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Reviews
Fear Street: 1666 (2021)
Entertaining for what it was
I wasn't expecting much from movies based on the Fear Street novels. They were awful back in the day, and these films were actually a bit of a step up.
You probably shouldn't watch it if a same sex relationship triggers you to go into full on rant mode about "gross" stuff being "shoved down your throat." Like seriously, half the 1 star reviews are people who obviously have a problem with gay people. The relationship at the center of the films is sweet and works well to provide motivation for the main characters to fight the evil in their midst. If it had been a male/female couple these troll wouldn't have had a thing to say about it being "too much."
The first half of this film was probably the worst part of the entire trilogy. Terrible accents and I couldn't buy into the time period because I'm pretty sure that it wasn't accurate as to how people acted and spoke. It picked up again in the second half and came to a satisfying if predictable conclusion, right down to the scenes during the credits. I was expecting it to happen and they didn't let me down lol.
The second movie was the best of the three.
Case Histories: One Good Turn, Part 1 (2011)
Decent; not a terribly faithful adaptation of the book
The basic plot elements are the same as the novel but I don't like how they changed Jackson's character. They took what was a rather refreshing take on your typical ex cop turned detective and made him into yet another cliche of the detached, forgetful male who puts his career above anything else. This is the major issue I have with this adaptation.
There were quite a few changes to how the events unfolded as well, but those were necessary to make Jackson more of a central and involved character. In the novel he's basically one of an ensemble rather than the lead character. He does a bit of sleuthing but the plot basically hinges on a series of unlikely coincidences that all come to a head at the end. It makes a lot more sense for the series to rearrange things the way they did.
Over all, a rather enjoyable watch.