kakku
What do you guys think about the Nashville series that came out some time ago. It got favorable score from Imdb. Also OT what do you guys think about Imdb and how do the ratings there match with your own opinions about movies and series? I usually agree with Imdb:s ratings.

I don't watch Nashville so I can't comment on that. As far as imdb goes, I generally ignore movie scores/ratings because I generally find that reviewers dont know what the hell they're talking about.
 
A great movie like Rush Hour is a 7 on imdb. Which is stupid.
Lethal Weapon 4 is a 6. I let my own opinion drive what I think about the movie. If it gets good reviews in general it may or may not encourage me to see it, but I stopped using movie reviews over a decade ago.
So in short the rating system on imdb pretty much sucks and is way off the mark.

dubdisciple
 
Has there ever been a tv series about music that wasn't formulaic? This forum has a special kind of hypocritical venom when it comes to hip-hop. The music IS formulaic....along with every pop genre ever. The video yorolpal posted with the endless amount of songs using the exact same chord pattern illustrates this fact. Other than very experimental composers, you would be hard pressed to find music that does not follow a formula. The class i took on songwriting at Berklee pretty much summed up the formulas from everyone the Beattles to Bacharach. "That genre is formulaic" and lifeless simply translates to "i hate that genre" and there's nothing wrong with that, but it's a lot more honest. I'm not a fan of polka, but it would be downright silly for me to chime in on topics on polka. I'm not claiming Empire is some form of high art. It IS lowest common denominator distraction for the masses, just like most things on tv. Just not sure how it is any more formulaic than anything else in our culture.

To be clear, I did not intend to say that hip-hop as a genre is formulaic. As a genre it has a form, which is,  as you note, what makes it a genre. What I meant to say is that the particular instances of music I have so far heard on Empire (yes I have watched every episode so far) have been formulaic. And just to clarify, there is a major difference between a form or even a formula, and the term formulaic, which means that the material is hackneyed, unoriginal, uninspired etc. A sonnet has a pretty rigid form, that does not preclude discrimination of various sonnets based on the quality of the poetry within the form. There are good and bad sonnets, and there are sonnets that can accurately be described as formulaic, compared to others that can accurately be described as inspired, original or authentic. To me the music I have heard on Empire sounds like it comes from a hip-hop factory. It sounds like soft-core hip-hop, or Sunday school hip-hop or designer hip-hop to the extent that it sounds like  hip-hop. 
 
As far as lifeless goes, again not referring to the hip-hop genre as a whole, the Empire music does not seem to be authentic in the sense that it represents human artistry communicating a heartfelt message. To use an old and ill defined term it lacks soul. It is all glitter and polish without managing to touch me other than with admiration for the quality of the production. Of course it is great music, we know that because the actors tell us that it is great, they fall over each other in praise, and because whenever they hear it the extras start chair-dancing to the irresistible beat.

ahhh...that is a little more clear.  I would be shocked if they strayed to far beyond typical pop/hip-hop/R&B/top 40 territory.  They chose Timbaland for a reason to be executive producer and almost every song and character is reminiscent of a current trend or artist.  Hakeem has elements of Chris Brown and a few other popular rappers of marginal talent who stay in the news for the wrong things yet sell plenty of records.  his girlfriend is clearly a combo of Rihanna with a splash of other hip-hop/pop female stars who stay in tabloids and push sex more than their voice.  Considering network tv has been losing the battle against reality tv shows focusing on trainwreck celebrities, it looks like they took the gloss of dallas and combined it with the over the top antics of modern reality tv and gave it the current Clear Channel "Urban" station soundtrack.

Empire is "interesting" but it may flame itself out if it keeps up at this hectic pace.  They came out of the gate with so many storylines and happenings that it may not be sustainable.  The ALS storyline is progressing at such a rapid pace that the patriarch of the show may be dead in 4-5 more episodes.  Subtlety is not a word found anywhere around this show. 
 
As far as the music, I can take it or leave it - mostly leave it.  I'm an old school, rock, pop and r/b, kinda guy and I really don't appreciate the decline in "advertised" popular music.  I say that because I know there's greater music and artistry than what is being fed to us, but today it's buried beneath all the crap.  Great music is still being made.
 
The show came out with guns blazing.  We'll see how long it lasts...

I was wondering how the show could maintain it's pace too. It does seem like the patriarch should be dead soon. Then again it's a soap opera so how long it drags will depend on how long ratings stay high. Walter White was given a couple months to live and the show stretched 5 years.