Having taken up Amazon on a trial period of their Prime service I am currently watching their series American Gods.
Last night I watched 5 straight episodes. I was hooked. I say was because my initial thrill is wearing off, which always happens to me during long series like this. The same happened with the Flash and Luke Cage. I stopped watching as the long conversations, modern characterisations and basic soapiness just got on my wick
Anyways, American Gods. I love Neil Gaiman's idea. Gods and magical creatures existing alongside us puny humans. Its a concept that has fascinated us since, well, the dawn of time. I immediately think of Clash of the Titans and Jason and the Argonauts from my youth as well as Thor of course. I suppose Superman to some extent as well.
More recent examples would have to include the US TV series Grimm and the superb Swedish series Jordskott, which for some reason never got a second series. It was just brilliant.
American Gods is less subtle but equally compelling. At the start at least. The initial scene were several hundred arrows hit a single hapless Viking gives a hint of the spectacular imagery to come. The acting is excellent, the photography is magnificent and the visions created on screen are quite breathtaking. I can think of many: the fire bison, the bleeding hammer, the Queen of Sheba's bedside manner.
What sets it apart say from Jordskott is the violence. Gods is uber-violent. Blood and guts fly round the screen in wild abandon. The carnage is beautifully filmed and as such is all the more unsettling to watch. It is certainly not for more gentle souls and the extreme language and sex makes sure you know this is adult material early on.
Amazon's American Gods is most definitely not for children.
Are you watching?
Watched the first episode but it's too surreal for me I'm afraid. McShane was superb, as he always is. (I adored Deadwood, he was magnificent in that).
ReplyDeletehe is good isn't he! I only remember him in Lovejoy about an antiques dealer in the 80's!
DeleteIve watched season 1 and read the book, which is considerably different. Both are excellent, but the series stalls slightly around the middle with the episode 'Git Gone', which centres on the heroes dead girlfriend and is quite unnecessary to the main story. There are some wonderful portrayals of godlike creatures such as the six foot brawling leprechaun and the man eating far eadtern goddess. Where it all falls down for me is the ultra excessive gore and unpleasantly graphic sex scenes, which come across as completely gratuititous in their detail. Where it comes back with a roundhouse punch is Gillian Andersons startling depictions of I Love Lucy, Marylin Monroe and a fifties movie star. Anderson is an aspect of the modern pantheon of deities, Media and answers to Mr World. McShane steals every episode effortlessly though flashing from the pathetic whining pensioner to the All Father in all his magical glory in the blink of one of his hetrerochromatic eyes. Book is worth reading as it is only a fifth of the series and doesnt give much away. Preacher is worth watching too, based on Ennis and Dillons vomics, but bring the barf bag along again as its even more blood spattered!
ReplyDeleteI do see what you mean about the violence and sex. I suppose its hyper realism or post-modern. It reminded me of Sin City in this respect. The mix of Gods is fascinating and I like the New Gods. It does make sense. I may even have one of these comics in the attic. Or where they graphic novels? As for vomics, is that a new kind of barfable comic BiLl or a typo?
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