"The Deuce" - HBO Series with James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Tone, Jul 17, 2017.

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  1. BEAThoven

    BEAThoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Interesting conversation here.

    As a person residing up in the Bronx (at Fordham U) during the the mid and late '80s, I dislike what has happened to Manhattan in the 21st century in terms of art, culture, and diversity, but I also dislike blindly romanticizing the past...

    I had a great time in Manhattan at that time, but man, I do think about how stupid I was... Riding the B/D train back to the Grand Concourse at 2am-3am? With some drinks in me? A dumb-ass move that I chalk up to youth... I really don't know how women or the elderly rode the subways back at that time... It was easier to handle that ****show when you're a young, healthy dude in your early 20s traveling with other like dudes...
     
  2. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York
    I get your point, but speaking as someone who rode the subway at 3-4am on a regular basis in the 70's, most people knew to avoid the system during those hours unless they were shift workers and had no choice.
    What bugs me about the "cleaning up" of any city is that the cleanup invariably means rising prices and the departure of the very folks who made the neighborhood vibrant and alive. The neighborhoods that everyone wants to move to no longer exist as advertised. How many glass apartment buildings and trendy eateries can dance on the head of a pin? I'm curious to see what happens to Williamsburg (where parts of "The Deuce" were filmed) now that the closing of the L Train looms ever closer.
     
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  3. Gems-A-Bems

    Gems-A-Bems Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Duke City
    Rents have already fallen and continue to fall. Fast.
     
  4. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    Saw a promo for the new season during Ballers last night. Of course there's no way of knowing, but it looks like it's gonna be better! At the very least, the Franco 'twins' have completely different haircuts so it'll be easier to differentiate between them!;)
     
  5. Graham

    Graham Senior Member

    Location:
    Perth, Australia
    Nine episodes this season. Wish it was more but I’ll take what I can get. Really hope that Barry White song on the trailer isn’t this season’s theme. Please! That would be a huge drop-off in quality from Curtis Mayfield.
     
  6. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York
    I know. Talk about the rise and fall. I grew up there, moved back in '83 then left in '02, and the changes were startling. They weren't all for the bad, but the longtime residents (especially the Italian and Hispanic population) got forced out, as did the artists and adventurers who moved there when nobody else wanted to.
    When people make the argument that these neighborhoods and the subways were dangerous or dirty back in the 70's they do make a point. But I've always thought that doing away with the bad things has a tendency to wash away all the good things too. Any sense of community is vanished forever, and that hurts a neighborhood permanently. If you get rid of all the devils don't the angels leave too?
     
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  7. BEAThoven

    BEAThoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    One aspect I've noticed about improving neighborhoods whether it be Williamsburg, Alphabet City, Hoboken NJ, Asbury Park, etc. ... there are usually those good 5-7 years there -- the "sweet spot," as it were -- in which the influence of the artists/small business folks/outsiders have revitalized a neighborhood and there are affordable rents, a vibrant down-home community, and a lot of cultural activity.

    Once the realtors/investors get wind that these dedicated folks have done the dirty work for them, it's only a matter of time before property is scooped up for luxury condos, Applebee's, and Target.
     
  8. ralphb

    ralphb "First they came for..."

    Location:
    Brooklyn, New York
    Happens all the time, unfortunately. Next neighborhood in NYC to get hit: Inwood, one of the few affordable neighborhoods left.
     
  9. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    I just finished binge-watching the entire 1st season (over 3 days). Enjoyed it SO much more this time around. For some inexplicable reason, the Franco 'twins' didn't annoy me like they did originally. Good stuff! Looking forward to the new season!
     
  10. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    May revisit myself.
     
  11. progrocker

    progrocker Senior Member

    I liked it. Looking forward to season 2.
     
  12. clashcityrocker

    clashcityrocker Forum Resident

    Location:
    Great White North
    Season 2, episode 1, quick review: prettay prettay good. Now set in 1977, the Curtis Mayfield intro from Season 1 is now replaced by Elvis Costello. All the characters are back with more hair and lots of moustaches. But it's the female cast led by the amazing Maggie Gyllenhaal that will steal the show. The shift of power from the men to the women is evident and I look forward to that. The sound design is amazing, headphones would help and subtitles are required!
     
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  13. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    Who is the female voice added to the Elvis Costello track in the theme ? Is that Norah Jones ?

    I really like this show, almost as good as "The Wire" (with many alums from that show featured here). And David Krumholz lost so much weight that I hardly recognized that he was the same character.
     
  14. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    Watched half the episode last night and enjoyed what I saw. Like the choice of Elvis for the theme. But why is Abby wearing that horrible dark wig? Robbed her of her beauty.
     
  15. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    Yeah that was jarring. Took me awhile to realize it was the same actor. Good for him though.
     
  16. GentleSenator

    GentleSenator what if

    Location:
    Aloha, OR
    was anyone else a little underwhelmed by this season 2 premier? i felt like a lot of the exposition was really on the nose, and i found myself drifting off to stare at the really, really horrible wigs being used.
     
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  17. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    A terrific start to the new season. The time jump was actually a smart move and wasn't jarring at all. How insanely smart is it that a show which features the porn industry is also featuring such a strong nod to the women's liberation movement. Although the women are inhumanly objectified, they're also the strongest playas in the show! Franco seems to be really enjoying himself! Simon's back!;)
     
  18. Luckless Pedestrian

    Luckless Pedestrian Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire, USA
    Yeah it was a quiet episode, what minor drama arose was quietly resolved, everyone seems to be doing well and is optimistic about the future. Will be interesting to see if the tone changes.
     
    GentleSenator likes this.
  19. johnnyyen

    johnnyyen Senior Member

    Location:
    Scotland
    Which Elvis Costello track is it?
     
  20. snowman872

    snowman872 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wilcox, AZ
    I thought the first episode from Season 2 was underwhelming. I saw the women had assumed some leadership positions, but I don't think they gained much (if any) power. The sleazy disco scenes were well done. What a snake pit of sin. The Barry White song was about the only one I liked. The Costello song and punk band in the bar were grating on the ears. Overall it was OK, but I hope it gets a lot better. All the footage of twin #01 spending the entire episode trying to find twin #02 was weak - perhaps just an excuse to visit and update different locations from last season? With only 9 episodes this season, not sure it was a judicious use of time.
     
  21. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    It's "This Year's Girl". It sounds like the original 1978 recording, not a remake, but with a female vocal added as a duet.

    EDIT: Just found an article posted today about the new theme song :
    Why The Deuce Got a New Theme Song
     
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  22. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    JEEPERS CREEPERS!!!!
    How skinny did Bernard from "The Santa Clause" GET?!?!?!
    They didn't play the 'cocaine-card' for all that weight-loss!!!
     
  23. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    Jamie Neumann, who played CC's blonde hooker Ashley (the one who quit) last season, is now listed as a regular for this season. According to Wikipedia, her character is now an "activist", so I assume she'll probably be trying to help the other sex workers escape their plight...let's see how this plays out
     
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  24. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    Listen to some episodes of the Rialto Report podcast. One thing that is repeated over and over, is that in the pre-video days, the women were in charge. At least on the set. Another interesting thing is that the "casting couch" is solely a Hollywood thing. Several women said the same thing, that they had tried to get work in Hollywood, but were expected to have sex with a producer in order to do so, but that never happened in the porn world.
     
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  25. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    The story is that his new wife (who works with him on the films) convinced him to eat healthier and lose the weight
     
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