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Locke and Key – Welcome To Lovecraft Review

Published

9 years ago

January 3, 2015

Like every other comic book fan in the world I have heard great things about Locke and Key. Today I finally started reading it some time after the final issue was released. I began and finished reading the first volume today, burning through all of the issues in one sitting. It is as good as they say, it’s some of the best writing I have read in comic books and it is done with a truly cinematic flair.

Locke and Key is pure horror genius, there may not be a more frightening comic out there. Locke and Key has a gothic tone that is present in both the writing and the artwork. The art has an odd yet effecting style, I don’t know if are aware of The Uncanny Valley hypothesis or not but it is relevant here. The idea is that humans relate to a character that is artificial only if it is human looking but a little bit off. If an animated character is too human it has an eerie effect and it brings the audience out of the character as their brain looks for the features of it that aren’t like us. Animating a relate able and identifiable character for the audience to empathise with is about getting a balance of human elements and something else that makes it a little bit off. Gabriel Rodriguez has got it right in this one, he doesn’t draw characters perfectly anatomically correct because he doesn’t need to. We don’t notice that we just notice how excellently emotive he makes them. These characters are so easy to connect to because of how well he can draw emotion into the character’s eyes. This is where the Uncanny Valley theory comes in, we don’t notice what is wrong about the characters, because they are a little bit wrong but so human we connect with them.

We have to also talk about Joe Hill, he is a genius. I know I keep using that word but its true, Joe Hill, the son of Stephen King is a master at writing dialogue and an intricate story. These characters were so raw and so real, its amazing to think that a person can have so many real people in his head ready to place into a story. There were times where a character would say something that was like a punch to the gut, or a villain would say something that would send a shiver down your spine. There were even times in this comic where a character would say something that made me laugh which is also amazing given how gothic and glum this story is. Joe Hill also has an excellent writing skill in that he knows how to create a cinematic moment for the artist to create.

The concept of the keys and the locked door leading to endless possibilities is a fascinating one, it is an incredibly unique concept that has a lot of mileage. This premise is amazing, the writer has created a really fascinating mythos that make me want to learn more about this strange back story of dark magic. If you think that so far this doesn’t sound scary you are wrong, trust me. The strong writing making us identify with the characters alone makes this story scary as when the shit goes down you are terrified that these characters that you have come to care about might meet a terrible fate. The visuals pull no punches, not shying away from some quite brutal stuff making the danger of the antagonist very real. Which is why when the villain gets loose again in the final issue, the audience really is afraid of him. There is also a kind of jump scare which is amazing given that the format is that it is a comic book.

The issues are really well paced, building up the tension more and more, issue by issue as the villains get stronger until the shit finally hits the fan in the climactic final issue. I cannot wait to read the other volumes, I might do a review of each volume given how good this series is and how much I enjoy writing about it. The fact that I have got my thoughts on the general stuff such as art and writing style out the way in this review means the review of volume 2 can be more about my thoughts on the events and plot itself of that instalment. So if you are more interested in discussion on the actual story, not just the basic surface level stuff stay tuned for my review of volume 2: Head Games which will be more in depth and will no doubt talk more directly about the story.

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Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

Published

12 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

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Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

Published

13 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

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BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

Published

13 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Cameron McFarland

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.