SethaWhenTheWallsFell

I really enjoyed this pilot. I was afraid it wouldn't be good and as Frasier is one of my favorite shows I was quietly dreading this premier. To my surprise it was a sweet and promising start. Kelsey Grammer slips right back into the role he is most famous for without missing a beat.

The rest of the cast thus far is a bit of a mixed bag but I will give them time to grow and see if they can hook me. The only major criticism I have is that they need to lose the laugh track. Such an outdated technique and it really needs to stop being utilized.

I can't wait to see where the series goes and to see what legacy characters show up.

Frank Dabaront finishes out his trilogy of Stephen King adaptations (Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist) in grand fashion. This is a wonderful character driven horror film that honors and improves upon the source material on which it is based.

The cast does a excellent job taking what could have been stock cliche character and digging into the depths of what makes us flawed as a species. Our hatred, bigotry, fear, suspicion, jealousy, thirst for power and control.... Thomas Jane and Laurie Holden make excellent sympathetic leads. Marcia Gay Harden is spine chilling as the main antagonist. And finally Toby Jones gives one of my favorite performances as a heroic grocery clerk.

Do yourself a favor if you can and watch the black&white version as the director intended. It fits the mood of the movie better and covers up some of the weaker special effects issues due to the movies lower budget.

The ending is jaw dropping and a rare instance of a film that changes its source material in a way that the original author Stephen King approved of. If you love old fashioned horror movies do yourself a favor and check this one out.

Having never heard of the source material this wonderful show came as a complete surprise to me. It reminds me in some ways of the failed franchise starter City of Ember but with a much better execution and villains.

The actors are all top notch and in best Game of Thrones fashion you never know how long someone will be around. People who seem like the main characters drop in and out of the narrative.

Rebecca Ferguson, as she is in everything, is remarkable. I can't believe she isn't a more recognized figure among her peers. She is so good.

I hope that the writers/actors strike resolve quickly and favorably (for the unions, not the studio) so that we can get more of this excellent series soon. This is yet another excellent program from the folks at Apple.