Reviews
[TV Review] “Castlevania’s” Second Season Deepens the Mythology and Begins the War Between Vampires and Humans
The second season of the Netflix series refines its formula and delivers another love letter to the gothic horror video game franchise!
“The suffering doesn’t really matter to me anymore—only the death. Only the death matters now.”
Castlevania’s first season made a strong name for itself and proved to be a video game adaptation that demanded to be taken seriously, but season one really felt like an extensive prologue to what this Castlevania series would become in its sophomore year. Season one concludes with Trevor Belmont and prolific magic user, Sypha, joining forces with Dracula’s son, Alucard, after a grueling battle. The trio resolves to take down Alucard’s dad and now the show can finally let them kick ass as an eclectic monster-fighting team. Naturally, Dracula is also more prepared than ever this year and wields a number of new dangerous relics and allies at his disposal. These new complications bring out the best in the show and indicate the scope of a Castlevania series once the heavy lifting is out of the way.
Curiously, this season’s beginning charts back to the days of the Inquisition where a naïve Lisa Tepes, Dracula’s second wife and Alucard’s mother is persecuted for being a “witch.” More than anything the scene is meant to accentuate the power of Dracula and it’s incredibly effective in that regard. The scenes that he’s in are electric, but these moments where others speak of him in fear are just as intimidating. Castlevania absolutely nails scenes like this that honor these characters storied reputations from the game series. At the same time, this scene also reinforces this season’s mission statement and Alucard and company’s goal to avenge his mother’s death and end Dracula’s unholy rule. They both fight in Lisa’s name, but with diametrically opposed goals.
Dracula prepares his undead army for their attack on Wallachia on the one-year anniversary of his wife’s death, while Belmont, Sypha, and Alucard prepare to prevent humanity’s extinction. Curiously, this season really fleshes out Dracula as a character and tries its best to create sympathy for the tyrant as it simultaneously intensifies the fight against him. Word to the wise, don’t besmirch Lisa’s name around the guy.
Furthermore, Hector and Isaac, Dracula’s two (human) generals, but also his must trusted individuals, perhaps in spite of how they support a mission to wipe out humanity. The season provides them with their own respective spotlights to shine and provides some warped backstory for them both while not getting indulgent in the area. Popular recurring villain from the game series, Carmilla, also lends her support to the Lord of Darkness.
Perhaps the most fascinating element here is that there are demons amongst Dracula’s army that begin to second-guess their leader’s endgame. Not everyone thinks that a blanket extermination of humans is the best plan and these thoughts of mutiny bring the tension to a boiling point around the undead. They also have a ridiculous zombie/vampire dog that’s a lot cuter than it has any right to be (he even gets a backstory!).
Castlevania’s first season was about developing each of its core characters, their specific goals, and their individual powers, but this year really gets to let loose and have fun with everyone kicking ass as a team. This season digs more into character development and tortured backstory for these demon slayers, which works as a welcome balance to the high-paced action that season one helped establish.
The awkward team dynamics on both sides of this war are also enjoyable to watch play out. The show’s wry sense of humor is back and it’s surprising how funny this show can be at times. At the same time, simple scenes where Trevor, Alucard, and Sypha chew the fat and wax on about nothing, in particular, are surprisingly deep. Audiences may be hungry to watch these characters hack and slash their way to victory, but it’s just as satisfying to watch them grow closer as friends, even if Trevor doesn’t fully trust Alucard. Dracula’s son asserts his awesomeness early on and proves what an asset he is to Trevor and Sypha, but most of the fights this season are over far too quickly. But hey, the Morningstar shows up!
Castlevania’s second season also retains the operatic pacing that was present in the first season. Episodes will slow down to allow characters to get melodramatic and introspective, but thankfully there’s twice as much to this season as the show’s freshman year, which definitely helps on this front. However, there’s a bit of an imbalance when it comes to the more thoughtful moments of exposition and the chaotic battles. It feels like action takes a backseat to world building and story development for the majority of this season.
That being said, the final two episodes feature more action than the previous six episodes combined. Many of the season’s best and most bad-ass moments (particularly ones that feature Sypha) are reserved for the final installments. Castlevania’s second season rewards its audience with dessert for eating its vegetables and the finale is full of exciting developments. Wallachia really gets played as a Westeros surrogate this year and the show leans into the Game of Thrones angle especially hard. This may irritate some, but frankly it makes sense for such ancient archetypes of good and evil like humans and vampires to play into such Shakespearean levels of betrayal and strategy.
When it comes to the series’ animation, the show still looks pretty impressive. Some of the best moments here are from subtle touches that aren’t even important. There’s an incredible bit where Dracula’s castle teleports to the forest and the sheer force of its arrival causes the gusts of wind to shear the skin clear off of a deer. The voice work in the series remains amazing and even ancillary characters embrace their roles with such passion. Can we get Graham McTavish to read the audiobook of Bram Stoker’s Dracula already? He has such fun in this role and relishes every syllable of his dialogue. Warren Ellis’ scripts are also perfect in their gothic, classical nature. They capture the energy of old serials as well as faithfully honor the lore and action of the video game series.
Adi Shankar and his team have put together such a loving tribute to the video game series (there are some real obscure Easter Eggs from the games included this year), but Castlevania is also just a triumph for horror series and animation in general. The show’s second season expands upon the formula that worked back in season one and creates a captivating companion piece to the previous year. Castlevania’s second season may occasionally become too slow for some, but the heights that it hits are so high that it’s hard to begrudge it for its lethargic pacing (most of the season is spent in one location). If you were a fan of season one, there’s absolutely no reason why you won’t fall in love with these new episodes.
There have been reports that this season would conclude this installment of the Castlevania anthology, but a third season has already been greenlit and is underway. It’s unclear if season three will chronicle another chapter that involves Trevor and his team, or if it (and a hypothetical season four) could shift its focus to Simon Belmont or any of the other many characters that comprise the rich, sprawling storylines from the Castlevania universe. Adi Shankar and Warren Ellis have created such an impressive world here that they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt, regardless of whichever direction that they decides to take the series. The moon will be full. The blood will be flowing. And the whips will be cracking. Does anything else really matter?
All eight episodes of “Castlevania’s” second season will be available to stream on Netflix on October 26th.
Books
‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans
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.
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