 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Fear Itself
Common Sense Media says
Intense horror show definitely too much for kids.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this horror anthology series delivers a big dose of gore. Many of the episodes are directed by well-known horror filmmakers, who translate to TV the violence and sadism that's so prevalent in the genre. The explicit carnage is toned down for the small screen, but only a bit, and many scenes seem to push the envelope of network standards. It's definitely too intense for kids -- or anyone else who doesn't have a taste for the extreme violence that's common in modern horror movies.
What's the story?
Are vampires real? Or ghosts? What about other undead creatures? According to FEAR ITSELF -- an anthology series that features the writing and directing talents of some of today's top horror filmmakers -- the answer is a resounding yes. These self-contained, one-hour stories generally center on seemingly ordinary people thrust into terrifying situations, with a dash of the supernatural and a double dose of gore, and usually end with a Twilight Zone-style twist. In one episode, for example, four men must spend the night in an old fort, where they uncover a terrifying secret. In another, a private detective visits a haunted house. You get the idea.
Is it any good?
Don't expect anything as entertaining as The Twilight Zone, which depended on clever writing to create thought-provoking situations before delivering twists that hardly anybody ever saw coming. Fear Itself isn't as clever, and it's not at all subtle. The contributing directors -- including John Landis, Darren Bousman of the Saw series, and Re-Animator helmer Stuart Gordon -- rely on violence, gore, and sadism to keep viewers' attention. Though they have to turn the gruesome dial down several notches to make the jump to network television, there's still plenty of disturbing imagery.
Many modern horror films seem engaged in a graphic-violence arms race; how many new ways can you find to dismember a victim? While filmmakers once tried to gradually create terrifying situations that built to a climax, now it seems there's little need to explain why the villains need to torture and murder their victims. The fear now stems from the seemingly random nature of the acts -- anyone, at any time, might stumble into the wrong place, where they'll be beaten, battered, and bludgeoned beyond death. Fans of that kind of horror movie will enjoy Fear Itself, but anyone who has trouble appreciating the current state of the genre (and there are many) will find little to like about this series.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about horror films. How has the genre changed over the years? Films like Dracula and The Werewolf, which terrified audiences decades ago, seem quaint and amusing to today's audiences, while the graphic, sadistic violence that's common now would have been unthinkable in the past. Do you think this evolution was inevitable? Have today's filmmakers gone too far? If not, where can they go next? How much do you think the directors who worked on this series changed their style and content for TV? Why are TV standards different than movies?
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AGE
The scariest thing i have ever seen
This show is terrifing it scared the crap out of me but i still like it deffintely for the more mature. The first episode was about a cannible called the eater and everyone died at the end all thought not that bloody very disturbing. over all its a great scary show but its more of people popping up out of nowhere
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Kid, 12 years old
February 28, 2010
AGE
e.g. Perfect for older kids around 11
Its a fun show for children who can handle blood and such, but not for anyone under 10.
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AGE
Very fun show!!!
Kinda violent but fun to watch with friends
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AGE
Violence with no story
i watched 1 episode of this and hated it. it was gore with no story to it and was boring. i love scary stuff and gore but hated this show. i would say if you like gore 13-14+. one example is something that would happen in a 'saw' movie, sewing someones lips together. lots of blood nd violence with little story.
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AGE
Not a lot of story line but still pretty scary
this is flat out disturbing, i mean a girl sews a guys mouth shut and a cannibal feeds a girl her own tongue. it is very scary but doesn't have much story to the episodes. it is very bloody but if you can handle call of duty and not puke when you see blood its nothing you can't handle. this is a good show if you really want something to scare you if this doesn't watch a steven king movie.
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| TV rating: | TV-14 |
| Network: | NBC |
| Cast: | Brandon Routh, Elisabeth Moss, Eric Roberts |
| Genre: | Drama |
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