Genre TV Will Never Go Away

Karl Urban and Michael Ealy in "Almost Human"

POST UNDER RECONSTRUCTION

Yes, that's right. I had a perfectly wonderful post that I loved all ready to go about this very topic and then my clumsy sausage fingers grazed the wrong keys and it was gone... So I am working on an even better version of it. Hang tight.

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Hope These Are Worth the Wait

Jonathan Rhys Meyers

I've already been surprised by the first new show of the season and have hope for quite a few others. I don't honestly have much to say about most of the new comedies coming up. "The Goldbergs" looks dreadful; "Dads" (oh, Seth... I'm not mad. I'm... disappointed...) and "The Millers" look even worse (poor Wil Arnet! He so deserves another good show...). Other comedies I'll likely avoid include "Super Fun Night;" "We Are Men;" "Welcome to the Family" (sorry Mary McCormack. I love you, but not enough  to sit through that) and "Enlisted." And I'll at least give "Trophy Wife;" "The Michael J. Fox Show;" "Brooklyn Nine Nine" and "Sean Saves the World" one or two episodes before deciding to continue, though I have very low expectations for all of them (and hope I'm wrong).

There are two new comedies that have caught my eye and hope won't suck. "Mom" features two amazing and talented favorites (Anna Farris and Alison Janey) as mother and daughter, both dealing with addiction recovery. Looks like the dark, hilarious kind of show I love. Which means it's got two seasons, tops. "The Crazy Ones" brings Robin Williams back to sitcom TV for the first time since "Mork and Mindy" and pairs him with Buffy as his daughter and partner in an advertising agency. I want to like it... I hope Williams is able to rein it in and let his costars have their moments. Plus, adorable James Wolk co-stars!

Among the new dramas, I won't bother with "Betrayal" or "Ironside," despite Blair Underwood being in it. The "Hawaii Five-Oh" reboot lightning isn't likely to strike a second time. Though I am looking forward to James Spader in "The Black List" and Dylan McDermott and Toni Collette (!!!!) in "Hostages," though with McDermott sadly less naked than he was in "American Horror Story."And I've already set the DVR for the pilot of "Lucky 7," a show about lottery winners that will either be brilliant or horribly cheesy or (if we're very lucky), both.

Of course, being the weirdo I am, Uncle P is most looking forward to the genre shows. I'm most likely to not bother seeing "Almost Human;" "The Originals" and "Witches of Eastend," But I will most certainly be adding ABC's "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." - henceforth known on the Revenge as "MAoS" - to my DVR schedule with every hope that Joss Whedon can get enough cross-over appearances from the Marvel movies to make it all work. NBC adds a new title to their growing genre library just before Halloween. "Dracula," starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers looks like a very smart Steampunk-inspired adaptation of Stoker's characters. If it's as clever,cool and sexy as it looks, why not add another take on the archetype. And the CW joins the Mutant/Superhero sub-genre with "The Tomorrow People" which could be fun, if it's done as smartly as Chronicle and the first season of "Heroes."

So, what new shows are you looking forward to seeing? I'd love to know.

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article American Horror Story / Comedy / Dracula / Dylan McDermott / Fall 2013 / Genre TV / James Spader / Joss Whedon; / MAoS / New Shows / Previews / Trailers / TV / TV Drama with the title Previews. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2013/09/hope-these-are-worth-wait.html. Thanks!

I. Can't. Wait.

Click Image to Enlarge

FOX's "Sleepy Hollow" was a happy surprise for both myself and many people I know, and while I am looking forward to several other new shows this season there are a few returning favorites that have me absolutely chomping at the bit to see. 

First up is Ryan Murphy's amazingly-creative-and-creepy television experiment's third season which starts on October 9th. "American Horror Story: Coven." is set in both contemporary New Orleans and Historical Salem, exploring yet another Horror trope with what looks like another season of amazing; puzzling; creepy; original and arresting visuals, story lines, characters and performances from a cast that makes me just a little more excited than a man my age should ever get over a TV show. Returning are the astonishing Jessica Lange; Lily Rabe; Francis Conroy; Taissa Farmiga; Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters. And joining them are some powerhouse talents: Angela Bassett; Kathy Bates (!!); Christine Ebersole (!!) Emma Roberts; Danny Houston (!!) and Pattie effng Lupone (!!!!!). Add a war between Good & Evil Witches to the potential for exponential insanity and you have yourself what has so far been one of the best and most provocative genre series, ever.

Here are all seven Season 3 teasers:



And the first Season 3 promo with dialog, "School:"

And I don't think I need to say how much I am anticipating the Season Four premiere of AMC's "The Walking Dead" (the producers of which just announced a spin-off - oh, excuse me: "Companion" series - for 2014). While I will happily admit that Season Three was better than Season Two, neither was as good as the amazing Season One.It seems like the producers are listening to the fans and upped the ante this season. My mother is actually antsy for it's return.

NBC's dark-humored fantasy "Grimm" ended with our beautiful intrepid hero zombified while in the clutches of a voodoo priest. A co-worker whom I truly adore watches because her husband watches and calls it "The Grimm." It's another show Mom surprisingly loves - and I love that she's finally come to appreciate quality genre works. She was a huge "Fringe" and "Lost" fan and I'm so glad she's expanded her horizons. We know Nick is going to escape and recover from whatever Baron Samedi has done to him, but that's hardly the point. It's clever and campy and imaginative with a terrific ensemble cast and usually well-executed (and often hilarious) CGI transformation FX. But like any good show, story is king and the mythology is both well-constructed and unfolding in a way that makes complete sense. But most importantly, "Grimm" never takes itself too seriously, which helps to make it both endearing and interesting.

Outside of Genre shows, I am also looking forward to the return of CBS's Law and Politics drama, "The Good Wife." Another dream cast of exceptionally talented actors and a brilliant writing team make "The Good Wife" so worth DVR'ing. 

There are a few others I'm looking forward to seeing return and at least one or three I don't understand why they are returning at all. There are also lots of new shows this season that I'll write about the next time I write about TV (which will probably be soon).

In the meantime, what shows are you excited to see returning this fall?

More, anon.

Prospero

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Upcoming Reviews

Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter

I have so many things to review, I'm not sure where to start...

So I won't... at least not until later tonight. It's officially Saturday morning and while I haven't posted anything here since my overtly obvious April Fool's post, that doesn't mean I don't have plenty to talk about.

"The Walking Dead" had it's Season 3 finale last Sunday and I have plenty to say about the season as a whole (in general: better than Season 2, but still not as good as Season 1). Of course, there are two new genre shows to talk about. I've now seen three episodes of A&E's "Bates Motel," and while I do seem to generally like it (mostly thanks to the very interesting performances from Vera Farmiga and Freddy Highmore), it's hardly without its flaws. And I have yet to see the season premiere of Bryan Fuller's "Hannibal" (it's been DVR'd), I can't imagine a better actor to take on the iconic role of the serial cannibal than Mads Mikkelsen. 

Most exciting, Dear D and I will be seeing the reboot of Sam Raimi's career-making film The Evil Dead, featuring smart and adorable "Subugaratory" star Jane Levy; produced by Raimi and cult-icon (and original star) Bruce Campbell and written by Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez and Diablo Cody, Evil Dead is one reboot  Uncle P is actually excited to see.

This weekend looks like a return to my opinionated nonsense about Horror. Whew! I was getting worried there, for a bit. In the meantime, please enjoy the latest (albeit spoilery) trailer for the latest film version of Stephen King's breakthrough novel Carrie, starring the always amazing Julianne Moore and the underrated Chloe Grace Moretz:

Of course, if you are familiar with King's novel (I've read it at least six times) or Brian DePalma's brilliant first adaptation, then you were only a little surprised by what that trailer had to offer. Blogger buddy JA may despise Moretz (though I'm still not exactly sure why), but I think she's one of the most promising young actresses (along with Elle Fanning) to come out of Hollywood in a long time. Seriously, did you see Let Me In or Kick Ass? 

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article Bates Motel / Carrie / Chloe Moretz / Elle Fanning / Hannibal / Horror / Movies / Previews / Reviews / The Walking Dead / Trailers / TV / Vera Farmiga / Zombies with the title Previews. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2013/04/upcoming-reviews.html. Thanks!

Horrors Yet to Come

Today is the Autumnal Equinox - the first day of Fall - and it brings with it two of my favorite things: Halloween and Horror Movies. I have no idea why an aging atheist loves Horror Movies so much. I guess it's because I grew up with them. My father loved the old Universal Monsters. One of the first movies I can remember seeing on TV was Tod Browning's atmospheric 1931 version of Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi. 

Scary movies are just so much fun! Of course, I get much more out of the plausible, psychotic killer type of movies than I do the supernatural ones. But every now and again, a supernatural thriller like Insidious comes along to provide genuine creeps. It's the whole 'suspension of disbelief' thing, I guess. While watching such a film, I can totally give in to its conceits. Of course, after it's over, I revert to a rational human being who knows the premise is ridiculous and laugh at myself for getting sucked in. There are plenty of Horror Movies coming up this season, and I find myself wanting to see many of them.

First up is writer/director Scott Derrickson's Sinister, with Ethan Hawke as a man who moves his family into a home where five families have been previously murdered, as evidenced by the reels of home movies he finds in the attic.

Gotta love an R-rated Horror Movie! And this one looks particularly disturbing.

Then there's The Bay, a found-footage movie from Good Morning Vietnam and Rain Man director Barry Levinson. The trailer is certainly interesting and I am excited to see what an established "mainstream" director does with a found-footage film:

Yikes! Environmental Horror ranks up there with Psychotic Killer Horror for me.

We're also finally going to get to see The Hole from Mad Max and Gremlins director Joe Dante. Completed in 2009, The Hole has apparently finally found a distributor and is scheduled for release in the U.S. this fall:

The Hole reminds me of both Steve Miner's 1986 Horror Comedy House and a very young Stephen Dorff's 1987 Canadian film debut, The Gate which, if you've never seen it, is a really fun movie that mixes lots of Harryhausen-like stop-motion monsters with both ridiculous Heavy Metal Satanism and Lovecraftian themes - highly recommended.

On the Psychotic Serial Killer end of the spectrum, we can look forward to The Collection from Feast screenwriter Marcus Dunstan. I guess you could think of it as Saw meets The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. You can view the trailer on the movie's IMDb page. 

The there's the completely unnecessary 3D update of Tobe Hooper's absolutely terrifying (and actually gore-less) 1974 classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, simply titled Texas Chainsaw 3D. Sigh...

Seriously? Give me the original (or even Marcus Nispel's not completely inept 2003 remake) any day. Of course, both of those films were inspired by the true story of Ed Gein, who was also the inspiration for the grandfather of all slasher movies, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. And Psycho just happens to be the subject of one of the movies I most want to see this fall: Hitchcock starring Sir Anthony Hopkins as the mercurial director and Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh. There's no trailer available as of now, but I'll be sure to post one as soon there is (no doubt as part of a post dedicated to the movie).

So what movies (Horror, or otherwise) are you looking forward to seeing this fall?

More, anon.
Prospero.

You have read this article Halloween / Horror / Movies / Previews / Trailers with the title Previews. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2012/09/horrors-yet-to-come.html. Thanks!

The Return of My 3 Favorite Shows

It won't come to any of you as a surprise that my top three favorite TV shows are all genre shows. And while I'm very excited to see them returning soon, I'm actually sad that my favorite show (possibly of all time), will be returning for its final season.

J.J. Abrams' "Fringe" took a season to really find its footing but once it did, it turned into one of the smartest; most complex and most compelling shows ever (Sorry "Lost" - you were good, but not this good). 

Set 20 years in the future, the final season of "Fringe" is about the fight against the mysterious 'Observers' and their bid to take over the planet after destroying it in their own present (our far future). Encased in the amber developed by the alternate Earth's own Fringe team for 20 years, Olivia; Peter; Walter and Astrid are released to help Olivia's and Peter's daughter fight the invaders that have suppressed humanity for so long. We got a glimpse of this future in last season's penultimate episode and I can't wait to see what the writers have in store for this final season. Terrific writing and the single best cast on TV make "Fringe" must-see-TV in my house. And shame on the Television Academy for never even nominating the astounding Anna Torv, John Noble and the rest of the cast for their consistently remarkable performances. The true heart of "Fringe" has always been the very real characters we have come to know and love. I hope they get the send-off they deserve.

The final season of "Fringe" starts Friday, September 28th on FOX.

Of course, last season, FX, along with Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk literally redefined TV horror with their sexy, creepy and oh-so-watchable "American Horror Story." Set in a very haunted Hollywood mansion inhabited by a very dysfunctional family and their over-the-top neighbor, "AHS" was the kind of show people either loved or hated. I loved it. The new season brings us a new story, with a new set of characters, many of whom are played by returning members of the first season's ensemble. Set in an East Coast insane asylum in the 1960's, "American Horror Story Asylum" stars Jessica Lange; Zachary Quinto; James Cromwell; Chloe Sevigny; Joseph Fiennes; Sarah Paulson; Evan Peters; Clea Duvall and Adam Levine. The promos have been super creepy, making me desperate to know what's in store:

"American Horror Story Asylum" premiers October 17th on FX.

Finally, AMC set a new bar for TV horror with their amazing Zombie Apocalypse series "The Walking Dead," based on the graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman. The show is so good, Uncle P's mother, who usually hates genre movies and TV, loves it! While some fans complained that season 2 took too long to get going, I knew the pay-off would be worth the wait. And boy, was it ever! Season three promises to be even better. Rick and his fellow survivors set themselves up in an abandoned prison, while fan-favorite characters Michonne and The Governor are introduced. The producers are promising both tons more 'walkers' and even more human conflict. This season's tagline: "Fight the dead. Fear the living."

"The Walking Dead" returns on Sunday, October 14th on AMC. Hopefully, Carl will learn to stay put when he's told to.

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article American Horror Story / Favorites / Fringe / Horror / Previews / Science Fiction / The Walking Dead / TV / Zombies with the title Previews. You can bookmark this page URL https://tammycross.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-return-of-my-3-favorite-shows.html. Thanks!

The End of the Best

I've seen my share of TV SciFi over the years, from the very  good ("The X-Files;" "The Twilight Zone;" "Lost;" "Battlestar Gallactica") to the very bad ("Land of the Giants;" "Manimal;") to the inexplicable ("Terra Nova"). And there are plenty of favs in between the extremes: "Lost in Space;" "The Time Tunnel;" "The Invaders;" one or two of the more recent "Star Trek" shows; "Farscape;" "Warehouse 13." So trust me when I tell you that J.J. Abrams'  "Fringe" is quite possibly the best Sci-Fi series, ever. Yes, I said 'ever.' And I meant it. And here are the two reasons why:

1. Brilliant writing. Smart, complicated and enigmatic; "Fringe" has managed to maintain the balance between its stand-alone episodes and its complex history, employing an alternate universe and strange visitors to tie everything together.

2. An effing amazing cast! Why no one from the cast of "Fringe" has been so much as nominated for an Emmy is beyond me. I think it's snobbery and jealousy. Not only did most of the cast have to play at least 3 (when you factor in the new timeline established last season) different versions of themselves, the astonishing Anna Torv also had to channel Leonard Nimoy (and did so, brilliantly). John Noble's Walter Bishops are a literal tour de force of acting, while Joshua Jackson as Peter and  Jasika Nicole as Agent Astrid Farnsworth (whose name the oft-addled Walter can never remember; hilariously calling her "Assturd" in one episode) provide the emotional balance to make us care about what happens to these people. Nicole's meetings between Astrid and her Asperger's-afflicted version from the other dimension were both heart-wrenching and fascinating. This cast is at the top of their games and believe in what they're doing and it shows in every single minute of their performances. All actors should be watching and learning from this truly exceptional ensemble.

After 4 tumultuous seasons, Fox is ending "Fringe" with a thirteen-week finale, in which Abrams and his team will hopefully wrap everything up. Set twenty-years in the future, the season was set up in last season's penultimate episode. The 'Observers,' having destroyed the planet in the 25th Century have come back in time and taken over 21st Century earth. The crowd attending the "Fringe" panel at Comic-Con were shown this today (via):

There's still time to catch the first four seasons on DVD before Season 5 starts. If you are looking for smart, funny, moving and most of all, human Science Fiction, you owe it to yourself to see this show, from the beginning.  If like me, you have been watching and loving "Fringe" since its 2008 pilot, you are very sad to see it go, but can't wait to see how it ends. I feel your pain.

More, anon
Prospero

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Chupacabra

An abbreviated recap tonight. Uncle P is tired after a long day of listening to crybabies who were too stupid or too lazy to care about deadlines. As with every TWD recap, HERE THERE BE SPOILERS:

After a prologue set in a massive traffic jam where we see the military bombing Atlanta, the search for Sophia continues. Using a new grid based on Daryl's findings at the abandoned house, the group splits up into three parties: Rick and Shane; Andrea T-Bone and Jimmy and Daryl on his own. We learn that while Daryl was once lost in the woods, he claimed to have seen a chupacabra (literally Spanish for "goat sucker"), though no one believed him. Young Jimmy lies to Rick, saying he has Herchel's permission to go. Daryl "borrows' a horse while Glenn and Maggie play head games. Carol decides it would be a nice gesture to offer to cook dinner for everyone, though she really just wants to cook in a 'real kitchen" (Hello? The 1950's called - they want their subservient housewives back).

Shane and Rick get into a discussion about the search for Sophia (Shane wants to stop and move on; Rick wants to keep looking) while Daryl finds Sophia's doll in the creek before a rattlesnake spooks his horse, which rears and sends him plummeting down a ravine into the creek, impaling him on his own arrow in the process. He then hallucinates a conversation with his brother Merle (we know it's not really Merle because he has both of hands) before waking up to find a Walker gnawing on his shoe. Using his walking stick to bash the Walker's head in, Daryl then pulls the arrow out of side and loads it into his crossbow in time to take out another Walker that is quickly advancing upon him. He then eats a raw squirrel.

Glenn and Dale have a "father/son" discussion about menses and "crazy women," in which Dale admonishes him for having sex with their host's daughter. Meanwhile, Lori hasn't told anyone she's pregnant and asks Glenn to keep he secret. Rick and Shane return early from their search, and Rick tells Lori he's had a long talk with Shane. From the look on Lori's face, it's obvious she's afraid Shane told Rick about their affair while they thought Rick was dead. Instead, Rick tells her about Shane wanting to abandon the search for Sophia. 

The faux-Merle taunts Daryl into climbing out of the ravine, teasing him about having eaten "magic mushrooms" before seeing the chupacabra and calling him a girl for not being able to climb out of the ravine. Daryl makes it out and then makes his way back to the farm where Andrea, tired of washing clothes, takes up a rifle and mistakes him for a Walker. Luckily, her shot only grazes the side of his head. Patching Daryl up, Herchel complains that they are using up their antibiotics, this after admonishing  Rick for not being in control of his people. 

Later, during a tension-filled and mostly silent dinner (before which Herchel talked to Maggie about her interest in "the Asian boy"), Maggie passes a note to Glenn that reads: "Tonight... Where?" Glenn scribbles his reply under Herchel's watchful eye. Carol brings dinner to Daryl and thanks him for doing more that day than her father ever did his entire life. 

While putting the dinner dishes away, Maggie surreptitiously reads Glenn's response: "Have you ever done it in a hay loft?" We see Glenn climbing into the locked barn's loft where he finds the barn filled with dozens of Walkers. Maggie races to the barn. As Glenn is about to flee in terror, Maggie shows up, telling hm "You weren't supposed to know about this." And there the episode ends, with the Walkers pressing against the locked barn's doors, desperate to escape and feed.

We know Herchel believes there will be a cure, and that he prefers that he alone handles any Walkers that appear on the property. But the Walkers in the barn are an unexpected twist. Will Glenn tell the others about them? Will they decide to pick up and move on? When will Lori tell Rick about the baby? Whose baby is it? And will we ever see Sophia again? 

Next week's episode is the mid-season finale and I can't wait to see what happens. Unlike many, I am not at all unsettled by this season's slower paced plot. I know there is plenty of horror yet to come:

More, anon.
Prospero

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