Channel Zero

There aren't too many horror series so I was pleased to find this on HBO. Absolutely loved seasons one and two, especially two. The atmosphere is super creepy and I liked the slow pace. Camera work and lighting, set design etc are very good, as well as the understated acting. The whole package is pretty unique and much more "serious" than for example American Horror Story (atleast the seasons I've seen).

But then season three turned me off completely. Seemed to be geared more towards gore and disgusting visuals. The story is somewhat interesting as well as some scenes are pretty effective, but I had to turn my head away too many times to enjoy the season 3 as a whole. Too bad, looking forward to seeing season 4.

I guess I'm one of the few who loved it, though I've only seen Candle Cove (season one).

The atmosphere is gloomy and dark and has the feel of modern King adaptions such as Castle Rock and The Outsider. It leaves you with some questions, or maybe assumptions, but I feel most good films should. I like to be shown, not told. Most horror fans will enjoy this.

This is an anthology horror series on Syfy and lasted four seasons. Each season is six hour-long episodes dealing with one story. It's a horror series of slow-burning, visually inventive, and hauntingly creepy stories.

First season Candle Cove. In 1988 Iron Hill, Ohio, young Mike lost his identical twin Eddie as the last of five murdered kids. The four other bodies were found without their teeth. The case remains unsolved. Mike Painter (Paul Schneider) becomes a famous child psychiatrist and is haunted by nightmares. He reconnects with his mother Marla Painter (Fiona Shaw) back home. His childhood friend Gary Yolen has been elected sheriff. Gary and his wife Jessica are concerned about their girl Katie. She and other kids are obsessing over an old unseen children's TV show called Candle Cove as before. There is a slow burn going on in the show. It's a struggle to watch week to week but it works much better as a binge. There are shockingly cool horror visuals and ideas.

Second season No-End House. Best friends Margot Sleator (Amy Forsyth) and Jules Koja (Aisha Dee) join J.D. and Dylan on a haunted house tour. It's a popular exhibit named The No-End House in the suburbs at a dead end street with six strange rooms. The group goes in with others and has mind-bending experiences. Margot and Jules stagger out alone. After they leave, they experience ususal happenings in the real world. Margot's dead father (John Carroll Lynch) comes back to life. I'm happy that the characters know that it's not the real world. Margot's dad is the only non-real character that I'm interested in. It's a rather slow burn. The kids do a lot of walking in the empty suburban streets. There are some interesting ideas but it needs more tension. In that sense, it is very much like the first season.

Third season Butcher's Block. There's a stairway to nowhere. Alice is new to the city leaving behind her mother after a troubling incident. Her disturbed sister Zoe shows up. Her new job is to evict people from a rundown neighborhood called the Butcher's Block. It was the home to an old slaughter house run by Joseph Peach (Rutger Hauer).

Fourth season The Dream Door. Newlyweds Jillian and Tom move into their house. They and their friend Jason find a mysterious door suddenly appear in the basement. Jillian finds a disturbing figure from her childhood.

I have found that there are many movies and TV shows out there that go for a lot of shock factor through disturbing imagery/ plot devices and over-the-top gore. Because of these standards becoming more consistent it has become more difficult for me to find actually "scary" or "creepy" movies and TV shows vs just plain disturbing or shocking ones. Channel Zero (Candle Cove) immediately brought a creepy element into the story from episode 1 and carried it through to the end in what I have found was an altogether creepy, thrilling and actually scary story. SYFY knocked this one out of the park I cannot wait for season 2. Take note, Ryan Murphy- this is what a REAL horror story looks like.

Pros: original, genuinely creepy, strong supporting cast, good production values, a dramatic step up from normal SyFy fare.

Cons: pacing, continuity, logic, lead actor and actress are stilted and wooden, dialog is sophomoric, obvious gaps in dialog, poor performances from/direction for the child actors.