Cecil Miller

I'm pretty excited for the start of the DCU. This was a curious curtain call, but a decent way to bridge the gap between some of the "Snyderverse" era vents that will remain canon, and the new connected stories that will be told. I thought the subjects would be too light, almost campy, considering Krypto the Dog is in this Universe; but in Creature Commandos, we havet we have Frankenstein's monster and his Bride, and animated side boobs and butt cleavage, so it's going to straddle some lines. I've seen only the first two episodes, but I like them so far. Connecting the animation to the movies and other upcoming media is probably going to prove to be a solid Move. It will be DC's third attempt at a connected universe since that questionable Green Lantern movie. The DCEU was an improvement. I hope third time is the charm. I grew up with these characters. I love them.

I liked it, though I do think the idea of a multi-cultural Exorcism was done first, in the spoof staring Linda Blair, called Repossessed. Overall, it is the best produced Exorcism movie since the original from 1973. Ellen Burstyn is underused in this movie, but that is likely do to time constraint. She does not spend much screen time with either of the possessed girls. It almost seems as if her character was unessential to the plot, unlike Laurie Strode who was the center of the Halloween trilogy sequels from the same producers, writers and director as Exorcist: Believer. It is worth the price of admission.

A lot of reviews state this show as having a feminist message. That's fine with me. But I have always considered The Shining, the obvious primary source material, to be a feminist story. Wendy Torrence is quite resourceful in the novel and in the Kubrick movie really comes into her own out from the shadow of her husband. In a made-for-tv movie in the early 2000's she is played strong from the onset of the story. I hope that the subtext of King's work - a woman freeing herself from an alcoholic husband and realizing her self-sufficiency - is not forgotten as the primary story elements are re-imagined for a modern time. After all, it was novelist Tabitha King who provided the female perspective for many of Stephen King's books. In any event, I loved The Shining. I love Courtney Cox as Gayle in the Scream movies. I have high expectations. First Impression: This show is almost exactly the same as season one of American Horror Story(retroactively titled Murder House) The tone is lighter, and of course it is the wife who had the affair and is working from home. There are subtle changes, notably the half-hour format verses AHS's hour long format. The Ryan Murphy seasonal horror anthology had some funny moments, but had not yet found it's perfect blend - focusing mostly on the horror and high melodrama. Shining Vale incorporates more daily dramatic irony punctuated with moments of comedy; and avoids being parody - though so far it is the same plot as American Horror Story. Then again, the secret to American Horror Story is that it is a deconstruct of the horror genre down to it's DNA. I think I can expect the same from Shining Vale.

A Batman story with the same level of truthfulness, even in it's fantasizing as, The Joker. If I did not know they were in different universes, I'd swear this could have been a logical follow-up. I feel it is a spiritual sequel of sorts, as obviously the former movie has influenced the mood of the latter. (In my fantasy, one day the DC multiverse will evolve to allow this Batman to tangle with THAT Joker)