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It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
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First Look Behind The Scenes Of The Prisoner Remake
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AMC Brings Prisoner Back To The Village

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stereobot
11/16/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
Acid does make you feel that time has come to a halt. #theprisoner
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Bigdamnhero
11/16/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
No, I gotta disagree. I didn't find it dull at all. So far, I've really enjoyed the first 2 hours, and am looking forward to the next. McKellan is great, as always, and I'm also liking Caviezel -- I can see shades of McGoohan in his performance, but I think he's created his own distinct 6.

I'm not sure what "basic element" you're referring to... but I look forward to the analysis tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'm intrigued enough to continue to watch the series to its finale.

I enjoyed the original series, but I'm not tied to it. This seems to be more of an interpretation than a remake -- which will always upset the core fans -- but I like that they decided to go that route. It's boring to tread old ground.

"Ian McKellen! A man I would watch read the ingredients off a cat food label!"

Well, at least we can agree on that. #theprisoner
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Briareosdx
11/15/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
I just watched the first two episodes. I found myself skipping through them in parts. But it wasn't the pace that was getting to me, I can appreciate slow pacing when done well. It was how unnecessary so much of it felt.

It feels like the actions are there, but the really important part of the show, the underlying metaphor, is missing. The original used the props of the cold war and the spy genre to talk about larger things. Issues of the individual and society, issues of social control and the place of rebellion. Certainty, identity, the limits of knowledge, all were important to the original Prisoner, and were elicited through the actions in the show.

This new version, at least after the first two episodes, had none of that. No, that's not right. It did bring up those issues, but it brought them up and pressed them in your face. It was too "on the nose".

I'll keep watching, it could surprise me.

The other problem is that watching Caviezel makes me wonder if their entire plan was to see what would happen if, instead our protagonist being a bad-ass spy who was always thinking, the show was about a complete dumb-ass. #theprisoner
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Drunken Economist
11/15/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
Lessee. Weepy, moody viola soundtrack? Check!

Equally weepy, moody, emo actors? Check!

Just enough cliche from the original show for "continuity"? Check!

...and the BSG'ification of 'The Prisoner' is complete. So bad that AMC had to put little 'let's review what happened in 30 sec' after every advert bump. That's BAD bad.

Methinks I'll be dragging out the old DVDs and washing away this brainscrum.

-Drunken Economist
[mindtaker.blogspot.com]
[twitter.com]
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Edited by Drunken Economist at 11/15/09 10:51 PM Drunken Economist was starred

Atomictao
11/15/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
"Ian McKellen! A man I would watch read the ingredients off a cat food label!"

Hell, I'll go you one worse and suggest that I'd watch X-Men: The Last Stand just because he's in it. #theprisoner
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ManchuCandidate
11/15/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
I like shows that don't have much "action" like Mad Men, but the first two episodes were soooooooo sllllow.

The whole reason for Six being there doesn't make much sense. Ex-employer? #theprisoner
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PostMarque
11/15/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
i am watching the opening currently and i am bored... i want to rewatch Doctor Who: Waters of Mars. Captain was brilliant. #theprisoner
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Anekanta - former space marine
11/15/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
"I AM NOT A NUMBER, I AM A FREE... oh nevermind."

I'll still probably check it out though.
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Edited by Anekanta - former space marine at 11/15/09 8:00 PM

Chip Overclock
11/15/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
1. I suppose we all noticed that #93 was wearing the cricket outfit that the original #6 always wore.

2. I fell asleep twice. Not a good sign. Thank Ghod for TiVo.

3. It might work better if you've never seen the original. It would allow the remake to tell its own story without suffering from comparison with the original.
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Edited by Chip Overclock at 11/15/09 7:52 PM Chip Overclock was starred Chip Overclock was unstarred

Bigdamnhero
11/16/09

@Chip Overclock: "3. It might work better if you've never seen the original."

Gotta disagree. I watched the 60's Prisoner recently on AMC, and really enjoyed picking out the references to the original, in this new interpretation.
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Edited by Bigdamnhero at 11/16/09 3:04 AM Bigdamnhero was starred Bigdamnhero was unstarred

Chip Overclock
11/16/09

@Bigdamnhero: Good to know. Myself, I couldn't say... I saw the original during its first run in the U.S. (I'm very old) and it corrupted my then-young mind for life. So I have no clue what someone unsullied by such an experience might perceive.

Be seeing you! #theprisoner
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Bigdamnhero
11/16/09

@Chip Overclock: I understand now why you still remember the show. It definitely stays with you.

It's interesting... more than one person here has expressed boredom, and now I'm wondering if I would have said the same thing, had I not decided to watch the 60's version beforehand. Maybe I was too preoccupied with the shout-outs to be bored. #theprisoner
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gorehound
11/15/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
The original is awesome. #theprisoner
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Wookie1972
11/15/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
IMDB still has a listing for a possible movie in 2012... I thought Nolan had some interest? #theprisoner
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franklinshepard
11/15/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
Aw, I'm sad that you hated it so much. I have to say that although I found several flaws in the miniseries, overall, I was quite engrossed. #theprisoner
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Cash907Censored
11/15/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
It's funny... every single review for this series, other then what some lackey over at NYT typed up on his Fisher Price laptop, has panned the ever loving hell out of it. I have a really good feeling that unlike 2012, this piece will not be critic proof. #theprisoner
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Kpibca
11/15/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
Guess I won't be seeing (you) this show after all...dang. #theprisoner
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DrMathochist
11/15/09

In reply to It's Not Too Late To Escape From "The Prisoner"
I'm uncertain for different reasons. I tend to find many actors don't take sci-fi seriously, and miniseries less so. Sci-fi miniseries are almost universally terrible IMHO.

McKellan, I'm sure, will bring his A game; he always does. Caviezel... let's be honest, if he hadn't gotten tapped to be in a big-budget S&M vanity film a few years ago, nobody would know who he was. I might be surprised, sure, but I just don't see him as taking this as anything more than a paycheck, and definitely not as something which deserves a lot of loving care.

The fact that the director never saw the original either doesn't make me any more confident. #theprisoner
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Anekanta - former space marine
11/15/09

@DrMathochist: Dr. Mathochist? Do you teach Sadistics?

(please forgive me... :) #theprisoner
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Bigdamnhero
11/16/09

@DrMathochist: "I might be surprised, sure, but I just don't see him as taking this as anything more than a paycheck"

That's ridiculous. Caviezel has done scifi before. The Final Cut, anyone? #theprisoner
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