"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. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    Can't stand Franco. He pretty much ruins most of the show for me, although I find a lot of the same fault in it that I found in Vinyl. Suppose spending a lot of time in NYC in those days, hanging around with fringe characters not unlike who the show is trying to depict, has me looking at this with too close a lens.

    And yet, I'll continue watching:crazy:
     
  2. NickCarraway

    NickCarraway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gastonia, NC
    I wouldn't say he "ruins" it for me, but he is kind of like Steve Buscemi's Nucky Thompson in "Boardwalk Empire": supposedly the fulcrum of the show but in practice one of the least interesting characters.
     
    trumpet sounds and GentleSenator like this.
  3. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    I find him and his acting grating. It's not so much the characters that he plays, although I think the writing for them is some of the worst of the show.

    And I loved Buscemi and Nucky. Found him very interesting. BE was miles ahead of Deuce, IMO.
     
    hbbfam likes this.
  4. Dayfold

    Dayfold Forum Resident

    Not going to get to see the new series til October here in the UK. Frustrating not to be able to read the thread or take part in the discussion. Ah well, hope you're all enjoying it :)
     
  5. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    I thought Buscemi was awful in Boardwalk. Terrible miscasting to me. Completely unbelievable. Yet he won awards for it so clearly others thought differently. I loved him in most everything else. Baffling.
     
  6. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    As I mentioned upthread, I recently re-watched the 1st season and it made me do a complete 180 on Franco. He's gone from being the most to the least irritating aspect of the show. IMO, Franco has true acting ability!
     
    bopdd likes this.
  7. GentleSenator

    GentleSenator what if

    Location:
    Aloha, OR
    i've always loved buscemi. not because he's a great actor, but because he's consistently odd yet dedicated. while i agree and also feel he may have been miscast... at first, i really do think this role became one of if not his best. he actually showed some range in this show.

    i'm hoping i come around and feel the same about franco in the deuce. he's a very type of actor in my opinion.
     
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  8. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    Buscemi grew on me over the seasons. And he I think he grew into the role.

    I'll tell you an interesting tidbit - I happen to know the creator of "BE", and an issue was this : the character that Nukie Thompson was based on was in real life a big, heavy guy with a blustery personality. In short, a perfect role for James Gandolfini. However, they didn't want their show to look or seem so much like "The Sopranos" in that regard, so they went as far away from what would seem to be the obvious casting as possible . Hence, Buscemi (who, if you recall, played Gandolfini's cousin in sever "Sopranos" episodes)
     
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  9. the pope ondine

    the pope ondine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    first ep started off a little slow, kind of a get to know everyone again, some of it a little hamfisted ("put down that book....") at least ill be able to tell the francos apart now with their different hairstyles, eclectic soundtrack, im in.
     
  10. Dayfold

    Dayfold Forum Resident

    My mistake. First episode of S2 is available now.
     
  11. NickCarraway

    NickCarraway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gastonia, NC
    Last night's music:

    Jim Carroll Band’s “Wicked Gravity” (Abby at the Hi-Hat)
    Ray Barretto’s “Wicked Gravity” (Candy and Harvey argue on the porn set)
    “Drivin’ Wheel” by Albert King (Vincent leaves Mike in charge of the club)
    “Let’s Get High” by Nice & Tight Band (Todd visits Paul’s bar)
    Fat Larry’s Band’s “Lookin’ For Love” (the fight outside Paul’s bar)
    “Keep It Comin’ Love” by KC & The Sunshine Band and “Do What You Wanna Do” by T-Connection (everyone partying at 366)
    The Ramones’ “You’re Gonna Kill That Girl” (Hi-Hat baby shower)
    Sylvester’s “Down, Down, Down” (Matty the Horse tries to run a protection shakedown on Paul)
    Ornette Coleman’s “Giggin'” (Bobby and Black Frankie at the massage parlor)
    Patti Smith’s “Ask the Angels” (Vincent and Paul at the Hi-Hat)
     
    Luckless Pedestrian likes this.
  12. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    Intersting with the Ashley/Dorothy character coming back as an activist who helps streetwalkers and sex workers
     
  13. Splungeworthy

    Splungeworthy Forum Rezidentura

    The look on Candy's face when the producer propositioned her was a moment of pure, heartbreaking acting by Maggie Gyllenhaal. She can make you feel everything just with her eyes.
     
    jjhunsecker, David Egan and bopdd like this.
  14. NickCarraway

    NickCarraway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gastonia, NC
    +1

    So when does Rudy (or Tommy Longo, since he's the muscle) snap and bust up Frankie and/or Paul?
     
  15. NickCarraway

    NickCarraway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gastonia, NC
  16. David Egan

    David Egan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oakland CA
    The Westworld in joke was surprising and hilarious.
     
    jjhunsecker likes this.
  17. Veltri

    Veltri ♪♫♫♪♪♫♫♪

    Location:
    Canada
    That scene told you what kind of show this is.
     
    jjhunsecker likes this.
  18. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    So the 3rd season's gonna have another time-jump to the 80's. Although there's been advancement of the story line with the current jump it doesn't seem that much different. IMO Simon isn't giving himself enough space/time to really tell this tale. Seems like practically every angle could use some more screen time. In his other shows, he was given a higher number of episodes to work with.
     
  19. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    Brilliant acting. She was robbed of an Emmy nomination this year, hopefully that will be different next year
     
  20. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    But that was a real porn film from that era, called "Sex World"....don't ask me how I know that LOL !
    So the joke was accurate to the period, and also probably a little subversive against HBO as well
     
  21. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    It was an excellent film with some very decent acting.
     
  22. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    How much is David Simon getting from the tobacco companies? It seems like every single character in this show smokes.
     
  23. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    Isn't that just realistic for that era ? I recall my mother and her friends and relatives all smoking like chimneys back in those days
     
  24. NickCarraway

    NickCarraway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gastonia, NC
    37% of US adults were smokers in 1970; 33% in 1980. (TV advertising was banned starting in 1971.) So add in the environment and vocations these folks are in and those percentages are likely to rise.
     
  25. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    I'm 58, both of my parents smoked, and still looks incredibly excessive. Just look at any film from the time, and none of them show that much smoking.
     
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