Highbrow Magazine - stranger things https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/stranger-things en ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Delivers Horror, Excitement, and Compelling Story Lines https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/20039-stranger-things-season-delivers-horror-excitement-and-compelling-story-lines <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/film-tv" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Film &amp; TV</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Wed, 06/22/2022 - 16:00</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1strangerthings.jpg?itok=JwtDpEQq"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1strangerthings.jpg?itok=JwtDpEQq" width="480" height="270" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">When <em>Stranger Things</em> wrapped its third season in 2019, fans were left with a cliffhanger about the fate of lawman Jim Hopper, uncertainty about the superpowers of the heroine named Eleven and a host of questions about everyone’s favorite 1980s adventure kids. Nearly three years later, we’ve got some answers.  </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>Stranger Things</em> Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix, and the first seven episodes are a largely satisfying blend of excitement, horror, humor and nostalgia. In short, it’s tough not to binge once you get started. But you can only go so far because Netflix won’t release Part 2 until July 1. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">In Season 4, we see a new side to our favorite characters. Eleven (Millie Bobbie Brown), for instance, is now living in California with the Byers family, Will (Noah Schnapp), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and Joyce (Winona Ryder). Through the first three seasons, Eleven was largely depicted as a mysterious and powerful figure key to protecting her friends. In Season 4, she and Will struggle to adapt to their new school and are seen as social misfits. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">In the meantime, their friends in Hawkins, Indiana, are transitioning to high school and the upheaval that accompanies such a shift. Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) has to decide whether to hang out with the popular athletes or his old, nerdy friends. Max (Sadie Sink) is struggling to process a personal loss. Meanwhile, Mike (Finn Wolfhard) misses his budding relationship with Eleven. We also get ample screen time and new developments for Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Steve (Joe Keery) and Robin (Maya Hawke), as well as some interesting new characters. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2strangerthings.jpg" style="height:480px; width:324px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Although Season 3 ended with the possibility that the portal to the frightening alternate dimension known as the Upside Down had been closed, viewers learn that this isn’t the case. Because this is <em>Stranger Things</em>, odd occurrences return with Episode 1, and they are consistently developed throughout the first seven episodes. We even get a satisfying cliffhanger at the end of Episode 7 … and nobody should be too angry since the final two episodes will be here in less than a month.  </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The danger with any ongoing show is that writers and producers will run out of ideas and a once-great concept will slide into cliché. This is particularly true when a cast is initially so young that it undergoes serious life changes during the course of the program. Fortunately, <em>Stranger Things </em>avoids the pitfalls. Rather than seeming like producers are clamoring to adjust to the life changes of the cast, viewers get a sense that the youngsters at the heart of the story are growing up in front of us, and it’s a lot of fun.   </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">It’s interesting to dissect a show like this because much of the appeal resides in the 1980s setting. As a 54-year-old man, I couldn’t help but get sucked in by creators Matt and Ross Duffer’s representation of what it was like to grow up in this era when the show debuted. Although the Duffers did most of their growing up in the 1990s, they largely get the vibe right. It was an era when technology was blooming but hadn’t taken over, when shady movements by Soviet leaders seemed more concerning than climate change, and when bicycles were the most treasured possession of many youngsters. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>Stranger Things</em> also makes it seem that kids of this era were far braver and more adventurous than the youth of today. My generation may want to believe that but it is, of course, false. That said, the representation reinforces stereotypes delivered in countless 1980s movies, including <em>The Goonies, E.T., Back to the Future</em> and <em>The Lost Boys</em>. This ushers in fond memories of media from the era … at least for those of us who grew up with it. It also seems to argue that my generation had it better. My 18-year-old son noted, after watching the first seven episodes of <em>Stranger Things</em> Season 4, that growing up in the ’80s looked like a blast. Although my childhood was fine, this is likely a side effect of the rose-colored portrayals present in any nostalgic program. After all, when I was a kid, <em>Happy Days</em> made the 1950s and 1960s look like the greatest era ever. Still, <em>Stranger Things</em> is a treat for anyone who loves 1980s movies, as the references to other pictures – most notably <em>A Nightmare on Elm Street</em> in Season 4 – are everywhere.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3strangerthings.jpg" style="height:299px; width:600px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Because so much of the <em>Stranger Things</em> appeal is nostalgic, it’s also worth commenting on how different media consumption is today when compared to the era represented on screen. As a 1980s youth, there was no such thing as binging a television show because we had to wait for every episode. When you got sucked into a program, tuning in each week became an event worth noting on the calendar. This waiting game, while often frustrating, stretched out the excitement -- so each season of a favorite show was a long-running thrill ride rather than a weekend binge-fest. I couldn’t help but reflect on this while cruising through all the new <em>Stranger Things</em> episodes in a matter of days. Pro tip to any youngster who really wants the 1980s <em>Stranger Things</em> experience: Limit yourself to one episode per week. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>Stranger Things</em> is also different from 1980s media in that each episode varies in length. Of course, 1980s television – supported entirely by advertising – was strictly formatted, with each episode of a show coming in at the same length, which was considerably shorter than the time required to watch. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">The new season of <em>Stranger Things</em> is really like a series of short movies, each running just long enough to get the story told. The shortest episode checks in at 64 minutes, the longest at 98. This trend of editing programming to the “right” length rather than a prescribed advertising outline, may be the greatest benefit of streaming, as it simply allows content creators to tell their stories. With <em>Stranger Things</em> Season 4, those stories are well told. </span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Forrest Hartman is</em> Highbrow Magazine’s <em>chief film critic.</em></strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>                                                                      </strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/stranger-things" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">stranger things</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-season-stranger-things" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new season of stranger things</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tv-shows" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">tv shows</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/streaming-shows" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">streaming shows</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/chalie-heaton" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">chalie heaton</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/winona-ryder" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">winona ryder</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/noah" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">noah</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/schnapp" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">schnapp</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Forrest Hartman</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 20:00:11 +0000 tara 11161 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/20039-stranger-things-season-delivers-horror-excitement-and-compelling-story-lines#comments Dungeons & Dragons and Us: The Rise of Geek Culture https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10702-dungeons-dragons-and-us-rise-geek-culture <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/media" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Media</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 06/22/2020 - 06:38</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1dungeonsdragons.jpg?itok=KzzpALrJ"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1dungeonsdragons.jpg?itok=KzzpALrJ" width="480" height="270" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>With the last few <em>Star Wars</em> installments being some of the most anticipated releases of the past few years, and <em>The Mandalorian</em> and Baby Yoda selling Disney Plus, one may think something major is underway.</p> <p> </p> <p>And this isn't only happening for one franchise, too. <em>The Avengers</em> franchise has continued to sell well, and <em>Joker</em> took home a score of nominations for various awards. An observer with a slightly broader frame of reference might consider that a change has happened. <em>Revenge of the Nerds</em> is no longer just the title of a delightful college movie; now it is a description of a cultural environment. Subculture has crossed the rubicon to become culture.</p> <p> </p> <p>This process isn't just confined to movies, though. Interestingly, it has extended to that apex of nerdy pastimes, the tabletop roleplaying game, <em>Dungeons &amp; Dragons</em>. Many are familiar with the game, either from garish mischaracterizations in the press or from the pulpit or from their own personal practice. Lately, though, the game isn't being characterized as a means of communing with demons or the driving factor of suicides; it's getting top billing as a pastime of characters in <em>Stranger Things </em>and <em>The Big Bang Theory</em>.</p> <p> </p> <p>The surge in popularity can possibly be traced to a moral panic taking its natural course coupled to a surge in other forms of geek culture, but why should this game take a surge when, say, other forms of geek culture, like online gaming, are also available? There are other board games and card games, and they're quite fun.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2dungeonsdragons.jpg" style="height:338px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>But <em>Axis &amp; Allies</em> and <em>Settlers of Catan</em> are fun if you're participating in the board games, and <em>Magic: the Gathering</em>, for example, is both an acquired taste and only fun if you're playing. Other, more popular card games, like <em>Cards Against Humanity</em> or its more literary equivalent, <em>Dick</em>, which is of similar rules but uses cards bearing quotes from Melville's <em>Moby-Dick</em>, can, after a while, get boring, especially after your friends have worked through the permutations of algorithmic humor.</p> <p> </p> <p>There are a few areas where the tabletop roleplaying games, <em>Dungeons &amp; Dragons</em> being the marquis brand among them, excel compared to these alternatives. Firstly, if you have a regular game night, a long-term roleplaying campaign allows players to have a series of adventures over the time populated by similar characters. Secondly, tabletop roleplaying games allow players and game-masters, the people refereeing and managing the game, flexibility. <em>Dungeons &amp; Dragons</em> can be described as a collective storytelling enterprise, as well as a game; this goes for other tabletop roleplaying games, as well.</p> <p> </p> <p>In this storytelling enterprise, players choose to be characters, shaping the story as they tell it through their play. And, while the game-master can set out a pretty well-crafted world and path through that world, players have been known to riff – like jazz musicians or a comedian telling a shaggy dog story.</p> <p> </p> <p>In fact, it's a common story among game masters, or Dungeon Masters as they're known, for an intricate and well-planned design to be made for the players, yet the players, through their action, go another direction, forcing some improvisation on the part of the game master. Of course, one can also purchase premade campaigns and play by the book. Because players can build their own characters, potentially with conflicting goals and aims, to say nothing of general demeanors and personalities, at the discretion of the game master, there is an abundant opportunity for the plot taking unforeseen turns – even if it's modeled after a well-known fantasy novel.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3dungeonsdragons.jpg" style="height:188px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Perhaps this leads the reader to a new theory for what <em>Dungeons &amp; Dragons</em> offers its players. Of late, epic fantasy series have made for well-received adaptations to both television and motion picture screens. It is easy to sympathize with characters in realistic fiction. We have often heard of people in or around our own lives winding up in situations similar to those in realistic fiction.</p> <p> </p> <p>But how often do we get to join a cadre of heroes on a mystical quest to recover a lost artifact? Rarely have the mechanics of wish fulfillment been so accessible to someone willing to play a part, roll some polyhedral dice, and maybe suspend a little disbelief. With a bit of effort, you, too, can make an epic tale fitting of Homer, heavy on brain-teasing puzzles with which to challenge your heroes or with enough hack-and-slash action to satisfy even the most bloodthirsty barbarians.</p> <p> </p> <p>Here is the genius of the game: the control it affords both the game master and the players over the direction of the story, which is a victory all its own.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>Adam Gravano is a contributing writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/dungeons-and-dragons" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">dungeons and dragons</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/dungeon-master" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">dungeon master</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/big-bang-theory" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Big Bang Theory</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/stranger-things" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">stranger things</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/games" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">games</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/axis-and-allies" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">axis and allies</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/wizards-coast" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">wizards of the coast</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/geek-culture" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">geek culture</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/playing-video-games" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">playing video games</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tabletop-games" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">tabletop games</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/magic-gathering" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">magic: the gathering</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Adam Gravano</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Wizards of the Coast; Google Images</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 22 Jun 2020 10:38:54 +0000 tara 9637 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10702-dungeons-dragons-and-us-rise-geek-culture#comments