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Posted: **Sun Feb 03, 2013 1:56 am**

Finished it today, which should tell you how wrapped up I was in it. The Kevin Spacey people longed for when he was doing fluff like Pay It Forward is back. Some of the 4th wall stuff was a bit grating, but it plays well enough mostly.

I have to admit I'm not too big a fan of Netflix putting it up all at once. I've done the binge-watching thing a couple of times now, and vastly prefer waiting a week for the next episode.

Posted: **Sun Feb 03, 2013 4:25 am**

I've only just started, but it is REALLY good to have Kevin Spacey back.

Posted: **Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:34 am**

Hear hear.

Posted: **Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:14 am**

The first episode is so positively juicy that I can't wait to keep going. Thumbs way up for the fourth wall stuff - it's All The President's Men by way of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Oh, and the Mara sequences are exactly what The Newsroom should have been if Sorkin had any idea what a newsroom is like. The pilot is executed so sharply, with such an easy sense of humor about itself. It's got what a lot of hour long dramas are missing these days - a self-aware smirk.

Posted: **Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:16 pm**

flyonthewall2983 wrote:I have to admit I'm not too big a fan of Netflix putting it up all at once. I've done the binge-watching thing a couple of times now, and vastly prefer waiting a week for the next episode.

You don't have to watch it all at once, surely. You could ration yourself to weekly instalments.

Posted: **Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:21 pm**

Easier said than done. Especially with something this good.

Posted: **Tue Feb 05, 2013 5:21 pm**

There is a sharp drop-off in the quality of direction, acting, and cinematography in the episodes not directed by Fincher (particularly those directed by James Foley). I'm looking forward to the Carl Franklin episodes I've got coming up, but I guess it was expecting too much of the show to maintain the a Fincher-level quality throughout.

I do appreciate that the show is comprehensive and fearless in its cynical mockery of every aspect of politics, from stupid YouTube videos to the use of someone's death as a tool to score political points. I can't imagine a network or cable show doing that without resorting to broad comedy or "The Newsroom"-style grandstanding.

Posted: **Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:36 pm**

The fourth wall stuff was there in the original, and worked pretty well from what I recall, though it's been nearly 20 years since I saw it.

Posted: **Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:42 pm**

The original is on Netflix, as well. The fourth wall stuff in that was way up close, with the actor's face taking up a lot of the frame. It's a bit more subdued now.

An interview a few weeks ago with show-runner Beau Willimon.

Posted: **Tue Feb 19, 2013 4:52 pm**

Will this show get a Blu-ray release at some point? On its face it doesn't seem like it would, but how else would there be able to be audio commentaries, etc?

Posted: **Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:24 pm**

I imagine it would, actually. They'll want to take advantage of any possible revenue they can generate while allowing for a significant period of exclusivity. They'll probably follow the HBO model: home video release just before the launch of the second season.

Posted: **Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:59 pm**

The only possible drawback I can think of is piracy - but HD rips of the Netflix streams have already found their way to dark corners of the internet anyway

Posted: **Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:03 pm**

My first guess about this would be that Netflix would be the sole distributor of Blu/DVD.

Posted: **Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:14 pm**

What would that accomplish, though? If you already have Netflix, you'd have just streamed the show. There'd be very little added benefit for Netflix, $-wise, unless they release a retail set.

Posted: **Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:16 pm**

Last I checked, the complete first season is already available for pre-order on Amazon on dvd and blu-ray with Sony Pictures Entertainment listed as the distributor.

No release date yet.

Posted: **Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:26 pm**

mfunk9786 wrote:What would that accomplish, though? If you already have Netflix, you'd have just streamed the show. There'd be very little added benefit for Netflix, $-wise, unless they release a retail set.

I have Netflix but not streaming, so um, I would benefit. I assume I'm the only one on the planet though.

Posted: **Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:31 pm**

Isambard, I see that now. Hm! Considering that this is a Fincher property, I'd imagine this'll be a lovely and feature-rich release, too. Hopefully.

Posted: **Thu Feb 21, 2013 4:21 am**

Matt wrote:There is a sharp drop-off in the quality of direction, acting, and cinematography in the episodes not directed by Fincher (particularly those directed by James Foley). I'm looking forward to the Carl Franklin episodes I've got coming up, but I guess it was expecting too much of the show to maintain the a Fincher-level quality throughout.

Agreed, which is a shame because I'd rank Fincher's episodes among his best work and on par with Zodiac so while in the Fincher run I was thinking this may rank among the best series that I've seen. I'm only on the Schumacher episodes, but there were some grating moments

Spoiler

like the deathbed confessional and Russo's ex-buddy giving him the ol' "you've changed man."

Which isn't to say there weren't good moments, and I think Schumacher's episodes are more satirical in nature with the Youtube videos and sound bite, but it all comes off as lacking after Fincher in top form. Still looking forward to what's to come.

Posted: **Thu Feb 21, 2013 4:38 am**

At the very least, I think directors were chosen who could go along with the style of the show well enough for there not to be a huge dip, but yeah, that hospital scene is easily the worst moment of the first season for me so far. Though the YouTube video may be the best, so

Posted: **Thu Feb 21, 2013 5:14 am**

I'd also imagine Spacey had a hand in choosing the directors too, considering he worked for both Joel and James Foley. One thing I liked is that most of the episodes were directed in tandem by the same director. So for them, it was probably like directing a movie more than two episodes of a TV show if that makes sense.

Posted: **Thu Feb 21, 2013 1:25 pm**

I also am not sure we should hold scripts for later episodes against their directors.

Posted: **Wed Apr 03, 2013 8:28 pm**

Isambard wrote:Last I checked, the complete first season is already available for pre-order on Amazon on dvd and blu-ray with Sony Pictures Entertainment listed as the distributor.

No release date yet.

June 11

Posted: **Fri Jun 07, 2013 6:13 pm**

Why is House of Cards already coming out on Blu-ray next week worldwide, or why is it coming out on Blu-ray at all? Doesn't it contradict Netflix's business model of creating exclusive content for their service?

Posted: **Fri Jun 07, 2013 6:24 pm**

eerik wrote:Why is House of Cards already coming out on Blu-ray next week worldwide, or why is it coming out on Blu-ray at all? Doesn't it contradict Netflix's business model of creating exclusive content for their service?

It's no different than HBO having exclusive rights to broadcast Game of Thrones and there being a subsequent home video release. Netflix Instant is a "broadcast" medium, which is what the exclusivity is for, while DVD/Blu-ray is a secondary market.

Posted: **Sat Jun 08, 2013 2:08 am**

There are no extras on the Blu-ray which defeats the purpose of buying them, for me at least.

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