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The Leftovers (HBO show)

J

jtnyc

Senior Member
Just tried to watch the pilot for The Leftovers. The plot seemed interesting enough as I like post apocalyptic super natural type stuff. It seemed ok, but the writing and acting was 3rd rate at best and it just couldn't hold me. I shut it off just shy of the episode ending.

Aside from not being good, the music was just awful. I mean downright depressing. It sounds like it was created with AI. The most mundane, uninspired wallpaper... I feel like I heard it before as well. So bizarre. Sounds like pre made basic midi files playing simple triad arpeggios robotically modulating up... ugg. It was so apparently "not played" or performed. Just sounds like a computer spitting out some basic modulation theory through a flat non dynamic sampled piano. Maybe made with something like Scaler or EZ Keys,...pre fab midi loops?, I don't know, but wow, just awful.

Even if the show was great I would have found the "music" too annoying and distracting to continue watching it.

Had to vent!

Any suggestions on a great series. I love super natural, sci fi, post apocalyptic, and great dramas. I feel like I've seen all the great stuff of late, but there's always something...

Thanks
Click to read more...
 
More "rubbish" by the same composer:



Do you like crime? How about Pagan Peak aka Der Pass. It's a play on The Bridge series but Austria and Germany. It's very good. Music by Jacob Shea, not too annoying :)
 
jtnyc said:
Any suggestions on a great series. I love super natural, sci fi, post apocalyptic, and great dramas. I feel like I've seen all the great stuff of late, but there's always something...
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There's a cool sci fi show from a couple of years ago called Counterpart.

I honestly don't remember if the music is any good but otherwise it was a great show.
 
Pier said:
There's a cool sci fi show from a couple of years ago called Counterpart.

I honestly don't remember if the music is any good but otherwise it was a great show.
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Thanks - Ill check it out.

It's not like I feel the music has to be some stellar thing all the time. Simple, basic support for the picture can be done well, but please give me some human emotion. I swear I'm hearing more and more music in media these days that is the equivalent to clip art instead of an actual drawing.
 
Zanshin said:
More "rubbish" by the same composer:



Do you like crime? How about Pagan Peak aka Der Pass. It's a play on The Bridge series but Austria and Germany. It's very good. Music by Jacob Shea, not too annoying :)
Click to expand...

That sounds nice. I didn't hear anything remotely that human in the episode I watched, as I've already described.

I do like a good crime drama. I'll check it, thx -
 
Obi-Wan Spaghetti said:
I think you made a mistake. I think this show's fault is it start slow but when you get into it you're hooked so keep watching. And the music is intense and really good. Loved the show, the music. Justin Theroux's performance was really great.
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Hmm.... well maybe, but it all felt (and sounded) so cliche. I believe you that it maybe gets better, but I've gotten "hooked" on shows that I really didn't like from the start before and I've always regretted spending the time. I'm going with my gut this time.
 
jtnyc said:
Hmm.... well maybe, but it all felt (and sounded) so cliche. I believe you that it maybe gets better, but I've gotten "hooked" on shows that I really didn't like from the start before and I've always regretted spending the time. I'm going with my gut this time.
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To me, The Leftovers is anything but cliche. It is a daring tale about grief. The first 5 episodes are an uncomfortable, depressing watch, but they fit a purpose, and the show unfolds to a deep, serious, but also funny!, reflection on what makes it hard to be human. It is alo one of those rare shows that doesn't overstay its welcome, and knows when and how to satisfyingly end. It is one of the more literary shows I've watched.

Still, good to go with your gut, because it is not for everyone and if you're not intrigued at the start, changes are you won't be later on.

Can you name a few shows you've liked? Makes it easier to recommend other shows.
 
The Leftovers is one of my favorites series ever. It is so good. It touched me deeply. The story, the setting, the camera, the actors, and yes, I love the music. I would always prefer any Max Richter over John Williams. People have different tastes and thats a good thing I guess.

The Leftovers has a depressing atmosphere most times, yes, but I somehow love it. But this depressing atmosphere includes a lot of hope, too. The Leftovers is sometimes weird and strange and against all human logic (if something like this even exists), but I guess I am too.
I also like the fact that this series was planned to be just 3 seasons from the beginning.
 
Montisquirrel said:
The Leftovers is one of my favorites series ever. It is so good. It touched me deeply. The story, the setting, the camera, the actors, and yes, I love the music. I would always prefer any Max Richter over John Williams. People have different tastes and thats a good thing I guess.

The Leftovers has a depressing atmosphere most times, yes, but I somehow love it. But this depressing atmosphere includes a lot of hope, too. The Leftovers is sometimes weird and strange and against all human logic (if something like this even exists), but I guess I am too.
I also like the fact that this series was planned to be just 3 seasons from the beginning.
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Also a briljant exploration of the borders between reality and psychosis. on small and large scale. And believe in faith vs believe in science. (like John Locke vs Jack Shephard in Lost)
 
All It's been said above about Leftovers and why you should watch or shouldn't which both are valid options.

Manifest is one you might like.

TL;DR "all apocaliptyc scenarios are about how shitty is humanity".

The plot on almost end of days series or movies has been "how difficult and differnet people can become after a massive event like that". And it all sums up of what kind of human being would you be after all structure is lost.

From Lord of the Flies, the first zombies movies to the latest scripts, it's all about knowing how fuzzy becomea the difference between good and evil and who would you trust and form alliances, and how far would hold onto your values in order to subsist.

Leftovers difference is that there wasn't a danger presence that keeps attacking, instead the same victims who were left behind become the danger. And in a very grounded way.

Manifest is way lighter and doesn't rely only on human condition.

If you are into Strigoi_ish, The Strain is another one to check. Van Helsing too (series) but it's a stretch.
 
jtnyc said:
Just tried to watch the pilot for The Leftovers. The plot seemed interesting enough as I like post apocalyptic super natural type stuff. It seemed ok, but the writing and acting was 3rd rate at best and it just couldn't hold me. I shut it off just shy of the episode ending.

Aside from not being good, the music was just awful. I mean downright depressing. It sounds like it was created with AI. The most mundane, uninspired wallpaper... I feel like I heard it before as well. So bizarre. Sounds like pre made basic midi files playing simple triad arpeggios robotically modulating up... ugg. It was so apparently "not played" or performed. Just sounds like a computer spitting out some basic modulation theory through a flat non dynamic sampled piano. Maybe made with something like Scaler or EZ Keys,...pre fab midi loops?, I don't know, but wow, just awful.

Even if the show was great I would have found the "music" too annoying and distracting to continue watching it.

Had to vent!

Any suggestions on a great series. I love super natural, sci fi, post apocalyptic, and great dramas. I feel like I've seen all the great stuff of late, but there's always something...

Thanks
Click to expand...
Just tried to read your post about The Leftovers. The complaint seemed interesting enough at first, but the adjectives and similes were 3rd rate at best and couldn't hold me. I stopped reading just shy of the music critique.

Apart from being bad, the post was just confusing and awful. I mean, downright garbage. Feels like it was created with predictive text. The words were like pre-made auto-correct fails mimicking simple clichéd complaints. It was so apparently "not proofread" or performed. Like a computer spitting out some basic review theory through a flat, non-dynamic sampled critique. Maybe it was made with something like Grammarly or, I don't know, an unhappy thesaurus? Just wow, a hot-ass mess.

But even if your post was great, I would have found the "complaints" too annoying and distracting to continue reading.

Any suggestions on another possible great post? I love well-structured, articulate, concise, and entertaining rants. I feel like I've seen all the great posts on VI Control of late, but there's always something else…
 
I loved Leftovers and think the soundtrack is perfectly haunting and emotional at the same time. I love how Max Richter is so constrained with his use of notes, yet gets you deep down in your soul. Something that I'd love to be able to do.

For those that haven't listened, check it out on spotify. A great example of how the instumentation on the same piece changes the feeling and mood completely.

If you like and appreciate quirky, otherworldly, challenging, the unexpected and the inexplicable, then I feel it's worth watching.

If you're into the commercial or popular stuff - then this definitely isn't for you.

BTW: I purposely had breaks between each season (sometimes for months) as I didn't want to finish it so quickly. I do feel the final season was the weakest, but I enjoyed the whole journey anyway.

I suppose it's different strokes for different folks - that's why we have such a wide variety of choice.
 
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