Too Old To Die Young - Amazon TV Series (Miles Teller & Nic Refn/Trailer/June 14th)

[Mr. McDowell]

The pacing is utterly ridiculous. I couldn't even say it's bad. It's just do I really want to see someone staring off in the distance for 45 seconds after each line. Pedo shyt is disappointing too, but whatever.

 

[TheGodling]

The pacing is utterly ridiculous. I couldn't even say it's bad. It's just do I really want to see someone staring off in the distance for 45 seconds after each line. Pedo shyt is disappointing too, but whatever.

The show feels like it was written for a one-hour format and the only reason some eps run (up to 30 minutes) longer is because Refn chooses to pace scenes as slowly as possible.

Regardless it is dope. I just finished the fourth ep and things really start to come together.

 

[High quality poster]

fukkery. I love this moterfukker Refn yo

 

[TheGodling]

I also forget to mention, that Hideo Kojima cameo in ep 4.

Also, that police station Friday morning meeting might be the first scene to genuinely make me uncomfortable, lol.

Spoiler

Gimme an F!
Gimme an A!
Gimme a S!
Gimme a CISM!
What does that make?
FASCISM!
What?
FASCISM! FASCISM! FASCISM!

 

[TrueEpic08]

I'm 50 minutes in and it's got my attention. Don't think anyone mentioned this, but Refn co-wrote and co-produced this series with Ed Brubaker, and it definitely feels like something straight out of Criminal or Fatale. Both Refn and Brubaker's work are right up my alley, so I'm fine with all this.

With that said, it also definitely plays like a 13 hour Refn film as opposed to a TV series, complete with languid pacing, neon-noir color schemes, beautiful cinematography, and archetypal two-dimensional characters. Again, I'm halfway through the first episode and almost nothing of the actual plot has come together yet (and it might not come together in the way we typically figure it will in TV series, given that Refn likes to keep his plots extremely simple). If that doesn't appeal to you, stay far, far away (and I figure many TV lovers aren't going to like this at all...good riddance to you fukkers). However, if you're into Refn or a legitimately more auterist or filmic take on a TV series, then this might be for you.

 

[analog]

I'd be curious to see the stat on how many folks drop this show in its second episode. This shyt a feature length Spanish flick that moves at a snails pace

Interesting way to provide the backstory on the cartel but can't say I enjoyed it that much. Looking forward to returning to Miles' story.

 

[CookDat]

I'd be curious to see the stat on how many folks drop this show in its second episode. This shyt a feature length Spanish flick that moves at a snails pace

Interesting way to provide the backstory on the cartel but can't say I enjoyed it that much. Looking forward to returning to Miles' story.

Honestly thought that episode was one of the better ones.

 

[Scottie Drippin]

Eventually people will hold Refn accountable for filming pretty colors being the only thing he is capable of doing behind a camera.

There are too many people who can mesh style with actual substance to keep on allowing this man to do this

It's like he made a complete project in Drive by mistake and has been punishing us ever since

 

[Roadie pipeher]

Eventually people will hold Refn accountable for filming pretty colors being the only thing he is capable of doing behind a camera.

There are too many people who can mesh style with actual substance to keep on allowing this man to do this

It's like he made a complete project in Drive by mistake and has been punishing us ever since

dawg... I just

 

[Yoda]

Refn is the lord of cinema die haters.

 

[High quality poster]

I don’t know why someone would watch a refn film and bytch about pacing and delivery and substance. This is his STYLE.

 

[TheGodling]

I never get where these complaints about lack of substance come from with Refn, it just seems like folks don't get what he creates because he doesn't succumb to Hollywood archetypes and tropes (outside of Drive). His characters are devoid of heroism (not to be confused with a 'cool' anti-hero), and are instead filled with emotional and psychological weaknesses. They occupy a dog-eat-dog world that is ugly and borders on nihilis, and the only value their existence has is by the measurement of how much their actions are a testament to this world at its core. All the substance is there but the interpretation starts with you throwing out your defined notion of traditional storytelling and character types so you can accept what he is presenting.

 

[PortCityProphet]

I need something else to watch to keep me entertained between the 20 second pauses after every sentence in every convo. that shyt is fukking awful

 

[High quality poster]

Why are these cousins naked in the bathroom together rubbing coke over each other’s faces? Refn wild boy. What kinda acid he take, I need to know.

 

[TrueEpic08]

I never get where these complaints about lack of substance come from with Refn, it just seems like folks don't get what he creates because he doesn't succumb to Hollywood archetypes and tropes (outside of Drive). His characters are devoid of heroism (not to be confused with a 'cool' anti-hero), and are instead filled with emotional and psychological weaknesses. They occupy a dog-eat-dog world that is ugly and borders on nihilis, and the only value their existence has is by the measurement of how much their actions are a testament to this world at its core. All the substance is there but the interpretation starts with you throwing out your defined notion of traditional storytelling and character types so you can accept what he is presenting.

They equate dense yet obvious plotting with substance because it gives them obvious points to latch onto (without actually having to critically think through what they're watching), when that's never been the only way to make a film or tell a story. It's as if we've gotten locked into seeing one style of filmmaking as THE style and judge everything else against it. What happens with that is when you see someone who throws out large swaths of that rulebook to do something different (as Refn does by valuing the use of two-dimensional archetypes, the evocation of color, narrative economy, and meticulously crafted and framed shots over the realism and fleshed out/heavily foreshadowed narratives of Hollywood cinema) people don't know how to judge it, and write it off as terrible filmmaking without actually examining what he's doing (these same people would probably piss on the work of the man in my avatar...).

In my opinion, Refn's probably one of the 10 best working directors in the world, or at least in the conversation to be considered in that group. No one frames a shot or use neons like him these days, and 20 years on people are going to look back on his 2010s work, and particularly his LA pieces (Drive, The Neon Demon, and now probably Too Old to Die Young) as unique highpoints in the medium. You just don't see people doing what he's doing around every corner these days.