In the Footsteps of Marco Polo

Le Saboteur

Active member
Le Saboteur said:
If anybody reading this has a Netflix account, there is a fourth trailer that I haven't been able to find on-line. It's titled "Mercy."

It's now online as of a week ago.

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Not much different than the others, but there's some new footage and dialogue sprinkled throughout.

If you're like me and are intrigued by costume design and set decoration, do swing by the production's Instagram page. There's a lot of nifty things hidden away there.

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Le Saboteur

Active member
Le Saboteur said:
Have you binge watched yet?! Finished the first season? Not me. I can't stand binge watching, and I'm only two episodes in, but I like what I see so far!


Same question as before: Did anybody else watch? Did you finish Season 1? I watched the first seven(?) episodes then randomly stopped for some reason I can no longer remember, but have just restarted the series in anticipation of Season 2 debuting later this year! Yes, that's right! Netflix opted to produce another season of the historical action-drama!

And if you did finish the season, please use the appropriate spoiler tags on your posts when discussing pivotal scenes and events!

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Though, I wanted to bump this thread to let you know that Netflix has picked up the streaming rights to The Physician. Based on the book of the same name, the story features a young man who journeys to Persia in order to advance the dismal state of medicine in the West during the Dark Ages.

Initially published in the eighties to little fanfare in the States, it was a massive hit in Europe. Especially in Germany and Spain. Production reflects this -- Spanish and German financing, filmed in English, with Continental sensibilities. A four hour version aired on television in Germany, but we get the 2.5-hour theatrical release.

It's available now on Netflix's streaming service.

The Hollywood Reporter said:
The pic opens with the traumatic passing of the mother of the young and now parentless Rob Cole (Adam Thomas Wright), who might look like a street urchin but who discovers he?s got a gift: he can tell when people are close to death. He?s apprenticed to a grouchy barber (Stellan Skarsgard), who not only cuts hair but acts as a rudimentary physician of sorts, though this being the year 1021, crude amputations and the use of leeches are about as sophisticated as it gets. Thankfully, his mother's death fuels Cole?s interest in actual healing and medicine, and his telepathic gift is only a minor part of the plot.

Once he?s absorbed the little medical knowledge of his teacher, the grown-up Cole (Payne) decides to travel to Isfahan, Persia, to study with the ?doctor of doctors,? Ibn Sina (Kingsley). The trip?s an arduous one full of sacrifices that include his own foreskin: In Egypt, kneeling in front of a scenic, moonlit stretch of desert sand near the pyramids, Cole circumcises himself so he can pass for a Jew, as Christians aren?t welcomed in the Muslim lands but Jews are tolerated, if barely.

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Remember adventurers!

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Z dweller

Well-known member
Le Saboteur said:
Same question as before: Did anybody else watch? Did you finish Season 1?
Yes, I finished season 1 a while ago.
I found it engaging, although at times the pace is a bit slow.
Overall I'd rate it a 7/10.
Will definitely watch season 2 once it's available on Netflix.

Le Saboteur said:
Though, I wanted to bump this thread to let you know that Netflix has picked up the streaming rights to The Physician.
Funnily enough I watched this last night, and couldn't help noticing many similarities with MP, particularly the way that the young apprentice character is portrayed in both, including his relationship with the local tyrant.

I actually hadn't realized The Physician predated MP, but now that you pointed it out it's clear in my mind that the latter owes a lot to the former.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Z dweller said:
I found it engaging, although at times the pace is a bit slow.
Overall I'd rate it a 7/10.

That's fair. I've been hovering around there though the seven episodes I've managed to see. I should be finished, but I'm only up to episode 4 again.

Though, I almost wish it was slower paced. Particularly on the Polo's initial journey to Khanbaliq. There's a lot of color missed. We'll have to see what future episodes hold!

Got Twitter? If so, make an effort to follow series scribe and creator, John Fusco. He's been posting snaps from the set; filming began on the 28th of June, and should be coming to an end soon given the standard three month period for principle photography!

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The principle stunt team takes a break between takes.

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Colorful Mongolian garb.

You can also check out some nifty behind the scenes shots on the series' Instagram page.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/5-krjmKH8i/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Backstage with Kazakh riders for #MPSeason2 Regram via @danminahan #MarcoPolo</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Marco Polo (@marcopolomp) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-08-04T22:09:55+00:00">Aug 4, 2015 at 3:09pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote>
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Now I really need to stop looking this stuff up before I learn something I don't want to.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Le Saboteur said:
That's fair. I've been hovering around there though the seven episodes I've managed to see. I should be finished, but I'm only up to episode 4 again.

The South Reveres Wudang

So why haven't you finished the first season yet?!

I did! I've been horribly remiss in putting my thoughts to paper before hurling them into ones and zeros just to be met with blank stares. No, really. I try to write them down first. But I won't bore you with the details at the moment. Instead, Netflix has a Christmas-time gift for fans! On 26 December 2015, Netflix and the Marco Polo team are bringing you a one-hour special featuring perhaps the best character in the series so far, Hundred Eyes!

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Dig the brief behind-the-scenes featurette and gird yourself for an hour of all-out kung-fu action!


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Oh, and Season 2 is still some time off. Principal production wrapped on the 9th. Now it's time for post. 10 new episodes sometime next year!
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Le Saboteur said:
Well, Netflix's Marco Polo finally has an air date. Set to debut in December of 2014, the ten part series will be available on-line on December, 12th, 2014 @ 12014 PST!

And is now available on home video a little over a year after the series premiere courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment! If you don't have Netflix, are looking for a gift for that nascent adventurer in the family, or simply want an uptick in both image and sound quality then take a chance on catching up with Marco Polo: Season One.

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Blu Ray.com said:
Explore Marco Polo: Season One on Blu-ray via an oftentimes striking 1080p and somewhat unique and wide(r) 2.00:1-framed transfer (as opposed to the more standardized 1.78:1 modern TV ratio). Image clarity is excellent thanks to a tight, well defined digitally sourced picture that's impeccably clean and endlessly revealing. Terrain looks amazing. Sandy and rock floors, heavily textures rock faces, grasses, and trees appear as complexly defined as the format allows. Ornate clothing textures are the standout. Every stitch and seam and adornment are revealingly complex and tactile. The transfer reveals every bit of gruff stubble on Polo's face with amazing definition. Pores, lines, scars, makeup, and other facial details are likewise superbly presented across the character roster. Even lower light locations, like Khan's throne room, show amazingly intricate details. Scuffs and wear on the tile floor, for example, are endlessly revealing. Colors are excellent, again both in bright exterior light and dimmer interiors lit, usually, by slits of sunlight or some scattered candles and small flames. Primaries pop and earthy support elements, like sand and rocks, are terrific. Black levels are deep, shadow details are excellent, and flesh tones are not problematic. Trace amounts of noise and banding are present but hardly warrant more than a passing mention. Overall, this is another top quality image from Anchor Bay that approaches the reference excellence of Black Sails.

While the reviewer in question is less than kind to the show, they rightly compliment the show's technical prowess. It's quite often beyond most things on the teevee. Full review here.

For those less than inclined to play follow the link, the three disc set features all ten episodes from the first season, and a nice (if all too brief) selection of behind-the-scenes footage.

Supplemental Features

The Marco Polo Documentary (38:02): A detailed look at the real Marco Polo with various filmmakers (including Creator John Fusco) and historical technical advisers who worked on the show.

I have a couple of shelves dedicated to works on the Mongol Empire and Marco Polo, so it'll be interesting to see if there's any new information brought to light.

Deleted Scenes (37:00): Details can be found on the link. Please note that the descriptions feature minor spoilers.

Gag Reel (3:23): Self-explanatory

The Martial Arts of Marco Polo (7:33): Stunt coordinator Brett Chan & series creator John Fusco discuss some of the philosophy and work that went into creating the series' fight scenes.

Creating compelling fight scenes are some of the most complicated tasks in film production, and I would have liked them to go more in depth on this subject as both a fan and practitioner.

Fight Scene Rehearsals (13:13): More details at the link as well. Descriptions contain minor.
The Visual Effects of Marco Polo (2:57): A compilation of incomplete vs. complete effects shots.
The Making of the Opening Titles (1:40): A quick, no commentary run-though of the creative process behind the titles.

The above Vimeo videos provide a better look at the conceptualization and creation of the series' title sequence. There's also an in depth interview over at the Art of the Title.

Concept Art-to-Scene Comparison (3:08): Concept art is juxtaposed with the final shot from the series.
Concept Art Gallery: Can be viewed as either a slideshow (9:46) or a user-controlled gallery.
Costume Gallery: Can be viewed as either a slideshow (3:16) or a user-controlled gallery.

Don't forget!

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Le Saboteur

Active member
Le Saboteur said:
Oh, and Season 2 is still some time off. Principal production wrapped on the 9th. Now it's time for post. 10 new episodes sometime next year!

July 1st. The Great Khan insists on your full attention.

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"The outer eyes cannot see themselves.
The inner eye is its own reflection.
This is Tao."
? Ming-Dao Deng

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Z dweller

Well-known member
Le Saboteur said:
July 1st.
Great, count me in. :D

I just hope they speed up the pace a tad for season two. Time to see Signor Polo put all that training to good use and kick some butt!
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Le Saboteur said:
The South Reveres Wudang

...gird yourself for an hour of all-out kung-fu action!

Yeah, more like ten minutes. I'm not sure where the miscommunication happened, but that hour long special ended up being thirty minutes. Since a couple of scenes feature in the trailer, I wonder if they'll end up being intercut with the mainline episodes? Time will tell.

What was there, however, was <s>pretty</s> very cool. It succeeded in putting Hundred Eyes in the limelight without spelling everything out, and anybody who can wield a nine-part chain whip that effectively is all class in my book. If you haven't checked it out yet, you won't be disappointed!

Z dweller said:
I just hope they speed up the pace a tad for season two. Time to see Signor Polo put all that training to good use and kick some butt!

I've been on the fence about this since the beginning. I, on one hand, would have liked them to proceed slower -- end with the arrival in Khanbaliq, and spending the entire first season on the Silk Road absorbing the local culture and learning how the populace loves/loathes/whatever the Great Khan. The final scene of the season finale would end with the Polos crawling* towards Kublai.

*- There's an official term for this that eludes me at the moment.

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That's the amateur historian side.

The action movie buff and martial artist would like to see the framework of history kept and the missing gaps in Polo's historical account (and they are there in spades) filled in with... a kung fu-fueled epic by way of Game of Thrones. It's about time somebody took that framework and made it their own too.

The first official poster certainly seems less BBC and more Bruce Lee & Jack Burton, so maybe we'll get both!


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The Khan and his subjects await your arrival on July 1st!

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Le Saboteur

Active member
Netflix wants to remind you that the entirety of season one is available now. (not that it hasn't been there this whole time.) If you start now you have a leisurely two weeks to catch up on the exploits of Signore Polo and the Great Khan.

New footage in the second half of the spot.

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Le Saboteur

Active member
Does the guy on the right look familiar? If not, he should. That's Denis Belliveau, one of the two cats to trace Polo's original route overland to China. Him meeting up with series creator John Fusco sort of brings this whole thread full circle now.

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If you're curious as to what he's up to these days, drop by his site. There's some interesting stuff contained therein.


Z dweller said:
Time to see Signor Polo put all that training to good use and kick some butt!

Maybe a game of Mongol Strike to tide you over?

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Be careful of past or present spoilers if you decide to play!

And dig on this behind-the-scenes featurette! There's some new footage, and a couple of big guest star surprises. The scope of this season has definitely been expanded.

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And the somewhat obligatory musical piece from the Silk Road Ensemble.

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Le Saboteur

Active member
While I am still bitterly disappointed that Netflix axed Marco Polo (while renewing their pre-teen suicide drama), I have found something else regarding another steppe people -- the Oghuz Turks.

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Geralt is that you?

With 176 episodes (!!) so far and a third season on the way, Dirilis: Ertugrul is in no danger of running out of episodes. Or theoretically being canceled since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan likes greeting foreign dignitaries with the theme song. If I managed just once episode a day that would put me well into January!

So what's it about? Nothing less than the founding of the Ottoman Empire! The titular character is the father of Osman I, the founder of the dynasty.

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So far some of the translations are odd. They're missing words at time, so you'll have to fill in the blanks. It's not a problem so far, but it is noticeable. Though, it might have something to do with the different speaking styles. Traditionally Islamic countries use more flowery speech whereas our desire for just the facts has killed our enjoyment of poetry.

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There are more beards here than in the entirety of Game of Thrones!

What it doesn't it have is HBO's budget, but despite that fact the costumes look good, the characters are all entertaining, and the action is pretty good.

Give it a look!
 
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