‘Penny Dreadful’ is anything but

‘Penny Dreadful’ is anything but

There are horror films and shows that make you cringe because they’re so predictably bad, roll your eyes at their reliance on cheap “boo” moments, laugh because they’re campy, and make even the most hardcore horror fan squee with delight at their sophisticated creepiness. “Penny Dreadful” falls into the latter category. In spades.

(Here come the spoilers.)

Where does one begin with such delicious and stylish horror? Well, style I suppose. You can’t go wrong with Victorian London for a time frame loaded with lush wardrobe and sets, although thankfully they keep it pretty raw here and not too pretty. But there is definitely plenty of substance to this exercise in style, as well.

First of all, to be able to weave together so many elements of classic horror stories — and some Jack the Ripper for good measure — is a feat in itself. Yet, most of the pilot retained a refreshing originality in the writing, except I did sense a bit of homage to “The Last Samurai” in the introduction of Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) as a drunken performer putting on wild west sideshows. And you can see where the vampire styling references “Nosferatu,” although these vampires are a hell of a lot scarier —  one has to wonder if the creators were inspired by “30 Days of Night,” which starred Hartnett.

Do not expect anything sexy here. Or glittery, thank god.

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First Look: ‘Penny Dreadful’

This is the most promising trailer I’ve seen in a very long time, and I’m beside myself waiting for this delicious mashup of the setting and time period that created “Frankenstein,” “Dracula,” and “The Picture of Dorian Grey.”

“Penny Dreadful” is set to premiere on Showtime May 11, and stars Eva Green, Timothy Dalton and Josh Hartnett. The teaser trailers so far have been very dark and disturbing, and some are already dubbing this the British version of “American Horror Story.” But after the campy “Coven” of this season, this looks to be a much fiercer and horrific beast.

And I mean that in the very best way.

Check out the video trailer for a little taste of this new thriller.