The Viewing

I 'm so into P. Cosmatos mythology and aesthetic, and so pleased for G.de Torro choosed him for this episode. I think Autopsy and The Viewing elevated the entire project, and added the pure and simple "horror" matter which others episodes just don't, unfortunately. Welles act is solid and charming, his mature period seems ideal for arthouse/gringe films. There is no horror without funny moments and here they are some. The gore is totally nostalgic, reminds me classic 80s/90s style fx and everything sinking visually into a deep deep red color on the screen, something P. Cosmatos seems to like a lot. Well, me too. Music also was fine. Analog synths rules!

This had so much potential but then I feel like it went completely off the track and took a hard turn for the worst.

Even though it's a slow burn I was interested to see why these people were here, what reasons or skills did they possess to be chosen? The vibe of the beginning is very surreal, beautiful cinematography and intriguing story... Why does Hector not get to discuss his story about the gun? What skills does this guy want to get from his guests? How does he have the power to grant them whatever they want?

But then The hard left turn happens. It's like a completely different story. Very typical monster movie, with a confusing ending that makes zero sense. Why would any of this happen the way it does? No one can tell you because it's as if they had one person write the beginning and another the ending without letting either of them see what's being written. Then they just smash it together and call it a day. Such a waste of potential plot.

First of all, dig the late 70's, early 80's vibe, exaggerated as it may be. You can definitely tell the director is the same one who directed Mandy. Its mind-altering, colorful, visual schemes, with vibrant fun sets, and with odd audio tracks to give it a real psychedelic ambience.

But the main reason I was drawn to this episode, and why I chose to view it as the second in order of episodes in season 1, was from all the negative reviews complaining about how the episode was dull and its twist was too abrupt and unsettling. Personally, I found it enthralling. It's filmed almost as if the audience is a 5th unmentioned guest.

Really cool to see Peter Weller in this episode, he does a great job. And it has some rather titillating dialogue, some of which was rather deep, and some of which flew over my head, but still kept me interested. Until it reached a point where it seemed like it was trying too hard to be esoteric to "wow" the audience into thinking "whoa, that's some heavy s@#$ right there!" as if to only impress stoners and believers in outer astrology.

Also, just wanted to say, Eric Andre usually bugs the crap out of me. Most things I've seen him in, from comedic performances to guest appearances, makes me want to quit watching tv. But he did a pretty good job here, and wasn't his usual obnoxious self. And the other actors did alright too.

There were even some funny moments. It's weird, sure. And CGI use may be too heavy. Oh wait, then it doesn't seem to rely on it too much, and the "creature" ends up being rather horrifying and freaking awesome. It's rather refreshing, and different. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Unfortunate many do not feel the same, but if you love weird, and if you loved the director's other works like "Mandy" or other crazy stuff like "Color out of Space" with Nicholas Cage, "The Void," "Glorious," or "Annihilation," then this is something you gotta see.

Guys, I rarely review anything in IMDB, this was good enough for me to do that.

We all agree The Autopsy is the best, yeah okay, but this was 2nd for me. I was all in for the 70s vibes, the lo-fi synthwave soundtrack, the golden everything, so much so that I forgot it was a horror show (in the best way of sucking you in with so much mysterious intrigue), then I was reminded it was in a very satisfying way, as I am a huge fan of horror that depicts the punishment that human curiosity and adoration can bring.

I don't know, I was just on the hook from the beginning. Just try to have fun guys, alright?

Lionel Lassiter, a mysterious über-rich recluse (Peter Weller) invites a group of over-achievers to his other-worldly mansion to expand their minds before viewing an inexplicable object. The idea of inviting a disparate group of experts from the arts, para-normality, or theoretical physics to examine an object that is completely beyond the ability of the physical sciences to explain is interesting but this showy yet tedious story doesn't do much with the concept; instead we spend a lot of time watching disagreeable people getting stoned before the story toggles over to a derivative horror climax coupled with an pointlessly lengthy car ride. Set design and cinematography are imaginative and well-executed but largely wasted on an undeveloped story that seems to rely on mood and pretentious dialogue to fill three-quarters of the running time.