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John from Cincinnati is an American television drama, set against the surfing community of Imperial Beach, California, that aired on HBO from June 10, 2007 to August 12, 2007. It is the result of a collaborative effort between writer/producer David Milch and author Kem Nunn, whose novels have been termed surf noir. The program deals with a strange young man of mysterious origin and the effect he has on a dysfunctional family of professional surfers and their community.
The series includes surfing sequences by well-respected surfers such as Brock Little, Keala Kennelly, Dan Malloy, John-John Florence, Shane Beschen, and Herbie Fletcher.
The series' theme song is "Johnny Appleseed," performed by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. A diverse soundtrack includes "Tic" by Kava Kava and songs from TV on the Radio, Muse, Buddy Guy, Kasabian and the Yardbirds.
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
headscratchingly weird,
By
This review is from: John From Cincinnati: Season 1 (DVD)
First of all the series lasted just one season and got canceled so don't expect too much closure to the story. There is an ending (or is it a beginning of a new chapter for all these characters?) but I'm not spoiling it for those of you interested in this unique HBO series.Secondly, it takes place in a surfing community but that is really just a porthole into these people's lives. It is more about how preconceived notions can be turned around 180 and a community and family can come together and get past judging people based on their job, choice of lifestyle, appearance, etc. That sounds like a simple and nicely wrapped up synopsis but once you start watching this series, you'll wonder why it takes such a convoluted route to reach that conclusion. "John From Cincy" is definitely weird and seems like a second division ripoff of "Twin Peaks," but well worth watching mainly because of the interesting characters. I will say although John, as a sort of mirror that reflects back the reality of these people's lives, is the main driving force he is more an annoying Rain Man than anything else. To be honest, the creator of this series comes across like he dropped way too much acid in the '60s and his head is filled with some magical and lyrical poetry that only he can comprehend. When it's spit out onto the screen, it can be thicker than pea soup to paddle through. Not that it's not worth sticking with this series episode to episode. Just be forewarned your brain may explode trying to figure out what it all means. Seeing Luke Perry and a porn actress turned born-again mom become an item, Rebecca de Mornay as a screaming lunatic of a grandma (a grandma?), the guy from WKRP (Howard Hesseman) as an old hippy dippy drug casualty, the "Married With Children" dad (Ed O'Neill) as a retired cop who "talks" to his pet birds and Carrie's gay friend from "Sex and the City" (Greyson Fletcher) as a surf-loving easygoing and nice guy lawyer are all worth the price of admission. The soundtrack is beyond awesome. The opening credit montage with Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros doing "Johnny Appleseed" to the closing credits on episode 1 with the awesome "Sun Rise Light Flies" by Kasabian as surfers ride those waves is magic. Lastly, the "sound" of the surf in beach scenes where no music, no dialogue is on, you can almost feel like it's coming through your TV screen. Very hard to explain but it captures the way beaches are and how powerful the sea is. Now before I go as weird on you, I would say this series is not for everyone and I can understand people tuning out after one or two episodes. My advice is, if you stuck with "Twin Peaks" through season two, you can at least give this a shot.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars (58 customer reviews) 48 of 52 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Put John Back on the 'waves,
By Allison Hansen "Allison Hansen" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: John From Cincinnati: Season 1 (DVD)
Only the damned can be saved...and that's exactly what happens when John appears one morning, straight out of the blue (or Cincinnati as he'd have it) to tell Mitch Yost (patriarch of a multigenerational family of competitive surfers) to "Get back in the Game."Funny stuff happens around John. People go up in the air. Things, usually in satisfyingly impressive denominations, materialize right out of his pockets. The dead come back to life The living begin to come back to life by both reaching out, and receiving kindnesses from one and other. As one bemused individual, drawn into the strange and mysterious goings on around the Yost's observes: "There's a lot of quick healers in this zip code." Love, Healing, Redemption, Spirituality and Slight-of-Hand... Sometimes hilariously, sometimes compassionately, John is the catalyst (think Starman crossed with Harpo Marx) who helps it all happen. I'd give ANYTHING to see the story continue with new episodes! Work with us at [...] 24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful stuff - but not for everyone,
By P. Brady - Published on Amazon.com
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This review is from: John From Cincinnati: Season 1 (DVD)
The excellent writing is often lost beneath the torrents of expletives -- but -- if you can get past that, JFC is totally engrossing. Miracles, mysterious figures, mysticism, surfing! The series was cut short to 10 episodes (from 13), so the series finale is a bit hurried. But the opening sequence (and Bob Dylan music) for that last episode is truly moving, given all that happened on the show's run.So, giving JFC one star is right enough for those who don't get it, but those that do get it, 5 are not enough. We won't see more of this show, and maybe we don't need to. It was great for what it was. If you're undecided, rent it. It's worth it. KBrady 33 of 36 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
JFC resides in the pantheon of brilliant television...too bad it was cancelled,
By B. Boring - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: John From Cincinnati: Season 1 (DVD)
It's unfortunate that the term "groundbreaking" when it comes to television series seems to equate only to pushing the boundaries of sex and violence. "John From Cincinnati" broke new ground in narrative style and tackling the difficult topic of our collective subjective experiences that looked from the outside to be a simplistic family drama about surfing. It is definitely much more than that."John From Cincinnati" plays more like a fable than a realistic drama whose characters are simultaneously over-the-top caricatures and profoundly human. They encompass our irrational fears, damaging anger, tendency to cling to the past, and our desire to escape from it and change. These characters ARE us, and we look at them both in their specific niche and set against the tableau of the history of our species' existence ("big and huge" as John describes). At the center of this is John who is less of an actual character and more of a personification of that which connects us and our own naiveté. He is a narrative device analogous to a Greek chorus. He serves as a reflection of a character's innermost thoughts and desires and strives to connect them to each other. He even literally does this as he imitates them. He stands apart from the rest of the cast to comment on them in his own bizarre way. The writing is rich in its language and subtle humor. We aren't treated to immediate gratification either (and even the finale creates more mystery than it solves which is unfortunate in this case). Certainly airing immediately after the finale of "The Sopranos" when no one was watching handicapped such a series where continuity is significant. It takes several episodes to hit its full stride, but it does reward the dedicated viewer, gradually shedding light on previous events. Milch's work on the early seasons of "NYPD Blue" and on "Deadwood" especially is brilliant, and "John From Cincinnati" is no exception in its own, very unique way. This is truly experimental, groundbreaking, underrated television for those willing to put forth the effort to read between the lines and immerse themselves in the lives of these disparate characters. |
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