Dai
Death Scythe
Sandman isn't like the typical US superhero comics that have a dozen continuities split across hundreds of mini-series. There's just the main 10-volume story and a few standalone spin-offs.
General TV Discussion
- Thread starter Jaymii
- Start date
Geriatric hedgehog
Pokémon Master
RadFemHedonist
Mad Scientist
Was wondering if any of the Sandman commenters here are familiar with or fans of Neil Gaiman's other works? I have listened to The Graveyard Book, Stardust (both read by Gaiman himself) and Anansi Boys (read by Lenny Henry) and thoroughly enjoyed all three 
I also have the American Gods and Good Omens unabridged audiobooks in digital format from Audible, but not listened to those two yet
Oh, also, I suppose perhaps it belongs in the other animation/cartoons thread, but I'm rewatching Batman: TAS atm on Blu-ray, and it's still a great show, holds up really well, I also recently traded in some stuff at CEX and got the Superman: TAS Blu-ray set so I'll be rewatching that too at some point. I have the older Teen Titans series (1-5 + Trouble in Tokyo) on Blu-ray as well and rewatched Seasons 1-3 not so long ago, really enjoyed them
I also have the American Gods and Good Omens unabridged audiobooks in digital format from Audible, but not listened to those two yet Oh, also, I suppose perhaps it belongs in the other animation/cartoons thread, but I'm rewatching Batman: TAS atm on Blu-ray, and it's still a great show, holds up really well, I also recently traded in some stuff at CEX and got the Superman: TAS Blu-ray set so I'll be rewatching that too at some point. I have the older Teen Titans series (1-5 + Trouble in Tokyo) on Blu-ray as well and rewatched Seasons 1-3 not so long ago, really enjoyed them
Eternal chibi
Student Council President
It's been re-released twice in recent years so it is not difficult at all to come across those now.
The ones you stated are the core collection so you can go anywhere from there really.Was wondering if any of the Sandman commenters here are familiar with or fans of Neil Gaiman's other works? I have listened to The Graveyard Book, Stardust (both read by Gaiman himself) and Anansi Boys (read by Lenny Henry) and thoroughly enjoyed all three
I absolutely recommend Coraline. One of the best children's books ever and one of my personal favourites too.
Oldmario
Thousand Master
really starting to get annoyed that BBC got the rights to Superman & Lois, saw a HMV email before advertising a bunch of DC shows and even season 2 is getting only a DVD release, it's a pain to import these things cause i like gettitng the slipbox in perfect condition and they always seem to get banged corners
Spark_Heal
Kiznaiver
Did anyone watch The Gold on BBC?
It's a crime drama about the Brink's-Mat robbery of £26 million in gold bullion and cops trying to catch the robbers before they can get the gold out into the market and destroy the paper trail. It's got a lot of themes of class inequality, the British class system in particular, along with trying to break free from social stigma and political corruption.
I didn't like it very much. It felt like the big issue with it is that the show didn't sell that the robbery is a huge deal. It didn't make it clear if there's any negative impact besides the government being embarrassed but the police are moving Heaven and Earth trying to get the gold back. The big scam is that a bunch of gold was stolen without hurting anyone, the plan is to convert it into money by pump it into the economy, then back out into bank accounts. And you never seen them do anything bad with this money besides pressure people into helping the operation. So it was hard to get invested in the drama from the police's side.It doesn't even have the gang do from horrible to keep the money or avoid arrest. The criminals in The Gold just sometimes talk in a vaguely threatening South London accent and you're expected to think every trick in the book has to be played to stop these monsters. The one exception is the guy who killed a police officer, got acquitted on self-defense and then immediately charged with a different crime so he could be kept in a cell for the rest of the show. Maybe I'm missing something but it feels like the biggest robbery in UK history just wasn't very dramatic. Maybe basing this on a true story just limited how far it could go because some of the real people involver their families might be concerned.
It's a crime drama about the Brink's-Mat robbery of £26 million in gold bullion and cops trying to catch the robbers before they can get the gold out into the market and destroy the paper trail. It's got a lot of themes of class inequality, the British class system in particular, along with trying to break free from social stigma and political corruption.
I didn't like it very much. It felt like the big issue with it is that the show didn't sell that the robbery is a huge deal. It didn't make it clear if there's any negative impact besides the government being embarrassed but the police are moving Heaven and Earth trying to get the gold back. The big scam is that a bunch of gold was stolen without hurting anyone, the plan is to convert it into money by pump it into the economy, then back out into bank accounts. And you never seen them do anything bad with this money besides pressure people into helping the operation. So it was hard to get invested in the drama from the police's side.It doesn't even have the gang do from horrible to keep the money or avoid arrest. The criminals in The Gold just sometimes talk in a vaguely threatening South London accent and you're expected to think every trick in the book has to be played to stop these monsters. The one exception is the guy who killed a police officer, got acquitted on self-defense and then immediately charged with a different crime so he could be kept in a cell for the rest of the show. Maybe I'm missing something but it feels like the biggest robbery in UK history just wasn't very dramatic. Maybe basing this on a true story just limited how far it could go because some of the real people involver their families might be concerned.
Spark_Heal
Kiznaiver
Just finished the first season of Twin Peaks.
Everyone always gives on an odd impression of what that show is. The thing I heard for years was that Twin Peaks was a show where the initial mystery didn't matter. They find the dead body of Laura Palmer and it's an excuse to have an FBI agent in this small town of wacky characters to see what their lives are like and unravels a bizarre supernatural component courtesy of David Lynch.
And while the wacky characters and their misadventures are certainly a big part of the series that is not how the story unfolds. Not only is Laura Palmer's death a major part of the story but also the series carries an intense amount of sadness whenever her story becomes the focus. While there are plenty of hijinks to be enjoyed it never lets you forget that a young girl being killed is horrific. Every new detail complicates things further and forces the audience to confront it. Anything supernatural or otherworldly in the series is secondary to the simple fact that this is an inescapable tragedy and that the townspeople are causing each other their problems. And the unmistakable truth that one of them killed a teenage girl. That there is something wrong with Twin Peaks disconnected from any outside forces people just don't want to confront unless the problems directly impact them. And no matter how goofy and silly these people are: one of them is a killer.
But part of why this series works so well is FBI agent Dale Cooper. If Laura's death brings a deep sorrow to the series then Cooper is the one to bring empathy and hope. Kyle MacLachlan does an amazing job playing this eccentric and somewhat spiritual investigator who sees the best in the world but isn't blind to its faults. There's just a warmth to the character that makes it feel like he cares. He will solve the murder of Laura Palmer for no other reason than it being the right thing to do. She's not just a body or a puzzle, she is still a person who deserves respect.
I have started Season Two. That has leaned more into the supernatural side of things but hopefully it continues the more human stuff.
Everyone always gives on an odd impression of what that show is. The thing I heard for years was that Twin Peaks was a show where the initial mystery didn't matter. They find the dead body of Laura Palmer and it's an excuse to have an FBI agent in this small town of wacky characters to see what their lives are like and unravels a bizarre supernatural component courtesy of David Lynch.
And while the wacky characters and their misadventures are certainly a big part of the series that is not how the story unfolds. Not only is Laura Palmer's death a major part of the story but also the series carries an intense amount of sadness whenever her story becomes the focus. While there are plenty of hijinks to be enjoyed it never lets you forget that a young girl being killed is horrific. Every new detail complicates things further and forces the audience to confront it. Anything supernatural or otherworldly in the series is secondary to the simple fact that this is an inescapable tragedy and that the townspeople are causing each other their problems. And the unmistakable truth that one of them killed a teenage girl. That there is something wrong with Twin Peaks disconnected from any outside forces people just don't want to confront unless the problems directly impact them. And no matter how goofy and silly these people are: one of them is a killer.
But part of why this series works so well is FBI agent Dale Cooper. If Laura's death brings a deep sorrow to the series then Cooper is the one to bring empathy and hope. Kyle MacLachlan does an amazing job playing this eccentric and somewhat spiritual investigator who sees the best in the world but isn't blind to its faults. There's just a warmth to the character that makes it feel like he cares. He will solve the murder of Laura Palmer for no other reason than it being the right thing to do. She's not just a body or a puzzle, she is still a person who deserves respect.
I have started Season Two. That has leaned more into the supernatural side of things but hopefully it continues the more human stuff.
Vashdaman
Za Warudo
Ha funny that the last post here was about Twin Peaks as I came here to write that I've just finished watching the whole thing back to back (series 1 and 2, FWWM, Missing Pieces, and just finished series 3). Just phenomenal. Here's some random musings of mine (perhaps don't read if you haven't watched and want to go in completely blind, which I very much recommend)
I think it's perhaps my favourite piece of TV or film ever made, certainly one of them. I mean the whole lot, I loved it all. Honestly I didn't even notice the infamous quality dip in the middle of S2 I was so invested in its world and characters by that point and every episode has some gold in it and adds to the lore. The ways that the first couple of seasons contrast with FWWM and subsequently The Return, are really interesting and work so well in my opinion. It's the absolute opposite of a show content to just trade on nostalgia and play things safe, it consistently challenges the viewer and upends expectations (if one wasn't wise enough already to leave them at the door).
The first couple seasons have an excellent and curious balance between small town Americana quirky warmth and a genuine underlying darkness and sorrow. But from FWWM onwards the warmth markedly drains out of the show (though never entirely disappears) and things get much bleaker and more horrific. It can be genuinely upsetting and at times some of the most unsettling bits of film I've ever watched. I can see how some might prefer one style over the other, but I felt that both halves are made so much better by the other. Spark Heal's comments in the previous post highlight some of the ways the difference in tone expresses itself. (spoilers for S3)
Well that makes the whole thing sound pretty bleak, and I suppose it is, even though its's still couched in so much off kilter humour and eccentricity. The ending is just incredible though, the kind of thing that stay with me, I suspect. But there's so so much more that can be said about this show, and it is all highly open to interpretation. On every level it's just magical, incredible television at television's best.
I think it's perhaps my favourite piece of TV or film ever made, certainly one of them. I mean the whole lot, I loved it all. Honestly I didn't even notice the infamous quality dip in the middle of S2 I was so invested in its world and characters by that point and every episode has some gold in it and adds to the lore. The ways that the first couple of seasons contrast with FWWM and subsequently The Return, are really interesting and work so well in my opinion. It's the absolute opposite of a show content to just trade on nostalgia and play things safe, it consistently challenges the viewer and upends expectations (if one wasn't wise enough already to leave them at the door).
The first couple seasons have an excellent and curious balance between small town Americana quirky warmth and a genuine underlying darkness and sorrow. But from FWWM onwards the warmth markedly drains out of the show (though never entirely disappears) and things get much bleaker and more horrific. It can be genuinely upsetting and at times some of the most unsettling bits of film I've ever watched. I can see how some might prefer one style over the other, but I felt that both halves are made so much better by the other. Spark Heal's comments in the previous post highlight some of the ways the difference in tone expresses itself. (spoilers for S3)
At the core of the first two seasons is the personal tragedy of Laura Palmer's unusually horrific fate in an otherwise fairly quaint town. And also the sense of hope, empathy and faith in goodness despite the darkness, as Spark Heal mentions. But by season 3 the sense of sickness and suffering seems less personal, less exceptional, but broader and more societal. The town of Twin Peaks is just a place in decline on all fronts. This is even reflected in the supernatural narrative by the big baddie not being Bob with his recognisable face but the more amorphous and general Judy.
Time hasn't been good to many of the returning familiar characters who have largely diminished either physically or mentally, who generally seem a little sadder and more pathetic. There's still some hope and an effort to fight the dark forces, but it seems like there's less empathy to go with it now, even towards Laura's trauma which is likely being exploited by Coop and his collaborators. And underscoring the whole thing is the ambiguous but certainly unsettling ending.
Time hasn't been good to many of the returning familiar characters who have largely diminished either physically or mentally, who generally seem a little sadder and more pathetic. There's still some hope and an effort to fight the dark forces, but it seems like there's less empathy to go with it now, even towards Laura's trauma which is likely being exploited by Coop and his collaborators. And underscoring the whole thing is the ambiguous but certainly unsettling ending.
Well that makes the whole thing sound pretty bleak, and I suppose it is, even though its's still couched in so much off kilter humour and eccentricity. The ending is just incredible though, the kind of thing that stay with me, I suspect. But there's so so much more that can be said about this show, and it is all highly open to interpretation. On every level it's just magical, incredible television at television's best.