American Gods

[COMMANDO FORCES]

This is coming to Starz in 2017 and here's the first trailer for it.

AMERICAN GODS TRAILER

[I, Cosh]

Hmm. Would've been improved a hundredfold by one, measly "cocksucker." Only a trailer but interesting that it seems like they've gone down the same stylized route that didn't really work in Neverwhere.

To be honest, I'm still embarrassed that I didn't get yer man's name until it was explicitly spelled out in the book.

[futureimperfect]

Confession time. Even though I enjoy Mr Gaimans other works, I have never wanted to read American Gods. I read the back cover and looked at the size of the thing, and couldn't justify putting in the hours for something that didn't sound interesting to me at all.

Hopefully this will make me realize that I've been missing out and then I can pick it up. Or I'm going to hate it and die without ever reading the thing. Time will tell.

[TordelBack]

Book is good stuff if you don't mind Gaimanisms, but I actually prefer Anansi Boys, not really a sequel but set in the same universe and more streamlined. This adaptation certainlylooks super-faithful, in that I could instantly recognise characters and scenes. Hopefully that will work - I'll certainly give it a shot. I had been dubious about McShane as Wednesday, but from this showing it really works. Whittle as Shadow is perfect.

EDIT: For shame, Cosh!

[Timothy]

I'm with Cosh. It should have been - and to an intelligent reader no doubt was - blatantly obvious. For me it was a surprise in the last act. One which made me it's my stupidity but an enjoyable unintended twist nonetheless.

[Theblazeuk]

Looks good! And Neverwhere's stylised look would've been fine if it had been done today.... still perfectly ok as a low-budget slice of past SF. And Peter Capaldi is great as Islington.

If anyone wants to 're-read' American Gods, I heartily recommend the 10th Anniversary Full Cast Audiobook. It's bloody great, possibly the best audiobook reading I've ever heard - available on Audible if you already subscribe. https://www.amazon.com/American-Gods-Tenth-Anniversary-Production/dp/B005745I4C

[Link Prime]

Didn't take long for this to reach DVD, started watching it last night and its a blast.
Perfect casting too.

[Theblazeuk]

I did not actually enjoy the series that much past the 2nd or so episode, just found it quite dull. It was that sax sting, once I heard it I couldn't stop noticing it's utterly meaningless punctuation of scenes without any tension whatsoever.

[JLC]

Yes this was very disappointing. So slow & uneventful. Nothing happened! Won't be back for season 2.

[Jim_Campbell]

I can't believe I wasted eight hours of my life on this and the big end of season reveal was [spoiler]that Mr Wednesday was Odin.

Seriously? He's called Mister Fucking Wednesday, he's got a dicky eye and two ravens follow him around? In a series about a conflict between the old gods and the new?* Who the fuck didn't see that coming in Episode One?[/spoiler]

*I say conflict but, much as with everything I've encountered with Gaiman, he's not terribly interested in the conflict or the drama it might produce but is, instead, far happier to show the audience/reader just how fucking clever he is.

[TordelBack]

I can't believe I wasted eight hours of my life on this and the big end of season reveal was [spoiler]that Mr Wednesday was Odin.

In the book it's pretty much there when they meet - Shadow doesn't cop to it (or particularly care), but I've always assumed the reader was supposed to know from the start.  Also, wasn't it revealed in the very first trailer? [spoiler] "Call me Wednesday - today is my day", or something: bit of a neon sign that, in a show about gods: he's not very likely to be Mercury, is he? [/spoiler]

[Jim_Campbell]

In the book it's pretty much there when they meet - Shadow doesn't cop to it (or particularly care), but I've always assumed the reader was supposed to know from the start.

Then what was the point of the massive dramatic reveal at the end of the series? That's my point... yes, it was blindingly obvious... so why drag us through eight episodes of... whatever that was to end with Wednesday throwing back his arms and declaiming that he is, in fact, exactly who it was entirely plain he was from the first five minutes after he was introduced.

[TordelBack]

Then what was the point of the massive dramatic reveal at the end of the series? That's my point... yes, it was blindingly obvious... so why drag us through eight episodes of... whatever that was to end with Wednesday throwing back his arms and declaiming that he is, in fact, exactly who it was entirely plain he was from the first five minutes after he was introduced.

Oh I wasn't defending that decision, I was just sympathising! 

(Although I do have a relatively high Gaiman tolerance, I'm not blind to his faults - I just suspect that this wasn't a cock-up of his making).

[Link Prime]

I did not actually enjoy the series that much past the 2nd or so episode, just found it quite dull.

Just about to stick episode 3 on - enthusiasm curbed!