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Posted: Jan 23 2015 11:23 am

Man this is one fucked up show. I used to love the shit out of it when it aired back in the 90's and I am re-watching it tonight. I didn't understand it then and I still really don't understand it now. Can anyone out there explain to me what the fuck happens at the end? The Maxx was just some maintenance guy who went wacko and then snapped out of it? Was Julie related to Mr. Gone? HELP!!

Link to watch entire series: http://www.mtv.com/shows/the_maxx/video/full-episodes/

Joined: Aug 05 2008 Location: CA Posts: 867

Yeah I loved that show too. Not sure if you are aware but it is based on a comic of the same name published by image. I only had the first few issues but maybe check into the comics for answers to your question. However I am pretty sure that the comic had a pretty short run (Same as with Battle Chassers by Joe Mad!)

Anyways, speaking of old liquid MTV shows anyone remember "The Head"? Was a great show dammit,; why don't the make shows like this anymore?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtk2fG6sraE

Posted: Jan 26 2015 12:26 pm

I quote The Head all the time.

"Kill it, it's different!"

I remember enjoying The Maxx, but yeah, having little idea what was going on. I'm going to rewatch those this week.

Posted: Jan 27 2015 08:34 am

Anyone old enough to remember Liquid TV? That was the best show MTV ever aired.

Posted: Jan 27 2015 01:10 pm

Hell yes it was! I was like 7 or 8 and Liquid Television was on late at night. I would just wake up sometimes at 3AM and turn on the TV like "Whaaaatdahell???" Amazing shit. I would love it if someone could tell me where I can download the entire series.

Joined: Aug 05 2008 Location: CA Posts: 867

Knyte wrote:

Anyone old enough to remember Liquid TV? That was the best show MTV ever aired.

Yeah for sure. That is what I meant when I said Liquid MTV in my post. Just so sad that MTV and every other network airs bullshit drama queen reality TV shows 24 hours a day now instead.

I blame The Real World I mean what the hell; why do people watch Jersey Shore/Real Housewives ect. It really pisses me off. When was the last time MTV has even played a music video let alone do something more creative than sticking some dumb sixteen year old pregnant girl in front of a camera and edit for maximum drama. I want my Wonder Showzens and the State back!

Wonder Showzen S1E1: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TFdNgInXkyU

The State: http://www.ifc.com/fix/2013/08/the-7-best-sketches-from-the-state

Same goes for Sci Fi (SyFy or whatever now lol) . Used to be descent with Mystery Science Theater, Red Dwarf, Highlander, V, Star Trek and what not.

Also, Comedy Central! I really miss the days of Kids In the Hall, Mr Show, Dr. Katz, In Living Color, Who's Line is it Anyways, Strangers with Candy, Upright Citizen Brigade.

UPCB Ass Pennies: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DO1Q7F23DxM

Kids In The Hall The Chase: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cxY0-Qr_l78

Most annoying though is that all of the above channels cut to commercials every three minutes often repeating one several times in a single break. I Feel like I have ADHD watching this shit.

Sorry for the rant.

One more thing. fuck Babylon 5. Sorry random but reminiscing about old Sci Fi channel shows made me think of how terrible that show was.

Posted: Jan 28 2015 01:50 am

I loved that State episode where the mailman starts delivering tacos instead of mail LOL "We love the tacos but... we need the mail" HAHAHAHA

Joined: Apr 14 2006 Location: Lake Michigan Posts: 3332

Love the State too. My favorite skit was probably Louie at the Last Supper. Took them forever to release it on dvd. Bought it when it came out and watched the crap out of it. Haven't watched it since, so it's about time for a rewatch.

And I absolutely love Babylon 5. Rewatched most of it a couple years ago, and while a lot of it didn't hold up, still loved most of it. So, now I have a weird love/hate thing with it.

Joined: Aug 05 2008 Location: CA Posts: 867

Cattivo wrote:

Love the State too. My favorite skit was probably Louie at the Last Supper. Took them forever to release it on dvd. Bought it when it came out and watched the crap out of it. Haven't watched it since, so it's about time for a rewatch.

And I absolutely love Babylon 5. Rewatched most of it a couple years ago, and while a lot of it didn't hold up, still loved most of it. So, now I have a weird love/hate thing with it.

My favorite skit from The State is the Muppet Hunting/Muppet meat one. Sadly I can't find a clip of it online...

And seriously, nobody else here a fan of Kids In The Hall? I think it is the best sketch comedy series ever. Matter of fact the theme song for the show is the ringtone on my phone.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A-avHA_9SvY

Also Cartivo I really tried to like Babylon 5 and tried watching the first few episodes recently. The production value is just fucked and the overall story arch is a mess. I am a fan of Science Fiction and wanted to give it another shot but dammit I just can't lol.

Posted: Jan 29 2015 04:54 am

All of the entire first season of Babylon 5's special effects were done with this:

That's a Commodore Amiga running the Video Toaster suite. Which was a hardware add on that only cost $1,600 and allowed you to do professional video editing, chroma key effects, and 3D animation on your home computer. It was also used for SeaQuest's effects. It was the first system that could bring CGI to television, so while cool at the time, it hasn't really aged well. But, that's pretty much true of all early CGI effects. (Lawnmower Man, Johnny Mnemonic, Into The Mind's Eye, etc.)

Joined: Aug 05 2008 Location: CA Posts: 867

Knyte wrote:

All of the entire first season of Babylon 5's special effects were done with this:

That's a Commodore Amiga running the Video Toaster suite. Which was a hardware add on that only cost $1,600 and allowed you to do professional video editing, chroma key effects, and 3D animation on your home computer. It was also used for SeaQuest's effects. It was the first system that could bring CGI to television, so while cool at the time, it hasn't really aged well. But, that's pretty much true of all early CGI effects. (Lawnmower Man, Johnny Mnemonic, Into The Mind's Eye, etc.)

I actually worked with Angle studios who did Lawnmower Man's 3D effects, now I believe they are called Rockstar South. Also speaking for 3D animation not aging well Tomb Raider and Castlevania Symphony of the Night came out weeks apart. Sony nearly refused to release SOTN because it was 2D and therefore archaic. You tell me, which title looking back is more athletically pleasing?

Joined: Apr 14 2006 Location: Lake Michigan Posts: 3332

That muppet skit is definitely one of the best. I remember before the dvds came out, I was looking for a video of that Louie skit I mentioned, and found a crappy quality transfer of the muppet skit online somewhere, heh. Don't remember where I found it though.

The first season of B5 is definitely not the show at its best, writing wise. Babylon-Squared and the finale, Chrysalis are gut-punchingly good, but without a vested interest, it's a long slog through that first season, so I don't blame you for bailing. Things started to get better when they replaced Sinclair as captain with Sheridan, played by Bruce Boxleitner.

The graphics don't bug me because it seemed neat at the time, plus the story is more important. Hell, I still prefer the original graphics from the original Star Trek series to the remastered version. Crappier special effects help you use your imagination more; I guess that's how I rationalize it.

Posted: Jan 30 2015 04:48 pm

I just played the PS1 Tomb Raider about a month ago. My eyes are still bleeding.

Joined: Aug 05 2008 Location: CA Posts: 867

I did watch Babylon 5's later seasons here and there back in the good old days when coming home from high school for a a marathon of WB/UPN shows. Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules, Star Trek TNG/DS9 ect. I specifically remember these shows (along with the X-Files) filling that hole left after they stopped airing The Disney Afternoon stuff. =)

However my point is that especially when it comes to Sci Fi I hate CGI. They switched from using actual models to computer generated ones in Star Trek Voyager it really pissed me off.

I really respect directors that use CGI as little as possible ( i.e. Christopher Nolan, Ridley Scott). It breaks the immersion even on a subconscious level.

One of the best science fiction movies ever made, in my opinion, is Blade Runner. Released way back in 1983 is still just mind blowing in its use of VFX. That entire city is made of tiny models.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-fu7jN2_2pE

So IDK that movie comes out over a decade before shows like Babylon 5. shitty CGI does not help my imagination, it totally breaks the immersion for me.

Also, Battlestar Gallatica, hate it too lol, or should I say that I "fracking" hate it almost as much as people that actually started to say "fracking" instead of fucking...

I'm really starting to derail some threads here god dammit and maybe even try and Give Babylon 5 another shot lol.

Posted: Feb 01 2015 12:33 am

Probable Muppet wrote:

One of the best science fiction movies ever made, in my opinion, is Blade Runner. Released way back in 1983 is still just mind blowing in its use of SFX. That entire city is made of tiny models.

How about Escape From NY, where they used traditional special effects to fake CGI, instead of the other way around!

https://thedissolve.com/news/3510-coolness-the-ridiculously-complicated-fake-cgi-of-/

Joined: Aug 05 2008 Location: CA Posts: 867

Knyte wrote:

Probable Muppet wrote:

One of the best science fiction movies ever made, in my opinion, is Blade Runner. Released way back in 1983 is still just mind blowing in its use of SFX. That entire city is made of tiny models.

How about Escape From NY, where they used traditional special effects to fake CGI, instead of the other way around!

https://thedissolve.com/news/3510-coolness-the-ridiculously-complicated-fake-cgi-of-/

True John Carpenter is fucking amazing and did a damn good job keeping things simple VFX wise on nearly all his movies, however he hasn't made a decent movie since like maybe They Live. It seems that as a director gets older they just sort of lose it (looking at you George Lucas and Spielberg, same in the music industry when the musician stops using drugs IMO lol).

Ridley Scott better get his shit together too, his last couple movies have not been quality. Hopefully he won't jump of a bridge like his brother when Prometheus 2 comes out and fails hard. I actually sort of liked the first one but what ever happened to it being a mashup of the Alien universe and the Blade Runner universe as originally planned? Here's hoping it improves on the first movie and mixes in the Tyrell Corperation/Replicants somewhere in there.

Also the original Tron VFXs, awesome. And maybe the only Science Fiction movie that did it right given the year it was made IMO is The Last Starfighter., it really did a good job of mixing traditional effects with CGI.

Joined: Apr 14 2006 Location: Lake Michigan Posts: 3332

That's fair Muppet. I do prefer models over CGI. The latter is just so engrained to the identity of B5, and since I have liked that show for a long while, I like its use there.

I didn't get into Battlestar. The main reason was anger at the Sci-Fi channel for cancelling Farscape - a show that first did the whole substituting another word for a swear word. They used frell for the f-word before Battlestar's frak. They had a bunch of others too, such as dren for the s-word.

Years later after Battlestar ended, I tried the pilot on netflix. Thought it was ok, but not worth watching the rest of the show.

Posted: Feb 04 2015 03:08 am

Cattivo wrote:

That's fair Muppet. I do prefer models over CGI. The latter is just so engrained to the identity of B5, and since I have liked that show for a long while, I like its use there.

I didn't get into Battlestar. The main reason was anger at the Sci-Fi channel for cancelling Farscape - a show that first did the whole substituting another word for a swear word. They used frell for the f-word before Battlestar's frak. They had a bunch of others too, such as dren for the s-word.

Years later after Battlestar ended, I tried the pilot on netflix. Thought it was ok, but not worth watching the rest of the show.

I have to agree about Battlestar. I tried the first three or four episodes and then gave up. Wasn't enough Bonanza and A-Team cast members in it for me. And, trying to figure out why Starbuck had a sex change.

Title: Miss Madness 99 Joined: Sep 09 2012 Posts: 222

https://www.facebook.com/maxxmovie

Posted: Feb 08 2015 12:54 am

I remember the Maxx. When it was on MTV I was just a kid then and I couldn't understand what the hell it was all about, but somehow I enjoyed the deep, melodramatic feel it had along with the urban film-noir look. There was just something about its overall style that really appealed to me. I didn't know the MTV website still has the show, I really should give it a rewatch sometime.

However, I enjoyed The Head more on MTV's Oddities, probably because it has more of a fast-paced yet easy-to-follow action feel to it that I was more able to sink my teeth into. It sorta has a bit of a feel-good diversity message to it, but it's done in a way where it doesn't come off as being naive. The concept is kinda farfetched but it makes for a very entertaining adventure and there are plenty of funny moments. There was also a second season, which was also fun to watch, only this time each episode was self-contained rather than being part of one long, continuous saga.

I absolutely loved Liquid Television. I never had much of a chance to watch that show so it was a very rare experience for me, but whenever I did see it, it blew me away. Some skits were fun while others were just downright weird but still entertaining in their own way. MTV also had Cartoon Sushi which was pretty much a reincarnation of Liquid Television, though with a less catchy presentation.

The one MTV cartoon I never liked was Aeon Flux. I'm a big fan of sci-fi, but this was just a pointless mindfuck of a show that just came off as ultra-creepy for no reason.

I feel I missed out on The State because I only got to watch a few episodes of that. Whatever I did watch was always hilarious. I felt bad when MTV canceled it. If I could find any rips of that show, I'd watch them in a heartbeat.

Never bothered with The Real World, whatever I saw of that was just plain boring as hell. I never understood, and still don't understand, why anyone would want to watch that shit. Seriously, how in the world is reality TV popular? What does it have that makes it more interesting than every other show I just mentioned above? Even Aeon Flux is more entertaining, fuck...

Title: Miss Madness 99 Joined: Sep 09 2012 Posts: 222

Methid Man wrote:

I remember the Maxx. When it was on MTV I was just a kid then and I couldn't understand what the hell it was all about, but somehow I enjoyed the deep, melodramatic feel it had along with the urban film-noir look. There was just something about its overall style that really appealed to me. I didn't know the MTV website still has the show, I really should give it a rewatch sometime.

However, I enjoyed The Head more on MTV's Oddities, probably because it has more of a fast-paced yet easy-to-follow action feel to it that I was more able to sink my teeth into. It sorta has a bit of a feel-good diversity message to it, but it's done in a way where it doesn't come off as being naive. The concept is kinda farfetched but it makes for a very entertaining adventure and there are plenty of funny moments. There was also a second season, which was also fun to watch, only this time each episode was self-contained rather than being part of one long, continuous saga.

I absolutely loved Liquid Television. I never had much of a chance to watch that show so it was a very rare experience for me, but whenever I did see it, it blew me away. Some skits were fun while others were just downright weird but still entertaining in their own way. MTV also had Cartoon Sushi which was pretty much a reincarnation of Liquid Television, though with a less catchy presentation.

The one MTV cartoon I never liked was Aeon Flux. I'm a big fan of sci-fi, but this was just a pointless mindfuck of a show that just came off as ultra-creepy for no reason.

I feel I missed out on The State because I only got to watch a few episodes of that. Whatever I did watch was always hilarious. I felt bad when MTV canceled it. If I could find any rips of that show, I'd watch them in a heartbeat.

Never bothered with The Real World, whatever I saw of that was just plain boring as hell. I never understood, and still don't understand, why anyone would want to watch that shit. Seriously, how in the world is reality TV popular? What does it have that makes it more interesting than every other show I just mentioned above? Even Aeon Flux is more entertaining, fuck...

MTV became the thing to watch for me as a kid when Nickelodeon got too corney around the 95-97 Snick era. They went from producing shows for kids into shows "they thought" would like. They had the winning formula but changed it to save money by producing everything in Orlando,FL.

This may cause some controversy but I always believed Roundhouse,Are You Afraid of the Dark, Kenan and Kel as well as
All That insulted my intelligence by forcing me into laughing or being scared. Stuff like Salute your Shorts along with Pete and Pete and to some extent Hey Dude and Welcome Freshman were quality kid shows that entertained me in a genuine way.

Funny thing is that MTV was owned by Viacam which also owned Nickelodeon but even as a 12 year old boy I found myself thankful to have options like Liquid TV,Beavis and Butthead,MTV's Oddities to counterbalance the cheesiness that Nick was forcing upon its audience. I was lucky that my dad allowed me to watch the MTV when parents were concerned about its somewhat mature themes. I along with two other kids were the only ones who were allowed to watch MTV so we had a good time talking about Liquid TV and the State.

I think Cartoon Network later learned from the Nickelodeons mistake that you can't overload your lineup with pure cheesyness and you need a balance for younger and older audiences that Nickelodeon failed to balance in the late 90's.

PS- I also agree with you about Aeon Flux, it was dumb.

Posted: Feb 11 2015 02:18 pm

Probable Muppet wrote:

My favorite skit from The State is the Muppet Hunting/Muppet meat one. Sadly I can't find a clip of it online...

That's my favorite sketch too. And the game show where you win orphans.

Quote:

And seriously, nobody else here a fan of Kids In The Hall? I think it is the best sketch comedy series ever. Matter of fact the theme song for the show is the ringtone on my phone.

I effing love Kids in the Hall!

Posted: Feb 11 2015 05:53 pm

Kids in the Hall was my favorite but I think The Whitest Kids U Know may have them beat.

Joined: Aug 05 2008 Location: CA Posts: 867

sidewaydriver wrote:

Kids in the Hall was my favorite but I think The Whitest Kids U Know may have them beat.

Blasphemy! =)

You handle my ass pennies everyday!

Title: Miss Madness 99 Joined: Sep 09 2012 Posts: 222

A Maxx comic I have.

No. 2, April 1993

Not worth much but I keep it because of my love for the MTV show as a kid.