I ran a VFX studio that did a cubic shit tonne of the VFX work on this show. Sometimes, you work your ass off for a challenging client with a challenging schedule and tons of internal drama - and the end result is something that land in the Blu-Ray bin of broken dreams at your local Safeway. And, on rare occasion, it actually clicks and somehow (PTSD) you are able to, at least be proud that it is well received. I had to jump in personally on this one - pulling all nighters and super stressful twists and turns. But... if the Critical Drinker likes it... then I guess I can rest easy... my work here is done.
Well I suppose that’s the tough part of having a career in artistic endeavors. You don’t know what will be successful or resonate with audiences, and that’s why you wanna work hard on everything. Easier said than done, and I’m sure it’s nothing you aren’t aware of. Good job.
I think about this show often, it was so well made. I can't imagine the stress of dealing with those tight deadlines, but *rest assured* , the effort paid off! Easily one of my favorite shows this year
Mark Hamill's character's arc and finale was frankly one of the most satisfying things I've seen on TV in a very VERY long time.. and that's actually kind of sad. It was such a natural thing yet felt so surprising today as to leave you a little gobsmacked.
I liked it as well because it seemed like Verna really respected him for the choice. He and Lenore are the only two for whom she reserves any tenderness, even going so far as to visit him on his last walk as a free man.
That last conversation, which effectively was just two people in a room talking, with Hamill and Gugino in the house , was one of my favourite moments in the whole show. It's the first and only time you really 'see' Hamill's character first-hand, rather than hearing about him through another Usher, or second-hand rumours. It's so excellently written.
I am glad to see that many people feel that this scene was a high point in the series. For me, it came out of nowhere and was such a pleasant surprise to the show. It is possibly my favorite scene in the whole show. I won't give it away but Wow watching this gives me chills and is so true to the PYM REAPER it's just perfect.
Edgar Allan Poe is perhaps the saddest horror author I know of, historically. As a writer, he's remembered as a legend who crafted some of the most influential literature in Gothic horror. But learning about who he was as a person was a bummer. He faced tragedy throughout his life, including some famously disgusting aspects, and died a lonely death. He clearly dealt with mental issues his time period wasn't educated or equipped to handle. He perfectly embodies the term "tortured artist".
@@MarcIversonLigotti is my bae. As I understand, dude is afflicted by anhedonia, too, so he’s basically been _engineered_ to find zero joy in the universe. Poor puppy.
EAP's brain was a spiderweb of neurons always firing at the same time. He understood everything and couldn't wait for it to stop. A man who understands everything isn't long for this world. He lived a full life, nevertheless. One of the greatest humans to walk this earf.
Bruce Greenwood was amazing as Roderick. It was his sister who was more calculating, but in the actual deal, look how fast he accepted,blink of an eye. He is evil, and the corpses raining upon him are his reward. Brilliant show!! ☆☆☆☆☆!!!
Mark Hamill is brilliant in this show. Also, just because you're kind and innocent doesn't mean you'll be spared which is a nice change from the norm. The devil will have her due.
Carla Gugino played such a great antagonist. Mysterious, mischievous, alluring, darkly funny, and always making sure you never really know what her angle is. I'm so glad Flanagan gives her so many opportunities to shine. Also, my God, that woman is an eternal beauty. She and Bruce Greenwood are great in Flanagan's Gerald's Game adaptation as well.
Nah dude. While it wasn't a faithful adaptation, at its core there was still a reverence and respect for the material. It was so Poe it was like everyone involved was channelling him.
@@alaricgoldkuhl155 You said nah dude and it sounded like you were rejecting his point that adaptations can be good as long as they have a good story. It definitely drew from Poe's works heavily, but that isn't always a requirement.
Carla Gugino is just so awesome, and still gorgeous. I could always watch her. Also knowing Greenwood wasn't brought into till that late in production and still nailed it is amazing. Give that guy an Emmy Hollywood.
I was looking at the screen in awe during Roderick's lemonade monologue. The children were hilarious pricks with great performances too. Awesome show. Bruce Greenwood was absolutely the best.
"Alright, I've been thinking. When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade - make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I don't want your damn lemons, what am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see life's manager. Make life rue the day it thought it could give Cave Johnson lemons. Do you know who I am? I'm the man who's gonna burn your house down! With the lemons. I'm going to to get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!" - Cave Johnson - Portal 2
The difference between paying homage (or work done as a love letter) to something great and trying to retell (or extend) that work for your own vanity is massive.
Ehhhh, it's hardly a hommage, it's more of piggybacking on a famous author for views. Remeber viewing the second episode jokingly asking myself where Poe wrote about a character opening a nightclub and hosting asn orgy where everyone get's devolved by acid The story would have been better without trying to tie it to Poee sloppily
@@edwardblake8575 gonna have to disagree with you on that. They tied Poes work very well into the show with Roderick reading the poems to the thumping of the heart in the walls.
@@fangwhiteclaw7089 Yeah but that's all there is: the poems are mere lipservice, and there are some little winks to Poe's work. And I dislike that the *only* reason that the backdrop is in their old house is to tie it back to the shortstory, so that there is the final scene with Madelein and the house collapsing. There is absolutly no reason in the show for that to happen at all, feels forced. Again, would have been better without it Or do it the same way without namedropping Poe, so it's for the people to notice, not a marketing gag
I swear to God! Flanagan better not stop making this genre in only a way that he can. He's amazing, and it gives me something to look forward to watching.
I didn't know that about Frank Langella being removed from the show. When I watched the series, I thought Zach Gilford was out of place as the young Roderick Usher. Now, I know that Bruce Greenwood is the one out of place, but he was so awesome I assumed he'd been there the whole time. Makes more sense. Thanks for the reason, Drinker, you handsome font of pensive pontifications!
All three of the members of my household (myself, my wife and my 27 year old stepson), who all can have notably distinct tastes in what we want to watch, couldn't help but binge this series. It was just so damned compelling!
Absolutely. Bruce Greenwood is one of those actors whose talents shines through in every role but is somehow under utilized. The other actor I can recall for now who was under utilized despite the massive talent is Sam Shepard. May he rest in peace.
@@johngeiger3770 Wholeheartedly agree. I'm so glad Flannagan decided to work with him again after Gerald's Game, I remember being absolutely mesmerized by the fact that the whole movie was basically just him and Carla Gugino, and yet it never faltered.
The way I'd describe it, was Flanagan set out to evoke and be true to the 'spirit' of Poe, and his work, rather than the specific letter. And that's okay, because he wove so much of Poe's work into this wonderfully layered, intricate tapestry of a narrative, to such a satisfying result. It was delightful to watch. Macabre, gothic, dark, and spooky where it counted. As someone very familiar with Poe's work, I had such a great time seeing just how confidently and competently Flanagan really seemed to grasp what made it what it was. To take so much material, and smoothly craft it into one larger narrative. And I had a great time spotting some of the more subtle or less obviously telegraphed references. There was a lot in there outside the stories named in the episodes, some I didn't pick up on right away.
All of you should watch the episode of "Pinky, Elmyra, & the Brain" (Ravin) which is a nonstop rhyme adaptation of Poe's Raven. It's fun & short, so it's worth watching.
Man, I looked up those accusations against Frank Langella and that is some BS. Netflix did the standard "an accusation was made, fire fast to cover our asses", including when there's not even a real accusation. He's accused of: - During a sex scene, he placed his hand on the actresses leg when that wasn't a pre-approved move. - Told one "off color joke". - "Made a racially insensitive remark" (which we all know means nothing in the age of microaggressions). - "Made non-sexual physical contact with cast and crew". - Once hugged a co star. Oh yeah, clearly he's a monster.
@@Valarien777 This is why I say one of the most detrimental plagues on human society is sexual neuroticism. Once you accuse someone of sexual wrongdoing, people turn hysterical, their brains shut down, they're terrified of being an evil person by even questioning it. We achieved so much in critical thinking since The Enlightenment and I see that all degrading now.
Carla Gugino is such a great actress. The scene where she offers Mark Hamill a deal and he really thinks carefully about his answer is a whole work of art. First episode was almost unwatchable, but the show got good fast.
@@LgiovanniF For real. I was _this close_ to turning it off for the whole first episode and a half, but on the scene where the woman in red whispers in his ear about how it's not too late to cancel the party; that's the scene where I _got_ the show and didn't touch the remote again
@@samwallaceart288 mines less noble. I clicked where the had hidden the 'stuff' from the inspectors. And wanted to see where that took everyone. On the way to there I became interested.
I gave up after 3rd one. At least I cleaned the whole flat as it was running in the background so not really wasted time - I could not watch it sitting down. I can not stand the story, acting, characters and dialogues. Camera work was pretty good thou from the parts I’ve seen.
@@10secondsrule That's fair. The show's biggest weak point is that basically none of the characters are a good strong person. Like, unironically I was rooting for the death-lady throughout the whole thing
I've always been a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe, so anyone that can bring his stories to life on screen and not crap all over his dark macabre nature gets a 'yes' vote from me!!!
There's this scene where Arthur (Hamill) wraps up lady death in about 10 seconds like a spider, it was so gnarly even she was impressed. Carla bodies every scene she's in. This show was fuckin Lemon.
The dialogue in this show was fantastic. The parts where Bruce Greenwood is talking in each episode in the old house are really well written. Great show
By far my favourite of Flanagan’s series, and IMO, maybe one of the best horror themed series I’ve seen. I like that Flanagan has the view point of keeping all of his works to just one season. That’s it. It leads to more compelling stories to be told, Interesting character arcs, and somehow he managed to keep it all wrapped up tight and efficient as drinker pointed out. I’m so excited to see his next work, and I’ll continue to enjoy his previous ones until then. Thanks for covering this one drinker, I was hoping to hear you weigh in on it. As always, it didn’t disappoint.
Bruce Greenwood's Lemon Monologue is the greatest. The moment he finished it, I knew that would be one of the most standout memories from this thing. I'm laughing just thinking about it now.
I LOVE Poe. My dog is named after him, Hill House is in my top 10 shows of all time. But I was very nervous seeing two of my favorite things come together. I knew my expectations were going to be almost impossible. And even though the time the story is set in is not what I would have picked, I can say that I absolutely love this show. Picking out all the Poe Easter Eggs was one of my favorite things to do.
And there’s a lot to pick out. Some are obvious. Others you have to really look/listen for. For example, the oval portrait tattooed on Leo’s body. (The Oval Portrait) Camille referring to her assistant as “Toby dammit.” (Never Bet the Devil Your Head) Verna describing the bar as “outside space and time.” (Dream-Land)
Doctor Sleep (especially the extended cut) is one of my faves from the past few years. I really miss the era of the miniseries, so I’m all in for a yearly Flanagan series. (I particularly enjoy how he uses the same actors: That heavily implies that BTS they have a good experience)
@@sifunmonI remember it because instead of thinking ‘holy 💩, he left that baby to starve to death with its dead mum’ I just thought how trash it looked. Kinda took the impact away.
I was hoping you’d get to this! My girlfriend showed this to me and was upset that I kept predicting the episodes as we were watching. It wasn’t until the show was over that I told her ‘dude it’s literally every Edgar Allen Poe story but modern’
This show is a breath of fresh air! It’s been a while since I saw something that was written so well; the dialogues and monologues were almost hypnotic (“when life gives you lemons” speech is medal worthy) I love how the story unfolds and questions are being answered in such a smooth way especially throughout the last episode. A MUST WATCH that’s for sure.
What I love about Mike Flanagan is that his shows are like a 'Best Of'. I only read 'The Raven' and 'The Black Cat'. After watching the show, I looked up the stories he used in the series and Poe definitely knew how to create atmosphere.
Excellent. Thank you for this one. I'd seen this appear on Netflix, but after the horrifying words "modern reinterpretation..." appeared in the synopsis, ran away screaming in abject terror. I'll take a look now 👍
I think there's a big difference between trying to do a "faithful" adaptation vs. being "inspired by." I love Poe's works, but I have no problem seeing how people can twist and turn them around, so long as the end product they're making is good. _The Shining_ is another example where it didn't necessarily strictly follow the book or King's vision (though I daresay it's probably a closer adaptation than _House of Usher_ is to Poe), but Kubrick made one of the greatest horror movies of all time despite its differences. Contrast that with say Amazon's _Rings of Power_ where the showrunners promised a Tolkienian story and constantly -lied- talked about how they went "back to the books, back to the books, back to the books." And not only was it _nothing_ like Tolkien wrote, it wasn't good on top of it. So if an adaptation is going to be different, then fine, but it had better be good.
Hard disagree here Drinker. Netflix writers attempting to cash in on a writer far greater than them with absolutely no regard for the source material. It's a disgusting grift.
Flanagan is an incredibly consistent creator who gives it his all every time and always succeeds. Not to mention how frequently he's putting out these works.
That scene where you get a bird’s eye view of the aftermath of the rave is seriously one of the most disturbing things I’ve seen and I’m a seasoned veteran of the horror genre. Flannigan still surprises me!
@@ItsaKindOfMagic86I picked up on those elements too, (been hit over the head with it so often I also flinch when it appears), but I think it worked in this case. The Ushers move around in a bubble very similar to Hollywood, so their demographics and debauchery are similar. Madaline did rant about men vs women a bit, but she grew up in the 50s- 60s and is irredeemably evil besides.
Just discovered this channel and watched a few reviews of things I have watched recently and I have to admit he has a very good grasp of things. I will watch a few more videos now…
My theory on Verna is that she's a type of cosmic being, something similar to The Endless from Dc comics. The best explanation I've read from a commenter in another video is that she's one of the beings that dwell somewhere beneath the earth, as in hollow earth, outside of time and space, a place that can only be reached from a mythical island somewhere in the north pole region called Ultima Thule that Poe mentioned on his poem Dreamland. That's why she told Arthur that she came "top side" to the world, and that she saw her in the "ice" in the north and in ep seven Roderick said that Arthur told the kids stories about people living under the earth, wich was probably the writers hint at what she is.
i was under the impression that Greenwood was picked from the begining given the fact that Flanagan worked with him in Dr sleep and Gerald´s game. But learning he came midway threw production shows the range he has, is mind blowing how good he is.
Lol the acting and writing doesnt get good or feel natural till Ep 3 so i get it. I also had to restart the show a few times because the acting was so acty initially
I can remember the early 1960s movie of the Fall of the House of Usher. My fiancé and I went to see it at a cinema in London. It was very scary as I remember. I probably won't want to see this one. I now prefer to view happy. But it's good that these old classics can be given a new lease of life with today's amazing visual effects.
Show was really well done in a lot of ways and had some great (and not so great) acting. But also had some glaring and obnoxious issues. The fact that 99% of characters were gay/bi frequently took me out of the story. It’s just so cringy and over the top it’s hard to keep yourself engaged in the world. My other biggest issue with the show was the ending. It’s almost like they didn’t know how to end it so they just went with *all* the endings. Just feels cheap and messy. Love Mike Flannigan and this show is definitely still worth a watch. But it’s by FAR my least favorite work of his.
Surprised it was never brought up as 99.99% of Drinker's videos is complaining about The Message. Though perhaps since every one of those characters were awful people that evens it out..
I saw the while gay/bi thing as being more of an expression of rampant hedonism than anything else. The only character I thought was “genuinely” gay was Vic.
I stopped watching this show when I thought it was trending towards cramming DEI down my throat, but I'm happy to be open minded and give it a shot. This is what the Hollywood pandering has done...make us hyper sensitive to DEI when we would otherwise be open and inclusive if they would just ease off shoving it down our throats.
Agreed. I actually didn’t like this show at all. Couldn’t finish it. I’m tired of Flanagan thinking he is edgy by shoehorning in weird sexual situations. Rodrick was awesome but the rest of the characters were cringeworthy and one dimensional
Six series so far this man has done, and they are all brilliant,from the when life gives you lemonade to where do you go when you die in another series the writing is phenomenal.
The only wierd thing about the show is that they made 90% of the cast gay... and then as an obvious fix to having all the narcisistic "bad guy" characters gay, they also made the ome morally good character gay too, and then continuoisly and clunkily referred to his "husband" over and over again but never once showed him, just so the audience would know not all the gay people were shitty people lol. Modern hollywood is so bizarre.
The only weird thing about the show is that they made 90% of the cast straight... and then as an obvious fix to having all the narcissistic "bad guy" characters straight, they also made the one morally good character straight too, and then continuously and clunkily referred to her "husband" over and over again but never once showed him, just so the audience would know not all the straight people were shitty people lol. Modern hollywood is so bizarre.
Agreed that nearly turned me off from an otherwise good show, why is everyone bisexual and fucking on screen every 2 minutes the first couple episodes lol
@@csgobotato except in reality the vast majority of people _are_ strait.. and since the show is set in modern america, it would have made complete sense for 90% of the cast to be strait... Having a cast where so many people are gay or bisexual, when in reality those numbers are statistically quite low, is jarring. Especailly when the addition of some characters being gay adds absolutely nothing to the story and is literally only mentioned as a passing thought, without their relationship being relevant to the story in the slightest.
@addictiontransfer3731 Are you sure about the 90% of the cast? 3 of 6 Usher heirs and the DA... Who am I forgetting? And as for the DA: I guess I didn't pay enough attention, because I only realized he was gay way towards the end of the series, and don't remember any clunk. On that count: would you found it clunky if he was straight and each mention of "husband" was replaced with "wife"? BTW, what I found clunky was how moral the DA was. Pure like a driven snow... A disappointingly flat character. Edit: oh yeah, I forgot about Camille and her two assistants. Still, that's far from 90%, no?
Yeah this one of Flanagan’s works was very entertaining. critical drinker said the same things I felt about how it was handled, capturing the gothic horror of Poe without adapting exclusively to one only, the flow of it was smooth and the performances of the cast were fantastic. Especially greenwood as Drinker highlighted despite how much in production it already was at that time. Cheers to him as I felt he nailed it as the patriarch of family. And it is nice to hear from Drinker himself that he enjoyed it too.
As far as memory serves, I have only disagreed with the Drinker 2 times; About the House of the Dragon and now about this show. I love Flanagan's earlier work, but I don't understand what the point of this particular show was. From the start know what is going to happen to bunch of people we don't like, and the tonality/messaging around their fates are quite inconsistent in theme, while the mystery the final Faustian twist is pretty thin and feels a bit trivial (since it turned everything to inevitable fates, which feels odd as some of the deaths were seemingly tied to lessons about their misdeeds). I also question some of the character arcs and motivations. There are good and even amazing parts to it, but all in all disappointing. Cool to see Mark Hamill, though. And the scene with the raining corpses was metal AF.
@@davidj8580 What message are you talking about when it comes to this particular show? The only "political message" this show has is about corruption and greed and how some people will stop at absolutely nothing to get into a position of power. Other than that, there was no preaching or pandering. The characters were diverse when it comes to race and sexuality, but it was entirely inconsequential to their personalities and their storylines. Everything would play out entirely the same even if you changed that.
You just answered your own question. Representation for representation's sake. Finally got around watching it today, halfway through the first episode I got turned off by the sheer amount of alphabet people in the family. No other reason for them to be there except for adherence to the message. @@Eris_Norregard
The fall of the house of usher is one of the best I've seen all year; it's cast, writers, and overall production is truly flawless. The horror is real, the characters are fleshed out perfectly, and the story is one of the best I've seen. I highly recommend it. Great video drinker. 🎉
Missed this one and I love flanagans work. This one was dang good yet again. Good idea too make a deal with devil and about the sacklers who probably made devil so happy with all death theyve caused. Such a good premise.
Wow. For the first time ever, I'm not in agreement of the lord, critical drinker.... I found this show to be cringe, poorly written and silly. anyway...... I know thats enough.... i'll go away nowwwwwwwww
Many commenters here don't seem to get this. The characters are _supposed_ to be evil and irredemable, and it is, shall we say, contrary to the contemporary narrative to make "marginalized" characters evil. This is not a show that pushes The Message, even if it uses plenty of elements from progressive culture.
@@mac19999x Besides being gay (like half the characters) I don't recall Augie repeating Prog talking points. He's not exactly clean, though. We see that he's willing to lie, steal and destroy lives in pursuit of his goals. I hate to think what he's been up to in his high powered position.
Mark Hamill completely and utterly disappeared into Arthur Pym. I knew from the beginning that he was in the show but I didn't properly recognise it until the final episode. That's how much I bought into his character.
Great writing, wrapping it in a glorious Edgar Allen Poe flavouring. Superb acting, particularly from Bruce Greenwood and Mark Hamill. Great set pieces and not afraid to inflict horror and gore when called for. No cheap jump scares, they are perfectly placed and executed brilliantly. Loved every episode and kept me gripped throughout.
I loved this series, almost up there with Midnight Mass. My only criticism was how unlikely, borderline impossible, how gay every single main character is. Pretty much the entire family is gay or bi. Apart from that, the show was excellent. The storytelling wasn't overshadowed by any messaging.
Add in that somehow despite having a white father, some of the children were obviously 0% white. As a mixed race person, I want my representation!!! (just kidding)
Majority of series have mostly straight main characters with maybe a few gay characters to fill the diversity quota. So pls let the gays have this ❤❤❤❤
Respectfully Im gonna disagree with the drinker on this one. Idk why but I couldn't get into the show. I turned it off halfway into the second episode, I just found it to be completely dull and i liked the cast. I enjoyed midnight mass and the other shows they did. But, I guess it just was not for me. We all have different tastes .anyway great work as always drinker cheers!
My wife and I turned it off after half an hour. I lost my bet with her that it would go woke after five minutes because it took fifteen. After ticking every sexual/gender/race box it then fell into the modern Hollywood problem of relying solely on zero investment unlikable characters. Maybe it got better but meh who cares...
@spasmmcspasm Woke is a term pedophiles use to identify each other. It's why there isn't a definition for it. At least we know what you and your wife are.
Lol try rewatching i promise it gets better around EP 3.... i was also thrown off completely with how much is going on initially. After finishing it Midnight Mass is still my number 1 but this was is good too imo
Watched this based on the Drinker's recommendation, and while a little too explicit in some parts for my taste, it was still very lemon! My main nitpick is ruining the final episode a bit by injecting overt modern-day politics into the final conversation between Verna and Pym that takes you right out of the show, but the lemonade speech is probably one of the best bits of television ever.
I’m a little surprised you gave them a complete pass on their regular infusions of “the message”, especially in Carla Gugino’s monologue at the end. I agree though, this was all in all a fantastic show.
Yea, but her speech was actually pretty accurate. It's a worthwhile critique of excess and blame shifting. I'm no leftist, but people in first world countries often have a problem blaming others for the problems they themselves create. We demand fast, cheap, pain free lives, but then hate those who we created to provide the things we ask for. In a way, it's the same deal that the Ushers got. Society gets no pain, no wait, no trouble, but at the cost of our emotional health, physical health, and families. Just because we didn't truly count the cost. The same fate awaits both the Ushers and common humanity, because both can choose to be fools.
@@JH-lb3kc I think you're talking about Madeline's monologue at the end. Carla Gugino played Verna. I could be wrong, but I'm assuming they are referring to the eye-rolling moment during the scene where Verna meets Pym, where she references Trump as one of her past "clients," and even Pym voices his disdain for Trump in response.
Defintiely a few preachy dialogue scenes, but I think it shows how unbiased Drinker really is. I'd consider myself very conservative politically but I thought the show was excellent. The characters, acting, writing, cinematography were all top notch and it shows that "the message" can be forgiven if the execution is done well
Watched this with family over Thanksgiving, outstanding series. It’s so weird to follow a creator who just gets better each time. Liked House on Haunted Hill, loved Midnight Mass, and as an old Poe nerd, just absolutely adored House of Usher.
this was a good show , but the drinker forgot to mention that this show goes heavy with "the message" . i appreciate that they didnt shove it down our throat , thats what made this show enjoyable . but lets not forget that it was there
i mean, they definely tried to get gravity to drop it down our throats. but yeah, i agree it wasnt as heavy handed as a lot of shows. but still hard to watch at times. the saving grace being that most of them die in due course.
To me, this is definitely how it should be done, though. Just tied into a good story with good writing. I didn’t find it bothering, cause it fit very well in this modern setting - and it didn’t take away from any of the plot points
If you consider vulgarities "good writing" then this movie is for you because it is used CONSTANTLY. The value that I held for your reviews has diminished. Not vanished but diminished. Maybe I should have dropped a few "f" bombs in my comment to be a good writer.🙄
I might have to give this a 2nd chance, it lost me at the family dinner when no one considered the possibility of the district attorney lying when he said a witness within the family who was going to testify against the family.
I'm in the minority in thinking this was one of Flannagan's lower works. It's well made and Greenwood is fantastic but I hate practically all of the characters. I simply didn't care that these people were getting bumped off because they were awful people, except for the granddaughter.
I thought I was the only one! I also found the usher children very unlikeable but I think what makes it worse is how superficially drawn they all were. In previous Flanagan works, supporting characters were given depth, dimension, history and motivations; we didn’t have to like them but they were interesting and it was easier to invest in their stories/arcs because we knew them and where they were coming from. In this series, they added almost nothing at all. Waste of a great cast…
I think that was part of the point. I admit the characters who I thought were compelling died faster than the boring ones, but the characters being assholes made their deaths a bit more enjoyable. A bit cathartic, like watching the villain get their due.
I think the story was more about the path people takes. These kids are result of a decision their parents took, Soo they are suppose to die. Best part was the devil said you had an angel with you but look what you did to her (roderiks wife)
One of the best shows/miniseries I've seen this year. All the cast, especially Bruce Greenwood and Carla Gugino, knocked it out of the park with this one. Can't wait to see Flanagan's next projects.
I also really liked the show. Quite good overall. But I'm surprised that you didn't mention how much wokery there was in it. Madelyn's speech at the end mentioning abortion comes to mind. There were plenty of other examples that don't. Not enough to ruin the show, but maybe enough to take it from an A to a B-.
Yeah, the fact that basically all her photos were with Republicans was kind of dumb. Mitch McConnell I understand, but if anyone in politics has made a deal with the devil, it's clearly Pelosi, Feinstein, and Hillary Clinton.
Agree entirely, Drinker. Verna is so wonderfully performed as is the younger Madeline. I loved the sense that Verna was neither good nor bad, but a harbinger of fate. We don’t know why she is that and how she targets people. And that made her really cool.
@@bertimusprime7900 agreed, it was a copout. Maybe that's the Moral Of The Story? - or is The Message all bogus because of the messenger? That's for the VIEWER to decide!! ... no, dude; if the director is going to punt like this, then they are a coward in addition to being a hack.
Yeah it kind of felt like an exec all of the sudden realized that they hadn't included enough of their politics in the show so just stuffed it all into one angry rant. 😂
Good show. I have my gripes with a couple things and it is a story that has been done multiple times before, but overall it's pretty damn good. The speech about "when life gives you lemons" is pretty much how I imagine someone in Roderick's position views the world.
Yeah, there were a few cringy monologues but overall I thought it was another solid show by Flanigan. I would put this third behind Hill House and Bly but it's like two 9's and an 8.5 in my opinion.
The message was everywhere. The whole premise of the show was "The Message." Billionaire White Bad Guy stomps on black gay guy to gain power. Black gay good guy spends his life trying to take down evil White billionaire. Cringe
I like how they based the family on the opioid billionaire Sacklers but of course had to change their religion from Jewish to Christian. Only Christians are allowed to be evil in media.
Finally got around to watching this one, and was not disappointed! Flanagan sometimes flubs the ending of his series (cough Midnight Mass) but this time he nailed it.
Really? I guess I'll give it another try. I couldn't get past the first episode and the pushing of the message. It's odd that you didn't mention that the majority of the characters are gay. Totally realistic.
I am a little shocked Drinker liked this show so much. I thought it was very average and definitely woke. Put a chick in it and make her gay. Lol The usher family was diverse and inclusive which was kind of forced. Had some good imagery and scenes but overall I labored to get though it.
Drinker likes woke if it is well written. The message included in entertainment renders it to no longer be just entertainment. So that is not a good strategy on Drinker's part. if people want well written propaganda well ... we lose
The point is that the gay do it with everything abd had alto of diverse children to enfatizate Also, you dont always complain that they made gay characters always good? The Majoris of them here are scumbag
I ran a VFX studio that did a cubic shit tonne of the VFX work on this show. Sometimes, you work your ass off for a challenging client with a challenging schedule and tons of internal drama - and the end result is something that land in the Blu-Ray bin of broken dreams at your local Safeway. And, on rare occasion, it actually clicks and somehow (PTSD) you are able to, at least be proud that it is well received. I had to jump in personally on this one - pulling all nighters and super stressful twists and turns.
But... if the Critical Drinker likes it... then I guess I can rest easy... my work here is done.
Well I suppose that’s the tough part of having a career in artistic endeavors. You don’t know what will be successful or resonate with audiences, and that’s why you wanna work hard on everything. Easier said than done, and I’m sure it’s nothing you aren’t aware of. Good job.
I think about this show often, it was so well made. I can't imagine the stress of dealing with those tight deadlines, but *rest assured* , the effort paid off! Easily one of my favorite shows this year
Sounds like worthy of a movie/show in itself. 😄 - But hopefully not ending up as a Production Hell episode here.
Well done, it was well worth it in this case, my GF and I really enjoyed watching this one, and the seamless VFX was a big part of selling the world.
Did you do the evil chimp face looking into the camera at the end of that episode? Absolutely fucking chilling moment.
One of the main rules of critical drinker, if he calls something good unironically, then you know it’s worth it.
Not entirely sure about that. He can be hit or miss sometimes.
@@giants2k8examples?
@@giants2k8 yeah fair enough, don’t expect the guy who’s persona is an alcoholic to always hit bulleye’s y’know? (COUGH COUGH, Barbie, COUGH COUGH)
I don’t understand unironically
It's shite m8
Mark Hamill's character's arc and finale was frankly one of the most satisfying things I've seen on TV in a very VERY long time.. and that's actually kind of sad. It was such a natural thing yet felt so surprising today as to leave you a little gobsmacked.
I liked it as well because it seemed like Verna really respected him for the choice. He and Lenore are the only two for whom she reserves any tenderness, even going so far as to visit him on his last walk as a free man.
That last conversation, which effectively was just two people in a room talking, with Hamill and Gugino in the house , was one of my favourite moments in the whole show. It's the first and only time you really 'see' Hamill's character first-hand, rather than hearing about him through another Usher, or second-hand rumours. It's so excellently written.
@@Blisterdude123a man of his own.
@@LgiovanniF It was the perfect cap on a delightfully enigmatic character.
I am glad to see that many people feel that this scene was a high point in the series. For me, it came out of nowhere and was such a pleasant surprise to the show. It is possibly my favorite scene in the whole show. I won't give it away but Wow watching this gives me chills and is so true to the PYM REAPER it's just perfect.
Edgar Allan Poe is perhaps the saddest horror author I know of, historically. As a writer, he's remembered as a legend who crafted some of the most influential literature in Gothic horror. But learning about who he was as a person was a bummer.
He faced tragedy throughout his life, including some famously disgusting aspects, and died a lonely death. He clearly dealt with mental issues his time period wasn't educated or equipped to handle. He perfectly embodies the term "tortured artist".
In real life, yes. I think Thomas Ligotti is my pick for darkest horror writer, though. Some of his darkest isn't even fiction.
@@MarcIversonLigotti is my bae. As I understand, dude is afflicted by anhedonia, too, so he’s basically been _engineered_ to find zero joy in the universe. Poor puppy.
No such thing as mental issues
@@jabrockobiden9434Said the lunatic
EAP's brain was a spiderweb of neurons always firing at the same time. He understood everything and couldn't wait for it to stop. A man who understands everything isn't long for this world. He lived a full life, nevertheless. One of the greatest humans to walk this earf.
Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Crimson Peak’ reminded me of ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ and the best elements of Hammer Films.
Bruce Greenwood was amazing as Roderick. It was his sister who was more calculating, but in the actual deal, look how fast he accepted,blink of an eye. He is evil, and the corpses raining upon him are his reward. Brilliant show!! ☆☆☆☆☆!!!
Agreed, this show was the best thing that came out this year
Does Bruce have a Greenwood, though?
Mark Hamill is brilliant in this show. Also, just because you're kind and innocent doesn't mean you'll be spared which is a nice change from the norm. The devil will have her due.
Well it was the deal that Rodrick made which is exactly why his granddaughter died which was a huge bummer
@@SomethingSomethingTargaryen Way to throw spoilers ding dong
@@germantoenglish898 Continuing the path of the video itself. 🤷♂
I.e. don't watch a positive Drinker review, only the negative ones.
@@germantoenglish898
Way to cry about something you could have avoided in the first place.
@@germantoenglish898 Why are you watching a review if you're going to be this triggered by spoilers?
Carla Gugino played such a great antagonist. Mysterious, mischievous, alluring, darkly funny, and always making sure you never really know what her angle is. I'm so glad Flanagan gives her so many opportunities to shine. Also, my God, that woman is an eternal beauty.
She and Bruce Greenwood are great in Flanagan's Gerald's Game adaptation as well.
When she started acting like one of the chimps it gave me damn chills. She knocked it out of the park in this one.
And to think Carla got her start in an 90’s Bon Jovi music video! She was stunning then and still is!
A story is only as good as its villain.
She looked so old and gross in lingerie though. Really made me sick.
I’m honestly surprised that Bruce Greenwood wasn’t in more in his career.
This is proof that beyond any change in the lore, the only true requirement is that the project be compelling and worth watching.
Nah dude. While it wasn't a faithful adaptation, at its core there was still a reverence and respect for the material. It was so Poe it was like everyone involved was channelling him.
@@alaricgoldkuhl155 So only things that refer to the past can be good?
@@hankthetank8039 wtf are you talking about?
@@alaricgoldkuhl155 You said nah dude and it sounded like you were rejecting his point that adaptations can be good as long as they have a good story. It definitely drew from Poe's works heavily, but that isn't always a requirement.
I don't get what everyone likes about this shit.
Carla Gugino is just so awesome, and still gorgeous. I could always watch her. Also knowing Greenwood wasn't brought into till that late in production and still nailed it is amazing. Give that guy an Emmy Hollywood.
Carla has my full attention whenever she's on screen.
He really deserves an Emmy.
I was looking at the screen in awe during Roderick's lemonade monologue. The children were hilarious pricks with great performances too. Awesome show. Bruce Greenwood was absolutely the best.
Couldn't believe I was mesmerized by a person talking about the salespitch of lemons seriously.
Really liked Mark Hamill, I've rarely seen him as a villain in live action
"Alright, I've been thinking. When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade - make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I don't want your damn lemons, what am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see life's manager. Make life rue the day it thought it could give Cave Johnson lemons. Do you know who I am? I'm the man who's gonna burn your house down! With the lemons. I'm going to to get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!"
- Cave Johnson - Portal 2
That lemon speech was absolutely... Lemon... 😋
Glad to see I'm not the only one who thought the lemon speech was a brilliant piece of writing. Bruce Greenwood was phenomenal.
The difference between paying homage (or work done as a love letter) to something great and trying to retell (or extend) that work for your own vanity is massive.
Ehhhh, it's hardly a hommage, it's more of piggybacking on a famous author for views. Remeber viewing the second episode jokingly asking myself where Poe wrote about a character opening a nightclub and hosting asn orgy where everyone get's devolved by acid
The story would have been better without trying to tie it to Poee sloppily
@@edwardblake8575 gonna have to disagree with you on that. They tied Poes work very well into the show with Roderick reading the poems to the thumping of the heart in the walls.
@@fangwhiteclaw7089 Yeah but that's all there is: the poems are mere lipservice, and there are some little winks to Poe's work.
And I dislike that the *only* reason that the backdrop is in their old house is to tie it back to the shortstory, so that there is the final scene with Madelein and the house collapsing. There is absolutly no reason in the show for that to happen at all, feels forced.
Again, would have been better without it
Or do it the same way without namedropping Poe, so it's for the people to notice, not a marketing gag
@@edwardblake8575 haven't seen it, just making a general point. Its a wide gap, so room for half passed attempts too 🙃
@@edwardblake8575 completely agree
I swear to God! Flanagan better not stop making this genre in only a way that he can. He's amazing, and it gives me something to look forward to watching.
Just yesterday I was listening to a recording of the late Christopher Lee reading The Raven. And now by coincidence you make this video. lol
I didn't know that about Frank Langella being removed from the show. When I watched the series, I thought Zach Gilford was out of place as the young Roderick Usher. Now, I know that Bruce Greenwood is the one out of place, but he was so awesome I assumed he'd been there the whole time. Makes more sense.
Thanks for the reason, Drinker, you handsome font of pensive pontifications!
All three of the members of my household (myself, my wife and my 27 year old stepson), who all can have notably distinct tastes in what we want to watch, couldn't help but binge this series. It was just so damned compelling!
Bruce Greenwood is a great actor who has passed under the radar for so long. I'm so glad he got his chance to shine in this one.
He was awesome as Batman's voice in Under the Red Hood
i dare them to do better
Nowhere man early 90s show.
Absolutely. Bruce Greenwood is one of those actors whose talents shines through in every role but is somehow under utilized. The other actor I can recall for now who was under utilized despite the massive talent is Sam Shepard. May he rest in peace.
@@johngeiger3770 Wholeheartedly agree. I'm so glad Flannagan decided to work with him again after Gerald's Game, I remember being absolutely mesmerized by the fact that the whole movie was basically just him and Carla Gugino, and yet it never faltered.
It was more "Inspired by" then "Adapted from" Edgar Allan Poe. It was amazing how well it was done.
amazingly bad
than*
@@kazziemilnerThank you. It kind of sucks.
I hope drinker got a lifetime’s supply of scotch for his review. 🤮
It’s overacted and boring.
The way I'd describe it, was Flanagan set out to evoke and be true to the 'spirit' of Poe, and his work, rather than the specific letter. And that's okay, because he wove so much of Poe's work into this wonderfully layered, intricate tapestry of a narrative, to such a satisfying result. It was delightful to watch. Macabre, gothic, dark, and spooky where it counted.
As someone very familiar with Poe's work, I had such a great time seeing just how confidently and competently Flanagan really seemed to grasp what made it what it was. To take so much material, and smoothly craft it into one larger narrative. And I had a great time spotting some of the more subtle or less obviously telegraphed references. There was a lot in there outside the stories named in the episodes, some I didn't pick up on right away.
All of you should watch the episode of "Pinky, Elmyra, & the Brain" (Ravin) which is a nonstop rhyme adaptation of Poe's Raven. It's fun & short, so it's worth watching.
The laugh you do after saying he needed to split was very satisfying to hear, gave me the giggles.
Man, I looked up those accusations against Frank Langella and that is some BS. Netflix did the standard "an accusation was made, fire fast to cover our asses", including when there's not even a real accusation. He's accused of:
- During a sex scene, he placed his hand on the actresses leg when that wasn't a pre-approved move.
- Told one "off color joke".
- "Made a racially insensitive remark" (which we all know means nothing in the age of microaggressions).
- "Made non-sexual physical contact with cast and crew".
- Once hugged a co star.
Oh yeah, clearly he's a monster.
All it takes is an accusation these days, guilty until proven innocent in the court of public opinion.
@@Valarien777 This is why I say one of the most detrimental plagues on human society is sexual neuroticism. Once you accuse someone of sexual wrongdoing, people turn hysterical, their brains shut down, they're terrified of being an evil person by even questioning it.
We achieved so much in critical thinking since The Enlightenment and I see that all degrading now.
Carla Gugino is such a great actress. The scene where she offers Mark Hamill a deal and he really thinks carefully about his answer is a whole work of art.
First episode was almost unwatchable, but the show got good fast.
You definitley need to watch the first two episodes together.
@@LgiovanniF For real. I was _this close_ to turning it off for the whole first episode and a half, but on the scene where the woman in red whispers in his ear about how it's not too late to cancel the party; that's the scene where I _got_ the show and didn't touch the remote again
@@samwallaceart288 mines less noble. I clicked where the had hidden the 'stuff' from the inspectors. And wanted to see where that took everyone. On the way to there I became interested.
I gave up after 3rd one. At least I cleaned the whole flat as it was running in the background so not really wasted time - I could not watch it sitting down. I can not stand the story, acting, characters and dialogues. Camera work was pretty good thou from the parts I’ve seen.
@@10secondsrule That's fair. The show's biggest weak point is that basically none of the characters are a good strong person.
Like, unironically I was rooting for the death-lady throughout the whole thing
I've always been a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe, so anyone that can bring his stories to life on screen and not crap all over his dark macabre nature gets a 'yes' vote from me!!!
There's this scene where Arthur (Hamill) wraps up lady death in about 10 seconds like a spider, it was so gnarly even she was impressed. Carla bodies every scene she's in. This show was fuckin Lemon.
This show can be summed up by "You were always going to die, but I'll be malicious about it."
Your parody of The Raven was something I never knew I needed. XD
The dialogue in this show was fantastic. The parts where Bruce Greenwood is talking in each episode in the old house are really well written. Great show
By far my favourite of Flanagan’s series, and IMO, maybe one of the best horror themed series I’ve seen.
I like that Flanagan has the view point of keeping all of his works to just one season. That’s it. It leads to more compelling stories to be told, Interesting character arcs, and somehow he managed to keep it all wrapped up tight and efficient as drinker pointed out.
I’m so excited to see his next work, and I’ll continue to enjoy his previous ones until then.
Thanks for covering this one drinker, I was hoping to hear you weigh in on it. As always, it didn’t disappoint.
Bruce Greenwood's Lemon Monologue is the greatest. The moment he finished it, I knew that would be one of the most standout memories from this thing. I'm laughing just thinking about it now.
I LOVE Poe. My dog is named after him, Hill House is in my top 10 shows of all time. But I was very nervous seeing two of my favorite things come together. I knew my expectations were going to be almost impossible. And even though the time the story is set in is not what I would have picked, I can say that I absolutely love this show. Picking out all the Poe Easter Eggs was one of my favorite things to do.
And there’s a lot to pick out. Some are obvious. Others you have to really look/listen for. For example, the oval portrait tattooed on Leo’s body. (The Oval Portrait) Camille referring to her assistant as “Toby dammit.” (Never Bet the Devil Your Head) Verna describing the bar as “outside space and time.” (Dream-Land)
Thanks!
Doctor Sleep (especially the extended cut) is one of my faves from the past few years. I really miss the era of the miniseries, so I’m all in for a yearly Flanagan series. (I particularly enjoy how he uses the same actors: That heavily implies that BTS they have a good experience)
Doctor Sleep is one of my favourite modern movies. Imagine taking on doing a sequel to a Kubrick movie and knocking it out of the park
I love Doctor Sleep too, apart from the terrible CGI baby 😂
@@LadyMarigoldWithers I’d forgotten about that 🤣
Ikr? It was really good 🙌
@@sifunmonI remember it because instead of thinking ‘holy 💩, he left that baby to starve to death with its dead mum’ I just thought how trash it looked. Kinda took the impact away.
I was hoping you’d get to this!
My girlfriend showed this to me and was upset that I kept predicting the episodes as we were watching. It wasn’t until the show was over that I told her ‘dude it’s literally every Edgar Allen Poe story but modern’
Your girlfriend is a dude? No wonder you loved this show 😂
@@Lawrence_Talbot To each their own, I won't judge.
@@Lawrence_Talbot ya got me there bud 😂😂
@@Lawrence_Talbot Not _a_ dude. Just dude. His girlfriend is dude. An important distinction!
@@SaltpeterTaffy obvious joke is obvious.
I loved the limerick at the start! I also loved The Fall of the House of Usher, along with everything in Mike Flanagan's filmography.
This show is a breath of fresh air!
It’s been a while since I saw something that was written so well; the dialogues and monologues were almost hypnotic (“when life gives you lemons” speech is medal worthy)
I love how the story unfolds and questions are being answered in such a smooth way especially throughout the last episode.
A MUST WATCH that’s for sure.
What I love about Mike Flanagan is that his shows are like a 'Best Of'. I only read 'The Raven' and 'The Black Cat'. After watching the show, I looked up the stories he used in the series and Poe definitely knew how to create atmosphere.
Excellent. Thank you for this one. I'd seen this appear on Netflix, but after the horrifying words "modern reinterpretation..." appeared in the synopsis, ran away screaming in abject terror.
I'll take a look now 👍
It's a woke show tho, but not that much
@@LuisSierra42 It couldn't get more woke if it tried. Every trope is in there and then some.
@@policesquad it's not woke - you're asleep
@@csgobotato Well then, you're a _ecnuD_
@@csgobotato it really is woke. Petty insults don't help your case.
I think there's a big difference between trying to do a "faithful" adaptation vs. being "inspired by." I love Poe's works, but I have no problem seeing how people can twist and turn them around, so long as the end product they're making is good. _The Shining_ is another example where it didn't necessarily strictly follow the book or King's vision (though I daresay it's probably a closer adaptation than _House of Usher_ is to Poe), but Kubrick made one of the greatest horror movies of all time despite its differences.
Contrast that with say Amazon's _Rings of Power_ where the showrunners promised a Tolkienian story and constantly -lied- talked about how they went "back to the books, back to the books, back to the books." And not only was it _nothing_ like Tolkien wrote, it wasn't good on top of it. So if an adaptation is going to be different, then fine, but it had better be good.
Hard disagree here Drinker. Netflix writers attempting to cash in on a writer far greater than them with absolutely no regard for the source material. It's a disgusting grift.
Flanagan is an incredibly consistent creator who gives it his all every time and always succeeds. Not to mention how frequently he's putting out these works.
That scene where you get a bird’s eye view of the aftermath of the rave is seriously one of the most disturbing things I’ve seen and I’m a seasoned veteran of the horror genre. Flannigan still surprises me!
Bruce Greenwood was amazing in this show. His monologues were mesmerizing and he elevated the entire show with his performance
undoubtedly. took me a second to realize it was him
Most of them were Poe's work. It's one thing to quote it every once in awhile but it got pretty heavy handed toward the end.
It’s Netflix, so it’s hard to tell if it’s a cautionary tale or just more debauchery thinly veiled in diversity and inclusion.
It is the latter
@@ItsaKindOfMagic86exactly
@itsakindamagik5891 but... all of the etnichally and sexually diverse characters die by the end of the show in rather horrific ways too.
@@ItsaKindOfMagic86I picked up on those elements too, (been hit over the head with it so often I also flinch when it appears), but I think it worked in this case. The Ushers move around in a bubble very similar to Hollywood, so their demographics and debauchery are similar. Madaline did rant about men vs women a bit, but she grew up in the 50s- 60s and is irredeemably evil besides.
There’s def a lot of diversity but I mean everyone is equally a piece of shit and it fits into the plot since the dad sleeps around so much
Bruce Greenwood is a fantastic actor, very underrated. He's been consistently good for decades.
Just discovered this channel and watched a few reviews of things I have watched recently and I have to admit he has a very good grasp of things. I will watch a few more videos now…
A friend has worked on a couple of Flanagan's shows - she loves it, loves the shows, the cast, the crew, everything.
My theory on Verna is that she's a type of cosmic being, something similar to The Endless from Dc comics. The best explanation I've read from a commenter in another video is that she's one of the beings that dwell somewhere beneath the earth, as in hollow earth, outside of time and space, a place that can only be reached from a mythical island somewhere in the north pole region called Ultima Thule that Poe mentioned on his poem Dreamland. That's why she told Arthur that she came "top side" to the world, and that she saw her in the "ice" in the north and in ep seven Roderick said that Arthur told the kids stories about people living under the earth, wich was probably the writers hint at what she is.
i was under the impression that Greenwood was picked from the begining given the fact that Flanagan worked with him in Dr sleep and Gerald´s game. But learning he came midway threw production shows the range he has, is mind blowing how good he is.
Guess i will have to try again because i could not get past the first episode.
First episode slow but once you get past that it’s brilliant
I’m rewatching it now
@@JJMSCFC Pretty sure it wasn't the "slowness" that was the problem there.
Don't do it, you'll deeply regret it...
@@macethorns1168 What was the problem then?
Lol the acting and writing doesnt get good or feel natural till Ep 3 so i get it. I also had to restart the show a few times because the acting was so acty initially
The Message kills this for me. A sad waste. But the cat rocked!
I can remember the early 1960s movie of the Fall of the House of Usher. My fiancé and I went to see it at a cinema in London. It was very scary as I remember.
I probably won't want to see this one. I now prefer to view happy. But it's good that these old classics can be given a new lease of life with today's amazing visual effects.
Show was really well done in a lot of ways and had some great (and not so great) acting.
But also had some glaring and obnoxious issues.
The fact that 99% of characters were gay/bi frequently took me out of the story.
It’s just so cringy and over the top it’s hard to keep yourself engaged in the world.
My other biggest issue with the show was the ending.
It’s almost like they didn’t know how to end it so they just went with *all* the endings.
Just feels cheap and messy.
Love Mike Flannigan and this show is definitely still worth a watch.
But it’s by FAR my least favorite work of his.
Surprised it was never brought up as 99.99% of Drinker's videos is complaining about The Message. Though perhaps since every one of those characters were awful people that evens it out..
I saw the while gay/bi thing as being more of an expression of rampant hedonism than anything else. The only character I thought was “genuinely” gay was Vic.
@@coltonross2227
Because being gay was not The Message here.
I stopped watching this show when I thought it was trending towards cramming DEI down my throat, but I'm happy to be open minded and give it a shot. This is what the Hollywood pandering has done...make us hyper sensitive to DEI when we would otherwise be open and inclusive if they would just ease off shoving it down our throats.
Agreed. I actually didn’t like this show at all. Couldn’t finish it. I’m tired of Flanagan thinking he is edgy by shoehorning in weird sexual situations. Rodrick was awesome but the rest of the characters were cringeworthy and one dimensional
Six series so far this man has done, and they are all brilliant,from the when life gives you lemonade to where do you go when you die in another series the writing is phenomenal.
The only wierd thing about the show is that they made 90% of the cast gay... and then as an obvious fix to having all the narcisistic "bad guy" characters gay, they also made the ome morally good character gay too, and then continuoisly and clunkily referred to his "husband" over and over again but never once showed him, just so the audience would know not all the gay people were shitty people lol. Modern hollywood is so bizarre.
The only weird thing about the show is that they made 90% of the cast straight... and then as an obvious fix to having all the narcissistic "bad guy" characters straight, they also made the one morally good character straight too, and then continuously and clunkily referred to her "husband" over and over again but never once showed him, just so the audience would know not all the straight people were shitty people lol. Modern hollywood is so bizarre.
Agreed that nearly turned me off from an otherwise good show, why is everyone bisexual and fucking on screen every 2 minutes the first couple episodes lol
@@csgobotato except in reality the vast majority of people _are_ strait.. and since the show is set in modern america, it would have made complete sense for 90% of the cast to be strait...
Having a cast where so many people are gay or bisexual, when in reality those numbers are statistically quite low, is jarring. Especailly when the addition of some characters being gay adds absolutely nothing to the story and is literally only mentioned as a passing thought, without their relationship being relevant to the story in the slightest.
I did find that pretty funny how he seemed to go out of his way at times to specifically say "my husband" . 😅
@addictiontransfer3731 Are you sure about the 90% of the cast? 3 of 6 Usher heirs and the DA... Who am I forgetting? And as for the DA: I guess I didn't pay enough attention, because I only realized he was gay way towards the end of the series, and don't remember any clunk. On that count: would you found it clunky if he was straight and each mention of "husband" was replaced with "wife"? BTW, what I found clunky was how moral the DA was. Pure like a driven snow... A disappointingly flat character.
Edit: oh yeah, I forgot about Camille and her two assistants. Still, that's far from 90%, no?
Never read the book , have always heard about it , Think I'll have to listen to the audiobook !!!❤
It's a Vincent Price movie too.
Yeah this one of Flanagan’s works was very entertaining. critical drinker said the same things I felt about how it was handled, capturing the gothic horror of Poe without adapting exclusively to one only, the flow of it was smooth and the performances of the cast were fantastic. Especially greenwood as Drinker highlighted despite how much in production it already was at that time. Cheers to him as I felt he nailed it as the patriarch of family. And it is nice to hear from Drinker himself that he enjoyed it too.
As far as memory serves, I have only disagreed with the Drinker 2 times; About the House of the Dragon and now about this show. I love Flanagan's earlier work, but I don't understand what the point of this particular show was. From the start know what is going to happen to bunch of people we don't like, and the tonality/messaging around their fates are quite inconsistent in theme, while the mystery the final Faustian twist is pretty thin and feels a bit trivial (since it turned everything to inevitable fates, which feels odd as some of the deaths were seemingly tied to lessons about their misdeeds). I also question some of the character arcs and motivations. There are good and even amazing parts to it, but all in all disappointing. Cool to see Mark Hamill, though. And the scene with the raining corpses was metal AF.
Noped out with every checkbox under the sun ticked.
Same here. I don't understand how one could possibly constantly harp on "the message," yet give this a pass.
@@davidj8580 What message are you talking about when it comes to this particular show? The only "political message" this show has is about corruption and greed and how some people will stop at absolutely nothing to get into a position of power. Other than that, there was no preaching or pandering. The characters were diverse when it comes to race and sexuality, but it was entirely inconsequential to their personalities and their storylines. Everything would play out entirely the same even if you changed that.
You just answered your own question. Representation for representation's sake. Finally got around watching it today, halfway through the first episode I got turned off by the sheer amount of alphabet people in the family. No other reason for them to be there except for adherence to the message. @@Eris_Norregard
The fall of the house of usher is one of the best I've seen all year; it's cast, writers, and overall production is truly flawless. The horror is real, the characters are fleshed out perfectly, and the story is one of the best I've seen. I highly recommend it. Great video drinker. 🎉
Missed this one and I love flanagans work. This one was dang good yet again. Good idea too make a deal with devil and about the sacklers who probably made devil so happy with all death theyve caused. Such a good premise.
Why is no one talking about Madeline Usher? I love both actresses who played Mads during young adult & more mature adult - brilliant acting!
Love the touch the devil added near the end saying..."in another life you would have been a poor poet, but a great one at that"
Wow. For the first time ever, I'm not in agreement of the lord, critical drinker....
I found this show to be cringe, poorly written and silly.
anyway......
I know thats enough....
i'll go away nowwwwwwwww
It tickled me every time they had the characters start spouting "progressive" talking points because the characters saying it are all horrible people.
Many commenters here don't seem to get this. The characters are _supposed_ to be evil and irredemable, and it is, shall we say, contrary to the contemporary narrative to make "marginalized" characters evil. This is not a show that pushes The Message, even if it uses plenty of elements from progressive culture.
@@Tevildo Was Augie evil and irredemable?
Huh, i didnt realize until now; that was Mark Hamill 😮
@@mac19999x Besides being gay (like half the characters) I don't recall Augie repeating Prog talking points. He's not exactly clean, though. We see that he's willing to lie, steal and destroy lives in pursuit of his goals. I hate to think what he's been up to in his high powered position.
@@Tevildo
Ah yes, the show that went out of it's way to make anti-Trump commentary definitely doesn't push The Message.
Mark Hamill completely and utterly disappeared into Arthur Pym. I knew from the beginning that he was in the show but I didn't properly recognise it until the final episode. That's how much I bought into his character.
Can't believe you of all people think this is good. It's absolutely awful.
Great writing, wrapping it in a glorious Edgar Allen Poe flavouring. Superb acting, particularly from Bruce Greenwood and Mark Hamill. Great set pieces and not afraid to inflict horror and gore when called for. No cheap jump scares, they are perfectly placed and executed brilliantly. Loved every episode and kept me gripped throughout.
I loved this series, almost up there with Midnight Mass. My only criticism was how unlikely, borderline impossible, how gay every single main character is. Pretty much the entire family is gay or bi.
Apart from that, the show was excellent. The storytelling wasn't overshadowed by any messaging.
Add in that somehow despite having a white father, some of the children were obviously 0% white. As a mixed race person, I want my representation!!! (just kidding)
It's 2023.
99.9% of the population is gay, gender-fluid reindeer-kin.
The punishment for showing a straight man on TV is 20 years hard labor.
Obviously the bald black woman is gay. So Netflix.
Majority of series have mostly straight main characters with maybe a few gay characters to fill the diversity quota. So pls let the gays have this ❤❤❤❤
@@m3ntallyimhomeshut up jfc
Respectfully Im gonna disagree with the drinker on this one. Idk why but I couldn't get into the show. I turned it off halfway into the second episode, I just found it to be completely dull and i liked the cast. I enjoyed midnight mass and the other shows they did. But, I guess it just was not for me. We all have different tastes .anyway great work as always drinker cheers!
My wife and I turned it off after half an hour. I lost my bet with her that it would go woke after five minutes because it took fifteen. After ticking every sexual/gender/race box it then fell into the modern Hollywood problem of relying solely on zero investment unlikable characters. Maybe it got better but meh who cares...
@spasmmcspasm Woke is a term pedophiles use to identify each other. It's why there isn't a definition for it. At least we know what you and your wife are.
Lol try rewatching i promise it gets better around EP 3.... i was also thrown off completely with how much is going on initially. After finishing it Midnight Mass is still my number 1 but this was is good too imo
This show is so good that it's actually hard to watch at some points. BRUTAL subject matter, incredible psychological subtext.
Haunting of hill house was ridiculously, ridiculously good.
😂😂😂 That opening. So shameless, so crude.
It was ok, some of those actors really over do it. His first Haunting series was by far the best
Great show and great review. I would love a Pym Reaper: Attorney at Law spin off.
Watched this based on the Drinker's recommendation, and while a little too explicit in some parts for my taste, it was still very lemon! My main nitpick is ruining the final episode a bit by injecting overt modern-day politics into the final conversation between Verna and Pym that takes you right out of the show, but the lemonade speech is probably one of the best bits of television ever.
You did it again man, I watched 6 episodes in one day because of this review.
Brilliant show.
I’m a little surprised you gave them a complete pass on their regular infusions of “the message”, especially in Carla Gugino’s monologue at the end. I agree though, this was all in all a fantastic show.
Yea, but her speech was actually pretty accurate. It's a worthwhile critique of excess and blame shifting. I'm no leftist, but people in first world countries often have a problem blaming others for the problems they themselves create. We demand fast, cheap, pain free lives, but then hate those who we created to provide the things we ask for. In a way, it's the same deal that the Ushers got. Society gets no pain, no wait, no trouble, but at the cost of our emotional health, physical health, and families. Just because we didn't truly count the cost. The same fate awaits both the Ushers and common humanity, because both can choose to be fools.
@@JH-lb3kc I think you're talking about Madeline's monologue at the end. Carla Gugino played Verna. I could be wrong, but I'm assuming they are referring to the eye-rolling moment during the scene where Verna meets Pym, where she references Trump as one of her past "clients," and even Pym voices his disdain for Trump in response.
@haydeng3541 Ahhhh yes, I'm mixing the scenes up. The one I'm referring to I liked. I'll have to recall the one you're talking about.
Defintiely a few preachy dialogue scenes, but I think it shows how unbiased Drinker really is. I'd consider myself very conservative politically but I thought the show was excellent. The characters, acting, writing, cinematography were all top notch and it shows that "the message" can be forgiven if the execution is done well
@@GrayStarFox Couldn’t agree more. There are some progressive things I can’t tolerate at all, but in this case it for the most part very low key.
Watched this with family over Thanksgiving, outstanding series. It’s so weird to follow a creator who just gets better each time. Liked House on Haunted Hill, loved Midnight Mass, and as an old Poe nerd, just absolutely adored House of Usher.
bly manor was dog
Do you mean The Haunting of Hill House?
This was his best show and Oculus was his best movie.
I thought hill house was great until the ending though
It's great if you aren't a fan of Poe.
this was a good show , but the drinker forgot to mention that this show goes heavy with "the message" . i appreciate that they didnt shove it down our throat , thats what made this show enjoyable . but lets not forget that it was there
i mean, they definely tried to get gravity to drop it down our throats. but yeah, i agree it wasnt as heavy handed as a lot of shows. but still hard to watch at times. the saving grace being that most of them die in due course.
@@socks2441 it was shoved down the throat but the writing was just too good
To me, this is definitely how it should be done, though. Just tied into a good story with good writing. I didn’t find it bothering, cause it fit very well in this modern setting - and it didn’t take away from any of the plot points
If you consider vulgarities "good writing" then this movie is for you because it is used CONSTANTLY.
The value that I held for your reviews has diminished. Not vanished but diminished. Maybe I should have dropped a few "f" bombs in my comment to be a good writer.🙄
I might have to give this a 2nd chance, it lost me at the family dinner when no one considered the possibility of the district attorney lying when he said a witness within the family who was going to testify against the family.
I tried to watch the first episode twice. Couldn't finish it.
@@snakedogman yea it's bad & boring...i watched 2 episodes im not giving this another chance
I watched about 4 episodes and said "fugg this show". My alphabet tolerance hit its breaking point.
L
Thank God they were portrayed as good people and didn't die
im not gonna waste my time with this shite, sad to see drinker starting to dip to the dark side
ok snowflake..
@@thekinginyellowmessiahofha6308🤡
I'm in the minority in thinking this was one of Flannagan's lower works. It's well made and Greenwood is fantastic but I hate practically all of the characters. I simply didn't care that these people were getting bumped off because they were awful people, except for the granddaughter.
Thats kinda what makes it great. Its not a horror show, its a morality play. I am never scared just interested in the stories of the people.
I was bummed as fuck when they killed her off
I thought I was the only one! I also found the usher children very unlikeable but I think what makes it worse is how superficially drawn they all were. In previous Flanagan works, supporting characters were given depth, dimension, history and motivations; we didn’t have to like them but they were interesting and it was easier to invest in their stories/arcs because we knew them and where they were coming from. In this series, they added almost nothing at all. Waste of a great cast…
I think that was part of the point. I admit the characters who I thought were compelling died faster than the boring ones, but the characters being assholes made their deaths a bit more enjoyable.
A bit cathartic, like watching the villain get their due.
I think the story was more about the path people takes. These kids are result of a decision their parents took, Soo they are suppose to die. Best part was the devil said you had an angel with you but look what you did to her (roderiks wife)
The Vincent Price version was a great flick. Scared the daylights out of me when I was a kid.
I couldn’t get through the first episode with how ham-fisted the message was. I’m surprised by this.
I’m in the same boat. 3 homosexual relationships are established in the first 15 minutes. It just felt too forced.
it gets really really really good. stay through the 2nd episode. if, you don't like it after that then its just not for you
Trust me it gets better
Alright, y’all have convinced me to give it another go.
Don't listen to them. It only goes down the misandry hole from there...
One of the best shows/miniseries I've seen this year. All the cast, especially Bruce Greenwood and Carla Gugino, knocked it out of the park with this one. Can't wait to see Flanagan's next projects.
I also really liked the show. Quite good overall.
But I'm surprised that you didn't mention how much wokery there was in it. Madelyn's speech at the end mentioning abortion comes to mind. There were plenty of other examples that don't. Not enough to ruin the show, but maybe enough to take it from an A to a B-.
Yeah, the fact that basically all her photos were with Republicans was kind of dumb. Mitch McConnell I understand, but if anyone in politics has made a deal with the devil, it's clearly Pelosi, Feinstein, and Hillary Clinton.
Agree entirely, Drinker. Verna is so wonderfully performed as is the younger Madeline. I loved the sense that Verna was neither good nor bad, but a harbinger of fate. We don’t know why she is that and how she targets people. And that made her really cool.
My impression was that she was the personification of Death, not The Devil.
This show is, so far, my #1 show of 2024. It's such a shame it had so little advertisement. I cannot recommend it enough to others.
Just finished watching this. Loved it.
I could have done without Verna's long speech at the end that tells dumb people what their agenda was.
It really soured the ending for me too. Other than that, I quite enjoyed the show.
Same, and felt very forced.
It really lost a lot of its intended impact when she was the most evil character of the show.
@@bertimusprime7900 agreed, it was a copout. Maybe that's the Moral Of The Story? - or is The Message all bogus because of the messenger? That's for the VIEWER to decide!!
... no, dude; if the director is going to punt like this, then they are a coward in addition to being a hack.
Yeah it kind of felt like an exec all of the sudden realized that they hadn't included enough of their politics in the show so just stuffed it all into one angry rant. 😂
Good show. I have my gripes with a couple things and it is a story that has been done multiple times before, but overall it's pretty damn good. The speech about "when life gives you lemons" is pretty much how I imagine someone in Roderick's position views the world.
yeah, that was depressingly realistic. it sucks that that is the real world. life should stop giving people like that lemons.
i actually enjoyed this series. The message was prevalent, but not the focus, the story was fun.
Yeah, there were a few cringy monologues but overall I thought it was another solid show by Flanigan. I would put this third behind Hill House and Bly but it's like two 9's and an 8.5 in my opinion.
The message was everywhere. The whole premise of the show was "The Message." Billionaire White Bad Guy stomps on black gay guy to gain power. Black gay good guy spends his life trying to take down evil White billionaire. Cringe
Yeah, the series as a whole was so good that the woke bits were easy to forgive
I like how they based the family on the opioid billionaire Sacklers but of course had to change their religion from Jewish to Christian. Only Christians are allowed to be evil in media.
Thanks for the heads up. Im not watching this then. The message is cancer. I dont want a little bit of cancer, i want no cancer.
I hate modernizing old works. Not just “modernizing”, but modernizing. It’s a great heresy to me.
Finally got around to watching this one, and was not disappointed! Flanagan sometimes flubs the ending of his series (cough Midnight Mass) but this time he nailed it.
Hey! So glad you enjoyed the show! Keep up the good work, Drinker!
Really? I guess I'll give it another try. I couldn't get past the first episode and the pushing of the message. It's odd that you didn't mention that the majority of the characters are gay. Totally realistic.
I watched the entire series but would not recommend. Did not like any character. it reminded me of a worse version of umbrella academy in some ways
I am a little shocked Drinker liked this show so much. I thought it was very average and definitely woke. Put a chick in it and make her gay. Lol The usher family was diverse and inclusive which was kind of forced. Had some good imagery and scenes but overall I labored to get though it.
Drinker likes woke if it is well written. The message included in entertainment renders it to no longer be just entertainment. So that is not a good strategy on Drinker's part.
if people want well written propaganda well ... we lose
The point is that the gay do it with everything abd had alto of diverse children to enfatizate
Also, you dont always complain that they made gay characters always good?
The Majoris of them here are scumbag
@@ItsaKindOfMagic86propaganda is when people exist, ok
Sweet Jesus, people relax.
"There's more than one race in here so it must be woke propaganda by evil pedos to brainwash us into buying estrogen!"
@@SubZero-hs9xc It was pure propaganda.
this was a solid conclusion for mike Flanagan's Netflix run it is beautifully dark and twisted
Mike "im14andthisisdeep" Flanagan knocks it out of the park again!