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POLL : What did you think of The River - Magus; Marbeley?

8 Feb 2012

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22 comments:

  1. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 04:04

    Not sure I will be watching this again..

    I'm not a fan of mockumentary film technique in general and the contant "Style" shots to reinforce that look annoy me as do the subtitles or captions.... whatever you call them.

    I do understand that there is an actual film crew in the series, and actual footage so the mockumentary style makes sense. I just do not appreciate it in a drama setting.. never have.

    The actual content of the episode was fairly okay though. The writing was predictable, but the acting was solid at least. The plot is interesting although the constant edits, lens changes, style shots and captions distract me more then enhance my eperience. I also wish it was more concerned with mystery than being scary.

    A lot of it was cliche and expected - that's the problem with going for horror style scares compared to more mystery. Who could have ever imagined their rafts would be destroyed or lost? Shocking... XD As soon as I saw two camera filming one another I was 100% certain one would be killed and captured on film. 

    The mom shouting during the supernautral storm, "Is Emmet still alive?" was just silly. Are spirits that are too evil for the ground to accept expected to be honest? Really?

    As soon as I saw all the dolls hanging I said aloud, "So which one will open its eyes or turn to look at them?"

    I was a little surprised we had to wait until the second episode to see the uber-cliche "running in the dark with branches hitting the shaking camera" scene! XD

    Even the scenes that were not cliche were easy enough to predict what would happen. Way too predictable for me personally. 

    I guess it might be great for horror genre fans that can handle mockumentary film style and enjoy the usual round of horror cliches. It was a pretty solid first 2 episodes really. Just not entertaining for me personally. In other words, I bet it's ABC's next hit. XD

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  2. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 05:23

    Cliche or not, I thought it was well done. I liked the mystery. What did happen to Emmit? I'm okay with the 'moc-umentary' type of filming. It keeps it a little more creepy without the smooth camera filming style. Although parts were predictable (yes, I expected the life rafts to disappear) but since I knew they ended up on the Magus anyway, it didn't bother me in the least. I like the way the continue to cut older footage in with the new. The bear falling of the tree was cool and all the creepy dolls falling simultaneously actually made me jump. There are only 8 total episodes of this show, so I'm in for the entire story. 

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  3. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 09:00

     i havent watched the pilot, but from what i have seen from the promos and what i know about the story, it could be better without the documentary thing...

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  4. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 09:06

    I am certainly going to try another episode.  I quite liked the first two in a fun/scary way.

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  5. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 09:08

    If it did not do the documentary thing, I could easily give most other "negative" aspects a pass and enjoy watching it I think.... Plus eliminating the horror mokumentary style would eliminate a lot of the cliches I hate too.

    Oh well, I don;t need to like every series on the air! XD 
    Others can love this one.

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  6. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 09:09

     haha... yes

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  7. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 10:24

    Unbelievable. I liked it.   I don't like the mockumentary format.  The jumps between camera work tend to annoy me, but for the most part I managed to forget about it.  I got into the story and didn't get out until it went off.  

    They managed to old the tension for me which is surprising and generally doesn't happen with anything labeled scary.  (That freaking doll tree did manage to seriously creep me out.)  The signature camera work had the affect I expected it to have.  I just shook my head.  Those were the only moments that pushed me out of the story.  (the camera man's death and the dragging Lincoln out of the tent moments.)  But Mom disappearing into the water... worked.

    Like the characters too.  Loved the girl's reaction to the camerman's lack of Spanish.  :-)  

    I like it.  A lot.  I'll be checking out the next ep, for sure.

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  8. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 10:36

    So, I'm guessing you don't watch much reality tv?  :-D

    Everything I watch is predictable.  :-)  (My mother is always surprised with I deliver the next line of dialog before it's spoken.)   Horror  and mysteries are both genres built on cliches, which is why it so seldom does anything for me.  The characters and the stories here were interesting enough to pull me in enough to stop cataloging the cliches.  I went along for the ride.  As I said in my initial review...the only moments that kicked me out were, as expected, the Peli signature camera moves.  The most effect moments were the subtle ones.  Even though I expected doll movement...it still creeped me out.

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  9. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 10:38

    I think 2 hours of that filming style was just too much for me since kinda hate it.... I'm hoping that one hour will be easier for me to handle if I watch next week. Plus if Scott Michael Foster shows it's a bonus!

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  10. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 10:53

    The only reality TV stuff I watch with any regularity is like American Pickers, Deadliest Catch etc... but even that I only watch if nothing else is on or I'm awake late at night and a replay is on.

    I do however watch a lot of documentaries. I like real documentaries! Then again, real documentaries do not make a point of shaking the camera and having terribly annoying cuts and half out of frame shots like horror mockumentaries do. Real documentaries usual go for content over style... unlike horror mockumentaries.

    As far as genre goes, I think bad genre is filled with cliches. I think there is always a sect of the industry that strives to be original and unexpected and not just rehash the same tried and true cliches. 

    I think after watching a character for years it's easy (or easier) to predict what they will say or do in a given circumstance - even if it is not a cliche. That is different than knowing what and how things will happen in a pilot episode. To me at least.

    I digress... XD

    If it was not for Peli's style of filming the other stuff would have been easier to handle, but the two together are too much for me to handle! I can see why some would like it, maybe even a lot would like it..... 

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  11. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 14:30

    I fucking loved this show! It was terrifying awesome and I cannot wait for more. I like everything about it and it's so good.

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  12. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 14:57

    It was good and i liked it, but i am glad its only 8 episodes long.There is no way they could sustain it any longer then that.

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  13. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 19:07

    One thing guys, Brazilian people like me, talk portuguese, not spanish, the characterization is terrible, but the two hour premiere is good. 

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  14. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 23:00

    I expected to hate it too.  Instead, it pulled me in.  I was stunned.  :-D

    Now, I've got to go look up Scott Michael Foster.

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  15. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 23:10

    Real documentaries are intentionally providing a distance between the audience and the subject.  Here they were trying to pull the audience in with the subject and, for me, they successful.  Especially for scenes like when they took off running to find Tess and entered the clearing just as she was going under.

    I disagree that only bad genre is filled with cliches.  I think it depends on the cliche.  I was working on a mystery recently and railing against having to write certain scenes.  A writer friend pointed out that the reality is that fans of certain genre expect certain cliches.  It's the fun and the point of enjoying the genre. 

    Maybe cliche is the wrong word.  Maybe I should say "set piece"  Some genres have certain set pieces that *have* to be there in order for the story to fall into that genre.  Here, we had those set pieces...many of which you mentioned.  The easy exit (the rafts) being destroyed, for example.  In this type of story you *have* to have the easy exit any sane person would have used...destroyed so the characters *have* to stay.  For the sake of discussion, I will add that if the producer had been the one to destroy those rafts, that would have been cliched, but because it was the monster; the scene didn't push that button for me.

    Not trying to convince you that you must enjoy this show or never watch tv again.  :-D  Just LOVE talking story telling.  :-D

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  16. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 23:32

    HA!

    He played Kappie on GREEK...

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  17. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 23:43

    XD

    I don't think  you're wrong at all. I think certain audiences do expect some formulaic scenes, cliches or set pieces... and many )possibly even most) enjoy them too. I can enjoy some of them in mysteries or cop drmas etc. In horror movies I do not enjoy the cliches or typical horror fare. 

    I used to. I loved horror movies growing up and watched them from young age (too young) until I was maybe30ish and then they just stopped appealing to me unless they were something new and different.

    Like I said in one of these posts... or more, I can see how some people would like it. I just can't handle the style of filming Peli does. I have never liked a mockumentary horror movie from Blaire Witch to Paranormal Activity or whatever modern movie you choose.

    However I LOVE mockumentary comedies like the Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Michael Mckeon movies, Spinal Tap, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind etc...

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  18. DarkUFO8 February 2012 at 23:50

    I totally agree with what prpleight is trying to tell you, you say cliche to make your points seem more negative than they really are but is that really the right word? I mean so what if you knew that the dolls would open their eyes or the rafts would be destroyed? Just because you know something is going to happen doesn't make a show bad, essentially what you're saying is you didn't like the show and that's great, everyone has opinions but I think it's wrong to blame it on the so called cliches. Not much of the things we see on tv today is actually something new, many shows borrow from previously successful ideas and expands on them and as long as you like the story and the characters then so what? Of course there are exceptions, like if a show is horribly written and it's obvious that everything is just old ideas. I really liked this show and noticed all of the things you said but to me they just felt natural to the story and made it so much better.

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  19. DarkUFO9 February 2012 at 01:34

    I had that happen to me with ghost stories.  I figured out the formula and they became...pointless.

    I haven't been scared by a "scary" movie since "The Changeling"..there's some atmosphere stuff in there that still creeps me out even after having seen it about a dozen times. 

    Someone once told me that the reason you never show the monster is because what people imagine when you say monster is usually not what the storyteller imagines.  So the odds are great that if you show the monster the audience member says...'huh.  that wasn't scary at all'.   Not showing something is against the nature of the filmed medium. 

    It's official, I've wondered way off the topic of The River....8-D

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  20. DarkUFO9 February 2012 at 02:10

     Last I checked Brazilians spoke Portuguese. Ridiculous mistake for a show on national television. They're either very dumb or they underestimate their audience.

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  21. DarkUFO9 February 2012 at 11:10

    I always record 2 hour 9pm pilots so I can watch them earlier the next night, I want to be awake and not exhausted so I can really watch the show. Well that is me anyway..LOL I watched the River last night. I agree that alot of things were predictable. The show reminded me of many others. However it was entertaining and that is why I turn on my TV to begin with. I also agree the mother having a tantrum on the boat and screaming her question to the spirit was ridiculous..just has ridiculous as the girl that got that big gash in her leg one minute and less than 30 minutes later is standing in the River with God know what kind of bacteria swirling around that newly stitched leg.The hanging doll scene was ultra creepy and even though I just knew one of those dollys eyes were going to open.....when that head turned I must admit I screamed out loud LOL. I also enjoyed the mother rising out of the grave scene WOW she looked freaky.....I mean all in all it was not the BEST pilot ....like Alcatraz...like American Horror Story..but I am intrigued enough to stay with it. Less camera / Blair Witch stupidity and more depth of myth is all the writer s have to do and I think this show can be a hit.....So the next casuality would hopefully be the camera! Oh by the way I do love the Dresden File guy......and the guy that was the captain from King Kong.....solid performances. ....Now I must mention this I LOVE DRAGONFLIES so I have to tell you that when those beautiful babies are flying around I could watch it all day...............except I don't think I would like one to go in my mouth and possess me................but that young girl and her dad the mechanic were spooky in their own right. Her mom had that ESP gift too....so I am interested in that back story as well.
    I will continue to watch this show...join me if you wish.......... 

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  22. DarkUFO10 February 2012 at 20:35

    It was ok! not the best, but no bad either... im gonna watch next week to see if i can get into it.

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