Devil's Playhouse Narrator Appreciation Thread

edited March 2010 in Sam & Max
How good is the narrator that we see in The Devil's Playhouse trailer? The choice of the voice actor, and his voice acting is superb!

I bow down to his delivery of "Beyond the limits of human comprehension" :)

Comments

  • edited March 2010
    He's based on the Twilight Zone host Rod Serling, right?
  • edited March 2010
    I find him a bit hard to understand, but that's what subtitles are for!
  • edited March 2010
    tredlow wrote: »
    He's based on the Twilight Zone host Rod Sterling, right?
    He doesn't SOUND like him, though. Like, at all. There's starry sky that I'm sure someone took GREAT pains to make sure looked like the Twilight Zone one, and the Night Gallery-like picture frames seem to indicate a Serling-like feeling that we're supposed to get from him, as an Omnipotent Narrator of bizarre events.

    I think they're going for light homage, but not full-on parody/copy with the narrator.
  • edited March 2010
    He doesn't SOUND like him, though. Like, at all. There's starry sky that I'm sure someone took GREAT pains to make sure looked like the Twilight Zone one, and the Night Gallery-like picture frames seem to indicate a Serling-like feeling that we're supposed to get from him, as an Omnipotent Narrator of bizarre events.

    I think they're going for light homage, but not full-on parody/copy with the narrator.

    Well, the black-and-white, being-in-the-same-room-as-the-characters-but-not-part-of-the-story kinda deal reminds me of him.

    Then again, I watch very little Twilight Zone.
  • WillWill Telltale Alumni
    edited March 2010
    For the curious, the Narrator is played by one Andrew Chaikin, aka Kid Beyond.
  • edited March 2010
    tredlow wrote: »
    Well, the black-and-white, being-in-the-same-room-as-the-characters-but-not-part-of-the-story kinda deal reminds me of him.

    Then again, I watch very little Twilight Zone.
    Oh, the overall ambiance is very much an homage to Serling's works. But the narrator himself really seems to be doing his own thing, rather than imitating Serling.
  • edited March 2010
    Will wrote: »
    For the curious, the Narrator is played by one Andrew Chaikin, aka Kid Beyond.

    aka Max in the first episode of the first season.

    Oh, crap. And I misspelled Serling.
  • edited March 2010
    He doesn't SOUND like him, though. Like, at all. There's starry sky that I'm sure someone took GREAT pains to make sure looked like the Twilight Zone one, and the Night Gallery-like picture frames seem to indicate a Serling-like feeling that we're supposed to get from him, as an Omnipotent Narrator of bizarre events.

    I think they're going for light homage, but not full-on parody/copy with the narrator.

    Doesn't sound like him, but it's definitely Serling's style of introduction.

    And with this being "The Devil's Playhouse" (and supposedly the narrator being in a playhouse of sorts, at least I think), I'd say it's a definite play on Serling's Night Gallery which brought viewers in to a gallery after hours for a private showing.

    So yeah, it's a big homage to Serling, with Jared Emerson-Johnson heavily referencing Dr. Who's theme.

    And this is really stretching it, but given the portliness of the character, you just barely might be able to connect a very small thread to Hitchcock (who Serling drew inspiration from) as well.

    So, really, it's a great mish-mash of the horror/scifi from the 50s/60s/70s.

    Look forward to seeing more.
  • edited March 2010
    Will wrote: »
    For the curious, the Narrator is played by one Andrew Chaikin, aka Kid Beyond.

    ...Coronoda DeCava?

    "Hold on to your pantalones!" = "In allll the universe..."?

    Wow. Just...Wow. I never would have thought it.
  • edited March 2010
    JJoyce wrote: »
    Doesn't sound like him, but it's definitely Serling's style of introduction.
    Of course. Also, the The Devil's Playhouse logo looks a lot like the Twilight Zone logo.
  • edited March 2010
    These telltale voice actors never cease to amaze me. I can never recognise them from one voice to the next.
  • edited March 2010
    Avistew wrote: »
    These telltale voice actors never cease to amaze me. I can never recognise them from one voice to the next.
    I find it odd that you're amazed. Isn't French dubbing made up of a relatively tiny group, with some people doing a large variety of very iconic roles?
  • edited March 2010
    I also sense a touch of Criswell in our narrator fantastico, there.
    Will wrote: »
    For the curious, the Narrator is played by one Andrew Chaikin, aka Kid Beyond.

    I would never have guessed he was played by Andrew Chaikin in a million years. Dude is good!
  • edited March 2010
    I love how he says "power" in one syllable
  • edited March 2010
    I find it odd that you're amazed. Isn't French dubbing made up of a relatively tiny group, with some people doing a large variety of very iconic roles?

    Yes.
    But they have the same voice for every one of their roles. Maybe a few of them don't, but most of them do. The most famous ones definitely do. There is a reason why they're famous: everybody knows it's them when they hear the voice. Because it's always the same freaking voice.
  • edited March 2010
    xChri5x wrote: »
    I love how he says "power" in one syllable

    Like "Pauhrr" right?

    Also, does anyone else expect the narrator to be part of the story later on? Like ending up to be the big bad guy, or something else?
  • edited March 2010
    He does say "welcome to my playhouse of the bizarre" in the trailer. I thought it was the Devil's Playhouse...

    Am I the only person who thinks he looks like an older, dark haired Conroy Bumpus? Maybe it's just me.
  • edited March 2010
    tredlow wrote: »
    Like "Pauhrr" right?

    Also, does anyone else expect the narrator to be part of the story later on? Like ending up to be the big bad guy, or something else?

    Well it looks like he plays a significant part in the first episode at least. Which is great, I think they've created an intriguing character here. The character design is great as well, he has a very interesting look.
  • edited March 2010
    Shwoo wrote: »
    He does say "welcome to my playhouse of the bizarre" in the trailer. I thought it was the Devil's Playhouse...

    Am I the only person who thinks he looks like an older, dark haired Conroy Bumpus? Maybe it's just me.

    This is quite clear, he is the devil. Soda Poppers and Satan must have retired.
  • edited March 2010
    Will wrote: »
    For the curious, the Narrator is played by one Andrew Chaikin, aka Kid Beyond.
    This guy is unbelievable.
  • edited March 2010
    Kroms wrote: »
    ...Coronoda DeCava?

    And also Bugeye. Wow. I'm seriously amazed, now.
  • edited March 2010
    Andrew has some serious talent...I mean serious.
  • edited March 2010
    Will wrote: »
    For the curious, the Narrator is played by one Andrew Chaikin, aka Kid Beyond.

    Wait, what?! Wow! Talk about range! I didn't recognize him at all!

    Say, is Skunkape voiced by Roger L. Jackson? It sounds a bit like him, and if so, I guess that makes this role his second animated prime-ape he's voiced (the first going to Mojo Jojo).
  • edited March 2010
    Will wrote: »
    For the curious, the Narrator is played by one Andrew Chaikin, aka Kid Beyond.

    Hey! Good to know he's back with Telltale! I love William Kasten for max, but Andrew does an excellent job at the narrator.
  • edited March 2010
    From the moment I heard Andrew's Phoney Bone and realized he had come thisclose to the voice I'd imagined while reading the original Bone, I knew he was going to be one of my new favorite voice actors.

    None of the VA work I've heard from him since has changed my mind on that count. I couldn't be happier that he's becoming a regular for Telltale again. :)
  • JakeJake Telltale Alumni
    edited March 2010
    He was DeCava and Bugeye in Tales of MI as well.
  • edited March 2010
    Jake wrote: »
    He was DeCava and Bugeye in Tales of MI as well.

    DeCava was one of my favs in Monkey Island too.. He is doing some excellent work.
  • edited March 2010
    Jake wrote: »
    He was DeCava and Bugeye in Tales of MI as well.

    For some reason, I thought Bugeye was voiced by Mark Hamill. I have no idea why.
  • edited March 2010
    Lena_P wrote: »
    I also sense a touch of Criswell in our narrator fantastico, there.
    ]

    And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future.
  • edited March 2010
    This is quite clear, he is the devil. Soda Poppers and Satan must have retired.

    Soda Poppers are apparently dead. Can't say anything definite about Satan, though.
  • edited March 2010
    Cyrus7 wrote: »
    Soda Poppers are apparently dead. Can't say anything definite about Satan, though.

    Given my undergrad course that focused on STUDYING Satan as he evolved from "spiritual threat" to "comedic foil," I guess it's safe to assume that nobody is taking the Prince of Darkness seriously. Especially given what happened to him at the end of Season 2.
  • edited March 2010
    Kroms wrote: »
    ...Coronoda DeCava?

    "Hold on to your pantalones!" = "In allll the universe..."?

    Wow. Just...Wow. I never would have thought it.

    "They're mine, not'chos!" in Culture Shock = All those.

    Just for the sake of bringing more wickedly awesome confusion materials onto the table.
  • edited March 2010
    This is quite clear, he is the devil. Soda Poppers and Satan must have retired.
    Maybe not. The Devil's Playhouse doesn't mean he is the devil. It could just be a clever name.
  • edited March 2010
    Jake wrote: »
    He was DeCava and Bugeye in Tales of MI as well.

    Yup, I was thinking of those roles too. I remember watching the end credits for Lair of the Leviathan and thinking, "Wait, is that who ... ha, yes! He's back! Awesome!"

    A fan-made demo reel of Andrew's roles in various Telltale games is in order, I think. I know I would love to see that.
  • edited March 2010
    Jake wrote: »
    He was DeCava and Bugeye in Tales of MI as well.

    Bugeye

    Bugeye

    OMG, I love this guy!
  • edited March 2010
    Jake wrote: »
    He was DeCava and Bugeye in Tales of MI as well.

    And I think he was Phoney Bone in the Bone games.
  • edited March 2010
    He sounds like the narrator from the Penny Arcade games.
  • edited March 2010
    While the character might be a reference to the Twilight Zone narrator, I think the voice is based on Orson Welles voice over on the Alan Parsons Project Album Tales of Mystery and Imagination; Edgar Allen Poe.

    You can hear the Orson Welles bit here and here.
  • edited March 2010
    The Narrator man has made me a potential buyer. That and the kick ass trailer. ;)
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