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"Lovecraft Country" - new HBO series, from the minds of JJ Abrams, Jordan Peele, others

We didnt make it through Watchmen more than 2 episodes. This was just plain boring for 15 minutes.

I never knew I appreciated people overexplaining things in movies. HBO is all about barfing weird shit on the screen, ok, applause. I even understand it, but I have got to watch with other humans who are wondering WTF and then it makes it my job. And even if I were alone, there is a skill to including the audience without derailing a scene, and its cool at HBO to just not give a shit, but it doesn't mean I will be like your show because of it. So you are really just wasting time creating a screensaver since I'm getting zero out of it.

Chernobyl could have been 6 episodes of "WTF, radiation can do that shit?!?!? No way, that man is a literal zombie" with no explanation. It would seem like super hero shit. But that show is amazing because you are guided through each wild visual.
 
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How is this so far? I enjoy Peele's stuff, but his "bad white person" lectures in a lot of his projects are heavy-handed and clumsy. Yes HUNTERS, I'm looking at you.
 

DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
How is this so far? I enjoy Peele's stuff, but his "bad white person" lectures in a lot of his projects are heavy-handed and clumsy. Yes HUNTERS, I'm looking at you.

I love it. Keep in mind, this takes place in the 50s... A LOT of racial tension in south side chicago... It delves into some actual history but it's mostly a love letter to Lovecraft. Monsters and magic and how ordinary people react to it.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Everything about the way its been presented has turned me off. There's too much intolerance and racial discord in the world today for me to watch any fiction that puts it front and center.

I want escape from the everyday, certainly not be continually reminded of deep-seated societal problems.

Doubly so when the purpose of the inclusion is just to comment upon it, and not offer some sort of solution or positive, uniting message.
 

DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
Everything about the way its been presented has turned me off. There's too much intolerance and racial discord in the world today for me to watch any fiction that puts it front and center.

I want escape from the everyday, certainly not be continually reminded of deep-seated societal problems.

Doubly so when the purpose of the inclusion is just to comment upon it, and not offer some sort of solution or positive, uniting message.

What solution? This is taking place in a time in actual US history where those tensions were prevalent. Yes, the only thing they can do is comment on it. And? I hate slave movies because of the treatment of the slaves.. but this show is more than the racial tensions if you can actually look at the rest of what it has to offer. It offers A LOT if you stop looking for solutions to racism and racial strife. Just accept that these attitudes were out in the open back then. I've had to because why would I try to deny it?
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
What solution? This is taking place in a time in actual US history where those tensions were prevalent. Yes, the only thing they can do is comment on it. And? I hate slave movies because of the treatment of the slaves.. but this show is more than the racial tensions if you can actually look at the rest of what it has to offer. It offers A LOT if you stop looking for solutions to racism and racial strife. Just accept that these attitudes were out in the open back then. I've had to because why would I try to deny it?

Right now, I'm just not interested in anything dealing with the subject of race relations in America.

Its not entertaining to me. And in the midst of a lockdown due to a fucking global pandemic I want to be entertained, not agonize (yet again) over historic grievances that are still being played out in the streets here and now.

Its really that simple. I'm not saying its not a good show, just that right now I want good old fashioned escapism in my genre product, and the whole racial angle (justified as it may be by its period and setting) is a huge turn-off for me.
 
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DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
Right now, I'm just not interested in anything dealing with the subject of race relations in America.

Its not entertaining to me. And in the midst of a lockdown due to a fucking global pandemic I want to be entertained, not agonize (yet again) over historic grievances that are still being played out in the streets here and now.

Its really that simple. I'm not saying its not a good show, just that right now I want good old fashioned escapism in my genre product, and the whole racial angle (justified as it may be by its period and setting) is a huge turn-off for me.

Understood
 

Efe

Member
I thought this was gonna be a Lovecraftian show, I was disappointed after the 2nd episode :/
 

DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
Unfortunately I needed a bit more cthulhu and less gay sex.

Well, the trailer should have told you what they were going for. It was amazing to me! I'm in a FB group of fans of the show... So many easter eggs, historical callbacks and whatnot.

That Shoggoth, tho.
 

#Phonepunk#

Banned
i hear that one of the episodes has the hero win by raping a man with a stiletto.

doesn't sound like my kinda show!
 
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sol_bad

Member
I finished the season last night. Good ending and I'm excited for the next season.
I have to say though, it left a slight bad taste in my mouth and I'm paraphrasing here, but the comment about not letting any white people use magic anymore was really bad. Definitely doesn't diminish my thoughts about the show as a whole though.

Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett are both bloody great actors and have great chemistry together.
 

DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
I finished the season last night. Good ending and I'm excited for the next season.
I have to say though, it left a slight bad taste in my mouth and I'm paraphrasing here, but the comment about not letting any white people use magic anymore was really bad. Definitely doesn't diminish my thoughts about the show as a whole though.

Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett are both bloody great actors and have great chemistry together.

You gotta remember ... They're going through Jim Crow ... Chicago was almost as bad as the South with racism... And then they time traveled to the Tulsa massacre (interesting note on that episode: as I said before, I only heard it called the Tulsa Race Riots... Which is what they called it, too). It was the 1950s, to them it was like no good white people existed (which they did but it wasn't like they advertised it or showed it in the show). Things really were that bad back then... Worse in the South like Mississippi. So if that's all you knew, why would you let any white people have that ability?

I was let down by the finale because Tic died. I do hope they have a fast forward to present day or something.
 

DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
One last thing... People are avoiding it because of Jordan Peele... He didn't write any episodes... The show runner is someone else. A black woman.
 

sol_bad

Member
You gotta remember ... They're going through Jim Crow ... Chicago was almost as bad as the South with racism... And then they time traveled to the Tulsa massacre (interesting note on that episode: as I said before, I only heard it called the Tulsa Race Riots... Which is what they called it, too). It was the 1950s, to them it was like no good white people existed (which they did but it wasn't like they advertised it or showed it in the show). Things really were that bad back then... Worse in the South like Mississippi. So if that's all you knew, why would you let any white people have that ability?

I was let down by the finale because Tic died. I do hope they have a fast forward to present day or something.

Yeah, you make a good point, it makes sense from their perspective. And don't worry, I'm sure Tic will be in season 2.
 

Seraphym

Member
Never read the book, but watched the series. Some great episodes and some mad shit, felt very inconsistent for me.
I thought it was meant to have done well?
 

sol_bad

Member
Never read the book, but watched the series. Some great episodes and some mad shit, felt very inconsistent for me.
I thought it was meant to have done well?

I hope they surprise us and say that season 2 is cancelled on HBO BUT SEASON 2 IS COMING TO HBO MAX!!!!!!!!!!
 
I really, really liked the episode where the little girl (Diana?) was cursed and chased by those two demons. I genuinely felt creeped out by those fuckers. I also liked the one where they show Tic's past in SK with the kumiho. Other than that... eh, I felt it left a lot to be desired. It did get kind of preachy/woke at times (that episode with Tic's aunt was just ridiculous and an enormous waste of everybody's time), but honestly because of the time period this is situated in, can you expect anything else? It's a very real part of America's history, after all. Perhaps to some of us who are not from there, it just didn't have the same impact.

I thought Americans liked it a lot, though, so I'm kind of surprised it got cancelled just like that.
 
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Seraphym

Member
I am UK based, so perhaps a different viewpoint to those of you in the US.
I wouldn't describe the series as woke, it's set in a very specific period of time.
All the characters were pretty flawed in major ways.
For those of you interested, stand out episodes for me are:
Sundown (that car "chase")
A History of Violence (National Treasure lite)
Strange Case
Meet me in Daegu
Jig a Bobo (Topsy and Mopsy)

I wonder if they knew they were only going to get one series whether they would of plotted it differently...
 

MHubert

Member
Woke or not, there was zero chance in hell this show was going to get renewed for another season.

It litteraly doesn't succeed in even one of the thousand things it tries to do at once, and what is left is an incoherent mess of pre-baked ideas that is all surface, exposition and no substance. Some people kept telling me 'it gets better' so I almost watched all of it. Now I know they were secretly bragging about the crack they smoke.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
They went too far with it, IMHO. I only watched the first 3 eps but I did read the book and the show took the overt ravist events and all the "we gotta deal with white folks now, get ready" stuff and just dialed it to 13. No wonder 88% of the potential audience tuned out.

Plus it just felt...cheap. like it was made by folks who watched a lot of HBO but didn't know how those shows were actually made.
 

CAB_Life

Member
Thank God this abomination was put down. Haven't checked the thread, but you should Google the "production bible" or whatever that the producer had laid out for season 2. Maximum race-bait-grifter stuff.

It's an embarassment to even have Lovecraft's name associated with it, too, as there was no cosmic otherworldly horror to it whatsoever.
 

Bitmap Frogs

Mr. Community
I watched a little bit of it if this and it is 100% race baiting stuff where black = good, white = evil.

Frankly I don’t mind this period of history being shown from the point of view of black characters, it was a pretty nasty time and while for me sunset towns are just a concept for me, it must’ve been terrifying for them. However this show was just revenge porn.
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Thank God this abomination was put down. Haven't checked the thread, but you should Google the "production bible" or whatever that the producer had laid out for season 2. Maximum race-bait-grifter stuff.

It's an embarassment to even have Lovecraft's name associated with it, too, as there was no cosmic otherworldly horror to it whatsoever.

You mean the proposed, fictional, sovereign states of America? Is that what triggered you? It was only a fictional show. No need to get upset.

Also, considering Lovecraft was a racist POS, it was actually quite fitting to have his name attached to the show.

I'm actually disappointed season 2 got canned. Hopefully somebody like Netflix or Amazon will pick it up. I'll certainly sign a petition for season 2.
 

OmegaSupreme

advanced basic bitch
You mean the proposed, fictional, sovereign states of America? Is that what triggered you? It was only a fictional show. No need to get upset.

Also, considering Lovecraft was a racist POS, it was actually quite fitting to have his name attached to the show.

I'm actually disappointed season 2 got canned. Hopefully somebody like Netflix or Amazon will pick it up. I'll certainly sign a petition for season 2.
I always lol whenever somebody brings up Lovecraft being a racist like it matters at all. So was damn near everyone else back then by modern standards. I think your demo is just upset he didn't have kids that you can cancel.
 

CAB_Life

Member
You mean the proposed, fictional, sovereign states of America? Is that what triggered you? It was only a fictional show. No need to get upset.

Also, considering Lovecraft was a racist POS, it was actually quite fitting to have his name attached to the show.

I'm actually disappointed season 2 got canned. Hopefully somebody like Netflix or Amazon will pick it up. I'll certainly sign a petition for season 2.
No one is triggered or rocking in a corner, you dolt. It's an absolute bastardization of the material akin to Pride & Prejudice Zombies. It makes no sense and doesn't need a Lovecraft label attached to it when it has nothing to do with his mythos. You want to do an apocalyptic racialized drama with supernatural elements (and horrible writing), go ahead! Just don't call it Lovecraft, cause Lovecraftian it ain't.

P.S. Everyone from one hundred years ago and further back was almost ubiquitously xenophobic and racist by today's incredibly moralistic and woke standards. Tolkien was no better. It's called historical context.
 
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IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
No one is triggered or rocking in a corner, you dolt. It's an absolute bastardization of the material akin to Pride & Prejudice Zombies. It makes no sense and doesn't need a Lovecraft label attached to it when it has nothing to do with his mythos. You want to do an apocalyptic racialized drama with supernatural elements (and horrible writing), go ahead! Just don't call it Lovecraft, cause Lovecraftian it ain't.

P.S. Everyone from one hundred years ago and further back was almost ubiquitously xenophobic and racist by today's incredibly moralistic and woke standards. Tolkien was no better. It's called historical context.

Sorry. You sounded triggered because you accused the show of "race baiting". It's just a fictional story, but people seem really triggered by it. I hope HBO reconsider or another service picks it up, because honestly the little nuggets of information we had on season 2 was certainly interesting.

Yes, people born in the late 19th century would not have the same social standards of today, but Lovecraft had some pretty dark views on other races. You say Tolkien was no better, but there is no evidence that Tolkien had views as extreme as Lovecraft.
 

Kadve

Member
I was surprised from the title that Jordan Peele would be involved in anything Lovecraft related, then I read the OP. Lovecraft helped create one of my favorite horror genres, but yeah, he was a horribly racist person, even with the mindset of "things were different back then."
A thing to note about Lovecraft is that his racism (ie. different cultures) seemed to have stemmed from his fear of anything he didn't understand. His stories also tend to negatively portray stuff like technology, religion, magic, the unknown (like the sea or space) and science.
 
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DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
It mostly is, it's only the grifters trying to keep it alive today so they can benefit from it politically or financially.

My mom is 81. She was born in 1939. No... The 50s isn't 100 years ago.

And saying "grifters" are keeping it alive is disingenuous! Racist a-holes are keeping racism alive! How you gloss over that is amazing!
 

OmegaSupreme

advanced basic bitch
My mom is 81. She was born in 1939. No... The 50s isn't 100 years ago.

And saying "grifters" are keeping it alive is disingenuous! Racist a-holes are keeping racism alive! How you gloss over that is amazing!
Lovecraft's material was written well before that though. It was a deliberate choice of the showrunners to set it later to play a bigger race angle.
 

DeafTourette

Perpetually Offended
Lovecraft's material was written well before that though. It was a deliberate choice of the showrunners to set it later to play a bigger race angle.

Given that the show is based on the book of the same name, it's not all on the show runner. Remember, "Lovecraft" is mentioned only in the first episode... But a lot of things are BASED on the monsters of Lovecraft like the Shoggoth ... It's to give the show an otherworldly feel.

The show diverted a lot from the book, though. Tic was still alive, for instance.

ETA: so the show being based on the book... Both take place in 50s Chicago and explore actual events like Emmitt Till being murdered and the Tulsa race massacre
 
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OmegaSupreme

advanced basic bitch
Given that the show is based on the book of the same name, it's not all on the show runner. Remember, "Lovecraft" is mentioned only in the first episode... But a lot of things are BASED on the monsters of Lovecraft like the Shoggoth ... It's to give the show an otherworldly feel.

The show diverted a lot from the book, though. Tic was still alive, for instance.

ETA: so the show being based on the book... Both take place in 50s Chicago and explore actual events like Emmitt Till being murdered and the Tulsa race massacre
I see. I didn't know it was based on a specific book. I thought it was an original work based on Lovecraft's lore. My mistake. It's obvious why the show was made though. They could have just adapted specific Lovecraft stories or a series of them. It's whatever though. Clearly, the audience wasn't there.
 

Peggies

Gold Member
I never watched it. When I first heard of an upcoming show called "Lovecraft Country" I was so absurdly excited because I love Lovecraft's universe.

But then I read "Jordan Peele".

the naked gun facepalm GIF


Nothing wrong with him. "Get out" is one of my favourite movies ever but can we please have some " woke safe space" ?

It's like with "The Witcher". I just wanted a show about Geralt killing monsters and then it turned out to be the "Yennefer and Ciri" show.
 
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