The Following
 

Did anyone watch Kevin Bacon's new series, "The Following", on Fox last night.

It's about Ryan Hardy, (Bacon), being asked to come out of retirement to catch Joe Carroll who is a serial killer with a cult following.

Did it grab you?

Turned it off after 10 minutes after a) seeing four dead people in pools of blood, b) seeing pictures of people with their eyes cut out, and c) a just about nude woman stick an ice pick thru her head...nothing but gore porn...maybe it got better after that but it was not for me.

Grabbed me. I love tense story telling and gore--if it is part of the plot-- does not bother me.

Love Kevin Bacon but this show was awful! Way too violent and too much gore! Very disappointed. Turned it off half way through.

Because of Bacon's involvement, I hoped for better.

Seems to be treated unfairly because of recent events.
 

Great "on the edge of your seat" show.

I liked it. I've always been curious about the minds of serial killers.

It seems to be about a Charles Manson like cult of followers of a serial killer.

As to recent events and curbing violence by cracking down on producers of violent movies and video games;look at the history of the Hayes Office. Motion Picture Production Code - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


I certainly would not want a Hayes like code installed again on Hollywood and the producers of video games. That would also violate the First Amendment of the US Constitution as well as the various State Constitution's protection on Free Speech. Believe that the Hayes Code stayed in force so long is because the Supreme Court back then held that the First Amendment did not cover movies and TV. Mutual Film Corporation v. Industrial Commission of Ohio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Case overturned by Joseph Burstyn, Inc v. Wilson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Will need to watch it one more time as he caught the killer but it seems it will be ongoing in terms of finding all the cult members.

I was somewhat put off by the violence. If the second episode doesn't grab me, then it will be read a book time. For some reason, I may find the story line to be too disturbing for me.

Reminds me of Charles Mansion and his "followers", (no pun intended). I was hoping it would move at the pace of 24. 24 was an excellent show.

The OP wanted opinions on those who watched The Following pilot. To that I respond as usual with I'll give it more time to see how it develops.

The discussion morphed somewhat from not my cup of tea to the history of regulations vis a vis the First Amendment. If one considers the movies and televisions shows of the 1950's to todays it is clear that the 1968 rating system failed miserably. I watched the entire Spartacus Series to date but will admit I would not in mixed company. This series gets away with the gratuitous sex and violence by stating at the beginning of each show "this is a historical depiction................

I am a guy. I like guy movies Braveheart, Rob Roy and Gladiator were my favorite in recent times. I do object to gratuitous violence and sex it actually subtracts from a movies content. Its OK with me if a director depicts a passionate moment by cutting to the waves hitting the coastal shore. I get it and I prefer it. I also would not be offended if the director stopped the ax in mid-air I know it means the guy lost his head. I don't need to see it rolling down a set of stairs.

Yes, we were hooked. Kevin Bacon has always been a favorite.
The entire cast was good. However, we both agreed that typical of modern t.v., it was gory..........but what else is new. Recorded it for next week.
Good twist with the serial killer being a former college professor.
We were into it from the very beginning..........

The Following
 

Both my wife and I watched the show. We were laughing at each other as we were both jumping out of our seats a few times...We'll watch again.
I hope the Closer makes a guest appearance...

Kevin Bacon interview for The Following: ‘my career went down the toilet’ - Telegraph

Interesting interview with Kevin Bacon about his career. I loved Tremors incidentally.

"Its OK with me if a director depicts a passionate moment by cutting to the waves hitting the coastal shore. I get it and I prefer it."

totally agree. I was watching an old black and white movie and I forget the actors but they were going back to her apartment and you knew what was going to transpire there and the sexual tension was palpable....no need to see long drawn out exposed naked sex scenes...I fast forward thru them if I find them too much

Different generations, different tastes. I do find some of the cable programs like Spartacus go way too far in terms of soft porn and gore. I am almost 54 though so my tastes are more in the line of the movies I saw in the 60s, 70s, and 80s while growing up. Someone that grew up in the 90s and 00s might have quite different likes and dislikes from me.

Watched The Following and found it pretty gory for a network television show. But I really like Kevin Bacon so I will probably tune in next week. Now that Kyra Sedgwick is no longer making The Closer, someone in their house has to bring home the bacon. :)

The TV critic in today's Villages Daily Sun makes the point that the Beatles "Helter Skelter" song was Charles Manson's inspiration for his murderous actions. You really cannot figure out the mind of a serial killer and his or her motivations as they do not seem to act on logic all that much.

He was talking about the three very violent series appearing this week on TV among these is The Following.

I noticed Kyra and Kevin seem to take turns bringing home the Bacon. It's a shame because they lost of a lot of money to Bernie Madoff.

They seem to work well in balancing their private and professional lives.

Grandparents born in 1945
 

Your reply is right on target. We are 68 and almost 68 and say often that our actions would not be changed in any which way, shape or form by watching the modern diet of American t.v. Hey, we even enjoy "Dexter." We also enjoy quality shows on PBS.

Another case in point, "Breaking Bad".......( but no way we would become drug manufacturers, etc.)

But, we'd be amiss to notice and realize that these "shows" have all changed since our kids were little and watching "The Waltons" and "Little House on the Prairie".........family type shows back in the 1970's.

I do worry about the younger generation being saturated in either inane comedies or these gory killer t.v. shows.

Parents who limit and monitor their children's t.v. watching are doing their parental duties, for sure..........but as kids get older, they do see other shows at friends' homes. All worrisome to grandparents born in 1945.

I guess we've seen it all and remember it well.........how t.v. has changed for better and for worse.

liked it and wont miss a remaining episode.

Just caught the 2nd episode. It still holds my interest.

I only got the see the last half hour of "The Following" last night and it wasn't as gory. It looks like now it might turn into a thrilling show.

I'll try to watch #3 episode in it's entirety.

It is well worth watching. I had been wondering what happened with the character played by Natalie Zea from Justified. They seem to have written her out for a while and now she is playing a new role on The Forgotten.

She is still pregnant with Raylan's child on Justified. She will show up eventually

I saw "ineverfrogetwhatsherface" from Law and Order last night's show.

She also was in "The Pacific".

whatsherface's name is Annie Parisse. :smiley:

The true masters of intrigue are gone. They could create tension anxiety fear wth just silence, and shawdows and facial reactions. Conversely they could produce love romance and sex with a look touch of the hand flouting clouds by tapping into our imaginations.
Most of this isn't missed until you happen on a movie that has a truly personal and wonderful narrative depicting the human experience. Movieas are no longer about story telling their now about the most noise, most blood, most sex scenes and most advanced graphics/technology

Scenes that scare me the most are:
1. Anthonty Perkins jumping out of nowhere onto the scene.
2. The scene from Jaws where the floating head appears suddenly.

"The Following" has scenes like this where unexpected things happen suddenly. The days are gone where black and white movies with shadows like the old Dracula and Frankenstein, etc seem to be a thing of the past. It's too bad as they were wonderfully made movies. :(

I believe last nights episode will repeat this Friday if you wanted to catch the first 1/2 hour.

Annie Parisse - IMDb

I was wondering why her face looked so familiar. Looks like she will survive a while too. I hate it when they kill off an actor/actress you are a big fan of at the beginning of a series.

She was just on last weeks Justified. She met Raylan at her doctors office.

I am glad that I stuck with The Following. I'm hooked.

I missed the last two showings but I am hoping to pick it up again.

It seems to be a better than average show. I also like "Person of Interest" but that could be another thread. :D

You can view previous episodes here or on Hulu:

FOX Broadcasting Company - The Following TV Show - The Following TV Series - The Following Episode Guide - The Poet's Fire

Season finale coming up. I hope Debra gets out of the box.

We watch it.