The timing of the dialogue is done really well, the writer/editor has a good sense of rhythm and beat when it comes to that.
I like the surreal aspect that the episodes take.
I don't see it as a comedy, I'm not waiting to laugh all the time. From the first two episodes, I think it's going somewhere as a story, not as a by-weekly attempt at a bunch of video game jokes.
Langly on
0
GRMikeThe Last Best Hope for HumanityThe God Pod Registered Userregular
edited January 2011
I think I like it. It doesn't make me laugh but it makes me smile.
I didn't mean to come off as offended if I did like "I demand an answer!" I was genuinely curious as to why people didn't like it.
Most people said, in the first thread, that they didn't know what they thought about it rather than explained that they didn't like it, so I was curious to see what people actually thought.
zombiefriend on
mmmmm
0
MrMonroepassed outon the floor nowRegistered Userregular
edited January 2011
I am surprised to have found this hilarious
who knew eight bit characters could have such good comedic timing
I don't see it as a comedy, I'm not waiting to laugh all the time. From the first two episodes, I think it's going somewhere as a story, not as a by-weekly attempt at a bunch of video game jokes.
I cam to the exact opposite conclusion based on the first 2 episodes. Time will tell.
I wish I knew why I'm having so much trouble deciding if I like this or not. I guess on the surface it's just an 8-bit play with a decent sense of timing, but I feel like there might be something I'm missing.
There was more than once reference to the brain fungus. I'm kind of wondering if that is going to turn out to be a plot point. Does Ledo have an RPG tumor?
Silas Brown on
0
RaakamToo many years...CanadalandRegistered Userregular
edited January 2011
This is unfortunately not for me I know how much time and effort it takes to make these things, so I'll just say best of luck to them, hopefully the people who like it will keep liking it.
Raakam on
My padherder they don't it be like it is but it do
I wish I knew why I'm having so much trouble deciding if I like this or not. I guess on the surface it's just an 8-bit play with a decent sense of timing, but I feel like there might be something I'm missing.
Though, I think after 8-bit theater and RPG World, I may have kind of already seen most of what the "mostly-real people/characters in a game world!" jokes and situations that one can be presented with.
I wish I knew why I'm having so much trouble deciding if I like this or not. I guess on the surface it's just an 8-bit play with a decent sense of timing, but I feel like there might be something I'm missing.
There was more than once reference to the brain fungus. I'm kind of wondering if that is going to turn out to be a plot point. Does Ledo have an RPG tumor?
I was thinking that they actually arrived in the brain fungus spot on the map instead of the village
Though it was probably just another "there are many guards in the castle" joke.
Though, I think after 8-bit theater and RPG World, I may have kind of already seen most of what the "mostly-real people/characters in a game world!" jokes and situations that one can be presented with.
Has to be done.
If that had to be done, then so did this.
Oh my god I remember this comic and now I have stuff to post in the webcrumblics thread bee arr bee
I feel like the joke would have hit me a lot harder if I never read 8-bit theater back in the day. Because for people really into those types of RPGs (which I am) the joke was actually pretty well done, but instead of making me laugh, it just made me think of when I saw it on 8-bit.
Javen on
0
BaidolI will hold him offEscape while you canRegistered Userregular
edited January 2011
I'm pretty sure the tone of these videos makes it clear that comedy is not its purpose.
I'm pretty sure the tone of these videos makes it clear that comedy is not its purpose.
Yes - I have to stop reading this thread because it just makes me unreasonably frustrated. These things are so lovely and so well made that it is actually mentally painful to read response after response that boils down to "Meh - didn't laugh."
There is no way to explain this to someone who can respond to it like that.
That's not meant as a judgement, it's just like an unbridgeable gulf.
I'm pretty sure the tone of these videos makes it clear that comedy is not its purpose.
Yes - I have to stop reading this thread because it just makes me unreasonably frustrated. These things are so lovely and so well made that it is actually mentally painful to read response after response that boils down to "Meh - didn't laugh."
There is no way to explain this to someone who can respond to it like that.
That's not meant as a judgement, it's just like an unbridgeable gulf.
While I wasn't a fan of either episode so far, the first felt far more of a serious piece while the second felt more like it was intended to be funny. Though the description of this show is that it "uses the visual vocabulary of retro video games to explore the human fear of both the unknown and the known" (disregarding how empty such a sentence actually is) it seems that the focus is the retro video game tropes and language themselves, which is why so many people had the "seen it" reaction.
For this episode, had they used the mechanical, brainwashed nature of the NPC town as a satire of the political/consumer/poorly educated/whatever aspect of society, or as launching point for examining routine, complacency, and so forth in their own lives, it would have at least had a hope of being effective. It would have carried a real message (though likely heavy handed, depending on how it would be presented) and set forth a clear, serious tone for the series. Instead they stopped at "NPC townsfolk have limited responses" and dragged that on for a while, without anything actually happening with it, or anything else for that matter.
Things can often have comedic elements without actually being a comedy
Its purpose, as far as I can tell, is to tell the story of these two characters, such as it is. So far, it's included elements of comedy based on RPG cliches, but that's not necessarily its main point
I feel like I am listening to those people that will only watch foreign movies because American Movies are too low brow. If a show has "Comedic elements", I don't care if the whole show isn't meant to be funny, I expect at least the comedic elements to be funny. They were not. They were overdone.
I guess there is some post-empirical modernist theme that I am missing, but if it's a show about the story of these 2 characters then I would expect them to develop that, rather than dedicating the entire second episode to a played out joke.
The first episode was ok, but not immersive enough. didn't like this one. Hopefully it picks up more in later episodes
I'd Fuck Chuck Lidell Up on
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CambiataCommander ShepardThe likes of which even GAWD has never seenRegistered Userregular
I feel like I am listening to those people that will only watch foreign movies because American Movies are too low brow. If a show has "Comedic elements", I don't care if the whole show isn't meant to be funny, I expect at least the comedic elements to be funny. They were not. They were overdone.
I guess there is some post-empirical modernist theme that I am missing, but if it's a show about the story of these 2 characters then I would expect them to develop that, rather than dedicating the entire second episode to a played out joke.
But see, I don't take the events they showed as 'a played out joke', or any kind of joke, as much as they are (in my opinion) showing how much these two characters are completely alone in this world - at least that's where I think this is going. It's more disturbing than funny, and it's supposed to be.
Cambiata on
"If you divide the whole world into just enemies and friends, you'll end up destroying everything" --Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
...without anything actually happening with it, or anything else for that matter.
Owwww. Owwwwww!
(weeping)
This is just one of those things that cannot be explained in terms of purpose, and that does not require a clearly defined narrative. Really, it just isn't.
It is a beautiful little poem about a bunch of things. Crushing on the unobtainable. The way love for someone who is not like you can keep you tied to the bigger world. The disappointment of demystifying the unknown. A lot of things.
If you can watch these and the only thing you can think of is "it's not about anything" or "nothing happens"
or "it wasn't funny" then there is just nothing I could possibly say that would explain it. It's like it's painted all in green but you can't see green.
Nothing is for everyone, so you know, cool. I just wish there wasn't so much blind bafflement about it. It's really a beautiful little thing.
I remember watching some early technicolor movies on TCM and AMC and MoviePlex when I was a kid and it seemed like everything was painted in green.
I don't know whether they thought green looked the vivid-est in this eye-popping spectacular new color movie technology or what, but man did they like green. Green clothes, green furniture upholstery, green everything.
Then later I think I read somewhere that of the primary colors green is the hardest on the human eye.
...without anything actually happening with it, or anything else for that matter.
Owwww. Owwwwww!
(weeping)
This is just one of those things that cannot be explained in terms of purpose, and that does not require a clearly defined narrative. Really, it just isn't.
It is a beautiful little poem about a bunch of things. Crushing on the unobtainable. The way love for someone who is not like you can keep you tied to the bigger world. The disappointment of demystifying the unknown. A lot of things.
If you can watch these and the only thing you can think of is "it's not about anything" or "nothing happens"
or "it wasn't funny" then there is just nothing I could possibly say that would explain it. It's like it's painted all in green but you can't see green.
Nothing is for everyone, so you know, cool. I just wish there wasn't so much blind bafflement about it. It's really a beautiful little thing.
Sometimes I envy people who are this easily amused/impressed.
Guys, I get the feeling we're about to start being really douche-y to each other in here, so why don't we at least let it rest until the next episode, alright?
...without anything actually happening with it, or anything else for that matter.
Owwww. Owwwwww!
(weeping)
This is just one of those things that cannot be explained in terms of purpose, and that does not require a clearly defined narrative. Really, it just isn't.
It is a beautiful little poem about a bunch of things. Crushing on the unobtainable. The way love for someone who is not like you can keep you tied to the bigger world. The disappointment of demystifying the unknown. A lot of things.
If you can watch these and the only thing you can think of is "it's not about anything" or "nothing happens"
or "it wasn't funny" then there is just nothing I could possibly say that would explain it. It's like it's painted all in green but you can't see green.
Nothing is for everyone, so you know, cool. I just wish there wasn't so much blind bafflement about it. It's really a beautiful little thing.
Sometimes I envy people who are this easily amused/impressed.
Clearly it is not easy as you and 90% of everyone else find it so difficult.
Clearly it is not easy as you and 90% of everyone else find it so difficult.
Um, yeah, that's kind of what he's saying. If everybody was amused by the things the easily amused people were amused by than they wouldn't be considered easy to amuse. :P ;-)
Now seriously, why don't we just drop it, folks It's just a damn video on the internet. If you don't like it it doesn't hurt you any and if you do like it why do you care what anybody else thinks or why?
I feel like I am listening to those people that will only watch foreign movies because American Movies are too low brow. If a show has "Comedic elements", I don't care if the whole show isn't meant to be funny, I expect at least the comedic elements to be funny. They were not. They were overdone.
I guess there is some post-empirical modernist theme that I am missing, but if it's a show about the story of these 2 characters then I would expect them to develop that, rather than dedicating the entire second episode to a played out joke.
But see, I don't take the events they showed as 'a played out joke', or any kind of joke, as much as they are (in my opinion) showing how much these two characters are completely alone in this world - at least that's where I think this is going. It's more disturbing than funny, and it's supposed to be.
Maybe I would be more inclined to look deeper into it if they didn't follow it with a prat fall.
it's like "Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side!" *rimshot* "you see it's a tale about the existential crisis wherein even an animal realizes that life is filled with ultimately meaningless wandering."
I'm okay with blind bafflement. I wasn't sure what to make of L+I when I saw it the first time. Probably because I had read 8-Bit Theater. I think the best descriptor mentioned so far has been "charm."
*Edit: Removed moronic content: It's late and I know better.
Now seriously, why don't we just drop it, folks It's just a damn video on the internet. If you don't like it it doesn't hurt you any and if you do like it why do you care what anybody else thinks or why?
I don't actually care if anyone likes it or not. The thing that causes me to post is, I watch the video, I love it, I see a comment thread, I come here to see what other people think of it, and it is nothing but an unending river of baffled negativity.
I wonder, where are the people who like it? There are a few, scattered in among the haters. So I figure I'll at least add a comment, so anyone doing what I did will at least have one more point of view that has a chance of at least being interesting, or of engaging with the actual thing, instead of just glancing superficially at it and huffing "I don't know art, but I know what I like."
Then, inevitably, someone who is confused by the fact that this thing they don't get is being actively promoted by content providers they admire asks the question, "what do you see in it?"
Instead of just ignoring the question, even though I know I should and I know it is futile, I try to explain what I like.
Then someone decides to accuse me of being easily amused. And someone else asks why does anyone even care.
Some things are more subtle than exploding dicks. Exploding dicks are funny. Some things are also funny and profound and executed more subtly. They aren't better, they are just more subtle, and maybe more ambitious in their scope. They maybe use tools that more straightforward comedy doesn't use. They require some active engagement to appreciate. They aren't as casual.
Maybe there are some people who like that, who might like to talk about it, but coming here and seeing nothing but people blinking away their incomprehension, just write off the whole effort and stay away. As I'm likely to do after this post.
But, I mean, goddam! How many of you are just going to post over and over again that you don't understand it? Anyone actually interested in engaging in a conversation about it, rather than just defensively putting it down?
Now seriously, why don't we just drop it, folks It's just a damn video on the internet. If you don't like it it doesn't hurt you any and if you do like it why do you care what anybody else thinks or why?
I wonder, where are the people who like it? There are a few, scattered in among the haters. So I figure I'll at least add a comment, so anyone doing what I did will at least have one more point of view that has a chance of at least being interesting, or of engaging with the actual thing, instead of just glancing superficially at it and huffing "I don't know art, but I know what I like."
Some things are more subtle than exploding dicks. Exploding dicks are funny. Some things are also funny and profound and executed more subtly. They aren't better, they are just more subtle, and maybe more ambitious in their scope. They maybe use tools that more straightforward comedy doesn't use. They require some active engagement to appreciate. They aren't as casual.
But, I mean, goddam! How many of you are just going to post over and over again that you don't understand it? Anyone actually interested in engaging in a conversation about it, rather than just defensively putting it down?
1. this seems to suggest that only people who agree with you will have interesting opinions
2. a prat fall isn't subtle, nor is it profound when it's overdone
3. that is what the rest of us are attempting to do, while you stomp around the thread posting how we just don't understand art
The lecture about subtlety as if we don't know what it is doesn't help your case either.
That wasn't a lecture. That was, just again, me trying, obviously futilely, to explain why I like this, and to push back against post after post after post of people basically saying that because it does not have jokes and because they cannot detect a story, that they do not like it or else do not know what to make of it.
I didn't accuse you of not knowing about subtlety. If you want to be offended as though I did that is entirely up to you.
And, you know, with that I am done here. You can all commence feeling like I lectured you and then return to serially posting how much you don't think the videos are funny.
Posts
It's just not for some people
The timing of the dialogue is done really well, the writer/editor has a good sense of rhythm and beat when it comes to that.
I like the surreal aspect that the episodes take.
I don't see it as a comedy, I'm not waiting to laugh all the time. From the first two episodes, I think it's going somewhere as a story, not as a by-weekly attempt at a bunch of video game jokes.
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Langly, are you busy tonight? We can discuss this at length.
Most people said, in the first thread, that they didn't know what they thought about it rather than explained that they didn't like it, so I was curious to see what people actually thought.
who knew eight bit characters could have such good comedic timing
There isn't a lot of slapstick, certainly, and the deliveries are mostly deadpan, but I hesitate to call the humor "subtle".
I cam to the exact opposite conclusion based on the first 2 episodes. Time will tell.
There was more than once reference to the brain fungus. I'm kind of wondering if that is going to turn out to be a plot point. Does Ledo have an RPG tumor?
they don't it be like it is but it do
This is exactly where I am.
I was thinking that they actually arrived in the brain fungus spot on the map instead of the village
Though it was probably just another "there are many guards in the castle" joke.
I'll tell you what it reminds me of, it reminds me of Waiting for Godot. So Tragi-comedy is where I think this is going.
Oh my god I remember this comic and now I have stuff to post in the webcrumblics thread bee arr bee
hey satan...: thinkgeek amazon My post |
Too bad the dialog is stale and the video fails to captivate me in any way. Am I supposed to be laughing at this or something?
Yes - I have to stop reading this thread because it just makes me unreasonably frustrated. These things are so lovely and so well made that it is actually mentally painful to read response after response that boils down to "Meh - didn't laugh."
There is no way to explain this to someone who can respond to it like that.
That's not meant as a judgement, it's just like an unbridgeable gulf.
While I wasn't a fan of either episode so far, the first felt far more of a serious piece while the second felt more like it was intended to be funny. Though the description of this show is that it "uses the visual vocabulary of retro video games to explore the human fear of both the unknown and the known" (disregarding how empty such a sentence actually is) it seems that the focus is the retro video game tropes and language themselves, which is why so many people had the "seen it" reaction.
For this episode, had they used the mechanical, brainwashed nature of the NPC town as a satire of the political/consumer/poorly educated/whatever aspect of society, or as launching point for examining routine, complacency, and so forth in their own lives, it would have at least had a hope of being effective. It would have carried a real message (though likely heavy handed, depending on how it would be presented) and set forth a clear, serious tone for the series. Instead they stopped at "NPC townsfolk have limited responses" and dragged that on for a while, without anything actually happening with it, or anything else for that matter.
Its purpose, as far as I can tell, is to tell the story of these two characters, such as it is. So far, it's included elements of comedy based on RPG cliches, but that's not necessarily its main point
I kinda had all the fun I could with these oldschool RPG tropes when I used to read 8-Bit Theater in high school.
Ars Gratia Artis.
*Lion roars*
I guess there is some post-empirical modernist theme that I am missing, but if it's a show about the story of these 2 characters then I would expect them to develop that, rather than dedicating the entire second episode to a played out joke.
The first episode was ok, but not immersive enough. didn't like this one. Hopefully it picks up more in later episodes
But see, I don't take the events they showed as 'a played out joke', or any kind of joke, as much as they are (in my opinion) showing how much these two characters are completely alone in this world - at least that's where I think this is going. It's more disturbing than funny, and it's supposed to be.
Owwww. Owwwwww!
(weeping)
This is just one of those things that cannot be explained in terms of purpose, and that does not require a clearly defined narrative. Really, it just isn't.
It is a beautiful little poem about a bunch of things. Crushing on the unobtainable. The way love for someone who is not like you can keep you tied to the bigger world. The disappointment of demystifying the unknown. A lot of things.
If you can watch these and the only thing you can think of is "it's not about anything" or "nothing happens"
or "it wasn't funny" then there is just nothing I could possibly say that would explain it. It's like it's painted all in green but you can't see green.
Nothing is for everyone, so you know, cool. I just wish there wasn't so much blind bafflement about it. It's really a beautiful little thing.
I don't know whether they thought green looked the vivid-est in this eye-popping spectacular new color movie technology or what, but man did they like green. Green clothes, green furniture upholstery, green everything.
Then later I think I read somewhere that of the primary colors green is the hardest on the human eye.
Sometimes I envy people who are this easily amused/impressed.
Clearly it is not easy as you and 90% of everyone else find it so difficult.
Um, yeah, that's kind of what he's saying. If everybody was amused by the things the easily amused people were amused by than they wouldn't be considered easy to amuse. :P ;-)
Now seriously, why don't we just drop it, folks It's just a damn video on the internet. If you don't like it it doesn't hurt you any and if you do like it why do you care what anybody else thinks or why?
Maybe I would be more inclined to look deeper into it if they didn't follow it with a prat fall.
it's like "Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side!" *rimshot* "you see it's a tale about the existential crisis wherein even an animal realizes that life is filled with ultimately meaningless wandering."
I'm okay with blind bafflement. I wasn't sure what to make of L+I when I saw it the first time. Probably because I had read 8-Bit Theater. I think the best descriptor mentioned so far has been "charm."
*Edit: Removed moronic content: It's late and I know better.
I don't actually care if anyone likes it or not. The thing that causes me to post is, I watch the video, I love it, I see a comment thread, I come here to see what other people think of it, and it is nothing but an unending river of baffled negativity.
I wonder, where are the people who like it? There are a few, scattered in among the haters. So I figure I'll at least add a comment, so anyone doing what I did will at least have one more point of view that has a chance of at least being interesting, or of engaging with the actual thing, instead of just glancing superficially at it and huffing "I don't know art, but I know what I like."
Then, inevitably, someone who is confused by the fact that this thing they don't get is being actively promoted by content providers they admire asks the question, "what do you see in it?"
Instead of just ignoring the question, even though I know I should and I know it is futile, I try to explain what I like.
Then someone decides to accuse me of being easily amused. And someone else asks why does anyone even care.
Some things are more subtle than exploding dicks. Exploding dicks are funny. Some things are also funny and profound and executed more subtly. They aren't better, they are just more subtle, and maybe more ambitious in their scope. They maybe use tools that more straightforward comedy doesn't use. They require some active engagement to appreciate. They aren't as casual.
Maybe there are some people who like that, who might like to talk about it, but coming here and seeing nothing but people blinking away their incomprehension, just write off the whole effort and stay away. As I'm likely to do after this post.
But, I mean, goddam! How many of you are just going to post over and over again that you don't understand it? Anyone actually interested in engaging in a conversation about it, rather than just defensively putting it down?
1. this seems to suggest that only people who agree with you will have interesting opinions
2. a prat fall isn't subtle, nor is it profound when it's overdone
3. that is what the rest of us are attempting to do, while you stomp around the thread posting how we just don't understand art
Only people who have something to say other than "I didn't like it" have interesting opinions. That is what I am saying.
That wasn't a lecture. That was, just again, me trying, obviously futilely, to explain why I like this, and to push back against post after post after post of people basically saying that because it does not have jokes and because they cannot detect a story, that they do not like it or else do not know what to make of it.
I didn't accuse you of not knowing about subtlety. If you want to be offended as though I did that is entirely up to you.
And, you know, with that I am done here. You can all commence feeling like I lectured you and then return to serially posting how much you don't think the videos are funny.