Episode 1 : "His Visit: Day One"
In the beginning…..
Introductions, Levitations, Resurrections. "The End is Near." "I don’t know Butchie instead."
John. Who is he? Why is he here? Where did he come from?
First impressions of Mitch, Cissy, Shaun and Butchie, Bill and his birds, Link, Cass, Kai, Vietnam Joe, Ramon, Dickstein, Barry. The
Symbolism or influences in the first episode?
What did you think about the story? The actors ? The images?
Don't forget the surfing.
Favorite quotes? Favorite scenes? Favorite Characters?
And hey is anyone keeping track of the swear jar for Ep.1 and the series?
Need to check out something for a JFC reference: Calamity Dan's JFC section a great resource.
Guess everybody's having supper. So I'll make a comment, cause Ive gotta go, seeing a film tonight.
ReplyDeleteI lov'd Deadwood - David letting the dialogue and plot just take it's own time and space and development. Austin's small role was electric.
So what (in my opinion) jinxed JFC, that had a good and timely premise - drugs and mysticism and corruption and innocence and great surfing scenes - beautiful symbolism, good actors.
And it seems, reading the script (thanks y'all and Calamity Dan!)- a damn good script!
Maybe David needed a few more years to work out the "theology"? Maybe he shoulda just let it rip, as he did with Deadwood - maybe he didnt trust his intuitive facilities. Maybe the collaboration with the writer of the story wasn't working? - ????
I wanted more surfing scense, less theological bullshit, and I thot the character of Bill was too much like Al Swearengen, with his Shakespearean monologues and talking to a heathen's head as "Bill" talked to his parrot. I thot the character of Bill a weakness of the story. I really didnt "get him" and found him derivative, as I said.
Lov'd all of the other characters, esp. Kai and the GORGEOUS Seanie, these two I gather, who are actual surfing greats. And Austin knows his surf!
Coulda been magnifico!
p.s.thanks so much for the opportunity relive and discuss this!
ReplyDeleteI only saw the first episode so all I will say is God Austin has such a cute butt.
ReplyDeleteI am going to parcel things out about JFC tonight and tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that grabbed me was the theological aspect of the show. I always wondered if it was Kem Nunn (who was brought up in a very religious home) or if Milch was trying to Biblical which I really couldn't see. But listening to some of Milch's workshops you can tell that he has definitely read it even if it is more as literary piece than from a faith perspective.
Couple of thing One Austin appears with a message like that of a angel, but when he appears to Vietnam Joe,he comes from the rushes - like Moses, annointed and leader of his people to save them, but then he appears at Butchie's door which is like Revelations 3:20 Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in... He appears like an angel, appears like a like leader, has the name of a messenger, and then he came as a deliverer (Butchie).
Milch really goes for the prophetic im John. John the Apostle was also know as John the Revelator and was a writer.
If you look at the Gospel of John - he writes
The Word Became Flesh
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God
As a writer I can see Milch really getting that as much as he would get in the Book of Revelation.
Nunn was raised Seventh Day Adventist so I can see how he would draw from the prophesy of the book of Revelations as well.
Austin is at his best in that wet suit, and I love the way his hair looks when it's wet too.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I've gone back and watched JFC since it ran on HBO. One thing I was really struck by in watching the first episode is how much better it is after having seen what is to come. I think one reason that JFC didn't do well is that in some ways that first episode doesn't work very well as an introduction to the show. Some of the acting is not very good (Rebecca, Kai, Shaun) and there's kind of a frantic, unfinished feel to it. I think the show got a lot better after that. I think HBO was in such a hurry to get a Soprano replacement that Milch had to throw this together a lot quicker than he would have liked--look how long he seems to be taking with his new show, in contrast.
It was interesting to hear some of Milch's commentary. One thing he said that I hadn't thought about before is that things like John just happening to have $50 in his pocket for Vietnam Joe represents the idea that people only see what they want to see. In the regard John is sort of a mirror, reflecting people's own vision. But later that mirror also shows people things they haven't been able to see in themselves, or that they've been hiding for a long time.
Just the opposite, Jayna. Loved Bill, detested the actor who played Sean, which in turn ruined the character for me.
ReplyDeleteEd O'Neill was amazing! Greyson Fletcher abyssmal. So, was the surfer-turned-sort of actress who played Kai, but with one difference - she improved. As each episode aired, and I watched every one multiple times, she began to grow and loosen up, form a character, believe herself to be Kai, etc. Not GF, though. He was as stiff and dull as a stick the entire run of the show.
And that's one of the reasons it flopped. That and R deMornay's harpie shrieking which, in the first several episodes, seemed pointless and indefensible. By the time the story played out and we saw exactly where that screaming meemie's motivation was coming from, most had walked away with their ear ringing.
Butchie - and for the life of me I can't remember the actor's name - was spot on. A detestable wreck of a man whom you couldn't help but love. Vietnam Joe, immediately took to him, also, just as the Motel Magi.
And Austin, of course. His gift for mimicry and ability to say volumes with just an expression very evident from the first episode.
The opening plot was intriguing, an enigma worth sticking around to discover. I like to be challenged while watching TV/Films/Theatre, not just spoon fed a pablum of stock characters with no depth in decades old situations. No connection, no caring about their outcome. JFC hit all the right buttons for me (Well, except Greyson Fletcher) And I watched religiously until the end. Own the DVDs and have watched them several times, too. Fabulous, multi-layered, unique and frightening Television.
Biggest regret, though - except for Greyson Fletcher - is the plug was pulled too soon. But, in a society where instant gratification takes too long, neither HBO, nor the audience was willing to wait for the answer, neither wished to allow the story to slowly unfold, neither wished to endorse and support quality TV.
Quotes for the Ep 1 -
"I don't know, Butchie, instead"
"Got my eye on you, Bill!"
"The end is near."
"Mitch Yost needs to get back in the game."
I had never noticed how John appears to these people. That is very observant, Special. John is indeed very prophetic in alot of what he says, repeatedly. I love his mocking of the others. Austin has a knack for comedy, I think. He already has the smirk down, lol.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite characters is Al, (sorry, Jayna!). I thought he was hilarious with his over the top reactions. I did not like Rebecca DeMornay at all. She came across way too strong and abrasive. Totally unlikeable. Oh, and another favorite character was Butchie. His eyes really it up when he saw that credit card. He was ready to go rack it up at the surf shop. I wish he wasn't shown shooting up the drugs, though. I know it's just a show, but I hate to see that.
I like the music and the motion of the water. Austin looks fantastic in the dark wetsuit; it really sets off his features and, of course, his long, lean physique. I don't know how people stay on those surfboards. I don't understand how they work. I like to see people paddling on them, on their stomachs.
Sorry I'm a little late - I forget everyone else is on eastern time.
The surf scene were awesome, because they really filmed them surfing not trying to fake it and there was continuity in the surfing. Gotta love how they used the natural lighting of the sun going down on the Pacific.
ReplyDeleteI got my eye on you. No, I got my eye on you. That was one of my favorite scenes. One thing that gets me is how everyone kind of takes John's appearance in stride. I mean, Butchie just kind of takes him in hand and puts him up in his house. I wonder if they think he's mentally slow? Or do some of them right off the bat think there's something very different, very aura-like about him? I know that later on in the show, some do, especially Luke Perry. (whose role I don't quite get). But in the first episode, everybody just kind of takes him in.
ReplyDeleteSean reminds me of one of the boys in Lords of the Dogtown. The real straight, almost whitish blond hair. Real clear eyes.
I'm trying to bake my sopapailla crescent cheesecake while chatting here; forgive me while I dot in and out. This recipe is to kill for, you guys. This guy in our office made it & brought it in. Oh my gosh, it's a keeper.
Hi Tom, I'm not ignoring your question about whether or not Ted would name Toothy, I've just missed being able to post it in the previous threads.
ReplyDeleteAs this thread is for discussion on JFC, I'll get back to it when the next thread comes up
Do people want me to leave the Other post today open for a while?
ReplyDeleteBeach Bum, you said what I was trying to say and couldn't get across.
ReplyDeleteAustin is just so amazing in JFC, and I'd say that even if I wasn't biased. One of my favorite scenes in the whole series is in Episode 1--the one where he hangs his head out the car window like a dog.
Sure - why not? Open bar, Special!
ReplyDeleteI just screwed up my cheesecake! The Prairie Girl version not a keeper.
That was a good idea on the cuss jar. You know, I can handle some cussing, after all I am a fanfiction reader and alot of that is sprinkled pretty well with it. It can be effective at times. But this show just really went crazy with it, especially the first episode.
OK - A for Amuse is back opened for comments not related to JFC discussion.
ReplyDeleteThis show made me think of Twin Peaks, did anyone watch that? That was a fascinating show, full of imagery and lots of intriguing characters & phrases. At least it was a little easier to follow. I was totally lost in the beginning of JFC, but I stuck with it like some people here said to, and I got to following some miniplots here & there. What I liked were the characters. There were some touching moments, like the scene with the teddy bears, and those mob-like guys got to be quite amusing, too.
ReplyDeleteI think it had some good potential, but he made it too hard to follow. Alot of people aren't going to be too patient; after one episode, they're going to can it.
I think Deadwood was fully written, at least season 1 anyway, but JFC was being written as it was being filmed or very close to it. Not a good idea to start with. Some of the casting was terrible. Austin is/was really the best thing about this show.
ReplyDeleteAustin non verbal acting in JFC is amazing. He must have work a while to get the expression and mannerisms he wanted. You can tell how much thought and preparation he put into it.
ReplyDeleteIHJ posted the Borders bookstore pics today. Not sure why I am surprised by this. It is Jake and his friends in the pics afterall. But it seemed to me they avoided Austin in the past. It was nice to see them together on a site not devoted to them.
ReplyDeleteThe odd thing about the casting is that Milch almost seemed proud about casting "amateurs". Or maybe he was just saying that to try and counter some of the criticism.
ReplyDeleteInteresting M. I'm kind of surprised after all this time, I always assumed that somehow they weren't made available to IHJ. I wonder why now.
ReplyDeleteAnd as long as we're OT (sorry Special), can I have some Cheesecake PG? Is it really a sopapilla one? Never heard of such a thing
no worries Destiny
ReplyDeleteI'm just so happy to be here for a little while and bask in the sunshine and the surf with you folks... and with Austin and the gang from JFC.
ReplyDeleteJayna, I very much liked Bill's character in the show, he played a wounded soul who was trying to deal with his losses, his wife for one and the loss of his career to retirement. Thankfully, he was included in the Yost family dynamic and made to feel a big part in that even though he was wise enough to back away when it was appropriate. Bill liked being in charge and felt a great sense of duty and responsibility for Sean and the Yosts.
Love the Shakespearean influences, soliloquies, the old style verbal theatrics, I SO loved this in Deadwood. (Have yet to see the season when the Erp brothers appear).
Jersey Tom.... love reading your comments, always have even when you get carried away. You and I share a few sensibilities and I suspect we are close in age as well. Yes!!! Austin does look so very good in that wet suit, from head to toe but especially from the side.
Special, the religious analogies, references and the obvious importance of these in the story remind me of much of the discussion of BBM in the early days.... before IMDb became polluted and festered with trolls. Do you recall any of the discussions on the elements of Greek mythology and the analysis of Casey Cornelius. I'm afraid, a lot of this is beyond my own limited expression when it comes to getting it down in writing, but I love to try and get into the spirit of it all.
Destiny... I love John's Magic Pants and how whatever is needed seems to always be there. This is far more than mortal magic.
And Imperial Beach Bum, I thought the casting of Greyson as Sean was inspired in it's simplicity, or possibly in his simplicity. I really managed to find something to like in most all of the characters. Sissy was shrill, but for many good reasons I suspect. A drug addled son, the responsibility of raising her grandson, and then tolerating her self-centered husband and his mystic mania. I do agree with M that Austin was the best thing about the show.
I think I'll leave it at this for now. Hope you don't get sick of hearing from me now that the genie is out of the bottle if only for a few hours....
All good wishes to Special, Wicked and to this great little community.
Seaweed.
Destiny, the cheesecake may not be a total loss. It looks kind of goofy, but you know, anything with cream cheese has just about got to be good. Pardon me, everyone, for just a 1 min. cooking lesson.
ReplyDeleteDestiny, I cut this recipe in half because it really makes a 9 x 13. But you layer some Pillsbury crescent dinner roll dough on the bottom, then mix cream cheese, sugar, & vanilla together, spread it on top of that, then layer the rest of the crescent dough. Smooth it down. Then pour a bit of melted butter on top of that. Followed by a mix of cinnamon/sugar. Then you bake it.
I was typing on here, then I went over to finish it & I got too carried away with my layering. I put the top layer of dough on and then only 1/2 the cream cheese mixture and I was supposed to put the whole thing. So I had to glob the rest of my cream cheese on top of the dough. It looks kind of funky. I hope my friend still likes it. She's coming over tomorrow night for some movie watching.
Seaweed, gosh I love that name, it's so creative.
The music in JFC got me a couple of times, too. The song at the end of the first episode and then later on, Time to Say Goodbye, that opera piece. I had to download that one off I Tunes & I listen to it pretty frequently. What a beautiful song.
Well, I'm going to head on out; perhaps tomorrow some others will be able to cast some more light on this show who weren't able to be here tonight.
ReplyDeleteHere ya go, Destiny, catch!! How was it?? : )
Sweet dreams, everyone.
It was delish PG, thanks!
ReplyDeleteSeeweed, I enjoyed your post, so I hope you mean it about the genie being out of the bottle..
Destiny, thanks for the comment and I hope I can get back for more of the discussion. Have to work 11-7 tomorrow and will try and stay tuned in from work and comment when I can. I'm on someone else's computer and they are away till later tomorrow. It'd be nice to hear a lot more discussion throughout the day on Saturday.
ReplyDeleteG'night now.
Special's gotta like Austin in a wetsuit. She's got the same picture up twice.
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteWell I got as far as the episode without Austin in it and up to that point I'd watched them back to back, pretty much, on DVD - but Austin's character (and the sweet clever things he did with it) was the leaven in this show for me (PG has made me think of baking). I loved Ed O'Neill too, and let's have a word for Mitch Yost!
I think I get what Milch was trying to say (thus far) but some of the early episodes felt padded -I do think it's important to know the story first and then create a show that fits the dynamic of the story (shorter and tighter could have worked brilliantly).
Good to see the full set of Borders pics on IHJ :) *
I agree Destiny I love when Austin put his out the window like a dog when riding with Vietnam Joe. You wonder who thought of the him or Milch.
ReplyDeleteMagic Pants - you just have to love that expression.
********
A little OT: but this visitor to the JFC set and probably a real admirer of Magic Pants.
From a interview with Toby Kebbell who is working on PoP.
Where are you living and working at the moment?
In London, working on The Prince of Persia. After RockNRolla I was out of work for 11 months, to shoot down the idea of the glamour. Then I was in Morocco for two and a half months learning to ride on a horse and fight with an axe for the Prince of Persia, but these big projects go on and on, so I'm shooting at Pinewood now. My co-star Jake (Gyllenhaal) is a lovely fella. He's been training hard and pumping iron; he's all about doing his acting right. It's more like doing a marathon than it is like acting, you're delivering these lines that are a bit obscure and you wouldn't normally say like (adopts OTT theatrical voice) 'The mystical dagger of time is going to save us all!' So it's a tricky one, but Jake's got the bull by the horns. We sat around and had a bite to eat a couple of times. He's a typical Yanky chap.
Toby Kebbell - this is nottingha.co.uk
******
Back to JFC
On the prophetic theme again - John ramblings in the episode tip us off to what was to happen in the future.
When first spot Shaun - he say "Shaun will soon be gone"
"We are all frail vessels."
"One good blowjob rocked the Jew lawyer's world."
And of course Milch blends the prophetic and the profane.
**********
And one of my favorite lines:
(And it's more about Austin's delivery) Vroom!
One of my favorite scenes was when
ReplyDeleteAustin's money showed up and then
the credit card like magic! I also
thought Austin and Butchie were
really something together! I also
thought Ed O'Neill did a great job! Kai and Shaunie did a great
job also. I really was not too much a fan of Mitch's wife! One of
my favorite scenes was when Austin
woke up on the matress and then
in the bathroom!! He is gorgeous!
I always thought that John Nomad
seemed to be a messenger of God!
I also really enjoyed the scenery,
the surfing, and where John and
Butchie walked on the boardwalk!
I really enjoyed the whole series!
I have a suggestion that I just
ReplyDeletethought of from Prairie Girl's
recipe! Some day we should really
have a post of some recipes! This
is just a thought! Everyone have
a great weekend!!
Some day we should really
ReplyDeletehave a post of some recipes! This
is just a thought!
Great suggestion Kacie! Thanks.
I was always impressed with Austin's delivery not only with his lines, but all those facial expressions, not necessarily subtle, but they were so telling of innocence.
ReplyDeleteKacie, I loved that scene where Butchie and John were on the boardwalk/pier and ran into Vietnam Joe. John's closeness with Butchie was so much like an younger brother to his older sibling or a dependent who is challenged in some way and in need of assistance.
I have to admit, I do love the series in terms of a bit of Austin fan worship but I think I temper that and I'm aware of it. In totally enjoying the episode that sets a lot of the series up I don't always find it easy to pick it apart, I tend to bask in it, and in the various characters with all their weaknesses and personal challenges. John is absolutely right when he says "We are all frail vessels"
To me Shaun almost seems to be in the eye of the storm, not a lot of action there, just a quiet and cautious lad who has a good heart. I think his living with this grandparents has taught him to just retreat and watch all the flash and bombast from Mitch and Sissy, and then to confide or lean on Ky, like an older sister.
I really do love talking about JFC, not just Austin. But it is obvious how he and Milch have created a totally engaging character in John.
Heading for work soon, will check in again as soon as I can. Have a great Sat morning all!
S.
Special,
ReplyDeleteThanks for brightening up my morning with "Sun Rise Light Flies" my heart is lighter for hearing that this morning.
X
A lot of people didn't like Rebecca De Mornay in the first episode. Is it the character? Or is the actor? Is hindsight 20/20 and you look at her differently now?
ReplyDeleteI think its the character and not the actor. She was cast in the role as a shrill bitch but with a soft underbelly that you seldom see. She always comes out on top, she has to and my guess is that without the business they'd be up the creek without a paddle.
ReplyDeleteRebecca De Mornay, thought she was just fine - "shrill bitch"? - rather, a low startle point, that I found totally understandable. I liked her.
ReplyDeleteI didn't like Rebecca'a acting, and some of it was her character, both of which I think got better as the show went on. Some of that may not have been Rebecca's fault, I think initially she is the least developed character, and I wonder if even Milch knew at that point what he was doing to do with her. But the character is shrill, and I don't think she did shrill well at any point in the series.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree Kacie that John and Butchie's scenes together are really good. In the commentary Milch suggests that John gives Butchie the chance to be the father he wasn't with Shaun. It's also interesting how Butchie and Shaun both sort of take John right in like family and don't question the way he is at all.
Ok more questions.
ReplyDeleteRamon and Dickstein - Who do you thin Milch wants them to represent? Are they a Greek Chorus? Are the "disciples/apostles" if you follow the theological slant? Have they been the protectors of Butchie until John arrives?
Why does Mitch say go straight to brain tumor as the reason for his levitation? He tells Cissy a brain tumor, but the first person his levitation is revealed to is Butchie - any ideas?
I found something version interesting from watching JFC without the sound. And it is how the scenes were blocked and shot. How Milch filmed Austin, he has him to one side, close up so that he fills the screen, his features are sharp and the background is soft. He had a blocking for John that no one else in the show had.
And of course in the opening credits Austin is not a bird. He is water.
I’m so glad I watched episode 1 again. This time I caught so much so that I had missed before. I definitely got a religious vibe from the show as well. Although I went to catholic school for a few years, I don’t remember many bible passages so I can’t make the verse connections. I still liked the way the characters were put together though. I saw John as an angel coming to save this family from self destruction. There were so many questions though that I wonder if that’s what lost so many people right away. I love a good mystery so I wanted to know more, like: why was Butchie a druggie - why was Mitch levitating - and why did John just product objects from his pockets on command...lol.
ReplyDeleteOf course Austin took control right away and stole the scenes with his funny lines and expressions. I was amazed at Ed O’Neill’s performance too. I would really like to see him in other dramatic roles. I liked the way they introduced different subplots too. The motel owner being gay bashed as a child was interesting. I’m sure season 2 would have gone more into that.
Best lines:
“Get that fruit out of the sun”
“I got my eye on you”
“If that’s a tumor where do I sign up?”
Swear jar, were those from just one episode? Not unlike Deadwood, which probably exceeded that count.
ReplyDeleteIntersting observation about the blocking. It's amazing what you see when the words don't distract.
Some of the religious references I noticed the first time I watched it, but a lot of my awareness of those elements came from the discussion board on HBO. But I'm still not sure what role to put John in. And I'm not sure where Dickstein fits in all this, as a Jewish character. I do think Dickstein and Ramon are kind of outsiders or observers to everything that is going on, especially Ramon. Does that make them a Greek chorus? I don't quite see them being true apostles because they are not spreading the word, whatever the word is for Milch. However I do seem to recall reading that by the end (when a few more characters show up) that you end up with 12 characters in addition to John.
ReplyDeleteM-
ReplyDeleteI love looking at things in different ways, I always see something or hear something (when I just listen and don't watch the screen) I never had before.
About the apostle angle - Matthew was identified in the gospels as Jewish and also as tax collector - which could be related to Dickstein taking care of the financial aspects of Barry's life.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Barry is supposed to be short for Bartholomew - an other apostle.
And then you meet the Dr. Smith could be the apostle Luke.
We don't know if they would have spread the word,because they got cancelled. But wonder if that was one of Milch and Nunn's overall themes.
The stand outs for me in Episode One - Austin and Ed O'Neill.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time we really get to see Austin's range. The layers of all the things he blends together to make John are amazing. The smallest details, motions, expressions, inflections. He showed his critics.
Ed - just awesome as Bill Jacks. So different from anything else he's played. Despite the brash, rigidity and bravado, you can see the hurt and vulnerability that Bill has, and the how his birds and the Yosts are his surrogate family.
Seaweed - interesting about Shaun being the eye of the storm - spot on!
I wss pretty satisfied in the first episode with whom John Monad was:
ReplyDelete"Monad (symbol) a term used by ancient philosophers Pythagoras, Parmenides, Xenophanes, Plato, Aristotle, and Plotinus as a term for God or the first being, or the totality of all being.
Monism, the concept of "one essence" in the metaphysical and theological theory
Monad (Gnosticism), the most primal aspect of God in Gnosticism
Monadology, a book of philosophy by Gottfried Leibniz in which monads are a basic unit of perceptual reality"
Some kind of intervention figure with a task to perform.
So I didnt have to brood too much over why he pulled money from nowhere and so forth - as a mystical interventionist he was mostly helping the plot along.
Druggies and surfers and Taoists open to alternate realities - I found myself (being somewhat familiar with Milch from Deadwood commentaries) seeing Mitch as Milchlike, "Grand Poohbah", "Fucking Dalai Lama" - or maybe Milch as Mitch-like.
People like Mitch that I have met have been arrogant and pretentious and whiney and then to find that he is levitating is pretty funny.
Maybe I'm not making any sense but Im enjoying thinking about JFC and hearing all the comments.
p.s. Yes, I, too, thot Shaun being "eye of storm" was right on.
ReplyDeleteJayna,
ReplyDeleteWhen I used the term shrill bitch it might have been a bit strong. She certainly is very strident, and she is shrill at times. Later on she will be referred to as "the greatest ball-buster known to man" and I think John touches on this in one of his appearances in a later episode.
Enjoying the comments today from all sides.... any discussion with Austin in it is OK with me.
Later....
Swear jar, were those from just one episode? Not unlike Deadwood, which probably exceeded that count.
ReplyDeleteYeah just one episode.
LOL!!
ReplyDeleteFrom the very first episode, I have to say that I was pretty much blown away by Austin's ability to become John. I never thought of Austin once during the whole series - he was John Monad to me from the very beginning. I loved his take on this character and the way he used his voice, facial expressions and even his whole body to bring John to life (I still laugh when I think about all of the times he's lead around by the hand). I also loved his chemistry with every other actor on the show.
ReplyDeleteI think most of the actors did a great job - I really loved John's interaction with Ed O'Neill and Brian Van Holt. A lot of the secondary characters were excellent actors. On the other hand, I cringed every time Greyson Fletcher or Rebecca De Mornay appeared on the screen. DeMornay's character may have been written as a shrill bitch, but she did not pull it off at all IMO.
I can see why the first episode may have alienated a lot of people. It had some bad acting, a disjointed storyline and what seemed like an inordinate amount of gratuitous foul language. I think it was compelling in a Twin Peaks sort of way, but did not have the hook it needed to keep people watching to see how the story would unfold. It's too bad in many ways because it became much better in the subsequent episodes. I'd love to be watching Autin in season two of JFC right now. Instead, I'll be watching him in OTH.
Y'know, I didnt even notice foul language in JFC! I guess I was totally immunized by Deadwood! :D
ReplyDeletelol, Jayna - Milch does have a way with words. ;)
ReplyDeleteForgot to mention two other things I loved about JFC: the opening song "Johnny Appleseed" and my favorite of all, Austin in a wetsuit.
BTW, check out Spooky's Journal for a great quote from Jake about Austin.
I love that song too, and the way they use old (or old looking) footage for the opening credits--one of the rare shows where I watch the opening credits rather than fast-forwarding through them.
ReplyDeleteLots of great music in JFC.
ReplyDeleteand all that ocean - !
ReplyDeleteand Austin's lovely bod . .. . !
I loved Milch's commentary for the first episode. There was stuff just so random, and his comment about Luiz Guzman's stomach and about Rebecca it was like this stream of consciousness rambling. You can imagine what kind of crazy random conversations he had with his actors and crew. Half the time they had to be thinking WTF?
ReplyDeleteBut seriously I think that working with Milch was the best thing ever for Austin. I think it really unlocked all the potential he had that no one expected or had seen before.
Interesting breakdown on Monad Jayna. Thanks for posting that.
ReplyDeleteI did not mean that Rebecca de
ReplyDeleteMoray was not a good actress! What I meant was that she was a
little too much overprotective of
Shaun! I also really liked Ed's
bird Zippy! Are you going to discuss each episode separately?
I have a suggestion-on maybe
one Friday or Saturday a month,
could we have a RECIPE DAY where
we could share some recipes! I
know Jake is a fabulous cook but
didn't some of you say that Austin
could not even make a milkshake?
Also, we know that Ted said
Toothy Tile did drugs but he never
said the boyfriend did drugs, did
he?
He really is going strong right now on Toothy! Wicked and
Special K, you do not think he
will come right out and say that
Jake is Toothy after all this time, do you?
Wicked, did you and the Mrs.
and Tink and Potter, get back from
the beach yet? Lucky you! I hope
all of you had a wonderful time!
I really enjoyed JFC but at
times I had trouble understanding
it!
When I first became aware of Toothy Tile and his boyfriend, I
ReplyDeleteused to think that the Grey Goose
just stayed with Toothy for the
sake of his career! I also used to
wonder if they argued about money
like most couples do! I wonder
what the next saga will be of
Toothy Tile! I guess we will just
have to wait and see! I will catch
you later!!
Kacie
ReplyDeleteYes we are doing one episode a month so look for the date for October soon. And yes we will do the Friday night Saturday thing.
Yes Jake is a fabulous cook, and yeah Austin can't make a milkshake, but I think he can make other things. They did like to cook together when they were filming TDAT. The Recipe thing is a great idea keep your eyes open for an announcement. So everybody start to look for your favorite recipe, or be adventurous and create a new one.
Ted will do everything short of saying Toothy is Jake, and I think that's what he's doing right now.
And if you asked everyone who watched JFC they would admit they get confused watching it as some point or another. Ask questions I'm sure that there are some of us thinking the exact same thing. : )