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Horror TV

blessmycottonsocks said:
Watched the 10th episode last night.
I quite enjoyed it for the most part, but felt it lost momentum by around episode 3 and a lot of dialog-heavy scenes and the main players' back-stories did drag a bit.
When the action did occur, it was amazing though.
The series finale did go out with a bit of a whimper though and I'm not sure when series 2 will be available.
Overall I'd probably rate it as a 7/10.
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Yes. The ending was meh, but I'm guessing it may be because there was probably a "final" ending that the story had, but being carried by Nerflix, they needed to prepare for a possible 2nd season. I find that Netflix is wishy washy on what shows they continue. You can have a well written and produced show, only to have Netflix deem it not worthy because of viewership. Many shows are not found by viewers until at least the second season, either by word of mouth or from reviews.
 
Just started Cabinet of Curiosities. Del-Torro is producing so it's very nice to look at. I like Tim Blake-Nelson in e1. The ending was a bit cartoonish. Gunna watch a few more.
 
skinny said:
Just started Cabinet of Curiosities. Del-Torro is producing so it's very nice to look at. I like Tim Blake-Nelson in e1. The ending was a bit cartoonish. Gunna watch a few more.
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E1 was ok. E2 was stupid. E3 is outstanding. Has an X-Files vibe. I was completely absorbed. Directed by David Prior. Featuring F Murray Abraham. Word of warning - don't try to eat your dinner while viewing the final act. I did have to look away a few times. Nice tone and pace. Fine acting. I was actually kind of mesmerised during the penultimate scene. Terrific television.

Any body else had a taste of this series?
 
skinny said:
E1 was ok. E2 was stupid. E3 is outstanding. Has an X-Files vibe. I was completely absorbed. Directed by David Prior. Featuring F Murray Abraham. Word of warning - don't try to eat your dinner while viewing the final act. I did have to look away a few times. Nice tone and pace. Fine acting. I was actually kind of mesmerised during the penultimate scene. Terrific television.

Any body else had a taste of this series?
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My impressions last year:

Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities on Netflix is off to a good start. Lot 36, you find some interesting things when you buy the contents of abandoned lock-up s, what looks liike a good find may have drawbacks though, Shades of The Strain fuse with Lovecraftian tropes as arcane occult books come into play.. Directed by Guillermo Navarro based on a short story by del Toro. "Graveyard Rats", not just rats, grave robbers. Grifters, giant rats, the living dead, with a streak of black humour but still quite shocking. Directed by Vincenzo Natali from a short story by Henry Kuttner. Both 8/10.

"The Autopsy": What an autopsy! A tale of shape-shifters, mind control and an explosion in a mine. Gruesome in parts, but it's the aura of uncertainty and fear which will also hold your attention. Really good SF/Horror. Directed by David Prior, Teleplay by : David S. Goyer. Based on the short story by : Michael Shea. 9/10.

Two good HP Lovecraft adaptations: "Pickman's Model" directed by Keith Thomas and "Dreams in the Witch House"Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Both 6/10.
 
Delete: Thai Horror/SF series about a phone camera which makes people disappear. Sounds useful but there may be complications if love triangles are involved and maybe not all disappearances are due to deletions. A bit of soap is involved with standard school bullying. Perhaps one subplot too many but the tension is maintained. The horror is more of a psychological nature as this device literally invokes existential terror for both the users and potential victims. Secrets both mundane and mondo are revealed as the narrative unfolds. This is a dark tale.
Directed and Co-Written by Parkpoom Wongpoom. Eight episodes on Netflix. 8/10.
 
skinny said:
Anyone onto season 2 of From yet? Enjoyed s1. I think s2 is 3 eps in currently.
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I've seen it. I'm not sure where they are going to next. It's not one that I remember the plots well as it does remind me of "Lost", though not the same, obviously.

Different characters are coming to their own conclusions as to why and where they are. I have no clue, as it is kind of like Lost, in that many scenarios are feasible.

I haven't yet found a character that I like. Possibly because it seems that everyone is in peril.
 
brownmane said:
I haven't yet found a character that I like. Possibly because it seems that everyone is in peril.
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Horror films always have horrible people in them, for some reason.
Maybe it's so we don't feel so bad when they get killed off, one by one?
 
Hometown: A South Korean TV series which includes a few tropes, serial killers, cults, noir, police procedural, but taken together with all of the violence and death involved it elides into the slipstream of Horror. Set in 2000, 1999, 1987 with shorter flashbacks to other years. In 1987 members of a cult launch a gas attack at a railway station killing hundreds. in 1999, detective Choi Hyung-in who lost his wife in the 1987 attack sees a pattern in seemingly random killings and suspects that the cult is back. Only one person was ever convicted of involvement in the attack, Jo Kyung-ho; his sister Jo Jung-hyun becomes involved in the case after her niece goes missing, The timelines cut back and forth, often in a confusing manner so keep off your phone when you're watching this. Killer cults may have milder cults as fronts but paradoxically this makes it even more difficult to infiltrate them. The use of mind control through mixtapes and video tapes is portrayed in a convincing yet horrific manner. the violence isn't just that of the mass killings, individual deaths are also shown in a traumatic way. There are 12 hour long episodes, the strands gradually weave together as the series reaches a conclusion. It all fits together in the final episode. At least i think it does! Stick with this one and you'll find it rewarding. Directed by Park Hyun Suk,Written by Joo Jin. On Netflix. 8/10.
 
I suppose "The Fall of The House of Usher" fits into this category (Netflix).

We're 3 episodes in and I'm still not sure if I like it. It's very stylised and American but also quite ominous. The creator has woven together various aspects, characters, poems and ideas from Poe and made them all into one story.

It's gory in a safe for TV kind of way - not a Tarantino kind of way. There are a few jumps and twists but so far style is outweighing substance. That said, I'm a fan of Poe but not a fanatic. So maybe others with a deeper love and undertanding of his work might find more Easter eggs, connections and nods.

Plus a nice cameo from Mark Hamill as the ever present, ever skulking family lawyer Pym Reaper.
 
Ringo said:
I suppose "The Fall of The House of Usher" fits into this category (Netflix).

We're 3 episodes in and I'm still not sure if I like it. It's very stylised and American but also quite ominous. The creator has woven together various aspects, characters, poems and ideas from Poe and made them all into one story.

It's gory in a safe for TV kind of way - not a Tarantino kind of way. There are a few jumps and twists but so far style is outweighing substance. That said, I'm a fan of Poe but not a fanatic. So maybe others with a deeper love and undertanding of his work might find more Easter eggs, connections and nods.

Plus a nice cameo from Mark Hamill as the ever present, ever skulking family lawyer Pym Reaper.
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It is more a "horror" series with nods to Poe. It is not a rendition of any of his stories.

I didn't really consider it horror, but possibly mainstream viewers might.

I liked the Poe references, but I think they were only made to make it look like someone appreciates Poe. I did like it when they quoted some of Poe's writing. The story? Meh.

Edited to add: Sorry @Ringo, I did not put my opinion in to dissuade you from watching it. I was more referencing my opinion in regards to the "horror" labelling of it and the use of Poe references to make a story unrelated to Poe's works.

I think Netflix is like Disney in the fact that it now seems to be making series using (horror) authors' writing and story titles to draw an audience, not because a director or producer actually has any interest in the authors. Look at "Haunting of Hill House". Possibly the copywrites have expired and these stories are now in the public domain. Like Disney:rolleyes:
 
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brownmane said:
Sweet Home has second season out on Netflix. I'm currently trying to remember all that happened in season 1 without resorting to looking up synopses.
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Thanks for the heads up!
I'm away on a business trip/jolly for the next couple of days, but will check it out at the weekend.
 
Happiness: Another South Korean Zombie television series with a romance story which reminds me of Train to Busan but it lacks the line of dark humour which ran through that film. The near future, a zombie outbreak is being covered up by the authorities, we soon learn that it's origin lies in a drug called Next, meant to cure pneumonia it is prescribed off label to to promote attentiveness and strength. An unexpected side effect is that it turns some people into homicidal maniacs for short periods, a few recover but most regress into a zombie-like state. The outbreak is fondly known as Mad Person Disease and is spread via bites. Most of the action takes place in an apartment block where there is snobbery from the owner occupiers towards the public tenants on the lower five floors. As the zombie outbreak spreads societal breakdown occurs in the tower, a bit like that in High-Rise (no dogs are devoured though). The mad person scenes are convincing, fast moving zombies who would literally eat the face off of you, the transition to the manic state also occurs rapidly. This allows for plenty of jump shocks. There are conspiracies at play, not just the cover up but also the links between pharmaceutical companies and the military not to mention politicians trying to be the first to get access to a potential cure. The search for that cure centres on an army Bio-Institute and the tower block where a resident may carry antibodies which fight off the disease. Outbursts of MPD at the block are interspersed with mundane domestic incidents including murder. An engaging series with plenty of gore and "zombie" action. Not for the queasy or faint of heart. Directed by Ahn Gil-ho, Written by Han Sang-woon. Twelve episodes on Netflix. 8/10.

Now I can move on to Sweet Home S2 (after I've read the recap for S1).
 
I haven't decided if I like the second season of Sweet Home yet. It is introducing new characters and areas of action. Trying learn who the new characters are, while reading subtitles makes it difficult for me to get immersed into it. This happened in the first season, but once I knew who was who, I enjoyed it.
 
The Bequeathed: A South Korean series covering an eclectic mixture if tropes, noir, serial killer, police procedural, shamans, mystery relatives, corruption and horror. Would you like to inherit a graveyard from an uncle you didn't even know existed? And along with that a long lost crazy half-brother> To sweeten things your philandering husband is suddenly murdered and you are a suspect. Plenty of savage violence, Shamanistic rituals and an ever deepening mystery with twists and turns along with plenty of red herrings. The tension is kept going but the plot may be a bit too convoluted for it;s own good. Directed by Min Hong-nam, Written by Yeon Sang-ho. On Netflix. 7.5/10.
 
brownmane said:
I haven't decided if I like the second season of Sweet Home yet. It is introducing new characters and areas of action. Trying learn who the new characters are, while reading subtitles makes it difficult for me to get immersed into it. This happened in the first season, but once I knew who was who, I enjoyed it.
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I;m liking Sweet Home S2 now that I've figured out who is who. Great monsters and intrigue, love stories and further mutations.
 
An old one: The mother-in-law recommended Supernatural to us, and lent us the first two seasons on DVD. We are officially hooked. It ran from 2005-2020, so in an era of one- or two-season programmes its popularity is obvious.

The heroes are the Winchester brothers, whose father raised them to hunt the monsters which lurk everywhere in the modern USA. They travel the country in their ’67 Impala muscle car, following up clues picked up from news reports of strange occurrences.

Assuming numerous identities and living by credit card fraud, they investigate incidents which will set Fortean antennae twanging: Demons, Black Dogs, serial killers, pacts with Satan, mysterious diseases and disappearances etc.

The action, and the bickering and banter between the very different brothers, is very entertaining.

Recommended.

maximus otter
 
Gyeongseong Creature: Gyeongseong (the old name for Seoul) March 1945, the 36th year of the Japanese occupation of Korea, Rebels are savagely suppressed. Jang Tae-sang (Park Seo-joon) appears generally indifferent to what is going on, he owns the biggest pawn shop in Gyeongseong, rubs an information network he's generally a bit like Rick from Casablanca. But his idyllic life comes under threat when the mistress of the Japanese chief of police goes missing, unless Jang finds her his business will be seized, Jang links up with a Manchurian woman, Yoon Chae-ok (Han So-hee) who specialises in finding missing people. Her skills are renowned but her one failure is to find her mother who disappeared ten years ago. To make things even more interesting a Japanese Military Scientific unit is in town and is carrying out biological experiments on prisoners and abducted Koreans. While this story is also about the developing affection between Jang and Yoon the series has a very dark tone, only the vein of (sometimes slap-stick) humour which runs through it leavens the mood a little. Korean citizens are treated with extreme brutality by the Japanese, they are not part of a Co-Prosperity Sphere, they are very much second class citizens, Even the more mundane experiments have horrific effects on the victims. The gradual creation of the main monster unfolds in frightening detail. Much slaughter and bloodletting ensues. A story of rescue attempts, rebellion, horror, romance and science fiction with a few plot twists and surprises, usually unveiled through flashbacks. Directed by Chung Dong-yoon and Roh Young-sub, Written by Kang Eun-kyung. Ten episodes on Netflix, 8/10.
 
Monstrous: South Korean series, a cursed Buddha statue is dug up to be put on display. Even as it is being moved to it's new site it affects other drivers who look into the statues eyes. Mayhem ensues with the curse driving people to crazed even zombiesque violence. A black rain falls increasing the numbers of those infected. A few soap like stories are involved in the narrative, the most interesting being a troubled couple who are archaeologists and paranormal event investigators, A siege is involved with crowds turning against anyone they suspect of being infected. The subject of bullying also crops up, something which is endemic to SK Horror/Serial Killer/Revenge films ans series'. In this case it shows how a sociopathic bully takes advantage of the break down in public order to mrtder people. Pretty violent and gory, hatchets, knives. vehicle and chainsaws are put to deadly use. Directed by Jang Kun-jae, Written by Yeon Sang-ho & Ryoo Yong-jae. Six episodes on Sky sci fi. 7/10.
 
Domino Day: Domino Day is a young Mancunian witch of sorts but is also a psychic vampire. She preys on abusive males, leaving them still alive. She sometimes gets carried away when lost in passion and takes some human energy from her nice boyfriend. The Witch world is rather well organised and a local coven becomes aware of Domino's activities and fears that it might bring the existence of witches into the open. When Domino leaves evidence behind after draining one creep things become complicated. There are also Witch Elders involved and Voodoo "Deity" Baron Samedi puts in an appearance or two. Certain activities and beliefs are banned by the Elders. A rather dark tale of growth and parasitism, the unequal taking not all being on Domino's part. Some interesting rituals and means of dispatching people along with trips to inbetween realms. Created and Written by Lauren Sequeira, Directed by Eva Sigurdardottir & Nadira Amrani. 8/10.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m001vv93/domino-day
 
Platform 7: A Thriller/Ghost story with elements if Dark Horror. Jasmine (Lisa Evans) awakes at a railway station, unsure of how she got there, She gradually learns that she died after falling under a train. How this occurred is explored over four episodes. Another ghost also dwells at the station, he can travel outside of it;s bounds but Jasmine is stuck there at first. It's too easy to reveal spoilers and plot twists about this series. Suffice to say that some people have dark motives and are hiding secrets, A Transport Policeman is suspicious about the circumstances of Jasmine's death and puts his job at risk by continuing the investigation. The dark horror elements mostly take place in the final episode but there is a miasma of psychological horror permeating the entire series. Directed by Geoffrey Sax, Screenplay by Paula Milne, adapted from the novel by Louise Doughty. 7.5/10.

Screening (free) at: https://www.rte.ie/player/series/platform-7/10002576-00-0000?epguid=AQ10002577-01-0001

Was shown on ITVX will screen on ITV1.
 
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Anthracite: 1994, a murderous cult commit mass suicide in Levionna in the French Alps, the only survivor being the cult leader. 2024, a journalist who had covered the original story is apparently kidnapped, his web sleuth daughter goes to Levionna to investigate. Another body turns up, are the cult active again? This series involves many plot twists and may well be a tad too lever for it's own good. It's worthwhile sticking with Anthracite though, convoluted as the plot is it involves many interesting tropes. A pharmaceutical company which may be carrying out secret tests on the local populace, a possible serial killer responsible for many disappearances over the last ten years, strange abandoned coal mines which are being reopened by the pharmaceutical company. There are some soap like elements to the plot and who is whose father/mother brother/sister theme which makes you hear dueling banjos playing in the background. It has enough, tension and action to keep you interested as gory violent scenes accumulate plus a nurse who could give Nurse Ratchet a run for her money. Directed by Julius Berg, Written by Fanny Robert, Maxime Berthemy, Sophie Lebarbier, Mehdi Ouahab. Six episodes in Netflix. 7.5/10.
 
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