Thursday Movie Picks: TV Edition - Horror
1) True Blood
Seasons 1-3 were spectacular. Season 4 was great, but with a few issues. Seasons 5-7 was a clusterfuck. To this day, I have yet to see a show that started out as strong as True Blood did fall on its face so hard. (Though The Walking Dead is close) I recommend watching only the first four seasons then pretending Eric and Sookie ran off together.
2) The Fades
This was a British show that was cancelled after one season, but starred the supremely talented Iain De Caestecker, Daniel Kaluuya, Natalie Dormer and Joe Dempise. It was about a teen who saw spirits of dead people, and the strange way they have to go. I wish it would've lasted longer
3) Tales From The Crypt
I loved watching this with my big sister when I was a kid. Most of the episodes went far over my head at the time, but I would definitely re-watch this show today.
I think I'll do a little better this week since I'm more likely to at least sample a horror TV show than a movie if there is good word of mouth on it.
ReplyDeleteThat's how I came to True Blood which while I never loved it I did think it was okay enough to stick with it for the first three seasons but then I lost interest. I've also seen an episode or three of Tales From the Crypt but never followed it regularly.
I think you always feel a special affection for those one season shows that you loved but didn't catch on for one reason or another, I have one in my picks too.
Of this month's themes this one was the easiest to round up three for...and one that I think might even show up quite a bit!
Dexter (2006-2013)-Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is a highly respected blood splatter expert with the Miami police department. He seems a little odd and secretive but his co-workers including his sister Deb know that in his past he had some traumatic experiences so they allow him some space. Thing is Dexter has a sideline that keeps him pretty busy off hours…he’s a serial killer who only pursues the evilest of men & women and disposes of them without a trace. Dark, dark comedy that intermingles gallows humor with gore, its absurdist viewpoint is greatly enhanced by Hall’s performance in the lead.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975)-Weathered persnickety Chicago newspaper reporter Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) seems to have a real knack for stumbling across bizarre often ritualistic seeming deaths. Turns out that’s because Chicago is apparently a hotbed for every sort of supernatural being, witches, vampires, zombies etc. imaginable. Kolchak usually get to the bottom of each case but somehow can never quite make a believer out of his editor Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland). One season series originated with two highly rated TV movies (the first earned a 54 share!), was stacked with familiar faces and had a twisty sense of humor mixed with its horror. The studio however never quite figured out how to market it and buried in a bad time slot.
Night Gallery (1970-1973)-Second anthology series by Rod Serling isn’t quite the masterpiece The Twilight Zone was but had many original memorable episodes. Unlike the original this usually contained two or even three shorter vignettes that leaned more often towards horror and the supernatural than science fiction. Thought neither as well-known nor as critically respected as the first it did create several famous episodes including “Green Fingers”, “The Diary”, They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar”, “Silent Snow, Secret Snow”, “Caterpillar” and “Whisper” starring a very young Sally Field among others. Originated with a TV movie that provided Steven Spielberg with his first directing gig in an episode starring Joan Crawford.
I was about to start Dexter then all of my friends that watched it got super pissed over something that happened and rage quit, so I didn't bother. I'm still curious about it though.
DeleteI haven't seen any of these but I've been meaning to start True Blood since always.
ReplyDeleteIf you do, quit after season 4. Just pretend it ended on a huge cliffhanger, it's actually better that way. lol
DeleteYou are so right about True Blood, which I came to during the stellar second season (why hasn't Michelle Forbes gotten more worthy work?!?). It never hit those highs again, but those last few seasons were such wasted opportunities. ALL the ingredients were there, and they just came out bland.
ReplyDeleteSeeing that and The Fades on your list makes me pissed I didn't think of Hex, the great British series with Michael Fassbender as the fallen angel Azazeal.
I've never heard of The Hex, now I need to look that up.
DeleteWhat I hated especially about late season True Blood is that they had this one episode in the final season that actually reached early season levels of awesome, then it went right back to sucking.
I never watched True Blood but heard the later seasons sucked...pardon the pun. The second one reminds me of The Ghost Whisperer and I wonder if they took it from this British show.I did see a few episodes of Tale from the Crypt but never got into it
ReplyDeleteEverything after season 4 on True Blood was a massive clusterfuck. You heard right lol
DeleteI actually rewatched Tales from the Crypt recently and it doesn't feel dated at all. The sinister plot twists in the show are mindblowing
ReplyDeleteIt's something I should revisit again. I'm sure I wouldn't remember half of the episodes.
DeleteOh man, True Blood was such a disappointment! But I think I liked the last couple of episodes, can't exactly remember. Worst of all was all that great production wasted on a shit plot.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, never heard of the other two, I might check out The Fades. Sadly getting cut is the fate of many horror shows :/
You should check out the Fades! It's only 6 episodes but I really liked it.
DeleteHey, we share 2 picks. Yeah, True Blood in those last few seasons started to suck and I didn't bother to watch the final season. I too was over Sookie and her precious fairy vagina. I was more into Eric and the other supporting characters that wasn't Beel.
ReplyDeleteUgh Beeeeeeeel. The only reason he and Sookie stayed connected for so long had to have been because the actors were married. There's no other logical reason for that.
DeleteCan't believe I forgot about Tales from the Crypt. I used to love that show. Great pick!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI gotta say I liked the way the books went (my friend read them and told me what happened) I'm more of a Sam and Sookie shipper. You're right too - I stopped watching the show mid S5, couldn't be bothered with it.
ReplyDeleteThe Fades! They filled this where I went to Uni, at least some scenes anyway. I wish I had seen it at the time but it passed me by. but I do love Iain De Caestecker so many return to it.
You should! He's really good in it. Sam was always my 2nd choice for Sookie and I hated what they did with Sam in the final seasons of the show.
DeleteHaven't seen any of them unfortunately but the second and third GIF are awesome.
ReplyDeleteI really love the gif of Natalie. She looks beautiful in it.
DeleteI stopped watching True Blood somewhere in the middle seasons, because I no longer subscribe to HBO. Still would like to continue if I have the chance.
ReplyDeleteI've watched Tales From The Crypt too, but can't really remember anything.
The Fades is one I want to watch, it looks interesting.