I’ve started working on my best of the year list as well as a new article, and there’s a lot I would like to discuss, but in the meantime, let’s talk about some TV and other films I’ve watched recently that I’d want to bring up. 

It: Welcome to Derry, just ended. I’ve been working on this piece for a month or so, as I continued to update it with my thoughts on the latest episode and then the latest. So I figured, I might as well wait for the show to end to share my full thoughts.

I didn’t think the show would go this intensely. I’m not really sure what I expected from the show, and if anything, I had a bit of low expectations, but more so, because I wasn’t aware of what the show was going to be about, truthfully. As someone who loves both It and It: Chapter Two. Pennywise is slowly introduced, but elements of non-italicized It are seen throughout the whole show. The government storyline could be improved, but Pennywise’s (re)introduction is pretty incredible.

The main reason I decided to wait until the show ended was that each episode would end, and I found myself having to come here to rave about it, but the next episode would have an element that would make me upset if I didn’t get to also speak about it. So, to quickly sum those thoughts up: I loved the black and white visuals of episode 6. I still think it’s my favourite episode of the season. Moments into the episode, I quickly had to check the credits. The black and white cinematography grabbed my attention, and even as the red balloon started to bring colour to the show, the rest of the episode also looked spectacular. Thanks to cinematographer Catherine Lutes and director Jamie Travis. They got to bring a bit more of The Shining/Doctor Sleep lore into it as well. It’s pretty incredible. Then came episode 7. Spoilers briefly for those who haven’t seen it, but the episode was a tough episode to sit, and watch through before we even got to Rich’s death.

The finale ties it more together. Reminding us of what comes next, to some capacity, that no matter what these characters do, and who survives and who doesn’t, it all eventually leads to the losers having to suffer through it before eventually and finally getting to kill It, again not-italicized, 54 years later. It also helps reiterate a theme of these traumas we pass on from within our families, but also in the town. I know Andy Muschietti has talked about a supercut of both films, and in a world with recently released to some capacity Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, this director’s cut version of both is possible.

Also, following the same wavelength, in a brutal show that aired on TV/can be found streaming, I loved Noah Hawley’s Alien: Earth. It felt new and refreshing to the franchise while also being a phenomenal Alien project, constantly. As a big fan of some of Hawley’s earlier work, like Legion and Fargo, and also loves a good chunk of the Alien franchise, I was extremely excited at the idea of what an Alien storyline would look like across a season instead of a film. We get to live with these characters a bit more. I’m very happy that it was renewed for a second season. 

I started my annual rewatch of Midnight Mass as well. Even after nearly a dozen watches, it is both a comfort watch and a horror to watch everything fall into place. We’re aware that we cannot change parts of the show, and we are forced to watch it happen. We watch our characters fall in and out of monologues; it’s so beautifully choreographed. To be completely honest, some of the Father Pruitt stuff is very Exorcist-coded, which is going to be interesting knowing he’s working on an upcoming Exorcist film. I think most readers of this site are familiar with how excited we are for any and every upcoming Flanagan project.

Speaking of which, I really wanted to love Shelby Oaks. I thought it was pretty good, but it could have been great! There are moments in the film that feel like a clear and obvious reference or homage to Stuckmann’s inspirations. Nothing is wrong with it, but maybe it’s something more noticeable when the film is being inspected with a different potential prejudice due to being a first-time director. The same is true for other filmmakers, although they often do not face the same scrutiny. 

I’ve been making my way through Twin Peaks, Fire Walk With Me, and Twin Peaks: The Return for the first time this year. I don’t want to call it an “experience” to try and diminish the show or any aspect of it, but some moments in particular are some of the most haunting moments that would have been shown as part of prime time TV. I’m a few episodes away from finishing The Return, and I am not ready to say goodbye to the show yet.

Lastly, before we begin to try to figure out what it means that Netflix owns Warner Bros, but Stranger Things is back! I wasn’t excited because I think I felt as if I had forgotten about the show. It’s just been so long, and so much has happened since the last season aired. Even with the extended runtime, it felt nice to return to this group of friends. Watching the show made me remember and realize how long we’ve all been living with this show and these characters. No spoilers for those who haven’t been able to see the episodes yet, but I am excited to try to find time to watch the final episodes over the holidays.

I’ll be back shortly to talk about my favourite films of the year. I haven’t decided how many films I’ll be talking about, as there are still a few films I want to watch/rewatch before I finalize it, but I’ve started working on it, so I’ll see you soon.