Winter has arrived in the Upside Down
January 29, 2017 11:02 PM Subscribe
This award goes to Eleven: At tonight's 2016 Screen Actor's Guild Awards, Stranger Things (FanFare), a small, sci-fi TV series starring four tween actors, beat out the venerable Game of Thrones (FanFare) for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series. Even if you've never heard of the shows, the kids' jubilantly rejoicing, adult lead actor David Harbor's firey and passionate speech about the political climate, and Winona Ryder's facial expressions, is the feel-good acceptance speech of the year.
"ladies and gentlemen, jonah hill"
Seriously though, that was so wonderful. This entire weekend has done wonders for warming my cold dead irony-socialist heart.
posted by R.F.Simpson at 11:19 PM on January 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
Seriously though, that was so wonderful. This entire weekend has done wonders for warming my cold dead irony-socialist heart.
posted by R.F.Simpson at 11:19 PM on January 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
niiiiiiice. i'm not gonna watch the show for a second (looks scary), but hell yyyyyyes that guy with the beard. Everything he said, Yes yes yes!
posted by not_on_display at 11:20 PM on January 29, 2017
posted by not_on_display at 11:20 PM on January 29, 2017
Show is not that scary! I can't handle horror, like, at all and I was pretty much fine!
also, my local letterpress has this card and it is a-may-zing:
also, my local letterpress has this card and it is a-may-zing:
On a scale of one to ten, you're an ELEVEN.posted by mochapickle at 11:28 PM on January 29, 2017 [12 favorites]
Let's also watch Mahershala Ali's Acceptance Speech--the Muslim actor in Moonlight talking about persecution and coming together.
posted by foxfirefey at 11:43 PM on January 29, 2017 [28 favorites]
posted by foxfirefey at 11:43 PM on January 29, 2017 [28 favorites]
Winona truly took us on a roller coaster of emotion.
posted by Rhomboid at 12:23 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Rhomboid at 12:23 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
Those kids are the best and David Harbour has my vote. Sheriff Hopper/Punching Faces 2020!
posted by tzikeh at 12:25 AM on January 30, 2017 [10 favorites]
posted by tzikeh at 12:25 AM on January 30, 2017 [10 favorites]
This one goes to eleven.
posted by hal9k at 1:00 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by hal9k at 1:00 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
Winona truly took us on a roller coaster of emotion.
Remarkable performance! And all without speaking while just standing there next to David Harbor.
posted by hal9k at 2:07 AM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
Remarkable performance! And all without speaking while just standing there next to David Harbor.
posted by hal9k at 2:07 AM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
Winona seemed a bit confused, but I loved her mouthing "fuck yeah!". The kids were too adorable. Love em.
posted by xammerboy at 2:31 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by xammerboy at 2:31 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
This is awesome and fun.
But wait, Game of Thrones is venerable?
posted by allthinky at 4:29 AM on January 30, 2017
But wait, Game of Thrones is venerable?
posted by allthinky at 4:29 AM on January 30, 2017
Winona 4 ever
posted by whuppy at 4:36 AM on January 30, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by whuppy at 4:36 AM on January 30, 2017 [7 favorites]
i'm not gonna watch the show for a second (looks scary),
Seriously, reconsider and watch it. It's more like, if your Dungeons-and-Dragons campaign came to life, with a dash of Stephen King. And the kids are phenomenal.
The kids are also phenomenally adorable. I have gotten mildly addicted to various youtube clips of various press interviews they've all done together because they are such adorably typical pre-teen buddies - in-jokes, bubbly energy, bright-eyed enthusiasm, and then every so often a stunning insight that reminds you that "these people are starting to not be 'just kids' right now". The kid with the way curly hair has a mild bone-development condition which has left him without teeth, and he's really matter-of-fact about it; they wrote his condition into the script, with his blessing, and he's using it as a platform to get the word out that "this isn't anything to be ashamed of if you have it." He's even posted a selfie showing off his fake teeth on Instagram (although the one where he shows off "bedhead" is even better).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:42 AM on January 30, 2017 [15 favorites]
Seriously, reconsider and watch it. It's more like, if your Dungeons-and-Dragons campaign came to life, with a dash of Stephen King. And the kids are phenomenal.
The kids are also phenomenally adorable. I have gotten mildly addicted to various youtube clips of various press interviews they've all done together because they are such adorably typical pre-teen buddies - in-jokes, bubbly energy, bright-eyed enthusiasm, and then every so often a stunning insight that reminds you that "these people are starting to not be 'just kids' right now". The kid with the way curly hair has a mild bone-development condition which has left him without teeth, and he's really matter-of-fact about it; they wrote his condition into the script, with his blessing, and he's using it as a platform to get the word out that "this isn't anything to be ashamed of if you have it." He's even posted a selfie showing off his fake teeth on Instagram (although the one where he shows off "bedhead" is even better).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:42 AM on January 30, 2017 [15 favorites]
This award goes to Eleven
I want you all to know how much effort I personally put in to not make a lazy joke right now.
posted by Eleven at 5:51 AM on January 30, 2017 [25 favorites]
I want you all to know how much effort I personally put in to not make a lazy joke right now.
posted by Eleven at 5:51 AM on January 30, 2017 [25 favorites]
I won't watch this show (not-so-scary to many = very scary to me) but I could watch that video all day long. Way to go, kids!
(And welcome back, Winona!!!)
posted by kimberussell at 6:07 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
(And welcome back, Winona!!!)
posted by kimberussell at 6:07 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
Didn't even realize that was Winona Ryder when I watched this last night, haven't followed this show at all. I was watching her and just cracking up at all the facial expressions. Incredible enthusiasm by the kids, really joyful to apprehend.
posted by e1c at 6:10 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by e1c at 6:10 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
For anyone who needed this today as much as I did, here's a transcript of the entire speech.
We will hunt monsters!
Thank you, Room 641-A.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 6:24 AM on January 30, 2017 [6 favorites]
We will hunt monsters!
Thank you, Room 641-A.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 6:24 AM on January 30, 2017 [6 favorites]
I just want to say to all the people who think the show may be too scary that it really really isn't. I say this as someone who can't even read about horror movies lest I lose a couple of nights of sleep. It's on par with Firefly or Farscape in terms of scariness. Or like a particularly intense episode of Star Trek Voyager.
posted by jeoc at 6:32 AM on January 30, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by jeoc at 6:32 AM on January 30, 2017 [6 favorites]
Oh how I love this show, and Winona. She was awesome during the speech, and as was mentioned, the kids were hilariously excited.
posted by evilDoug at 7:04 AM on January 30, 2017
posted by evilDoug at 7:04 AM on January 30, 2017
"We will Hunt monsters." My new T-shirt.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 7:48 AM on January 30, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by WalkerWestridge at 7:48 AM on January 30, 2017 [4 favorites]
I fully endorse everything my doppelganger said.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:44 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by tobascodagama at 8:44 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
I want you all to know how much effort I personally put in to not make a lazy joke right now.
posted by Eleven at 5:51 on January 30 [11 favorites +] [!]
I really want to favourite this comment, but, well...
posted by tobascodagama at 8:45 AM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Eleven at 5:51 on January 30 [11 favorites +] [!]
I really want to favourite this comment, but, well...
posted by tobascodagama at 8:45 AM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
I just want to say to all the people who think the show may be too scary that it really really isn't. I say this as someone who can't even read about horror movies lest I lose a couple of nights of sleep. It's on par with Firefly or Farscape in terms of scariness. Or like a particularly intense episode of Star Trek Voyager.
I like the show and I can handle scary things, but it's right on the edge of being too scary for me. I'm very sensitive to kids-in-peril stuff since I became a parent, though, so maybe I'm an outlier? Anyway scary stuff rarely gives me nightmares but this does. In addition to parents, may be too scary for people with an aversion to / phobia of parasites.
I've frequently wished for a show that was exactly like Stranger Things except with no Upside Down. Which of course I understand would kind of defang the power of the thing but still. There are scenes that are pretty upsetting.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 8:51 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
I like the show and I can handle scary things, but it's right on the edge of being too scary for me. I'm very sensitive to kids-in-peril stuff since I became a parent, though, so maybe I'm an outlier? Anyway scary stuff rarely gives me nightmares but this does. In addition to parents, may be too scary for people with an aversion to / phobia of parasites.
I've frequently wished for a show that was exactly like Stranger Things except with no Upside Down. Which of course I understand would kind of defang the power of the thing but still. There are scenes that are pretty upsetting.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 8:51 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
Reinforces how clear it is that Winona always knew where to find the good drugs.
posted by rtimmel at 9:40 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by rtimmel at 9:40 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
I like the show and I can handle scary things, but it's right on the edge of being too scary for me. I'm very sensitive to kids-in-peril stuff since I became a parent, though, so maybe I'm an outlier? Anyway scary stuff rarely gives me nightmares but this does. In addition to parents, may be too scary for people with an aversion to / phobia of parasites.
I can handle some horror but I'm strongly averse to body horror, so it's right on the edge for me too. I did watch it, and I found it OK, but not so great that I'd recommend it to someone who already suspects it's not their thing.
posted by mama casserole at 9:43 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
I can handle some horror but I'm strongly averse to body horror, so it's right on the edge for me too. I did watch it, and I found it OK, but not so great that I'd recommend it to someone who already suspects it's not their thing.
posted by mama casserole at 9:43 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
I found ST to be seriously creepy, much more so than Buffy or Farscape. It's much more like X-Files. It's less outright gross, but very existentially unsettling.
posted by suelac at 10:21 AM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by suelac at 10:21 AM on January 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
For those of you who have been avoiding Stranger Things thinking it's purely a horror series, this is the interesting meta-analysis I read (via someone's tumblr) last year:
"the best part about stranger things is that they can’t solve anything until they put the three groups together because each group is acting within a separate genre
mike, lucas, dustin, and el are in a weird sci-fi coming of age story where the group of plucky misfit kids solve the mystery and test their friendship along the way
nancy and jonathan are in a horror movie where the teenagers have to kill the monster set against a backdrop of high school drama and romance
joyce and hopper are in a conspiracy thriller where the adults have to figure out what shady stuff the government is up to while also dealing with the difficulties of their personal lives
they all approach the issue within the confines of their genre, but none of those approaches work because none of them are seeing the whole picture. it’s only when all the threads start to converge that they can actually get anything done."
posted by furtive_jackanapes at 10:50 AM on January 30, 2017 [41 favorites]
"the best part about stranger things is that they can’t solve anything until they put the three groups together because each group is acting within a separate genre
mike, lucas, dustin, and el are in a weird sci-fi coming of age story where the group of plucky misfit kids solve the mystery and test their friendship along the way
nancy and jonathan are in a horror movie where the teenagers have to kill the monster set against a backdrop of high school drama and romance
joyce and hopper are in a conspiracy thriller where the adults have to figure out what shady stuff the government is up to while also dealing with the difficulties of their personal lives
they all approach the issue within the confines of their genre, but none of those approaches work because none of them are seeing the whole picture. it’s only when all the threads start to converge that they can actually get anything done."
posted by furtive_jackanapes at 10:50 AM on January 30, 2017 [41 favorites]
This isn't going to help at all, sorry: I am definitely among the easily terrorized and avoid all scary shit and won't watch a horror movie for any reason. Stranger Things scared the bujeezus out of me, not in a jump scare way, but in an actual fear-all-my-window-at-night way. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. Many people I understand will never watch it, but if you are like me and are on or standing near the fence, jump in.
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 11:12 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 11:12 AM on January 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
It's an unusually good show. It really captures a feeling of 1980s nostalgia, with a dose of Dungeons & Dragons and hint of the film ET later on. Season 2 is probably going to be out this summer or fall. I'm looking forward to it.
My girlfriend who dislikes horror and gore loved it. The scariest part is probably in the first 10 minutes of the first episode. Once you get past that, it's pretty much just adventure.
posted by Sleeper at 11:19 AM on January 30, 2017
My girlfriend who dislikes horror and gore loved it. The scariest part is probably in the first 10 minutes of the first episode. Once you get past that, it's pretty much just adventure.
posted by Sleeper at 11:19 AM on January 30, 2017
Man that video makes me super-worried for Winona. She was clearly as high as anything. Matthew Modine had his hands on her shoulders the entire time, and you could tell it was to keep her from bouncing up to the mic and just saying nonsense.
I love Winona a lot (if you thought she was good in Stranger Things, go watch David Simon's newest mini-series Show Me a Hero. She was AMAZING in that.) But she's had troubles with chemicals in her past, and I'd hate to see that fuck up her career again.
posted by nushustu at 11:29 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
I love Winona a lot (if you thought she was good in Stranger Things, go watch David Simon's newest mini-series Show Me a Hero. She was AMAZING in that.) But she's had troubles with chemicals in her past, and I'd hate to see that fuck up her career again.
posted by nushustu at 11:29 AM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
GODDAMMIT I WANT TO PUNCH SOME PEOPLE IN THE FACE RIGHT NOW
Sorry, where were we? That was awesome.
posted by Existential Dread at 12:55 PM on January 30, 2017 [5 favorites]
Sorry, where were we? That was awesome.
posted by Existential Dread at 12:55 PM on January 30, 2017 [5 favorites]
She definitely did look high or drunk, which wouldn't be unusual at the Golden Globes but isn't exactly normal for the SAGs.
posted by tavella at 12:57 PM on January 30, 2017
posted by tavella at 12:57 PM on January 30, 2017
Stranger Things is very much a Spielberg homage and so it may makes sense to describe its scariness in terms of his movies. It is scarier than Close Encounters or any of the Indiana Jones movies, and far less scary than Duel, Jaws or Poltergeist (yes I know, but). It scariness is very straight forward, so nothing like A.I. or Schindler's List. It is probably close to the level of Jurassic Park, though supernatural, not quasi-natural.
Something else to consider is that Stranger Things is filled with endless references to other horror and thriller movies from the 1980s. So if you didn't watch and love those movies, your enjoyment of Stranger Things might be diminished.
posted by rtimmel at 1:25 PM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
Something else to consider is that Stranger Things is filled with endless references to other horror and thriller movies from the 1980s. So if you didn't watch and love those movies, your enjoyment of Stranger Things might be diminished.
posted by rtimmel at 1:25 PM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
Thanks to everyone who gave encouragement to try watching Stranger Things -- I'm gonna give it a shot! Those kids were adorable on stage (and I'm glad Game Of Thrones didn't win.) I've heard and read lots of excellent reviews about ST, but have been holding off because I was afraid it would be creepy and scary too. (A few episodes of Black Mirror, which has also been getting lots of praise, had me up for days! I was hoping it'd be more sci-fi/fantasy, but that is one dark and disturbing show. The episode with Bryce Dallas Howard and Cherry Jones was really good though.)
Winona has said it previous interviews that she has terrible stage fright and anxiety, so much so that she had to drop out of the Godfather years ago. I wouldn't be surprised it she had a little something to calm her nerves. Can't say I blame her.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 6:46 PM on January 30, 2017
Winona has said it previous interviews that she has terrible stage fright and anxiety, so much so that she had to drop out of the Godfather years ago. I wouldn't be surprised it she had a little something to calm her nerves. Can't say I blame her.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 6:46 PM on January 30, 2017
Thanks to everyone who gave encouragement to try watching Stranger Things -- I'm gonna give it a shot! Those kids were adorable on stage.....
If these two clips don't convince you, nothing will -
A clip from when the kids were on Jimmy Fallon, and talked about a kiss two had on set (which the other kids all watched)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:08 PM on January 30, 2017
If these two clips don't convince you, nothing will -
A clip from when the kids were on Jimmy Fallon, and talked about a kiss two had on set (which the other kids all watched)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:08 PM on January 30, 2017
Arg, took me a while to find another clip that didn't give too much away but was still cute/funny:
It's clear who the comic relief in the show is.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:25 PM on January 30, 2017
It's clear who the comic relief in the show is.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:25 PM on January 30, 2017
Thanks, EmpressCallipygos. They seem charming and down to earth. Can't wait!
Also, foxfirefey, Mahershala Ali and his wife Amatus gave a really sweet and funny interview on Death, Sex, And Money a few months ago and it's been re-posted. They talk about how they met and he goes into more detail about how he became a Muslim. One of my favorite eps of the show.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 8:38 PM on January 30, 2017
Also, foxfirefey, Mahershala Ali and his wife Amatus gave a really sweet and funny interview on Death, Sex, And Money a few months ago and it's been re-posted. They talk about how they met and he goes into more detail about how he became a Muslim. One of my favorite eps of the show.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 8:38 PM on January 30, 2017
Damn. Did they give Harbour a script while they were filming the show, or did they just kind explain the scene too him, turn him loose on the set and say, "Just be you Dave."
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 9:15 PM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 9:15 PM on January 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
Oh wow there is a clip of the press conference stuff post-awared and they let the kids go first on their own AND IT IS THE BEST
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:37 PM on January 31, 2017
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:37 PM on January 31, 2017
Now let's find out what happened to Barb!!
> Everyone knows what happened to Barb. Some of us are just in denial.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:03 PM on February 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
> Everyone knows what happened to Barb. Some of us are just in denial.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:03 PM on February 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
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