Tag: comedy-horror

Stranger Things Season 3 Chapter 2: The Mall Rats Recap

~ Metacrone

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The nightmare truly begins for Billy in episode 2. He shares his horror with a friend by the end of the episode. Dustin visits his buddy Steve at the Scoop shop to enlist some help with the Russian transmission he accidentally intercepted. Robin is drawn into their codebreaking scheme before long. Max and El go on a shopping spree/day of self-discovery at the mall. They run into Mike, who started the day avoiding El based on Hopper’s orders, but ends up trying to win her forgiveness via Lucas’ tried and true methods. Nancy and Jonathan investigate the case of the rabid rats, while Joyce notices the magnets around town are acting strangely.

Recap

This episode begins where episode 1 left off, with Billy having a very bad night at the old steel works after his car was hit by a slime monster. He’s dragged inside, but escapes and drives away. Then he stops again almost immediately to call the police from a pay phone. The 911 operator asks him to detail his emergency.

The light in the phone booth flashes, his car’s headlights seem to watch him like eyes and the characteristic flakes of the Upside Down float through the air. Billy flashes back to what happened at the steel works. The exploding rats who were drawn to the steel works in episode 1 were reconstituted and then they attacked him, crawling all over his face and body. (Shades of the movies Willard and Ben.)

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Stranger Things Season 3 Chapter 1: “Suzie, Do You Copy?” Recap

~ Metacrone ~ 2 Comments
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It’s been kind of intense around here lately, so let’s take a trip back in the wayback machine to July 4, 2019 and Stranger Things 3. Season 3 got lost in the shuffle as I was working on season 3 of Dark for that entire summer, so it seems like a good time to catch up, before season 4 comes out, likely in early 2022.

Recaps for Stranger Things Seasons 1 & 2.

They are all there, even though they aren’t in order. I’m a chaotic, that’s just the way it goes. 🤷🏽‍♀️

It’s now the summer of 1985 in Hawkins and things are changing. A new mall has opened in town which has become the center of the town’s social life. The kids are pairing off into couples and discovering the joys of kissing. In fact, everyone has more free time (and hormones), so Stranger Things is struggling with a series of epic romances this season. Steve, Nancy and Jonathan have graduated from high school and gotten jobs. Will is still searching for a sense of normalcy after the events of the first two seasons.

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Book vs Screen Review: True Blood Season 1 vs Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

~ Metacrone ~ 1 Comment

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But First, A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Tour Through My Favorite Romantic Vampire Media

Though I have been writing reviews on this blog for more than three years, I have been keeping a dark secret from you, dear readers. I haven’t really been keeping the secret on purpose, but a lie of omission is still a lie, so please, try to forgive me. I don’t think this reveal will come as much of a shock to my regular readers.

The truth is, I have a deep, lifelong love of vampire romance. I’m open minded, and can consider other supernatural romances as well, but werewolves are so packminded that I question their devotion to their beloved. Ghosts seem so thin and superficial. Zombies are interested in brains, but I want more than just a relationship of the mind. Angels and demons both have to leave their beloveds in the lurch when they get called into service by the higher- and lower- powers they serve. A shapeshifter is an inconstant lover in so many ways, how could we ever develop trust?

There are exceptions: Oz from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The medieval ghosts of Lynn Kurland’s paranormal romance novels. The sentient zombies of In the Flesh. The married angel-demon couple from Midnight, Texas, another Charlaine Harris story. And no one is more trustworthy than True Blood’s own shapeshifter, Sam Merlotte.

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Netflix’s Daybreak: Diversity Doesn’t Guarantee Heart or Equality

~ Metacrone
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Netflix’s series Daybreak is a post-apocalyptic story of tribalism, cannibalism and misogyny wrapped up in a pop culture bow. The tribalism and cannabalism are intended. I’m honestly never sure at this point how much of the vast ocean of misogyny coming from the entertainment industry is intended to keep us in our place and how much is subconscious. I do know that this level of stereotyping in today’s world can’t all be accidental.

In the Daybreak universe of Glendale, CA, following atomic and biological warfare, it’s made clear that white alphas rule and others are there to be sacrificed or serve. The white alpha males prefer consorts who are attractive, blonde women. The one gay male alpha has a secret, black, male consort.

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Deadly Class Season 1 Episode 2: Noise, Noise, Noise Recap

~ Metacrone ~ 1 Comment

Deadly Class 102 Marcus & Billy at Party

Deadly Class’s second episode, Noise, Noise, Noise, was just as amazing as its pilot. It lived up to its title, from the noise of the loud house party Marcus and the Rats coerce another student into hosting, to the noise in Willie and Marcus’ heads as they process the murder of Rory the night before. Then there’s the extra loud sound of a gun being fired very close to Maria’s head.

But let’s save that for later. Chico isn’t ready to spoil the surprise yet.

Recap

The episode begins with a long, morning-after monologue from Marcus, reflecting on the events of the night before and what it means in the context of the larger world. In the end, it comes down to nihilism and tribalism.

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Deadly Class Season 1 Episode 1: Reagan Youth Recap

~ Metacrone

Deadly Class - Pilot

My spoiler-free review of Deadly Class episode 1 is HERE.

Deadly Class is a fast-paced, dark romp through a high school for future assassins, set in the late 80s, when Ronald Reagan was president, the AIDS crisis was in full swing, the Cold War seemed like it would go on forever, and greed was good. Despite the nihilistic pop culture response of loud music and bright colors, which is, let’s face it, the pop culture response to everything, it was a dark time.

But it was a dark time filled with an amazing sense of irony and style, which led to a run of fantastic comedy-horror films that I encourage you all to check out. Personal favorites include Little Shop of Horrors, Teen Wolf with a very young Michael J Fox, and the Witches of Eastwick.

The film that’s most pertinent to our discussion today is the 1987 vampire film The Lost Boys, which starred Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric and Jami Gertz. It also starred a killer soundtrack and sense of fashion.

Deadly Class is channeling The Lost Boys, but the angsty teen vampires are now angsty teenage human (so far) assassins, and they’ve been collected by Peter Pan Headmaster Lin, played by a kindly and wise, but menacing, Benedict Wong, to perfect their arts. The point of view character and lostest of the lost kids is Marcus Lopez, played by Benjamin Wadsworth.

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SYFY’s Deadly Class Premiere Episode: Spoiler-Free Review

~ Metacrone ~ 2 Comments

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Deadly Class Episode 1 Is Currently Available On Demand.

SYFY Will Air the Premiere on Wednesday, January 16, 2019.

Hello, fellow wizards assassins! Winter break is over, and it’s time to join Harry Potter Marcus Lopez and the gang for a new semester of learning and hijinks at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry King’s Dominion Atelier of the Deadly Arts, a top-secret high school in San Francisco. Our story will follow a sincere, loveable orphan whose life has been filled with tragedy and who is fated to be involved with even more death. He’s an outsider in the world of his new school, but he quickly makes both friends and enemies. His new nemesis, Draco Chico, is from an old family which has some similarities to Marcus’ family, but Marcus doesn’t like their style, so he rejects Chico’s hereditary group, insulting Chico along the way.

Okay, I’ll stop. The similarities between Harry Potter and Deadly Class are fun to watch for, though, and there are many more. But even with so many standard coming of age tropes and Harry Potter references, Deadly Class is still fresh and original. It takes place in the late 80s, when punk, punk-pop and new wave ruled both the airwaves and fashion, and the show takes full advantage of those styles.

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Midnight, Texas Season 2 Episode 9: Yasss, Queen Recap

~ Metacrone

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Yasss, Queen, episode 9 of Midnight, Texas’ 2nd season, serves as both the season and the series finale. This season’s storylines are wrapped up in spectacular, over the top fashion. The producers are shopping the show to other networks, so it could get more seasons eventually, and the episode ends with set ups for the next season, but nothing that takes away from the satisfying conclusion that’s already been reached.

I’m hoping that Netflix will pick up the show, since it’s already filmed here in Albuquerque, where Netflix is creating its North American studio. Plus, Midnight would fit right in with Sabrina and Lucifer, which Netflix picked up after Fox dropped it.

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Midnight, Texas Season 2 Episode 8: Patience Is a Virtue Recap

~ Metacrone

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With episode 8, Midnight, Texas goes off the rails, into full on camp. It’s an over the top episode, with over the top acting, villains, costumes, and even incest, one of the shocking TV sex crimes of choice for the last several years.

The Spanish Inquisition even gets a nod. And no one expects the Spanish Inquisition.

The story picks up right where it left off, with Manfred struggling to remove Theophilus’ necklace. It’s stuck and only gets tighter when he tries to pull at it. He and Kai discuss who Patience screwed worse. Kai now realizes that his entire life has been a lie and that she’ll kill him along with everyone else, once she has what she wants. Manfred lost Creek and his body is going to become Theophilus’ new body. It’s a tough call, between them. Let’s just agree that Patience knows how to make sure that she’s not the one being taken advantage of.

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Midnight, Texas Season 2 Episode 7: Resting Witch Face Recap

~ Metacrone

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By the time we’re done watching episode 7, “Resting Witch Face”, the sleepy little town of Midnight, Texas has been turned upside down. Its darkest secrets have been exposed, friends and enemies have switched places, and another character has been lost. With only two episodes left following this one, the show is preparing its stage for a huge season finale.

As the episode begins, Joe is still out looking for Chuy, who is out of control and in his demon form. Walker has followed them. Fiji is hiding just how much her new affiliation with dark magic has affected her. Patience and Kai are supposedly dealing with the aftermath of the hotel being used as the epicenter of the town’s troubles in the previous episode.

And Manfred is still standing on his front porch, in tears, after watching Creek’s ghost disappear in flames. After a moment, he snaps into action and goes looking for Kai, who’s more than ready for a fight. They meet out in the street, shouting threats at each other. Kai tries to take Manfred’s powers from him, against his will. Only Patience is surprised. Lem stops Kai, then Patience takes him back to the hotel. Manfred tells everyone else that he saw Creek’s ghost.

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