Re: [Marxism] Is Our Future That of “Sense8” or “Mr. Robot”?
POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. * Well, this review by our reviewer-moderator came as a pleasant surprise. I've have for a few years made suggestions to Louis to "watch television". I'm sure I had nothing to do with it, but I've emphasized the need to see that TV has changed, even Network tv, and for the better in some notable occasions. That the directors and writers in Hollywood (and in the Indie-verse as well) have followed often the ageing-out of lead actors from the film industry to find new homes in television made possible by cable-only and now streaming media is really, IMHO, quite phenomenal. I'm glad Louis has started using his Netflix account for more than just movies he may of missed that he wanted to review, but is actually *enjoying* some original product is a *good thing*. 'nuff said on Louis, just hope he continues along these lines...he will be pleasantly surprised but what's out there. I found his review (and comparison) of Sense8 and...Mr. Robot quite interesting and worth the read. I'm not sure *comparing* them is an exercise of great value, but at least the review he wrote covered both. And pretty accurately, IMO. I may of raved about Sense8 here (certainly elsewhere), but I did love it, having binged watched it over it's 8 episodes of Season 1 over the course of 4 days. Netflix, and now Amazon, does this now...lets you watch a series in one shot as if it's a long, extended movie, with just enough breaks to be able to let you get up and take a piss now and again. It also makes story arcs more concise and flow better. My like of Sense8 was for several reasons some of which Louis covered. The part I liked the best was the sex. Sex is always, almost, gratuitous on TV and movies. In Sense8, because of the shared *emotional* experience everyone can experience the sex as if they were participating in what I consider the most sensual erotic scene I've ever seen on TV or on film; where the characters are able to experience not just the original person have sex with their partner, but seemingly with each other as well, where gender is absolutely *fluid*. This occurs in an orgy scene in a bathhouse that was, to say the least, one of the most riveting scenes in the entire series. Secondly, the concept of shared experiences in real time at an *emotional* level I find wonderfully creative, even for science fiction, of which I'm a big devotee (I read more sci-fi than politics or history of late). Sense8, to say the least, is not routine or formulaic. Thirdly, the film or video itself was extremely high quality. That is the the resolution I watched it at combined with great cinematography of John Toll who is one of Hollywood's top cinematographers is simply outstanding. I've not seen anything like it on TV previously. Netflix required he use top of the line 4K Sony CineAlta PMW-F55 cameras that are basically custom built by Sony. This made for amazing realism (so you can see why I appreciated the sex scenes in no small part). I noticed they also filmed *in the streets* in real time as well. The scenes of San Francisco's Pride march and rally (at SF's Delores Park) cannot be staged but were simply filmed right then and there in the march itself! The clarity of that gorgeous day (I think it was the 2015 Pride march but I'm not sure) filmed in 4K felt like I was there again, not a movie going voyeur but as a participant. The connection between them has the benefits of providing expertise to member of the "8" who might need it...as Louis describes one of the 8 in trouble can get "help" by assuming the skills and emotional strength of one of the other 8. Martial arts, of course, but emotional support, advice, etc. This is part of the sci-fi creativity I alluded to above. I think it rings of originality that is worth taking in. Mr. Robot. Like Louis I also liked this and I've become a regular viewer of the series. If you miss even one episode, one scene, you are screwed. You'll never figure out WTF is going on and you will be as depressed as the characters in the series. But I think Louis captured what this was about quite well, with all it's implied, and overt, subversiveness. This series, even if it's a-political, IS anti-capitalist and thus subversive as such. Few television shows are as subversive in this way as Mr. Robot, IMHO, but the one that comes to mind is the 1980s sci-fi weird semi-serious series, Max Headroom, which argued that all television is mind-control telling people in this society what to do and how to live...in a society organized around television it is against the law to turn off the TV. That this was allowed to be a one-season wonder is sort of interesting too since it's whole plot is
Re: [Marxism] Is Our Future That of “Sense8” or “Mr. Robot”?
POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. * Well, this review by our reviewer-moderator came as a pleasant surprise. I've have for a few years made suggestions to Louis to "watch television". I'm sure I had nothing to do with it, but I've emphasized the need to see that TV has changed, even Network tv, and for the better in some notable occasions. That the directors and writers in Hollywood (and in the Indie-verse as well) have followed often the ageing-out of lead actors from the film industry to find new homes in television made possible by cable-only and now streaming media is really, IMHO, quite phenomenal. I'm glad Louis has started using his Netflix account for more than just movies he may of missed that he wanted to review, but is actually *enjoying* some original product is a *good thing*. 'nuff said on Louis, just hope he continues along these lines...he will be pleasantly surprised but what's out there. I found his review (and comparison) of Sense8 and...Mr. Robot quite interesting and worth the read. I'm not sure *comparing* them is an exercise of great value, but at least the review he wrote covered both. And pretty accurately, IMO. I may of raved about Sense8 here (certainly elsewhere), but I did love it, having binged watched it over it's 8 episodes of Season 1 over the course of 4 days. Netflix, and now Amazon, does this now...lets you watch a series in one shot as if it's a long, extended movie, with just enough breaks to be able to let you get up and take a piss now and again. It also makes story arcs more concise and flow better. My like of Sense8 was for several reasons some of which Louis covered. The part I liked the best was the sex. Sex is always, almost, gratuitous on TV and movies. In Sense8, because of the shared *emotional* experience everyone can experience the sex as if they were participating in what I consider the most sensual erotic scene I've ever seen on TV or on film; where the characters are able to experience not just the original person have sex with their partner, but seemingly with each other as well, where gender is absolutely *fluid*. This occurs in an orgy scene in a bathhouse that was, to say the least, one of the most riveting scenes in the entire series. Secondly, the concept of shared experiences in real time at an *emotional* level I find wonderfully creative, even for science fiction, of which I'm a big devotee (I read more sci-fi than politics or history of late). Sense8, to say the least, is not routine or formulaic. Thirdly, the film or video itself was extremely high quality. That is the the resolution I watched it at combined with great cinematography of John Toll who is one of Hollywood's top cinematographers is simply outstanding. I've not seen anything like it on TV previously. Netflix required he use top of the line 4K Sony CineAlta PMW-F55 cameras that are basically custom built by Sony. This made for amazing realism (so you can see why I appreciated the sex scenes in no small part). I noticed they also filmed *in the streets* in real time as well. The scenes of San Francisco's Pride march and rally (at SF's Delores Park) cannot be staged but were simply filmed right then and there in the march itself! The clarity of that gorgeous day (I think it was the 2015 Pride march but I'm not sure) filmed in 4K felt like I was there again, not a movie going voyeur but as a participant. The connection between them has the benefits of providing expertise to member of the "8" who might need it...as Louis describes one of the 8 in trouble can get "help" by assuming the skills and emotional strength of one of the other 8. Martial arts, of course, but emotional support, advice, etc. This is part of the sci-fi creativity I alluded to above. I think it rings of originality that is worth taking in. Mr. Robot. Like Louis I also liked this and I've become a regular viewer of the series. If you miss even one episode, one scene, you are screwed. You'll never figure out WTF is going on and you will be as depressed as the characters in the series. But I think Louis captured what this was about quite well, with all it's implied, and overt, subversiveness. This series, even if it's a-political, IS anti-capitalist and thus subversive as such. Few television shows are as subversive in this way as Mr. Robot, IMHO, but the one that comes to mind is the 1980s sci-fi weird semi-serious series, Max Headroom, which argued that all television is mind-control telling people in this society what to do and how to live...in a society organized around television it is against the law to turn off the TV. That this was allowed to be a one-season wonder is sort of interesting too since it's whole plot is
