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If you’re going into this episode of Netflix’s Witcher with an expectation of great battles, spectacular monsters and a shocking plot reveal that will leave you counting the minutes until July 27th then I’m sad to say you’re going to be disappointed. 

What we got instead was a catty party full of unlikable and irritating people, all lying to each other and trying to gain the upper hand. 

And these are supposed to be our heroes? 

But I’m getting ahead of myself. 

Henry Cavill and Cassie Clare in Witcher.

The Story

We begin the episode with Geralt and Yennefer walking into the ball before the Conclave. They flutter around, having conversations with all of the big players of the season so far. Then, they retire to their bedchambers.

Allow me now to sum up each of these conversations. “You cannot trust anyone in this room. Trust me!”

Ah, but wait! When it looks like we’ve reached the end of the night, we go back to the beginning again. We again see Geralt and Yennefer go into the ballroom and are treated to another round of repetitive conversations with people who are too full of themselves in dark corners. But this time Geralt creates a diversion by getting into a fist fight with Istredd. As though anyone thought for a moment that was real.

But wait! We have to go back a third time and start the party all over again. Because it turns out there were yet more conversations we missed, with no one saying anything very interesting. At least this time Stregobor’s arrested for kidnapping the missing novices, so that was something interesting.

But wait! All is not, as the song says, as it seems. And as Geralt and Yennefer think back through their conversations, they realize that Stregobor isn’t the one behind the novices disappearing after all. 

Shocking. 

What works

Here’s the one and only thing that I think was done well in this episode. Ciri wasn’t in it at all.

This isn’t to say that the character is so irritating that her absence was the only thing to like about the episode. Ciri’s a fine character. The season has been at its best when it focuses on her, Yennefer and Geralt. 

But this episode left me with just one question that couldn’t be answered by a genre-savvy twelve-year-old. 

Where is Ciri, and why didn’t we hear from her all night? 

To be clear, if it turns out that we didn’t hear from her because there was nothing to tell, I’m going to feel cheated. If she spent all night playing cards with Jaskier, instead of being kidnapped, I feel like that was a missed opportunity on the writer’s part. 

Anya Chalotra in Witcher.

What didn’t work

Nothing else in this episode worked for me. I hated the repetition. I see what they were trying to do, adding layer after layer to the story. Showing us parts of conversations that we missed before. But in the end, it’s still just conversations. It’s still just unlikable people standing around talking, trying to score points off each other. 

Then, there is the bloody song that keeps playing in the background. It’s a repetitive song to start with, so having to hear it over and over didn’t help. And frankly, it was insulting. Did we need someone singing in the background that all is not as it seems? Frankly, the twists and revelations in this episode were about as surprising as a politician at a strip club.

I especially hated the fight between Geralt and Istredd. I know it was supposed to be a distraction, playing to the low attention span of the people at this party, but it was just gross. 

And keep in mind, we are supposed to like the kings of the North. At least some of them. We’re supposed to want them and the mages to win against Nilfgaard. But I don’t like any of these people. I have yet to be presented with a compelling reason why Nilfgaard shouldn’t wipe them off the face of the Earth. And I sure as hell don’t see why Geralt and Yennefer don’t just take Ciri and walk away. 

Because at this point, I’m just ready to walk away from the whole series. 

The last three episodes of the season will be released on July 27th. I honestly can’t say that I’ll be looking forward to them. 

(What you should be looking forward to is the second season of AA, our original dark scifi podcast, coming August 15th. You can listen to season one right now.)

2 out of 5 stars (2 / 5)

Movies n TV

Perfect Reboot of The Franchise: Halloween H20 (1997) Review

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Oh, the 90s, the renaissance of the slasher genre after it crashed and burned in the mid-80s. Halloween H20 is the seventh installment in the Halloween franchise. It hits a reset button on the canon, which utilizes the strong points of the decade. Without any further ado, let’s dive in! 

Plot

We start with seemingly random characters as they die at the hands of Michael Myers, who is back for vengeance. He wants to find Laurie and is not willing to let anyone else stand in his way. Here is where the franchise diverges into a different canon that ignores all the movies after the second one.

After a wonderful tribute to the late Donald Pleasance we see Laurie. She is now a headmistress at a boarding school in California, with a new name and a son. Laurie appears functioning on the outside, but she is still traumatized by the past events, medicating both with prescription meds and alcohol. Not even her love interest (a fellow teacher) knows anything about her past. 

Her son John doesn’t understand the severity of what his mother has been through. He repeatedly tells her to get over it (not the brightest moment despite him being a teenage boy). More teenage characters are introduced in the form of his girlfriend played by Michelle Williams in her Dawson’s Creek prime, and two friends. 

John and the group want to stay at the empty boarding school while everyone else goes on a camping trip. What they think will be a romantic couples’ weekend turns into anything but. Michael catches up to Laurie and finds his way into the premises. What ensues is a blood-shed with some creative kills and full-on suspense.

Laurie takes a stand against Michael as she chases him down axe in hand, ready to finish this once and for all. This leads to a showdown with a glorious finale as Laurie decapitates Michael, seemingly ending his reign for good (or so we think). 

Overall thoughts

Halloween H20 is a great overhaul of a franchise that was running out of steam. It encapsulates everything about the 90s, from the camera work to the soundtrack to the cheesy one-liners. It has a star-studded cast of the sweethearts of the decade and who could be mad at Jamie Lee Curtis’s comeback? 

This movie takes an interesting approach to Laurie’s character. She spends the second movie kind of helpless waiting for someone to save her, however this time she takes the lead and faces her trauma head-on. Other characters have just enough development to make you care for their survival. The atmosphere is very reminiscent of the first one as well, with a bit of a slow burn before the big finish. 

Ultimately, this is the most entertaining instalment of the franchise and has a lot of rewatchability for those movie nights. Slasher 2.0 at its best. 

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H20: Halloween: Twenty Years Later (Dimension Collector’s Series)
  • Jamie Lee Curtis, Josh Hartnett, Adam Arkin (Actors)
  • Steve Miner (Director) – Debra Hill (Writer) – Bob Weinstein (Producer)
  • English (Subtitle)

Last update on 2025-01-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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Luiso Berdejo’s Feature-Length Debut, or The New Daughter

The New Daughter (2009) is a PG-13 horror film & Luiso Berdejo’s feature-length debut based on John Connolly’s short story of the same name.

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The New Daughter (2009) is a PG-13 horror film and Luiso Berdejo’s feature-length debut. The film is based on John Connolly’s short story of the same name. The New Daughter stars Kevin Costner, Ivana Baquero, Samantha Mathis, and Gattlin Griffith. As of this review, the film is available on VUDU Free, The CW, Hoopla, Tubi TV, Freevee, and Plex, with additional purchase options.

John James (Kevin Costner) moves his children to a rural South Carolina town to start anew after his wife leaves him. Louisa James (Ivana Baquero) can’t stand this change, and Sam James (Gattlin Griffith) doesn’t understand why his mother isn’t with them. But after finding a burial mound, their attitudes suddenly switch. As John uncovers more of their new home’s history, he realizes there’s much to fear.

A man stares outside, half covered in darkness. He hold a shotgun, ready for something.
Kevin Costner as John James

What I Like About Luiso Berdejo’s Feature-Length Debut

Despite its 2009 release date, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films nominated it for the Saturn Awards’ Best DVD Release in 2011. As Luiso Berdejo’s feature-length debut, the film manages to hold an audience with a tight script and direction.

The acting sells this ominous mystery, which might otherwise become obscure amongst others in the genre. In particular, Kevin Costner’s John James and Ivana Baquero’s Louisa James center The New Daughter around their characters’ strained father-daughter relationship.

Ultimately, The New Daughter thrives in its atmosphere and execution. If we take the film plot point by plot point, The New Daughter doesn’t break the mold. Between Luiso Berdejo’s direction and the writing of John Travis and John Connolly, however, the film executes this uncomfortable tension that invests viewers.

The New Daughter
  • English (Subtitle)

Last update on 2025-01-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

It’s in The New Daughter‘s execution where it haunts its audience. There’s this uncomfortable powerlessness as John attempts to protect his family against the horrors in the mound and its corrupting influence.

The ending might seem uncommitted, but I would disagree. The film executes a balance between hope and horror that leads to ambiguity but doesn’t leave the audience dissatisfied. A bolder film might conclude with an unhappy ending, but The New Daughter gives a sliver of hope in its dark ending.

White background, rubber stamp with disclaimer pressed against the white background.
Disclaimer Kimberley Web Design

Tired Tropes and Triggers

A cat dies in the film. The act isn’t shown, but I understand this can be a dealbreaker. In loose connection, there are also animal carcasses.

There’s a loose and underdeveloped connection to Native American mythology, following along the idea of “Indian (Native Americans) burial grounds.” While this initial thought proves inaccurate, it still holds familiar plot points that might irk some.

There are some strange decisions revolving around Louisa. Needless to say, a part of the plot revolves around her beginning puberty. While nothing is explicit, the creatures require a mate, which suggests sexual assault.

The New Daughter written below. Behind is a poorly lit house with a girl standing to the left hand side. In front, a man stands looking away from her.
The New Daughter Alt Cover

What I Dislike about Luiso Berdejo’s Feature-Length Debut

The aesthetic of the burial mound doesn’t seem particularly noteworthy. This becomes a problem when it looks like any hill in a forest. I don’t particularly see how the James family recognizes this as something strange and worth fixating on. As the film progresses, there are obvious reasons, but the aesthetic doesn’t execute this strangeness.

As addressed above, the premise remains familiar and safe, perhaps too safe. A family moves into a rural home, escaping a past withheld from the audience. The mother is out of the picture, and the father struggles to connect with his young daughter. I don’t subscribe to the idea that these are lazy points, but it might seem formulaic with how thick it dominates the film’s beginning.

A kraken devouring a boat. The art looks dated with a weathered filter over the design.

Final Thoughts

The New Daughter is an impressive feature-length debut but one with notable flaws. There’s a familiarity and safety in the plot that hinders what could have been. However, the ominous mystery and acting provide the needed execution to create a haunting experience. If you’re looking for a horror following a terrified family against supernatural creatures, The New Daughter delivers.

3.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5)

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Original Sin returns with The Big Bad Body Problem

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After taking a week off, Dexter Original Sin is back. And while no piece of art can ever be entirely perfect, this was as close to perfect as I think we can expect.

The story

We start this episode right where the last one left off. Dexter, with a body in his trunk, finds his dumping grounds swarming with cops. So, keeping his head as cool as ever, he pulls out his forensic badge and pretends he’s supposed to be there. Then, he feeds the remaining arm from his second kill to the alligators before anyone can print it. But, not before Angel recognizes a distinct ring on the hand’s finger.

Jewelry really will be the death of Dexter.

While he might have gotten himself out of that mess, he still has a body to deal with. He decides to take it to a dump in broad daylight. Sometimes he acts like he wants to get caught. But then, maybe he does.

Patrick Gibson and Jeff Daniel Phillips  in Dexter Original Sin.

Meanwhile, the police are still looking for whoever kidnapped Nicky. There’s a horrific scene in this episode in which the poor kid has his finger chopped off. But this finger might well be the evidence that Miami Metro needs to catch the kidnapper because Dexter notices a sense of hesitation before the cut on Nicky that wasn’t present on the first little boy.

He also finds a drop of blood that doesn’t belong to Nicky.

Once again, it all comes back to blood.

What worked

As I’ve watched this series, and after consuming all of the rest of the work this franchise has offered us, one thing has become more and more clear.

Harry Morgan is a terrible human being.

Let’s just take this episode as an example. We see him strongarming a CI that he had an affair with, threatening to stick her in jail and drop her kids into foster care if she doesn’t keep risking her life for him. We then see him go home and lecture his wife, who he cheated on, for not forgiving him fast enough. And we know how this all ends for the Mosers. We know that Laura ends up dead and Harry takes the baby he liked, leaving Brian to the horrors of the foster care system.

Dexter: The Complete Series + Dexter: New Blood
  • Michael C. Hall (Actor)
  • Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)

Last update on 2025-01-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The thing is, we were never supposed to like Harry. More and more I realize that Harry is the bad guy. He’s the antagonist of Dexter. And as I’m rewatching the original series, I see clearly that he’s been the bad guy from the start. And I think that’s such a brilliant idea.

Brittany Allen and Eli Sherman in Dexter Original Sin.

Not quite as cool, but still impressive was the serial killer advice scene in this episode. Dexter, struggling with where to hide his dead bodies, researches how other serial killers have done so. We see him talk to Ed Gein, David Berkowitz and John Wayne Gacy. This scene brought the absurdity of the series to the forefront. Our main character admires these men. These monsters did horrific things. And we still, somehow, against all decency, like him.

Let me also just say that Scott Reynolds who played Gacy did a fantastic job. The body language and line delivery were just so creepy. For someone who wasn’t on screen for more than a few minutes, he knew how to make a killer impression.

Finally, I want to applaud the twist in this episode. But, as always, I want to do so without giving it away! I will only say that there is a large reveal regarding the person who killed the judge’s son and abducted Nicky. And, I have to say, I didn’t see it coming. It was amazing and raised so many questions. Questions I cannot wait to have answers for.

Honestly, everything in this episode worked. It was well-written, well-acted, and well worth my time. My only complaint right now is that there are only three episodes left.

Of course, it’s usually the last episode of a Dexter show that ruins the whole thing. Let’s see if they can avoid that this time.

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

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