[REVIEWS] Films: Fear Itself
Nov. 3rd, 2009 10:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thewlisian_aferWikipedia sez:
I was so sad. I was rather enjoying a weekly dose of horror, but ... I guess not enough others were because "[o]n March 13, 2009, it was confirmed that the series had been canceled and would not be returning to NBC." Bless DVD releases, though. Now I can watch all thirteen episodes, and subject you to my opinions. :D
Even though my ratings average out to 3.6 stars, I still give the overall series a 4, because the concept is good and I am just a sucker for anthologies.
Eater (Stuart Gordon)
Nothing is as it seems when a rookie cop is assigned to watch over a serial killer known as the Eater.
Elisabeth Moss plays the rookie cop! I love her ears. They're so cute. Anyway, I really liked her character in this. She was tough and a little bit of a ghoul. The guys she worked with were assholes but she handled it really well. And the ending was ... good, but not satisfying. I like that. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Spooked (Brad Anderson)
A private eye has to face his demons while on a stakeout in a haunted house.
Eric Roberts + Cynthia Watros + psychological horror = WIN! [Rating: 4 stars]
Community (Mary Harron)
A young couple find a dark side to their perfect house in the perfect neighborhood.
Not an original concept at all but it's one that I love and will never tire of. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
The Sacrifice (Breck Eisner)
Four criminals find themselves stranded in an old, snow-covered fort where three seductive sirens reside.
My major problem with this episode is that there were no characters I wanted to live. Rachel Miner was in it, though, and I like her. And the ending is great. The little summary blurb isn't all that accurate... There's not much seduction (I'm not complaining) and I guess they're trying to save some suspense but I really think it should mention it's a (very non-sparkly!) vampire story. [Rating: 3 stars]
In Sickness and in Health (John Landis)
A bride receives a mysterious note on her wedding day, warning her that she is about to wed a serial killer.
This one is so predictable, but I still liked it a lot. Maybe because John Landis directed it. I kind of adore him. :D Anyway, this episode still manages to be creepy and make you wonder about a couple of things all the way through, even though you'd have to be a total n00b not to know the ending right from the beginning. And there are a couple of LOLs thrown in there, too! Good stuff. [Rating: 4 stars]
Family Man (Ronny Yu)
A prisoner must protect his family when he inadvertently switches bodies with a serial killer after a near-death experience.
First of all, Colin Ferguson is hot. Second of all, when done well (and this was), spiritual transmigration is frickin' awesome. The "surprise" twist ... wasn't surprising. But it was still a good punch in the gut even though I saw it coming. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Something With Bite (Ernest Dickerson)
A veterinarian sees the world through new eyes after he is bitten by a strange animal brought into his clinic.
Werewolves! And it was written by Max Landis, so there were plenty of LOLs, too! I really liked this episode. [Rating: 4 stars]
New Year's Day (Darren Lynn Bousman)
A young woman awakens in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies.
Zombies! The first time I saw this episode (way back when it aired on TV more than a year ago), it actually took me about half of it to figure out the ending. And this time through, already knowing it, I had fun picking up the clues I'd originally missed. Also, the sound is awesome. Darren Lynn Bousman really understands how sound should be used in horror. [Rating: 5 stars]
Skin & Bones (Larry Fessenden)
A cattle herder's family notices that he has changed when he returns after being lost in the woods for days.
This was the only episode that actually scared me a little when it originally aired. It deals with the Wendigo, which just ... freaks me the fuck out. And Doug Jones, who is MADE OF AWESOME, is in it. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Chance (John Dahl)
A dreadful battle ensues when a man is confronted by his evil self.
Ethan Embry plays the main character, and I'm a sucker for doppelganger stories, so you'd think I'd really like this episode. It really didn't do anything for me, though. Alas. [Rating: 3 stars]
The Spirit Box (Rob Schmidt)
Two girls receive a chilling message when they try to contact a deceased classmate via a board game.
This was almost a four-star, even though it's not the kind of storyline I usually like. The end actually surprised me, though I did feel stupid for not seeing the twist earlier. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Echoes (Rupert Wainwright)
An affable young man moves into an apartment he believes he lived in, in a previous life, but the images he sees bring him to a shocking realization.
I liked this one but found the ending really disappointing. The whole episode felt like it was building up to something really interesting but then it just ... ended. [Rating: 3 stars]
The Circle (Eduardo Rodriguez)
People who meet each Halloween to tell horror stories suddenly realize they are living one.
I really liked the special effects in this one. The "darkness" and the way it infected people just looked so cool. The story itself was pretty good but lacked a certain something that would've made it great. [Rating: 3 stars]
Fear Itself is a horror/suspense anthology television series shot in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with some additional shooting in the city of St. Albert and the town of Devon, Alberta. It began airing on June 5, 2008 on NBC.
The show aired Thursday nights at 10/9c. It was put on hiatus for the duration of the 2008 Summer Olympics, with the promise of a return once the event was over, but no further episodes were aired. While NBC failed to comment on the fate of the series once the Olympics ended, its time-slot was thereafter filled with re-runs of other NBC shows and Fear Itself did not appear on the NBC Fall 2008 schedule.
I was so sad. I was rather enjoying a weekly dose of horror, but ... I guess not enough others were because "[o]n March 13, 2009, it was confirmed that the series had been canceled and would not be returning to NBC." Bless DVD releases, though. Now I can watch all thirteen episodes, and subject you to my opinions. :D
Even though my ratings average out to 3.6 stars, I still give the overall series a 4, because the concept is good and I am just a sucker for anthologies.
Eater (Stuart Gordon)
Nothing is as it seems when a rookie cop is assigned to watch over a serial killer known as the Eater.
Elisabeth Moss plays the rookie cop! I love her ears. They're so cute. Anyway, I really liked her character in this. She was tough and a little bit of a ghoul. The guys she worked with were assholes but she handled it really well. And the ending was ... good, but not satisfying. I like that. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Spooked (Brad Anderson)
A private eye has to face his demons while on a stakeout in a haunted house.
Eric Roberts + Cynthia Watros + psychological horror = WIN! [Rating: 4 stars]
Community (Mary Harron)
A young couple find a dark side to their perfect house in the perfect neighborhood.
Not an original concept at all but it's one that I love and will never tire of. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
The Sacrifice (Breck Eisner)
Four criminals find themselves stranded in an old, snow-covered fort where three seductive sirens reside.
My major problem with this episode is that there were no characters I wanted to live. Rachel Miner was in it, though, and I like her. And the ending is great. The little summary blurb isn't all that accurate... There's not much seduction (I'm not complaining) and I guess they're trying to save some suspense but I really think it should mention it's a (very non-sparkly!) vampire story. [Rating: 3 stars]
In Sickness and in Health (John Landis)
A bride receives a mysterious note on her wedding day, warning her that she is about to wed a serial killer.
This one is so predictable, but I still liked it a lot. Maybe because John Landis directed it. I kind of adore him. :D Anyway, this episode still manages to be creepy and make you wonder about a couple of things all the way through, even though you'd have to be a total n00b not to know the ending right from the beginning. And there are a couple of LOLs thrown in there, too! Good stuff. [Rating: 4 stars]
Family Man (Ronny Yu)
A prisoner must protect his family when he inadvertently switches bodies with a serial killer after a near-death experience.
First of all, Colin Ferguson is hot. Second of all, when done well (and this was), spiritual transmigration is frickin' awesome. The "surprise" twist ... wasn't surprising. But it was still a good punch in the gut even though I saw it coming. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Something With Bite (Ernest Dickerson)
A veterinarian sees the world through new eyes after he is bitten by a strange animal brought into his clinic.
Werewolves! And it was written by Max Landis, so there were plenty of LOLs, too! I really liked this episode. [Rating: 4 stars]
New Year's Day (Darren Lynn Bousman)
A young woman awakens in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies.
Zombies! The first time I saw this episode (way back when it aired on TV more than a year ago), it actually took me about half of it to figure out the ending. And this time through, already knowing it, I had fun picking up the clues I'd originally missed. Also, the sound is awesome. Darren Lynn Bousman really understands how sound should be used in horror. [Rating: 5 stars]
Skin & Bones (Larry Fessenden)
A cattle herder's family notices that he has changed when he returns after being lost in the woods for days.
This was the only episode that actually scared me a little when it originally aired. It deals with the Wendigo, which just ... freaks me the fuck out. And Doug Jones, who is MADE OF AWESOME, is in it. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Chance (John Dahl)
A dreadful battle ensues when a man is confronted by his evil self.
Ethan Embry plays the main character, and I'm a sucker for doppelganger stories, so you'd think I'd really like this episode. It really didn't do anything for me, though. Alas. [Rating: 3 stars]
The Spirit Box (Rob Schmidt)
Two girls receive a chilling message when they try to contact a deceased classmate via a board game.
This was almost a four-star, even though it's not the kind of storyline I usually like. The end actually surprised me, though I did feel stupid for not seeing the twist earlier. [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Echoes (Rupert Wainwright)
An affable young man moves into an apartment he believes he lived in, in a previous life, but the images he sees bring him to a shocking realization.
I liked this one but found the ending really disappointing. The whole episode felt like it was building up to something really interesting but then it just ... ended. [Rating: 3 stars]
The Circle (Eduardo Rodriguez)
People who meet each Halloween to tell horror stories suddenly realize they are living one.
I really liked the special effects in this one. The "darkness" and the way it infected people just looked so cool. The story itself was pretty good but lacked a certain something that would've made it great. [Rating: 3 stars]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-11-04 03:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-04 04:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-04 06:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-04 03:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-04 03:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-04 08:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-04 08:49 pm (UTC)