“Angel: Vengeance” (August 2002) really grew on me as the story goes along. Scott Ciencin had previously written the uneven “Buffy: Sweet Sixteen” and co-writer Dan Jolley is making his Buffyverse debut, but “Vengeance” ultimately comes together as an entertaining portrayal of Angel’s inner struggle, while also giving a nice side plot to Cordelia and […]
My reviews looking back at “Buffy” Season 8 continue as we enter the second half of the 40-issue season with several standalones (to borrow TV show parlance), which nonetheless move the narrative forward, and one epic five-parter. SPOILER WARNING: If you are reading these issues for the first time, I will analyze the character of […]
Movie list: Here’s a look at 11 things about the Michael Myers “Halloween” film saga so bizarre that they border on spooky.
An outsider’s take on the ‘Halloween’ saga (Movie review): Zombie’s sequel is a big step down from his excellent remake.
The fact that “Hereditary” blends family drama with horror elements isn’t original, but there’s something about the balance or the vibe that makes it feel that way. For a good chunk of its two hours, writer-director Ari Aster’s breakthrough film – now available on streaming and home video – is a dark exploration of a […]
Netflix has enjoyed a stellar October for new horror releases, including the films “Malevolent” and “Hold the Dark” and the TV shows “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” It also delivered an excellent horror film back in February with “The Ritual,” which would make for solid Halloween-month viewing if you haven’t […]
An outsider’s take on the ‘Halloween’ saga (Movie review): Rob Zombie remakes the original in a detailed way not embraced by all fans.
Netflix’s “Big Mouth” – which recently released its second season — marks the latest sea change in Things You Can Do on Television, as it chronicles 12- and 13-year-olds entering puberty. But unlike “The Simpsons” in the 1990s and “Family Guy” in the 2000s, there has been little hand-wringing from parents’ TV groups about “Big […]
You can rarely go wrong with a Jeff Mariotte Buffyverse novel, but some go more right than others, and “Stranger to the Sun” (July 2002) isn’t one of his elite efforts. His second book set in “Angel’s” second season is quite readable, but it’s pretty obvious where every plot thread is going right from the […]
An outsider’s take on the ‘Halloween’ saga (Movie review): Michael gets back in “Shape” for this direct sequel to the original.