Dante's Cove - The Complete Second Season Reviews

• AWSOME!!!

  
  By A3VQZQLPH7DOZ5 on 2007-03-30
  When i was first told about the show, i had my doubts. Finally i gave in and bought season one just based on my friends reviews and others positive reviews. I was not disappointed. Despite the bits of cheesy acting in the beginning and the campiness, the show is REALLY REALLY good. It is DEFINATLY unlike anything you have ever seen. While it does pay an omage to other shows, blending Melrose Place/Dark Shadows and Queer as Folk, it is a great supernatural gay drama that is uniquely it's own. After watching season one, i was hooked and got my cable provider to hook me to Heretv. Now after seeing season two, im anxiously awaiting the third season. Season two is just as great as season one. I highly recommend this show, after one episode YOU WILL BE HOOKED!!
  
  

• Inriguing and Erotic

  
  By A3Q1GB17EH17UD on 2007-05-10
  "Dante's Cove", Season II
  
  Intriguing and Erotic
  
  Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride
  
  The second season of "Dante's Cove" is here and it was worth waiting for. The series won me over from the start and Here TV! has done itself proud by releasing it on DVD so that non subscribers to the cable station can enjoy it. It is a great supernatural drama that is unique in every way and it hooks you in and doesn't let go.
  It is hard to take your eyes off of the TV set when you watch it---it has everything, intrigue and horror, mystique and romance, and hot people making love. The acting may not be the best but everything else is. The characters rise above the dialog in beautifully filmed love scenes in which the chemistry boils. I have yet to see anything quite this erotic on television -"Dante's Cove" puts "Queer as Folk" in its back pocket.
  The series is very funny and very hot--part gay soap opera, part science-fiction, and part fun and altogether is a wonderful whole. It is one of my guilty pleasures. Beautiful photography, good-looking men in various states of undress and a great hotel make for a great series. The haunted Hotel Dante serves as a backdrop for open sexuality--even more so in the second season than the first.
  An easy going storyline with gorgeous people and dreamy scenery do not always guarantee a good production but in the case of "Dante's Cove" everything works. Let me stress that the sex in no way detracts from the story. The series is not about being gay but rather that gay people have ordinary lives as they move through life and survive the same as straight people. All of the elements of a good thriller are there with the added dimension of gay life.
  I have read some of the negative comments and I am reacting to them by saying to those who don't like "Dante's Cove" to get over themselves and learn to sit back and relax. It is good to have fun once in a while.
  
  
  

• Campy, sexy and fun!

  
  By A3DVS9Y4Z1HIDJ on 2007-07-15
  In the second season of the guilty pleasure "Dante's Cove" (think of it as a cross between "The O.C." and the old series "Dark Shadows", but with gay erotic content that makes "Queer As Folk" look like an afterschool special), the hunky boys and beautiful girls who live at Dante's Hotel are living and loving, while still having to deal with the problems caused by its previous inhabitant, exiled warlock Ambrosius, and his ex-girlfriend and eternal nemesis, the witch Grace.
  
  This season, they're joined by a mysterious, more powerful witch, Diana (played by Thea Gil, previously of QAF). As we rejoin the gang, somewhat naive Kevin is tired of living under Toby's shadow, wants to get a job and become more self-sufficient, which makes Toby insecure about their relationship. Seeing this as a chance to get Kevin back into his clutches, Ambrosius updates his image ("Call me 'Bro!") and tries to dazzle the young man with a fast car and to-die-for beach house. Toby's ex Adam (recast this year, for the better) gets involved with Ambrosius as well, and gets hooked on a local drug with supernatural origins. Meanwhile, Van gets further into dabbling in magic, with a book she found on the beach, learns the truth about Ambrosius and Grace, and takes desperate measures when her girlfriend Michelle says she has to choose between the magic or their relationship. The five (apx.) hour-long episodes also reveal a former boyfriend of Kevin's visiting the hotel, Adam's involvement with a gay afterhours sex club, the resort's handyman trying to seduce boss man Marco, more background on the two child ghosts that appear to Toby, as well as much more detail on the ins and outs of Grace's and Ambrosius' powers, and how they must ally themselves with a hotel guest in order to battle it out by the upcoming Solstice. Comic relief is provided by the appearance of an old porcelin doll, which has a spell causing anyone who touches it to fall in instant lust with the next person (male or female) they see.
  
  Critics say "This is nothing more than a gay soap" and point at the often over-the-top dialogue and occasional overacting. Hey, it is what it is, and it works on that level exceedingly well, as most "guilty pleasures" should! They definitely cranked up the "camp" quotient a notch or two this year, with Tracy Scoggins as Grace (trying to teach young protege' Van the nuances of black magic) losing her cool and occasionally seeming to be channeling Agnes Moorehead in "Bewitched"! The photography, music and eye candy is outstanding, and I found myself powerless to avoid going through all five episodes in one sitting.
  
  Note that the format of this 2-DVD set can be a bit confusing, in that there is a top menu to choose the episode you want to see (which should obviously be viewed in order), and then a submenu to play that episode (No option to view all episodes on the disk consecutively.) The second disk also includes some excellent extras, including deleted scenes, interviews with the cast, "backlot" featurette and "coming out" stories by the three openly-gay cast members. It isn't Emmy-worthy, but a fun diversion for you and open-minded friends. I'm under a spell not to give it anything less than a full five stars out of five.
  
  

• This is the best we've got?

  
  By A2OFVOXTGBYT30 on 2007-07-25
  In Season One of Dante's Cove, I was willing to look past the horrendous scripts, a story thinner than cheesecloth, and actors that practically broke off chunks of scenery in their haste to chew on it for the sake of supporting here! TV.
  
  No more!
  
  After reading reviews that season two of the show featured better acting, scripts, and plot, I eagerly ordered my copy and can definitively say that it's just crap.
  
  The actors may have better haircuts and the set is an improvement, it's so different from Season 1 that all you can do is shake your head in disbelief.
  
  To make a long (and bad) story short, here's just a few things that are wrong with Dante's Cove:
  
  - It's not a guilty pleasure. So you're willing to overlook the lack of plot for nudity. The only nudity you'll find is the same character in several episodes; I've seen the handyman's genitals so many times I can draw them from memory. How come the main characters are unwilling to bare it all?
  
  - It features the lamest "witches" ever. There is supposedly so much power to be had, why do they need to drive cars? Couldn't they just transport themselves from one place to another?
  
  - The creators think the audience is stupid. The only way these "episodes" reach normal television lengths is to continually show you flashbacks. Flashbacks from last week, from last season, even things that happened only two scenes ago! We're gay, not stupid.
  
  I hope that someone will come up with a gay Supernatural or X-Files, a show with quality writing and acting. This schlock gives all gay people a bad name!
  
  Don't buy this, rent it and save yourself $[..]!
  
  

• The Magic Returns-- Sort Of

  
  By A9I40WFF40R4 on 2007-07-04
  In the second season of "Dante's Cove" the plot gets better but not enough to make the production much more than a gay soap. Some of the lines will make you groan out loud. My favorite is "think of it (I don't remember what "it" was right now) as a vacation from your brain." For some reason pretty Kevin gets a lot of the clunker lines. Apparently there isn't a clothing store near Dante's Cove since the men are shirtless (and shortless) a lot of the time. On the other hand, this show was never meant to be a rival for "Brokeback Mountain."
  
  In season II new characters are added: Kai, Colin, Marco and Diana, the witch good sister of Grace. There is even more naked sex than in the first season; Van becomes a central character; and Toby, the moral center of the series, slips a little. The witches and warlock step up their fight, zapping in the twinkling of an eye those they consider the enemy. And the whole thing is shot in paradise.
  
  There is nothing wrong with erotic fluff.
  
  
• A Gay Soap...how refreshing
  By A1MXFS4G0Q175O on 2007-06-11
  Pure escapism is what this sizzling gay soap is all about. Hot men, hot plot line, hot situations...what's not to love?
  
  
• A Vast Improvement
  By A366IQ55BNPIZ8 on 2007-06-13
  One can't approach Dante's Cove as a piece of high art, but rather as the guiltiest of pleasures. Happily, the second season improves upon the first. Tracy Scoggins still vamps it up with gusto, Nadine Heimann remains a cute pixie, Gregory Michael gives hang-dog looks, and Charlie David give it the old junior college try. But the production feels sharper, the writing a bit tighter, and the cast changes a mostly welcome improvement. Bonus points for Queer as Folk actress Thea Gill, who maintains her dignity and elevates the material far more than it probably deserves.
  
  
  
  Still, it's a fun afternoon of a trashy, campy gay soap.
  
  
• unsure
  By A1WJZA8Q2YGSXM on 2007-06-09
  I anticipated the release of dante's cove-the second season for a while, and I certainly was not disappointed with it in the slightest. I saw the first season and feel that many things have improved. However, I didn't really see the continual need to show the sex shop. I didn't feel that it was too relevant to the plot and after it was shown the first time, I just wasn't all that interested in that part of the story line. I'm not a fan of those scenes really but if the directors do decide to keep the sex shop scenes in for the third season all I would suggest is developing it and making it a little more interesting or relevant. The main pet peeve I have felt since the first season was the acting/the way Kevin's character is written. Since the first season it has been difficult for me to connect to the male characters although it is easier for me to connect to Toby's character, although as a side note Toby looks more like a Kevin to me, haha. When Kevin's character shows emotion, it does not seem that sincere and needs improved greatly. On the flip side, Van is my favorite character in the show because I like her character's personality(she's cute too) and the dynamic between her and diana was the best part of the season for me. I really hope that gets developed in the third season or later on. I honestly wish they would show more explicit lesbian sex scenes than they have thus far. I could count the number of lesbian sex scenes for both season's on one hand and it bums me out a little. I think the show is catchy and will improve with time, I am anxious to see the next season. I rated it four stars because even though I complain, I like the plot,it is extremely catchy, and I love the characters of Van and Diana.
  
  
• over acted FUN melodrama
  By A15RYJP7YHCEF7 on 2007-06-15
  I only heard about Dante's Cove, by accident on Myspace, when Amazon suggested I might be interested, I thought ok, why not, I can't comment on season one just yet as disc one of the two is faulty, so on to season two, yes the cast is beautiful in a West Hollywood boy/girl next door sense of the word, they are beautifully filmed, over act at every turn, not a bad thing in this series, which is poorly written, but facinatingly so, it's hard to stop watching once you start the disc, which is breathtakingly mastered, it's not HiDef. but damned close, you can see the peach fuzz on Kevins skin over all his body, there is great dimension and detail in the images, the special effects aren't bad, Thea Gill, brings a very believable performance to this saga, a nice touch, that helps a lot, I don't see where the explicit sex scenes are so explicit, you never see the main characters showing full frontal nudity, nor are the actions graphic, this is R rated stuff, not XXX, and not much more than PG, except for the sex shop, which seems to be a cover for Drugs, and ?, I think we will find out in the third season, it's not quite camp, but close, perhaps in the third season we will see better scripting and acting instead of making faces, having said all that, it's very much worth having, chances are you will, as I am doing, view it over and over, and tell yourself, this is SO BAD, IT'S GOOD.
  
  
• wow passions meets queer as folk
  By A2Q62T6H234LN0 on 2007-06-26
  the second seson dose not leave you wanting more steam it has more and boy they let it all out
  
  
• Come back to the Cove for more hot bods and sex. . .
  By A1X1UZWUIDHCJ5 on 2007-06-27
  The ultimate guilty pleasure returns for a second season--and I'm happy to report that it's better than ever. I actually enjoyed this season a lot more than the first--more episodes, more interesting storylines, more full frontal male nudity (if you're into that sort of thing)! Okay, so the storyline really isn't why most people are watching this show--it's the hot naked bods--both men and women--that keeps us glued to the set. Admit it, you know it's true. A bare chest or backside is the normal everyday wardrobe for the inhabitants of Dante's Cove--and we wouldn't have it any other way. However, without the witches and warlocks and doomed romances and tongue-in-cheek humor, the show would quickly get boring--even with all the sex and nudity. And most of the beautiful people of the Cove can actually act and seem to be having a ball chewing up the scenery and spitting out the melodramatic dialogue. Kudos must go to Tracy Scoggins (who I've loved ever since "The Colbys"), William Gregory Lee (who now gets to be called "Bro" on the show--I prefer his full name Ambrosius), Nadine Heimann (who really shines in the second season) and newcomer Thea Gill (formerly of "Queer as Folk" and a welcome addition to the show)--they all give excellent performances in addition to looking gorgeous. And I must mention that the DVD has some nice extra features--deleted scenes with the director's commentary (the director, Sam Irvin, and Charlie David--who plays Toby--also provide interesting commentary on a few of the episodes) and a few featurettes/interviews with the cast. So if you enjoyed the first season of "Dante's Cove", you're going to absolutely LOVE the second season. And I cannot to wait to return to the campy Cove for a third time!
  
  
• Irresistable
  By AYWO5WF8JGERO on 2007-06-28
  Yes it is schlocky. Yes it is hoaky. Do you think I care? It is a little slice of heaven and I can't get enough!! Stay tuned as Supreme silliness arrives in season two with the "Libra Solstice".
  
  
• Hilarious !!! no star
  By A2I18B1LX8GHKQ on 2007-06-29
  Story : zero
  Actors and acting : zero + zero + zero + zero... = ???
  Special effects : Wonder Woman
  Soundtracks : BOUH !
  SEX SCENES : OOOOH ! BEURK ! nothing of nothing
  You must have this DVD because it will become "cultissime"
  
  
  
  
• Cheesey, Sexy, Campy fun!
  By ADZ1YGK8E53LC on 2007-07-03
  Well I'd never heard of Dante's Cove, - I saw an advert for it when I visited New York and decided to give it a try.
  
  I have to say this show is crazy (in a good way!) - it is very sexy too! The plotline follows a guy who (in series one - which I ordered at the same time) was engaged to this witch in a town in the 18th or so century. Anyway he is gay and gets caught having an affair with his lover, the witch puts a curse on him to look really old and get locked in a dungeon until he is set free by a kiss. We fast forward to present day and a cute guy finds him in the dungeon and kisses him - he is set free and starts to try and get revenge on his witch ex fiance whilst trying to get the guy who kissed him to fall in love with him!
  
  It is all really camp and reminded me of Dynasty but with witch craft, sexy bits and hunky guys!
  
  If you're looking for a light hearted show with really cheesy fun dialogue, which also happens to have some hot guys (and a few girls for the ladies!) - then Dante's Cove is for you.
  
  It's excellent - all that's missing is the shoulder pads and Joan Collins!
  
  
• dantes cove season 2 review
  By A330UFUSY4AMHM on 2007-07-07
  the new male characters are not that hot or exciting as season one. it would have been better if the original cast members were still performing.glad that there are more characters to add to the story.thea is a great addition to the cast.the plot is simple but enjoyable. the music is great and would like to see it on a cd.looking forward to season three. if anyone is interested in starting a fan club email me. thanks
  
  
• Should have stopped at Season 1
  By A395MD6Y3Z9P2Y on 2007-07-12
  Too Bad there was a SEASON 2. Though, if you watched Season 1, Season 2 is worth it just to wrap up some loose ends and get some more sexy scenes.
  Season 2 has changed locations, changed some characters, added some unnecessary characters and created a terrible DVD menu. The location change is the most egregious problem, besides just plain ol' bad acting. But who is watching the acting anyway. So, the location change completely changes the feel of Dante's Cove. It looks like someones house, up in Palos Verdes, rather than a seaside resort hotel in some old part of Key West. bugged me for the entire second season.
  Hotties, hotties and more hotties. Like I said, it's not good, but if you watched Season 1, you need to get Season 2. Just because.
  
  
• Dante's Cove Excedes Expectations
  By A2ZY6JID1QJMFV on 2007-07-17
  Having watched the first season, and being remotely impressed with the show, one wouldn't expect much greater in the second. I mean... the supernatural and gay/lesbian aspects are much fun and I loved the show but overall it wasn't exceptional. Seeing the previews for this season and noticing all the changes, I thought Season 2 would not be able to compare but it was definetly better than Season 1!! It has become more of a well-rounded show if that makes any sense. Some of the new characters are slightly annoying, and Bro has lost a lot of weight :( but overall Season 2 is amazing!
  
  
• dante's cove the complete second season... and what
  By A2TN2NP3TXF3R2 on 2007-08-05
  i bought this movie under the assumption that there would be a storyline that would define it different from a porn movie,
  but, embarrassingly enough porn movies came out the victors.
  
  the characters cannot act.
  the special effects are not special.
  the budget must have been spare change because it is 90% fluff and 10% sex.
  
  i give it one star, the lowest, out of five.
  
  
  
• better and worse
  By A1DA6E4FNRSAWN on 2008-10-21
  The second short season of Dante's Cove presents us with a better storyline and worse dialogues. Episodes have grown to five and the season is concluded by as high -and lame- a cliffhanger as that at the end of "season" one.
  We have already been introduced to the characters and we find ourselves in the middle of action now, which is always fine with me. Problem is that the script sounds for a good 80% of the time completely idiotic. Short, disjointed sentences are conveying little meaning, no information about the character who speaks them who by the way generally sounds like a complete moron.
  
  The setting has been changed too and, while the beaches are just as beautiful, the new hotel Dante is much less impressive than the old one even if it is much larger and allows more room for interaction.
  
  Acting is just as plain as it was in season one with the possible exception of Thea Gill and Jon Fleming (this taking the role of Adam) who are up to the not much required by the script.
  
  There are several glossy sex scenes, all of them homosexual, most of them involving the male characters. They add nothing to the thrill, to the storyline, to the overall tension and interest if not the pleasing view of the finely groomed bodies of Jon Fleming and some of the others.
  
  
  
• 2nd not as good - and I wish there were outtakes
  By A2Z3SGFXTMFEVY on 2007-07-11
  Season One had quite a few hot Toby/Kevin scenes set to some great music -there was a lot of feeling, sensuousness and heat. Season 2 has almost none of that - and the sex club is boring. Still worth having, but a disappointment.
  
  During the commentaries, the producer mentioned a great little take-off on the American Idol judges by the actors (Charlie D., Nadine H. and Gregory M.), and that he hoped he'd make it on the dvd as an outtake, but no outtakes, no bloopers are to be found on the disk! Maybe next time...
  
  
• How Did it All Begin?
  By A2NT00X5QLJXT4 on 2007-07-15
  I wish I knew how this series begins, but since disc one of Season One is
  defective, I'm at a complete loss. This is the reason I've given it the
  lowest rating. Whenever I attempt to play the disc in question, a message
  appears on screen stating that it "...is a previously viewed disc." The
  question of who previously viewed it is beyond me, since I removed it from a
  factory-sealed jewel case). To make matters worse, whenever I attempt to
  restart the disc at the beginning or from where it "left off," it freezes
  and refuses to resume playing. Curiously, the other disc in the Season One
  case and the two in Season Two work perfectly.
  
  
• Dante's Cove - The Complete Second Season
  By A3UJTGAQ6F0WFR on 2007-08-05
  I totally loved every minute of it. Sexy guys and gals with a great storyline. It's gay and uncensored. We need more of this stuff. Bring it on!
  
  
• Better than Hetro
  By A14LCAJIHQUG2X on 2007-08-27
  My expectations of a better quality of story, script and acting in comparison to the first offering were disappointed. I was happy to hear of new, and respected cast members, however the story let them down. The potential for a quality series is there below a surface of mistimed and meaningless sex. It felt like watching a porno at times.
  
  Dante's cove is worth watching in the hope that someone will start creating a better script and that we can continue to watch these characters in a more intelligent way.
  
  Scenery, bodies and beautiful people are plentiful...great eye candy!
  
  And....it's better than constantly watching hetro.
  
  
• Second Season Much Much Improved
  By A39ZMZ3OKSY7K0 on 2007-08-28
  The Sound Quality Is Much Better Than The First Season/Thank God//
  They Added Closed Caption Which Helps Because At Times The Music Soundtrack If You Can Call It That Is Not Only Bad But At Times Louder Than The Actors Speaking/And The Songs That Were Written For This Film
  Were The Pitts And I Mean The PITTS//I Must Say That All Of The Actors
  are Much Better In The Second Season//Perhaps It's Because The Sound Is Better Or Perhaps They Have Grown Into The Roles That They Each Play//
  Even The Script Is Much Better In The Second Season//Lets Hope That If There Is A Third Season Someone That Doesn't Have A Tin Ear Will Do Something About The Loud Awful Soundtrack/I Think What The Actors Have To Say Is More Important Than That Bad Background/And They Sure Can Forget About Repeating What They Call Songs(Jerome Kern Rest Easy)Since I Paid For These DVDs I Feel I Have A Right To My Opinion/You Don't Have To Agree//
  I Don't care////P.S. Who Ever Thought Of Putting The Closed Caption/The Words Of That Awful Song Over The Name Credits Of The Actors// Stanley Cooper Jupiter Florida
  
  
• Music is Fantastic on Dante's Cove 2
  By ALR8GEG9H9XS on 2007-09-06
  I absolutely loved the music within the second season of Dante's Cove 2. I did some investigation and found out my favorite dance track, Truth from episode 1 (when the character jumps into the Hotel Dante pool naked) is now on Itunes.
  
  Mike Andrews Truth (Dante's Cove 2)
  
  About the DVD - Thea Gill from QAF is a great addition to the cast. Her character is must stronger willed versus previous efforts. They recast, Adam and he adds some flavor in Toby's complicated life. One thing is for sure Toby and Michael Gregory's character are doomed.
  
  
• Not normally into Gay Movies...but am starting to watch more!
  By A1CIGMN879NSA on 2007-10-22
  Normally the shows bore me and there is no point. I watched The Lair Prior to both seasons of Dante's Cove...The Lair was so much like a kindergarten graduation play that they wanted to be a porno without showing too much...it was horribly! Dante's Cove was INCREDIBLE! There was plenty of eye candy for anyone and it was a remarkable storyline with great acting. The gay men's voices were somewhat annoying but not as bad as in the Lair! I recommend both seasons of Dante's Cove!!!
  
  
• Sex in the Gay Shadows
  By A39OQ31IBW4DY9 on 2008-03-10
  Dantes Cove II continues the gay soap opera where Dantes Cove I left off. It probably does not matter that there is some sort of logic to the plot of this mystical saga of sex from the dark side. It seems like everyone is still hot for innocent Kevin, the beautiful blond boy who awakened a warlock from the past. Guys just can't seem to keep their hands off of Kevin's hot body (he fortunately never seems to find time to put on a shirt), much to the chagrin of his muscular boyfriend Tobey. That is the most reality based aspect of this whole melodrama. Gay culture never seems to change. That people keep coming back from the dead is another matter. This is a not a film for anyone devotged to the Stanislovsky method, as there seems to be no need for any acting talent. All of the focus is upon which gay match up can have the hotest sex. The lesbians don't get left out of this erotic enclave, which is nice to see that the two sides of male/female gay culture come together in one film. Not to give away the ending (as if the plot really mattered), but Kevin is in as much jeopardy from the dark forces at the end of the movie as at the beginng.
  
  
• a guilty pleasure, certainly, but a pleasure nonetheless
  By A1KISYZSUGHL5P on 2007-06-24
  This really is "Melrose Place" meets "Dark Shadows" meets "Queer as Folk". It's an indie soap opera with an interesting plot. The acting, well, it goes over-the-top in classic camp fashion, but it works. I do agree with one prior reviewer, the sex and drug plot wasn't the greatest, hopefully it gets developed next season, but it did seem an easy way to get Adam out of the closet. This isn't as raunchy as QAF, but it's also not as developed (hey, about 60 eps verus what, 7 hours tops so far?). It's a fun show. Certainly it's better queer fare than "Adam and Steve" or "Eating Out".
  
  
• A developing story
  By A2VM2PV37NXKMG on 2007-07-28
  The story of good and evil and how love was willing to give everything for your lovers well being. Hot men with a connection to ancient evil rites of passage. A fun romp story looking forward to next season
  
  
• Dante's Cove - 2nd Season
  By A2XOMFUDS1FFF on 2007-08-15
  I really enjoyed what I could watch. The 1st DVDs in both the 1st Season and the 2nd Season would not play in either of my DVD players.
  
  

• Dante's Cove
• Dante's Cove - Season 3
• Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds
• The Lair: Complete First Season
• Shortbus (Unrated Edition)