Horror

Us

  • Title: Us
  • IMDb: link

Us Blu-ray reviewUs is a creepy horror flick featuring evil doppelgangers rising up from the sewers hoping to kill off and replace the human race. The film is primarily centered around the Wilson family (Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Evan Alex), but opens the story broader as the scope of the attacks become realized. Writer/director Jordan Peele succeeds in creating a bizarre experience as each member of the family comes face-to-face with more murderous version of themselves (the tie-in to a carnival house of mirrors is a nice touch). While disturbing at times, and at times bordering on unintentionally funny, the film doesn’t have the payoff to elevate the film past a good genre film (and the late reveal was far from shocking).

Available on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K, extras include outtakes, deleted scenes, and short featurettes on the main characters, shooting sequences from different perspectives, the actors, and the movie’s dancing scene. Horror fans should enjoy themselves here, although the film began to lose me the moment it tried to explain the existence of the red-jumpsuited evil clones.

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Scooby-Doo! – The Headless Horseman of Halloween

  • Title: The Scooby-Doo Show – The Headless Horseman of Halloween
  • wiki: link

Scooby-Doo! - The Headless Horseman of Halloween TV review

Today’s Throwback Tuesday takes us back to a Halloween-themed episode of The Scooby-Doo Show that pits Mystery, Inc. against the Headless Horesman. While attending a Halloween party as the guest of the great-great granddaughter of Ichabod Crane, Scooby-Doo (Don Messick) encounters a Headless Horseman on horseback who is after Gertrude Crane‘s “cursed” diamond necklace. Other than using Washington Irving‘s famous character, the episode is also notable (but not in a good way) for the appearance of Scooby’s cousin Scooby-Dum (Daws Butler) who fancies himself something of a detective (despite being dumber than a post). In the usual manner, the gang is able to put together enough clues to uncover the truth behind the haunting and the sudden reappearance of the legendary monster. While not one of the better mysteries, the Headless Horseman (both before and after he takes a head) provides a memorable villain for the episode.

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Hellmouth #1

Hellmouth #1 comic reviewHellmouth #1 officially begins the five-issue crossover event that has been building in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Drusilla has the key and the Hellmouth is open. Get ready, ’cause Hell is literally set to break loose. And if you missed anything, Cordelia is here to sum up things for you.

The first issue of the mini-series offers the first official meeting of Buffy and Angel as the ground underneath Sunnydale cracks open and all manner of creatures begin to pour out. Hellmouth #1 also explains why Drusilla needed to stab Spike with the key (other than her being bat-shit crazy).

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Angel #5

Angel #5 comic reviewBefore moving Angel into Buffy‘s orbit, Angel #5 introduces us to another important supporting character as Angel hunts down Charles Gunn and attempts to enlist him to the cause. Things go a bit easier than the TV show’s first meeting between the pair.

Angel #5 offers a flashback to Gunn’s past which helps restate his feelings towards vampires, but he’s also a bit more aware of the layers of gray in the world than the original version of the character. It’s a clever choice that has immediate payoffs here. After seeing Angel in action, Gunn has little trouble believing he’s met a good guy (regardless of whether or not he’s a member of the walking undead).

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer #8

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #8 comic review“Hellmouth Prelude” moves away from the recent storyline involving Willow and Xander and instead offers a little of Buffy‘s not-so-glorious Halloween Dance experience (although she does end up trading a few barbs with a tall stranger) and offering a glimpse at a night out for Giles and Jenny which turns dark quickly thanks to Joyce Summers‘ awful taste in art (in a nice holdover from the television series).

Joyce having stocked a little trinket vital to Drusilla‘s plans to open the Hellmouth doesn’t turn out well for anyone at the art opening, not even Spike whose better half stabs him with the dagger heating up the Hellmouth (which is never something the locals in Sunnydale want to happen).

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