76 replies to this topic

[Rich Kennedy]

Wow.

Anyone watch last night? I'm something of an Elmore Leonard buff, local boy and all. This tops anything I've read or seen of his.

[BethR]

Rich Kennedy, on 16 March 2010 - 11:49 PM, said:

Wow.

Anyone watch last night? I'm something of an Elmore Leonard buff, local boy and all. This tops anything I've read or seen of his.

Yes, very impressive, though I'm usually not a big fan of the style (what am I saying? I'm James Lee Burke's biggest fan). The KY location is well done, so far. I'm afraid I glimpsed some generic SoCal desert mountain scenery in next week's previews, though, which doesn't bode well. And I hope not all the baddies will be neo-Confederate-Nazis who drink moonshine, 'cause that's just stereotyping.

Good thing it's on FX & repeats after the first hour, because otherwise Tuesday nights at 10 PM my DVR is already filled up with The Good Wife (last night was unusually intriguing) and FlashForward or V.

[Rich Kennedy]

BethR, on 17 March 2010 - 01:54 PM, said:

Good thing it's on FX & repeats after the first hour, because otherwise Tuesday nights at 10 PM my DVR is already filled up with The Good Wife (last night was unusually intriguing) and FlashForward or V.

Yep. Same problem. I'm hoping that the back-to-back wasn't just an inaugural though. I WATCHED the second showing even though I had to be at work early.

I gotta say, some really good shows leave me desperate for more and a, "that's it?" feeling. This 70 minutes left me wanting more, but also feeling like I'd sat through almost two hours. Never felt that before.

[M. Leary]

The cowboy cop in a Lincoln Town Car was a great Leonard touch. Leonard always has such a great momentum in his books, and they did well at translating this to the screen.

I don't see too much here though in terms of further storyline. Looks like it may intend to be kind of episodic?

Edited by M. Leary, 18 March 2010 - 11:26 AM.

[John Drew]

BethR, on 17 March 2010 - 01:54 PM, said:

I'm afraid I glimpsed some generic SoCal desert mountain scenery in next week's previews, though, which doesn't bode well.

Indeed you did. My wife and I saw some filming occurring on the streets in Newhall, in the Santa Clarita, CA area. I should make a list of all the shows that film around here, but purport to be the likes of Las Vegas (CSI), Salt Lake City (Big Love), Vulcan (Star Trek)...

I just got around to watching the first episode, and quite enjoyed it. I forget that late-nite FX Channel dialogue can get quite colorful. Timothy Olyphant hes a certain ease about him, and was great in the part. Seems to remind me of a younger Billy Bob Thornton in this role.

Edited by Baal_T'shuvah, 26 March 2010 - 12:29 PM.

[Tyler]

Okay, I'm confused. Does Olyphant play Justin Timberlake's dad or something?

[Rich Kennedy]

Huh?

[Tyler]

Rich Kennedy, on 28 March 2010 - 12:48 PM, said:

Huh?

"Justified" was the title of one of Justin Timberlake's solo albums.

[M. Leary]

Well anyway, this show is growing on me in the same way almost every FX show grows on me. At least The Shield and Sons of Anarchy have this same regionalized Shakespearean thing going on. They are essentially the same moral dramas, testing the boundaries of who we are on the fringes.

They are also mostly filmed in the same way (though The Shield was handheld much of the time). Lots of rich light, long takes, and atmosphere constructed out of pop music.

[John Drew]

I'm loving this show. I like how it doesn't hold to convention, sometimes even forgoing the need of a denouement on occasion - just ending.

Last weeks episode contained perhaps my favorite sequence of dialogue I've heard this year. After telling an art collector that his collection of Hitler paintings are fakes, Raylan and his boss Art, along with the art expert drive back to town and have the following discussion.

Quote

Art: Did you know Hitler was a painter?

Raylan: Not 'til today.

Carl (the art expert): He did it mostly when he was younger. Before World War I.

Raylan: Before he got into mass murder, and so on?

Art: What kind of a son of a bitch would collect something like that?

Raylan: I once met a man who made model reconstructions of famous aviation disasters.

Art: Hmph.

Raylan: Tenerife. Sioux City. Lockerbie. Scaled down fusilages blackened and torn. Little engines and furrowed earth. I don't know. I figure people are entitled to their hobbies and I'm entitled to think those people are creepy. No offense Carl.

Carl: Next time you're in Cincinnati, come by the gallery. I think you'll be quite surprised.

Raylan: Honestly, I think I'd rather stick my dick in a blender.

Art: Well, that might solve a few problems.

Edited by Baal_T'shuvah, 01 May 2010 - 04:28 PM.

[Rich Kennedy]

I'm just now caught up on the show. I liked that exchange myself. I REALLY like the relationship with the African-American marshall kicked off by the LA excursion. Also unconventional, as is her character. I swear, it's as if Leonard is writing the scripts. Take that LA dentist plot.

Spoiler

Parking lot tooth extraction as revenge on an asshole customer by a regular guy dentist. it seems. Those hitmen too. Regular working stiffs, one a professional, the other a schlub we all are forced to work with at some point. Only he's got a gun for work related equipment.

.

[John Drew]

Rich Kennedy, on 02 May 2010 - 10:37 PM, said:

I'm just now caught up on the show. I liked that exchange myself. I REALLY like the relationship with the African-American marshall kicked off by the LA excursion. Also unconventional, as is her character. I swear, it's as if Leonard is writing the scripts.

Yeah, that was a terrific episode. The dialogue is really strong, especially the episodes written by Graham Yost (which so far is half the episodes that have aired).

[John Drew]

FX renews Justified for a second season.

[Rich Kennedy]

I'm blown away by the work of Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder. His character seems to be the darkside of Leonard staples such as the gentleman Clooney played in Out of Sight. Here's a guy who is a charismatic nutcase of an Aryan Nations recruiter. Nice that we don't see his work at this point. However, he receives a jailhouse conversion and becomes a passionate and articulate spokesman for a more fundie gospel. Goggins hits the rap pitch perfect to my mind. Almost makes me want to get in touch with my own roots. The production plays it straight. Raylin of course has plenty of cynicism to spare for both the pitch and Boyd's conversion. Nice balance. No pomo playfulness with sincerity and mockery which is better. Just two old and former friends going at it from opposing corners. This is just about the best TV show EVER.

[Clint M]

Rich, I'd agree with you about Goggins. I think this might be his best work since the Shield, and I'm hoping he'll surpass that, as he'll be a full cast member next year.

The only problem I've had is that it's hard to represent Kentucky visually when the show is shot in the L.A. area. The look was perfect in the first episode, but they filmed that one in Pennsylvania. But that's a minor quibble, and only because I'm a Kentucky native.

[Rich Kennedy]

I understand that objection. As a longtime wanderer through the rural southeast, I must say they have the language, if not always the accents down cold. I'm fussy about such things.

[M. Leary]

And that is a fair criticism given the great sense of location in Leonard's period novels.

[John Drew]

Finally caught up with the last two episodes. Nice to see director John Dahl working on the "The Hammer". I recently got the chance to rewatch his film Red Rock West on Encore, and wondered at the time what had become of him.

Re: location. I live in the Santa Clarita, CA area, and often see a lot of productions come through here. I recognized the site where Boyd Crowder has set up his camp as a former state park near me that has been shut down for the past couple of years. It's better known now as a lovers lane.

Edited by Baal_T'shuvah, 22 May 2010 - 12:19 AM.

[Rich Kennedy]

Walt Goggins on Fresh Air tomorrow! Wish I were leaving work at 3:00pm rather than 3:30pm. The promo pushes Boyd's conversion and not letting up on witnessing to Raylan.

Speaking of Raylan, seems he's getting better at chickenfried poetics. " Easier's not what I'm after." and such. I'm enjoying this just for the dialogue. I'm sensing that itmight be leaving Leonard in its dust.

[Clint M]

Rich Kennedy, on 25 May 2010 - 03:39 PM, said:

Walt Goggins on Fresh Air tomorrow! Wish I were leaving work at 3:00pm rather than 3:30pm. The promo pushes Boyd's conversion and not letting up on witnessing to Raylan.

Speaking of Raylan, seems he's getting better at chickenfried poetics. " Easier's not what I'm after." and such. I'm enjoying this just for the dialogue. I'm sensing that itmight be leaving Leonard in its dust.

NPR put it up on their website, along with some quotes.

http://www.npr.org/t...oryId=126889536


I'm really looking forward to the final 2 episodes of this season. They've set it up nicely for a battle of the patriarchs. Unfortunately, it looks like Boyd's starting to let his "sins of the flesh" slip back in.