High Maintenance is different. I would say revolutionary but that would probably put you off. It's sort of a TV show but since it's made for the web it can do a lot of things TV can't: episodes that are as long as the story needs them to be; everything shot on location so it never visits the same place twice; characters appear, play their part and then disappear, only to turn up in the background of later episodes. And of course the likelihood is that you'll watch one, then another and another, according to your enthusiasm. As drama or comedy or slice of life or whatever you want to call it, it's wry, humorous and sometimes as sudden as real life.
Each webisode is set in Brooklyn, in the home of somebody you've never met before; the only thing you know for sure is that the pot dealer (he who maintains the high) will turn up at some point. They're dependent on his supply, he's dependent on their discretion and he's inserted into their lives in a way that enables him to see how they live and relate to each other, a bit like a doctor or a priest.
You can watch the first season (or "cycle", as they call it)
here.
I'll give it a spin David. It might coincide with the arrival of my new Chromecast: a game changer, apparently.
ReplyDeleteSounds very interesting, will check it out. Have you also ever seen 'The Booth At The End'? Another web series of 1-5 minutes webisodes, which have later been successfully bundled into two short series of 30 minute eps for TV. It has one main actor recurring in every episode with a revolving cast of visitors, is always shot in the same location and proves that you can still tell absolutely compelling stories using just basic excellence in acting, imagination and writing. As a drama it harks back to old campfire tales and feels reminiscent of Twin Peaks in tone, but without the annoying obliqueness of some of David Lynch's work.
ReplyDeleteIt's fantastic. Like an Adrian Tolmine comic brought to life. Cheers David
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