What did you guys think about the series premier? I didn't think it was great, but thought it was interesting. I'll give it a chance.
I liked it. Reasonably faithful to the book thus far. These vamps are ferocious, and are gonna get real nasty looking.
My only regret is that I didn't record it & watch it without the 3,000 commercials! It was pretty good! I like the main characters, especially the old guy in the pawn shop :) And I like the premise. The monsters are also pretty cool! I am definitely going to keep watching, and I need to plan ahead and watch it an hour later so I can FF through the commercials/previews of other shows on other channels. There was one commercial break that was SO loooong....I for got what I was watching! Ha!
I thought it was well done. This show and Salem provide some great spooky fun for Sunday nights.
Loved it. The head vampire dude reminded me of Death from the Frighteners.
When I heard the premise for this show I just kind of blew it off thinking, "Isn't this just like a prequel for The Omega Man?" but after hearing a lot of good buzz I've decided to check it out. Dvr'ing first episode tonight.
(http://kodjoworkout.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/constipation.jpg)
>:D
I thought it was very good. My wife is a big fan of the books, so we've been waiting for this for a long time.
I really like it so far. Its great to see menacing vampires again.
The Strain Trilogy is a book series written by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, the third of which was released a few years ago. I really enjoyed the books and had not been that creeped out by a vampire book since I read Salem's Lot in middle school. Earlier this year, when I heard that FX was making a series based on the books, I was super stoked! It is a great story with unique, interesting characters. Ephraim Goodweather is the ultimate tragic hero. I think Del Toro and Hogan do an excellent job of mingling the ancient vampire myth (you know, more like an animated corpse) with our modern fears and troubles (widespread epidemics, overpopulation, etc.) The vampires in The Strain are not subtle and are certainly not romantic (which I like). I think very highly of the book series and the authors, and I think that the show will do it justice. If you have not watched it, at least give it a look.
....Original idea? Am I the only one noticing the first episode is a neat lifting of a little book called "Dracula"? Demeter rolls in with everybody dead...airplane rolls in with everybody "dead". Box of earth carrying King Vamp brought over from Old country (same as Dracula). Whether intentionally intended as an homage, or subconsciously---It's Dracula. :angel:
Quote from: Anton Phibes on July 24, 2014, 05:48:59 PM
....Original idea? Am I the only one noticing the first episode is a neat lifting of a little book called "Dracula"? Demeter rolls in with everybody dead...airplane rolls in with everybody "dead". Box of earth carrying King Vamp brought over from Old country (same as Dracula). Whether intentionally intended as an homage, or subconsciously---It's Dracula. :angel:
It is, in fact, an intentional homage. Del Toro was inspired by the notion that Stoker's novel had a firmly modern setting with modern technology and society contrasting against a monster who represented old world superstition and brutality. With
The Strain he's attempted to do something similar, bringing the vampire myth to the present day and relating it to today's fears and technology and culture.
There will be more similarities to
Dracula down the road for those of us who know the story well, but in other ways it really does blossom from being a mere
Dracula homage into something that can stand on its own two feet just fine.
My wife and I are watching, and really enjoying it (and, surprisingly, she's more of a fan of the show than I am!).
We're three episodes in, and I'm really enjoying the main character. It seems as if the writers are working real hard to create a character completely apart from anything horror or supernatural before throwing him into the scary, which I appreciate. It makes the character more real and someone we can invest in more easily.
The pawn shop owner, however, starts in the world of the supernatural, and I'm still having a hard time buying into his story. Maybe it's because we don't get to go on the journey-into-the-unknown with him as he's already been there, done that.
I'm more intrigued by the pest control officer, and am looking forward to seeing how he will tie into the larger story.
The series does suffer from some overly CG-ey CG, which does dangle the show almost too close to camp. And Sean Astin? I've been a fan of his work for years, so it's great to see him in a horror show.
It's a mixed bag for me but then again I've only watched the first episode. Dracula isn't the only thing The Strain mimics, there are tons of "inspirations" for the plot of the show (and novel I would imagine).....then again nowadays truely original ideas are a dime a dozen.
I'm sticking with it too. Difficult to judge after 3 episodes, but I think there's an interesting blend of Gothic horror and sci-fi detective story going on.
Anyone else disappointed with the revealing of the Master. I expected this ultimate horrific vampire and I thought the look fell short. It wasn't bad from the side. I mean, the whole, no nose thing, is pretty freaky looking. However, from the front, it sort of looked like a cross between Humpy Dumpty and a Teletubby. ;D
thm
Quote from: the_horror_man on September 10, 2014, 03:08:11 PM
Anyone else disappointed with the revealing of the Master.
Yeah, a little, I guess? Your mind can always come up with something more horrible that the makeup guy can.
Quote from: Mike Scott on September 10, 2014, 03:39:16 PM
Yeah, a little, I guess? Your mind can always come up with something more horrible that the makeup guy can.
I think because of the build up, I expected the most horrific vampire look to date. It was not bad, just don't think it was up to the mark. I think Nosferatu probably looked scarier and that was in the 20's. If you watch the show Face Off and see what they can do and they don't even work in Hollywood, I would expect more.
In my opinion, Frankenstein and The Creature From The Black Lagoon will always be 2 of the greatest achievements in film. Not only does the work speak for itself, but it was created without a template. Nothing to really go on but fresh new ideas from their imagination.
thm
Quote from: the_horror_man on September 10, 2014, 03:47:53 PM
If you watch the show Face Off and see what they can do and they don't even work in Hollywood,
All the stuff I've seen from that show looks like it was made for a Broadway musical. like "Cats", or something.
Quote from: Mike Scott on September 10, 2014, 03:54:36 PM
All the stuff I've seen from that show looks like it was made for a Broadway musical. like "Cats", or something.
lol.. Not the first 3 seasons. Especially seasons 1 and 2. It was all Horror and Monster orientated. They have sort of deviated away from that a bit. I did not care for last season. This season is not bad. I just wish they stuck more with the monster/horror theme.
thm
Quote from: the_horror_man on September 10, 2014, 04:15:23 PM
Especially seasons 1 and 2. It was all Horror and Monster orientated.
Those are the ones I mean. They looked like Masked Ball type of costumes, to me.
Quote from: Mike Scott on September 10, 2014, 05:07:16 PM
Those are the ones I mean. They looked like Masked Ball type of costumes, to me.
Really? The first season where Connor won. That guy creates some incredible monster make up. Some of the best the show has ever had. To each their own I guess.:)
thm
Quote from: the_horror_man on September 10, 2014, 05:21:38 PM
Really? The first season where Connor won.
Well, I didn't watch the show, but what I saw in the promos didn't appeal to me.
Here's what I'm talking about. "Cats"!
(http://tvjunkiesunite.com/wp-content/gallery/face-off-phobias/syfy_faceoff_s2_ep4_tara.png)
Quote from: Mike Scott on September 10, 2014, 05:34:38 PM
Well, I didn't watch the show, but what I saw in the promos didn't appeal to me.
Here's what I'm talking about. "Cats"!
(http://tvjunkiesunite.com/wp-content/gallery/face-off-phobias/syfy_faceoff_s2_ep4_tara.png)
I don't even remember seeing that pic you posted on Face Off. If you get the chance, you should watch season one and then you might have a different opinion.
thm
gave this show a try, but lost interest after episode 4
Quote from: DocTG on September 28, 2014, 04:50:00 PM
gave this show a try, but lost interest after episode 4
I didn't make it to the end of episode 1. I'm not sure why it didn't work for me.
Quote from: Mord on September 28, 2014, 05:40:42 PM
I didn't make it to the end of episode 1. I'm not sure why it didn't work for me.
Cause we wanted a cool vampire series...and got a worm like alien thingy shooting from vampire's mouth.
I watched 2 episodes, and never bothered to watch again. Very dissapointing. Miss the days when 'Buffy' was on TV.
I'd love to see a nice made Salem's Lot, I loved the one with David Soul.
Quote from: DocTG on September 29, 2014, 02:05:19 AM
Cause we wanted a cool vampire series...and got a worm like alien thingy shooting from vampire's mouth.
Good point. They always have to tinker with a successful formula.
Quote from: DocTG on September 29, 2014, 09:59:23 AM
I'd love to see a nice made Salem's Lot, I loved the one with David Soul.
Still to this day one of if not my favorite Stephen King adaptions. Seeing that as a kid in 79 was phenomenal.
Quote from: twilitezoner on October 04, 2014, 07:15:53 AM
Still to this day one of if not my favorite Stephen King adaptions. Seeing that as a kid in 79 was phenomenal.
I saw
Salem's Lot when it first ran and loved it. It's still one of my favorite vampire movies.
This Barlow 12" figure from Distinctive Dummies is a great homage to it, coming 35 years later.
(http://www.distinctivedummies.net/images/AKB3_315x418.jpg)
I don't really want to see a remake of it, but a sequel might be cool (unless it was all CGIed up and looked like a video game).
S1 ends tonight.
I recently watched this season's premier episode and it was fantastic. I am a couple of episodes behind. I think there are 3 episodes so far for this season.
thm
This is the final season, so I hope there is a satisfying conclusion.
Quote from: Mike Scott on August 01, 2017, 04:49:38 PM
This is the final season, so I hope there is a satisfying conclusion.
I didn't know that. Figures, great show, lets end it. No more Bates Motel and soon to be no more The Strain.
thm
Quote from: the_horror_man on August 02, 2017, 10:17:53 PM
I didn't know that. Figures, great show, lets end it.
Well, I was starting to wonder how much more story there is to tell.
After watching the first episode, I checked out our Library's offering of the books. I signed up for them ("hold status") and after the 2nd episode, all three books arrived. And I devoured them.
Which then ruined the TV series - BLAST!
The books suffered occasionally from the same limitations that all action books suffer - it's impossible to describe a 10-second physical fight without 3 pages of text. And the authors frequently resorted to these longer-than-needed text-layouts of any battle, as if these were storyboards for investors. Which is probably what happened.
I hope the TV series followed the books. I was actually surprised that a Season 4 was announced, because I figured they'd have One Season equals One Book. But hopefully the TV series "does it right". I certainly felt like I made a mistake by reading the books first, knowing the storyline and ending, and also hoping the TV series was faithful to this.
Quote from: ChristineBCW on August 08, 2017, 09:55:07 AM
I certainly felt like I made a mistake by reading the books first, knowing the storyline and ending, and also hoping the TV series was faithful to this.
That's the problem with adaptions, somebody's always going to be disappointed!
Nice to hear from you! :)
Having read all three books when they first came out, I can say the show is...mostly faithful, but several big changes occur at various points. Certain characters get much more fleshed out. Other characters have surprising deaths. There are whole new characters. I'd say that overall it's faithful to the books, but I don't personally use the term "faithful" interchangeably with "100% page-to-screen accuracy" either.
Big, thanks for that, uh, well, 'assurance' about the mostly faithful and whatever slight deviations are mostly character issues. We have the boxsets so far and, I suppose, when the series is over, then I can do a marathon chugging session.
I made the same mistake with THE SINNER, by the way, after reading Jessica Biel's glowing review of the book. Read that. Gag. I can only take so much abuse-of-humans, especially children, and the first episode was all the hook I needed to grab the book and pour over it. But never again.
The Charles Whitman Junior monstrosity of his father's criminal morality built a tower-sniper monster. For real. I don't need grown child-abuse victims to remind me of what man-made monsters are really like.
Any thoughts on series finale?? I thought it wrapped up well. I'm especially happy that little bastard zach finally bit the dust.
Quote from: geezer butler on September 23, 2017, 02:10:40 AM
I'm especially happy that little bastard zach finally bit the dust.
Yeah, he had to go and the only way his dad would take him out is if he went with him.
It was a satisfying finale. I was hoping the old man (nice to see him in the final episode) would take out The Master, but the Nazi was a good 2nd choice!
Spoiler alert ! Darn it.
Quote from: Maceo1 on September 23, 2017, 10:31:55 AM
Spoiler alert ! Darn it.
You shouldn't read these threads if you're not caught up! They're always full of spoilers.
I guess. Hard to miss when you hit "recent posts".
I really liked the finale. Zack set off the first bomb which caused mass destruction. Then he set off the second bomb which basically fixed everything. Also, not in finale, but I was glad Abraham was the one that beheaded the Nazi. The Nazi tortured and instigated Abraham for over 70 years. He got what he deserved.
thm
I was surprised that they never explored the origin of the vampires here. The books went into much detail about exactly where they came from, spinning out of a very dark Biblical tale and giving the ancient vampires a firmly supernatural, even spiritual beginning. And ending, actually.
Quote from: Big Bad Wolf on October 02, 2017, 01:37:10 PM
I was surprised that they never explored the origin of the vampires here.
They pretty much glossed over that in one episode.