On the off chance you haven’t heard of it, Stranger Things is a Netflix exclusive horror series with a retro eighties feel, created by the Duffer brothers. Even I, who usually can manage to ignore most of the popular goings on of this time, have binge watched this awesome show. If you haven’t seen it, get Netflix and start watching. Well, after you read this highly entertaining article, that is. 🙂
7) Winona Ryder
I have to admit, I’ve been a fan of hers since Heathers and Beetlejuice. And I’ve totally forgiven her for Mr. Deeds, in fact, this show more than makes up for it. In Stranger Things, I love the way she plays her character – her self-doubt, fear, and relentless hope for her son is so brilliantly portrayed.
6) The wardrobe
I grew up in the late seventies / early eighties, and the outfits the kids wear are spot on for early eighties. Brings back some awkward memories for sure.
5) The cinematography
Knowing little to nothing about cinematography, I’m completely clueless as to how they managed to get the feel of eighties filming, but the Duffer brothers pull it off perfectly. Stranger Things really has the look and feel of an old Stephen King movie, so of course I’m giggling in utter geeky horror fangirl joy when I watch it.
4) The storyline
I love the simple storyline of season one – a kidnapping is the main plot, and although there are subplots, they don’t overwhelm the storyline. Each episode built tension and progressed the plot in a very satisfying way. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for season two; so many shows try to up the ante in subsequent seasons and end up with too much going on or some crappy conspiracy theory arc.
3) The characters
I fell in love with the boys from the very first scene, in which they’re playing a D&D type RPG. And Eleven, she’s just wonderful. I love the way they interact with each other – their actions and reactions are exactly how kids their age behave.
2) The genre
It’s horror, how can you go wrong? Well I say that and there are some movies that are unspeakably bad (think D horror movie as opposed to B), but Stranger Things is done so expertly, I haven’t found a single soul who hates it. If you grew up in that time or if you appreciate the simplicity and purity of eighties horror, you will fall in love with this show, I promise.
1) The Title Font
I swear it’s taken from one of Stephen King’s books! It sets the perfect tone for the rest of the show, a well-executed nod to glorious eighties horror.
What do you think? If you’ve binge watched Stranger Things, what do you love about it?
I think it was a great show. Very easy to marathon. The kid who played Dustin was a standout. He really brought a Goonies/Stand By Me/Sandlot/Gertie (ET) sense of humor to the show. The bully kids were a bit over-the-top…as “cliche adversity” they were a bit overblown and resembled the bullies in “A Christmas Story”. Matt Modine was a great heartless villain; both low-key and evil. The whole thing struck a careful balance between correct campy sci-fi/horror and being too derivative of other works from the genre. The crew & writers seemed to be trying their best to pay homage to the throw-back genre but it is crafted from without being too overt. The MKUltra tie-in to the plot played well upon the conspiracy nut aspects but, to me, It sort of telegraphed a lot of what would happen later. The “Monsters from the Id” angle stayed pretty well hidden for most of the show. Needless to say, I love the series…so far???
Right, I’m wondering where they’re going to go from here. Great observations, thanks for commenting!