I have come to the conclusion that perhaps I should learn the basics about SEO, (Search Engine Optimization) which means that you will be seeing more titles like this. I am going to be dabbling in making lists of the frightening, discussing the "how-to" of horror, and revealing secrets from behind the camera. Work buddies urged me to take a dive into this world of mystery, occult, and procedurals many months ago. I found that the first season of True Detective is a pleasant surprise. There's a vastness of the plot that is explored thoroughly due to the series format, as opposed to a film. I enjoyed the performances so much that I think everyone should go along on this journey into the cosmos of crime. Come and discover why you, a fan of Horror, will come away from True Detective feeling full.
Limerick of the week:
"Two detectives in Louisian-a
Stumbled upon a cult of Satan-a.
Consuming their women, and wine.
While the killers hide in plain sight.
We call that American-a."
Woody Harrelson
This man is known for being able to outperform those he works with. There are so many films in which he has blessed us with his wit and charm, Natural Born Killers being one of my favorites. The character of Detective Marty Hart is tried time and time again in True Detective. This show has the audience thinking that Marty is a family man and that he may be in the beginning, but Marty's conviction is pushed to his limits and Woody does a brilliant job with locking that jaw, furrowing that brow, and investing in his character so much that we're there beside Marty. This case may ruin his life, but his partner, Rust, won't let him get away that easily.
Matthew McConaughey
Detective Rustin Cohle won't rest till he gets to the gritty underbelly that is the Louisiana bayous. Rustin Cohle plays an ex-undercover detective who has now found his way to the "shit-list" where he has to partner up with straight-edged Marty Hart. McConaughey is not shy of horror himself. He's been in familiar flicks like Frailty and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation where both performances are quite memorable. McConaughey brings a sociopathic element to the film that escalates his character to the point of a true revelation.
The Soundtrack
The soundtrack to this series is everything to be expected and some. I love me some southern rock, so when you match that up with a plot about the occult, man, it doesn't get much better than that. We're talking Johnny Cash, Steve Earle, John Lee Hooker. Every artist contributes to the swampy, dark, and eerie feeling that permeates this series about loss, and retribution.
The Louisiana Bayous
I've never been to the south, so believe me when I tell you, that I'm deathly afraid of that side of the U.S. People are made harder down there. You can't just go strolling through the forests as we hipsters do up here in the great NW. You may have a run-in with a gator, be hunted by a Satanist, or sink in some quicksand. I'll say that again; you can sink in quicksand! It's really there. The bayou trees envelop the mysterious cabins and the underground meth railroad. There's a scene towards the end of this season that shows us the inside of a shack, and we're looking through a window out to the overbearing branches outside, yet inside, the walls are scrawled with some hard-to-understand symbols. It is all very ominous, and I give it to the set designers and the location of the script for making this feeling as powerful as it can be.
The Occult Undertones
The second most frightening thing, behind quicksand, is the Occult. This series plays hard and loose with the symbolism. I don't want to spoil anything here, and I spent a good amount of time re-writing this paragraph not to. You've just got to go and discover the mystery for yourself.
Final Thoughts
This series is a three-way mash-up between the film Se7en, Of Mice and Men, and The Wicker Man. This show is procedural, like CSI or Law and Order, but a procedural has never felt so right. The pacing is spent with these two detectives and their home lives, them talking to the "chief", and finally a break in the case. We're led to believe that the ending to this series hasn't proven or disproven anyone. We're all just space dust in a weird way.
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