Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
08-14-20, 11:43 PM
#1
DVD Talk God
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Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
From showrunner and executive producer Misha Green, HBO's new drama series LOVECRAFT COUNTRY debuts SUNDAY, AUGUST 16 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Based on the novel of the same name by Matt Ruff, the ten-episode series follows Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) as he journeys with his childhood friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett) and his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) on a road trip from Chicago across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father Montrose (Michael Kenneth Williams). Their search-and-rescue turns into a struggle to survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and monstrous creatures that could be ripped from an H.P. Lovecraft paperback.
PRINCIPAL CAST INFORMATION:
· Abbey Lee as Christina Braithwhite
· Aunjanue Ellis as Hippolyta Black
· Courtney B. Vance as George Black
· Erica Tazel as Dora Freeman
· Jamie Chung as Ji-Ah
· Jamie Neumann as Hillary
· Jonathan Majors as Atticus Black
· Jordan Patrick Smith as William
· Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Letitia "Leti" Dandridge
· Mac Brandt as Lancaster
· Michael K. Williams as Montrose Freeman
· Tony Goldwyn as Samuel Braithwhite
· Wunmi Mosaku as Rudy Dandridge
This premieres Sunday on HBO. It's a 10 episode season. Peele and Abrams' production companies helped produce this show.
The showrunner worked on the WGN America series Underground, which hardly anyone watched.
08-15-20, 12:10 PM
#2
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
I'm in. Looks good. Also read a few of Matt Ruff's books and enjoyed them, but I don't think I've read this one.
I do sort of wish that, in the promotional material, they would have left all of the monsters and overtly supernatural stuff in order to lull the audience into thinking it was just another drama... and them BAM! the monsters show up.
I do sort of wish that, in the promotional material, they would have left all of the monsters and overtly supernatural stuff in order to lull the audience into thinking it was just another drama... and them BAM! the monsters show up.
08-15-20, 12:40 PM
#3
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
I'm in. Looks good. Also read a few of Matt Ruff's books and enjoyed them, but I don't think I've read this one.
I do sort of wish that, in the promotional material, they would have left all of the monsters and overtly supernatural stuff in order to lull the audience into thinking it was just another drama... and them BAM! the monsters show up.
I do sort of wish that, in the promotional material, they would have left all of the monsters and overtly supernatural stuff in order to lull the audience into thinking it was just another drama... and them BAM! the monsters show up.
08-15-20, 04:47 PM
#4
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
Agreed. As long as it is a honest portrayal of life for minorities in the 50s, and not a thinly veiled social agenda from the show runner or writers, it should be good.
08-15-20, 05:39 PM
#5
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
I’ve got the series set to record. I need something to watch on Sundays now that Perry Mason is over.
This could be awesome or it could be shit. I trust Abrams for the most part though and Courtney B. Vance has been good in everything I’ve seen him in.
This could be awesome or it could be shit. I trust Abrams for the most part though and Courtney B. Vance has been good in everything I’ve seen him in.
08-15-20, 05:46 PM
#6
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
Spoiler:
08-15-20, 07:42 PM
#7
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
08-16-20, 12:00 PM
#8
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
08-16-20, 11:10 PM
#10
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
Yeah, that was pretty awesome. The last 15 minutes or so was bananas!
I went in knowing almost nothing about the show. I was a little surprised the first episode unfolded as fast as it did. I’m surprised they made it to Ardham so soon. I was expecting them to be on the road a lot longer.
Either way, I had a blast with the first episode so I’m in for the series (unless it shits the bed like The Outsider did on the next few episodes).
I went in knowing almost nothing about the show. I was a little surprised the first episode unfolded as fast as it did. I’m surprised they made it to Ardham so soon. I was expecting them to be on the road a lot longer.
Either way, I had a blast with the first episode so I’m in for the series (unless it shits the bed like The Outsider did on the next few episodes).
08-17-20, 12:17 AM
#11
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
Episode went fast. Tons of great stuff, but the last fifteen minutes seemed too True Blood kind of silly, especially compared to how strong the previous hour had been.
Will definitely watch next week's episode.
Will definitely watch next week's episode.
08-17-20, 10:44 AM
#12
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
Whoah...slow but necessary set up for first 45 and then all hell breaks loose!
Loved it and will be tuning in....
Loved it and will be tuning in....
08-17-20, 11:20 AM
#13
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
08-17-20, 12:02 PM
#14
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Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
This show has an Official Podcast like Watchmen and Chernobyl.
08-17-20, 12:07 PM
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Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
H.P. Lovecraft was a virulent racist. How ‘Lovecraft Country’ confronts his legacy
Last edited by Giantrobo; 08-17-20 at 04:01 PM.
08-17-20, 02:43 PM
#16
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
Were blerds a thing in the 1950s?
08-17-20, 04:01 PM
#17
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08-17-20, 04:47 PM
#18
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
Well that was kinda awesome. Wasn't really expecting the last 15 mins, it was just crazy. It is a horrible thought that Sundown towns and the Green book Vance uses are historical fact, even scarier that some of these towns might still exist. Just crazy
08-17-20, 09:28 PM
#19
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
https://www.themarysue.com/racist-lo...try-explained/
(Difficult to find a link containing the text because the word in the link will trigger the filter at DVDTalk.)
08-18-20, 12:39 AM
#20
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
Was this show supposed to be entertaining? I sure didn't find it entertaining watching a group of black people being harassed and abused for an hour. Then it turns into some kind of crappy monster movie? It looks like it's just going to be more of the same for the rest of the show.
08-19-20, 02:09 PM
#21
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
The poem by H. P. Lovecraft that was referenced in the episode was also real:
https://www.themarysue.com/racist-lo...try-explained/
(Difficult to find a link containing the text because the word in the link will trigger the filter at DVDTalk.)
https://www.themarysue.com/racist-lo...try-explained/
(Difficult to find a link containing the text because the word in the link will trigger the filter at DVDTalk.)
08-19-20, 02:10 PM
#22
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
Was this show supposed to be entertaining? I sure didn't find it entertaining watching a group of black people being harassed and abused for an hour. Then it turns into some kind of crappy monster movie? It looks like it's just going to be more of the same for the rest of the show.
08-20-20, 03:22 PM
#23
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Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
The title plus what I know of Lovecraft's horror...and racist views... let me know what we'd be dealing with on some level in this series. 
Funny how some didn't see it comin' or are now scared the latter will continue to be a thing in the series.
Funny how some didn't see it comin' or are now scared the latter will continue to be a thing in the series.
08-20-20, 07:57 PM
#24
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
I’m also ashamed to admit that up until the movie that was released a couple years ago I didn’t know anything about green books and up until this first episode of LC, I had never heard of “sundown towns/counties”.
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Giantrobo (08-21-20)
08-21-20, 01:30 AM
#25
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Lovecraft Country (HBO) -- From EP Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams -- Premieres 8/16/20
I've read a lot of Lovecraft, but I haven't seen too much of his racist views, or it's possible I just missed them. His writing is pretty chewy, and I don't always follow what he's saying. Like his one sentence paragraphs (with probably a good 40-50 words in a sentence) just describing something.
But yeah, I've seen the racism in some stories, no doubt. You take a great story like The Rats in the Walls. Pretty scary, moody, and atmospheric. But seriously, Howie, did you have to name the black cat.....well, I'm sure you can guess. Could have named it "Midnight", or "Shadow", but no, he went with....that.
But yeah, I've seen the racism in some stories, no doubt. You take a great story like The Rats in the Walls. Pretty scary, moody, and atmospheric. But seriously, Howie, did you have to name the black cat.....well, I'm sure you can guess. Could have named it "Midnight", or "Shadow", but no, he went with....that.
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Giantrobo (08-21-20)