“Where am I?” asks Manolo (voiced by Diego Luna). “Welcome to the land of the remembered. Don’t try to take it all in at once,” replies a ‘remembered soul’. The afterlife is nothing but parties and fiestas, and Manolo has just arrived after being tricked by Xibalba (voiced by Ron Perlman), the ruler of the land of the forgotten in the animated comedy/adventure The Book of Life.
Ever since they were young children Manolo and his best friend Joaquin (voiced by Channing Tatum) have both been in love with Maria (voiced by Zoe Saldana). Growing up, Joaquin followed in his deceased father’s footsteps and became a military leader and hero of his village. Manolo also followed in his own father’s footsteps and became a bullfighter, even though his true passion is playing guitar and being a musician. Unbeknownst to the two young men, two spirits – La Muerte (voiced by Kate del Castillo) and Xibalba – who are in charge of the afterlife worlds (The Land of the Remembered and The Land of the Forgotten) have made a bet on who will marry Maria for their own amusement.
Competing for her attention and her heart, both Joaquin and Manolo put their best foot forward and try to win her love. It soon becomes clear that even though she cares for both of them Maria is falling for Manolo. This upsets Xibalba who bet on Joaquin winning Maria’s heart, so breaking the rules of the wager Xibalba interferes and tricks Manolo into believing Maria is dead. Heartbroken and lost, Manolo wishes to do anything to be with his true love and once again Xibalba intervenes and causes Manolo to die, thus sending him to The Land of the Forgotten.
Once there, Manolo quickly learns that Maria is still alive and heartbroken over his death and is being comforted by Joaquin who’s sure to marry her now. Realizing he was tricked and Xibalba is to blame, Manolo heads out on a quest to find La Muerte and ask for her help to give him life again and reunite him with his lady love.
Visually breathtaking, the humorous The Book of Life is a dazzling, colorful, and fun adventure which will entertain the entire family. It has an effective voice cast with Diego Luna as the lovesick musician Manolo who can’t make it as a bull fighter because he’s unwilling to kill the bull. Channing Tatum does a great job bringing to life Joaquin, the brave hero of the little village who’s more in love with himself than Maria but still has real feelings of friendship towards Manolo.
Ron Perlman brings just the right amount of charm and menace in his vocal portrayal of the dark spirit Xibalba who keeps forgetting the only real reason he keeps making wagers with the beautiful La Muerte is to have an excuse to be near her and interact with her. Ice Cube is hilarious as the voice and personality of the spirit called Candle Maker who bridges the two spirit worlds and aids Manolo on his quest to regain his life again.
The film also has just the right mix of action, silly humor, and clever one-liners to entertain both children and adults. There are also some great themes and lessons for kids about love, friendship, family, self-sacrifice, and believing in yourself without ever getting preachy or trite.
The Book of Life looks gorgeous with its bright, lush colors, wooden-looking characters and stunning animation. The only flaw is the underuse of the 3D effects, making it unnecessary to pay extra to see the movie in that format.
A true visual delight and very funny, The Book of Life is an adventure sure to be fun for children ages 7-70.
GRADE: B
The Book of Life is rated PG for mild action, rude humor, some thematic elements and brief scary images.
“I started this war killing Germans in Africa, now I’m killing Germans in Germany. Been with these fine gentleman for years,” says Sergeant Don ‘Wardaddy’ Collier (Brad Pitt) to his new replacement 2nd gunner Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman) in the last big push deep into Germany during the final days of WWII in the action film Fury.
It’s April 1945, and the Allies are making their final push in the European campaign to end the war. Germany refuses to surrender and has enlisted young boys and old men into its army, determined to fight to the last man. Army Sergeant Collier commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew, most of whom have been with him all the way back to 1943 during the fight in Africa. Collier promised his men a long time ago he would keep them alive, but when his 2nd gunner is killed, he’s given rookie soldier Ellison to replace him.
Ellison has never seen the inside of a tank before and has actually never even seen any fighting since the war started. He’s reluctant to pick up a gun and aim it at anyone, and he has no idea what the demands will be as part of a tank crew. He’s a complete fish out of water and the crew’s very obvious weak link.
Being one of the few tanks to have made it this deep into Germany and all that’s left of the 3rd Platoon, Wardaddy, and his men are given a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Finding themselves extremely outnumbered, out-gunned, and trying to get Ellison trained and ready to kill without hesitation as quickly as possible, Collier and his brave men attempt to slow down and kill as many Nazis soldiers as possible while struggling to survive.
Gritty and suspenseful, Fury is an unapologetic and realistic film that captures the brutality and horror of war and its effects on men. Writer/director David Ayers shows how these four men have lost almost all their decency and humanity to the point where only the primal instinct to stay alive and “do their job – killing Germans” remains.
Brad Pitt delivers one of his best performances as Sergeant Collier, a leader whose goal, other than killing Germans, is to do everything he can to keep his men alive. He’s a tough, battle-hardened soldier who has little patience with young Ellison, who’s having a problem shooting the tank’s machine gun and convincing himself killing another human being is morally okay. Pitt captures the hardness of the man but also the small bit of humanity that is still alive in him as well.
Logan Lerman is solid as rookie soldier Ellison who was hoping to take dictation and type in the army and not have to fight and is thrown deep into the action with a tank outfit that’s already survived much longer than most tank outfits during the war. He wonderfully shows Ellison’s shock and sickness at all the death and killing around him.
Jon Bernthal is perfectly cast as Grady Travis, the tank’s ammunition loader who is crass, rude, and vulgar but who would take a bullet for his comrades if necessary. It’s his performance that captures best what war can do to a once decent ordinary man. Michael Pena is also solid as Trini ‘Gordo’ Garcia. Shia LaBeouf, sadly, seems miscast as Boyd ‘Bible’ Swan, the tank’s spiritual soldier who still believes in a higher power despite all the killing and death he’s witnessed and taken part in. Unfortunately, he delivers an ineffective and stale performance that detracts from the film.
The production, set design, and costumes are first-rate, bringing back to the big screen the authentic look and feel of war-torn Europe near the end of WWII. The battle scenes are both stirring and unrelenting, capturing the true horror of war and how unfeeling and ruthless a soldier needs to be to survive.
The one big problem with the film is in the middle when Collier and his men reach a German town and decide to treat themselves to a little rest and relaxation. It slows the pacing of the film to a crawl and goes on way too long, almost completely losing the underlying anxiety of never knowing when or where the enemy will attack.
Still, with strong performances led by Pitt as well as gripping battle scenes, Fury is an arresting war drama that shouldn’t be missed.
GRADE: B-
Fury is rated R for strong sequences of war violence, some grisly images, and language throughout.
Where to start? There’s so much wrong with The Best of Me that it’s difficult to determine what to discuss first. Should it be the horribly miscast lead role, the second half of the movie that pushes the limits of credibility and ventures into the world of ludicrousness, or the manipulative manner in which the couples are thrust together and torn apart?
Granted, we are talking about a Nicholas Sparks adaptation, so you can expect utter nonsense when it comes to relationships. But the film versions of The Notebook and A Walk to Remember handled these situations well, while recent adaptations of Sparks’ romance novels didn’t make the jump to the screen nearly as successfully. The declining level of quality has bottomed out with the worst of the Nicholas Sparks book-inspired lot: The Best of Me.
You can forgive sappy love stories in written form more easily than awkward, ill-conceived love stories in films because the dialogue and relationships on the screen are more in your face and immediate. Reading excessively sentimental sentences just doesn’t have the same impact as hearing them said out loud, earnestly, which explains why Sparks’ books continue to be bestsellers. The dialogue in this film adaptation is absurd and painful to take in. There’s barely a scene in this PG-13 film that rings true, and at times, it’s tough not to pity the poor actors (in particular Michelle Monaghan and James Marsden) who you have to believe went into the film knowing exactly what they were in for yet still hoping for the chance to find a way to rise above the material.
It’s not even worth trying to explain what the film’s about other than to say a poor boy falls for a wealthy girl, they break up because of a tragic event, and reunite 20-some-odd years later after the death of a mutual friend. The whys, whats, hows, and wheres of it all are unimportant; the only thing you need to know is that it’s all meant to make you cry like a baby. Which, unfortunately, there were actually people in the audience at the preview screening doing. Don’t fall for this nonsense, people! Don’t be sheep!
And before you sneer at the computer screen and call me a cynical critic, please know that I love romantic movies, even sappy ones. Even ones that feature star-crossed teenagers and ones about second chances and the discovery of love late in life. But what the good, truly moving, heartwarming – or heart-wrenching – romances have in common is solid writing, a love story that’s genuine, and stellar acting. None of those attributes describe the horrendous mess that is The Best of Me.
Whoever came up with the idea of casting Luke Bracey as a young James Marsden needs to have their eyes examined. In no way does Bracey resemble Marsden, and it’s so jarring to see this non-linear story switch back and forth between Bracey, who looks 30+ and is playing 17 or 18, and 41-year-old Marsden.
It’s bizarre to see Bracey with light-colored hair transform into the dark brown-haired Marsden, but it’s not just that obvious difference in physical appearance that jolts you out of the film. It’s also that there’s nothing similar in their facial structure or even in the way they carry themselves that would lead anyone to believe one is the younger version of the other. And given the fact Bracey at 25 looks older than his age and his on-screen love interest, 19 year old Liana Liberato, looks 15 or 16, the scene in which she loses her virginity is just plain creepy…like old man in a trench coat hiding in the shadows creepy.
The Best of Me is among the worst of 2014’s theatrical releases, which is saying a lot as this hasn’t exactly been an outstanding year in cinemas (at least through mid-October). Don’t fall for this fake romantic tale, and unless you want to break up with your partner, do not suggest this as a date night movie.
GRADE: F
The Best of Me is rated PG-13 for sexuality, violence, some drug content and brief strong language
Walt Disney Animation Studios is showing off a teaser trailer for the animated short film Feast featuring a cute little animated dog munching his way through life. Feast will premiere in front of Disney’s Big Hero 6 on November 7, 2014 and was directed by Patrick Osborne.
The Plot:
Feast is the story of one man’s love life as seen through the eyes of his best friend and dog, Winston, and revealed bite by bite through the meals they share.
Paramount Pictures just unveiled this official trailer for the comedy movie Top Five from writer/director Chris Rock. Rock also stars in the film along with Rosario Dawson, Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, Cedric The Entertainer, J.B. Smoove, Sherri Shepherd, Anders Holm, Romany Malco, Leslie Jones, Michael Che, and Jay Pharoah.
Top Five opens in theaters on December 5, 2014.
The Plot:
Top Five tells the story of New York City comedian-turned-film star Andre Allen, whose unexpected encounter with a journalist (Rosario Dawson) forces him to confront the comedy career—and the past—that he’s left behind.
FYI: If you want to play a little game while reading this review (and you’re at home, of age, and not responsible for any minors at the time), here’s a fun thing to do: Every time you read “About a Boy”, enjoy a drink of an adult beverage. Just saying. Now on with the show …
Do you remember About a Boy? The 2002 movie, I mean. Not that recent attempt at a TV reboot (maybe it’s still on … hell if I care). Well, if you don’t remember the movie, you should. It’s lovely, and while I wouldn’t call myself a big Hugh Grant fan, his particular charms work quite well in it. As do those of Rachel Weisz but that’s a whole different set of emotions.
Getting back on topic, Grant plays a rich, spoiled, narcissistic loner who thinks his life is as full as anyone’s should be; full of trips to the hair salon, playing pool, and watching witty British game shows. Of course, as these things tend to go, what it really means is that he’s missing the point and that true happiness is found in connecting with the people around you, not in purchasing the newest piece of gadgetry.
Enter a young Nicholas Hoult (who couldn’t have been less predictably cast years later as one of the X-Men). Hoult plays a young boy of a single mother (Toni Collette) and he’s having a tough time fitting in at school. The two outcasts make an unlikely friendship and instill confidence in each other. By the end of it all, Grant is up on the school stage trying to save Hoult from an embarrassment of legendary proportions, and everyone lives happily ever after in this new mish-mash of a family unit. Heck the final scene is a lovely Christmas meal together. I don’t normally like spoiling things but this will eventually make sense.
Now, you may be wondering, why in the hell is this looney toon (me) going on and on about a movie from over a decade ago when the review is clearly supposed to be about the new Bill Murray film, St. Vincent? Well, it’s because I’d happily sign a petition to have the new Murray movie donate a large chunk of its proceeds to the fine folks who made About a Boy. They’re basically the same movie … only I’ll keep re-watching Hugh Grant’s film time and time again because it’s actually good. “Not so” Spoiler Alert: St. Vincent is “not so” good.
This is a shame because I love Bill Murray and having watched a trailer a few months ago, I was hoping this would be a happy 2014 surprise. Sadly, the surprise is that it’s not Melissa McCarthy’s fault. The tone of the movie fluctuates wildly, at times going for something a bit dark while more often than not limiting itself to crass and transparent setups. Young Jaeden Lieberher plays the Hoult role here and he does fine enough. Really, the whole cast didn’t go too far wrong, aside from whoever thought it was a good idea to have Naomi Watts play a pregnant Russian stripper/prostitute complete with a full attempt at an accent.
No, the real problem here is that I spent most of the time wishing I had just stayed home and watched another movie entirely (About a Boy to be specific). Pretty much every plot point I described above was just lifted into the St. Vincent script, with the names changed to protect the innocent of course.
And here’s the kicker, the feature-length movie isn’t necessarily the worst part of the experience. Prior to watching St. Vincent, the audience was held hostage/treated to a Lexus short film (ooh product placement) called Operation Barn Owl or something like that (I honestly don’t care if I got that wrong). This short “film” is literally the cinematic definition of the word “hipster” and is 12-ish minutes of pure hell, including far too many minutes of credits for the poor souls who spent effort making it. Seriously, it’s awful. Not sort of bad. Not bad. AWFUL. I was seconds away from walking out of the theater and foregoing the feature because I’ve got better things to do with my time than be forced to watch a tacked on passion project before a mediocre and hackneyed feature. (Yeah, yeah. First-world problems.)
So, I think you get my drift. Don’t see St. Vincent. You can watch almost any other Bill Murray movie and come out a winner. If the plot interests you, go watch About a Boy. If it doesn’t, stay home. I’m sure you have better things to do than waste $64 on a movie no one should remember next week, let alone next year.
Oh, and About a Boy, About a Boy, About a Boy. (No, I don’t care about your liver.)
GRADE: D
St. Vincent is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including sexual content, alcohol and tobacco use, and for language.
Unbroken, based on the incredible true storry of American hero Louis Zamperini, is one of the sure bets for this coming Oscar season. If you doubt that’s true, just watch the new trailer and tell me it’s not the sort of film that Academy voters love to honor. Based on the bestselling book by Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken was directed by Angelina Jolie and stars Jack O’Connell as Zamperini, Garrett Hedlund, Domhnall Gleeson, John Magaro, Alex Russell, and Finn Wittrock.
The Unbroken Plot:
Academy Award® winner Angelina Jolie directs and produces Unbroken, an epic drama that follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis “Louie” Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII—only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.
Adapted from Laura Hillenbrand’s enormously popular book, Unbroken brings to the big screen Zamperini’s unbelievable and inspiring true story about the resilient power of the human spirit.
Starring alongside O’Connell are Domhnall Gleeson and Finn Wittrock as Phil and Mac—the airmen with whom Zamperini endured perilous weeks adrift in the open Pacific—Garrett Hedlund and John Magaro as fellow POWs who find an unexpected camaraderie during their internment, Alex Russell as Zamperini’s brother, Pete, and in his English-language feature debut, Japanese actor Miyavi as the brutal camp guard known only to the men as “The Bird.”
The cast of familiar faces set for Star Wars: Episode VII has increased by one. Warwick Davis has confirmed he’ll be back in the world of Star Wars with the upcoming film, but he didn’t say what role he’ll be playing. Davis starred in Star Wars: Episode VI – The Return of the Jedi as the adorable Wicket the Ewok (he also was a part of The Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle of Endor TV movies). In addition, he played Wald and Weazel in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
Davis joins a cast that includes John Boyega, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Kenny Baker, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow, Gwendoline Christie, and Lupita Nyong’o. J.J. Abrams directs the new Star Wars movie which is heading to theaters on December 18, 2015.
‘Peter Pan Live!’ Key Art (Photo by: NBCUniversal)
NBC’s showing off this first official poster for the upcoming live musical event, Peter Pan Live!. The key art shows Christopher Walken as Captain Hook looming over a smaller photo of Allison Williams as Peter Pan. In addition to the two actors pictured, the cast of the NBC special includes Christian Borle as Smee & George Darling and Kelli O’Hara as Mrs. Darling.
Peter Pan Live! will air on December 4, 2014 at 8pm ET/PT.
Michael Chiklis as Dell Toledo and Evan Peters as Jimmy Darling in ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ (Photo Credit: Michele K. Short/FX)
The psycho clown’s met his match, Elsa lost control (at least temporarily), and Jimmy found out the road to hell is paved in good intentions in episode two of American Horror Story: Freak Show. The second episode, “Massacres and Matinees,” aired on October 15, 2014 and introduced two key characters – Dell the Strong Man (Michael Chiklis) and his wife, the hermaphrodite Desiree (Angela Bassett) – and found one character hauled off to jail after a plan goes awry.
Characters continue to be fleshed out in episode two, with the reveal of Lobster Boy’s father and the emerging personality of the Dot half of the Siamese twins. Episode two also revealed the psychotic tendencies of a supporting character from episode one and provided additional details on life in the carnival.
Here’s a detailed look back at “Massacres and Matinees,” divided up into carnival and clown segments:
The Twisted Clown Story Gets Even More Twisted:
A toy store worker follows a tiny robot’s trail of blood through the store, unknowingly passing within feet of Twisty the Clown (John Carroll Lynch) who’s frozen in place next to other life-size clowns. As the employee follows the blood to a Halloween display, he finds the murdered proprietor’s head on a shelf. Unfortunately, he doesn’t even have time to scream before the clown stabs him through the throat.
Meanwhile in a much more sedate scene, Gloria (Frances Conroy) and her son, Dandy (Finn Wittrock), sit at opposite ends of a formal dinner table waiting to be served. Dandy’s bored with everything and his mom suggests he needs to meet a nice girl. Dandy hates that suggestion and declares his desire to be an actor. He runs off “in a mood” and the maid tells his mom that she found animal parts – fur and teeth – behind the tool shed and the neighbors stopped by looking for their cat. Of course, we all know what torturing animals leads to, don’t we?
Later, Gloria cruises down the road and spies the clown walking on the side of the road following his latest murder. “Excuse me? Do you do private parties for children? I’ll pay you handsomely for it. My son’s been a little down in the dumps, maybe you can cheer him up,” inquires Gloria. The clown just stares. Seriously, who would pull up next to this creepy mass of clown-ness and want to bring it home with them? Apparently Dandy’s not the only crazy one in the family.
After being turned down by Jimmy at the carnival when he asked for a job, Dandy returns home pissed off and full of hate. Mom tells him not to worry, she’s gotten him his very own clown to do with as he pleases! Dandy and the clown engage in a stare-off as Gloria withdraws from the room. No matter what Dandy does, the clown just stares.
When Dandy suggests a marionette show, the clown doesn’t respond and Dandy takes that as a ‘no.’ “Your silence is utterly provocative, but you’ll have to earn your keep, clown,” he says, offering the clown any toy in the box. When the clown looks through the box, Dandy looks through the clown’s bag and sees something hideous. The clown turns, hits him on the head, and flees the house. Dandy’s only slightly stunned and quickly pursues Twisty through the woods.
Inside the clown’s hideaway, the teen girl in the cage tries to escape but the boy’s given up. She finds a way out and tells the boy to be ready to run. The clown returns, unlocks their cage, and sits down across from his captives. He stares, slowly reaching into his pocket and pulls out the tiny robot. Winding it up, it walks toward the boy. The clown seems sad when the boy doesn’t react to it and reaches into his bag, pulling out the head of the toy store employee.
The kidnap victims scream, she clubs the clown on the head, and they escape to the woods. Unfortunately, she crosses paths with Dandy who tosses her over his shoulder while the boy is held captive by the clown. Dandy tells the clown he’ll have to do a much better job of confinement if they’re going to have any fun, and any thoughts that Dandy had an ounce of goodness in him are dashed.
The Carnival Capers:
It’s a quiet morning at the carnival with everyone going about their chores or eating breakfast while in the city, the shops are vacant. A radio reporter says the town is fearful of the murders and now there is a police detective missing. It’s not surprising when two detectives pay a visit to the carnival, but Elsa (Jessica Lange) turns them away because they don’t have a search warrant. Before leaving they announce they’re shutting things down by enforcing a curfew at sundown.
Later, the freaks throw a feast and toast their killing of the cop, but Jimmy’s not in a partying mood. He’s never killed anyone before and he worries about the detective’s family. At night, Jimmy (Evan Peters), Eve (Erika Ervin), and Paul the Illustrated Seal (Mat Fraser) dig up the body parts so they can burn them, thus getting rid of the evidence. Jimmy reiterates how much he just wants everyone to give them a chance and not judge them based on their appearances.
Dot and Bette (Sarah Paulson) are relaxing outside when Ethel the Bearded Lady (Kathy Bates) tells them to get up and start rehearsing. Dot says they’re not performers but Ethel says they have to sing for their supper. However, their argument is interrupted by the arrival of Dell the Strong Man and his three-breasted hermaphrodite wife, Desiree.
He’s come to beg Elsa for a job and claims the real star of their family is his wife. That leads to a flashback of Dell breaking a man’s neck when he finds him having sex (consensually) with his wife. Elsa wants to know what having a hermaphrodite makes the husband. Dell replies, “The happiest man on Earth.” Even though there’s no money, Elsa believes the place needs a strong male presence and hires them on.
It seems Ethel and Dell have a history, and that history is they were once married and Jimmy is Dell’s son (but Jimmy doesn’t know this).
As rehearsals go on, it turns out Bette is tone-deaf. Jimmy suggests Dot try singing directly to him, and she has a beautiful voice. Dell comes in and reveals he’s planned 3pm matinees until the curfew is lifted but Elsa says no way. “Daytime is for kiddy shows, clowns, and Kewpie dolls,” she answers. Dell says no woman is his boss and the show will go on at 3pm the next day.
Next, we find Jimmy back at the diner but this time he’s brought his fellow performers. The freaks all sit at the counter, ready to order, and Jimmy reminds them about their manners and to use their forks and napkins. Dell’s right outside putting up flyers and when he sees them inside, he’s furious. He forces them to leave and beats Jimmy in front of the group. Jimmy returns to the carnival and tells Elsa Dell’s out of control and is moving forward on the 3pm matinee even though she said no. Elsa’s ready to just let that slide when Jimmy shows her the playbill with her name last. Elsa reconsiders her opinion.
Dot wows the crowd and Bette and Elsa are both obviously jealous of the way the men crowd the stage as she sings. As Dot sings, Jimmy slips out of the tent telling Dell he needs to use the restroom. Shortly thereafter, the police return with a warrant to search the grounds for the missing detective. They ask for Dell’s tent and Elsa points it out.
Nothing’s in the trailer, so they search every tent. Dell knew what Jimmy was up to and removed the evidence he planted in the Strong Man’s trailer and put it (the detective’s shield) under Meep’s bedroll. The police haul away the screaming Meep who, like Game of Thrones’ Hodor, only says Meep in varying levels of intensity. Once at the jail, Meep’s surrounded in his cell by large, burly men who believe he’s a serial killer. Things aren’t looking good for poor live-animal-eating Meep.
Elsa visits Bette while they’re in bed, and as Dot sleeps Elsa whispers in Bette’s ear that Dot wants her sister to feel ashamed and wants to fill her with doubt as to her own worth. Elsa tells her she should be the star, not Dot, and that she believes Dot has a dark soul. Before leaving the room, she places a knife under Bette’s pillow.
Jimmy’s never been drunk before but as things are falling apart, he hits the bottle. Determined to confess, he heads out of the tent at the same time a car pulls up and tosses out Meep’s lifeless body. Jimmy screams in agony, knowing it’s all his fault.
The Bottom Line:
Dandy found a like-minded psycho in Twisty and the pairing of the two should lead to a bloody murder spree that’ll push the boundaries of cable TV. Is it possible Twisty will wind up looking like the sane one when compared to Dandy by the end of the season? Dandy’s not only evil but manipulative and of such social standing that he can influence potential victims into allowing him into their homes without having to sneak in like Twisty. It’ll be interesting to see where the writers take this storyline and how far they’ll let them go into their twisted, sick world before one – or both – exit the show.
“Massacres and Matinees” also gave us a hero to cheer for, if you can get past the fact that he murdered a detective in cold blood. Jimmy’s got a good heart, but he doesn’t plan things well and acts much too impulsively. Still, of all this season’s characters it’s Jimmy, his mother, and the kidnapped pair in Twisty’s hideaway who audiences can actively root for.
And it was shocking to see Elsa allow anyone, much less a man she just hired on, take on such a big leadership role in the carnival. His usurpation of power has ruffled feathers across the freak show community and Elsa has to act soon to take back the reins or lose them forever to this homicidal maniac.
Although we were just introduced to Elsa in episode one, I thought she was represented to be a woman completely in control of her business. Hopefully, this power change won’t last long and Elsa will regain authority over her show.
All in all, “Massacres and Matinees” was a terrific follow-up to the season premiere. Characters were developed and fleshed out and additional potential storylines were put in place for upcoming episodes.
