Fear Street Part 1: 1994 Review

Modern horror series can best be described as a single film that hopes to become more, a series, or even a universe. Netflix is banking for something new with its recent release Fear Street, a trilogy filmed back to back taking place in several different eras, 1994, 1978, and 1666. Each trilogy must have its beginning, and Fear Street: 1994 creates an interesting beginning to the trilogy, while also being a damn good horror film on its own.

Fear Street follows Deena, a teenager living in the town of Shadyside, nicknamed "Murder Capital USA" for the long legacy of brutal murders that have impacted the town. As the town is reeling from a new round of murders, Deena is dealing with the post breakup feelings for her ex, Sam. But after an accident, Deena and her friends Kate, Simon, and Josh must come together to protect Sam from a group of killers, and begin to uncover the legacy of what is haunting Shadyside.

One of the most enjoyable things about the plot is how unexpected it was. Without saying too much, I had gone into the film anticipating a typical slasher, but was pleasantly surprised at how the film took the slasher formula and turned it into something different. One negative is the ex-Sam. film does have a bit of slowness around the middle to the end of the second act, with the characters going from one place to another to another. These scenes are important and push the plot and mystery forward, but it felt like the scares were lacking.

Speaking of scares, throughout the film there are some special effects that I found to be surprisingly nice. The little bits of CGI in the film don't detract from the action at all, and add to the film as a whole. The practical effects are a mix though. Some of them are fairly nice, especially with one particular kill, but there are times that it looks like a basic prop from the archives.

The film is also supported by the performances of its main actors. Kiana Maderia is amazing as Deena, really making you feel for the character and having a proper amount of emotion for every scene, and the other actors Benjamin Flores Jr. and Julia Rehwald are great as Josh and Kate respectively. I sadly don't have as high of praise for Fred Hechinger and Oliva Welch, playing Simon and Sam. The performances seemed a bit two dimensional, but that could also be said for what they were given.

In the end Fear Street 1994 is a great horror film. It creates an interesting mythology while also being almost a perfect standalone film. While bogged down a bit by a few performances and a lacking middle, the twists on the slasher formula bring enough to the table to have an good watch. The greatest test is to see if everything will be able to come together in a satisfying way, but even so, it remains a great fun horror watch.

Adventure Time Review

In 2010, the Cartoon Network series, Adventure Time premiered on television. It introduced viewers to the Land of Ooo, heroes Finn and Jake, the villainous Ice King, and a world full of adventure. This is a show that I had watched from the moment it premiered, to the moment it ended. It is a show that is filled with wild stories, creative characters, but with a heart and evolving storyline to create one of the greatest fantasy series of all time.

Adventure Time follows Finn, a young human boy and Jake, a talking dog with the ability to stretch and change his body. These two are the focus, with many of the episodes following them as they interact with the denizens of their world and going on adventures, discovering new places and enemies to battle. Each episode sends them to a new place or meeting a new person, and in the space of eleven minutes they are able to create an excellent slice of fantasy.

While the small pieces of the story are wonderful, one of the great things about the series is, in a way, it grows up with the viewer. Even in season two, there are episodes that follow up on things that happened in season one, so it has a limited continuity that becomes more and more prevalent as the series goes on. It is also great that as the series goes on, characters are able to change as well. New relationships form, people grow up, and the people of the series evolve.

One of the bad things about the plot is that some episodes can have ideas that just are not very good, either featuring a character that is heavily annoying, an idea that just isn’t there, or This is understandable, as the show does have over 200 episodes, but it is a drag when going through the series and reaching the episodes

The animation of the series is also wonderful. The animation is consistently smooth, with an especially wonderful aspect being the character designs. Each of the characters are creative, from the numerous princesses that occupy the world of the story, to items and monsters. The world is also greatly designed. In the story, there are numerous kingdoms and all of them are fun, with each revolving around a theme, from slime to breakfast. It creates a world where anything is possible and anything can be found.

It is also a very colorful show. It uses the wide range for its world and characters, with Finn and Jake being a base white, blue, and yellow, but going forward to use a bright palette for its colors, in the end creating a warm feeling for the viewer, even when the moment is dark.

With all the elements, Adventure Time is a wonderful show that uses its story, characters, and look to create a beautiful fantasy adventure. Its combination of these things led to it being around for nine seasons, and all together the adventures I had in the land of Ooo have made my love for animation and fantasy what it is.