The most obvious critique applied to pretty much any 3-D movie is, would this film work as well without the 3-D? In most instances the answer is no, and in the case of MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D, that’s more or less the case.

Take the 3-D out of it and VALENTINE is really no different from average direct-to-DVD slasher fodder, albeit not a bad example by any means. And as the current slate of remakes goes, this new MY BLOODY VALENTINE measures up decently to the original, which was neither the best nor the worst of the lot (though it works better now as a nostalgia piece), and is a fairly respectful retelling. But all of this is irrelevant, since the new BLOODY VALENTINE was made to be seen and experienced in three dimensions (the first horror film shot with the Real D process) and this is what gives the film the large majority of its entertainment value. If you don’t experience this one in a theater in 3-D, you’ll be missing out on all the fun.

For those who are fans of the original, you’ll be pleased to know that MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D is not a “reimagining” of the original but rather a pretty straightforward remake, keeping a large majority of the 1981 film’s storyline and characters and making certain changes that work for the better. One of the things that set the first movie apart was the fact that it was populated mainly by adults and not horny teenagers, and the new version takes the same course, although these leads are mainly young adults. It retains the same plot structure—deranged miner slaughters his co-workers and townsfolk before supposedly being killed himself, and a new series of murders occur years later, along with the love-triangle subplot and murder-mystery aspect (which Todd Farmer and Zane Smith’s script works fairly hard to keep us guessing about). None of this makes for truly riveting drama, but it all works as best it can, and as a plotline to basically connect a bunch of gory 3-D killings, it is reasonably watchable on these terms.

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I’m tempted to declare season 4 of Supernatural my absolute favorite of the series, but we still have about 12 episodes remaining before the big finale.  It’s too early to judge the season as a whole, so I decided to look back at the first 10 episodes and grade them individually.  I enjoyed every installment when it initially aired, but some held up better in my memory than others.  Read on for the report card, then chime in with your own opinions on the best and worst of season 4.

Episode 4.1:  “Lazarus Rising”

Some shows have trouble creating powerful season premieres, but that’s never been a problem for Supernatural.  Season 4 got off to a strong start with an episode that featured the resurrection of Dean Winchester, his reunion with Sam, and the shocking revelation that an angel pulled Dean from the pit.  Not only did “Lazarus Rising” wrap up the season 3 cliffhanger in a satisfying manner, but it took the Supernatural mythology in an exciting new direction.  GRADE: A+

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If you told me a year ago that Supernatural would feature a battle between angels and demons that ended with one angel recapturing her grace, I would have thought you were speaking gibberish.  The mythology of the series has taken an interesting twist in the past 10 episodes, with plenty of talk about Heaven, Hell, angels and even God Himself.  Some fans aren’t particularly thrilled with all this Biblical mumbo jumbo, but I think it’s made Supernatural more epic than ever.  My only concern is that creator Eric Kripke may not be able to top this in the show’s fifth and possibly final season.  Once the boys outwit the armies of Heaven and Hell, what will they do for an encore?

Once it was revealed that Anna was a fallen angel, we learned all sorts of interesting things about the not-so-charmed lives of heavenly beings.  The thing I found most interesting was Anna’s admission that only four angels have ever laid eyes upon God.  Much like humans, the angels are expected to have faith that He exists.  I think it was important for Supernatural to clarify this point, lest this entire storyline become too controversial.  Now we know that the angels may not be following orders directly from the man Himself, which makes some of their actions more forgivable.  It also opens up the option that God may not exist, which should please any atheists and agnostics in the audience.

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As much as I’d like to ruminate on many of the interesting twists and turns that took place during last night’s episode of Supernatural, there’s one thing that has to be addressed right up front: Sam and Ruby had sex!  The suspicions we’ve had about the pair since the season 4 premiere proved to be true, but things didn’t play out like many people theorized. Thankfully, the idea of Sam being a rapist was tossed aside when it was revealed that Ruby is actually inhabiting the body of a dead, soulless girl.  Sam needed someone to help him get over his grief, and Ruby was willing to help with both her body and some smart advice.  Who knew that the lisping demon would end up being the one to heal Sam’s tortured soul?

Every Supernatural fan is bound to have a different opinion about the scandalous Sam and Ruby hook-up, but I’m personally okay with it.  It’s rare that the Winchesters find time to indulge in sexy extracurricular activities, and I can’t blame Sam for giving in to his urges.  I also can’t judge him.  We may eventually find out that Ruby has been lying about her intentions since returning from Hell, but she was still there for Sammy when he needed someone.  Not only did she offer him some sexual healing, but she dished out Dean-like advice that stopped him from descending into anger and alcoholism.  For a supposedly evil demon, she seems rather helpful.

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We got a little background this week as to what Sam (Jared Padalecki) was doing during the six months that Dean (Jensen Ackles) was in Hell before getting pulled out by an angel named Castiel.

Mostly it had to deal with Sam trying to learn to contain his demon side and the powers that go along with it while at the same time moping about because he lost is brothers and looking to go out swinging because he’s depressed about it.

Cue Ruby (Genevieve Cortese) that takes over the body of a dying woman (who just happens to be totally hot – nice!) and gives Sam motivation to use those powers to expel demons out of human hosts. Sam says that Ruby convinced him to survive, to live, rather than attempt a foolish suicidal attack on Lilith or her followers. I like that they gave us something on how Ruby switched bodies and what went down in-between the time of the fourth season beginning. Seeing that Sam really didn’t just switch on his powers but they took time to learn – and that’s why they are important to him and something he’s unwilling to part with. Although that same power may be waning – as evidence from the previous times he used it and in last night’s episode where they had no effect at all.

Interesting that Hell no longer wants Sam, that they were content with having Dean and it wasn’t at all about Sam’s soul regardless of whether he would switch places with Dean or not. Probably this continues our little hints that Sam is indeed turning to the dark side. At least, super slowly. His demon blood tainting him from within and why would Hell need another bad demon? Especially when they can get the good side of the equation instead. But will we see it this season or are we going to have to wait for it in some slow burn? I hope they get to it or make it the season cliffhanger because we’ve been wrestling with this for a while and it would be an awesome storyline.

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Last night’s episode of Supernatural had a perfect blend of humor and gut-wrenching emotion.  I can’t think of another show on television that would feature a subplot about a booze-swilling bipolar teddy bear, then cap off the hour with a heartbreaking confession that could bring tears to the eyes.  “Wishful Thinking” was not only another solid episode in what’s shaping up to be a great season, but it was also another home run for writer Ben Edlund.  I continue to find the installments written by Edlund or Jeremy Carver to be some of the best of the series.

While “Wishful Thinking” had plenty of wonderful moments, I decided to make a list of the top three, followed by one minor thing that annoyed me.  Read on for the list.

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A magic wishing well gives everyone their hearts desire … well sort of

Sam (Jared Padalecki) learned what we already knew on SUPERNATURAL this week.

That Dean (Jensen Ackles) does indeed remember what happened to him in hell and whatever he witnessed, wasn’t pretty and he doesn’t want to share. Nor does he want to talk about it. And that it is driving him to drink in heavy doses.

We, of course, know this as we have seen him suffering the pain of the ordeal over and over again as he tries to deal with it. But Sam, knowing it too, finally got Dean to admit it at the end of yet another hilarious episode of SUPERNATURAL that took a mean turn for the unfunny at the end.

In Concrete, Washington, something is driving the town into chaos. While on the surface everything appears to be going well for most people. In reality, things are not good. An invisible kid is watching grown women take showers, a giant teddy bear is suicidal after gaining awareness, a dude won the lottery and a big nerd all of the suddenly has the hottest chick in town jumping his bones in public over and over again.

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The last episode of Supernatural written by Ben Edlund was so great that I had to compose an entire article dedicated to the writer’s brilliance.  Edlund has brought us some of the funniest episodes of the series, and tomorrow’s “Wishful Thinking” looks like it’ll continue in that grand tradition.  The episode may not contain old school movie monsters or hilariously wacky Ghostfacers, but it does feature a wishing well that actually grants wishes.  What would happen to the citizens of a small town if they could have anything they asked for?  I predict plenty of chaos, and at least one giant stuffed animal.

To get fans ready for this week’s Supernatural, we have a promo and clip from the episode.

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