Rio Hayward
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Roman Sampson
One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.
Bob
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
Ryan S
I stumbled across Dante's Cove one day at blockbuster and decided to rent it. The first season was a little on the rough side, and the acting wasn't the best but it kept my attention. The show obviously had a low budget and was working with what little money they had. I did love the theme of it. To me the show is like Buffy the Vampire Slayer mixed in with a my personal favorite Charmed and made the characters gay. Shows like these are hard to come by. I love the way the 1st season ended with Toby being thrown in the water and grace breaking free. It left me wanting more.I decided to buy the second season. There was an extremely noticeable set change and I believe this was due to a budget increase. It took a minute to get use too but I fell in love with the new set. They also got more actors,replaced the actor who played Adam with Jon Flemming (HOT), got rid of most of the bad actors and the show improved a lot. I must say there was still some bad acting but as the season rolled on it got better. I will even go as far as saying that the acting was 100% better than the first season. So if you stopped watching after the 1st season give it another chance. The constant thunder and lightning stopped as well, which was part of the reason the 1st season wasn't the best. They ended season 2 in cliff hanger with Ambrosius taking Kevin as his prisoner. Once again leaving me wanting more.Season 3 they did it again. Another set change but at least this time they covered it up, saying that the one side of the island was washed away after a tsunami. They got rid of most of the new actors they brought in at season 2 within the first 2 episodes and changed the actress that played Michelle. They also got rid of my favorite on the show from season 1 who is van =(. They brought in about 3 or 4 new actors, which only one of them had no business being on any show at all but all in all the acting was just about dead on this season, with a few noticeable bad spots but it was good. This season instead of everyone being against each other, they had to band together and fight something else. And for the 3rd time they left me wanting more by Showing Toby and Adam trapped in a mirror world of some kind. So once again, if you stopped watching because the 1st season wasn't the best give it another shot. This show is worth giving a second chance. Can't wait for season 4 coming soon.
david-d-6
Dante's Cove is a blast. It's not for culture snobs who pooh-pooh shows like Queer as Folk for being "too out there" or who like to denigrate anything you wouldn't see at Cannes, but for those of us who can appreciate a sexy, fun show with engaging characters, some dark magic, and a few divas, it's top notch. Tracy Scoggins is just fantastic as Grace, one of the lead characters. The ensemble cast has great chemistry, and after you watch the first season, you may find yourself, like I did, wanting more and more.While there is a great mystery going on across the three episodes, the strands that run through the show of unrequited love, coming out, questions over the role monogamy has in some relationships, possession versus love, etc. all are played out through the many twists and turns that this fun, mysterious, and magical romp has in store for its viewers. If you loved Queer as Folk, or maybe even Dynasty for all you folks out there my age, you'll really enjoy Dante's Cove and will be looking forward to the next episode to see what your friends on the cove are up to this week. Sure, stay away if your inclinations tend exclusively to art films and high culture and academy award winning performances. But if you're more flexible in your support of gay programming and like the idea of a steamy gay soap opera with a magical mystery twist and, in my opinion, pretty good acting (how DOES one prepare to play a 200 year old witch in modern times?) then it's a good bet that you'll have lots of fun with this series.
rambler-9
When I saw the first season, I posted a review and commented on the bad acting and sub-par writing. But, I really enjoyed the show anyway. I'm glad I stuck with it, because it's gotten better. A LOT better.It has all the basic elements I like - Gothic plot line, romance, and skin on screen. The writing, acting, and directing have come a long way since Season 1 - in fact, I would have to say Season 3 is by far the strongest yet. The writing is tighter, the performances turned in by series veterans have improved enormously (Charlie David in particular is giving substantially-improved performances) and the show is just plain FUN! Gothic Horror is a genre I love, and Dante's Cove delivers that. Especially in Season 1 (the show moved shooting locations to Hawai'i starting Season 2) there are great locations with old architecture and some spooky native locales. The cast is hot, the sex is getting hotter by the season, and the plot lines are engaging - covering all the territory from "jealous boyfriend" to "jilted fiancée" to "mind-controlling warlock" as time rolls on in the show. There is humor (both intended and not, I think), drama, and by Season 3 the camp atmosphere feels more intended than accidental and the show has finally hit its stride.One ding - every season the show appears to move. Between Season 1 and 2, shooting moved to Hawai'i (O'ahu, to be exact) so some established locations either just changed (The Hotel Dante) or "closed for renovations" (the Historical Society building.) Between Seasons 2 and 3 we've moved locales again! For reasons I won't get into here, we're not spending any more time at the hotel. The feel of the locales has moved from Gothic to Paradise Beach - while Hawai'i is gorgeous, it's a bit sunny and fun for the feel I got from the first season. Personally, I find the constant venue changes jarring, and hope we'll get to see some of the same locations for Season 4 when it arrives, or perhaps return for a bit to some older ones.In any event, I love this show. For those who haven't figured this out yet, it does feature full-frontal nudity (male) and lots of sex - gay, lesbian, and IIRC a straight scene or two. The show (with the sole exception of the opening five minutes of Season 1) doesn't show full-frontal with erection, which occasionally looks strange given what's supposed to be going on, and which seems strange given where it went in the show's opening five minutes of Season 1. A couple of the actors are obviously not planning on full-frontal, and occasionally contort to avoid it, while extras are frequently (and occasionally pointlessly) nude, and soft even when horn-dogging someone. Perhaps more creative set staging or action blocking could help them cover up without looking so odd doing it, or maybe they'll decide one day that full-frontal in a gay soap is not career-ending. While I'm not looking for pornography here, a touch more realism would help with "suspension of disbelief" quite a bit.All in all, if you like horror, and like gay themes, give "Dante's Cove" a try. Try to watch at least two seasons, and I really recommend going for the third - it's the strongest yet, and starts to deliver on the promise of the premise that we've been waiting for from the beginning.
djwynyard
The purchase of the DVD of the first season of Dante's Cove was a major disappointment. The writing was awful. The acting was dreadful except for the witch and her mother, who acquitted themselves well although the mother did say "flaunt" where it ought have been "flaut" (we can blame that one on the writers). Whenever the guys become intimate with each other, there is the most ghastly music, the sort of music associated with low-budget American porn. The relationship between the protagonists seems to have been written by someone other than a gay man. One has the impression it might have been written by someone related to the scriptwriters for Noah's Arc, another vehicle destroyed by the writing although the acting in Noah's Arc is good. The audience deserves much better. Do not waste your money.
