'The Book of Carol – The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' Reviews: "This show can really only be evaluated on the merits of its place in the late-period Walking Dead universe. And by that metric, it's just OK"

         On September 29, 2024, the second season of 'The Book of Carol – The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' premiered on AMC to predominantly positive reviews, currently holding at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the first season, "Following his departure from The Commonwealth, Daryl Dixon washes ashore in France, raising the ire of a splintered but growing autocratic movement centered in Paris and endangering a young boy at the heart of a benevolent religious movement." Much to delight of fans, Carol Peletier becomes a main character this season, reuniting her with Daryl for another exciting adventure. The ensemble cast includes Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Clémence Poésy, Louis Puech Scigliuzzi, and Laïka Blanc-Francard. Read the full review round-up below.

        Liam Mathews of TV Guide writes, "This show can really only be evaluated on the merits of its place in the late-period Walking Dead universe. And by that metric, it's just OK." Adding, "Daryl Dixon Season 1 is one of the best seasons of a Walking Dead spin-off, along with Season 3 of Fear the Walking Dead and the limited series The Ones Who Live, and was actually pretty exciting when it premiered last year. The show was doing some things notably differently. Its French setting gave it a fresh look and feel; there were elements like a zombie orchestra, a Moulin Rouge-influenced nightclub, and weapon-wielding nuns that gave it a jolt of strangeness; and Clémence Poésy's performance as Isabelle, a nun devoted to the protection of a very special boy named Laurent (Louis Puech Scigliuzzi), was one of the most grounded and emotionally authentic performances in the Walking Dead franchise in years. Unfortunately, that novelty has worn off in The Book of Carol, and the show returns to the same thematic well The Walking Dead always comes back to: grief over losing one's family and finding a new family to keep living for. It's like a zombie that can't leave the location where it reanimated."

       Shawn Van Horn of Collider says, "The show, like many episodes of The Walking Dead universe in the past few years, has its usual flaws, but with Daryl and Carol at the center, you're still going to have a lot of fun with this one."

Photo by Nathan Wright on Unsplash

       Sarah Moran of Screen Rant praises the series, stating, "Daryl Dixon season 2 fully earns its subtitle, The Book of Carol, finally becoming the spinoff it was originally conceived to be. Like many of the franchise’s longtime players, McBride is very comfortable in her role, but here she gets to tackle the sort of material she was only occasionally offered in the main series. Her friendship with Daryl, of course, gets explored more deeply, but so does her lingering trauma over her daughter, Sophia. We’re also regularly reminded of what a shrewd character Carol is, which is a side McBride clearly relishes getting to play." Concluding, "Reedus continues to prove Daryl was a role he was born to play, effortlessly stepping back into character and digging deep to bring new facets of him to the surface. This season really builds on how Daryl developed through season 1, growing his relationships with both Laurent and Clémence Poésy’s Isabelle. He is pushed in new directions in season 2, and it’s a challenge Reedus rises to easily. Additionally, there are a handful of action setpieces in which he really shines, showing off how formidable Daryl can be when fighting for those he loves. Surrounding McBride and Reedus is a strong supporting cast, with even minor characters leaving an impression thanks to sharp writing and memorable performances. The overall story may be weaker in the second season, but Daryl Dixon is littered with scenes that feature actors giving their all to the material. Notable standouts are Eriq Ebouaney as Fallou, returning as one of Daryl’s staunchest allies, and Manish Dayal as a new character, Ash, a pilot Carol befriends and who joins her transatlantic journey. Dayal, in particular, is a great addition, and he pairs very well with McBride’s Carol."

'The Real West' Reviews: Film is "breezy" and "charming"

         On September 28, 2024, Hallmark Channel premiered 'The Real West', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics. In the film, "A family vacation to a working Ranch introduces Professor Rebecca to Jake West. Rebecca is a widower chasing tenure and Jake is a handsome cowboy who never settled down." The ensemble cast includes Lucas Bryant, Kimberley Sustad, and James Denton. But what did the critics say?

        Liz Kocan of Decider says, "For the majority of the time that I was watching The Real West, I was delighted by how breezy and charming it all was. Every character, from pragmatic but funny Rebecca to wise but elusive Jake to flighty but supportive Cassidy was fully realized and their characters were likeable and fully-formed. While, sure, the main drama of the film surrounds Rebecca’s quiet resignation over the fact that the man she’s pining for is dating her sister, with this being a Hallmark movie, you always knew that in the end, she’d get her man. What I didn’t expect was the emotional resonance that arose from a scene with Rebecca’s younger son, Ollie (Azriel Dalman). It turns out, Rebecca’s life wasn’t the only one upended by her husband’s sudden death three years earlier. Late in the movie, Ollie, an average kid with an obsession with ghosts, runs away without telling anyone to go on a “ghost hunt” at the ranch. When he’s found (by Jake, of course), he explains that he was desperate to find a ghost because if it turns out ghosts are real, maybe then he’d be able to see his father again. Oof." Adding, "STREAM IT! The Real West is one of the better Hallmark romances I’ve seen this year, and I’ve seen a lot. Blending humor with tenderness and filled with characters that are lovable and not cloying, it’s two hours well spent."

Photo Courtesy of Hallmark Media and Luka Cyprian

        Kanika Saini of Meaww.com writes, "It's truly worth mentioning how humor has been infused into this romantic and emotional saga. From the beginning, the movie feels light and breezy. Rebecca, being a mom of two boys, is practical and funny. Cassidy (played by Marlie Collins), is a chaotic mess yet the best sister one can ask for. Her easy approach to life inspires Rebecca to not over-burden herself with responsibilities." Continuing, "Lynda Boyd as Rebecca’s mom, Maureen is a pure joy to watch with her natural dialogue delivery. Amid this complex mix of family dynamics, Jake exudes calm and a mysterious vibe. We can't blame Rebecca for being attracted to him, despite all the limitations. Bringing together a well-rounded cast of characters, 'The Real West' is much more than a romantic movie. It is about moving forward after a loss. The film's ability to balance laughs and heartfelt moments makes it one of the best movies delivered by Hallmark in 2024."

Movies that Deserved Better: 'Christmas Island' (2023)

         On November 11, 2023, Hallmark Channel premiered 'Christmas Island' as part of it's largest grouping of holiday film offerings to date. Unfortunately, with such a large amount of offerings it seemingly has slipped through the cracks despite being one of the best holiday films from the family friendly network. In the film, "When a snowstorm diverts Kate's first private flight to Christmas Island, she must team up with an air traffic controller to secure her dream job as the family's pilot." The ensemble cast includes Rachel Skarsten, Andrew W. Walker, Kate Drummond, and Jefferson Brown. But what did the critics say?

        Gissane Sophia of Marvelous Geeks Media notes, "In order to fully invest in and enjoy Hallmark’s Christmas Island, viewers must first suspend disbelief and omit asking questions. The logistics here don’t matter. Yes, it’s all conveniently working out in favor of this couple because it’s a Christmas movie, and that’s how it needs to happen. In some cases, Hallmark movies try mapping more out, but here it just feels like they gave all the chemistry to the actors and told them to go running. (We can maybe blame the strikes. Maybe. I’m not sure.) That said, Christmas Island is indeed one of the year’s better films so far." Adding, "The film takes a charming turn halfway through when Oliver proves to be peak boyfriend material and switches his snark for kindness, resulting in a lovely little date and moments of vulnerability with so much heart that only Andrew Walker could pull it off at this point. The chemistry starts to sizzle into something delightfully dorky, making it easy for viewers to find themselves grinning from ear to ear despite how saccharine everything gets."

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

       Maddy Casale of Decider says, "While I think Rachel Skarsten did a great job bringing genuine emotion and charm to her lead role as Kate Gabriel, for me, the scene stealer was ultimately Lincoln MacNeil as Finn Sharpe. Every time he was onscreen, he did something or had some sassy little quip that made me laugh and felt so natural I almost wondered if it was ad-libbed. One of my favorite scenes from the whole movie is just a brief shot of him through a window where he’s in front of what appears to be a green screen background trying to catch fake snow on his tongue. He’s just so committed to the task, how could anyone not be delighted?" Continuing, "STREAM IT. While you can expect a certain amount of cheesiness with any Hallmark movie, Christmas Island has enough charm and original touches to make for an entertaining viewing experience this holiday season."

'Uzumaki' Reviews: "Adult Swim's Uzumaki does the impossible in creating a worthy anime for one of Junji Ito's scariest stories"

         On September 29, 2024, Cartoon Network premiered 'Uzumaki', which has earned rave reviews, currently holding at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the animated series, "Hair twisting, bodies intertwining, spirals are developing all over the town." The ensemble cast includes Shin'ichirô Miki, Uki Satake, Mariya Ise, Mika Doi, Toshio Furukawa, and Takashi Matsuyama. But what did the critics say?

        Mat Jones of IGN Movies says, "Adult Swim’s adaptation of Junji Ito’s 1998 manga Uzumaki was worth the wait, which is probably a massive shock if you’re familiar with other attempts to put his stories into motion. Despite taking a winding path to release and emerging in a world that’s much more warped than when it began production, the anime shows a clear understanding of what makes its source material work while making necessary, perhaps rushed, alterations for the pacing of television. Fortunately, it still retains most of its twisted spirit." Adding, "Uzumaki is widely thought of as the mangaka's most important work (though it's the chilling short story The Enigma of Amigara Fault for me), a unique read that’s gruesome and tense and yet balanced with pockets of camp silliness. It’s a work that includes sickening deformations of bodies, and, inexplicably, a chapter about how sometimes your new haircut can be a little too sexy. The animated series it inspired centers on two teenagers who begin to notice strange events in their hometown of Kurouzu-cho, with Shuichi Saito especially worried about his father’s growing obsession with spirals; any lines that swoop around on themselves, wherever they’re found, gain his utmost focus and attention. The manga tackles each new weird discovery in town one by one, while the Adult Swim version threads a few of the plot lines from all over in this first episode, adapting some of the early chapters almost entirely and introducing plot points from further down the timeline. Though none of the material feels out of place, this episode is certainly trying to do too much at once. In just 22 minutes there are four separate plots, where three of them could probably make great episodes if given time on their own, and one could probably have found more breathing room further down the line. (There’s also an argument to be made that changing the chronology of some events makes for a slight plot-discrepancy, but that’s one for the video essayists.)"

       Evan Valentine of ComicBook.com notes, "Adult Swim's Uzumaki does the impossible in creating a worthy anime for one of Junji Ito's scariest stories." Continuing, "Uzumaki's plot is a strong one, in terms of Junji Ito's overall horror library. Often, the series is considered one of the horror artist's greatest works, and for good reason. While it does have its two main characters in Shuichi and Kirie, it will often branch out from them and tell the stories of handfuls of characters unfortunate enough to be cursed in rather unique ways. This works in a way to create an anthology-style tale that is also cohesive in its overall plot. Shuichi, for example, is dragged into a specific curse thanks to his father's obsession with spirals, as the young boy even explains to his girlfriend how ridiculous it sounds on the surface, while documenting how terrifying it is to see it with his own eyes. That's Ito's work in a nutshell; concepts that, on paper, sound hilarious but put into practice, make for the stuff of nightmares."

Photo by Ajeet Mestry on Unsplash

        Elijah Gonzalez of Paste Magazine says, "Through sometimes wacky and always unsettling sights, we’re sucked into the swirling, hypnotic pull of what feels like a collective delusion. If the series can maintain its presentation and momentum, it has the makings of an anime horror classic." Concluding, And, of course, one of the most striking elements here is the enigma around its central spiral symbol, which continues to suck unwitting souls into its thrall. Working in the realm of “messed-up little town” fiction, these events inspire a mixture of curiosity and suffocation, not only getting across compulsive phobias and gruesome sights, but also a coiling fear of the unknown. Why does this symbol do this to people, and is any of this happening for a reason? This premiere conveys a sense of slow-build calamity around spirals that seems all but inescapable, and at one point, Shuichi asks Kirie why they don’t just get up and leave this cursed place behind. But for a reason that’s hard to explain, that doesn’t seem like an option (beyond the fact there wouldn’t be much of a story if they did), and it’s as if they’re caught up in an invisible vortex. Like many, it seems they’ll never escape the orbit of this town they were born in, and perhaps that’s the scariest detail of all. All that said, perhaps my biggest worry at this point is that, while the manga isn’t very long, adapting all of it into four short, 30-minute episodes may be difficult, especially because this premiere only covered three of 19 chapters. Related to this, there was already a touch of awkward pacing with how they spliced together the plotlines from the first two chapters and the third, so that will be something to keep an eye on. Additionally, while the series looks great so far, its detail-intensive approach could be quite difficult to maintain for the full run, something I’m wary of since it’s common for anime premieres to look noticeably better than what follows."

'Social Studies' Reviews: "Whether your takeaway is repulsion or affection or newfound understanding or the desire to seek out an Instagram-free existence in the wilderness, Social Studies will stick with you"

         On September 27, 2024, FX premiered 'Social Studies', which has earned predominantly positive reviews from critics. "Filmed in Los Angeles over a school year, "Social Studies" is an ambitious social experiment that features a diverse group of LA teenagers. The series follows these adolescents as they open up their lives and phones to offer an intimate glimpse into how social media is reshaping childhood. From battling bullying to grappling with beauty standards and other issues, their compelling and relatable experiences go on a raw, visceral and urgent journey through the challenges of growing up in the digital era." But what did the critics say?

       Aramide Tinubu of Variety notes, "Social media feels like it has always been here. From Instagram to TikTok, many of us spend a portion of our day mindlessly — or intentionally — scrolling through these platforms. But it wasn’t always like this. Facebook started just 20 years ago, and most millennials (and older people) can pinpoint the moment they first made their accounts. But Gen Z and the generations after have very different perspectives. In her new FX series, “Social Studies,” documentarian Lauren Greenfield examines social media’s harrowing and horrifying effects on a group of Los Angeles teenagers who have never known a world without it. Engrossing and troubling, the docuseries presents a time capsule of today while allowing the teens to speak for themselves."

Photo by Oscar Nord on Unsplash

       Daniel Fienberg of Hollywood Reporter says, "Whether your takeaway is repulsion or affection or newfound understanding or the desire to seek out an Instagram-free existence in the wilderness, Social Studies will stick with you." Adding, "Early in the premiere, Greenfield mentions that the production has a therapist on-call if anything proves to be “activating” for the kids, but the therapist is never mentioned again. The subjects appear to be more comfortable discussing their deepest, darkest secrets — what secrets they still have — with their peers in organized discussions, in libraries, classrooms and bleachers. The conversations, which cover everything from the disorienting experience of “going viral” to the insidious creep of cyberbullying to the unavoidable prevalence of, well, insidious creeps, deliver many of Social Studies‘ most potent moments. In bold relief, they capture the difference between the unexpected loneliness of virtual communities and the catharsis possible through real-world interaction."

       Nick Schager of The Daily Beast writes, "Of course, a lot of these problems existed before everyone had a “Finsta.” Yet Social Studies’ perceptive portrait illustrates how much they’ve intensified courtesy of these services. The desire for attention and acceptance compels many (such as 15-year-old Jordan and University of Arizona freshman Sydney) to post sexually explicit pics for their followers, and a handful confess that they’ve been asked to (and, in some cases, have) sent nudes to those requesting them. For others, social media affords a platform for entrepreneurial advancement, as with TikTok star-turned-party host Jack and DJ and aspiring musician Keyshawn, the latter of whom is soon juggling work and fun with fatherhood. For 16-year-old Bella, meanwhile, social media became a battlefield, thanks to a former friend who waged a nasty campaign against her after Bella kissed her boyfriend."

Second Season of 'Gyeongseong Creature' Suffers from Sophomore Slump

         On September 27, 2024, the second season of 'Gyeongseong Creature' was released by Netflix to predominantly negative reviews. In the series, "a young man and woman struggle for survival while fighting monsters born out of human greed." The ensemble cast includes Han So-hee, Park Seo-joon, Wi Ha-joon, Kim Hae-sook, Claudia Kim, and Jo Han-chul. Read the full review round-up below.

        Jonathon Wilson of Ready Steady Cut notes, "I think we can all admit now that Gyeongseong Creature was a weird show. It aired needlessly in two parts separated by two weeks and spliced a creature feature with a period drama, trying to imbue mindless – but expensive-looking – CGI monster action with poignant metaphors about historical injustices. It was intermittently successful; Part 1 was longwinded but decent, and Part 2 was tighter but nuttier." Adding, "Han So-hee and Park Seo-joon are both back for Gyeongseong Creature 2. In Season 1 the former played Yoon Chae-ok, who discovered with the help of a pawnbroker named Tae-sang (Park) that her mother had been turned into a Lovecraftian tentacle monster by the Japanese Army with the help of a parasite called Najin. After swallowing the Najin herself, Chae-ok has survived through the ages right into Season 2, where she still hunts down the missing, albeit under the new alias, “Silverbill”. Tae-sang has had a slightly different path. Park is now playing Jang Ho-jae, who is ostensibly a new character, but his convenient amnesia and the fact he not only looks exactly like Tae-sang but works out of the same old-fashioned building that used to house the pawn shop, makes one wonder why this plot point is even treated as a mystery at all."

        Pierce Conran of South China Morning Post says, "After battling a dangerous monster engineered by the Japanese army at the tail end of World War II, Han So-hee and Park Seo-joon return eight decades later to duel with a panoply of new villains in the second season of Netflix’s big-budget, low-logic series Gyeongseong Creature." Continuing, "Park this time plays Jang Ho-jae, a wily young man who works as a private investigator. Ho-jae is the spitting image of Tae-sang and is working in the same building that served as Tae-sang’s pawn shop, the old-fashioned design of which now sticks out in modern-day Seoul. Owing to an accident he was involved in a year earlier, Ho-jae has no memories of who he was before that time. The trouble is, before we are even introduced to Ho-jae, we witness this “accident”, which involves him superpowered and engaged in a nighttime CGI battle with dozens of black-hooded assailants on a bridge. The show makes almost no effort to hide the fact that Ho-jae is actually Tae-sang, who also ingested a nanjin monster bug back in the 1940s. So much for mystery."

Photo by Oscar Nord on Unsplash

        Ayushi Agrawal of Pinkvilla writes, "Lee Moo Saeng’s character has been heavily underused in the story, not giving enough time for the development or understanding of his purpose. Despite his strong presence in the progress of the show, he remains a side character. Gyeongseong Creature season 2, much like many other mysteries, does not make sense when compared to real-life occurrences— when you think about how a murder victim’s phone is not tracked by the police despite its usage multiple times after the incident. It definitely adds to the fantasy element of the story. The dialogues have not improved much, with Han So Hee slipping in and out of old Korean and new Seoul-ized Korean, sounding odd at times. As for Park Seo Joon, if not for his patchy makeup in episodes 1 and 2, it would’ve been a perfect portrayal of the popular actor."

'Salem's Lot' Reviews: Stephen King Adaptation "should leave fans of vampire tales with enough to feel satisfied when the credits roll"

Photo Courtesy of New Line Cinema/Max

         On October 3, 2024, Max premiered 'Salem's Lot', which is based upon the iconic Stephen King novel of the same name that famously received the big screen treatment. In this newest adaptation, "Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire." With a score of 56% on Rotten Tomatoes currently, the film has received a mixed reception from critics. The ensemble cast includes Lewis Pullman, Alfre Woodard, Makenzie Leigh, John Benjamin Hickey, and Bill Camp. Read the full review round-up below.

        Alexander Harrison of Screen Rant says, "At this moment, it's hard to disconnect the new Salem's Lot from its nearly two-year release delay, during which many feared the film would never, ahem, see the light of day. That's an unfortunate situation. On the one hand, it clearly didn't deserve to sit on the shelf for so long, caught up in the leadership change at Warner Bros. On the other, it doesn't quite live up to the expectations that inevitably built as Stephen King pressured the studio to release it." Adding, "I hope, with time, it can exist on its own terms. But my viewing experience was shaped by this context, which seemed to make the movie's virtues and failings equally glaring. I can't speak to how well it adapts its source material; I've never read King's original book, nor have I seen either of the two miniseries versions. I can only say I found the script inconsistently effective, balanced out by an often strong sense for horror image-making that should leave fans of vampire tales with enough to feel satisfied when the credits roll."

        Bill Bria of Discussing Film notes, "Salem's Lot (2024) is far better than some Stephen King fans might be expecting thanks to how much fun it has with the source material." Continuing, "Tobe Hooper’s Salem’s Lot is generally regarded as the definitive screen version of the novel, given how its length allows for the majority of the book’s characters, subplots, and scenes to appear, as well as capturing Stephen King’s palpable sense of dread. This new feature film adaptation of Salem’s Lot, written and directed by Gary Dauberman (best known for his work on the Annabelle trilogy and Andy Muschietti’s It duology), cannot hope to contain as much material as either the ’79 or 2004 miniseries. Dauberman, however, doesn’t try to compete with the eerie, unsettling tone of Hooper’s version. What the filmmaker does do is make King’s story into the best kind of B-horror flick: a fun, spooky, engaging romp that has just enough of a heart and a brain to not be trashy."

       Emmanuel Noisette of The Movie Blog writes, "Salem’s Lot is a thrilling and entertaining ride that will satisfy horror fans, but with a slightly lighter touch than other horror films." Continuing, "From the get-go, one thing I really appreciated was how quickly the characters understand the seriousness of their situation. There’s no dragging things out or wasting time. By the end of the first act, you’re already neck-deep in the action, and it only gets more intense from there. By the time we hit the third act, the stakes are sky-high, and no one feels safe. When characters start meeting their ends, it’s genuinely shocking and not predictable in the least. The cast does a solid job, with Lewis Pullman delivering a strong performance, especially in his scenes with Makenzie Leigh. But for me, Jordan Preston Carter stole the show. As a young kid caught in a terrifying situation, his authenticity shines through. He steps up when needed but still maintains that childlike vulnerability, which makes his moments hit harder."

       Robert Taylor of Collider praises the film, stating, "There's nothing about the new feature-film adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot that feels particularly fresh or novel — unless you count the fact that it has no interest in being anything other than an earnest, old-fashioned spookfest. That's going to be music to some horror fan's ears, but it might also explain why Warner Bros. chose to sit on this film for two full years, finally deciding to release it directly to Max (following a premiere at Beyond Fest). Sturdy and workmanlike without ever being exceptional, Salem's Lot doesn't feel like it would have been a surefire bet for movie theaters and suggests the possibility that maybe it's actually fine for some movies to head straight to streaming." Adding, "There are a few other small details to push Salem's Lot over the hump and make it a solid spooky-season watch. I like the way the crosses glow a bright white whenever they're utilized as a weapon, blasting the vampires backward like they'd just been hit with a shotgun blast. Salem's Lot has always been about the death of the small, American town, and enough of that metaphor makes it into this version. It's going to be tough for anyone to argue that this is the best version of this particular story, and the vampire tropes the movie so seriously deploys — crosses, holy water, etc. — are so long in the tooth (see what I did there?) that it definitely runs the risk of coming across as corny. (Vampire myths have been deconstructed, reconstructed, turned YA, and everything in between since King's book was published.) Yet Dauberman's film is competent enough that I think it will manage to find an audience who's into an overly traditional take on vampire lore, as well as win over King fans who have been onboard with this tale, in all its incarnations, since day one."