Review of HAVEN

HAVEN - episodes 1-4

2010, supernatural, paranormal, mystery, Steven King,

AUDREY PARKER is an respected, workaholic FBI agent. When a killer, JONAS LESTER escapes from prison and goes to his home town of HAVEN, Audrey's boss sends her there to apprehend him. But Jonas turns up dead, thrown off of a cliff by some powerful, mysterious force. Audrey forms a somewhat uneasy alliance, with NATHAN WOURNOS a local cop who suffers from an inability to feel pain (and is thus subject to multiple injuries, though Nathan himself seems healthy.) The two investigate Jonas' death. Various suspects are checked and exonerated. One in particular, DUKE CROCKER, is a quirky character for whom Nathan has an intense, unexplained dislike, but at one point he saves Audrey's life, so he can't be the bad guy.

Throughout the episode, strange happenings are noted. Audrey is almost killed by a sudden earthquake and is struck by lightning during an unexpected hailstorm. One of the suspects in Jonas' death disappears in a mysterious fog. Audrey, an orphan, finds an old newspaper with a picture of the COLORADO KID, a woman who looks suspiciously like Audrey and who might be her mother. Mention is made of an era in the town's history called THE TROUBLES, which the suggestion that these troubles might have returned.

Hey - something paranormal has to be going on.  Right?

In each of the first four chapters, Audrey and Nathan investigate and resolve a violent supernatural incident provoked by someone who didn't know (at least at first) that they were responsible, and Duke is usually involved in the investigation.  Small clues are dropped as to Audrey's unknown past, the nature of the 'troubles' plaguing the town, and the antagonism between Duke and Nathan, but these take up only a few minutes.

In short, the episodes are predictable.

Nathan's inability to feel pain is an interesting characteristic, but the writers haven't done anything with it, so I wonder why they throw it in. Likewise Audrey's workaholism.

 

The series was inspired by a story, The Colorado Kid, by Steven King. The first installment is the best because you don't know what's going on. Afterwards, it's too much repetition of the same basic theme to keep your interest. I rate it +++.  It will get your pulse up to a jog.

Review of THE CROW - SALVATION

THE CROW-SALVATION

released  2000, revenge, fantasy, supernatural, police corruption
 

 ALEX CORVIS (Eric Mabius), has been falsely convicted of brutally murdering his girlfriend, LAUREN RANDALL. He spends his last hour playing chess with a friend while a guard berates him for not having his lawyer harangue the governor. People outside the prison are calling for his death, Lauren's family hopes they'll get closure, and a CROW flies over the prison. The guards walk Alex to the execution room, and strap him in the electric chair. He proclaims his love for Lauren and his innocence, the guards attach a metal mask to his face, and the executioner throws the switch. But there is a lightning flash on the jail, and Alex convulses for a long time before his head slumps over.

Wheeling the corpse away, guards comment on how his face was messed up from the electrical burns. But when they leave him in a room, he moves a finger, then sits up. His face heals, though with facial scars like K.I.S.S. makeup. The crow leads him out of the prison and to the police evidence room where he discovers that specific corrupt cops were responsible both for his being framed and for Lauren's murder. Then it's just a matter of tracking down those cops one by one, letting them scream in horror at seeing him back from the dead, and then killing them violently. Each one up the line sees the one beneath get his due and knows what is coming. But the head bad-guy presents a special challenge...

This is the third movie in the series. The plots are almost identical--a man and someone he loves is unjustly killed, he is resurrected, and, with the aid of a crow, gets revenge on his enemies. This one is probably the best because you feel the most sympathy for the guy before he dies, and so exult with satisfaction when he wastes the malefactors.  

Alex's last name, Corvis, means 'crows' in Latin. That's the most subtle part of the film. Plotholes abound and the characters are all two dimensional. The movie is almost entirely made up of one scene of outraged vengeance after another. There is no instructive message or spiritual insight. But it's a great movie for working out. I give it +++++. It will get your pulse up to a sprint. The other Crow movies are also worthwhile for working out, but after a while the repetition gets tiresome.

Review of DOMINION

DOMINION (Episode 1-6)

Fantasy, apocalyptic, angels, savior, supernatural, chosen one

ALEX LANNON, is a soldier on patrol outside the walls of the fortified city VEGA (formerly Los Vegas).  Inside a casino, he finds three creatures with eyes as black as a billiard 8-ball. These are lower angels, (known as 8-BALLS) who, in the recent war against humanity, have taken over human bodies because they didn't have bodies of their own. Alex kills one, and one escapes. When Alex returns to the city, he is admonished by MICHAEL, the one archangel who helped humanity in the way.

The war started when GOD, whom the angels call FATHER, disappeared some years back. The archangel GABRIEL, Michael's brother, decided that humans were the cause, and so tried to kill everyone on Earth. Thanks mainly to Michael, Gabriel's forces are now severely weakened, but are still a threat.

The city of Vega itself is a hotbed of intrigue and politics. GENERAL EDWARD REISEN, having directed the war that defeated Gabriel's angels, is the main powerbroker, and seems to be a generally sincere person. CONSUL DAVID WHELE is Edward's main opponent, and is primarily interested in his own welfare. CLAIR REISEN is Edward's daughter, and is almost too noble to be realistic. Edward has ordered Clair to marry David's son, WILLIAM so the two competing factions of the city can unite, but Claire is reluctant, partly because she loves Alex, and partly because William is slime (though how bad he is doesn't become clear right away.) Throw in a competing city, HELENA (formerly La Jolla) where women rule, a predicted savior of humanity, and a few other elements, and you have most of the ingredients for the stew.

Archangel Michel(played by Tom Wisdom) is to me the most interesting character.   He projects a poise and self-control that is, well, angelic. Gabriel, on the other hand, is just like a human jerk.



Like many series, there's titillation but no tits. What bugs me are scenes where a man and woman have just had sex, but when she sits up, she covers her breasts with a sheet. Really?  Like he's never seen her before?

There's some good stuff here, especially for people who like supernatural stories. The pilot episode is the best (no surprise there), but the following episodes are also good. There's lot of physical and verbal confrontations--angel-angel, angel-human, human-human--and several ongoing and competing themes from episode to episode. You know Gabriel won't destroy humanity, but why did God leave, and will he come back?  Who will Clair marry?  Will David take over the city?

I give this series  +++.  While working out, it will get your pulse up to at least a jog.