Humor and horror is in the DNA of the new series ‘Stan Against Evil’ on IFC.
You haven’t seen a show like Stan Against Evil (IFC) that has such a zany premise in a while. I know some will compare this to Evil Dead: the Series on (STARZ) but this show is walking it’s own path. At first glance it looks like comedy series with a few scary bits in it to shock the audience but from the first moment when we meet former Sheriff Stan Miller (John C. McGinley) who’s retired and comes back to a home missing his wife this horror comedy has a core of missing your other half. Stan is a man bereft who has to navigate a world that has done a 180 on him from the new sheriff Evie Barret (Janet Varney), to learning about his wife’s ‘hobby’ and the monsters.
I was impressed with the series and found myself laughing and screaming at turns and the same time. All of the cast and team behind the camera are fans of the ‘Werewolf of London’ and love old school 80s FX. You can see that the cast had a ball playing with ‘real’ monsters instead of emoting to a green ball and getting covered in buckets of blood. The monsters are CRAZY and had me scared for them to leave their house! I recommend you check out this new series and watch the first episode on Halloween with the lights off, popcorn and a bowl of candy for trick-or-treaters!
Stan Miller (McGinley) is a surprisingly interesting character. I at first thought he’d be the usual cop in a horror movie kind of clueless and just counting down the moments till he gets the ax (figurativle and literally) but he’s a man with hidden depths .. unspoken closed up sexist grumpy depths but DEPTHS darn it!
Evie Barret (Varney) is the new woman in town who’s taken on a traditionally male job as Sheriff and refuses to fill Stan’s shoes! Instead she has a backstory that makes her someone that I’d like to grab a beer with or at the least fight witches.
Deputy Leon Drinkwater (Mooney) plays the deputy with a heart of .. well crazy I’d say he’s playing the straight man but from his eyes and the phone calls if in the course of the season we find he has a sex dungeon I would NOT be surprised!
Denise Miller (Baker) plays Stan’s daughter who is dangerously clueless that makes new friends WAY too easily in town full of angry witches. I love her little comments and that she’s living her best life and happens to still live with her dad. I can’t wait to see if she’s going to be a kickass chick killing witches and picking berries with the same smile.
“Stan Against Evil” premieres November 2 on IFC. A sneak preview of the first episode will also air Halloween night, October 31, at 10pm.
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