Blu-Ray Review: Holliston: The Complete Second Season

By Brad Henderson

I dig the Hatchet series and Wrong Turn 2 and much of what Joe Lynch and Adam Green have brought us. They are obviously huge horror fans and that shows on the screen. When I first heard these two got together to make a sitcom I was a little confused because they didn’t seem like the types. I assumed it would be horror-related but really didn’t have a clue where they would go with a horror-related sitcom.

Holliston is about Joe Lynch and Adam Green, aspiring filmmakers who’ve been working on a film for years called Shinpads (“They score, you die.”) They work at a studio that does commercials. Their boss, Lance Rocket, is played by Dee Snider from Twisted Sister. Joe and Adam host a TV show (and podcast) called Movie Crypt on which they play old horror films.

The show is extremely self-aware and filled with the kind of humor that people will only get if they know who these guys really are. Their real-life films do exist in the Holliston realm but the director is apparently another Adam Green. It works.

Joe and Adam poke fun at themselves and the occasional horror film that they obviously dislike in order to get some laughs from us hardcore horror fans. The show has a laugh track that is annoying as all get out in the very beginning, but you get used to it very quickly when you decipher what these guys are trying to accomplish.

In addition to Joe and Adam, there are two female leads: Laura Ortiz and Corrie English. They steal the show in every episode. Laura Ortiz is the real hit and along with being one of the cutest women out there, she is also hysterical and nails it every single episode. The late Dave Brockie (from GWAR) plays Oderus Urungus from GWAR (of course). He lives in Adam’s closet and is a figment of his imagination. Along with all the normal characters, many horror icons and special guests join them for each episode.

Even though I have known about the show for a while, it didn’t appeal all that much to me. When I finally started watching Season 1, it took me a couple of episodes to actually get into it. At first it may seem they are trying too hard, but overall I don’t think that is the case. For those who watch sitcoms (and those who don’t), Holliston is something new and different. It isn’t the funniest thing you will ever see but it does have many funny moments throughout the episodes and, if you are a horror fan, there are many things in the show that will keep you entertained.

Holliston Season 2 was recently released and it surpasses Season 1. I think that’s because they had a bigger budget and could do a little more with their jokes. They even have a found footage episode, which is hilarious, and an Xmas Special that is adorable as hell.

I would recommend picking up Season 1 first because Holliston is a show that relies on callbacks throughout the episodes. If you want to get the most laughs for your buck I recommend picking both of them up and watching them in a couple of sittings. The seasons only contain a handful of episodes each so you don’t have to invest much time watching. I do think horror fans will appreciate and understand Holliston a bit more than your average audience, but that doesn’t mean that non-horror fans won’t enjoy it, too.

Holliston: The Complete Second Season was released on Blu-Ray on April 8 by Image Entertainment.