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[TV Review] “Preacher’s” Third Season Digs Up Its Family Tree, For Better and For Worse

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This review is based on the first three episodes from ‘Preacher’s ten-episode third season.

‘Preacher’s back, baby! The series takes its time to get rolling this year, but the work put into the show’s characters primes it to be their strongest year yet!

“Welcome home, Jesse…”

AMC’s Preacher has turned into one of the more interesting vehicles on television. Many people were skeptical that Garth Ennis’ aggressive comic series could be done justice as a television show. Now, three seasons in, the television adaptation has proven that it’s even weirder and more fearless than Ennis’ source material. At the same time, Preacher has no interest in pleasing the hardcore fans or to become accessible for the Preacher virgins. This is a show that is completely unapologetic and is only interested in pleasing itself. Better strap in and brace yourself for the crazy ride. Preacher’s first season was painfully slow for some viewers and then the show’s second season was too bonkers and insane for other people. There are many different “versions” of Preacher, but the show’s third season feels very much like a mix of the first two seasons’ sensibilities, but with a hearty dose of horror thrown in for good measure, too.

The show’s third season premiere, “Angelville,” spends most of its time on the revival of Tulip and the cost involved with bringing her back (surprise, she doesn’t remain dead, you guys). Tulip’s always occupied an interesting role within this show, but it becomes even more layered this season when she becomes specially tasked with a particular job from someone important.

Furthermore, an aspect of the show that’s always been bubbling under the surface, the love triangle between Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy, only intensifies this season. Cassidy becomes more dead set on his love for Tulip and it’s fascinating to see this trio remain together, but each of them for different, self-involved reasons.

Around all of the hearty character development, there’s also the pulse of a new apocalypse that’s brewing. This pivotal event seems to depend on Jesse’s ability to reclaim his soul and matters become especially dire when God announces some sort of contingency plan that he’s got in place. That being said, the larger end of the world machinations stay in the background while the focus is very much more on Jesse’s familial relations and the metaphorical hell he’s found himself in before the world falls into actual hell.

That metaphorical hell is Jesse’s home of Angelville, which should come as no surprise if you were paying attention towards the end of last season or have seen a second of promotional materials for this season. Jesse’s family and their history in Angelville are very much the focus, at least for the first chunk of the season and it makes for a refreshing, if not flawed, change of pace.

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In the past, Jesse’s expressed severe trepidation over returning home and although there have been tastes of this through flashbacks, it’s now satisfying to marinate in that dread. Gran’ma Marie, Jodie, and T.C. are all deliciously awful individuals and it’s painful to watch Jesse have to spend a single minute with them. Naturally, as Jesse begins to feel more at home and regress into old ways, Tulip and Cassidy start to worry over Jesse’s state of mind and how much he may be regressing. It plays a lot like Legion’s incredible second season where the heroes legitimately don’t know if their leader is good or bad anymore and even the leader begins to lose sight of where they stand. It makes for a compelling narrative and pushes Jesse to his most challenging territory yet. Every new dreadful secret about Angelville that gets revealed is terrible in a whole new way.

The addition of Angelville and Gran’ma Marie also bring voodoo magic into the series in a big way. This isn’t that ridiculous of an idea when stuff like soul stealing happens on the regular and God dresses up like a dog. That being said, this voodoo is played for horror rather than laughs and it leads to some particularly terrifying scenes that hint at a formidable new villain. For those that are fans of the comics, there’s a lot to look forward to here, but it’s also exciting to see the series veer off of the source material in creative ways and also find excuses to go even deeper with it all. The show presents a particularly creative take on Purgatory that acts as a strong reminder of just how unique this show is.

The beginning of this season takes its time and slows down in Angelville to make this detour feel significant. Accordingly, there’s a tunnel vision of sorts on the show’s main trio while other characters like Arseface or Saint of All Killers are absent for the first stretch of the season. This hurts the season to some degree, but the audience is allowed no escape from Angelville, just like Jesse and company. Surely these supporting characters will play a large role in the back-end of the season.

Preacher’s third season doesn’t begin with a bang, but it does double down on the characters and relationships that make this show work. There’s a large game in play here that’s ready to test all of these characters more than they ever have before. This season may turn to a few familiar plot devices, but the beginning makes for a strong start to what’s already a very emotional season. Hopefully, everyone will still be left standing before the year is through.

And remember guys, don’t eat the swamp consommé.

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Daniel Kurland is a freelance writer, comedian, and critic, whose work can be read on Splitsider, Bloody Disgusting, Den of Geek, ScreenRant, and across the Internet. Daniel knows that "Psycho II" is better than the original and that the last season of "The X-Files" doesn't deserve the bile that it conjures. If you want a drink thrown in your face, talk to him about "Silent Night, Deadly Night Part II," but he'll always happily talk about the "Puppet Master" franchise. The owls are not what they seem.

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

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In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.

The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.

Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.

Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.

For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.

Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.

One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.

At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.

You can order your copy now.

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