Netflix/the Duffer Brother's "Stranger Things" won over folks with its Stephen King/Steven Spielberg/Tobe Hooper/Joe Dante/Richard Donner formula. Heck, that's why we've gotten a sequel. Of course, many of us have a natural hankering for the weird and wonderful, especially if the content is blessed with quality characterizations. Without question, in this age of sometimes overbearing bang-bang thrills, something small yet enchanting is most appreciated and despite a sequel overflow, worthy of continuation.
To clinch the pot's peculiar sweetness, Netflix has reinstated a terrific cast: Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers; Noah Schnapp as Will Byers; Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers; David Harbour as Chief Jim Hopper; Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven (yeah, like any of us thought she'd remain absent); Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler; Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler; Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas; Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin; and leaping into the action, Sean "Lord of the Rings/The Goonies" Astin as RadioShack manager Bobby Newby and Paul Reiser as Dr. Owens. (Many are wondering if Owens will be a more-or-less congenial equivalent of Mathew Modine's Cronenberg-ish Dr. Brenner. Time will tell, but Reiser's link to "Aliens" alone justifies his enigmatic inclusion.)
The new serial kicks off on Halloween '84, with our Hawkins, Indiana-based, boy heroes masquerading as the Ghostbusters. How apt! It doesn't take long before they're mimicking (at least to a subtle extent) their cinematic counterparts. Indeed, more other-dimensional interference has struck and to spice it up, more '80s ambiance saturates it.
The latter is another reason why "Stranger Thing" hit a chord with viewers. The time frame is presented realistically and never once spoofed. Therefore, the characters' participation in it, particularly the kids, stays identifiable, whether one experienced the '80s or not. (For the record, the show's approach distinguishes it from something like Donner's "The Goonies", which though an '80s product, presented its cast with garrulous oafishness. I do realize some fans would argue that the Neflix series contains more than a few nods to that excitable youth fest; but in my estimation, Season 1 leans more toward Joe Dante's "Explorers", with sprinklings of Fred Dekker's "Monster Squad", than Donner's hit.)
In addition, where Season 1 exudes a Richard Matheson "Little Girl Lost", Hooper/Spielberg "Poltergeist" atmosphere (with its ghostly permeation and resulting entrapment), advance publicity implies an "E.T." influence for the follow-up. Yep, it appears we'll befriend a little, otherworldly entity in this new undertaking. From that, we can also infer there will be as much a continuation of "Twilight Zone" and "Outer Limits" in the revived plot as Stephen King. (Personally, I'd love to see "Stranger Things" explore at length the Upside Down realm, and I also believe a similar tactic would work for a "Poltergeist" sequel/prequel.)
Right now we can only guess if this Duffer Brother extension will match the original, but the odds favor success; however, I also hope its probable success doesn't make the phenomenon so huge as to overshadow its fictional content. Season 1 commenced with little fanfare, but built a faithful, grassroots following. Once that was achieved, "Stranger Things" then became an award-winning, mainstream sensation, with political tangents and grandstanding attached.
For some, that might be cool, but for me, such baggage becomes a distraction. I hope Season 2 strives to please its original audience, instead of appeasing any hollow clique that latched on later. Awards and peer acknowledgement are swell (and in this case, deserved), but those fringe benefits don't guarantee viewership from start to finish.
"Stranger Things 2" begins Oct 27, where all episodes can be binge-digested. Thank you, Netflix.
Watched the first few episodes of Season 2. Thought it would be more Halloween oriented over the long haul. Guess it's okay that it's not, but still, for the sake of the atmospheric level, I'm a little disappointed. Oh, well...
ReplyDeleteI guess I also thought that the full thrust of Halloween would have commenced in the first episode, but it seems to have been more of a warm-up to bigger things.
DeleteThe "E.T" angle might be as much "Gremlins" in the way it's playing out; then again, "Gremlins" always struck me as an "E.T" offshoot gone totally out of whack.
ReplyDeleteFelt a trace of "American Werewolf in London" in one of the later scenes, as well. Whether it was or wasn't, I enjoyed it.
"The Gate", the finale of this new season, reminded me that the underrated '80s flick of the same name fits into the "Stranger Things" mode. Sorry I didn't acknowledge (think of) that sooner, but better late than never.
ReplyDeleteOn the whole, this was a pretty good sequel. There's a lot more to explore, of course, which is why we're pretty much guaranteed a Season 3. Wonder what the angle will distinguish it...