Review: Stranger Things 2 (The Complete Second Season) ** and a 1\2 out of four

I wasn't a huge fan of the first season of Stranger Things. So going into the second season, my expectations weren't that high to begin with.

If you liked the first season, you will like Stranger Things 2. If you didn't, well, you won't like this so one much, either. It continues to be one of the most technically polished and lavishly produced events on TV (or OTT platforms), and the cast is eminently likable. But if you thought the first season was derivative, watch out, Stranger Things 2 is one big ball of cliches and blockbuster cues.

The writing this time around is surprisingly lazy, even by the show's standards, and the plot is paper thin and annoyingly contrived. Yes, the credentials all around are impeccable, but the whole show, from the get go, is pretty directionless. You get monsters, endearing characters with almost nothing interesting to do, and plenty of mindless action (blockbuster quality stuff, for sure, but mindless nonetheless). If that's your thing, then Stranger Things 2 is for you. But I'd rather watch something with a little more originality and heart.

To me, Stranger Things is a show for people who like 80s kitsch, but don't really know or care what made the 80s so special. It wasn't just style and big, loud movies, folks. It was the heart, the writing, and the attitude, all things Stranger Things sorely lack.

Review: THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON - **&1/2 out of four

With the departure of Frank Darabont at the end of the first season, and Glen Mazzara at the end of the third, writer/executive producer Scott Gimple took over The Walking Dead, and turned it into something, well, different.

Fans of Robert Kirkman's original comic books on which the series is based, will be very pleased by how things turn out, as, reportedly, one of the main reasons Mazzara was ousted from the show was his lack of reverence for the source material and his insistence on tinkering with it to create a dramatic landscape better suited for televised storytelling. Not anymore, as Gimple and Kirkman steer the show back, rather abruptly, I might add, to its comic book roots, with varying results.

On the plus side, the show now has more of an episodic feel, with arcs being introduced and resolved within a few episodes, and a stronger emphasis on stand-alones, which works for those just tuning in to the show, and those who are merely casual fans who dip in a few times per season to keep up with a show that is more than trendy. On the minus side, long-time fans of the show, like myself, are subjected to a rude awakening, where, suddenly, characters start acting in ways not wholly consistent with what we know and love about these characters, while the mythic, serialized approach that made the show such a ground-breaking, timeless, and haunting storytelling endeavor, is mostly gone.

The show is still very good, don't get me wrong. But it's not an incomparable, perfectionist masterpiece anymore, as Gimple is a great writer (as evidenced by his episode "The Grove", one of the finest hours ever to air on television), but only an adequate showrunner, as under his guidance the show's technical merits take a blow, losing the tightly cinematic style of the previous three seasons. And Gimple also seems to have a penchant for sentimentality, as this is the first season to have a mawkish, almost unbearably saccharine bent, which is most notable in the episode "Still", one of the worst and most sentimental episodes of the series up to that point.

By the end of the season, things even out a little bit, and we begin to get used to this new but not improved Walking Dead, taking the good with the bad, the brilliant with the average. I, for one, will continue to watch the show, hoping for the best, waiting for Gimple and co. to surprise, shock, and inspire me. And if they don't, well, there's always the first three season to watch again and again.

Only time will tell...

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2017

Quick Review: THE OA: Season 1 (2016)

Another high-profile, critically-acclaimed Netflix original series, The OA: Season 1 (2016) is a massively disappointing foray into psychological Sci-Fi, with heavy-handed dialogue, humorless performances, and lackluster plotting.

It is all the more disappointing since the pilot is so impressive and visually majestic, right up to the final shot. But as the series progresses, the story gets thinner, the characters more annoying, and the tone more pretentious. It all leads up to an unrewarding and terribly exploitive finale, which is borderline insulting to viewers who'd stuck with it till the end. Avoid.

All episodes written by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij. Directed by Zal Batmanglij.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2017

Review: THE WOMAN IN BLACK (1989)

The first adaptation of Susan Hill's classic ghost story is an atmospheric, nuanced horror film that lingers in the memory long after you finish watching it.

From the performances, to the confident direction by Herbert Wise, to the terrific screenplay by none other than Nigel Kneale (The Quatermass Experiment), this is a near-perfect ghost story, which draws its power from its ability to suggest (with sound design and good cinematography) rather than show, and its terrific use of location shooting. Some of the technical aspects have aged a little bit, but considering that this is a modestly budgeted production made for British TV in the late 80s, this is an impressive, stylish, and surprisingly elegant film.

Reportedly disowned by Susan Hill because of the changes Kneale made to the original novel (including the shocking ending), this is arguably the best adaptation of the story (superior to both the popular stage version and the extravagantly produced 2012 feature starring Daniel Radcliffe). A must see for fans of ghost stories, British cinema, and the original novel.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2017

THE BEST OF 2016: The Best Movies, TV Shows, Books, and Music I Discovered in 2016

Here it is, a listing of the best books, movies, and music I've come across this year. Most of them were not released in 2016, but I discovered or re-discovered them in 2016, and did my best to review and write about them, in an attempt to bring them to your attention, or, if you already know about them, re-kindle your interest and inspire you to reassess them in a new light.

For me, it was a great year to fall in love with these books, movies, and albums, and I look forward to new discoveries or rediscoveries in 2017. Enjoy.

Movie and TV Reviews:

Blood Work (2002)

Shadow Man (2006)

The Night of The Demons Franchise (1988- 2009)

Fright Night Part 2 (1988)

The Superman Special (featuring reviews of books and films about the Man of Steel)

A Good Man (2014)

The Path: Season 1 (2016)

Belly of The Beast (2003)

Dominion Vs. Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)

Twixt (2011)

Out For Justice (1991)

Outcast : Season 1 (2016)

Poltergeist III (1988)

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)

The Final Girls (2015)

Kindergarten Cop 2 (2016)

Ash Vs. Evil Dead: Season 1 (2016)

Neighbors (1981)

Christine (1983)

Broadchurch: Seasons 1 and 2 (2013- 2015)

Kill, Baby, Kill (1966)

Tourist Trap (1979)

Forever Knight: The Complete Series (1992-1996)

Pale Rider (1985)

The Beguiled (1971)

Book Reviews:

Cell by Stephen King

Running With The Demon by Terry Brooks

The Passage by Justin Cronin

The Films of John Carpenter by John Kenneth Muir

October by Al Sarrantonio

The Nightrunners by Joe R. Lansdale

Music Reviews:

Prince: Hit 'n' Run: Phase 2 (2015)

Remembering Prince

Review: THE PATH: SEASON 1

There is no easy way to describe the first season of The Path (2016). It's so original, daring, and unique that words utterly fail me. It is part mystery, part epistemological/mystical thriller, part domestic drama, part love story, and a helluva story.

The main plot: a member of a religious movement known as "Meyerism" is beset by strange visions that lead him to have doubts about his faith, setting in motion a chain of events that soon spiral out of control. Meanwhile, and unbeknownst to most of the movement, the founder of "Meyerism", Stephen Meyer, is dying of cancer in a secluded room in Peru, and his disciple, a charismatic sociopath, pounces on the chance to take the reins. Telling any more would be unfair to first time viewers, as this is a great, sinuous tale, terrifically told, with a cast of characters brought to perfect life by an endearing and capable cast, headed by the ever impressive Aaron Paul (who also co-produces). And thanks to nuanced, sharp writing by creator Jessica Goldberg and her team, The Path becomes one of the greatest TV/web series (and first seasons) to ever grace our screens.

This is a heartbreaking, addictive, touching, disturbing series, which is best experienced slowly and with rapt attention. Unmissable.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Review: Z NATION: SEASON 1

The complete first season of Z Nation, a low-budget show about a zombie apocalypse, starts with a bang, only to lose steam halfway through and never really recover. The entire season of 13 episodes reportedly cost a third of what most cable shows cost nowadays, with each episode coming in under a million dollars. And that's the best and worst thing about the first season of Z Nation: its low budget forces the writers to do the best with what they got, creating stories that don't require a huge cast or multiple locations, and what the writers come up with is occasionally impressive. But trying to do the best with what you got is a very challenging task if what you got is very little, and that's the case here. As by the second half of the season it's clear that the writers are panting for breath, trying to outrun the limitations of their budget, with stories becoming repetitive and the action slowing down considerably.

What saves the show is a likable cast, led by the charismatic Kellita Smith and the quirky Keith Allan. The season finale tries its best to be exciting and suspenseful, and it succeeds to some extent. But one can't help but wonder how the show can improve if the budget doesn't. Time will  tell.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.

Quick Review: SLASHER: SEASON 1 (2016)

Despite having one of the coolest posters I have seen in a while, Slasher: Season 1 (2016) proves to be a disappointment. After a disturbing, tense and violent opening scene, Slasher quickly devolves into a glum, unevenly paced, and overplotted mess. Its main faults are unimpressive leads, a heavy handed approach, and an overly nihilist streak that makes it a dull watch. When you watch something called Slasher, you expect a smattering of that genre's main ingredients, namely a fun, fast, and violent story with likable characters and a memorable villain. The makers of Slasher fail to include any of the above. Forgettable and unpleasant.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2016.