One of the keys to a successful streaming video service is a show that acts as a hook to pull in subscribers. Each of the services out there (along with their cable and network counterparts) spends large sums of money acquiring talent in that quest.
Last year, Netflix found their "hook" with the 1980s sci-fi/horror homage Stranger Things. The show became a key hit for the streaming platform. As a fully financed and owned Netflix production (as opposed to other originals which are produced with/by other studios), the merchandising opportunities are very lucrative.
I was roughly the same age in 1983 as the show's three young male protagonists, and the series's many pop culture references from the era continually strike a chord. The show has a similar feel to J.J. Abrams's movie Super 8, but is its own living and breathing thing.
Stranger Things has a funky electronic soundtrack (which feels like something out of a John Carpenter movie), pieces of hit pop music of the era, and subtle (as well as not-so-subtle) nods to movies like E.T. and The Goonies. The show is a wonderful, ridculous and pulpy ride that is a tremendous amount of fun.
Target brings fans an exclusive box set for the first season of Stranger Things.
The set features all eight episodes of the first season on Blu-ray and DVD (the DVDs sit in a tray under the Blu-ray discs). The only special features are trailers for Stranger Things 2 (which is currently streaming on Netflix) and Marvel's The Defenders series -- kind of a shame since there is so much wonderful content out there about the show.
As you unfold the "cassette" inside, one half houses the discs (two Blu-ray discs and two DVDs), and the other includes a limited-edition poster of the Demogorgon (you'll have to watch the show to learn what that is...).
One of the interesting aspect of this box set is that the discs are held into the trays by a "foam rubber" spindle. I own a number of box sets like this, and it is interesting to see the novel methods employed to house discs. This is a mechanism I'd never seen before. It threw me off a bit at first, but once I figured it out, getting the discs off was just fine.
If you are a Stranger Things fanboy like me -- or if you want to see the show, but aren't interested in subscribing to Netflix -- the Season 1 box set is a neat way to enjoy the show.
I didn't realize this set was available until a couple weeks after its initial release, but I'm glad I stumbled upon it.
It definitely ranks as one of the cooler-looking box sets I've owned, and it is a worthwhile addition to my collection collection. It retails for $24.99... would make a great Christmas gift.
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