outpix

Every film genre has either been flat or gone down hill in the last 10 years except for one. Bringing smarts to Horror is long overdue and something is happening in recent years. Should you watch this movie? Only if you're not squeamish and have an open mind. Yes there's lot of blood and nudity but it all fits and has a purpose. I loved all the homages to pioneer film makers here. Especially David Lynch; so if you're familiar with his work, you will recognize this along with an Easter Egg in the elevator scene. What has the entertainment business and the media created in our society? That's the question The Substance asks; and it's really quite ugly. Yes The Substance is over the top but that's the point after all. So sit back and float downstream.

This reboot is not as good as the original which is one of my favorite tv shows of all time. Despite enjoying the Japanese spoken (I speak it), the characters are not as compelling as the original. They seem to be one dimensional in comparison. Also, the script and storyline is much more haphazard. I can only assume the producers and writers thought this would be a more interesting and complex format. Instead, I feel the actors lack direction and often seem to just be reading the lines as best they can. My main concern though is the lack of character exploration which I feel the original series did in a much better fashion. Seeing Blackthorne become Anjin was a much more fulfilling experience in the original series for example. Still, compared to the typical dribble out there, it's decent.

This is what good to great writing can do. After years of painfully watching every spinoff crash and burn, the gods have seen it fit to stop the madness. Based on the first episode this is as good as the original series. If you're wondering whether it's worth the effort, don't. Fear started decent enough but became a preposterous watching proposition. World Beyond is truly bad if not unwatchable. Tales had some decent episodes but few too little. Dead City is watchable but very predictable. Dixon shows promise but is much too slow. The pace of Ones is like having a cold glass of water after a ten mile hike. Bravo! Please keep it up.