Dead of Summer: Un été maudit

Not going to lie, but I really thought this was going to bomb. Not in reviews, but in execution. And it was surprisingly good--almost great. I watched both episodes 1 & 2, and trust me, it may have cliché' aesthetic but it puts a refreshing spin on it. It is comprised of a lot of 80s horror movie easter eggs so look out for those. It's good to see Zachary Gordon acting in something decent, and to see Tony Todd (for anyone born later in the 90s, a.k.a Candyman) on the small screen. The characters all have archetypes that we're familiar with, but with motivations the show has yet to dabble with. Not to mention I couldn't tell it was set in the 80s until I saw the ol' camcorder. So far I'm keeping this series on my recommend list. You want something dramatic, yet not overbearingly serious, (and you're not butthurt about "cliches") give this a shot.

OK, so it's not Scream the original movie. It's not smart or sophisticated and it's not a fresh and exciting new take on an old genre. But if you let go of all your preconceptions and expectations, it CAN BE something else. It can be a summertime guilty pleasure; and that's not at bad thing at all. Because it's actually pretty easy to be entertained by something you don't expect much from… and if you do that with this show, you give it the potential to deliver.

First, everybody has something to hide so by the end of episode 2 you know that much of what you've seen isn't what it appears to be. Sure, it's been done before but in some cases, and with these people, the humans are just as scary as the ghosts! If nothing else, trying to figure out who's going to mess with whom and why can actually end up fun. Or, put another way, let the backstabbing begin and just try to follow the knife!

So what if the history of the camp has been seen and done before in any number of ways. We haven't seen it done with Tony Todd, who floats through the show like an avatar of death and destruction without giving the viewer enough knowledge yet to be certain of why he does it or what it actually means. So, bad guy? Yes. In this context? No way to know yet.

And by the end of episode 2 it would also appear that filing this show away in a box marked "guilty pleasures 2016" might not be a half bad idea. So give it two episodes, get out your popcorn and surrender your disbelief, cynicism and critical analysis. Don't try to take it apart, take it for what it is and enjoy the ride. It's not brilliant, surreal or groundbreaking. But neither is a trip to the old state fair and we enjoy going to that every year in spite of it all!

I was expecting some Camp Crystal Lake Gorefest and I am glad I gave it a watch because it's not like that at all. Sure, it's the same type of theme, but it's very well done. There is actually little gore and there is a lot of character development, especially when we learn the pasts of Alex and Drew - very well-played out. I will continue to watch this show and have not yet missed any episodes. It's also kind of neat that it takes place in the 80's, with Bowie music and all. Give this a chance - it's not worthy of an Emmy, but it is pretty creepy and atmospheric with good character development. But the girls need bigger hair - it's the 80's!

PROS:

-THE ENDING. The last three episodes are television golden in his most pure representation. It´s full of twists, unexpected revelations and a satisfying resolution.

-A good story overall, with decent performances.

-It was cancelled. I know it sounds wrong but this show it's better in just one season. I don't think a second season would have been good, after all this season has a good conclusion.

CONS:

-Really slow and some things are a little bit predictable at the first episodes. Overall the part of being slow it's because making a horror show focusing on a camp with 10 episodes feels like a lot. This show should last maximum 8 episodes.

-The acting was just decent. Must of the cast is forgettable.

If you like summer camp slaughter movies then this could be for you. Admittedly it takes a certain type of audience to like this movie and being someone that grew up on Friday the 13th, Slumber House Massacre, and Sleepaway Camp, I fell right into this category. If you're not in this category, odds are you'll be offended at the idiocy and lack of depth of the characters.

People who used to love these types of movies know the characters are the way they are so the viewer feels a level of joy when they finally get what they deserve.

The lead females in these stories always start off weak and eventually find the strength needed to survive. Usually this is straight forward in most of the genre, except a few exceptions like Angela in Sleepaway Camp.

The only real concern I have here is, they will add to much space between deaths in order lengthen the show.