Tales from the Loop
- Thread starter Cameron
- Start date
I watched it too. the look is really awesome. they really put some great work into the sets, props and picture quality overall. the Music is nice too.
Concerning the story! I'm not going to say that I understood everything and saw the whole point of it but I'm happy I watched it.
Concerning the story! I'm not going to say that I understood everything and saw the whole point of it but I'm happy I watched it.
Oh yeah - I've been a big Simon Stålenhag fan for a while now. It was awesome to see some of his tech realized in three dimensions, and overall the production design was stellar.
I didn't do a full binge - I watched one episode per day which allowed me to ruminate on each one. I really enjoyed the stories, but was surprised and maybe a bit unprepared for the tragedy in some of them. Definitely enjoyed it though and highly recommend it.
I didn't do a full binge - I watched one episode per day which allowed me to ruminate on each one. I really enjoyed the stories, but was surprised and maybe a bit unprepared for the tragedy in some of them. Definitely enjoyed it though and highly recommend it.
Hovito loincloth
Well-Known Member
Really liked it. Like Fargo mixed with Aperture science laboratories. Great production design and props.
My thoughts on Tales from the Loop, having seen a grand total of 3 episodes so far...
New streaming series from the showrunner who created the "Legend" TV series. That one had a pretty great first season and then meandered across gorgeously shot fields of story nothingness for two more.
Tales from the Loop is quite interesting. It's a bit Twilight Zoney, in that it uses a certain SF setting and concept to deliver a series of small self-contained personal narratives set in a fantasy small town. Pretend USA; actually filmed on the Canadian prairies. (Estevan, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg, Manitoba) Yes, that's often real snow crunching underfoot there, and we Canadians can tell! It's not all spray-foam on a studio backlot.
Very slow-paced, with very subtle low-key performances from the cast. Suitably minimalist score by Philip Glass for the first episode - his first for TV. Kind of like Glass' "Metamorphosis One" Lite. Simple and elegant arthouse cinematography - shallow depth of field, naturalistic colour grading, heavy chiaroscuro. Loosely 1980s setting, with chunky rectilinear cars and analogue electronics.
The whole thing, interestingly enough, was inspired by the "Tales from the Loop" series of paintings by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag. He created a sort of parallel universe Sweden - boreal forests littered with mysterious and broken machinery from some unspecified technological past. The show is a bit less dystopian, but has transplanted the vibe - people walking mostly incuriously past the everyday detritus of their strange world - to the show, and spun a series of narratives from them.
In fact, the show has arguably taken the idea of a visual vignette that resolutely fails to explore the world-shattering consequences of the grander visions of the show, to focus down on a handful of people living their ordinary lives in the shadow of this stuff.
A mixture of unknowns and big names in the credits - Andrew Stanton and Jodie Foster direct an episode each, Jeff Cronenweth is DP, Jonathan Pryce appears sort of Rod Sterling style.
Anyway. I'm quite enjoying it so far. It's nice to see a show that isn't about death and explosions and rapid-fire editing. It has fairly unobtrusive CGI, despite its concept and gorgeous imagery, and relies a lot on sound design for key tech moments more than visuals. I've only seen three eps so far, so we'll see if they can keep it up in a way that works consistently, but it's promising.
So much modern streaming content is acquisition committees throwing money against the wall to see what sticks. A fair bit of tedious garbage has emerged from the hopper, but it's great to see something unique and non-commercial like this pop out. Enjoy it while it lasts, I guess!
New streaming series from the showrunner who created the "Legend" TV series. That one had a pretty great first season and then meandered across gorgeously shot fields of story nothingness for two more.
Tales from the Loop is quite interesting. It's a bit Twilight Zoney, in that it uses a certain SF setting and concept to deliver a series of small self-contained personal narratives set in a fantasy small town. Pretend USA; actually filmed on the Canadian prairies. (Estevan, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg, Manitoba) Yes, that's often real snow crunching underfoot there, and we Canadians can tell! It's not all spray-foam on a studio backlot.
Very slow-paced, with very subtle low-key performances from the cast. Suitably minimalist score by Philip Glass for the first episode - his first for TV. Kind of like Glass' "Metamorphosis One" Lite. Simple and elegant arthouse cinematography - shallow depth of field, naturalistic colour grading, heavy chiaroscuro. Loosely 1980s setting, with chunky rectilinear cars and analogue electronics.
The whole thing, interestingly enough, was inspired by the "Tales from the Loop" series of paintings by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag. He created a sort of parallel universe Sweden - boreal forests littered with mysterious and broken machinery from some unspecified technological past. The show is a bit less dystopian, but has transplanted the vibe - people walking mostly incuriously past the everyday detritus of their strange world - to the show, and spun a series of narratives from them.
In fact, the show has arguably taken the idea of a visual vignette that resolutely fails to explore the world-shattering consequences of the grander visions of the show, to focus down on a handful of people living their ordinary lives in the shadow of this stuff.
A mixture of unknowns and big names in the credits - Andrew Stanton and Jodie Foster direct an episode each, Jeff Cronenweth is DP, Jonathan Pryce appears sort of Rod Sterling style.
Anyway. I'm quite enjoying it so far. It's nice to see a show that isn't about death and explosions and rapid-fire editing. It has fairly unobtrusive CGI, despite its concept and gorgeous imagery, and relies a lot on sound design for key tech moments more than visuals. I've only seen three eps so far, so we'll see if they can keep it up in a way that works consistently, but it's promising.
So much modern streaming content is acquisition committees throwing money against the wall to see what sticks. A fair bit of tedious garbage has emerged from the hopper, but it's great to see something unique and non-commercial like this pop out. Enjoy it while it lasts, I guess!
anamorphicWayne
Sr Member
Just an observation. In eps 3, during the street scene, the Mercer cinema is showing 'Missing'. A film that came out in 1982 starring Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek. Check out the poster in the display.
mb1k
Well-Known Member
Same here. Without giving away spoilers I hoped the ending would resolve certain things. However the melancholy finish was done wonderfully.
Good catch!
Laspector
Master Member
Someone recommended this to me, so over the past week I watched it. I have very mixed feeling about it. The premise is quite intriguing and the cinematography is amazing, however I will have to say that after about the third episode I really didn't know if I wanted to continue. But, I kept coming back.
Seems after each episode I was asking myself "Why do I keep exposing myself to something so damn depressing?" There is literally not one happy moment in this entire series. The emotions I felt after this show-- well, I could've just went out and killed some puppies and kittens and gotten the same emotions, and saved myself 8 hours.
All that being said, I'm not saying it is a bad show. It is actually very well done. Well written, well shot, and well acted. It's just that it is such a major downer!! But, that is a "me" problem, not the show's problem. As my life is dwindling down I find myself becoming way too empathic. Depressing things tend to stick with me way after the fact. I don't like feeling that way. I try to surround myself with more happy things.
I'm sure glad I finished it before that last episode of Mandalorian!! LOL!! After of week of Loop, I certainly needed something to bring me out of my funk!
To reiterate, It is a very good show, however I would not rewatch it simply because of the headspace it put me in.........
But if there is ever a season 2, yeah I'll probably be watching it...lol
Seems after each episode I was asking myself "Why do I keep exposing myself to something so damn depressing?" There is literally not one happy moment in this entire series. The emotions I felt after this show-- well, I could've just went out and killed some puppies and kittens and gotten the same emotions, and saved myself 8 hours.
All that being said, I'm not saying it is a bad show. It is actually very well done. Well written, well shot, and well acted. It's just that it is such a major downer!! But, that is a "me" problem, not the show's problem. As my life is dwindling down I find myself becoming way too empathic. Depressing things tend to stick with me way after the fact. I don't like feeling that way. I try to surround myself with more happy things.
I'm sure glad I finished it before that last episode of Mandalorian!! LOL!! After of week of Loop, I certainly needed something to bring me out of my funk!
To reiterate, It is a very good show, however I would not rewatch it simply because of the headspace it put me in.........
But if there is ever a season 2, yeah I'll probably be watching it...lol
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