorgeous. Seriously nice job on that net-zero housing, as well-sustainable living is important.
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Post by MikeJer on Oct 14, 2019 6:10:37 GMT -8
Thanks! Yeah, our house has: SIPS panel construction, geothermal radiant heat, all-black roof solar panels w/battery backup, all LED lights, and all energy efficient appliances (including a neat induction cooktop). All of this makes for a notably higher up-front cost, but it should all more than pay for itself over a long period of time. We intend to die in this house, so it should have ample opportunity to save us long-term costs. The interior of our house will have porcelain tile and wood-grain laminate, with our walls being painted with a warm tuscan faux finish. The idea of a net-zero energy home is that at the end of each year, our net energy bill will be $0. During the summer we'll accrue excess energy credits with the power company (i.e. our solar will take in more than we can use so we'll feed it back to the power company), while in the winter the panels won't generate quite enough, so we'll pull from the grid credits we accrued during the summer. Hopefully it all works as well as advertised. The land we live on has tons of deer too, so I should be able to start hunting enough deer in the fall to keep our chest freezer stocked for the winter and save us a lot of meat expenses. Our nearby land grows a lot of premium duram wheat which we will manually mill into flour for baking purposes. We eventually plan on cultivating a nice sized garden too, hopefully with enough excess that we can give away to charity and help those in need. We hope to live off the land as much as possible so that, no matter what happens in the future, our family will have what it needs from our own land and then even more to give away. We might even eventually start raising a small number of cattle or buffalo. Lots to work towards, but I'm very excited about living a life closer to the land. I've attached a few more pics.
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