mrv3000 | Carnivàle babble.

I found this just SO interesting. Normally I'm not really big into behind-the-scenes stuff for any show, but this is an explanation of the title sequence for Carnivàle. If you've seen the sequence, the picture slides in and out of tarot cards - into artwork and archival footage from the 1930s. It's very cool. But there's a whole lot of meaning in all the shots they used...

http://www.hbo.com/carnivale/behind/credits/index.html

No wonder it won an Emmy for Main Title Design.

Only two disks left to come from Netflix and the end. *sighs*

You know, I'm finding myself just not very interested in plain old movies these days. Well, sometimes I still am. But I think I've gotten used to this more involved style of storytelling that's been going on in TV for a while now. Some of these things are almost like really, really long mini-series or something. Like Slings and Arrows, or Carnivàle. I'm betting Rome is a bit like that as well. *movies up in Netflix queue* But I think I like it more when stories take 20 hours to tell instead of just 2.

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I've been eyeing Carnivale at the dvd store every time I go in - what is it about it that you like the most? I know a very basic plot outline, but one of my friends watches it for Nick Stahl (I think) and another because it's "weird", neither opinion being very useful for me in determining whether I should watch it or not. I like that it's only two seasons long, I can definitely fit that into my schedule, but I was just curious as to what it's about.

It's a very blatant good versus evil plot, overlaid on two different settings - a traveling carnival and a preacher. There's this whole unraveling premise that the war in heaven is being played out on Earth - two specific people who were born with powers and abilities - passed down, and who are fated to play out good vs. evil. Loads of mysticism.

The interesting thing is that you're not exactly who's good and who's evil - you get a good idea, but you're not exactly *sure* what's all going down, especially with the secondary characters.

In addition to these two people, you've got a lot of other characters at the carnival with their own stories and plots going on that sometimes work into the bigger plot and sometimes not.

Not sure if that helps or not. It's kind of a hard show to describe.

Hey, have I ever recced The Wire to you? It's honestly the best TV I've ever watched -- extremely well written; doesn't dumb down to the viewer; tight, overarching storylines that come full-circle at the end of every season and yet also connect with one another. It's a gritty urban drama (not sure that's your thing) based in Baltimore that sucks you in from the get-go.

If you're interested in learning more about the show, this is a great picspam/background of the series and characters.

This reminds me I need to check out Carnivale.

I agree with you about not feeling into movies. My husband and I keep rearranging our Netflix queue to move TV up and movies down. Right now, we're between shows, and those movies are just sitting there, not getting watched.

If you've never watched it, I highly recommend The Shield. It's one of the best storytelling feats I've seen on TV, and I love it even though I can't stand cop shows. The seasons are short, about 13 episodes, and move into each other pretty smoothly.

You haven't! I'll have to check that out too! I'm looking for stuff to watch this summer.

Yeah, I just out-right deleted a few movies from my queue recently, just because...I'm not really interested. I'm more in this TV mode right now.

Hmmm. The Shield, eh? I'm not really into cop shows either. Might have to take a look.

I love the title sequence of Carnivale. It's the only one I would actually sit through during every episode.

The music was awesome as well. Have you seen the composer's site? He's got mp3's of darn near every bit of the soundtrack up there, all for free.

I'm guessing you aren't as irritated as I was with the sloooooooowness of the plot, eh? I kind of think they could have condensed the two seasons into one and not lost much...

I love the title sequence of Carnivale. It's the only one I would actually sit through during every episode.

Oh, me too!

The music was awesome as well. Have you seen the composer's site? He's got mp3's of darn near every bit of the soundtrack up there, all for free.

I haven't! That's too cool!

I'm guessing you aren't as irritated as I was with the sloooooooowness of the plot, eh? I kind of think they could have condensed the two seasons into one and not lost much...

It's not something I'd even thought about until you said something. I guess for me the pacing of it all seems to fit the overall mood of the show? It does really take its time, but the people and that whole lifestyle moves a lot slower?

I haven't! That's too cool!

There are some really beautiful tracks on there.

It's not something I'd even thought about until you said something. I guess for me the pacing of it all seems to fit the overall mood of the show? It does really take its time, but the people and that whole lifestyle moves a lot slower?

I kind of thought that way at the beginning of season one, but got impatient after about six episodes. The beginning of season two draaaaaaaaaaaaagged until the middle, when things started happening in all of the storylines (except Stumpy-in-debt, which was totally bleh). I just hated that each episode, it seemed like we spent half the time reviewing what we already knew. Also, Ben is dumb as a box of HAIR, I swear, and he got marginally smarter mid-S2, which helped things.

Also in the second season, Justin started FREAKING ME THE FUCK OUT, and so I think part of me just wanted the whole thing to be over ASAP. (If Clancy Brown ever starts advertising milk, I'm hiding behind the couch.)

Did you watch everything at once? Or did you have to wait between each episode?

Yeah, Ben did get smarter in mid-S2, which was kind of amusing. :D I mean, there was an actual reason for it, but still. "I know everything now!"

And Justin *always* freaked me out. He was just seriously twisted all along.

I watched it all through Netflix. For the first season I was on the two-at-a-time plan, and watched the whole season in probably two weeks. A year later, I watched the second season while on the one-at-a-time plan, so it took not quite a month.

Yeah, Ben did get smarter in mid-S2, which was kind of amusing.

And things HAPPENED in mid-S2. I remember watching the fifth and sixth episodes in shock at the immense pickup in pace.

And Justin *always* freaked me out. He was just seriously twisted all along.

Justin didn't start freaking me out until that incredibly creepy incident with the glass of milk and the housemaid. OMG, ack. I mean, I knew he was supposed to be freaky, but it was never visceral until then. (Also, doesn't help that I keep thinking of him as John Danziger from Earth 2.)

The good news about The Shield is that you could pretty much watch the pilot and know if it's your thing or not. The arcing plot is fantastic, the acting stunning, the direction interesting and the writing impressive. Only occasionally is it really over the top. It is umm, dark. Funny, quite a bit. But thematically, really dark.

Great damn show.

Carnivàle babble.

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