HORROR TV YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: SWAMP THING season 1 (2019)

SWAMP THING season 1 (2019)

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Swamp Thing was sadly canceled after it’s first episode aired and before it was even given a chance…and it’s a shame. The ten episode first season nailed so many aspects of the comics and also managed to be one of the better horror shows currently on TV. Was that the problem? Was it too edgy? Right now there are few answers to the questions of why a great first season was also it’s last.

The story takes place in Marais, Louisiana, where an outbreak of some strange illness has occurred. CDC doctor Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed) arrives on the scene to try to find some answers and a cure. She meets eccentric scientist Alec Holland (Andy Bean) who tells her the answer is in the swamps. There they find that someone has been dumping a chemical growth accelerator in the swamp that has had a bizarre effect on the plant life. Alec is murdered in the swamp one night for what he knows and his body is regenerated by the plants into a massive human/plant hybrid..The Swamp Thing (Derek Mears)! Now Holland must not only come to terms with what he’s become, but protect Abby from those who would harm her and protect himself for those who find him a curious object of study.

Written and directed by a number of talents (see list below) Swamp Thing is a fun, atmospheric and delightfully gory show, that takes itself seriously despite it’s comic book roots. The show uses the North Carolina locations very well and the production and set design is perfectly spooky and fitting of the overall tone. There is a lot of action and intrigue as Abby and Holland uncover a conspiracy led by local businessman Avery Sunderland (Will Patton), his chief scientist Jason Woodrue (Kevin Durand) and crooked sheriff Lucilia Cable (Jennifer Beals), who are trying to exploit the swamp for profit. This puts Abby in danger and makes Holland/Swamp Thing a hunted man/thing. The episodes are each slightly under an hour and with the variety of directors and writers, the show maintains a consistent look and tone. The FX are good, especially the prosthetics and the CGI ranges from good to passable with some weak spots here and there. This show had a lot of potential and whatever the reasons for it’s canceling, unfortunately there will be some loose ends that will never get tightened unless, somehow, there is a continuation either by revival or a feature film. Sad, this show had a lot of potential and a strong first season start that was thrilling and enjoyable for comic and horror fans especially.

The cast really click here. Crystal Reed makes a solid heroine in the determined and resilient Abby Arcane. The actress presents a strong, intelligent and caring young woman that makes her very likable and endearing. Andy Dean is good as Holland, thought we only see him in the first episode and a few other spots. He builds a likable character in limited time. Derek Mears shines as the plant hero. He does a very good job giving Swamp Thing some complex emotions as he tries to figure out who and what he has become. He can be fierce and dangerous and yet kind, gentle and very sympathetic. Too bad we can’t see where he could take the character. Mears and Reed also had some nice on-screen chemistry, too. Patton makes a nice villain as the scheming and greedy Avery Sunderland, He’s a man that will kill for what he wants and does. Kevin Durand’s Woodrue is a scientist blinded and made cruel by his work. The post credits scene at the end of the last episode signals a side of him we would liked to have seen more of. The rest of the supporting cast, including Jennifer Beals and Ian Ziering, all play their parts well, A very solid cast for a really well done production.

In conclusion, This is a sad example of studio chaos ending a good show before it had a chance. This had some great atmosphere, a cool horror movie tone, yet didn’t ignore it’s comic book roots. There was some great production design, some spooky visuals and settings and a healthy amount of blood, gore and creatures. One of DC’s best representations of their properties as of late and it’s canceling is as mysterious as it’s swamp setting!

-MonsterZero NJ

Photo Credit: Fred Norris / 2019 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

EPISODE LIST

1. Pilot – directed by Len Wiseman and written by Gary Dauberman and Mark Verheiden
2. Worlds Apart – directed by Len Wiseman and written by Mark Verheiden and Doris Egan
3. He Speaks – directed by Deran Sarafian and written by Rob Fresco
4. Darkness on the Edge of Town – directed by Carol Banker and written by Erin Maher and Kay Reindl
5. Drive All Night – directed by Greg Beeman and written by Franklin Rho
6. The Price You Pay – directed by Toa Fraser and written by Tania Lotia
7. Brilliant Disguise – directed by Alexis Ostrander and written by Andrew Preston and Rob Fresco
8. Long Walk Home – directed by E. L. Katz and written by Doris Egan
9. The Anatomy Lesson – directed by Michael Goi and written by Mark Verheiden, Noah Griffith and Daniel Stewart
10. Loose Ends – directed by Deran Sarafian and written by Erin Maher, Kay Reindl and Rob Fresco

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-MonsterZero NJ

3 and 1/2 (out of 4 ) swamp things.

 

 

 

 

BARE BONES: THE DEAD LANDS

THE DEAD LANDS (2014)

While I admit it was a unique twist to make a film about New Zealand’s pre-civilization Māori tribes and film it entirely in their language, The Dead Lands ultimately is a routine revenge thriller when all is said and done. Written by Glenn Standring and well directed by Toa Fraser, the film follows the betrayal and slaughter of a Māori tribe by the ambitious and power-hungry Wirepa (Te Kohe Tuhaka) and his warriors. Only young Hongi (James Rolleston) and a few tribeswomen survive and the boy seeks to avenge his people by enlisting the help of a “monster” that inhabits the forbidden “Dead Lands”, where no tribes live or dare venture. Hongi finds this “demon” is actually a fierce cannibalistic warrior (Lawrence Makoare) and as the arrogant Wirepa is cutting through the warrior’s domain to save time, he agrees to help Hongi exact a bloody revenge. There certainly is a lot of bloody action, that involves the Māori’s unique weaponry, such as the hand held Mere, but the film also looses it’s momentum and grinds to a halt about halfway through as characters bare their souls. Things do pick up again in the last act for a gruesome showdown between Hongi and The Warrior with Wirepa and his remaining fighters, but ultimately, you realize that, despite the Māori trappings, you’ve seen this all before. I would still recommend checking this out for it’s more unique elements and the well staged fight sequences, but after all I have heard, I can’t deny I was a bit disappointed with how familiar it all turned out to be. There is some nice cinematography of the New Zealand locations by Leon Narby and a cool electronic score by Don McGlashan to accent the film’s story, but a familiar story it is.

 -MonsterZero NJ