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"John From Cincinnati" - David Milch's latest on HBO Sundays

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C

Cornballer

Member
John From Cincinnati

David Milch's ("Deadwood", "NYPD Blue") latest show premieres this Sunday [6/10] on HBO right after the Sopranos finale. I have very mixed feelings about this show as part of the reason "Deadwood" was canceled was to open up space on Milch's schedule to create this show. Metaphysical surf noir could work out for him in this case, and perhaps JFC will be good, but I am concerned with some of the early buzz - not all of it is favorable. Still, since we're dealing with HBO here, I'll give it a shot and hopefully it'll be a nice surprise this summer. The cast is interesting featuring Ed O'Neill, Rebecca De Mornay, Luke Perry, and Luis Guzman, among others.

Summary
HBO.com said:
Just north of the border, in a tired coastal town, live three generations of the Yosts, surfing royalty turned society misfits. The Yosts' reign and reputation, once defined in the curl of a perfect wave, have been eroded by years of bad luck, addiction and hubris. But just as things are looking like they can't get worse, a stranger named John arrives – and the Yosts' banal existence is lifted into something profound, miraculous and, possibly, universal.

Set in Imperial Beach, California, the last great surf-break before Tijuana, where the U.S. meets Mexico, and water meets land, John From Cincinnati tells the story of the Yosts, a family of surfers whose awesome athletic talents have seemed for generations to come with a curse attached. The gifts of 13-year-old Shaun rival those of Butchie, his addict-derelict father, and his now-ascetically-withdrawn grandfather Mitch, both of whom defined the sport in their heydays. In shaping Shaun's career, his grandmother Cissy strives to achieve a commercial and athletic success that will compensate for the frustrations and failures of her life with her husband and son.

Into this world, where even simple joy has been turned into a commodity, steps a mysterious stranger named John. Soon after, things begin to happen to the Yosts, and those whose lives they touch, that test the boundaries of past and present, the mundane and the miraculous, the natural world and what lies beyond it.

Created by David Milch (HBO's 'Deadwood'), and "surf-noir" novelist Kem Nunn, "John From Cincinnati" jumps the border between everyday reality and the humanity that exists beyond it.

'John From Cincinnati' stars Bruce Greenwood ('Déjà vu,' 'I, Robot), Rebecca De Mornay ('Lords of Dogtown,' 'The Hand That Rocks the Cradle'), Brian Van Holt ('House of Wax,' 'S.W.A.T.'), Austin Nichols ('Glory Road,' 'The Day After Tomorrow'), Ed O'Neill ("Married with Children,' 'The West Wing'), Luis Guzman ('Anger Management,' 'Boogie Nights'), Matt Winston ('Six Feet Under,' 'Teachers'), Greyson Fletcher (Acting debut), Willie Garson ('Sex and the City,' 'The TV Set'), Luke Perry ('Oz,' 'Beverly Hills, 90210'), Keala Kennelly (Acting debut), Jim Beaver ('Deadwood,' 'Adaptation'), Garret Dillahunt ('Deadwood,' 'The 4400'), Dayton Callie ('Deadwood,' 'CSI'), Emily Rose ('Hurricane Party'), Paul Ben Victor ('The Wire,' 'Entourage').
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Links
Official HBO page
IMDB page
Cast
Wikipedia
TV.com

Promos/Vids on Youtube
Promo 1
Promo 2
Promo 3
Promo 4
Promo 5

Articles/Previews/Reviews (some spoilers)
LATimes preview
NY Times preview
Tim Goodman (SF Chronicle) puts up a short blog entry - review out Sunday

Promotional Photos
149fs526253.jpg

149fs52637.jpg

149fs526597.jpg
 
M

Mama Smurf

My penis is still intact.
It sounds pretty stupid on paper, but Deadwood was SO good I'll have to give it a chance. I have faith in Milch.
 
C

Cornballer

Member
Meier said:
I dont recall where I saw it, but I noticed a rather poor review out there for this already.
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I've seen a couple bad reviews, as well. Still, I give most stuff on HBO a few episodes before giving up on it. I might have to file this one under 'anticipointment', though.

Mama Smurf said:
It sounds pretty stupid on paper, but Deadwood was SO good I'll have to give it a chance. I have faith in Milch.
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Pretty much how I feel. I believe in Milch to some extent, but this could be a complete trainwreck. Then again, things like "Shakespearian Western" and "Cowboys in Space" sounded like bad ideas but ultimately worked out to be some of my favorites.
 
S

Solo

Member
I still cant believe he got tired of making Deadwood and decided he'd rather do this instead.
 
M

Mama Smurf

My penis is still intact.
Yeah, even Buffy sounded pretty stupid (even just the name), so I won't judge it on that. I don't know what to make of the poor reviews, I know some people hated Deadwood so maybe it'll be like that again.

Those Deadwood movies are never gonna be made, are they? :(
 
Brian Fellows

Brian Fellows

Pete Carroll Owns Me
Mama Smurf said:
Yeah, even Buffy sounded pretty stupid (even just the name), so I won't judge it on that. I don't know what to make of the poor reviews, I know some people hated Deadwood so maybe it'll be like that again.

Those Deadwood movies are never gonna be made, are they? :(
Click to expand...


They cut John From Cinci from 12 to 10 episodes so they could get started on the movies faster.
 
C

Cornballer

Member
The Deadwood movies are much further along than I had thought. Still much do to, but the news is at least somewhat promising. Info here: http://savedeadwood.net/

In any case, I'm fully prepared to turn this thread into a Deadwood love-fest if JFC doesn't measure up....
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
Cornballer said:
The Deadwood movies are much further along than I had thought. Still much do to, but the news is at least somewhat promising. Info here: http://savedeadwood.net/

In any case, I'm fully prepared to turn this thread into a Deadwood love-fest if JFC doesn't measure up....
Click to expand...

:lol

Season 3 DVD is out next week if anyone's interested in the best final scene in television history.
 
C

Cornballer

Member
BenjaminBirdie said:
Luis Guzman is in it? Oh heaven help me.

"'Scuse me, could you get me some milk? Maybe a little ice in it?"
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:lol Guzman rules. Can't wait to see how he handles the Milchian dialog.
 
E

Eric WK

Member
Milch was just on Craig Ferguson.

He basically admitted that he doesn't know what the show is even about. Then he started talking about God trying to communicate a message to us and matter and how waves are an example of a natural magnetic force pulling matter together.

It was pretty bizarre.
 
E

Eric WK

Member
Yeah, I'll be watching Sunday night despite the bad early press.

At the very least, it's something I'm going to be watching just so I don't make the mistake of not watching.
 
C

Cornballer

Member
The review from Variety is up.
Variety said:
"John From Cincinnati" might be the strangest show ever produced for American television -- an HBO drama that makes "Twin Peaks" look like "Mayberry RFD." Yet even worshippers at the altar of writer extraordinaire David Milch are likely to find themselves bewildered and frustrated with the premiere, and two subsequent episodes only marginally improve matters. It's easy to admire the hypnotic poetry in Milch's dialogue, but this existential surfing fantasy -- infused with a touch of "Starman" -- dips and swerves amid its confounding currents, and hardly appears like the standard-bearer to help lead the pay service into a post-"Sopranos" future.
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J

johnsenclan

Member
I'll give it a shot because it's Milch and HBO, but I still don't totally get what it's supposed to be about. Seems risky to produce a show that is requiring viewers to watch it just because of who's involved in the project.
 
F

Flynn

Member
White Man said:
I still can't believe Deadwood has so many fans. The show is my definition of all dressed up with nowhere to go.
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Man, I do love that show. Next to The Wire it's probably my favorite contemporary drama. I dig that its demanding. It's not the kind of show that you just let wash over you. You really need to engage yourself with it, the history and, especially, the dialog. And, like The Wire, it's so very American. It gets down to the roots of what makes us us, I think.
 
M

Mifune

Mehmber
My gut tells me I'm gonna like this show. And critics will come around in the end.

Reviews of The Wire were lukewarm in the beginning, too.
 
E

Eric WK

Member
Mifune said:
My gut tells me I'm gonna like this show. And critics will come around in the end.

Reviews of The Wire were lukewarm in the beginning, too.
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I get that feeling, as well. The critics have only seen three episodes at this point with the main criticism being that the show is too confusing. Once we all start to realize what's really going on, I think those sentiments will change.
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
maynerd said:
What's so good about deadwood?
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Pretty much everything.

It's the best written dialogue on television. The performances are ridiculously amazing. Visually it's right up there with Lost in terms of how ****ing great it looks (and in many ways, much better). And it's not afraid to side with subtlety instead of boneheaded shootout action. The finale of the series, instead of being some dipshitted shootout at the OK Corrall featured a simple scene of one character musing on pretty much the central delusionary conceit clouding America's pioneer history.

Also, it is the awesomest thing ever.
 
F

Flynn

Member
Eric WK said:
I get that feeling, as well. The critics have only seen three episodes at this point with the main criticism being that the show is too confusing. Once we all start to realize what's really going on, I think those sentiments will change.
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Also critics hate when people go against expectation. All their saved up pontifications on what made the creator so great go to waste.
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
Flynn said:
Also critics hate when people go against expectation. All their saved up pontifications on what made the creator so great go to waste.
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ALSO it's being looked at as "The Sopranos Replacement" which is dumb and reductive, but that's how every review's going to spin it.
 
F

Flynn

Member
BenjaminBirdie said:
ALSO it's being looked at as "The Sopranos Replacement" which is dumb and reductive, but that's how every review's going to spin it.
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Especially since most critics haven't yet realized that the Sopranos was a dead horse flogged for an extra two seasons.
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
Just started this but

HOLY SHIT HI ELLSWORTH!!!!

YYYYYYAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEELLLLLLLSSSSSSSSWWWWWWOOOOOORRRRRRTTTTTTHHHHHHHHH

(ellsworth)
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
Eric WK said:
It's Deadwood meets Twin Peaks, set in Southern California.

Really enjoyed the premiere.
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I'm halfway through and that's the impression I'm getting. I really wish they hadn't positioned this after The Sopranos leaving, though. At least it's a cable show and ratings are sort of irrelavent, as I'm pretty sure all of America collectively turned off the netowork at 10:05:01 EST.
 
S

Stoney Mason

Banned
I was too depressed after the Sopranos finale to watch this.


I love Deadwood but all the previews for this show looked awful to me. Not to mention a show about surfing strikes me as boring. How was it in comparison to Deadwood quality and acting wise?
 
E

Eric WK

Member
Stoney Mason said:
Not to mention a show about surfing strikes me as boring.
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Milch originally had the show set in New York. The Imperial Beach surfing community is just the lens through which Milch is showing us this story. It isn't about surfing at all.
 
S

Stoney Mason

Banned
Eric WK said:
Milch originally had the show set in New York. The Imperial Beach surfing community is just the lens through which Milch is showing us this story. It isn't about surfing at all.
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....Oh it's one of those kind of shows.




kidding. I'll catch a re-run. The previews still seemed kinda lame-ish but it's unfair to judge a show on previews of course.
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
That was quite good. I think John might a little too strange a character for the guy who's playing him. It's not coming off quite right. Same with the new hotel owner. Something's just a bit off about both of their performances. As opposed to Deadwood where everyone nailed their characters right from the get go.

I doubt that it'll go past the first ten episodes, but it should be a nice little short novel by Mr. Milch.
 
E

Eric WK

Member
BenjaminBirdie said:
That was quite good. I think John might a little too strange a character for the guy who's playing him. It's not coming off quite right. Same with the new hotel owner. Something's just a bit off about both of their performances. As opposed to Deadwood where everyone nailed their characters right from the get go.

I doubt that it'll go past the first ten episodes, but it should be a nice little short novel by Mr. Milch.
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I agree that the actors playing John and the new motel owner aren't quite right, but I don't think it's a problem, because the characters aren't quite either. I know it sounds like two wrongs making a right, but it ends up working for me.

Unfortunately, your one season idea is probably correct. However, we've only seen one episode and critics have only seen three.
 
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