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TV Review – Archive 81 (Episode 1)

Archive 81

Hey movie fanatics, it’s me, Slick Dungeon, here to give a quick guide to the first episode of the hottest horror series on Netflix right now, Archive 81. There will be some mild spoilers below so be forewarned. I’ll be posting through the first season’s episodes but I have not seen past this first episode so let’s keep it spoiler light in the comments too okay?

Archive 81 is about an archivist named Dan who restores films, VHS tapes, basically any visual arts that use a film reel. He works for a film museum and one day he’s asked to restore an old VHS tape that has been damaged from a fire. We don’t know a lot about Dan other than he somehow lost his family and he at one point was, “feeling low” and has a friend who is concerned for his welfare. Soon into the episode the donor who asked for the video tape to be restored requests Dan come work for him in the Catskills where they have a collection of these VHS tapes. He’ll be secluded and on his own if he agrees though. The company hiring Dan seems a bit odd and the man who hires him seems to know way more than he should about Dan.

Of course, Dan agrees to go, and since this is a horror show, needless to say some strange things start happening. I don’t want to give too much of that away other than to say Dan is restoring tapes that focus on a building called the Visser. The tapes show him a woman named Melody who we can presume will be the focal point of the tapes and might provide clues as to what happened at the Visser.

It’s hard to judge a show from a first episode. Especially one that is meant to be totally bingeable and wants you to sit through eight hours of episodes. I still think it’s worth taking a look at each one on its own merits.

For a first episode, this one sets the tone quite nicely. There’s just enough odd going on that as a viewer you want to know what happens next. At the same time, it’s not giving so much away you see all the twists coming.

It’s clearly going to be weird but to my mind this whole series will end up making it or not based on the ending. I’m just going to say now if this has anything to do with aliens, I’m out. But so far, it has a lot of potential and I’d say it’s probably worth a watch.

Mysteriously yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Posted on by slickdungeon

Lovecraft Country (Full Circle) Episode 10 Spoiler-free Review

The Season Wraps up With It’s Final Episode

Hey Everyone, Slick Dungeon, here back to give a spoiler free review of the tenth and final episode of the HBO series Lovecraft Country.

After nine intense and dramatic episodes, the only real question left was if this series could deliver a satisfying conclusion. A lot of threads had been developed and a lot of drama had intensified over the show so far. The conclusion was a high bar to climb.

I don’t want to get into spoilers here, obviously, since this is a spoiler free review but I can say that the conclusion does measure up. I will say that parts of the episode were a bit slower than I would have expected but in the long run I think that just led to intensifying the drama.

While the conclusion was satisfying, I don’t think every story thread was wrapped up perfectly and there was room for improvement here. But as a show overall, this still gets an A+ for its ability to deal with horrors both real and imagined.

If you have not watched any of this show, do yourself a favor and give it a go because it has been one of the brightest spots of television all year.

Horrifically yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Lovecraft Country (Rewind 1921) Episode 9 Spoiler-free Review

The Intensity is Turned All the Way Up In The Penultimate Episode of the Season

Hey Everyone, Slick Dungeon, here back to give a spoiler free review of the ninth episode of the HBO series Lovecraft Country.

The title of the episode probably gives you a good clue as to where and when the main events of this episode happen, especially if you know your American history well. With all that this show has delivered week in and week out I was not sure if it would be able get better.

It did. This episode is utterly nail biting, intense and superbly emotional. The family drama deepens and connections are made and resolved. Events that have been spoken of previously in the show come to light and are turned in stunningly surprising ways.

This show is absolutely a must see for any horror fan, especially if you have a strong stomach. There were a couple of episodes that I thought were not as strong as the others but overall this show is gripping television.

There is only one episode to go. If you have not watched Lovecraft Country yet, binge as fast as you can this week because the final episode is sure to deliver everything you would want in a horror show.

I can’t wait until next Sunday to watch.

Horrifically yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Lovecraft Country (Jig-a-Bobo) Episode 8 Spoiler-free Review

The Horror of Reality Collides with the Horror of the Cosmos as the Family Drama Intensifies

Hey Everyone, Slick Dungeon, here back to give a spoiler free review of the eighth episode of the HBO series Lovecraft Country.

After seven episodes one would think that you could not get much more intense than the previous episodes. Yet this episode delivers everything you could want from this show.

The episode is electric with drama and it has loads of horrors. It proves that our hero Atticus is far from perfect and that things could go critically wrong. None of the characters are safe, from the world, from nightmares, or from themselves.

A lot of the episode reminded me of some of the best of Stephen King stories. If you love horror, and have not started watching this series, you need to get on this one right now. It’s terrifying in both the way it portrays the impossible and in how it portrays reality. Added to that is deep character development with nuanced heroes and villains.

This episode does propel the story forward and feels like it is building toward an epic conclusion of the season. There are only a couple more episodes to go but I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

Horrifically yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Lovecraft Country (I Am) Episode 7 Spoiler-free Review

Cosmic Adventure Replaces Horror for This Episode

Hey Everyone, Slick Dungeon, here back to give a spoiler free review of the seventh episode of the HBO series Lovecraft Country.

After the stellar sixth episode, this one seems jarringly different. It’s not that this episode is bad. We do get more of the family drama, especially between Atticus and his father but the rest of the episode lacks any horror and seems almost whimsical instead.

On the one hand, that’s a nice breather from the intensity of this show and the acting remains brilliant. This episode centers around Hippolyta and shows off a seriously impressive range on the part of Aunjanue Ellis. It asks difficult questions about identity, race and social injustice all while showing how vast the cosmos can be.

On the other hand, this episode feels a little bit out of place, especially after the horrors of the previous episodes. I am sure that the plot from this one will tie up in later episodes but this one definitely feels like it has more of an adventure story feel than a horror story.

There are only three episodes left for this season so I expect the horror will be cranked up to eleven on those and I am definitely looking forward to watching them. I’m sure Hippolyta’s story is going to intersect but I honestly have no idea how that is going to happen.

It should be fun to see and let’s just hope that Atticus and company can survive and stay sane along the way.

Adventuringly yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Lovecraft Country (Meet Me in Daegu) Episode 6 Spoiler-free Review

The Series is Bold Enough to Ask What Makes a Monster

Hey Everyone, Slick Dungeon, here back to give a spoiler free review of the sixth episode of the HBO series Lovecraft Country.

What is a monster? Can a monster have human emotions? Can a human who has done monstrous things still be a human? These are the questions that the sixth episode of Lovecraft Country wrestles with. Not enough horror poses this question and those that do typically just ask it on the surface. This episode was masterful at asking this question and forcing the audience to truly think about it.

The episode itself is basically a flashback episode that relates to the larger story. It’s the only episode so far that does not take place in America but that’s all that I am going to tell you because I really don’t want to give this one away.

I think if this show is going to win Emmys in the future, it should be this episode that is considered. The acting here is fascinating and the drama is real.

I have thought a lot about why this show is so good and I think it is this; the show can let you see something horrific, a terrible monster that is objectively scary, and then moments later the show will let you see something from reality that is even scarier. Any show that can place reality as the real horror has done its job well because while we might have nightmares about the big scary monster, there is no escaping reality.

I have no idea where the drama will take us next but I know I am ready for the ride.

Horrifically yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Lovecraft Country (Strange Case) Episode 5 Spoiler-free Review

The Horror and Family Drama is Back on Track

Hey Everyone, Slick Dungeon, here back to give a spoiler free review of the fifth episode of the HBO series Lovecraft Country.

The previous episode was a throwback to Indiana Jones for some reason and it felt kind of out of place with the rest of the show. The most recent episode is much more on track. We are back to following the family drama and this episode has tons of interesting things to say on race and class. At the same time, it is full of body horror so if you are squeamish prepare to shut your eyes through a lot of the episode.

There are twists and turns that are surprising and unpredictable and as usual the very end will leave you just wanting to see the next episode as soon as possible. The show is able to be intellectual and visceral all at once which is an interesting mixture.

If you do watch this episode, I can promise that this is one of the episodes that will be in your mind months from now.

I feel like the show will need to have more episodes like this where the audience is both unable to turn away from the screen and wanting to turn away the whole time. There is still a deeper mystery going on here and I look forward to seeing how that plays out through the rest of the show.

Horrifically yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Cursed: The Fey Queen (Episode 8) – #TVReview

Hey everyone, Slick Dungeon, here and I am back to review the eighth episode of the Netflix hit Cursed.

If you haven’t watched the first eight episodes of the series, watch out because there are mild spoilers below.

Although, on this one, I think the title of the episode is kind of a spoiler. Obviously, Nimue has taken on the mantle of the Fey Queen for this episode. This means that she has a lot of people depending on her and a lot more people who will think of her as an enemy.

This episode was action packed, had a couple of great sword fights and the plot moved along nicely. We got to see some characters reunite and lost a couple of others. The pace also picked up significantly and the stakes are getting higher here which is nice to see.

The consequences of what happens when someone holds the sword of power for too long becomes more apparent here too. The politics of the show are heating up here and the race for the throne is on, especially with the end result of what Nimue does in this episode.

So far this is a series I would recommend to any fantasy fan but with the next two episodes, we’ll see if this show can actually live up to its full potential.

Fantastically yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Cursed: Bring Us In Good Ale (Episode 7) – #TVReview

Hey everyone, Slick Dungeon, here and I am back to review the seventh episode of the Netflix hit Cursed.

If you haven’t watched the first six episodes of the series, watch out because there are spoilers below.

The previous episode was somewhat slow moving and mostly a flashback to establish character development. This episode jumps right back into the action with exciting fight scenes, unseen threats and the furthering development of character relationships.

From the start of the episode, Arthur is under threat from the Red Paladins while Nimue is still trying to recover from her interactions with Merlin. Meanwhile a rival to the throne is making moves that could place him as head of the kingdom.

I think that so far this episode was my favorite. It has all of the things you want to see in a fantasy story. There are interesting battles with surprising outcomes, cool special effects, mysterious magicians doing their things, and inspirational speeches to the masses.

I don’t want to give too much away here but at the end of the episode I had goosebumps from how cool the whole thing was. The acting continues to be outstanding here and I still really enjoy the performances of Nimue and Merlin especially.

Now that I only have three episodes left to watch, I imagine the action and drama will only be ramped up and more exciting. Here’s hoping that is true.

Fantastically yours,

Slick Dungeon

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Lovecraft Country (A History of Violence) Episode 4 Spoiler-free Review

A Somewhat Disappointing 4th Episode But there is Still Plenty to Love in the Series

Hey Everyone, Slick Dungeon here back to give a spoiler free review of the fourth episode of the HBO series Lovecraft Country.

The first three episodes struck an amazing balance between family drama, the accurate portrayal of horrific segregationist realities in America and impossible monsters, magic and dangers. The fourth episode gives us… mostly an Indiana Jones style adventure.

Don’t get me wrong, there is still horror here and there are definitely moments of history, family drama etc. But most of it really is like something you would see in Indiana Jones. I’m not going to give away any more than that except to say that the series still has amazing potential and I think it will recover from this episode but I expect that when fans talk about the series in the future, episode 4 will be the one they say they could mostly have done without. Of course, if you are a fan of the show, you’ll still want to watch this episode as there are things that relate to the overall story that certainly happen. I found one side story to be particularly interesting and I have no idea where it is actually going.

The main action leaves a lot to be desired but as always the actors portraying the action are the best part of the show. They have all been able to pull off what would seem to be absurd to most of us while still keeping the feeling of their emotions on screen as real as it gets.

I’m looking forward to the next episode very much but if the show does have a few episodes like this one, it won’t turn out to be quite the brilliant show I thought it was. Here’s hoping for a better one next week.

Horrifically yours,

Slick Dungeon