It is fantastic finding out who you really are in life, although most people do not discover this until they are too old to do anything with it. As you learn more about yourself while living life, there are people along the way that will direct you to where they want to see you go, but you are the one that has to make the decision to go that way, since you are the only one that can decide who and what you want to be when all is said and done.

Living with his Uncle Richard and Aunt Ann, Damien is just a normal kid, a normal rich kid as the family is very well off. While getting ready to leave for the military academy, Damien stops and says goodbye to Aunt Marion who has no kind words for the boy. Since she knows that there is something wrong with the boy, Marion urges Richard and Ann to get their son Mark away from Damien as soon as possible. But while Richard and Ann believe that Marion has lost her mind, the older woman knows something that could keep them out of trouble but does not recognize what it is just yet. But before she can figure it out, she wakes up to a crow above her bed, and Marion is hit with a stroke and her unkind words will never be heard around the house again.

While at the Thorn offices, Richard is trying to put out fires of his own as two of his greatest minds are not seeing eye to eye. With most of their money coming from electronics, Paul Buher has an idea that can make the company even more money...putting an end to famine. Wanting to buy up as much land as possible in areas that suffer from famine to farm and provide for the people there, the practice is very extreme and while Richard is interested in the idea, it may not be the right time to do it as of yet. Besides, he has other things on his mind as more artifacts are coming in from a recent dig and Charles is getting more and more excited about what they are receiving. Showing his boss the pictures of all of the great finds that will be put on display, the Whore of Babylon will be the prized possession of the Thorn Museum for years to come.

The military academy is treating Damien and Mark all right and with a new drill instructor in place they believe that things will be a little easier, but nothing has changed. But when getting in a fight with one of the boys from his platoon, Damien finds out he has some sort of power that he cannot explain. Returning home for Mark’s birthday, Damien is taken aside by Paul Buher and told that there is much more on the horizon for him, but Damien does not understand what the older man is talking about. With another unusual death at home Damien is able to return to the academy and finds out that his new Sergeant knows something about who he is as well and tells Damien to read the good book to find out the truth. Reading in Revelations about the Beast, Damien finds the mark and is forced to come to terms with who he really is. With a couple followers already behind him, Damien knows that nobody can touch him nor keep him...from completing his father’s plan.

This movie kind of takes you all over the place, but that is not a bad thing overall as the story plays out pretty well. The only thing that I am upset about with this movie is that it did not follow the ending of the first one and catch us up on life with Damien in the White House with the President and his family, but this movie did make one thing apparent, money is power. Not knowing who is there to take care of the boy through the next couple of years of his life, Damien is in a better financial position every time a member of his family is killed, and at this point I think he is the only heir to the Thorn fortune. Things seem pretty bleak if the Antichrist is going to come to power and take over the world, especially now that Damien knows who he is and what is purpose is supposed to be. I liked the fact that his true identity was discovered early on in this movie and yet nothing could be done to stop the boy, and now the ones that knew the truth are buried in the ground and Damien continues to walk the earth unabated. How many more movies are there? I think there are only four in the original series, so I better get to watching the rest of them to see what Damien is able to do in his later years. Stay Scared.

Doing what is right and doing what you believe is best for somebody else may not always be the best thing. So many friends wind up telling each other lies about what they know or what they do to help keep their friendships intact. Even though you would like these lies to be hidden forever, eventually they do come to the surface and it causes great hurt to the person that has been kept in the dark for so long. Being forthcoming with information, no matter how minuscule it may seem is the best way to keep a relationship strong and even if you know the truth may hurt, it is better that they know now and take the pain when it is happening rather than making them re-live the same pain further down the road.

Robert Thorn has just received word that his first born son has died before being able to see the world. Knowing that this news would destroy his wife Kate, he does not want her to know and is given the option to take another baby boy who lost his mother during childbirth. Thinking that this is the right thing to do, Robert accepts the offer and Kate will never know anything about what has been done. Having the time of his life with his wife and child, Robert gets word that he has been promoted, and he is now the new Ambassador to Great Britain and cannot wait to take them along for the ride.

Young Damien grows up a normal child, but at his fifth birthday party, something strange happens and his nanny hangs herself, saying that it is all for him. Not knowing what this means, or what could have been going through the nanny’s mind when she did it, Robert and Kate find that a new nanny, Mrs. Baylock has come to assume the role that has been suddenly been vacated. Seeing that Damien is relaxed with the older woman, Robert and Kate believe that everything is fine in the house once again, but there is something strange moving through the halls that neither of them are able to put their fingers on. When Robert gets a second visit from Father Brennan, he is told that his son could bring about the end of the world and he must take action before it is too late. Not believing what the crazy priest is telling him, Robert returns home to find out that the message may not be that far off.

Finding out that Kate is pregnant again and does not want to have the child, Robert talks to her doctor and hears that she has doubts about Damien being her son altogether. With the words from the priest continuing to play in his mind, Robert knows that his household is in trouble and finds out that Kate took a massive fall attributed to her son knocking her off of the balcony at home. Getting a strange phone call from a photographer, Robert sees that there is something more sinister going on with the people surrounding Damien. With pictures showing spotty images of how people have died before their time, Robert now knows that Father Brennan was telling the truth and is forced to return to Italy to find out everything he can about Damien and his deceased birth mother. With all of the records from the birth being destroyed in a fire, the same night Damien joined his family, there are more questions than answers coming from the trip, but as Robert and Jennings are able to dig deeper, they are able to find out that the secrets being kept from them have a more devilish meaning.

The Omen series has always fascinated me over the years, mainly because the story revolves around the Antichrist and his arrival on Earth. I have seen plenty of movies that deal with the same thing, but most of them take place in the present and the child’s powers are usually not seen until the final scene. Relating old scriptures to the present has to be one of the best parts of this movie for me, since you know that the Antichrist needs an easy position of power and is able to have one handed to him. As the Devil’s child is born and placed on the planet, it is hard to believe that anyone would not know about it until it is too late. I would think that the child’s age relates to when his powers develop, but you never know since kids around the age of five tend to drive their parent's crazy no matter the situation. Well, time to move on to the next entry in the series and I am looking forward to seeing what older Damien will do to get more power on his quest to take over the world. Stay Scared.

Normally on The Walking Dead, when a villain comes calling at the sanctuary of our heroes, bad things go down. For example, when the Governor dropped by the Prison, he brought bullets and a van loaded to the brim with the dead for Rick and all of his friends, leading to chaos and terror. And of course, every single time Negan came calling at the gates of Alexandria, ugly moments came about, the kind that sometimes saw people die in harrowing fashion and well, I have to admit that as I settled in to watch ‘Bounty’, I was nervous about what was going to happen, now that Alpha and the Whisperers were knocking on the front door of Hilltop.
 
Because her daughter Lydia established last week, that her mother was willing to do whatever it takes to keep her family safe, which had to mean that trouble was about to come calling. But this, this was a special episode, one that oddly enough found a way to embody the best parts of people in the midst of a crisis and I have to admit that I was fully unprepared for all the positive storytelling elements that came our way in this one because this story simply ended up being a delight to watch. But before we dive deep into Daryl’s game of mental chess with Alpha, we need to take a moment and discuss the most positively charged storyline of the night, one involving a special quest for King Ezekiel and his queen.
 
For shortly after the King and his merry band of hunters were able to secure a fine haul of elk to feed the people, he let Carol know about a little surprise side mission he’d be planning, one that had a touch of risk, but one that he thought was necessary to inject a little bit of joy and wonder into the upcoming fair; securing a projector bulb from an old theater. Because the opportunity to show the kids back home a movie for the first time ever was too great to pass up, and it was nice to see everyone work together to fight the dead in this place to secure said bulb and oddly enough, the good gestures here didn’t end with the securing of the bulb. 
 
Because Ezekiel also wanted to get his hands on a display box for something that the story seemingly forgot about, the Community Charter, something that the King was keeping safe in the Kingdom for the time being and well, giving the Charter a little TLC was paramount to Ezekiel. For he truly believes this document is the key to a grand future for mankind, one that will bring forth stability, prosperity and unity and it was just beautiful to watch him care for this document in this tale, and see the hope that it inspires in his heart, because just giving it a proper display case energized Ezekiel in ways we haven’t seen for some time now and one can only hope that his dream of seeing it signed will eventually come true…

​Yet, while all of that was lovely to see in its own right, we do still need to discuss the situation with Alpha since she and her people were waiting at the gates of Hilltop while the King and Carol worked to secure treats for the Kingdom and well, this ended up becoming quite the harrowing storyline. Because we quickly came to learn that Alpha comes prepared in any situation since she knew that Daryl would want to talk and negotiate for her daughter, and since he was initially hesitant to hand over Lydia, she quickly used Luke and Alden as bargaining chips to get what she wanted. But while this sequence of events were pretty low key in their own right, and potentially featured the only real ‘grown up’ conversation between hero and foe in the history of the series, what made this sequence tough to watch, is what happened when Daryl went looking for Lydia and Henry, who naturally helped to hide the girl from her mother. 
 
Because during that search, a tiny baby that joined the Whisperers on their journey, cried out as babies are wont to do. And rather than tell the mother to disappear into the shadows or use her lieutenants to protect her from the corpses the Whisperers call their brethren, Alpha simply offered up a simple solution with a shrug and a look; let the dead eat the baby, and I’ll be honest, that was damn chilling to say the least. For it reinforces the fact that Alpha will do whatever she must to survive and that the only life she values in this world is her daughter’s. But thankfully, some quick thinking on Luke’s part, and an assist from Connie, brought forth safety for the baby, keeping the series from crossing a disturbing line. 
 
However, while all of this was chilling to watch in its own right, I made mention of the fact that there was hope and positivity to be found everywhere in this tale and this segment was no exception to that rule. Because despite the fact that conflict was seemingly looming at Hilltop, everyone, including Lydia, worked to do the right thing and avoid bloodshed and Lydia’s willingness to return to her people kept Luke and Alden alive and sent the Whisperers back into the wild and it was nice to see Daryl and others try and find a peaceful resolution to a problem for a change, instead of just raising their weapons, since that embodies the better world that Rick and Carl envisioned for everyone.
 
But alas, the peace found in this tale is fragile at best, since it was implied that the King and his merry band of heroes crossed over into Whisperer territory, and that may bring about retribution, as will Henry’s decision to find Lydia if Daryl doesn’t get to him first. If anything, it’s only a matter of time before Alpha decides she’s had enough of dealing with these communities, allowing for conflict to arise. But in the here and the now, we can at least, bask in the wonder of this episode, since efforts were genuinely made to keep the peace and find ways to improve lives for others, and that was a refreshing breath of fresh air for this series. But the clock is ticking when it comes to peace and I fear that Henry, and his inability to let Lydia go, will only help to push the clock towards midnight. Until next time. 

Selfless acts are something that often go unnoticed these days. It sucks to say that, but it is not news unless you are breaking the law when trying to do something worthwhile. Doing something to help someone in need is a great thing to do and even if you do not want any recognition, you should get it anyway, at least to inspire others. The more people that get helped these days, the less crime you hear about on the streets and for me at least, that is a good thing.

Justine loves her college, but the protestors outside of her window are starting to get on her nerves. But one of the protestors has caught her eye, the tall, dark and handsome Alejandro. Even though the chants that make their way through her window get on her nerves, Justine would like nothing better than to get on Alejandro’s good side. Being approached by Jonah, one of Alejandro’s followers, Justine has been invited to one of the group's meetings to see what it is all about and get some face time with her crush.

Walking in and hearing everything that is going on, Justine makes fun of how the protests have gone around campus. Even though she apologizes, she is sent on her way by Alejandro, but she will do anything to get on the plane with him and help stop the destruction of the rain forest. Being able to convince him that she is all about saving a lost tribe, Justine is allowed to join the protest and the group make their way down to the Amazon. Arriving at their site, the group is able to use their cellphone streaming app as their weapons and are able to get the construction company to back off since their acts are trending on the web.

A job well done, the group is transported back to the plane and removed from the region, but when the engine goes on the fritz, the group crashes in the forest. Checking the wreckage, the survivors try to gather up anything that will keep them alive while on the ground, but there are people hiding behind the trees. With several of the survivors being taken out by unseen arrows, the small group of Justine, Alejandro, Lars, Amy, Daniel and Jonah are loaded into boats and taken down the river to the native’s camp and find out that they might have been luckier if they were killed in the crash. Watching as Jonah has his limbs hacked off and cooked, the group sees that the tribe that they have been trying to protect are cannibals and looking for fresh meat. With nothing but time, the group finds out the secret that Alejandro has been keeping all along about the protest and that their fate will surely be, dinner.

I have been waiting over two years to see this movie and I must admit, it was well worth the wait. Now I did have a couple of problems as the storyline progressed and it appears that several scenes were removed due to the rating, but it was still good overall. I liked watching as Justine started to grow up and lost her love for Alejandro when she finds out that she was only being used due to her father’s job. I really think Lars stole the show however when he is able to put his wacky tobaccy to good use when it came to the cooking process. And the transformation of Alejandro was epic as he is all nice when you first meet him but turns into the same person he has been fighting against when all the cards are on the table. Oh, the blood was flowing, and the kills are epic and will not leave your mind for several days. If you have a weak stomach, you might want to pass on this order since yes, you will see people being eaten right in front of you. Stay Scared.

Opening doors for others is something that we should relish in, not be ashamed to do. I have prided myself on making other people’s lives better if it be at work or by just giving them a chance when others would not. You should not be afraid to be there for anyone that needs help taking their next step in life, cherish the opportunity since there are many out there that don’t want them to move on. But not all doors are meant to be opened, much less stepped through and if you open the wrong door for somebody, a door that they did not want, well, they will hold it against you forever.

Tom and Maggie have moved into their new home that is on the greatest block in Chicago. Their son Jake seems to like the move, especially since he has a new friend to talk to. Although Tom notices his son speaking to someone that is not there, he does not put too much thought into it since kids have invisible friends. But this friend is answering the difficult questions that Jake has and before too long, Tom will have to take notice. While attending a block party, Tom wants to prove his wife’s friend Lisa wrong when the conversation leans toward a debate about the power of hypnosis.

Sitting back and listening to everything that Lisa tells him to do, Tom falls into a deep sleep, but he is forced to wake up when he sees a frightening sight on his front porch. Not knowing what he saw, Tom and Maggie head home and when they start to make love, Tom's mind flashes disturbing images before him that leave him unable to finish. Heading downstairs to clear his head, Tom turns on the television and when he looks to his side, he sees a young girl sitting next to him. Not believing his eyes, he looks away and looks back and the girl is gone. Thinking that he is going crazy, Tom goes about his day thinking little about it, but the visions are coming in stronger and he knows he will have to find out what they mean.

When Maggie has a hard time finding a babysitter for her son, Jake gives her the name of a girl that works in the neighborhood. Not giving this much thought, Maggie is able to get Debbie Kozac to come over for the night and watch him. When opening the door, Tom has a vision that indicates that there is something wrong with this young woman. Almost getting into the concert, Tom has a bad feeling that there is something wrong at home and when he gets there, he sees that Jake has been taken. Finding the Debbie and his son at the train station, Tom sees that his dreams are more like reality and knows that there is something hidden within them. When at the next block party, Tom starts to ask around about Debbie’s missing sister, Samantha since he has seen her photo and knows who she is now. Little does he know that the missing girl has a more powerful effect on his neighbors, and he will be putting himself and family in danger when looking for her.

An interesting premise to say the least. When Tom is put under hypnosis, he is told that he needs to remain open to everything and that changes his life forever. The interactions between him and his son are more than bonding as they know something is amiss while Maggie does not believe them. It was remarkable to see how much Maggie did not want to believe what was happening and her running away did more good than she could possibly imagine. Jake however is the star of the show, since he knows what needs to be done and will do anything to help his father figure it out. I really liked the ending of the movie, since it tied everything together with a nice bow. Having a second sight is something that you might not want to take too lightly, since seeing things that nobody else can see can prove to be more valuable than many people give credit to. Stay Scared.

When you start acting differently than you normally do without an explanation, you have to believe that someone else is taking over your body, right? I mean, if you have never stolen something in your life and are caught shoplifting, it wasn’t you, it was the voices inside of your head.  I have never given this much credence over the years, since whenever a murderer is questioned, it always seems like they want to plead insanity, because it works, but what if there is really something out there that can take over your mind and actions? Being forced to watch your body do something that you know you should not be doing would be terrifying and I just hope that those who have had to witness this are able to remove whatever conduit is inside of them, causing them to be someone completely different. 

Anton Tobias is living his life to his own standards, waking up, listening to music and getting high, which is all well and good for him and his parents.  When waking up to see that he has exhausted his stash, Anton puts a call into his best friend Pnub to get some reserves, but Pnub and his buddy Mick are not willing to cough it up for their struggling friend. When hearing about a curfew that has been put in place on the town due to some unsolved murders, Anton also hears about a school dance that might be something right up his alley if he is able to even talk to the girl of his dreams.

Not seeing his parents for a couple of days, Anton is shocked to see that they are carved up and left to rot in his house. Thinking that the killer is loose in the house, Anton does the only thing that he can think of and calls his best friends over to help. Looking around the house however, the three find that all of the signs point to Anton being the killer. Not wanting to do anything drastic, Anton tries to get his friends out of the house before something bad happens to them, but alas, the evil in his hand is too strong and cannot be controlled. Killing Pnub and Mick and burying them in the backyard, Anton finds himself outside of Molly’s house looking for his cat that his uncontrolled hand threw out the window.

Thinking that Anton is cute, Molly invites him in and once again his hand takes over and gives her a grab and liking the aggressiveness, Molly is ready to rock the shy boy’s world. Getting a date for the dance, Anton is worried about what will happen when his hand decides to kill again and has to find a way to control it. Talking to his neighbor Randy about possession and what not, Anton finds that idle hands are the devil's playground and sees that he can control it, as long as he keeps it busy. With his friends back from the dead and trying to help him on his journey, Anton finds that it is not enough as the hand will do everything in his power to kill anyone that gets in its way. Thinking of only one way to stop his hand, Anton takes it to the next level and cuts it off, but finds that it was the wrong decision as the hand can kill on its own without a body attached.

This is just a fun horror movie that may not explain what is really happening, but who cares since there is a possessed hand on the loose, killing everyone it can. I cannot help but think back to Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2 when watching this movie since a handless hero is what the world really needs to keep it safe. The jokes between the best friends are the best and Molly is a stunner as Anton already knows and she has a little dark side that he is lucky enough to see. I still cannot get over how nobody wants to hear what is going on with the young stoner kid, but when there is a pretty woman or an ancient cure being thrown around, it seems like a canary is singing. Great cast, good story and plenty of blood and interesting ways to die, this movie is fun for horror fans of all ages. Stay Scared.

Looking for the answers to everything could cause you more problems than the search is worth. Although you might be looking to help out someone that is in need, there may be a reason why you were not involved from the beginning. Trying to do the right thing is something that more people should do, but if you find out that it will get you into trouble as well, it might be something that you might need to walk away from before you get in too deep.  

Jason and his wife Rachel are getting a divorce and looking to go on their own paths, but their daughter is not happy about the outcome. Jason is doing everything in his power to make sure that his girl will be okay, but work has to come first as space debris has hit the city causing the subway line to shut down. Looking to find a way to get back to his disintegrating family, Jason has to accept what he is being told about what caused a friend’s death, along with why a satellite crashed through one of the main subway tunnels.  

Although Jason is trying to do the right thing for his friend, he still has to find a way to get home for his daughter’s birthday. Always being late, Jason has an excuse this time that cannot be taken apart by his ex-wife. Even though he is sorry about what happened and missing a life changing birthday, Jason has to have depend on Rachel to run a test on some strange insect eggs that were found inside his friend. When Rachel comes back with the results, saying that these were spider eggs, the once happy family is now on the radar of a government agency that wants to take control of everything that has to do with the crash.  

When all of the rats are trying to escape the subway, Jason is called in once again but is not able to find the reason why the rats are on the run, even with all of the help from the local exterminators. As the government moves in to take control of the situation, they find that there is a new strain of spider that has been unleashed on New York City that if controlled correctly will give them the most advanced silk in the world. Scientist Dr. Darnoff takes control of the government group as the spiders that are being studied are not of this world, but an alien strain that could only be combined with spider DNA to survive the atmospheric pressure on earth. With a government cover-up being put into place around the crash location, Jason and his ex-wife Rachel are being hunted by not only the spiders, but by the government as well.

Spiders (also known as Spiders 3D) follows Jason Cole, who is a station head for the New York Transit Authority and is only trying to do his job and keep the subway lines running at all times. But as fate would have it, a Soviet satellite crashes down in the city, housing spiders that were grown in space from an other-worldly DNA strain. As the spiders adapt to the atmosphere, they start to grow and take over the city. With the government trying to protect their new discovery, they cover-up what is really happening, saying that the area is quarantined due to a new virus. As Rachel runs tests on the strange eggs, she is pulled into the situation as well with the government not allowing any loose ends to go talking to the press and letting the world know of their discovery. The spiders however do not stay within the plan as they find a way out of their holding pen and start to take over the city.  

Just a good old creature feature as the spiders start to take over one of the largest cities in the world. Without getting real help from the government to contain the outbreak as they are more concerned about keeping it a secret than allowing the world to know what they have found, disaster strikes. With the spiders getting bigger and bigger, they cannot be killed off by conventional weapons, well, not easily at least, and this new breed starts to make the Earth its home. Trying to kill off something that is not of this world is hard enough but trying to survive your own government’s hit squads makes it just that much more difficult. Stay Scared.

If there’s one thing that audiences always enjoy when it comes to their favorite television series, and films for that matter as well, it’s being able to learn everything there is to know about the villain that the story features. Because seeing what brought forth the darkness in their soul, or motivated them to harm their fellow man is simply fascinating to say the least and somehow, knowing exactly what makes a bad guy or gal tick, offers some sense of understanding for the audience and if there’s one series out there where this kind of exploration is almost commonplace, it’s The Walking Dead.
 
Because fans of this series have been treated to all kinds of facts, both subtle and direct to explain exactly why the bad guy was more than willing to cause harm to Rick Grimes and his friends and what we have learned through the years, has been downright fascinating to say the least. After all, who didn’t enjoy quietly learning that Philip ‘The Governor’ Blake, was motivated to become a despot because he was a middle management employee and bland everyday man that finally saw an opportunity to become more? Or find themselves fascinated to learn that Negan was once a high school gym coach who experienced enough loss in life that he snapped and created a powerhouse persona that people could look up to, giving him unprecedented control over others.
 
If anything, this just goes to show how much the series enjoys giving the audience every ounce of knowledge available when it comes to the characters that inhabit this universe, and last night’s episode of the show, ‘Omega’, helped to continue the proud tradition of teaching us everything there is to know about the heavy. Because this particular tale was all about Alpha and what drove her to lead and inspire people to wear the skins of the living dead and walk amongst them and well, what we learned about this mysterious woman was downright disturbing to say the least because it’s clear now that she and her followers are going to be quite the formidable force in the days to come.
 
For this is a woman, who will do whatever it takes to survive, and that’s no exaggeration. Because Alpha truly has nothing to lose. She has no loyalties or ties to humanity outside of her daughter, so if someone goes missing from her group, she and the others simply move on. She has no possessions to fight over or worry about since she and her people follow the path of the dead, which means they never stay in one place for too long or store food since they scavenge or share with the dead. And while that kind of carefree attitude is scary in its own right since she can in essence do whatever she wants and fade back into a crowd of the dead without consequence, what truly makes Alpha scary…is that she has little regard for the civilized world. 

​As it turns out, her particular disdain for that part of the world, came about from seeing its collapse in up close and personal fashion. For before she was a woman who wore dead flesh as a disguise, she was an everyday mother, trying to survive the end of the world with her daughter and husband in a shelter with others in Baltimore. But the panic and fear of the end of everything, drove some in her group to act in irresponsible fashion, and it also drove Alpha to take action and try to maintain order, regardless of the cost or in this case, loss of life. And of course, a lack of knowledge of the plague eventually led to resurrection within their sanctuary and we all know how that ends, in chaos. But said chaos is what truly changed her, for it helped her to ‘understand’ that the dead were in charge, and that they would eventually claim any place that man deemed safe and she had to find a way to coexist with these creatures peacefully and present day shows us just how far she went to make that happen.
 
However, what truly made this backstory episode so incredibly fascinating is the sheer fact that it was told from Lydia’s perspective, and her recollection was shaky at best. Because in order to exert true control and keep other people in line, we learned that Alpha tends to lie, and use more violent methods to maintain control and sadly we came to discover all of that by way of Lydia herself, since we saw the bruises on her arms when she tried to teach Daryl a lesson and thanks to some genuine kindness from Henry, she eventually came to realize that her mother altered the story of their time in Baltimore to make her seem like the hero when she in fact, killed Lydia’s dad with impunity to help facilitate their escape…
 
But, while Alpha’s origin story was disturbing in its own right, there was some levity to be found in this tale, and all of that came forth by way of Daryl and Henry and their genuine attempts to use kindness to reach Lydia. In fact, it would seem that Daryl came to realize that his more ‘direct’ approach in last week’s episode simply wouldn’t cut it, and it’s good that he did because this approach was far better and quite frankly, inspiring. Because this softer approach to interrogation served as a fine reminder of what Hilltop and the other communities could accomplish if they applied themselves and it was nice to see Carl and Rick’s dream come to life if only for a moment. Because there is trouble brewing on the horizon, for the Whisperers have come to the gates of Hilltop and Alpha clearly expects Daryl and his friends to hand over her daughter…
 
When all is said and done however, I really enjoyed this episode through and through. This was a great example of how to properly use flashbacks in a story, and I loved how said flashbacks evolved over the course of the hour to reveal Alpha’s lies and true nature. But while this was a fine way to teach us everything we ever wanted to know about this villain, knowing what she is all about is damn terrifying to say the least. Because there is no crossing Alpha, and trying to corner or outwit her seems like quite the poor choice, since she will always do whatever it takes to keep herself and her daughter safe and that leaves me nervous and curious when it comes to how the negotiations are going to go next week as she works to bring her daughter ‘home.’ Until next time.      

The desire to help others seems to be something that we grow up with, but as we get older we start to think more and more about what could happen if we do. With little to no thought however, there are still those who will do anything for anybody in need and that is a trait that I wish more people held on to. You never know what the story is and why someone is in need, you just look past them and go about your day. Take a moment and at least give a smile, just by this little gesture, you are able to brighten someone’s day, even if it is not what they expected.

While in Holland during World War II, Lancaster Merrin has been forced to make a decision that will change his life, along with every one of the town’s folk. Having to point out to the SS commander who killed his man and left the body in the alley, Merrin, being a man of the cloth knows that confession is sacred and will not disclose the information of who the murderer is, but when the entire town is threatened, he does his best to protect the innocent. Having to choose who lives and dies was not what Merrin signed up for, but he had to do his part to keep everyone from being murdered in cold blood.

Years later, while in Kenya, Merrin has uncovered a Byzantine Church that was built long before Christianity moved that far south. When word of his find makes its way up the ladder, Merrin is summed to Major Granville’s office to discuss what the next steps will be. Being given an assistant, Father Francis, Merrin is not happy with having to play baby sitter to the young priest, but he does not have a choice. While uncovering more of the old church, Merrin makes a strange discovery, that the walls are not weathered at all and he wants to find out why. While hiring more workers to get the building out from centuries of sand, Merrin is ready to step inside and takes young Father Francis with him. Looking at the statues, Merrin notices that they are all pointing their weapons down, signifying that they are trying to keep something from a lower level from coming up. Finding this strange, Merrin and Francis continue down further into the church and find some pagan carvings, along with a room that was used for human sacrifice. 

Returning to the surface Merrin and Francis are taken to see something strange that has happened outside of the village. They find a band of hyenas that have been killed by the cattle and now the cows are feasting on their fallen hunters. Knowing that something strange has been released on the valley, Merrin tries to keep a close eye on his new friend Cheche, an outcast from the village that requires much more medical care than anyone is willing to give. But when Merrin continues to be called away for different reasons, Cheche is getting stronger and it's clear there is something manifesting inside of him. When two thieving guards are found dead in the church, Major Granville starts to show his true colors towards the locals and wants an eye for an eye and Merrin can only do so much to keep him from following through. While the village elders know that evil has been released on the valley, they do not know who has become the next chosen one, they just know that death will arrive and take many more lives before all is said and done.

A very different movie than Exorcist: The Beginning and I cannot believe that the studio did not want to release it. You can see right off the bat what was not funded in this movie, the special effects, but that does not carry a story, especially in a movie like this. I actually like Dominion better than its replacement, since there are more memorable scenes, but I can see why the studio reshot pretty much the entire movie. There is not enough gore. But blood and jump scares is not what these movies have ever been about, it is about the ongoing battle between good and evil and returning someone’s faith. This movie focused much harder on Merrin and his past and put it all out there in the first ten minutes, while the other movie made you sit and wait to see what he did. It is easier to see why Merrin lost his faith right from the get go. Father Francis was not as much of a throw away character in this movie and he actually served more of a purpose to the story, along with Major Granville who had a much more prominent role before blowing his brains out. Cheche was the star of this movie as he is afraid of everything and everyone around the village but finds the courage to stay in the care of Merrin and the doctor Rachel. His transformation into the evil Pazuzu is epic and you get to see how the battle should have really gone down between good and evil. Stay Scared.

There is nothing wrong with changing the script on a daily basis. I mean who would want to live the same day over and over again without some sort of change?  With so much that the world has to offer, you could give yourself a chance to be anyone or anything that you want to. Making the decision to break out of your comfort zone however is completely up to you and even if someone tries to get you out, you are the only one that can make it happen.

Three years ago, Max Cartwright lost her mother and best friend in a car crash. Still having problems with coping with her loss, her friend’s brother Duncan has come up with a plan to get her out once again. With Camp Bloodbath playing at his theater, Duncan would love to see the daughter of one of the stars of the movie make an appearance, but it is playing on the anniversary of Max’s mother's death and she is having mixed emotions. With her friend Gertie and study partner Chris at her side, Max knows that she will be in for a fun night, no matter how hokey the movie might actually be.

Watching her mother play Nancy in the movie, Max is brought back to the better days before she passed away, but when the killer comes in to perform his duty, Max needs to get some fresh air. Walking up the aisle way, a fire erupts in the theater and with no chance of getting to an exit in time, Max and her friends cut through the screen to try and flee to safety. Waking up in a green field, the group does not know where they are or what happened to the theater, but when an old VW van comes rolling up the road, they have fears that they are going crazy. Seeing two characters from Camp Bloodbath looking for directions, the group continues their trek up the road only to see the two characters again and asking the exact same questions. Fearing that what he knows is right, Duncan times the next appearance of the van and confirms what is happening, the group is stuck in the movie.

Arriving at the camp, Max and her friends are trying to find a way out of the movie and back home, but the problem is that the movie will not let them go. Having to follow the storyline that the movie follows, the group is thrown into the middle of the murderous spree that Billy Murphy has brought to the camp. Coming to the conclusion that they will not be able to leave the movie until it ends, the group decides to follow the heroine of the movie to stay safe, but when they start messing with who dies in the movie, the script adjusts to include the outsiders into the rotation. Everything seems fine and dandy when nobody dies in the cabin, but it is a horror movie and it has to deliver what the fans want to see. When the main heroine dies, the group has to find another ‘Final Girl’ to take her place and kill the monster that has his sights set on so many more victims.

Think of Last Action Hero, but with a horror setting and you have got yourself a winning formula. I have heard nothing but good things about this movie ever since its release and now that I have seen it, I was not wrong to listen to the hype. I love the premise and watching Max as she has to deal with facing her mother again, who is not really her mother, but the character who had hopes and dreams like her mother would, well, you start pulling for the pair. The deaths in this movie were just fantastic and a great throwback to the classic ’80s slasher flicks that we all know and love. There is little to say bad about this movie, people die in the fashion that they should and the dialogue from the original movie fits right in with the genre. I enjoyed it, it had enough killing, blood and humor to keep you occupied until the final credits start to roll. Stay Scared.