tv review

TV reviews for horror aficionados; from vampire slayers to streamable spooks, explore horror-inducing television series from the discomfort of your living room.

The Curse of Dracula
The most brutal addiction...is life. True life. No matter how...lonely." --The Curse of Dracula (1979) The above may not be an exact quote, but it does give an example of the soulful, poetic titular bloodsucker played by the redoubtable Michael Nouri in the semi-serial (really miniseries) installment of 1979's Cliffhangers television anthology show, "The Curse of Dracula" Cliffhangers, which was a short-lived high-concept, high-production values show consisting of three cliffhanger serial pastiches (one being a take-off on the old sci fi western Phantom Empire, with Gene Autry, the other an action-crime drama called Stop Susan Williams!), each begun as if the chapter-play were already in progress. The series was developed by Kenneth Johnson, who would go on to spectacular success later with the alien invasion epic V, which spawned V: The Final Battle, and V: The Series, the last being short-lived. V had a massive following and a huge cultural impact, as well as blockbuster ratings.
By Tom Baker4 years ago in Horror
The Irony of How Tiffany Valentine Essentially Became Charles Lee Ray
Tiffany Valentine and Charles Lee Ray (better known as Chucky) have had a messy romantic relationship over the course of the Chucky franchise. Though Tiffany was first introduced in the fourth film, 1998's Bride of Chucky, it is made clear and reinforced in later installments that she and Chucky were together prior to the events of the first Child's Play film. The first season of the Chucky TV show even depicted their meeting in a 1980s flashback. I'll be delving into spoilers pertaining to the franchise as I examine something I found interestingly ironic, which is how Tiffany, by the end of season 1, became Charles Lee Ray in a certain aspect.
By Steven Shinder4 years ago in Horror
"All of Us Are Dead: Season 1" - STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
There's so much content out there these days that it can be hard to find anything worth watching. I know that sounds backwards, but there are simply so many options that the true gems are hidden among the ranks of the mediocre, or even the outright bad. Besides, modern shows are designed with carefully planted cliffhangers so that once you get started, it's hard to walk away. Then you look up, and six hours have passed, and you realise that you didn't really enjoy any of it. It was distracting, and it got its hooks in you, but you kinda wish that you had those six hours back.
By Littlewit Philips4 years ago in Horror
8 MORE Writing Lessons From SCREAM
Right around Halloween, I published 8 Writing Lessons from SCREAM, a story where I examined what writers could learn from the four movies in the franchise. Now Scream is back in theatres with a new instalment, and I keep seeing Ghostface wherever I go, so I decided that the time has come to fulfil a promise I made in that original story:
By Littlewit Philips4 years ago in Horror
Netflix Original Horror Series ‘Archive 81’: Trailer, Release Date, Details
Coming in January 2022, “Archive 81” is a new Netflix Original horror series, loosely based on the podcast of the same name. The showrunner is Rebecca Sonnenshine (“The Boys”, “The Vampire Diaries”), while James Wan (“Aquaman”, “The Conjuring”) is executive producer along with his production company Atomic Monster Productions.
By Anne Sewell4 years ago in Horror
The Thing That 'Cobra Kai' Has Done Better Than 'Chucky'
The Chucky TV series has been a really good continuation from Don Mancini's seven films. While Chucky is still the same old Chucky, with all the evil and silliness that entails, the series has introduced viewers to a cast of teens and parents going through their own problems as they encounter the killer doll. It has been very compelling to see the drama play out. However, there is an aspect that I find the first season to be lacking in compared to another show that has taken a somewhat similar approach.
By Steven Shinder4 years ago in Horror
Yellowjackets - Why You Should Be Watching Showtime's New Hit TV Show
Save the best till last. Approaching the end of the 2021 TV season felt a little flat. There wasn't anything exciting on the TV and then Showtime dropped episode one of Yellowjackets on the 14th of November. With its genre-defying themes, Yellowjackets is a unique masterpiece. It's not confined to one box. A coming of age family drama that also dips into horror and part survival.
By Katie Burnside4 years ago in Horror
'Chucky' TV Show Dropped the Ball with Nica and Needs to Do Better
When Chucky returned to our screens via 2013's Curse of Chucky, we were introduced to a new protagonist: Nica Pierce. Portrayed by Brad Dourif's daughter Fiona Dourif, Nica was revealed to be the child of a woman whom human Charles Lee Ray obsessed over before becoming a doll. Nica's paraplegia is due to human Chucky stabbing her pregnant mother Sarah, who, along with the rest of the adults in Nica's family, gets killed in the film, with Nica framed for the murders. Her fate was something different for the franchise. Unlike original protagonist Andy Barclay, she did not get a typical victory.
By Steven Shinder4 years ago in Horror
‘Midnight Mass’: This is Cinema
I sat down today to write a review for The French Dispatch. Or the Last Night in Soho. Or Dune. Something new. Something in the zeitgeist. Something the SEO algorithms would have been really proud of me for talking about.
By MovieBabble4 years ago in Horror
'Chucky' Season Finale Fixes This 'Curse of Chucky' Plot Hole
This week, the first season of the Chucky TV series wrapped up, leaving fans with a lot to talk about as they await the confirmed second season. While the show pushed the narrative forward in the franchise's in-universe timeline, it also provided flashbacks shedding more light on series villains Charles Lee Ray and Tiffany Valentine. However, this is not the first time that the franchise provided such flashbacks. One film in particular contained a flashback sequence that, in the eyes of some fans, added wrinkles to Charles' backstory.
By Steven Shinder4 years ago in Horror
What Happened During Andy's Phone Call In 'Chucky' Series Premiere?
In the series premiere of Chucky, series protagonist Jake Wheeler gets a call from someone inquiring about the Chucky doll that he has acquired. Longtime fans of the franchise guessed it to be original Child's Play protagonist Andy Barclay (portrayed once again by Alex Vincent), and this became evident very quickly. However, as the season has gone on, Andy's phone call feels a bit odd.
By Steven Shinder4 years ago in Horror
Angela Black - Series Review
there is no doubt that Joanne Froggatt is a phenomenal actress and in recent years, she has made a name for herself playing female leads who are surviving trauma in it’s difficult and sometimes devastating forms. From Downton Abbey, to Liar and even her voice work narrating books such as Wuthering Heights and The Silent Child - this appears to be where she’s found her niche and with good writing, she thrives with playing these parts.
By Ted Ryan4 years ago in Horror