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Playa Playa's Best of 2017


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Posted
On 23.12.2017 at 9:22 PM, Playa Playa said:

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Agreed on all. I refuse to talk about Game of Thrones, the heartbreak of the loss of the old show is still to fresh and too big in me and you're absolutely right - just after the sixth season proved the show would be able to find a strong balance without the books, ugh.

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Posted
19 minutes ago, Allstar said:

Agreed on all. I refuse to talk about Game of Thrones, the heartbreak of the loss of the old show is still to fresh and too big in me and you're absolutely right - just after the sixth season proved the show would be able to find a strong balance without the books, ugh.

The way everyone is fed up with Fad of Thrones, whew.

Posted

Arca WON this year!!! Also Rina and Moses :heart2:

  • ATRL Moderator
Posted

let me play your songs :heart2: 

Posted
16 hours ago, Allstar said:

Agreed on all. I refuse to talk about Game of Thrones, the heartbreak of the loss of the old show is still to fresh and too big in me and you're absolutely right - just after the sixth season proved the show would be able to find a strong balance without the books, ugh.

 I hope the final season is good to you :emofish: 

 

15 hours ago, Wicked said:

The way everyone is fed up with Fad of Thrones, whew.

You are loving it :deadbanana: The Emmys won't be fed up with it though. (JK, I think they will be).

Posted (edited)

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19. Season 2 of The Girlfriend Experience presented itself as an experiment, an exercise in the anthology series format that involved Lodge Kerrigan and Amy Seimetz returning to create two shorter, unrelated stories, titled “Erica & Anna” and “Bria” respectively. As a complete season of television, the stories echoed one another thematically, usually focusing on sex, power and female agency, while stylistically differing to suit the content of their own story. The weaker of the two was Kerrigan's “Erica & Anna”, which essentially adopted the style and tone of the first season and made it even more cold and empty. It surprisingly worked with Kerrigan's intricate direction skills and the story focusing on the dehumanizing political sphere of Washington, D.C., but what it lacked was good characters. Anna Fiel and Louisa Krause played Erica and Anna to the best of their abilities, but the shortened length, greater focus on irrelevant sex scenes and political drama, were all at the expense of sufficient characterization.

 

Meanwhile, Seimetz's “Bria” was more intimate, bold and carefree. It's a fresh reinvention of The Girlfriend Experience that's set against the backdrop of a small town in New Mexico, which allowed Seimetz to play around with the strangeness of the landscape, using a warm colour palette, ambient music and dreamlike shots to document the life of an escort out of her natural setting. Bria is restlessly confined in a witness protection program which Seimetz manages to incorporate more successfully than Kerrigan with the mid-term elections subplot for “Erica & Anna”. She connects Bria's sexual frustration, and, later, paranoia, with social alienation and witness protection, and it allows Carmen Ejogo (as Bria) to give a nuanced portrayal and shine as the performer of the season. It doesn't reach the heights of Season 1 with Christine Reade and Riley Keough, but it stands as a mostly successful experiment that challenges television as a medium. I only recently finished bingewatching so it could be higher on another day. 

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18. This show was much better than I thought it would be. Granted, I don't know enough about the feud or the context of Classic Hollywood to fully assess, but I liked what Ryan Murphy decided to do with the premise. Murphy's name is one that attracts deserved criticism for his soulless shows and problematic writing, and sure, it can be found here at times, but Feud is still him at his best with a short, concise story examining more than just the fun and bitchy rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Nothing deeply profound, but anchored by powerhouse performances from Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange, it was a larger examination of motherhood, sexism and ageism in Hollywood, and the sense of personal identity through tragedy. The only slight drawback was Feud was turning into the Joan Crawford show at times, but it all came together by the end with a satisfying finale for both parties.

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17. After the first two seasons of Fargo managed to prove all doubters wrong and join the essential Peak TV canon, the bar was set incredibly high for the third one. But the season struggled to meet those expectations out the gate. At times, the characters stood out as lesser versions of ones that came before (Gloria and Molly; Emmit and Ed; Vagra and Malvo). At other times, the story seemed too scattered to engage fully in which is ironic considering the season before it was much bigger in scope and imagination. But what it lacked at the start was made up for when Nikki Swango's role shifted in “The Lord of No Mercy” following a classic Fargo death. From there on out, we got another tense, funny, entertaining storyline following a great character that subverted the femme fatale trope. The season still didn't quite reach the heights of the first two but it also managed to surprise by introducing new ideas that leaned into surrealistic subtext in fantastic ways. 

Edited by Playa Playa
Posted (edited)

**** Ryan Murphy, the way he writes women of color is trash so I'm not surprised ATRL eats that **** up. But with that said, everyone loves Feud so... I'll have to check it out.

 

Fargo, TGE :clap3: Noah should just retool Fargo again like he did with S2. It was too samey to S1 + S2 instead of daring to be different. It was still better than a lot of other stuff + is still a Peak TV essential. But now that's he's doing a serial drama with Legion I wonder if he'll show different strengths, you write differently for a anthology vs a overarching show :eek:


Erica & Anna was a mess...

Edited by Wicked
Posted
On 12/30/2017 at 6:27 PM, Playa Playa said:

Hey :-*

 

His EP 'Groove Curse' is the best introduction. Short (17 mins) and full of great songs. And I plan on doing 20 albums... Stay tuned :celestial5:

I'll check out the EP and tell you my thoughts later :celestial4: 

Posted

agrih with your Fargo write-up. I wasn't disappointed, but this season was clearly the weakest so far :'( 

Posted

Dropped Feud halfway through the season. Tbh i really didn't care about this story whatsover. Seemed like a passion project for Murphy so good for him. Lange was doing her usual thing, i liked Sarandon's performance better :michael: 

 

David Thewlis was freaking brilliant on Fargo which was just okay... Thank god it got better on its second half

  • ATRL Moderator
Posted

idk these :'( 

Posted

haven't seen TGE but Feud and Fargo :clap3:

Posted
On 12/31/2017 at 11:11 PM, Wicked said:

**** Ryan Murphy, the way he writes women of color is trash so I'm not surprised ATRL eats that **** up. But with that said, everyone loves Feud so... I'll have to check it out.

 

Fargo, TGE :clap3: Noah should just retool Fargo again like he did with S2. It was too samey to S1 + S2 instead of daring to be different. It was still better than a lot of other stuff + is still a Peak TV essential. But now that's he's doing a serial drama with Legion I wonder if he'll show different strengths, you write differently for a anthology vs a overarching show :eek:


Erica & Anna was a mess...

It is an anomaly (for the most part). Even the episode he solely wrote "And the Winner Is..." was surprisingly one of the best.

 

Agreed with bolded. #17 to #14 are basically unranked because I like them equally, but yeah I hope S4 comes harder so the show can end on a high note.It's clear every season will have strokes of the original film but there's so many ways to still be original like S1 and S2 (and parts of S3) were. Legion was amazing and I'm sure he will show different strengths. 

 

8 hours ago, Maddox said:

Dropped Feud halfway through the season. Tbh i really didn't care about this story whatsover. Seemed like a passion project for Murphy so good for him. Lange was doing her usual thing, i liked Sarandon's performance better :michael: 

 

David Thewlis was freaking brilliant on Fargo which was just okay... Thank god it got better on its second half

Sarandon was my favourite until around "And the Winner Is...". That's when Lange was given more challenging material and she really stepped it up. She slayed the finale.

 

He was good but I didn't really like him that much :rip: Mary Elizabeth Winstead was the MVP and i'm so  mad she was overlooked for her performance 

Posted (edited)
On 31.12.2017 at 5:35 PM, Playa Playa said:

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I liked TGE for pushing the medium of tv further into direction-heavy territory rather than writing, but, to me, both storylines stand more as failed experiments rather than successful. It was too scattered and the messages felt buried underneath everything going on. Riley and her season pretty much stay unbothered.

 

FEUD I liked, but it's very much a Ryan Murphy show, even if it's one of his better, more thorough works. It had too many inconsistencies in focus, and his dual-depiction of trying to sympathize both sides of the feud by arguing the industry-embedded misogyny as the root pitting these women against each other didn't always land or rang true by the way he wrote and depicted his women, which is a shame because there's a lot to say there and Sarandon (especially Sarandon) and Lange really helped fuel more depth into their characters than was always given (even if I'll fight anyone who thinks Lange wasn't just doing her same old, tired shtick, but I'll give her the finale). But I think this spot is pretty good for it.

 

Fargo, well. Definitely didn't have much new to say at all after those first two seasons. It's (mostly) greatly executed but it played more like a strong tune he's played before and better rather than really pushing his boundaries and as if Hawley actually knew that and tried hiding that beneath different storytelling gimmicks or visual ones. At least those stylistic tools were still daring, we got some good performances even if MEW was the only one really given enough to chew on and up to the task of defusing Fargo's stereotypes. + overall, there are still some stellar moments (or even episodes) that prove this season isn't as bad, or shouldn't have been as overlooked, as it was by the end. I like viewing it as a three-season statetement in which an argument is made in that our world's karmic justice and moral compasses are increasingly getting out of balance over time and why that is (economics, etc); time chronologically: second season has a clear re-adjustment of justice by the end; the first does so as well, albeit in an anti-climactic and much darker maner, and the third leaves the ambiguity of justice up until the end which makes the final shot of the season also a pretty perfect summation of the entire series' message should the third really remain the show's last season ever.

Edited by Allstar
Posted

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Charli XCX - Track 10

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15. This standout from the provocative Pop 2 mixtape is the perfect synthesis of PC Music's futuristic sound palette and all of the best aesthetic parts of Charli XCX. It's an unconventional reimagining of her unreleased track “Blame It On Your Love” that ties together layered noises, a synth-choir pad, harps and strings, and Charli's hyper-processed vocals to give us a melancholic pop masterpiece.

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LNS & DJ Sotofett ‎- Jugando Con Fuego

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14. Last year, DJ Sotofett was capturing that euphoric late-night feel and topping my end of year list. Now he's returned with LNS to serve up a melting pot of musical moods and textures with a one-track-four-versions epic. The clear standout is the “Club Mix” that combines all the reference points of the subsequent three versions: deep space ambient (“Cosmix”), Latin house (“Percussion Mix”), and uplifting, piano-driven house (“Sunrise Mix”).

Spoiler

 

 

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Kendrick Lamar - DNA

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13. It was a toss-up between “Duckworth” and “DNA”, but in the end, the vicious tirade that is “DNA” won on replay value. Kendrick had shown that he's capable of releasing good bangers yet I was still amazed when I first heard this song. It's him at his most defiant and furious, revelling in the power of blackness. Mike WiLL Made-It provides an instant classic beat that reaches highs with the switch and then what sounds like Kendrick battling the beat in the second half.

Spoiler

 

 
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Julien Baker - Appointments

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12. “Maybe it’s all gonna turn out all right / Oh, I know that it’s not / But I have to believe that it is” is one of the most cutting moments of 2017. Full of desire, pain, and isolation, it sees Julien Baker opening up about the cycle of depression–sometimes you strive, most of the time you feel defeated. As a result, it's a painfully honest post-mortem about a relationship gone wrong and one of Baker’s finest songs to date.

Spoiler

 

 

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DJ Central & Erika Casier - Drive

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11. UK garage is one of my all-time favourite genres of electronic music, so I'm always seeking out new sounds from it. This year I came across “Drive” (DJ Sports Club Mix), a simple, effective slice of the genre that brings together a traditional percussive rhythm, shuffling sounds and dreamy vocals from Erika Casier. For all the rhythmically complex electronic music out there, sometimes I like to have one that is as easily digestible (and great) as any pop tune on the charts.

Spoiler

 

Posted (edited)

Track 10 is a perfect closer. The emotion... A.G. Cook and Ms. XCX did that.

DNA :jonny4: you made the right pick (out of the two songs)

 

Excited for the top 10 and the albums list :duca:

Edited by theblackestday
Posted

Track 10 was a grower for me, I love an avant-garde, genre-being smasha. :jonny: 

 

DNA is a bop!

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Posted

okay i really have to listen to charli :skull: 

Posted

DNA :clap3:

 

element and humble are still superior, but excellent choice :katie2:

Posted

all these BOPS :katie2:

Posted
12 hours ago, Allstar said:

I liked TGE for pushing the medium of tv further into direction-heavy territory rather than writing, but, to me, both storylines stand more as failed experiments rather than successful. It was too scattered and the messages felt buried underneath everything going on. Riley and her season pretty much stay unbothered.

 

FEUD I liked, but it's very much a Ryan Murphy show, even if it's one of his better, more thorough works. It had too many inconsistencies in focus, and his dual-depiction of trying to sympathize both sides of the feud by arguing the industry-embedded misogyny as the root pitting these women against each other didn't always land or rang true by the way he wrote and depicted his women, which is a shame because there's a lot to say there and Sarandon (especially Sarandon) and Lange really helped fuel more depth into their characters than was always given (even if I'll fight anyone who thinks Lange wasn't just doing her same old, tired shtick, but I'll give her the finale). But I think this spot is pretty good for it.

 

Fargo, well. Definitely didn't have much new to say at all after those first two seasons. It's (mostly) greatly executed but it played more like a strong tune he's played before and better rather than really pushing his boundaries and as if Hawley actually knew that and tried hiding that beneath different storytelling gimmicks or visual ones. At least those stylistic tools were still daring, we got some good performances even if MEW was the only one really given enough to chew on and up to the task of defusing Fargo's stereotypes. + overall, there are still some stellar moments (or even episodes) that prove this season isn't as bad, or shouldn't have been as overlooked, as it was by the end. I like viewing it as a three-season statetement in which an argument is made in that our world's karmic justice and moral compasses are increasingly getting out of balance over time and why that is (economics, etc); time chronologically: second season has a clear re-adjustment of justice by the end; the first does so as well, albeit in an anti-climactic and much darker maner, and the third leaves the ambiguity of justice up until the end which makes the final shot of the season also a pretty perfect summation of the entire series' message should the third really remain the show's last season ever.

Yeah, I'm never going to give Ryan Murphy too much credit. It had its share of problems that you perfectly outlined, and I agree Sarandon and Lange helped fuel more depth into their characters as do nearly all of the talented actors on his shows. Jackie Hoffman and Alfred Molina deserve special mentions too. And fhksgsa I would've agreed with you on Lange basically playing versions of her AHS characters if we had only watched the first half of the season, but as I said above, I thought she really stepped it up after the Oscars episode

 

That's a very great analysis of Fargo as a whole. Are you doing your own countdown? I want to read more! Lol. I really really loved the final shot of the season and it kinda made the season for me. I only wish Carrie wasn't as underused as she was but then her role was always going to pale in comparison to that other one on at that same time...

Posted

I think what makes Track 10 special is that most wasn't expecting a track like that, + the song title creating some mystery beforehand. DNA. has so much going on yet it's very replayable. A banger well done. Appointments was a Julien highlight from what i remembered from listening to her album. 

Posted

With tracks like DNA. & HUMBLE. Kendrick showed he can do what Drake does (make bangers/hits) but Drake can't do what Kendrick does.

Posted
4 hours ago, Tom Vercetti said:

I think what makes Track 10 special is that most wasn't expecting a track like that, + the song title creating some mystery beforehand. DNA. has so much going on yet it's very replayable. A banger well done. Appointments was a Julien highlight from what i remembered from listening to her album. 

Yes and I love that it samples Life Sim's overlooked gem IDL :heart2:  

 

Appointments is a highlight along with Claws In Your Back, Sour Breath and Shadowboxing.

 

3 hours ago, Wicked said:

With tracks like DNA. & HUMBLE. Kendrick showed he can do what Drake does (make bangers/hits) but Drake can't do what Kendrick does.

It's funny because it's true :rip:

 

DAMN. era has made the Kendrick vs Drake debate very interesting because people can't reach that "Kendrick makes music for the critics, Drake makes music for the people" conclusion. The former now has a solo rap #1 and 2 other Top 10 hits from the most acclaimed album of the year. There's really not much else...

 

  • ATRL Moderator
Posted

My boyfriend and I were the only ones who guessed Track 10 was just the title of the song, it's lovely sorta like blame it on you part 2

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