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juushikaLeviathan, film, 1989, dir. George P. Cosmatos
Borrows from The Thing but brings nothing new; another sealed environment claustrophobic monster film with creative but questionable effects, action-driven enough to be watchable but reiterative, predictable, and somewhat cheesy. Not recommended.
Supernatural, season 9, 2013-14
I thought that season 8 was a step forward, particularly on an interpersonal scale—it's surprisingly quiet and intimate. By that measure season 9 is a step sideways, somewhat disappointing because it fails to progress the series. It's a season built on lies and shoddy communication, which quickly grows stagnant; both major villains lack élan, which deadens the overarching plot. But the supporting cast shines: Castiel is routinely fantastic but Crowley steals the show—the queerbaiting grows tiresome but he's well-written, given increasing complexity without losing his defining aspects or his edge. Season 9 also has my favorite stand-alone episode of the series, "Alex Annie Alexis Ann." I love the premise and, in complete departure from series norm, it has strong female characters with a strong dynamic, and they don't get fridged.
The Mentalist, season 1-6, 2008-2014
Never great but frequently adequate. Nothing here is ever as effective as it wants to be—the primary partner dynamic lacks heart, the major antagonist relies on manpain/fridging and gets worn paper-thin. But there are sparks of life, particularly in Jane (despite himself, truly endearing) and in Cho. The show would be significantly better if it were less a slave to its format, which relies on stylistic suck to create unwieldy, overlarge, repetitive denouements. But it's a functional procedural and it does just enough right to stay in good graces. (Castle is better, though.)
The Innkeepers, film, 2001, dir. Ti West
The tone is all over the place, and the wealth of humor and cat scares in the first half means no suspension of disbelief for the horror in the second half. There's some great atmosphere and good acting, but it's wasted. Not recommended.
Borrows from The Thing but brings nothing new; another sealed environment claustrophobic monster film with creative but questionable effects, action-driven enough to be watchable but reiterative, predictable, and somewhat cheesy. Not recommended.
Supernatural, season 9, 2013-14
I thought that season 8 was a step forward, particularly on an interpersonal scale—it's surprisingly quiet and intimate. By that measure season 9 is a step sideways, somewhat disappointing because it fails to progress the series. It's a season built on lies and shoddy communication, which quickly grows stagnant; both major villains lack élan, which deadens the overarching plot. But the supporting cast shines: Castiel is routinely fantastic but Crowley steals the show—the queerbaiting grows tiresome but he's well-written, given increasing complexity without losing his defining aspects or his edge. Season 9 also has my favorite stand-alone episode of the series, "Alex Annie Alexis Ann." I love the premise and, in complete departure from series norm, it has strong female characters with a strong dynamic, and they don't get fridged.
The Mentalist, season 1-6, 2008-2014
Never great but frequently adequate. Nothing here is ever as effective as it wants to be—the primary partner dynamic lacks heart, the major antagonist relies on manpain/fridging and gets worn paper-thin. But there are sparks of life, particularly in Jane (despite himself, truly endearing) and in Cho. The show would be significantly better if it were less a slave to its format, which relies on stylistic suck to create unwieldy, overlarge, repetitive denouements. But it's a functional procedural and it does just enough right to stay in good graces. (Castle is better, though.)
The Innkeepers, film, 2001, dir. Ti West
The tone is all over the place, and the wealth of humor and cat scares in the first half means no suspension of disbelief for the horror in the second half. There's some great atmosphere and good acting, but it's wasted. Not recommended.
