Over the past decade we’ve seen a resurgence of reboots, remakes, and anthologies, so it isn’t much of a surprise that the beloved horror anthology Creepshow would get the reboot treatment. To be fair, this is an extension from what the first films set out to be, though the big difference is instead of just being a film with a few stories, it is now a TV series, each episode containing two tales to horrify and entertain.  When I first heard about the series, I was cautiously optimistic. The first two films I consider classics, as do many other fans of the horror genre.  Then there was that third Creepshow that I feel we all just want to forget and pretend never really happened.  Without George Romero being around, I just wasn’t even sure I’d want to see a show that could possibly just water down everything that was great about the films and simply turn out to be a cheap imitation.  Now that I’ve watched Season 1, how does it fare alongside the previous films?  Honestly, I found myself impressed with what I saw, and there is plenty of potential to be refined here.

Episode 1 gets the season started on a strong note with the stories Gray Matter and The House of the Head.  The first story comes courtesy of Stephen King, one of the co-creators of the original Creepshow, and the story definitely sets the tone for the series while at the same time setting expectations for the stories that will follow over the course of the season.  The story is relatively simple, about a boy whose father is going through some changes as a result of a beer he’s been drinking.  I really don’t want to spoil much about this episode, but considering it stars horror icons Adrienne Barbeau and Tobin Bell, the talent elevates this tale all the more, and what’s more impressive is seeing Greg Nicotero directing something that isn’t The Walking Dead.  The pacing of this story is excellent, and sure, I wish it were longer; it’s always a pleasure to see Barbeau in a horror setting, and Tobin Bell has nice albeit brief on-screen chemistry with Giancarlo Esposito.  There isn’t much time to absorb what we’ve just seen before the second story starts up, which has its own unique creepy tone about it. The House of the Head is a story about a little girl and her dollhouse. Everything seems nice till something very unpleasant seems to be stalking the toys in the dollhouse.  It’s the detail that went into the creation of the toys that sells the horror with this story as well as the performance from the young girl.  For those eagle-eyed viewers, you’ll catch some cool Easter eggs hidden in the dollhouse.

Written by J. C.

“Welcome! Everything is fine.”

I do believe that this film was deserving of a theatrical release. I don’t think it would have been a box office hit, but it deserved to reach a wider audience. That is not to disparage home media, which I’ve been plenty thankful for the many hours of entertainment that it has provided me given the state of affairs lately. Jeffrey Dean Morgan stars in this film based off a book from crime writer, James Patterson and Swedish journalist/crime writer Liza Marklund. The background of this collaboration was a particular interest to me, as the two reportedly corresponding back and forth via email, with Marklund writing the first draft and Patterson doing the second draft. Both are established crime writers and their decision to co-author a book together is a clear example of their respect for one another’s contribution to the field. Thanks to this mutual, a book that served as the basis of this adaptation, got off to the right start. Joining Morgan is the Good Fight’s Cush Jumbo as well as Taken’s Famke Janssen. I swear I am not trying to give you a history lesson, but the origins of this film is very interesting in my opinion, as it spent several years in what is known as development hell (media jargon for a project that spends a long time in the development phase, usually resulting in changing of production crews, scripts and actors dropping in and out of the project), and was originally slated for Patrick Dempsey in the lead role and Dakota Fanning in the supporting, which then changed to Britt Robertson in the supporting role that eventually went to Jumbo. Truth be told, I think that this situation worked out for the best, as well I can’t imagine someone else doing the role of Jake Kanon the justice that Morgan did.

When his daughter and her husband are murdered on their honeymoon, NYPD Detective Jake Kanon travels across to Europe to find her killer and bring them to justice. In a foreign land with no authority, he finds that the investigating officers are not keen to share information with an American, who they believe is likely out for revenge. Unwavering, Kanon continues to investigate on his own, making headway despite being impeded at nearly every turn. With limited resources, he is able to determine that the killer’s modus operandi is not that of an amateur but a skilled and meticulous killer. Not only does this killer leave no forensic evidence, the manner in which he poses his victims, the killer has a daring way of announcing the message behind the murders: a postcard.

Jane Austen is a novelist from the 18^th century whose novels continue to stand the test of time; though she gained prominence during her lifetime, I would dare say that she has become very fashionable, with many of her novels being required learning for most schools or at the very least on the summer reading list. Her credits include Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Mansfield Park; however, the novel that serves as the basis for the film we are reviewing today may be her most famous work, Emma. This property is no stranger to adaptation, having been adapted in the form of a 1996 television film starring Kate Beckinsale, as well as that same year into a theatrical film starring Gwyneth Paltrow. This time around, the film stars Anya Taylor-Joy in the titular role. Though this is not the film I was hoping to see Taylor-Joy in this year (this is my subtle ploy to demand the release of The New Mutants), I must admit that she does a fine job of taking on the role that has already been tackled by top talent. Granted, this is not the type of movie that I am normally drawn to; it is my wife’s bread and butter, so naturally it was an experience that we shared. Basically a period piece romantic comedy, as anticipated it was a big hit with her, and fortunately there was some humor for me to appreciate as well.

Emma Woodhouse is an affluent young woman, who after her governess weds, believing she bears some responsibility for the union, imagines herself a matchmaker. Despite the objections of her father (Bill  Nighy), she attempts to find a suitable match for her latest governess, Harriet Smith (Mia Goth). This proves to be quite an undertaking as her matches prove a number of times to be unsuccessful for a number of reasons, including a social mismatching, as well as them having eyes for another (i.e. Emma herself). During this period, she also encounters Mr. Knightly (Johnny Flynn), a kind and compassionate person for whom she begins developing feelings; however, her affections may have competition in the form of the very woman she is attempting to set up.