Something wicked this way comes

 

- Something wicked this way comes. Ray Bradbury. 

To the quaint Green Town, Illinois, a strange carnival has come, bringing Halloween with it at least a week earlier. For most of the residents, it means something delightful… perhaps even tempting —it offers certain things they badly desire. For two boys, it is a nightmare come true. And for one of the boys’ weary father, it may well come to represent something else…

Seminal dark fantasy novel by Bradbury; a book whose influence is writ large in so much latter fiction. From latter 20th century classic horror / fantasy authors (ranging as diverse as Stephen King, R. L. Stine and Richard Matheson) to more general fiction for children. A mix of horrific, sentimental and even subtly erotic. 

However, the novel itself is undeniably dated. The sentimental parts now and then feel corny, to say nothing of eyebrow-raising (that last chapter in particular…). The characters’ motivations can often feel unpleasantly moralistic. And to top it off, it’s a rare case in which Bradbury’s ornamental prose sometimes gets in the way of his own tale, often obscuring rather than emphasizing. 

Sometimes it even feels like other books closely tied to this one —such as the short story collection “The illustrated man” —hold up much better. 

Still, a classic that is worth a look for both historical value (genre history especially) and as part of Bradbury’s multi-faceted world. 

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Menace from the deep

- Killer Species #1: Menace from the deep. Michael P. Spradlin.

Emmet Doyle, the son of a famous wildlife expert, has just moved against his will to the Florida Everglades swamps. But the reason his father has been summoned is nothing ordinary. There is a new predator species it seems —something that looks alarming man-made. Something that is preying on snakes and boas... and might well soon hunger for something else... When Emmet and and another scientist’s son, Calvin Geaux, run afoul of one of the new beasts, they will learn just how dangerous a new invasive species can be. Particularly when driven by human arrogance…

Very entertaining 2013 sci-fi yarn for children, the first in a four-book series about genetically engineered monsters. Drawing cues from famous sci-fi thrillers a la Michael Crichton or Arthur Herzog, it quite surpasses Crichton and about matches Herzog —with bonus point for this being a book for children that in many ways is far better written than too many thrillers for adults. The good handling of influences results in both convincing scientific mumbo-jargon and fairly believable characters. 

While the suspense and creature attack scenes can be somewhat lacking it’s nevertheless a breezy, entertaining read. Recommended overall. 

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Werewolf by night

 - Werewolf by night. (2022. Dir. Michael Giacchino)

Five monster hunters gather for a special hunt —whoever can snuff a monster on the loose will gain the mythical artifact know as the Bloodstone. Among them are seasoned hunters (one with 100 confirmed kills!), an unwelcome special guest and more. But everyone involved has a few plans of their own —soon, the lines between hunter and hunted will be blurred…

Surprisingly effective halloween special drawn from the Marvel comics (and thankfully keeping the connection to the bloated MCU to a minimum), and effectively functioning as an old-fashioned monster yarn. Give or take a few more modern touches, that is —from the mix of practical and cg effects to certain updates for the characters (dig Jack’s skull makeup!). Dig also delightfully ghoulish touches such as the puppeteered corpse playing host. 

A satisfyingly entertaining yarn for the spooky season!

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Into the pit

 - Fazbear Frights #1: Into the pit. Scott Cawthon & Elley Cooper. 

A collection of three short stories: Into the pit, To be beautiful, and Count the ways, plus an epilogue. The first in a twelve (and a bonus 13) book series in the vein of Goosebumps and imitators (horror books for children), and presented as spun off the infamous video game franchise “Five nights at Freddy’s”. All twelve books are linked by the epilogues which form the story of the Stitchwraith. 

The entire Franchise has been and remains heavily criticized due to creator Cawthon’s repugnant morals and political actions. Beyond that, where the game has been often mocked for its bare-bones story and structure (even considering that it’s intended for children), this book series presents the curiosity of being intended for children yet featuring an unusually high level of gore, dismemberment and other similar violent actions. While also thorough omitting the very notion of queer people, to better fit said repugnant morals. 

In themselves the stories are formulaic or rather typical of the genre: All child characters express a certain wish (to have a fun summer, to be conventionally pretty, to be left alone) and all are punished in extreme ways for it. 

“Into the pit” has the protagonist discovering a portal to 1985, then paying the prize of his father being replaced with a supposedly murderous animatronic. But as the rabbit character doesn’t actually do anything menacing in the entire story, the fact that our protagonist eventually hangs him to death feels less like a valiant action than to hinting that we are following a budding sociopath. 

“To be beautiful” has, as far too many tales of the ilk, a young female character who is both relentless mocked by the very narration for her appearance (the very first words in this tale are “fat and flat”), and then punished for wanting to be different —complete with a lovely description of body bags filled with severed human parts. Moral tales at their most annoying. 

“Count the ways” likewise mocks our young female protagonist for dressing in the Goth style and daring to have a romantic idea of death (the story entirely glosses over the idea of goth boys), leading her to be dismissed as judgmental for not having friends and then ambiguously killed by a surprisingly chatty animatronic. 

In sort —delivers what it promises but for this particular genre (horror for children)… believe me, there are better options out there. 

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Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

- Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. (2022. Dir. George C. Wolfe)

During a sweltering summer day in 1927, singer Ma Rainey, dubbed The Mother of Blues, is en route to a recording session. As her band waits for her and rehearses, the musicians share anecdotes about daily frustrations —sometimes, about deeply rooted horrors. In particular, ambitious Levee clashes with his older, religious, somewhat uptight bandmates. Rainey meanwhile wages a careful battle between her ego and the constant menace of losing her carefully calculated privileges. All passions and frustrations will come out with music. Thus the recording session becomes a day of soul-searching —precisely what the true blues is all about! 

Terrific film adaptation of the classic August Wilson stage-play, itself loosely based on real-life anecdotes. From the careful recreation of the era’s fashions to the powerhouse performances and the thorough dissection of racial conflicts then and now. The commentary on the violence that is sometimes performed between the oppressed as the only valve left to them itself remains both shocking and poignant. And of course, there's the highly energetic musical performances. 

In sort, not to be missed. 

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September 2022 extras.

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Also seen...

Two Docu-series: 

- The real Bling Ring: Hollywood heist. Somewhat smarmy examination of the famous robbery club, with a light slap on the wrist directed at lowbrow reality tv culture. 

- El caso Cassez-Vallarta: Una novela criminal. Somber examination of a notorious case involving Mexico and France, which becomes a condemnation of deeply corrupt government institutions. Worth a look. 

One live-action show: 

- The devil in Ohio. So-so domestic melodrama disguised as a satanic thriller. 

One Anime series: 

- Golden Kamuy. 3 seasons. Excellent adaptation of the notorious manga. An adventure yarn with heavy, healthy doses of homoeroticism and over-the-top antics. 

And two movies. 

- Snyder’s Justice League. Four-hour movie that if fused with the theatrical cut would result in an actually pretty good film. Certainly above most current superhero films but that is a very low bar to clear. 

- See how they run. Fairly entertaining mystery-comedy that starts annoying but manages to become increasingly charming as it goes on. Might make a fine double feature with the vastly superior “Knives Out”. 

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