Wonderful to have had a special for Halloween, normally only the case that a show spawns a Christmas special, but in keeping with its macabre nature, a Halloween special was fitting. Done in the style of a portmanteau, we get a series of mini stories which combine to conclude at the finale. Most of the main characters return, and the stories are all great, a mix of comedy and horror, the comedy being as black as it comes. I loved the David story, the costumes he and his mum wore were awesome, but the highlight surely has to be the Mr Jelly story, sure it's scary, but there's a tragic realism to it. Eileen Atkins is as sublimely sinister as always.
2 Reviews
Surprisingly good fun
MikeRydal9 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Dark humour has now become the trademark of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton (plus Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson to a lesser extent), and they deliver this brilliantly.
The horror aspects of Psychoville are definitely inspired, references to "The Ring" "The Eye" "American Werewolf in London" and other high profile horror movies are ever-present. This said, all the stories are original and entertaining. The humour is darkly twisted and witty. These are blended together to create a great Halloween treat.
On the downside, the humour is very dark, which could be viewed as bad taste to some, which makes this a potential hit or miss. The other downside was the lack of explanation from the first series' cliffhanger ending. This Special takes places parallel to the final episode of Psychoville the series, and adds even more mystery to the outcome of the cast. A bit annoying for those who have waited for answers.
This was still a great watch, some great stories, genuine horror and dark humour. I think it would of worked better as a made for TV movie than a 2 part mini series.
The horror aspects of Psychoville are definitely inspired, references to "The Ring" "The Eye" "American Werewolf in London" and other high profile horror movies are ever-present. This said, all the stories are original and entertaining. The humour is darkly twisted and witty. These are blended together to create a great Halloween treat.
On the downside, the humour is very dark, which could be viewed as bad taste to some, which makes this a potential hit or miss. The other downside was the lack of explanation from the first series' cliffhanger ending. This Special takes places parallel to the final episode of Psychoville the series, and adds even more mystery to the outcome of the cast. A bit annoying for those who have waited for answers.
This was still a great watch, some great stories, genuine horror and dark humour. I think it would of worked better as a made for TV movie than a 2 part mini series.
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