Spook Out! Day 23 ~ Lovecraft Country (HBO Series, One Season, 2020)

Amazon Says...
"A man's journey in search of his missing father becomes a struggle to survive racist terrors and terrifying monsters."

I Say...
And that's only the beginning...

Horror Type...
Supernatural Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Main Players...

Jonathan Majors as Atticus Freeman (Soldier)

Jurnee Smollett as Letitia 'Leti' Lewis (Fighter)

Aunjanue Ellis as Hippolyta Freeman (Queen)

I liked...

• how I was completely engrossed, caught up, swept away, and wrung tf out by this epic tale
• the strength, energy, imagination, fortitude, and just all-around BAMF-ness of all the women: Letitia-Fucking-Lewis, Hippolyta Freeman, Ruby Baptiste, Ji-Ah, Diana Freeman--WHOO! So much to admire and emulate in all of them...
• the acting, across the board, amazing work by all
• the intricate storylines and details--it's got a kind of "monster-of-the-week" feel, in that there are episodes that seem distinctly unrelated to one another, or the story arc, but then it all comes together and your mind is blown by the creativity of the writers (I mean, DANG!)
• the way the fantastical elements are seamlessly woven into "the real world" of the story
• how, in my mind, this story is fundamentally about the love of, and love for, family

The Meh...
The most horrifying aspects of this are the violence dealt out in the name of white supremacy and racism. It's brutal, sickening. It's real. And it's still happening--there's nothing more terrifying than this.

Would I recommend it...?

YES. It's a wonderful work of art, a fine drama, an engrossing tribute to those who've gone before and fought the hard fight, and a guiding light for all who still fight. Amplify black voices and show Hollywood that WE WANT TO HEAR THEM!

NB: Lovecraft Country isn't a walk in the park, barefoot. There's a lot of suffering here. Some laughs, yes, and a few lighter moments, as well as some soaring triumphs. But there's savagery in it, make no mistake. Trigger warnings for: gore (and some of the most inventive gore I've ever seen in my life--hooo, boy!), extreme violence, rape (I hate to say that this was also inventive, given what it is, but it was...different in a way I'd never have expected), and children in peril.

Miscellany...

Lovecraft Country is based on the book by the same title, written by Matt Ruff (and which I have just ordered).

Ratings...

My Grade: A+

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=87%, Audience Score=71%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Lovecraft Country on Amazon's HBO channel

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 23 of

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...

IF YOU DARE

Spook Out! Day 8 ~ Grabbers (2012)

Hulu Says...
"In this comic sci-fi thriller, the inhabitants of a small island discover they must get drunk in order to survive an invasion of bloodsucking aliens."

I Say...
^That executive summary is spot on, and if none of that appeals to you on any level, then I just don't think we can be friends.

Horror Type...
Comedic Horror, Monster Movie, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Indie

Main Players...
Richard Coyle as Garda Ciarán O'Shea (Lush)
Ruth Bradley as Garda Lisa Nolan (Teetotaller)
Russell Tovey as Dr Smith (Wiseass Marine Ecologist)

I liked...

• the island-off-the-Irish-coast setting--it's gorgeous, folks, and I've already gushed about how much I heart the sea
• straightforward, well-paced, creature-feature plot
• the bristley, bouncy chemistry between O'Shea and Nolan
• the monster(s)--good mix of CGI and practical effects, IMO, and the full-grown mac daddy of the creatures is genuinely freaky
• the quirky locals & how they band together when the chips (and tentacles) are down

The Meh...

• it's standard movie length (1 hour, 34 minutes) but I think it could've simmered just a little longer to give the romance between the two leads some room to breathe
• I'm really ticked at myself for not having any popcorn around when I watched this, it's the sort of flick that demands it (and a bigger screen than my laptop). But that's not the movie's fault 

Would I recommend it...?
Heck yeah, I'd recommend this Irish romp! If you liked Shaun of the Dead and/or Slither, I think there's a good chance you'll dig Grabbers. But be sure you've got popcorn! (And I reckon some Guinness wouldn't go amiss. You know. Just in case.)

Miscellany...

• Richard Coyle's a fine-looking fella whom I luuuuurved in the hilarious Britcom Coupling. (Oh, Geoffrey...)
• Russell Tovey co-starred in the original (British) version of Being Human (both Being Human and Coupling are eminently binge-worthy)

Ratings...

My Grade: A
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=72%, Audience Score=51%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Grabbers on Hulu (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other host sites)

Grabbers' IMDb Page

Grabbers' Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

And just 'cause I heart it so danged much, here's just a wee bit of a teaser...

This concludes day 8 of