“Describe to a non-viewer what Lost is all about... in 25 words or less.”
You think I'm joking, don't you? No... I'm not. I get this question all the time. I used to be able to do it... back in season 2. But it’s become a lot more difficult. So, I’ll throw it to you, but I’ll give you some leeway... do it in 50 words or less. And to help you, here's one I've written out (sadly, it's not one I've ever actually said):
Lost is a masterpiece of intrigue, mystery, character development, acting and writing. It’s a story of people who are lost, both physically and emotionally. The plane crash is just the beginning of their individual and collective journeys. It’s a story about how we can find ourselves by connecting with others.
And if they insist on 25 words or less? I shall offer up the following haiku:
Wait... you don’t watch Lost?
Sorry, but I can’t help you.
Mostly ’cause you suck.
So what would YOUR answer be to this question?
20 comments:
First stab: "LOST is the story of a group of flawed characters who crash land on a Island in the South Pacific, only to find that it holds deep mysteries and hostile inhabitants. Flashbacks reveal characters' intriguing backstories while in their struggle to survive they confront their own demons and supernatural forces".
Damn - how thin is that? How in the WORLD do you even cover your OWN meaningful bits while trying to describe the overarching mythos? I'll have to think on this one for a while. (which, clearly, i should have done in the FIRST place! ; ]
"Lost is a show where weird sh*t happens to seemingly unconnected people who survived a plane crash. The survivors try to escape the island, most die, and the ones that do escape have to come back. Oh, and there's a monster. And time travel. And an immortal who wears eyeliner."
That wasn't real good.
I should try better next time.
It's fifty words, though.
Nikki's haiku rules!
Explaining Lost to the plebs
Would be hard to do. :)
LOST is about a group of plane crash survivors who have been given a chance to change their destiny and redeem themselves.
Here's my first attempt. I went a little existential:
Lost is mystery, drama and romance with a little science-fiction thrown in for good measure. It's about relationships, love, heartache, right, wrong, faith, fate, choice and destiny. It's a complex web of secrets, history, mythology and philosophy about humans - their flaws and foibles, but also their courage and strength.
Here's my plot summary version:
A plane crashes on an Island inhabited by polar bears, smoke monsters, "Others" and Jacob. After a lot of craziness and death, a few leave and then return. The nemesis impersonates one of them, manipulating an "Other" into killing Jacob. Some return to the seventies and attempt to reset time.
Haiku version:
You haven't watched Lost?
What is the matter with you!?
Here, take season one.
BEST HAIKU EVER.
Lost is about a ton of palatable men and women doing various evil/tricky/good/heroic things - things that are always awesome. There is also a monster and it is set on an island but both of these things may not actually be true. Sorta. In conclusion: Torcha Srunchie.
First my serious view of LOST:
LOST is a post 9/11 drama, but unlike other such shows (i.e. 24), LOST results in an emotional catharsis through audience identification with the Losties. Coming out of LOST in the end is much like emerging from a Stephen King novel. For viewers, the Losties become a ka tet, with Jack being the dinh of the ka tet.
Now my less serious view of LOST:
In the worst case scenario, you're lost on a desert island, your plane has crashed, and it doesn't look like help is on the way, ... oh, it's Gilligan's Island, but they die; it's Philosophy 101, but homework is pushing a button; it's six degrees of Kevin Bacon; it's the Book of Revelation done up as a disaster movie with overtones of The Prisoner.
My name is Claire Bennett, & this is Attempt #1:
LOST is a complex & detailed mythology headed by an ensemble of intriguing characters. It's story encompasses religion, philosophy, fate, survival, and the supernatural. Even though it has smoke monsters, time-travel, and immortal people with magic powers, LOST is ultimately about LIFE.
When I was in acting school, I had a teacher who would start every lesson by asking, "Hey, you." (points ominously in someone's direction) "What's the latest movie you've seen?" In a trembling voice, me or my fellow student would give a response. Then the teacher would ask, "And...what was it about?"
His schtick was that we (as actors) should be able to boil down a movie's plot into an all-encompassing, one-sentence-long summary, kinda similar to a newspaper headline. His formula was that it had to be "A HERO partakes in an ACTION against a worthy ADVERSARY in order to attain an ultimate GOAL."
For example:
What is STAR WARS about?
"Luke Skywalker trains to be a Jedi Knight in order to defeat the Empire & bring peace to the galaxy."
or
What is CHASING AMY about?
"Holden McNeil defies the advice of his friends and pursues his true love Alyssa, who is gay and therefore not interested in him."
Coming up with these things were always a doozy (we spent an entire 2-hour class doing the one for "Annie Hall"), but I would LOVE to see my old teacher take a crack at summarizing Lost this way!
Fascinating characters face the danger and supernatural mystery of a tropical island--even when they escape it physically. Lost asks:can metaphorical "survivors" become truly extraordinary people?
Take The Prisoner, season with Twin Peaks, add Castaway, simmer. Add teaspoon of paradox, sprinkle with existential angst, top with Back to the Future.
@Batcabbage: Ahahaha... I like your last three lines.
@JoanCrawford: *snerfle* Torcha scrunchie.
Man, I don't think I can be as brilliant as all of you, but here goes:
Lost: It will blow your mind and hurt your head
Verif Word: ebras, zebras without the stripes
LOST is an intricately woven tapestry of characters and events that elicits every human emotion imaginable. It provides the casual viewer an hour of quality entertainment and the slightly more obsessed viewer an endless supply of information to ponder over with friends...or your much loved copies of Finding Lost.
"A HERO partakes in an ACTION against a worthy ADVERSARY in order to attain an ultimate GOAL."
OK QuestionMark, I'm gonna try that formula.
The mysterious and seemingly omnipotent JACOB intervenes in and influences unwitting characters lives to counterbalance the actions of the Man in Black to prove that free will and destiny coexist.
Not great, but I'll try again.
word verification - undams. I just used up all my creativity.
@JS: I don't think I could've said it any better myself! Now all we've gotta do is stay tuned for Season 6 and see how close you are!
Lost is like Gilligan's Island with a smoke monster.
Really, if they don't know what it's about after all these years, I wash my hands of them. ;)
Best.Show.Ever.
(I'm too tired right now to get more serious...I mean, I AM serious about it being the Best.Show.Ever...but ya know...)
What is Lost?
An epic tale of survival, destiny, good against evil, mixed up with some time travel? Yes. But what makes it so special, so real is simply the characters. They’re ordinary people, who have problems, mess up, love and ultimately brought together by an island but connected through one thing- hope.
Sorry its a little cheesey ;)
"LOST is a f***in' weird epic tale of interconnected hot people fighting for survival and redemption on an island shrouded in mystery and full of weird s***."
That was 27 words.
"LOST is about a group of strangers on a crazy island who must deal with external and internal demons to survive. There are mysteries about the existence of smoke monsters, Egyptian ruins, indigenous peoples, and eternal characters. It is for people who love to invest hours in analysis and minutae."
That was 50 exactly.
Verification word: "misocya" as in "I miss ya, so see ya!"
@The Mark Question
My writing group and I had a similar discussion in the context of novel queries, distilling the plot of a book down into a few sentences. We were talking about novels with multiple characters and POVs, and I compared it to Lost, which I said is, at it's simplest, Jack's story (if you had to pick one character as Lost's "main" character, I think the show suggests Jack to be that character-whether it's really Locke is certainly debatable).
ANYWAYS...here was my stab a novel query for Lost, assuming Jack as the main character:
When spinal surgeon Jack McCrybaby crash lands on a seemingly deserted island, he finds himself leading the other survivors. With mysteries abounding and danger mounting, will he succeed in keeping them alive until rescue, or will he be devoured by his enormous beard?
Of course, that's more of in the beginning/pique your interest synosis (which is the intent of the query) rather than an encompassing one. How about:
A group of people, lost both literally and metaphorically, struggle to survive whilst stranded on a mysterious island. Through the use of unique narrative techniques, it soon becomes clear these characters' experiences are but the latest chapter in the island's varied history, a story that won't simply end with rescue.
@The Mark Question
Or "@The Question Mark", rather. D'oh!
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