Adam Green directed Frozen. I love this movie and find it truly terrifying. I may be the reason that I decide NOT to learn to ski. I’ve accepted it. Horror fans and I generally agree that Frozen is really something special. We then start talking about Hatchet, and a rift forms very quickly. I watch Hatchet once a year hoping like Hell to enjoy it. That’s not to say that I don’t love the concept or even some of the kills. Some of it works, but the overall product leaves me sour. Same thing happens with its sequel. I literally try to watch them over and over again, and I just don’t feel the camp. I don’t get it. I mean… I understand the point of each scene and the painstaking recreation of a “better time” in horror, but it fails for me. Joe Lynch and I get along well. I enjoy the Wrong Turn series and Wrong Turn 2 was fun. It’s a good quality modern day slash and hack gorefest with just the proper amount of potential sexual energy to get your date hot enough to turn the movie off. So my issue isn’t really with either one of these guys. I like them just fine.
Holliston isn’t funny. It just isn’t. The jokes are mostly old hat attempts at humor based on the sitcoms that have done this sort of thing better through out the late 90′s and early 2000′s. Almost self aware sitcoms. If this is a horror program and this is for horror fans boys and girls let’s get a few more horror jokes in there. The relationship humor ain’t working guys. Does Holliston want to be It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia? Does it want to be That 70′s Show? You know what I love about Holliston? The laugh track. I just wish it was timed better or at least used where the show is funny or maybe I wish the show could keep up with just how funny the laugh track would have you the viewer believe it to be.
So that’s my take on Holliston. All apologies to Joe Lynch and Adam Green. I actually have a great amount of respect for your work, so if you glance at this please realize I’m not trying to troll on your thang. I just didn’t work for me. I’ll definitely check out a second season. See if things have evolved. TV series and web series have the luxury of being perpetual works in progress. I hope it evolves. The guest appearances are a plus. It’s nice to see Kane Hodder, Tony Todd and John Landis, but the rest of the show must back it up. Keep trying.
We’re hear to talk about the Blu-ray release itself. I have found the quality lacking in this production from the get go so the quality on the disc itself does not surprise me, but it really should be faulted for that. This is a low budget production in its first season. Buffy the Vampire Slayer had the same issue. Again, let’s give this one time to evolve. (Yes, I like Buffy. Yes, I’m okay with that). The special features will be perfect for fans of the series who enjoyed the promo material leading up to Holliston’s release. It’s a nice snapshot of how the series came to be and how Green and Lynch are exploring humor and not just horror. There are deleted scenes. Behind the scenes. If you like this show, then this is good for a lick and a nibble.
Holiston is available HERE and will be released October 9th.
-Dr. TERROR
Note: Is Dee Snider’s character Lance Rockett named after the band Laaz Rockit? I have no idea, but every time I hear the name Lance Rockett I instantly think of the Leatherface OST.
