What will make it good or bad (to me) is the quality of the story. If the story is there I am sure the acting and production will be good enough.
In 20 years will people look at it and say, they really captured the Bronx in the late 70s? Or will they say, it looks and feels like 2016? Or most likely, it looks and feels like Baz Lurhmann?
What's the criteria for someone to be classed as a film making "Visionary" these days anyway (see "from visionary director Zack Snyder")? An obsessive attachment to style and surface gloss over substance?
The only possible reason that dude's involvement could be good is his ability to stage and film cartoonishly over the top party scenes and his willingness to pummel you with a different music track every thirty seconds with the vocals mixed under the dialogue of the movie. That could work in a series like this. But yeah I hope he's got some good story editors and writers and episode directors to counter his excesses because the story has to be good and that's not his strong point.
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
"Hyper-stylised" is Luhrmann's USP, and he's hardly a marginal film-maker, so there's no excuse for anyone to go into this blind. Caveat emptor, and all that.
For real, though, if I watch this at all, it'll be so I can at least slag it off from a halfway informed point of view. The hip-hop nostalgia industry can't go and fuck itself quickly enough as far as I'm concerned
Nas is corny. Got mad Braeks Yo! Glee w/ costumes. Its has some great moments here and there. Reminds me of HBO VINYL w/ that moder take on '77.....mad Old NYC footage to help set the tone. Kids are a little too shiny for the era, but it is what it is.
Flash as a consultant drops some serious real dirty ass gems on the game. Serious gems.
White boy is introduced through the Graf game which is consistent, and his long hair ass is paired w/ Jaden Smith who is the most centered actor amongst the kids.
The non-Hip Hop drama holds up the story. Jimmy Smits and Giancarlo Esposito kill shit.
There alot on the plate but I hope it sticks a good landing.
Oh man, I thought it was so shitty. The weak writing, the family special vibe--some real cynical dudes built the Netflix algorithm that churns out this dross.
I have to say it wasn't as bad as i though it could have been. Baz's editing gives me a headache though. He must have ADD the way he jumps in between scenes. Glad it seemed to settle down in the later episodes. Everything is a little too shiny for the 70's era bronx as well. They could have left out the korny kung fu aspect on the whole DJ story line. Its also a shame that all the original music that the characters are creating is staight up shitty.
Voguing in 77 is bullshit cats breakin like its 84 is bullshit double time rap flows in 77 from kids who aint Kool Moe Dee is bullshit
its taking modern styles and implementing them before it happened for entertainment sake.
They dont even need the 96 i remember theme.
Watched the first 10 minutes and then got held up - my very first impression was "that '1996' flow doesn't sound very '96" and second impression was "those lyrics are ultra literal". Screenwriter-writing-a-rap style. I'm gonna try it again, but that stuff is a disappointment. I hope there's some improvement...
Once I saw it was Baz Luhrmann in charge of this I pretty much gave up any hope of historical accuracy. He's making Moulin Rouge the hip hop years. It's very odd tonally, it doesn't fit with what is very close historic events or the genre it's representing. It's been made like it's a musical rather than a tv show, awkward breaks like the in time line to jump to 96 even feel like they're filler to mask a set change. It's a bizarre piece of television and not in a good way, but it can be enjoyed as popcorn fodder. Just a shame that TV has shot and missed once again in trying to tell this story.
I'm not sure why anyone would think this to be a complete 100% accurate representation of the time period. It's not a documentary...
Sure there are a ton of issues with this series. And it's not been something that's had me binge on.
It's like someone took elements of Beat Street, Wild Style and Krush Groove. Threw in touches of The Wizard of OZ/Wiz and made it part musical and dance drama/fantasy/adventure, etc etc etc.
I can see why the "Keep It Real" crowd would probably hate on it. But I'm still waiting until I make it completely through to really judge.
I'm not sure why anyone would think this to be a complete 100% accurate representation of the time period. It's not a documentary...
Probably because hip hop historian Nelson George was heavily involved in making the show?
I've enjoyed the books of his I've read. And Strictly Business and CB4 were the bomb! And what I meant was, the show was done by Netflix. Now if this was an HBO Doc project, I would have expected much more.
Comments
Can't say I've liked anything he has ever done.
If the story is there I am sure the acting and production will be good enough.
In 20 years will people look at it and say, they really captured the Bronx in the late 70s? Or will they say, it looks and feels like 2016? Or most likely, it looks and feels like Baz Lurhmann?
Moulin Rouge (2001)
Australia (2008)
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck that.
What's the criteria for someone to be classed as a film making "Visionary" these days anyway (see "from visionary director Zack Snyder")? An obsessive attachment to style and surface gloss over substance?
I will czech though.
For real, though, if I watch this at all, it'll be so I can at least slag it off from a halfway informed point of view. The hip-hop nostalgia industry can't go and fuck itself quickly enough as far as I'm concerned
I feel like we need a gremlin for this.
Mad skeptical.......But im checkin it out.
Nas is corny.
Got mad Braeks Yo!
Glee w/ costumes.
Its has some great moments here and there.
Reminds me of HBO VINYL w/ that moder take on '77.....mad Old NYC footage to help set the tone.
Kids are a little too shiny for the era, but it is what it is.
Flash as a consultant drops some serious real dirty ass gems on the game. Serious gems.
White boy is introduced through the Graf game which is consistent, and his long hair ass is paired w/ Jaden Smith who is the most centered actor amongst the kids.
The non-Hip Hop drama holds up the story. Jimmy Smits and Giancarlo Esposito kill shit.
There alot on the plate but I hope it sticks a good landing.
Anyone else?
I'm actually into the story.
I have to say it wasn't as bad as i though it could have been.
Baz's editing gives me a headache though. He must have ADD the way he jumps in between scenes. Glad it seemed to settle down in the later episodes.
Everything is a little too shiny for the 70's era bronx as well.
They could have left out the korny kung fu aspect on the whole DJ story line. Its also a shame that all the original music that the characters are creating is staight up shitty.
cats breakin like its 84 is bullshit
double time rap flows in 77 from kids who aint Kool Moe Dee is bullshit
its taking modern styles and implementing them before it happened for entertainment sake.
They dont even need the 96 i remember theme.
The Get Down Bros first block performance was lamo.
It's very odd tonally, it doesn't fit with what is very close historic events or the genre it's representing. It's been made like it's a musical rather than a tv show, awkward breaks like the in time line to jump to 96 even feel like they're filler to mask a set change. It's a bizarre piece of television and not in a good way, but it can be enjoyed as popcorn fodder. Just a shame that TV has shot and missed once again in trying to tell this story.
I'm not sure why anyone would think this to be a complete 100% accurate representation of the time period. It's not a documentary...
Sure there are a ton of issues with this series. And it's not been something that's had me binge on.
It's like someone took elements of Beat Street, Wild Style and Krush Groove. Threw in touches of The Wizard of OZ/Wiz and made it part musical and dance drama/fantasy/adventure, etc etc etc.
I can see why the "Keep It Real" crowd would probably hate on it. But I'm still waiting until I make it completely through to really judge.
Probably because hip hop historian Nelson George was heavily involved in making the show?
Ha ha not in the first six episodes.
But there are six more so who knows ?