The First

[domino harvey]

Trailer for Sean Penn-starring the First on Hulu. Looks good, surprised I didn't hear about this before now

[See Rad]

Trailer for Sean Penn-starring the First on Hulu. Looks good, surprised I didn't hear about this before now

When audiences and critics complain about Terrence Malick films as "insurance advertisements" or "perfume commercials," the more generous part of me wants to think they've mistaken the greeting card platitudes of his imitators for the real deal. But more often than not those same people see the work of his imitators (the above video, Andrew Dominik, David Lowery, so many others.) and actually like it more!

The subject of this show is of great interest to me, but the style is so derivative it borders on offensive. Why would someone, given the rare opportunity to make a film or TV show, piss it away aping someone else? Shouldn't the content dictate the style? I'll never understand it.

[flyonthewall2983]

Trailer for Sean Penn-starring the First on Hulu. Looks good, surprised I didn't hear about this before now

When audiences and critics complain about Terrence Malick films as "insurance advertisements" or "perfume commercials," the more generous part of me wants to think they've mistaken the greeting card platitudes of his imitators for the real deal. But more often than not those same people see the work of his imitators (the above video, Andrew Dominik, David Lowery, so many others.) and actually like it more!

The subject of this show is of great interest to me, but the style is so derivative it borders on offensive. Why would someone, given the rare opportunity to make a film or TV show, piss it away aping someone else? Shouldn't the content dictate the style? I'll never understand it.

The style is definitely derivative, but there does manage to be substance. Penn is mostly fine, able to pull off the classic laconic figure expected of a fictional astronaut, but overdoes the emotion a bit sometimes. Fortunately the show is also more of a ensemble, which allows talent like Natasha McEllhone and LisaGay Hamilton to have moments of their own apart from his sometimes overbearing family drama stuff.

[Lost Highway]

I have a feeling that the trailer has more of a Malick feel than the actual series will. In that regard it reminds me of the early trailers for Interstellar. It’s the type of science fiction which goes for a sense of awe and invoking Malick is shorthand for that. Once they are in space, there will be no trees swaying in the magic hour sun.

[flyonthewall2983]

Spoiler

There's not much space stuff at all until the final episode, and there's what I'm pretty sure is an omniscient narrator spouting off nature and science talk.

[Lost Highway]

Reviews for this have been lukewarm at best, some complaining about the sluggish pace and

Spoiler

no space stuff till the end !

I think I’ll put this on the backburner for now.

[flyonthewall2983]

Canceled