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American Primevil [netflix]: This ain't your daddy's tale of the West

jason10mm

Gold Member
So I got the day off and starting binging the Peter Berg 'western' American Primeval, set in 1850's Utah with the Mormons, US cav, natives, and starry eyed pioneers clashing over basically dirt.



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this is a hyper gritty story, no heroes, just survival. Outstanding cast of lots of bearded dudes, stoic women, noble(ish) savages, and lots of horses. It's mostly handheld close camera work much like Horizon part 1, which isn't quite my fav way to shoot westerns on what is otherwise a wide sweeping vista of what lots like virtually 100% on location stuff. But it gives that immediacy and intimacy that Berg has in a lot of his work. It moves fast, has plenty of action, has a -reasonably- balanced take on the various factions, strides that line between near fantastic encounters that must be allegory and a literal viewpoint into the West. It's not the best script ever but it's a well made show that keeps yah entertained.

Well worth watching, preferably by a warm fire with a glass of whisky at hand, as the show is so color desaturated and DRENCHED in snow and frost it will drop the ambient temp of your room by 10 degrees at least :p
 
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RavenSan

Off-Site Inflammatory Member
I dig a good western -- How violent is it? I'm certainly not a prude but I don't love hyper-violent or excessively gory stuff.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
I dig a good western -- How violent is it? I'm certainly not a prude but I don't love hyper-violent or excessively gory stuff.
Oh, then this isn't goona be your thing. It's FULL of folks taking bullets and arrows to the head, getting scalped, kids getting killed, animals being butchered, etc. Fair amount of sexual assault as well.

I like my Westerns a little more bright, to be honest. This fits tonally a lot like Horizon, if you've seen that one.

edit: It ain't Bone Tomahawk level intense/gory though, at least not yet.
 
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Kacho

Gold Member
Saw this while I was browsing Netflix last night. Looks good. Should have watched this instead of Carry-On.
 

DAHGAMING

Gold Member
I forgot about this, perfect timing, wifes at work most of the weekend and the weathers pretty cold here in Glasgow so think il wrap up and watch this with my dogs and a few drinks.
 

DAHGAMING

Gold Member
I have just finished the series. I realy enjoyed it, realy gritty no fairytale stuff, just the rawness of nature and man, I highly recomend it, even if your not into westerns give it ago.
 

IntentionalPun

Ask me about my wife's perfect butthole
Couldn't get through the first episode, just felt off/cheap, not great acting...

Will give it a shot again though.
 

near

Member
“Civilisation and civilised are two different words entirely, Ms. Rowell.”

Well written and directed first episode. I found it really engrossing from start to finish, I hope the next few episodes are just as well paced.
 
“Civilisation and civilised are two different words entirely, Ms. Rowell.”

Well written and directed first episode. I found it really engrossing from start to finish, I hope the next few episodes are just as well paced.
The pacing is great. I couldn’t stop watching until I finished it
 
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Putonahappyface

Gold Member
I finished the series today and loved it. Great writing, impressive acting and great directing. Probably one of the best series I've watched in a while. I'll definitely be giving Godless a go seeing as people on here and other sites recommend it.
 

NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt

Biggest Trails Stan
I finished the series today and loved it. Great writing, impressive acting and great directing. Probably one of the best series I've watched in a while. I'll definitely be giving Godless a go seeing as people on here and other sites recommend it.

Godless is a fantastic Western Miniseries. I'll be checking out American Primevil soon
 
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jason10mm

Gold Member
I'm a simple man, I see Betty Gilpin, I watch.
I loved her in The Hunt. How that film got the rap for bring "anti-right wing" when it's actually an EXTREMELY anti-lefty film was just bizarre.

They just need to get her out of those thick pioneer dresses. How women of that era even breathed, much less walked around, is beyond me.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
Finished it last night. Ending was underwhelming, but the journey was enjoyable.
Yeah, I guess a 'happy' ending was never in the cards but I don't really feel like the mom is any more capable or skilled to ferry her kid to California than she was to Crooks Corner. Two Moons was woefully underutilized as well.

All the Cavalry, Mormon, Red Feather stuff was great though. Apparently it is REALLY EASY to sneak up on camps with a horde of 50 men on horseback :p
 

near

Member
Yeah, I guess a 'happy' ending was never in the cards but I don't really feel like the mom is any more capable or skilled to ferry her kid to California than she was to Crooks Corner. Two Moons was woefully underutilized as well.

All the Cavalry, Mormon, Red Feather stuff was great though. Apparently it is REALLY EASY to sneak up on camps with a horde of 50 men on horseback :p
Yeah. The writing fell off after the first episode. I didn’t expect or want a happy ending, just one that was a little more coherent with the narrative path set out after the first two episodes. Crooks Springs and Devin’s father are both just MacGuffins. And given the world building, it is astonishing that they didn’t all die in the end. Then you have Jacob and Abish’s story arc, which also turned out to be incredibly dumb.

All in all, still very enjoyable, but too many plot points are just loose and flimsy to take seriously.
 
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