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Has anybody here seen this? Its a HBO series that is (oc)cultish and of potential interest to sci fi /fantasy fans. I’ve only just finished downloading the first season, and I have to say I was quite impressed – eventually. God knows the series takes its time to do its thing (its all about mood and mystery), but I haven’t seen television so compelling for a long while. I simply needed to watch the next episode – and the one after that . Its certainly not in the same league as The Sopranos, Deadwood or The Wire, but is amongst the best show’s currently on tv (and would not otherwise survive on network television)
Particularly interesting is that the show’s success has been attributed to the Internet, with people constantly chatting about its possible meaning and direction. According to the show’s creator, HBO gave the expensively produced (and modestly rating) show a second series because of the rabid online interest in it.
Its set in the depression era, and involves a ‘conflict between creatures of darkness and light’. The main focus is on a travelling carnival which picks up someone with begruding powers, and who is mirrored by a tormented priest with the same power to heal and kill, etc. The show has been promoted as a cross between twin peaks and grapes of wrath – probably because there’s *that* dwarf again communicating with something behind a red curtain in the dust bowl era. A fetus in a jar may or may not be running the show, and the moral conflict is much less schematic than implied by the premise. Its weird and protracted and perverse and mannered and sexy and frustrating and generally tantalising. That’s all I’m prepared to tell you – other than watch it if you can.
Well, we’re now up to the fourth episode of the second season – and Carnivale has hit the ground running. The anti/christ are headed for one Allmighty smackdown, and part of the fun is trying to work out the role of good and evil in the scheme of things.
I’m sort of surprised that Sadgeezers appear uninterested or unfamiliar with it. It is a cult show incarnate, and the production values are one hell of an immaculate conception. If you’re a fan of Buffy, Angel and/or the devil, this show was made for you. Hopefully my post will usher in some love for the series…track down the first season out on dvd and/or both seasons on your local bittorrent tracker.
It sounds interesting; hasn’t shown on any stations I get here in Canada to my knowledge. I don’t feel comfortable downloading such stuff (remember, I’m the upstanding Picard-clone), but if I can rent it on DVD I’ll have a look.
Perhaps the SPACE station will be able to acquire it. The series I’m hoping they soon get, which may appeal to Buffy/Angel fans as well, is the UK’s Ultraviolet.
This show is a real gem. I stumbled upon it while visiting the HBO site, reading about Real Time with Bill Maher. Its a great mix of drama and mystery. I’m actually amazed that this kind of quality show goes unmissed. It may be the slow pacing of the story and the fact that you need to follow the show chronologically. There are also some lackbuster episodes. But despite being a demanding show I still think its a rewarding viewing experience.
Oh, I forgot to mention the characters. They’re just great. Well, I were a bit sceptical in the start to mr. Clancy Brown from Pet Semetary fame 🙂 , but I really think he’s doing a fine job.
I recommended this show to my brother and a friend of mine. Both where instantly hooked!
My taste: Twin Peaks, Lexx, Battlestar Galactica (new), Farscape, Tripping The Rift, Simpsons (early seasons), Black Adder.
No i must say i haven’t seen it but i do hope it makes the old tv channels. It sounds like the program to fill the buffy / angel void. Anything that is slightly on the odd side i always find quite interesting and i will always give it a look. I will keep my eyes peeled to see if it makes it over to the uk.
I thought ultraviolet was a good series but may be a bit short.
No i must say i haven’t seen it but i do hope it makes the old tv channels. It sounds like the program to fill the buffy / angel void. Anything that is slightly on the odd side i always find quite interesting and i will always give it a look. I will keep my eyes peeled to see if it makes it over to the uk.
I thought ultraviolet was a good series but may be a bit short.
DeposableSecurityGuard wrote:No i must say i haven’t seen it but i do hope it makes the old tv channels. It sounds like the program to fill the buffy / angel void. Anything that is slightly on the odd side i always find quite interesting and i will always give it a look. I will keep my eyes peeled to see if it makes it over to the uk.
I thought ultraviolet was a good series but may be a bit short.
Well, I would say this show has alot more in common with Twin Peaks. Carnivale has a much more “adult” theme, if there’s such a thing. Anyway, this show does not resemble Buffy and Angel.
I’d really enjoy if David Lynch was asked to do an episode though 🙂
hishadow wrote:Well, I would say this show has alot more in common with Twin Peaks. Carnivale has a much more “adult” theme, if there’s such a thing. Anyway, this show does not resemble Buffy and Angel.
I’d really enjoy if David Lynch was asked to do an episode though 🙂
I can’t say I agree hisshadow, although I can certainly see why you would think that. In my view, Carnivale is a curious hybrd and superficially resembles Twin Peaks and Buffy/Angel. I wouldn’t want to insist on the parallels with Whedon’s universe, but Carnivale also has a ‘chosen’ one engaged in a cross generational conflict with a Big Bad intent on bringing about Armagedden. Unlike Buffy and Angel, though, Carnivale has a much more interesting conception of good and evil (its difficult to know what is what here, and part of the intrigue is that neither our ‘hero’ or ‘villian’ really recogise themselves as such, and answer their respective callings reluctantly). The Twin Peaks/David Lynch element, of course, comes by way of the stlyised and obtuse treatment – not to mention the little dwarf addressing ‘management’ pulling all the strings from behind a red curtain. Despite Lynch’s reputation, though, I find his moebious strip teases intellectually bankrupt – he generally works with a straightforward dualism between ‘appearance’ and ‘reality’, and his obtuseness tends to work its way to the revealtion that ‘all is lllusion’! 🙄
Carnivale, on the other hard, appears to have an elaborate mythology and questionable salvation narrative. It seems to draw on sources as disparate as Hinduism and Gnostism, and (if I understand correctly) wants to question the ‘illusion of the world’ that Lynch’s carnival of freaks takes as a given. Unlike Lynch, Carnivale’s creator’s seem genuinely interested in the question of the ‘disenchantment’ of the world – where Reason has been on the ascendent and the mystery or ‘magic’ of life in decline. And by setting the show in the past (just prior to the development of the Atomic Bomb) I suspect that Carnivale is spriritually close to Battlestar Gallactica – it seems to view the future (our present) as a post apocalyptic age in spiritual decline.
then again – I could be talking out of my backside. 😛
I’m still waiting for Lynch to direct that promised episode of X Files, although it would be great to see him come on board for Carnivale.
Ultraviolet, btw, is certainly good and worth seeing wherever possible. Iits main claim to fame now, though, is that it provided an American launching pad for British actor Idris Elba – Idris is simply amazing in what many critics regard as the best show on TV (HBO’s The Wire) – coincidentally The Wire is the show Carnivale replaced when it finished its amazing run on HBO recently.
yes, I watch too much tv. 😀
I can’t say I agree hisshadow, although I can certainly see why you would think that. In my view, Carnivale is a curious hybrd and
<snipp-snipp>Hey. Keep your language simple, can’t you see my avatar 🙂 Luckily I got my Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary here… lets see… <frantic paging>
I guess there are more similarities to Battlestar Galactica. Faith seems to be the theme, mixed in reality with spiritual energy. Include Lexx’s looping of time.
When I watch a show, I’m more interested in the experience. Since I’m what they call a non-believer, the almost-good vs. almost-evil is just another story element for me. But what appeal the most are Cârnivale’s characters and the setting they play in.
As you can see from my avatar, there’s been a lot of intellectual bankruptcy.
PS. X-files got stuck in the toaster too long.
hishadow wrote:Hey. Keep your language simple, can’t you see my avatar 🙂 Luckily I got my Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary here… lets see… <frantic paging>
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Sorry dude – unfortunately, that ‘s how I naturally think and speak. I should try and remember, though, that there might be someone actually reading my thoughts 😆 and its best to try and adopt a less complicated way of speaking. Trouble is – when I speak ‘unnaturally’, I keep putting my foot in my mouth, am usually labelled a troll, and find myself banned indefinitely 😛
to summarise for those not discouraged by the verbiage:just watch the fucking thing already!
Sorry dude – unfortunately, that ‘s how I naturally think and speak. I should try and remember, though, that there might be someone actually reading my thoughts 😆 and its best to try and adopt a less complicated way of speaking. Trouble is – when I speak ‘unnaturally’, I keep putting my foot in my mouth, am usually labelled a troll, and find myself banned indefinitely 😛
to summarise for those not discouraged by the verbiage:just watch the !@£* thing already!
Hehe. You sound just like a friend of mine. You wouldn’t happen to consume large amount of wine too while engaging in deep philosophical discussions? My comments are just phun intended 🙂
And to the rest of you: please test it out.
Edit: resize
Um, those pictures actually deter me from wanting to watch the show – they seem so boring and uninviting. Couldn’t you find any of the lesbian or anal sex scenes? 😀
bonnee wrote:Um, those pictures actually deter me from wanting to watch the show – they seem so boring and uninviting. Couldn’t you find any of the lesbian or anal sex scenes? 😀
Sorry.
Edit:
Thank you for bringing this one to our attention, bonnee. 🙂
On the strength of what I’ve read here, I bought the DVDs of the series & watched eps 1 & 2 last night. This is quality stuff!
I think this is definitely one to add to the Board.
jerhume wrote:Thank you for bringing this one to our attention, bonnee. 🙂
On the strength of what I’ve read here, I bought the DVDs of the series & watched eps 1 & 2 last night. This is quality stuff!
I think this is definitely one to add to the Board.
Wow Jerhume – I’m pleased to see that I managed to encourage you to seek Carnivale out. 😀 Welcome to the fan club called the church of the poisoned mind. Please share your thoughts when you feel you’re in a better position to. I hope you’ll be singing the freak show’s mantra ‘one of us, one of us…’ soon. And make sure to track down season 2 if and when you can – it just keeps on freaking me out.
hishadow – what happened to Rita Sue’s Knicker’s? (although I prefer the image of brother justin ushering in a new day).
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