#Kaleidoscope Review

[kaleidoscopevisualart]

📌 Neon Meditation Multicolor Abstract Artwork Design Inspiration

[dualredundancy]

[moviemunchies]

Another miniseries review!

Kaleidoscope is a limited series based on a gimmick: a heist story through several episodes, told in a random order. Now the question is: does that gimmick work?

Hm.

Giancarlo Esposito plays Leo Pap, a criminal with a feud against Roger Salas, the CEO of a corporate security company because of their personal history. Leo decides to rob Salas’s state-of-the-art vault in New York City, pulling together a crew of crooks to pull it off. Of course, no heist goes exactly according to plan, and a couple of episodes are dedicated to the aftermath of the heist. It gets messy.

This series was advertised as being in completely random order for whoever watched it. I don’t know if that’s still the case, because the order I watched it in happens to be the order of episodes listed on Wikipedia. Maybe it’s not random now, but was when it came out? I don’t know. 

The order I watched in was mostly helpful; the first episode I watched wasn’t the one that took place first chronologically (it took place months before the heist), but it showed Leo getting his crew together, and briefed them on the basics of the job, so I knew who was who for the most part, even if I didn’t understand why Leo had a bone to pick with Salas.

One of the major problems with the series is that some of the problems that actually come up in the heist are foreseeable. As in, “Wow, you trust that guy on your crew? He’s an idiot.” Or, “These two people don’t get along at all! Maybe that feud will be relevant in a high stakes robbery?” The result is that it feels less like, “Master criminals doing a master plan,” and more like, “Several lucky douchebag crooks stumble around.”

Speaking of the cast: who am I rooting for, here? I understand that in stories like this, there are shades of gray, and you’re not supposed to find anyone entirely sympathetic in every aspect. That being said, many of the characters make absolutely boneheaded decisions that make you wonder if you’re supposed to like them at all, and the ones that you might maybe sympathize with end the story in a way that’s not tragic as much as just terrible. At the end of the day, you see who comes out on top, and it’s no one you have much reason to actually care for or identify with. So not only is it that you don’t really sympathize with too many of the characters, you get through the series feeling like it’s all a kick in the gut.

Which makes the entire thing feel more than a tad unsatisfying. You get the final piece of the puzzle and say, “Wait, that’s what happens?” It’s complete, sure, but it’s not rewarding.

I like the idea of the series, to be sure, and there is some fun in watching it the way I did, diving in and trying to figure out how it all comes together. That being said, having finished it, I couldn’t help but feel as if the story couldn’t achieve a satisfying ending. It didn’t work for me when all the parts came together, even though I kind of enjoyed the journey to get there. So while I think if you like the idea of the gimmick, then you can try it out, just be aware that in all, the story isn’t as fun as other heist stories out there.

[samthecookielord]

A farewell to 2022 with a collection of every blorbo that came from it judging by scrolling through my phones photo gallery

(2021 version)

[thegirlwholied]

random take but: I feel like growing up on Les Miserables braced me for sometimes terrible people get away with shit actually & people who've suffered and deserve better don't get what we wish for them endings better than the average consumer of modern media...?

aka my take on Kaleidoscope: a show with a lot of Thénardiers

[arytha]

book: tagged unlimited flow

chapters: 47

which is it. it cant be both

[neonandfuckinggarbage]

jkr’s biggest writing mistake that had nothing to do with her bigotry was not making Ginny stranger and more important. can you imagine if ginny was more of a weirdgirl and also murdered someone in the battle.

[yuexuan]

[Review] 死亡万花筒

Title: 死亡万花筒 Kaleidoscope of Death

Author: 西子绪

Length: 139 chapters + 10 extras

Rating: M 

Tag: infinite flow, supernatural, horror

Summary [taken from novel updates]:

It started off peculiarly; first, his domestic cat refused to let him cuddle it.

Lin Qiushi soon found that a sense of disharmony and incongruity began to pervade everything around him.

Then, one odd day, he pushed open a door, and he discovered that the hallway he was familiar with turned into a boundless corridor.

At both ends of this corridor were twelve, identical iron gates.

Thus, the story began.

Ruan Nanzhu said to Lin Qiushi, “When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Qiushi sank into deep contemplation. He then pulled down the zipper of his trousers and aimed at the abyss…

Ruan Nanzhu: “…Put your pants on properly!”

Novel | Novel [translated] | Audio drama

Comments **contains spoilers**:

Lin Qiushi was diagnosed with terminal cancer, but was given a second chance at life - by surviving and passing the 12 doors. Each door was a horror world of its own, ranging from the rain lady who would kill people by putting them into frames, to the minotaur residing on the cruise ship that would eat passengers. There were rules governing each of the world, such as characters who were murdered by other characters could become ghosts to avenge themselves, or those who discovered the bronze key and exited the world first could get a clue to their next door. Characters could also take on jobs to assist others in passing the doors. 

As Lin Qiushi survived each door, his illness got better, to the point where the cancer was nearly non-existent. All he needed to do was survive past the twelfth door. 

Highlights:

Compared with a lot of other infinite flow stories, I somehow found the reasoning for the infinite flow setup to be the most meaningful. It’s not some military system or supernatural movie experience, but an opportunity for the participants to experience death and aim for ‘rebirth’. How each character reacted to death was diverse. The most memorable one for me was Tan Zaozao’s, where she regretted at the very end for not having undergone training to increase her survival probability. The way that others reacted to her death was chilling as well, especially this line:

“So everything was exaggerated. People who might not have known Tan Zaozao became her fans, and the distributors took the opportunity to announce the remake of Tan Zaozao’s early films on Blu-ray……her funeral turned into a carnival. Lin Qiushi was a witness to this carnival.”

Having read quite a bit of horror danmei, K.O.D. definitely ranked at the top as one of the scarier ones. So if you’re looking for a scare, this novel might be a treat.

The MC and ML are pretty goofy. You have an ML who likes to crossdress and yes, if he crossdresses and enters the door, he would become a partial woman (with male parts still intact of course, but the wigs would become real hairs xD). As part of the ‘initiation’ into their team, the ML forced all the members to crossdress at least once (MC had to act as a deaf girl in one of the doors because he couldn’t change his voice to match that of a girl’s lol). 

Something I like is how the MC’s skills grow throughout the novel. At the start he relied on ML to take him through the doors. Eventually, he learned to be on his own, and even became the one that other characters turn to for leadership in later doors. 

Shortcoming:

There’s really one big thing that irked me about the story, and that’s the ending. Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of the 11th door where the characters have to choose between living in an alternate universe where everyone who has died in the door is alive again, but cannot remember the ones that are still alive, versus returning to the real world and confronting the deaths of their friends. I also like the idea of it being somewhat of a Judgment process, where monsters and people from the past doors appear to harm or help the MC/ML. It ties into the whole idea of not hurting others mindlessly in previous doors as one would be judged on their morality eventually. 

That said, the alternate universe where those who died are alive again sorts of defeats the purpose of the other doors. Why bother struggling to survive in the doors if one could simply skip to this alternate universe? I feel like the stakes could definitely be amped up by making the characters realize that these people who are supposedly alive in the alternate world are just bad replicas of their past selves (similar to the danmei Mist). 

Also, the concept of ML being some door NPC right at the very end doesn’t sit well with me. I’m not opposed to the idea if it had been more integrated into the story, but it felt like the author toyed with the idea and forced it in the very end.

[dragons-hoard-reviews]

From beyond the horde...

Ray Bradbury's The Illustrated Man

This 1951 collection of short stories from the mind of Ray Bradbury is a wonderful introduction to science fiction reading that gives bite-size (at least five pages and at most seventeen pages in the Bantam Books Grand Master Edition that I was reading) stories that are perfect for those that want a bit of a dark foray into some classic literature.

When a man is hiking a walking tour of Wisconsin he comes across a man with a woolen shirt buttoned all the way up to his neck and all the way down to his wrists. When the woolen man takes off his shirt, the hiker sees mystical arcane tattoos that seem to show vivid scenes from the future. This collection follows what the man sees that night while he gazes at the tattoos all over the titular Illustrated Man's body.

Some personal highlights for me were the short stories "Kaleidoscope," which is a very interesting look at death and what the idea of impending death does to the human psyche; "The Highway," a short look at war and how it can affect all of us; and "The Last Night of the World," which is once again a sweet look at what happens when we all know the world is coming to an end that very night.

While this is not the darkest book in the world there are some looks into psychology, war, violence, and other topics that might be upsetting if you know these things upset you on a regular basis. There is also one use of a slur against Japanese people used in the last quarter of the book in the short story "Zero Hour."

All in all, this is an amazing collection of science-fiction short stories that leaves me wanting more of Ray Bradbury's writing that has certainly earned its spot on my bookshelf for many reads to come.

[kamaljohnsonnetwork]

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Kaleidoscope On Netflix Review | The G.A.B. Episode 105 (SAF Segment)

Full Show On The YouTube (Kamal Johnson Ent). Link Below

YT Link

https://youtu.be/7_Rbxn3J7TQ via YouTube

Podcast Links

iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/338-the-gab-101916901/episode/that-white-code-be-strong-107099660/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0xEgbGZfp8WR8z9vSPaqEr?si=18d4cd1523d54d62

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-g-a-b/id1547660066?i=1000593632444

Podpage: https://www.podpage.com/the-gab/

@youtube @googleplay @showtimenetworks @hulu @netflix @sony @warnerbrosentertainment @iheartradio @siriusxm

[remedialreviews]

The episode order gimmick doesn’t add anything, though its nonlinear storytelling is mostly effective (apart from the off-putting “This is where they all are now!” penultimate episode). Cutting out the shockingly irresponsible FBI agent and tightening up the plot with a purposeful order may have allowed its otherwise straightforward heist antics to really shine. Moderately interesting but nowhere near masterful.

[kaleidoscopevisualart]

📌 Neon Meditation Multicolor Abstract Artwork Radial

[ciegeinc]

Series Review...Kaleidoscope S01

(3/5) Depending on the order you viewed the series, it may change your rating of the show.  Netflix dropped its new binge worthy heist show at the top of the new year...a show presented in a innovative way.  Each episode is titled by a color and each color is a different part of the plot or character’s journey in connection to the overall story.  So depending on what color your Netflix account starts and ends, you are presented with a different viewing experience.  

My first episode was “yellow” and my last episode was “white,” and with that viewing order I landed with a rating of 3 out of 5 (”Okay”).  From the very first episode this spelled out disaster and the following episodes just confirmed that initial thought.  The teams make up was just too drama filled plus too many unknowns.  Ex girl friends with new husbands, estranged fathers and daughters, old grunges, FBI moles, side hustles and secret phone calls all spelled out doom to the viewer and for some reason not the seasoned criminals. 

The characters issues made the outcome predictable and although the shuffle play on the story may seem innovate, it comes off as “gimmicky” to fill in the for the lack of interesting story or characters.  What was your viewing order and what did you think of the newest Netflix show? 

A master thief and his crew attempt an epic heist worth $7 billion, but betrayal, greed and other threats undermine their plans (google).

[omegaplus]

# 4,281

Various artists: No Deal Fresh Out Comp. 1 (2020)

Here's proof that you can find music goldmines through online video channels. No Deal has to be from New York City or somewhere else in the tri-state area judging where he's put together shows (Brooklyn's Saint Vitus for one). He's one of the messengers of the current punk / d-beat / thrash scene who posts all of his favorite finds, demos-, and records on YouTube. So far the count's up to 250+, but I'll be damned if he's not sharing the wealth (or poverty?) by throwing some of the best decrepit, broke-as-shit, trash-stricken punk out there. As a tribute, here was the first of two cassette compilations up for sale through Bandcamp (165 copies maximum) with free digital downloads up for grabs. Some contributions are freshly-baked and muffled (Mister's "Sucio") while others are a warbly disastrous mess (Hologram's "Nothing" or Nosferatu's  untitled track) but that's the ethos of it all. There's also Kaleidoscope (Katorga Works), Impalers (featuring Mike Sharp) and Armor (crosshair demon); three bands Omega WUSB has featured previously on our show over the years. Go seek this out to see how No Deal had gotten right what short, last, loud, and angry means.

[haute-lifestyle-com]

Sight, from Angel Studios, and Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment, brings to the screen the true story of Dr. Ming Wang, an impoverished Chinese prodigy who flees Communist China to become a pioneering eye surgeon in America.

[madlovenovelist]

Book Review – ‘Zero In’ (#6 S2 Nameless) by Dean Koontz

A psychic vigilante amnesiac pulls back the curtain like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Horror No. of pages: 66 This could be the most important mission of Nameless’s life. Because it’s putting him on a collision course with his own past and the nation’s future. The target: a fortified redoubt in the golden hills of California, the hub of a new world order that’s…