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I'll be honest: I'm not a hardcore fan of SAW, but I can't deny that the first film won me over. It had a nightmarish, in-your-face quality that made it hard to turn away. What followed, however, gradually turned my curiosity to dust, although I won't say the entire series is a complete disaster. I think it just became stale. Now that I've seen SAW X, I'm happy to report that I truly enjoyed this entry, and even that it might be the most well-crafted film in the franchise. Whether or not it's the best, I leave for you to decide!

One thing that makes SAW X work is the greater focus on story, one with a surprisingly creative and emotional pulse. For once, it felt like the filmmakers really wanted to make a real horror film with a real story. They abandoned most of the wild, overly frenetic visuals that became annoying after a while, and although there were a few of those moments here they weren't overused. The "traps" themselves were also delightfully over-the-top yet surprisingly well-staged and quite scary.

The biggest asset this time was Tobin Bell, who does manage to give the film a little more emotion, and his grounded performance really made this worth the time. I do have mixed feelings about the final act, but the overall experience was a fun and genuinely gripping entry into the struggling franchise that, in the same hands, could open the doors for more sequels like this.

I have to admit that I was surprised at how the fifth season of 9-1-1 turned out, despite some unnecessary (and underdeveloped characters), and a few plots that didn't quite gel, but there was enough to keep me invested, and the 16th episode, "May Day," was one of the season's best.

When 9-1-1 throws a big episode at us, it's usually pretty well-staged and exciting, and this was no exception. The entire burning building sequence was both nerve-wracking and visually impressive, and the resolution between May and Claudette, while somewhat predictable, turned out to be a satisfying one - another reason I became hooked on this show. This episode is definitely a thrilling addition to the show's impressive work.

The final season of Charmed was flawed yet surprisingly creative, and despite being quite a bit darker than previous seasons, it retained a lot of what made the series so endearing. There were some good ideas in this season, some of which landed and some that didn't, and the series finale wrapped up the show with enough style and feeling to compensate for some of this concluding season's missteps.

I was quite surprised by the intensity of the finale. The preceding episode, "Kill Billie Vol. 2," was easily one of the series' darkest episodes The "Forever Charmed" did incorporate a lot more of the humor and heart of the earlier seasons. The time travel element, despite being a tad exhausting (which Phoebe acknowledged with a simple "are you getting any of this?") gave us a wonderful return of much-loved characters, and was surprisingly funny at times. (The moment Piper sees her parents in bed together was priceless.)

The performances were pretty strong all around, with Holly Marie Combs doing some of her best work the entire season, and the bond between the sisters was every bit as engaging as before.

Billie and Christy's story was pretty shaky throughout the eighth season, but thankfully, Kaley Cuoco (now a multiple Emmy Award nominee for THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT) provided enough heart to bring their story to a fitting end, even if the resolution did feel rushed.

All in all the final episode of this beloved series really gave me everything I loved about Charmed. Like most fans, it would've been nice to see Shannen Doherty return, but thankfully Rose McGowan made Paige a truly endearing character from her very first appearance in season four. This is a show I will easily be revisiting, quite often if possible.

I'm generally not a huge fan of television. The "geek" in me lives more in film and music, so I approached DAMAGES with a bit of anxiety. I didn't know much about the series, but when I saw that Glenn Close was the leading lady, I had to give it a shot, and it's a decision that I will never regret.

For starters, DAMAGES isn't like most legal dramas. Rarely does it feel recycled or dull. The actual cases - which provide the backdrop for insanely rich, multilayered characters - are quite fascinating. The time-jumping narrative, which gives the audience small fragments along the way of where the season is going, also proves to be a valuable asset to the show's entire five-season run. The show isn't really about where the stories are headed: just watching how the pieces fit together is a truly exciting experience, and even if a few of the plot threads are either resolved too quickly, or stretched a bit too far, the writing is smart and thrilling enough to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Not much needs to be said about the performances that hasn't already been said. Glenn Close manages to give her character, Patty Hewes, an unexpected complexity. Some of her actions are, indeed, monstrous; yet somehow, Close manages to keep you in the palm of her hand, allowing Patty to hold on to her humanity. She is supported by Rose Byrne, who really does a wonderful job of allowing Ellen to transform throughout the series, and I found it even better that Ellen's tactics weren't always ethical. She's a far from perfect character, which, for me, was refreshing.

I should also point out that every season of DAMAGES features some of the most impressive "guest" supporting performances: names like Ted Danson, John Goodman, Marcia Gay Harden, Martin Short, and Lily Tomlin. Those performances alone are absolutely magical.

Overall, DAMAGES is a genuinely fun ride, stocked with complex characters, nerve-wracking tension, and intelligent stories that aren't afraid to tred morally questionable (and often reprehensible) territory. This isn't a standard "legal" drama, but it's a psychologically gripping experience that does, indeed, have a solid payoff in the end.

How bad is it? That's a question I've been asking myself recently, so out of sheer curiosity, I decided to give it a shot.

Let's just say there's not much I need to say that hasn't been already been trumpeted around the digital universe. This show has many repulsive qualities, including horrible character makeovers that make them genuinely despicable. The comedy is frustratingly dull, and the uninspired attempts to convince audiences that the "jokes" really ARE funny, well, it's a display of egocentric writers (and creators) who believe they are masters of their craft no matter what.

What about the connections to Scooby Doo? They've been incinerated by its creator, who seemed to be channeling her own personal garbage into the title character. There were a few tiny glimmers of good ideas every now and then, but they are very few and VERY far between.

The animation itself is actually pretty decent, but it's nowhere near enough to rescue this lifeless spinoff.

I decided to go ahead and give this one a chance, and yikes, now I see why it's being brutalized by fans.

There are tiny glimmers of promise here and there, but they vanish in the blink of an eye thanks to ridiculously bad technical elements (which looked like they were put together in only a few minutes) and a story that feels like it was pulled out of thin air, with no thought of what came before. That sense of wonder THE WITCHER carried has been completely stripped away, leaving us with a lifeless spinoff whose only function seems to be landing the "creators" a nice paycheck.

And the cast? I feel bad for every single one of them, especially Michelle Yeoh, who is following on the heels of what many have called one of the brightest moments of her career with "Everything Everywhere All At Once."

Just avoid this one at all costs, that's all I can say.

(Just a note: I'm only reviewing the first season here.)

So after a lot of hesitation, I decided to give this one a shot, despite rancid reviews drowning the internet. The result was something far more painful than I had anticipated, and I'm beyond thankful it didn't make it to season 4.

To begin with, the world of Gotham has never felt so flat and unconvincing. Visually, it looks and feels like it was made by former film students who never made it past their first year, and thought it'd be fun to cast their jealous retributions not only on their teachers, but the rest of the world as well. The other technical elements were pretty harsh as well, particularly the Batwoman costume, which looked more like something you would find at a dollar store.

There were a few glimmers of potential throughout the first season, but they were always overpowered by the show's biggest misfires: the casting and the writing. There's not a single performance here that works, and the stories felt completely hollow and devoid of any creative or emotional depth. And don't even get me started on that opening sequence - it soars into another realm of absurdity that I haven't seen in quite some time.

Ruby Rose did what she could, but this was NOT her role. I'm not sure who thought audiences could root for a woman who looks like she hasn't eaten in three years, could barely adjust her vocal tones and carried no emotional resonance whatsoever could suddenly begin tearing into guys five times her size. But that wasn't the biggest issue for me: Kate was just a completely lifeless character. The most cringeworthy performance for me, however, came from Dougray Scott as Kate's father. For starters, his attempt to carry an American accent for more than a few words was simply horrendous, and It didn't help that he was beyond unlikeable and pretty freaking annoying. Rachel Skarsten didn't fare much better either, bringing an equally excruciating over-the-top quality that just didn't work at all.

The bottom line is that BATWOMAN is one of the most bland, poorly written stories with no sense of creativity or believability in its veins. The actors are completely miscast, the action is so uninspired (I think I've seen children throw more effective punches than what we see here), and it feels like the epitome of a network whose only aim is to make money.

I have to admit that I was interested in seeing where the filmmakers would take this one. It carried a cast that was out of this world, and a "meta" concept that had a glimmer of promise. Unfortunately, that concept becomes completely lost in a wildly miscast, humorless and overall lazy production that, in no way, felt like a tribute to the beloved series; rather, it feels like everyone involved figured they would fare better by removing any sense of honor and respect for its predecessor. And, needless to say, it worked: Bewitched takes what could have been a fun and creative update and completely ruins it with a story that felt like it was written by a three-year old.

For starters, the casting was beyond awkward, and occasionally, quite bad. I will give Nicole Kidman credit because she did carry a certain spark that made her appealing to watch, but her character's personality felt way too uninspired - and frankly - far too naive to be convincing. She deserved far better than the script she was given. The biggest casting mistake for me was Will Ferrell. But, I shouldn't have been surprised to watch Will Farrell playing a condensed version of Will Farrell - which turned out to be as entertaining as watching urine travel down the toilet. I'm a fan of Ferrell, don't get me wrong. He's given us some Hollywood gems that still make us laugh. Unfortunately, with the exception of STRANGER THAN FICTION, the man has no range whatsoever. And it gets pretty tiring to watch.

It doesn't help that Kidman and Ferrell have absolutely zero chemistry: a vital element that, in the right hands, may have helped save the movie, but only made the experience even more dull. Speaking of "dull," aside from a few small moments that did make me chuckle, this film is not very funny. It is, in fact, quite boring for most of the runtime.

The supporting cast also basically has nothing to do, and considering the talent involved, it was a complete disappointment. I will admit that Shirley Maclaine was another one of the movie's assets, but like Michael Caine and a terribly miscast Steve Carrell, she has nothing to work with - and in the end, that's what makes this BEWITCHED such a huge disappointment. The ideas were there, and the cast was solid, but they're given no development or any reason to keep you interested.

This is one of those series that had a lot going for it - the cast was pretty solid all around (Roma Downey had the most alluring presence, and Mandy Patinkin portrayed Satan in a surprisingly different light), and some of the ideas had potential to expand beyond the typical "If you trust in God, or ask for forgiveness, God will make everything OK in a matter of seconds" theme. But sadly, that never happened.

The series became dramatically repetitive, sappy, and frustrating as its "messages" of hope and faith were always presented using the same formula: a character goes through hard times, and miraculously comes out of it unscathed when glowing lights suddenly appear above the main characters, and the "angels" begin spitting out the same words, time and time again. For me, it just didn't work at all.

I won't go so far to call this show "horrible." As I said before, the actors were pretty strong, and it occasionally did tread some creative territory, but in the end, it just felt WAY too "Hallmark Channel" for me.

In 1998, director Shekhar Kapur, along with one of Hollywood's most gifted performers, Cate Blanchett, brought new life to one of history's most compelling stories with a surprisingly powerful and entertaining film, ELIZABETH. While stories inspired by history are always going to stir controversy, ELIZABETH found new and creative ways of telling this story through its remarkable visuals and Blanchett's luminous performance. It was a hit with critics, and it landed numerous awards, including a Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, as well as 7 Oscar nominations (Cate Blanchett was also included as a nominee).

So how does the second film, ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE hold up? That's a definitely a hard question to answer, especially given the heavy criticisms against the film. Although it doesn't reach the heights of the original movie, the sheer technical brilliance and another spellbinding performance from Blanchett definitely give this sequel a reason to be seen.

Technically, THE GOLDEN AGE is every bit as beautiful as the first film. The mind-blowing cinematography and costumes were a sight to behold, and the hauntingly beautiful score was put to great use (the 'assassination' scene and the 'beheading' sequence are still as haunting as they were in 2007).

Then, there's Cate Blanchett, returning to the role of Queen Elizabeth, who is now dealing with several new threats to her country and her throne. Her own fears and desires for her own freedom begin to take hold, and Blanchett really succeeds in taking you on that journey.

However, therein lies the biggest problem with this sequel. Elizabeth's struggles should have been the main focus of the film. Instead, the film's plotlines often venture into unnecessary territory, and the final battle wasn't nearly as powerful as it could have been. The addition of several new characters was definitely interesting, with Clive Owen as Walter Raleigh, and Samantha Morton as Mary Stuart being the highlights, but their stories felt underdeveloped and sometimes unnecessary. It felt like the writers were trying to cram in way too much into a two-hour movie, which I think was another one of the film's biggest downfalls.

Overall, this was a flawed but solid follow-up to ELIZABETH, and even if the convoluted plotlines do prevent it from reaching the heights of that film, it's still worth a look, especially for Cate Blanchett's magnetic performance.

When this award-winning film was released in the early 1970's, it's hard to imagine how audiences must have responded. It took a truly vicious approach to storytelling, and a big part of its success came from the well-developed characters: something the vast majority of horror movies rarely have these days. When things take a turn for the worse, thanks to the fact that we care about these characters, the impact is just as brutal and powerful as ever.

THE EXORCIST works on almost every level: from the blood-chilling effects, the superior performances (Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair are still the standouts for me, but the entire cast threw all they had into this), and the overall spooky atmosphere still hits me hard as a 39-year old who knows what to expect from start to finish.

To call this episode among the series' darkest and most heartwrenching hours not only in the show's history, but in television in general, is like saying 'the earth is big.' It is a quietly devastating look at death and grief, and one that truly deserves all of the acclaim from both fans and critics alike.

The episode also incorporates many of creator Joss Whedon's effective technical elements, from the lack of music to the disorienting effects of the camera shots, all of which truly put you in those moments in ways that have rarely - if ever - had such a tremendous effect. The first 10-15 minutes literally had me sobbing like I had never done before.

And the performances? Oh, boy do all of the actors shine here. Gellar gives what can be easily ranked among her best work. Her reactions to her mother's death are never less than heartwrenching, and I felt as if I was right there with her. Then, we see how Buffy's friends react to Joyce's passing, and they aren't entirely sure HOW to react. If there's one stand-out here, it's Emma Caulfield as Anya, who asks this question in a way that just feels absolutely REAL.

"The Body" has been hailed as one of television's finest hours, and the praise is more than deserved. Truly unforgettable.

Like many fans, I had no clue what I was in for. The idea of the cast suddenly bursting into song seemed horrendously stupid. But what I ended up with was a wildly entertaining creation: a character-driven episode that not only pushed the story forward, but was also hilarious, and the music itself was surprisingly catchy.

An absolute joy, and among the series' greatest achievements.