A depressing group with no light in their lives, the situation we find ourselves in with them is straight out of a drug induced haze.
Played like any good serialized program, "John from Cincinnati" includes sub plots on top of sub plots featuring minor characters, revelations and ideas which seem to be inspired by real life. It´s an idea Milch brings up in his two commentaries: the series showcases the important moments in their lives without regard to how they fit into the bigger jigsaw puzzle. Does it really matter Mega Millions winner Barry Cunningham (Winston) was pounded upside the head by Butchie at some point in their pasts (with a broom handle) and someone ejaculated on his face? What is it is with drug runners Freddie and Palaka, not to mention Michael Smith, a doctor who treats Shaun? These people-and many more-hang around a decrepit motel for no apparent reason, other than it "draws" them there. The one constant which links them all? You guessed it: John.
If there ever was a series that needed more time to strengthen its plot and deserved a second chance, especially on a forgiving home like HBO, it´s probably this one. Never totally offensive, even when every character appears eccentric just for the sake of being eccentric, the series isn´t allowed a moment to wrap its story. Even in the waning moments of the final episode, there´s never a sense it was written to either provide closure for the season or the series proper. As Milch states, a voiceover in the penultimate scene tells the plot points we would have seen in a second season, if it had been given the green light. None seem as interesting or engrossing as what we already have, an arc about a family coming together after being ripped apart (and something I´ve left out of this entire review). Milch wanted a program with a "fragmented sensibility." He got it.
VIDEO:
I´ll admit I´m of two minds when it comes to the video presentation. Either the grain inherent in every scene is supposed to be there or someone fell asleep at the wheel while mastering the series. I think, based on the run down look to the program, I´ll side with the former over the latter. The grain isn´t a major problem, mostly relegated to outdoor scenes and only if you look very hard. Nothing on the screen pops like it should, though that is entirely understandable based on the daily struggle we see in every episode. One effect I did want to mention was the way light is portrayed in the series.
In nearly every indoor shot, light streaming into windows or coming from other natural sources is given a ethereal quality instead of a more cinematic one as we´d come to expect. Windows seem to glow and the light "smears" around the frame, as if giving the audience a hint of the true premise. And when it streams in, the video quality is such that the fine particles in the air are visible within the scene. Anamorphic and in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1, I have no qualms about what we see on screen.
AUDIO:
Three different audio mixes to pick from here: English 5.1 and French and Spanish 2.0. The only time the English version is given a work out happens to be in the surfing scenes, allowing for crisp and encompassing surround sound of waves crashing. Nothing else in the series truly gives the speakers a workout. And that´s as it should be, quite honestly. "John from Cincinnati" isn´t about flash or explosions, loudness or attention grabbing ploys. It does it´s business, more or less, without calling attention to itself. Standard English, French and Spanish subtitles are included.
EXTRAS:
I´ve already alluded to all the extras on the set, but in case you weren´t paying attention, David Milch provides commentary on both the first and last episodes of the series. With as much as he probably has to say about the program, he actually says very little. Most of his comments revolve around new age-type concepts such as conversations we have in life being reenacted in different forms over a span of twenty years and we have no connection to objects unless it contains a memory for us. There´s always a sense he has more to say than he lets on, which is a shame. With his "Deadwood" famous for its cursing and this series not shying away from the same type of language, I wonder if his bile toward HBO for pulling two shows out from under him would approach that of Cissy when she learns Tina is back in Imperial Beach.
The only other extra we have here is the 13 ½ minute "featurette" explaining the dream sequence involving all the main characters in episode 6. The cast seems as confused by what Milch is saying as the audience should be. He reads line by line from the script at the motel set, telling everyone gathered around what the words mean. Milch isn´t the best public speaker, as the dialogue runs into the explanation numerous times. Really, we´re lost a minute into the feature and never catch up.
The series is presented on three discs, with the featurette being housed on the second disc.
PARTING THOUGHTS:
Prior to jumping into "John from Cincinnati," I was bound and determined to find something redeeming in the series, an aspect to the production everyone else had missed, anything which would put this in my personal brilliant but canceled shelf alongside "Sports Night" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." After a single episode, I knew I wasn´t going to get it. After a week of living with the Yost´s and the people on Imperial Beach, I can´t wait to put the experience behind me. Not only are they a depressing group with no light in their lives, the situation we find ourselves in with them is straight out of a drug induced haze. Rarely making sense-or speaking a language people can understand-it´s too mystical and spiritual for the mainstream, dark for a pop audience and not nearly sporty enough for the ESPN crowd. It´s a show in search of an identity. One it doesn´t find until the end of the series, by which time it´s far too late.
If there ever was a series that needed more time to strengthen its plot and deserved a second chance, especially on a forgiving home like HBO, it´s probably this one. Never totally offensive, even when every character appears eccentric just for the sake of being eccentric, the series isn´t allowed a moment to wrap its story. Even in the waning moments of the final episode, there´s never a sense it was written to either provide closure for the season or the series proper. As Milch states, a voiceover in the penultimate scene tells the plot points we would have seen in a second season, if it had been given the green light. None seem as interesting or engrossing as what we already have, an arc about a family coming together after being ripped apart (and something I´ve left out of this entire review). Milch wanted a program with a "fragmented sensibility." He got it.
VIDEO:
I´ll admit I´m of two minds when it comes to the video presentation. Either the grain inherent in every scene is supposed to be there or someone fell asleep at the wheel while mastering the series. I think, based on the run down look to the program, I´ll side with the former over the latter. The grain isn´t a major problem, mostly relegated to outdoor scenes and only if you look very hard. Nothing on the screen pops like it should, though that is entirely understandable based on the daily struggle we see in every episode. One effect I did want to mention was the way light is portrayed in the series.
In nearly every indoor shot, light streaming into windows or coming from other natural sources is given a ethereal quality instead of a more cinematic one as we´d come to expect. Windows seem to glow and the light "smears" around the frame, as if giving the audience a hint of the true premise. And when it streams in, the video quality is such that the fine particles in the air are visible within the scene. Anamorphic and in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1, I have no qualms about what we see on screen.
AUDIO:
Three different audio mixes to pick from here: English 5.1 and French and Spanish 2.0. The only time the English version is given a work out happens to be in the surfing scenes, allowing for crisp and encompassing surround sound of waves crashing. Nothing else in the series truly gives the speakers a workout. And that´s as it should be, quite honestly. "John from Cincinnati" isn´t about flash or explosions, loudness or attention grabbing ploys. It does it´s business, more or less, without calling attention to itself. Standard English, French and Spanish subtitles are included.
EXTRAS:
I´ve already alluded to all the extras on the set, but in case you weren´t paying attention, David Milch provides commentary on both the first and last episodes of the series. With as much as he probably has to say about the program, he actually says very little. Most of his comments revolve around new age-type concepts such as conversations we have in life being reenacted in different forms over a span of twenty years and we have no connection to objects unless it contains a memory for us. There´s always a sense he has more to say than he lets on, which is a shame. With his "Deadwood" famous for its cursing and this series not shying away from the same type of language, I wonder if his bile toward HBO for pulling two shows out from under him would approach that of Cissy when she learns Tina is back in Imperial Beach.
The only other extra we have here is the 13 ½ minute "featurette" explaining the dream sequence involving all the main characters in episode 6. The cast seems as confused by what Milch is saying as the audience should be. He reads line by line from the script at the motel set, telling everyone gathered around what the words mean. Milch isn´t the best public speaker, as the dialogue runs into the explanation numerous times. Really, we´re lost a minute into the feature and never catch up.
The series is presented on three discs, with the featurette being housed on the second disc.
PARTING THOUGHTS:
Prior to jumping into "John from Cincinnati," I was bound and determined to find something redeeming in the series, an aspect to the production everyone else had missed, anything which would put this in my personal brilliant but canceled shelf alongside "Sports Night" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." After a single episode, I knew I wasn´t going to get it. After a week of living with the Yost´s and the people on Imperial Beach, I can´t wait to put the experience behind me. Not only are they a depressing group with no light in their lives, the situation we find ourselves in with them is straight out of a drug induced haze. Rarely making sense-or speaking a language people can understand-it´s too mystical and spiritual for the mainstream, dark for a pop audience and not nearly sporty enough for the ESPN crowd. It´s a show in search of an identity. One it doesn´t find until the end of the series, by which time it´s far too late.
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