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Californication worth a blind buy?

post #1 of 21
5/6/08 at 12:03pm
Thread Starter 
Title says it all. We didn't have Showtime until after the first season was over, but the show looked like something I might like. Thoughts?
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post #2 of 21
5/6/08 at 12:22pm

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

My gf watched it when it aired and was liked it. I don't know that I'd recommend a "buy" though.

Seems like something that you might watch once and enjoy, but never watch again.
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post #3 of 21
5/6/08 at 12:31pm

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

Worth a rental. But then again I don't buy TV on DVD so I'm probably of no help.
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post #4 of 21
5/6/08 at 2:28pm

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

I believe it's been renewed, which means Showtime will probably rerun the first season before airing the second. I'd wait and watch it then. I liked the series, but I don't plan to buy it.

M.
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post #5 of 21
5/6/08 at 2:28pm

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Ulmer
Title says it all. We didn't have Showtime until after the first season was over, but the show looked like something I might like. Thoughts?

Disappointing, to say the least. I like David Duchovny. I like shows about writers (especially if well written). I like female nudity. I like California. I like Porsches. I didn't like this show.

You can have a show about a basically unlikeable character or characters and, if it's funny enough, get away with it (Curb Your Enthusiam, anyone?), but this show wasn't half clever or funny enough to pull it off.

And if I want to see some hard pathos about a writer self-destructing and drinking himself to death, I can always watch Leaving Las Vegas again (but not without an anti-depressant).
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post #6 of 21
5/6/08 at 2:42pm

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollywoodaholic
Disappointing, to say the least. I like David Duchovny. I like shows about writers (especially if well written). I like female nudity. I like California. I like Porsches. I didn't like this show.

You can have a show about a basically unlikeable character or characters and, if it's funny enough, get away with it (Curb Your Enthusiam, anyone?), but this show wasn't half clever or funny enough to pull it off.

And if I want to see some hard pathos about a writer self-destructing and drinking himself to death, I can always watch Leaving Las Vegas again (but not without an anti-depressant).
That was my initial reaction, too. Did you stay with it? My guess from your description is no. Because it goes in unexpected directions and turns out not to be about that at all (and the characters get a lot more complicated, especially Duchovny's).

M.
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post #7 of 21
5/6/08 at 4:52pm

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Reuben
That was my initial reaction, too. Did you stay with it? My guess from your description is no. Because it goes in unexpected directions and turns out not to be about that at all (and the characters get a lot more complicated, especially Duchovny's).

M.

Yeah, I stayed with it to the unexpectantly unbitter end, which looks like it was tagged on in case the show wasn't renewed.
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post #8 of 21
5/6/08 at 9:10pm

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

If you like filthy language and lots of sex, then you might like it. It was a real turn-off for me. The writing just couldn't make up for the situations and characters.
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post #9 of 21
5/6/08 at 9:22pm

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollywoodaholic
Yeah, I stayed with it to the unexpectantly unbitter end, which looks like it was tagged on in case the show wasn't renewed.
Interesting. For me the end was a logical progression once I realized, about three or four episodes in, that the overall story was about Hank picking himself up (admittedly in a pretty twisted way).

Maybe I would have liked it less if I weren't such a fan of some of the supporting case, like Madeleine Martin, who played Becca, and who was already performing on Broadway as a child, or Rachel Miner, whose Dani started off creepy and ended up hilarious. And I'll watch Evan Handler in just about anything.

I am curious, though, at what they have planned for a second season. If they try to cover the same ground again, it's going to get old very fast.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Elena S
If you like filthy language and lots of sex, then you might like it.
You could say the same thing about Sex and the City.

M.
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post #10 of 21
5/7/08 at 3:53am

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

I agree with Michael on all points, although I can see the point about the ending being "tacked on" in case the network pulled the plug on a second season.

Hank became much more likeable as the season progressed, and there are snippets of dialogue which will be with me forever (one of my favorites being his referral to cream cheese as "The People's Cheese," and of course, the infamous "Holy F**knuts!").

As for replay value, I burned my own DVDs from my DVR and just watched the entire season again two weeks ago, and I think I loved it even more the second time around. I will definitely be picking this up in June.

I also love that when Pamela Adlon's character Marcy (Runkel's diminutive but sexy wife) gets drunk, she slips into the voice she uses as "Bobby" on "King of the Hill."

Oh, yeah, Jeff, as a fellow metalhead you should know that the show's creator is one hell of a metal fan. Hank's novels are all named after Slayer albums, and his daughter once got sent home from school for wearing a Cradle of Filth t-shirt...

Is it just me or are there times where Natasha McElhone looks absolutely breathtaking? Those eyes are incredible...
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post #11 of 21
5/7/08 at 11:03am

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Reuben
You could say the same thing about Sex and the City.M.
I hated that show. Although I'd venture to say that the writing on it was probably better.
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post #12 of 21
5/7/08 at 11:06am

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

I was looking forward to this quite abit. But i have to agree it was a terrible program. I even stuck through the whole thing hoping it would improve because of Duchovny. But i will not watch it going forward. Rent it first.. if you like it then purchase it. Better safe than sorry.
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post #13 of 21
5/7/08 at 11:58am

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aryn Leroux
Rent it first.. if you like it then purchase it. Better safe than sorry.
That's always my advice about blind buys too. For example, I love Star Wars and it's one of the most popular movies ever made but if someone had never seen it before, I'd still recommend that they rent it before buying it.
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post #14 of 21
5/7/08 at 12:57pm

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Elena S
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Reuben
You could say the same thing about Sex and the City
I hated that show.
I guessed as much. My point was simply that your description ("filthy language and lots of sex") was sufficiently generic to apply to a show that was very different (IMO) and hugely popular.

M.
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post #15 of 21
5/7/08 at 3:23pm

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

the first half of the season seemed to bring David back to his Red Shoes Diaries heritage.
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post #16 of 21
5/7/08 at 6:49pm

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

If your cable provider offers Video-On-Demand (I have Comcast Digital), the entire first season is currently available on Showtime On Demand.
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post #17 of 21
5/7/08 at 8:41pm

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Reuben
I guessed as much. My point was simply that your description ("filthy language and lots of sex") was sufficiently generic to apply to a show that was very different (IMO) and hugely popular.

M.
Read the rest of my post. The writing has a lot to do with making language and gratuitous sex palatable.
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post #18 of 21
5/7/08 at 8:56pm

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Elena S
Read the rest of my post. The writing has a lot to do with making language and gratuitous sex palatable.
I did read the rest of your post. "Ventur[ing]" to say that the writing on SatC was "probably" better is hardly praise. (Neither is "palatable", for that matter.) And I'm not sure what difference it makes, since you disliked both shows.

M.
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post #19 of 21
5/8/08 at 3:50am

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

It's interesting to see how this show has "polarized" folks. It seems people either love it or hate it, with little middle ground.
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post #20 of 21
5/8/08 at 7:07am

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

I guess I'm in the middle ground.

I liked the show, never missed an episode. But, I don't think I would recommend blind buying it. I don't think, at least for me, it would hold up to repeated viewings.
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post #21 of 21
5/8/08 at 7:16am

Re: Californication worth a blind buy?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Giro
It's interesting to see how this show has "polarized" folks. It seems people either love it or hate it, with little middle ground.
I'd put myself in the middle ground, though on the positive side of the line. Shows I love get bought. And I certainly wouldn't recommend a blind buy here.

M.
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