Lovecraft Country: S1E5
Finally, Lovecraft Country brings the horror in “Strange Case.” Sure, there have been horrible moments, mostly tied to the horrors of racism, but this episode does a great job of fusing social themes and body-horror in a creepy and effective way.
The story so far…
The episode continues to build on the ongoing narrative concerning the lodges and the missing pages, but the real draw of the hour is Ruby’s body horror-driven identity story.
Ruby wakes up after her evening with William in the previous episode in the body of a white woman named Hillary and stumbles out into the streets of Chicago alarmed and confused and nearly getting a poor black kid murdered by the police. She’s picked up by a pair of cops who take her back to William who has laid out a tarp in a room, placing the contorting and visibly pained “Hillary” on the floor. He then proceeds to help Ruby escape that fleshy vessel in a gruesome manner and a report about African cicadas is read on the news.
Ruby is given a potion that allows her to slip into “Hillary” for a period of time, and the episode follows Ruby over a series of transformations. Ruby first begins to enjoy the freedom and protection of being a white woman; she gets access to a managerial position at the department store, she gets free ice cream. Things seem great, but “Hillary” also bears witness to how black people are treated in white circles. She also tries to “uplift” the only black employee of Marshall Field’s (the one who applied for the job Ruby originally wanted) but only proves to condescend and perpetuate the worst sort of impulses of the moderate white of the era. “Hillary” chastizes the only woman of color in the store to “be better.” She also forces this poor woman to take a group of white Marshall Field’s employees into her safe space, a bar, where the whites proceed to gawk and fetishize the black people in their space.
With each transformation, Ruby grows more and more disillusioned with the magical transformation and the Hillary identity, and finally breaks when she witnesses the man who hired “Hillary” attempt to assault the very employee she has been bullying. This sets the stage for revenge and a high heel brutally shoved up the ass of the boss (though we do not necessarily know much about what he had done behind a failed assault).
The wrinkle to this storyline, however, is that it is not merely Ruby who has been under such brutal transformations because Christina and William are finally revealed to be one and the same. “William” granted the magic as a favor, which is later called when he has Ruby pose as the help at one of the local lodges. It’s all very much a solid A-plot for the episode.
Montrose, having killed Yahima, is in a very dark place. He is brutally beat down by Tic and proceeds to lick his wounds in the comfort of his lover, Sammy, and diving into the underground queer community in the area. Montrose seems less about an emotional connection than a physical one early in the hour, refusing to kiss Sammy, but by the end, among the drag performers at the club and the celebration, finally kisses Sammy. However, could an acceptance of himself truly help Montrose with decades of trauma, his fractured relationship and betrayal of Tic, and his very recent murder of an intersex person?
Tic and Leti continue to develop their relationship, albeit with a couple of hurdles. They discover Montrose has sabotaged their plans. Tic is well aware of what Montrose has done, but Leti assumes Montrose merely let Yahima go. Tic’s violent attack of Montrose naturally alarms Leti who at one point checks on him while wielding a baseball bat. Not helping matters is Tic’s obsession with uncovering more magic by translating the text from the now-destroyed pages. Tic and Leti have sex later; Tic’s knuckles still raw and bleeding from his brutal beatdown of Montrose, and later still they have an intimate moment in Leti’s bathroom. Tic opens up about not knowing what love is but finding something like it in Korea with Ji-ah, who we’ve only heard over the phone.
Even so, after finding a little bit of love and mercy, Tic is still agonizing over magic, pouring over photos of the pages taken by Leti uncovers a message in the Language of Adam, something so alarming to him that he calls Ji-ah in Korea. She knows something about what is going on.
How it worked out…
Lovecraft Country delivers an outstanding episode that delivers genuine horror that smartly intersects with the larger themes the whole season has addressed. The performances are top-notch and anchoring the episode around Ruby’s experiences with transformation worked out incredibly well.
This might be the single goriest episode of the series yet, with flaps of flesh sluicing right off of bodies during transformations and it really feels the closest to effective Lovecraftian horror the show has gotten. H. P. Lovecraft wasn’t necessarily much of a body-horror writer, as in those themes didn’t exactly drive him, but the larger movement his work inspired has latched onto body-horror as a driving element, such as the recent adaptation Color Out of Space. Plus, it does make a kind of cosmic sense that our mere fleshy vessels are so easily slashed and scrapped as we are just meat in an indifferent universe. So while Lovecraft Country has not delivered the sort of cosmic awareness normally associated with Lovecraft’s prose, the body horror does feel like an appropriate well for the series, especially because it makes for such a nice metaphorical device for exploring identity.
What I appreciate most is that the episode, while horrifying, was also bleakly funny. Not funny as in laugh-out-loud, but more a recognition of the effective use of situational irony that ran through.
And look, this show still has issues. The William-Christina transformation scene creates some issues because there are moments in the show where the two identities are seen just mere moments apart. Let’s not even get into the fact that there are just strips of meat all over Chicago from the transformations, either. How are the racist cops not investigating the flayed remains of a white woman? Montrose’s rough sex (closer to rape) was uncomfortable given what he did to Yahima the night before. The show isn’t handling queer themes well enough. Themes of blackness the show does quite well. Everything else, well, is a coin-flip.
Lovecraft Country may have bounced back a bit with this week’s episode, one that deftly integrates horror and social themes in a delightfully gory package. I give Lovecraft Country‘s “Strange Case” four and a half Cthulhus.
(4.5 / 5)
Miskatonic Musings
So what are the other miscellaneous odds and ends to cover?
- I appreciate the gorgeous title cards presented with each episode but there’s no way in Hell I am going to make new title cards for these reviews week to week.
- Yes, that was Shangela from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
- The actress playing “Hillary” was the same actress who kept the dogs and Shoggoths in the first two episodes, Jamie Neumann.
- So, the police captain’s torso is apparently black and we didn’t even really get into that or the man in his office closet. I am sure we’ll learn more in the coming weeks.
- I appreciated Tic looking every bit the Lovecraftian scholar at the end of the episode; flop sweat, panicked eyes, piles of documents. It was very recognizable.
- The big literary reference this week? The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
- The monologue over the Hillary montage is “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When The Rainbow Is Enuf.”
- Some great songs, as usual, on the show. Tic and Leti’s love scene was set to “Return to Love” by Black Atlass. One of the first songs we here is Patience and Prudence’s take on “Tonight You Belong To Me.” My choice for the sound of the episode, though? Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow.”
What did you think about “Strange Case?” Do you think Lovecraft Country has bounced back, or do you think it’s been going strong since the first episode? Let us know in the comments.
Holy crow, folks! Buckle up, because we’re about to dive headfirst into the gloriously gooey world of “Street Trash” – the 2024 remake that’ll make you question your life choices and possibly your sanity. Trust me, this ain’t your grandma’s horror flick (unless your grandma’s into melting hobos and alien smurfs, in which case, I probably swiped right on that one and you’re out of milk.)
What’s the Deal with Street Trash?
Picture this: a bunch of homeless misfits discover a sinister plot to wipe out every street dweller in the city. Cue the chaos, the melting, and enough WTF moments to make your brain leak out of your ears. It’s like if “They Live” and Cheech’s “Born in East LA” had a love child, and that child was raised by a family of radioactive dumpsters.
Yes, even the damn credits are worth watching. Marvel, eat your heart out. – Jim Phoenix, HauntedMTL
From the Twisted Mind Behind Fried Barry
Remember “Fried Barry”? That mind-bending trip from 2020 that left you questioning reality? Well, the same madman is back, and he’s cranked the insanity up to eleven. If you thought “Fried Barry” was a wild ride, “Street Trash” is like strapping yourself to a rocket made of hallucinogens and blasting off into a dimension of pure, unadulterated chaos.
![Fried Barry [Blu-ray]](https://hauntedmtl.com/wp-content/plugins/aawp/public/image.php?url=YUhSMGNITTZMeTl0TG0xbFpHbGhMV0Z0WVhwdmJpNWpiMjB2YVcxaFoyVnpMMGt2TlRGUlNrMXhTa2wyVGt3dVgxTk1NVFl3WHk1cWNHYz18MTczNjU0NTc5OA=)
- Fried Barry [Blu-ray]
- Product Type: PHYSICAL_MOVIE
- Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Last update on 2025-01-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Body Horror That’ll Make You Hurl (In a Good Way)
Let’s talk gore, baby! This flick kicks off with some of the most stomach-churning body horror I’ve seen in years. We’re talking face-melting, blood-spewing, organs-on-the-outside kind of nastiness. It’s so gross, it loops back around to beautiful. You’ll be disgusted, amazed, and possibly a little turned on (no judgment here, folks).
Not Just Gore – There’s Heart (and Other Organs) Too
But wait, there’s more! “Street Trash” isn’t just about turning people into human slushies. It’s got heart, humor, and even some genuinely touching moments. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wonder why that blue alien demon thing is so damn adorable. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, if rollercoasters were made of meat and powered by existential dread.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Szewczyk, Jo (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Last update on 2025-01-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Visuals: A Trippy 80s Fever Dream
Visually, this movie is like someone took the 1980s, stuffed it into a blender with a bunch of neon paint and psychedelic mushrooms, and hit “puree.” The colors pop, the effects are mind-blowing, and every frame is a work of demented art. It’s the kind of movie that makes you want to lick the screen (please don’t, though – trust me on this one).
Why You Need to Watch This Cinematic Acid Trip
It’s batshit crazy: In the best possible way. Every time you think it can’t get weirder, it does.
- The effects are insane: Practical effects that’ll make you go “How the fuck did they do that?”
- It’s got layers, man: Like an onion, but if that onion was sentient and trying to kill you.
- The blue alien thing: Seriously, it’s like if the Smurfs went on a bender and decided to star in a horror movie.
- The credits: Yes, even the damn credits are worth watching. Marvel, eat your heart out.
Final Verdict: Five Out of Five Motherfucking Fives
Look, I don’t throw around perfect scores like confetti at a serial killer’s birthday party. But “Street Trash” deserves every single one of those fives. It’s the best way to close out 2024’s cinematic offerings, a tour de force of weirdness that’ll stick with you long after the credits roll (which, again, you need to watch).
(5 / 5)
So, do yourself a favor: grab some popcorn (and maybe a barf bag), turn off your brain, and let “Street Trash” melt your face off. It’s a ride you won’t forget – no matter how hard you might try.
Remember, kids: Stay in school, don’t do drugs, and for the love of all that’s holy, watch “Street Trash.” Your eyeballs will thank you (right before they try to escape your skull).
So I can’t believe that no one has reviewed Little Shop of Horrors the Broadway musical here on Haunted MTL. We have seen the old 1960 Roger Corman version in a Joe Bob Briggs special here, but not the Broadway smash hit and movie. This surprises me given its cheeky sense of humor and quirky colorful but dark themes. I personally love this musical, but then again I’m probably biased seeing as how I’m a Disney Renaissance kid, and Howard Ashman was influential in that movement as well. And the movie version is directed by Frank Oz, so you know the puppetry is top notch.
Spoiler alert: I hate revealing too much in my reviews but I will touch on some topics that reveal themes from within. So if you somehow managed to completely miss this under whatever rock you’ve been hiding since 1982, I’d recommend watching it. Right now. What are you waiting for, like seriously? Here’s a link to Amazon Prime even. Feel free to come back afterwards and read the rest of this review. And you’re welcome.
Little Shop of Horrors focuses on a flesh-eating plant. Whether it came from outer space or is a weird hybrid of some kind of souped up Venus flytrap is actually not that relevant. Hell, it could be a Burp special, as featured here previously. The plant’s origin story doesn’t actually matter all that much. What’s important is that it convinces protagonist Seymour to care for it, which starts off a little more innocently and ends in a killing spree that claims even the lives of both Seymour and his beloved Audrey by the end. Because it’s a hungry plant and it needs blood and fresh meat.
As you already know, my father was a dentist. So reactions to Orin Scrivello DDS could go either way. But in the movie version Steve Martin does an excellent job portraying the sadist, and you can’t help but kind of love him for it (especially in the scene with Bill Murray as the masochist patient) for all that you’ll still cheer a little when he gets fed to the carnivorous flesh-eating plant. The Broadway death by laughing gas is his just desserts and well portrayed, and just one of the beautiful dark comedy blossoms within this musical foray into inappropriate humor that ranges into such taboo topics as unintended suicide, relationship abuse, and socioeconomic disparity.
Anyway, I give the musical and movie 4.0 Cthulhus.
(4 / 5)
The main reason I wanted to review this was actually because the Smoky Valley Theater high school recently presented Little Shop of Horrors in Lindsborg, Kansas in November 2024, and I wanted to give them a shoutout. The actors and actresses did a fabulous job with it. I especially liked that they further explored the Audrey II character of the plant by casting it as an actual actress, saving on large-scale puppeteering and bringing new life to the musical. This worked much better than I had anticipated when I’d heard of the change, with superb adaptive costuming that evolved over time. I would kill for that flytrap cape complete with its red and emerald satin and toothy accent trim. Maybe at the next solar eclipse…
Episode four of Dexter Original Sin was an interesting one. It was equal parts funny and upsetting.
It also brought up an issue I’ve always had with Dexter.
Let’s discuss.
The story
Our story doesn’t waste any time, starting with the kidnapped boy, Jimmy Powell, hanging dead from a bridge.
This crime scene turns out to be a little too much even for Dexter. So, he decides to go hunting. He discovers a killer for hire called Mad Dog. And let me save you the Google. Yes, that is Joe Pantoliano who played Cypher in The Matrix.
So desperate to feel better, Dexter maybe rushes things a little bit. Which, it should surprise no one, leads to a hilarious and disastrous result.
What worked
There has always been a part of the later seasons of Dexter that bothered me. Spoilers ahead.
When Deb learns about Dexter’s Dark Passenger, she goes right off the deep end. This includes, among other things, heroin use. Which always seemed out of character for me. Now, finding out she was experimenting with drugs as a teen, that makes more sense. While I won’t say this is as good as Deep Space 9 retconning the infamous stage hand incident in Troubles with Tribbles, it was nice.
![Dexter: The Complete Series Collection [Blu-ray]](https://hauntedmtl.com/wp-content/plugins/aawp/public/image.php?url=YUhSMGNITTZMeTl0TG0xbFpHbGhMV0Z0WVhwdmJpNWpiMjB2YVcxaFoyVnpMMGt2TkRGT1UwNHpSaTFHYmt3dVgxTk1NVFl3WHk1cWNHYz18MTczNjU0NTc5OA=)
- Factory sealed DVD
- Michael C. Hall (Actor)
- English, French, Italian (Subtitles)
Last update on 2025-01-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
I also really enjoyed Joe Pantoliano’s character, Mad Dog. He was funny in just the right way. Not slapstick. Not over the top, because that never would have fit here. But he’s animated and joyful in a way that no other character is. He’s clearly got his priorities right, as we can see when he begs Dex not to smash his guitar. He was just so fun. And this episode needed this levity since the rest of it was so heavy.
As we discussed, this episode started with a poor dead boy. This caused both Dexter and Harry to completely ignore Deb. Furious, she shouts what must have been the best and most emotionally devastating line in the series so far.
“How am I supposed to compete with a dead kid?”
Now the question I’m left with, the question that I’m sure the writers intended to leave us with, is this. Does she mean the dead boy her dad’s investigating? Or does she mean her dead brother?
Does she know she has a dead brother?
I felt like these two elements, the levity brought by Mad Dog and the heavy death of the little boy worked really well together. It keeps the story balanced, keeps it from being too much.
What didn’t work
While this episode cleared up something about Deb for me, it also brought to light something I’ve never appreciated about the character Dexter.
He’s not a sociopath.
A sociopath is a person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior and a lack of conscience. They would not, generally, have a different response to a child being killed than an adult. But Dexter has always had that issue.
It makes him a better person, but it shows a misunderstanding of the character in the books. And, frankly, a misunderstanding of the condition.
I also need to complain about the melon scene. Normally, everyone knows the point of smashing a melon in forensics. Whether accurate to the real world or not, melons are used to show what might happen if someone’s skull is crushed. The point is to see the difference in different heights, and where the blood splatter might go.
If one is going to spray blood where they want it to be or put a little metal plate on one melon so that it doesn’t break naturally, then it defeats the whole purpose of dropping them.
Now, some of you might think this was the point of the scene. Dexter is very new at this. Maybe he was doing it wrong, showing a lack of understanding of the process. I have two issues with this. One, Dexter is pre-med, he should have known better. And two, Masuka is not new. And he was standing right there the whole time. Why didn’t he say something? This was just a clumsy and confusing scene in an episode that was otherwise well done.
All in all, this was another good episode. I loved the blend of funny and heartbreaking. I loved the special guest star. And I loved the cliffhanger ending. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
(4 / 5)
