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david simon's "the plot against america" on hbo


henrygandorf

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1 hour ago, Js1 said:

I've read the book.  They have A LOT to fit into one episode. 

Maybe it's a 90 minute episode?

How did you enjoy the book? It seemed a departure from his earlier books, but Roth's work has always seemed preoccupied with the Jewish condition. Roth really was from Newark and Summit Dr and I find this show to be more based off semi-autobiography-meets-alternative-history than based off literary fiction. I've read Portnoy's Complaint and American Pastoral and based off what I've seen the first 5 episodes, I cannot imagine this book being anything like his acclaimed fiction (and probably why I'd never heard of this as his workmanship and never heard it discussed in any literary salons or classrooms). It would make sense this book came late in his life, as well (being written with the emotion of a semi-autobiography, again).

 

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8 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

they crammed a lot into that episode

well fuck, they left it hanging. what a shitty way to end it 

They spent too much time on the beginning SLOWLY introducing the world and rushed it at the end. 

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That last episode could have been stretched out to several episodes. Some of the scenes felt like they were crammed in without any background like Alvin's story. That should have been an entire episode's storyline not a few minutes scattered here and there. The same with Pres. Lindbergh and his wife. I didn't understand the motivation of Mrs. Lindbergh at the end. It felt like they skipped a lot of background with her.

Overall I liked the series but it was a pretty crappy production.

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Also, who knew that Shepsie, the movie theatre guy and husband to Nina the co-producer, also sang the opening song?

“The Road Is Open Again” used on The Plot Against America is not just a new recording; it’s sung by actor Michael Kostroff, who plays movie theater operator Shepsie Tirchwell on the show.

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20 minutes ago, Rougarou said:

Also, who knew that Shepsie, the movie theatre guy and husband to Nina the co-producer, also sang the opening song?

“The Road Is Open Again” used on The Plot Against America is not just a new recording; it’s sung by actor Michael Kostroff, who plays movie theater operator Shepsie Tirchwell on the show.

We need a Maury Levy/Eddie Cantor duet.

I believe Kostroff and Nina K. Noble are siblings.

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3 hours ago, F250 said:

That last episode could have been stretched out to several episodes. Some of the scenes felt like they were crammed in without any background like Alvin's story. That should have been an entire episode's storyline not a few minutes scattered here and there. The same with Pres. Lindbergh and his wife. I didn't understand the motivation of Mrs. Lindbergh at the end. It felt like they skipped a lot of background with her.

Overall I liked the series but it was a pretty crappy production.

Her motivation was that VP Wheeler had her locked up so he could consolidate power.  I think, in the end, Lindy was a pawn of Ford/Wheeler, the real anti-semites. I don’t think Lindy was anti-semitic enough for them.  Anne sure seemed to not be ok with the rhetoric or actions, but she was too pussy to say it herself. IRL she urged Lindy not to make the America First speech for fear of being branded an anti-Semite  

I think it’s obvious Wheeler and Ford were working with Germany.  In the book, Germany said Lindy’s disappearance was a Jewish conspiracy and immediately those 2 went fucking Nazi, arresting prominent Jews. 

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3 hours ago, Js1 said:

I’m not convinced the British-Canadian plot worked. The Nazis Could have done it to get Wheeler/Ford into power. 

This was something else that confused me because it felt like Alvin was a pawn in a Nazi plot but then the show never really explained if it was the Brits who carried out the plan.

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On 4/22/2020 at 9:18 AM, Saint Austin said:

I bought the book and rushed to finish it before the series began. I don't see why this wasn't at least eight episodes. Like everyone else said, the ending felt so rushed.

Did the book resolve the ending or was it left up to the reader?

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3 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Did the book resolve the ending or was it left up to the reader?

Yes, the book explains how everything ends. 

Spoiler

In the book's reality, everything happens more-less the same except one year later. FDR is re-elected in '42, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor in Dec. 42, and the U.S. enters WWII with it ending in an Allied victory in 1946. There are a few other details I can look up for you if you're curious.

 

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I made a turkey sandwich with miracle whip on Mrs. Baird's bread and I thought about that poignant scene in the last episode.

The dad and son, whose relationship was rocky as the son was going through puberty and dealing with his hormones, bonded and reaffirmed their Jewish heritage and identity as "family" over the disappointment of a bologna sandwich on mayo and white bread. "They are trying to kill us" the Jew said of the Goyem, as they smugly joked about their preference for more cured and cultured deli meats and breads. That was a nice, understated moment, I thought.

Edited by Rougarou
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On 4/28/2020 at 1:33 PM, Saint Austin said:

Yes, the book explains how everything ends. 

  Hide contents

In the book's reality, everything happens more-less the same except one year later. FDR is re-elected in '42, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor in Dec. 42, and the U.S. enters WWII with it ending in an Allied victory in 1946. There are a few other details I can look up for you if you're curious.

 

Did the election rigging happen in the book too? 

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  • 2 years later...

thread bump because (even though i started this thread), i never ended up watching the show as it aired.  instead, i kept it on the dvr until it just fell away.

now i am in a 1938-1942 rabbit hole and flew through it over the weekend.  the rabbit hole also includes "ultra", the podcast by rachel maddow - https://www.rachelmaddow.com/rachel-maddow-presents-ultra/

and the newest ken burns, "the u.s. and the holocaust" - https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/us-and-the-holocaust/

finished ultra, it's crazy.  finished plot against america, and echoed many thoughts on here.  wanted it to keep going.  almost done with ken burns, but as you can imagine, it's heavy material.  it's fascinating how much overlap there is, how many names i previously didn't know pop up in two or all three of these.  also interesting to see similar subject matter attacked in doc, series, and podcast format.

as for ultra - if you don't like maddow (which i really don't very much), it's still a great listen, so i wouldn't worry about it.

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thread bump because (even though i started this thread), i never ended up watching the show as it aired.  instead, i kept it on the dvr until it just fell away.
now i am in a 1938-1942 rabbit hole and flew through it over the weekend.  the rabbit hole also includes "ultra", the podcast by rachel maddow - https://www.rachelmaddow.com/rachel-maddow-presents-ultra/
and the newest ken burns, "the u.s. and the holocaust" - https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/us-and-the-holocaust/
finished ultra, it's crazy.  finished plot against america, and echoed many thoughts on here.  wanted it to keep going.  almost done with ken burns, but as you can imagine, it's heavy material.  it's fascinating how much overlap there is, how many names i previously didn't know pop up in two or all three of these.  also interesting to see similar subject matter attacked in doc, series, and podcast format.
as for ultra - if you don't like maddow (which i really don't very much), it's still a great listen, so i wouldn't worry about it.

Reading a book now about Myer Lansky and Murder Inc. kicking German/American Bund Nazi’s asses.
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On 12/12/2022 at 11:49 AM, henrygandorf said:

thread bump because (even though i started this thread), i never ended up watching the show as it aired.  instead, i kept it on the dvr until it just fell away.

now i am in a 1938-1942 rabbit hole and flew through it over the weekend.  the rabbit hole also includes "ultra", the podcast by rachel maddow - https://www.rachelmaddow.com/rachel-maddow-presents-ultra/

and the newest ken burns, "the u.s. and the holocaust" - https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/us-and-the-holocaust/

finished ultra, it's crazy.  finished plot against america, and echoed many thoughts on here.  wanted it to keep going.  almost done with ken burns, but as you can imagine, it's heavy material.  it's fascinating how much overlap there is, how many names i previously didn't know pop up in two or all three of these.  also interesting to see similar subject matter attacked in doc, series, and podcast format.

as for ultra - if you don't like maddow (which i really don't very much), it's still a great listen, so i wouldn't worry about it.

Ultra was fantastic, great recommendation. We really are just repeating history to an extent every 100 or so years

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