Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Eight of ‘The Stand’.
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Good versus evil. A concept that is as old as mankind and one that we simply crave in our everyday entertainment. Because not only is it thrilling to watch two incredible forces clash with everything hanging the balance, but the fact that good prevails more often than not on the small and silver screen and in real life… gives us hope for the future. For a day when evil no longer walks the Earth and mankind can live in relative peace without its troubles. But there is of course, one important caveat that comes with this grand battle in regard to entertainment. In that, the fight in question has to be epic and fulfilling, otherwise the audience feels as though it has wasted its time and they’ll forget about said battle before they quickly move onto the next story. 
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Which is why it is safe to say that this week’s episode of The Stand had us on edge when we went to start it. Because there was the potential that the grandiose showdown that the series promised us could have been quickly rushed through in the same manner as the series did with the apocalypse itself. But thankfully, those worries were quickly quelled once ‘The Stand’ got underway. When it became apparent that this episode was indeed going to take its time and offer up an incredible final showdown between the Walking Dude and the forces of good from the Boulder Free Zone. And as an added bonus, it turns out that this episode had some of commentary to offer on our modern world as well. For the trial that Flagg and his cronies put our heroes through, felt awfully and uncomfortably familiar when all is said and done.

Simply because in many ways it echoed the recent events in Washington D.C., since so many of Flagg’s followers were riled up and ready for blood shed since Lloyd and the Rat Woman kept the show going and kept the crowd hungry by feeding them Flagg's baloney messaging. But a surprise and bold move on Glen’s part, one that involved pushing Lloyd to his absolute edge, changed the vibe in the courtroom and in Vegas the instant that Lloyd pulled the trigger. Because in that moment, Flagg’s followers came to realize what their respective revolution and New World Order would take to bring to fruition, and they weren’t quite sure if they were prepared for that, and if Glen was right about how they were giving into fear over anything else. Which are elements that definitely echo some of the sentiment that came about after the storming of the U.S. Capitol and it was definitely chilling to see that unexpected parallel come into play. But what matters more, is that the wonder of this tale, didn't end with this poignant segment.

Because shortly after this ugly incident, things began to fall apart in New Vegas. Because not only did Nadine come to realize she’d been duped and used as a breeding vessel, a decision that motivated her to end her life and the life of Flagg’s demonic seed, but a great many of his minions were questioning exactly why they followed Flagg this far and why they let their fear of him control and dictate their future actions. The kind that were getting uglier and more unsettling by the moment and well, these thoughts came to a head when The Dark Man assembled everyone for the grand execution of Larry Underwood and Ray Brentner, when Lloyd and a handful of others decided to no longer be afraid and walk away from this whole mess right now, and get the fresh start they deserve. 
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But alas, redemption would come for none of them. For at the peak of the chaos at the Inferno Casino, wherein the Trashcan Man returned with his beloved nuclear device; the hand of God came down from above and in a violent manner reminiscent of the Old Testament… wrought justice upon the wicked, before dealing with the true source of Evil. Which means that we were able to watch the end of Randall Flagg in a drawn out and magnificent manner mere moments before Sin City erupted in the golden light of nuclear fire. Effectively ending this battle on the grandiose and satisfying note that we were all waiting for, whilst setting the stage for the finale. For Stu is still out there and about to be discovered by Mister Tom Cullen, and of course, Frannie Goldsmith is about to have her baby.

In the end, it is downright safe to declare this episode to be the show’s finest to date. Because this one had just about everything you could ask for as a fan of King’s work. Since it featured proper closure for both the heroes and the villains, since Larry finally grew into someone bold and strong while Flagg’s minions finally came to understand the folly of their ways before their end arrived, and of course… that final showdown was perfect in every way. Since it featured a simple and humble ball of energy, destroying the excess of The Walking Dude's twisted empire, before taking down the monster itself and you really cannot ask for a better showdown than this one. And now that we have come to the end of this incredible battle between good versus evil, it is time to turn our attention to next week and what comes next for the survivors of the end of the world. Until then.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 204 of ‘Servant’. 

Normally, in stories that revolve around loss and trauma and the long road back from both elements; the person that has suffered the pain in question… is often times the hero of the story. Because watching them fight off the darkness and rise to the occasion is inspiring for certain and it does indeed make them a hero in the eyes of the audience since they take part in a brave and difficult act. Which is why a great deal of us have been glued to Dorothy and Sean Turner’s harrowing plight in the AppleTV+ series, Servant. Because we’ve been waiting for them to start that heroic journey back into the light so they can inspire us with their bravery. and enjoy some semblance of peace after all this time. 

But alas, as the show continues along and the draw of Jericho continues to pull upon their souls, all of us are starting to wonder now, whether or not this particular saga is going to provide us with a story that instead shows us how loss and trauma can transform a person into something quite bitter and potentially evil… as evidenced by this week’s tale. For ‘2:00’ saw Leanne settle back into the Turner abode in a supremely unnerving manner. For Dorothy locked her up in the attic of the house with no access to the restroom or much else for that matter. All in the hopes that a little pressure would motivate Leanne to finally tell her the whereabouts of Jericho so the family could be reunited. Despite the fact that of course, there’s a little magic involved with such matters.

However, despite Dorothy’s pressings, no truth came from Leanne’s lips, and even Sean was unable to get much out of her outside of a little kindness, since Leanne did return the ability to taste and feel to him, for offering her a little decency. If anything, it just seemed as though this whole situation was at an impasse. Simply because Sean and Julian couldn’t call the cops since they would be implicated in a kidnapping, so everyone simply hoped that a burnout on Dorothy’s part would finally bring about a parting of the ways with Leanne, the kind that wouldn’t get the family in trouble and well… that’s when things took quite the dark and terrifying turn. Because the fury that Dorothy experienced over not getting any answers or direction, boiled over at 2:00 a.m. every single morning, and it motivated her to do the unthinkable and hurt Leanne physically.

Which made for some terrifying moments for certain, since we’ve never seen Dorothy filled with this kind of unrequited and unrestrained rage. But she was happy to indulge it at this hour and leave Leanne cowering and nursing her bruises and wounds. Yet while that alone was unsettling to watch and spoke volumes to the fact that trauma can indeed allow for people to indulge in their darker sides, the end of this episode definitely leaves the viewer wondering if Dorothy is already lost to her pain and is merely putting on a show in order to function. Since she was fine with knocking Leanne unconscious and burying her in the muck of the repairs being done to the basement, and had it not been for Sean waking up at just the right time, Leanne likely would have died and well… it is definitely safe to say that is a game changing episode for certain.

Because in fast fashion, Dorothy is shaping up to be the villain of this story and a dangerous one at that. Which means that like it or not, Sean and Julian are going to have to act fast on what comes next for her, since she is clearly ready to cause major harm to Leanne in the name of Jericho. And it should be interesting to see if this equally as broken duo is going to be able to stand up to Dorothy and tell her the truth about what happened and stop this or if they’re fine with the status quo and well… this really was quite the powerful episode when all is said and done. One that undoubtedly took a great deal of fans by surprise, and this one will definitely have everyone counting down the minutes until next week’s tale, since we are all dying to know what kind of fallout is going to come about from Dorothy’s disastrous and dastardly actions.

‘Servant’ is available to stream right now on AppleTV+.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘A Nightmare Wakes’.
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The creation of a story, any story really, is often times as fascinating as the finished product itself. Simply because people are genuinely intruiged by the creative process and how exactly a writer comes up with the wild ideas that an audience enjoys upon the silver screen or within the pages of the book and that’s precisely why there are stories out there that examine this process to a tee. All so that people everywhere can come to understand the struggle and strife that goes into creating a wonderful work of art since it is in fact, no simple act. For it requires sacrifice and effort and there are times where it simply does not come easy for the writer.
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But what most documentaries and chronicles tend to gloss over, is the delicate balancing act that writers have to go through when they’re creating their masterpiece. Because it is incredibly easy for a writer to lose themselves within the framework of a particular story they are working on and allow for the concepts and the characters to consume them when what they’re creating is supremely strong. But once in a while, you encounter a motion picture that is eager to genuinely examine this tough side to the creative process and recently, this reviewer had the opportunity to watch a Shudder Original that offers up a fascinating exploration of the dark side to creativity in A Nightmare Wakes.

Now this particular film, more or less takes the time to chronicle the creation of the iconic Science Fiction/Horror story Frankenstein, by allowing for us to spend time with Mary Shelley herself and while that immediately makes it seem as though this story will be innocuous in nature, since the writing of a horror story, in a time that was far simpler, should be devoid of unsettling moments… it doesn’t take long for this film to show the audience otherwise. Because health care in any form was a bit of a joke back in Shelley’s day and that, combined with the fact that this era didn’t bother to process trauma, motivates Shelley to escape into the world of writing.

Which is what brings forth the grand exploration of creativity in general. Since Shelley uses the harsh reality of her world and the loss of her own child to create the world of Victor Frankenstein, and she more or less uses her masterpiece to outright heal the trauma surging through her soul. Which was a fascinating twist to inject into this tale, since it speaks volumes to the old adage of ‘write what you know’ and watching her use her dreams of death and resurrection absolutely engages the viewer since there really aren’t that many stories out there that explore Mary and her creative process. But while it was nice to watch Mary grow as a writer and grapple with how her husband could not reconcile her talent, there was mention of the fact that an exploration of the dark side of writing was present and well, this segment of the story is what leads into that.

Because the longer she works on the book, and the harder her life becomes, the faster she loses herself within the world of Victor Frankenstein. To the point where she’s living out moments of the novel whilst the world whips around her and this hammers home the fact that a story can indeed take control of a writer's life. Which may not sound like that something all that dangerous. But as evidenced in this tale, getting lost in that manner can cause all kinds of trouble since those a creative mind holds near and dear are neglected emotionally and that always sparks friction and of course, there are everyday responsibilities we have to handle and letting those slide can cause a negative impact as well. But more important of all, the writer’s mental health suffers greatly when they let a tale take hold in this manner, since the line between what’s real and what’s fantasy is blurred. 

But while that is fascinating and unsettling in its own right, to some that may not still evoke images of terror, the kind that keep us up at night and have us checking on that shadow in the closet. But they are there, and they exist within the framework of Mary’s downward mental spiral and they will indeed leave you squirming in your seat. If anything, they’re not top of mind, simply because writer/director Nora Unkel does a wonderful job of creating a seamless experience for the viewer, one that genuinely moves you and engrosses you as you watch Mary Shelley grow and create a story that would influence creative minds and audiences for generations to come. And all of these elements, make this movie a fulfilling watch for certain, one that does a phenomenal job of reminding us that, as Stephen King once put it: ‘Life isn’t a support system for art. It’s the other way around.’ 

‘A Nightmare Wakes’ is now available to stream on Shudder.

It really is wonderful to see how the world is embracing horror in this day and age Because not only are people flocking to it on television and in the theaters like never before, but everyone's interest in it is giving rise to the return of the horror movie showcase. Wherein a host guides us through all kinds of macabre and delightful films of their choosing and for proof that there is pent up demand for such shows, then look no further than the Shudder original, The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs. 

For Joe Bob's return to this type of show, actually managed to crash the network when the show premiered and people love what it has to offer so much, that holiday themed editions of this series are popping up often. In fact, next week will see the premiere of a Joe Bob themed Valentine's Day special and the good news is, earlier today, Shudder offered up some new information on The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob Put a Spell on You and here are the all the latest details on this incredible special, courtesy of Shudder.

The Shudder Original series The Last Drive-In continues its tradition of twisting beloved holidays with its first-ever Valentine’s Day special, Joe Bob Put a Spell on You. The special debuts on Friday, February 12th live on the Shudder TV feed at 9:00 p.m ET. Fans can also watch on demand on Shudder and AMC+ beginning Sunday, February 14th.

Get ready to sidestep cupid’s arrow, devour your pity chocolate, and discover the horror of Valentine’s Day with the world’s foremost drive-in movie-critic-turned-love-guru Joe Bob Briggs. Joe Bob, Darcy, and special guest Anna Biller (Viva, The Love Witch) will explore the lost art of romantic necromancy with a double-feature all about love, lust, and gore guaranteed to boost your heart rate!

As Joe Bob puts it, "We found a holiday we haven't ruined yet. There's a remarkable amount of horror fare centered around the hearts-and-flowers season. Plus Anna Biller may be the world's foremost authority on the difference between what men mean when they talk about love and what women mean when they talk about love. There are dark aspects to Valentine's Day, and we found all of them!"

On The Last Drive-In, Briggs, hosts eclectic horror movie double features, expounding upon their merits, histories and significance to genre cinema. Shudder and Briggs first teamed up in July 2018, for the 24-hour marathon intended to be Briggs’ final farewell to televised movie hosting. Due to overwhelming popular demand, Shudder brought The Last Drive-In back as a weekly series and for multiple holiday specials. A third season has been announced, premiering in 2021.

So, as you can see, once again Joe Bob Briggs has put together another wonderful special. One that should make Valentine’s Day something quite special for horror fans everywhere. Since we will be able to enjoy some heart-wrenching horror features right before we set our significant other's heart a flutter. And it really is wonderful to know that Shudder and Joe Bob are figuring out how to make horror fans feel special year round, and we cannot wait to see what amazing movies Joe Bob is going to showcase come next Friday and what other Horror Holiday Specials he and Shudder have planned for us in 2021 and beyond.

​There are people that want to let their elders pass on without being a part of their lives, then there are those who will do anything to keep them ticking for as long as they can. While I am part of the latter group, I can see why there are those folks that don’t want to care about the older generation, since in their minds they are outdated and are tired of listening to the same old stories. It is hard to imagine that anyone would want to let their golden generation pass on without a thought, but with the times changing and needing to take many hours out of the work week to teach them how to use a VCR (yes, I had to do this, and I am that old) or any new devices that are coming out, it seems like a waste to them. But you never know when the magical button in their minds will click on the new technology and soon, they will know more about it than you do.

With her husband going missing, Maude Chalmers is in need of money to continue living her days in her home and her granddaughter has come up with the perfect option. Converting her funeral home into a Bed and Breakfast, Maude is not too happy to have strangers in her house, but it will be the only way to make ends meet. Having her granddaughter Heather coming to help, at least there will be one good thing that comes out of it, since the girl will be able to take care of more than just the guests. But there are already problems brewing at the Chalmers household as the truck is in disrepair and Maude is not able to make it to the bus station to pick up Heather.

Being resourceful, Heather is able to catch a ride into town with her new friend Rick and starts to hear about the distrust that he has for her grandmother’s home. Not getting too deep into the conversation since they just met, Heather is happy to see her grandma and ready to make a million dollars over her summer there will all of the guests that they are going to receive. When Harry Browning and his lady friend Florie make it to the house, Maude is starting to regret her decision and does not want sinners in her home under any circumstances. Trying to rid herself of the two who are fornicating outside of marriage, Maude asks the couple to check out, but Harry will not and has decided that he and Florie will stay until the weekend is finished.

Around town, young deputy Joe Yates is starting to get a bad feeling in his stomach as people are going missing. Being told to ignore it by the chief, Joe finds the abandoned car of a real estate developer buried in a pile of hay, three weeks since the man went missing. Knowing that there is something strange happening in his town, Joe starts to do a little investigating of his own to find out where and when the missing folks were last seen and all signs point towards the Chalmers new tourist home. Asking Maude his questions, Joe is satisfied with what she has to say and promises to stay on the case of her missing husband, but there is something else happening in the home that nobody ever expected.

Staying busy during the days, Heather has been spotted by Rick who wants to get to know her a little better and with him being a fine boy, she agrees to help out with what he needs as well. Getting some alone time, Rick is able to tell his new friend what her grandfather was like and it is far from what she imagined. Being a stubborn old man who did not take kindly to the neighborhood kids looking in on his undertaking work, he would threaten to lock the kids in with the dead bodies. Not believing that her grandfather could be anything other than kind, Heather disregards the conversation, but when she starts hearing her grandmother in the basement talking to somebody, she needs to start believing since there is evil in the house and she might be the only one who can help release it.

Looking back at some of these older horror flicks, I am finding a new respect for them that I never thought possible. Keeping the audience in suspense while setting up the story for the epic reveal of who the killer is has been lost for the new generation, and that is a shame. What I really liked best about this movie is the relationship that Heather and her grandmother Maude develop in such a short time and while trying to keep her granddaughter from doing something that she would frown upon, Maude falls short and there is only one punishment that is fitting when all is said and done. One of the characters that did not make it into the review was Billy, the slow handyman who is able to keep things running around the house. It was apparent that he would be tormented throughout and while he only wanted to help, he would have to toughen up with the insults coming his way and do the right thing in his mind. With a silent killer, people living in sin, car crashes, a nosey cop, young love story and people going missing, this is a good 'who done it' type of story that will leave you wondering if all people would be capable of losing their minds so badly to drive them to kill. Stay Scared.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘The Funeral Home’.

Of the many scary stories out there, the ghost story is perhaps the most refined and the most predictable of them all. For in essence, this particular horror sub-genre tends to follow some standard plot threads. The kind where someone innocent manages to invite a spirit into their home or into their body and has to figure out how to purge it before it consumes them. Or the story will revolve around a family that moves into a new home and comes to learn that it is occupied by a powerful spirit. One that either requires their help to move into the great beyond… or it is an outright threat to their physical and mental well-being. Which motivates the family to figure out how to purge the spirit by way of a medium or more natural means, so that this evil can leave their lives and they can maintain a sense of safety.
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Which of course, they eventually succeed at, which gives the audience the happy ending they so crave. But while it is nice to know that you’re going to enjoy something predictable and safe and entertaining, when you settle in watch one of these movies or shows, what’s frustrating about ghost stories is that they rarely push the envelope or work to genuinely terrify or unsettle their audience and that’s unfortunate for certain. For this sub-genre could accomplish wonders if it simply dared to be bold on a more consistent basis. But thankfully, once in a while, a filmmaker comes along that understands the true potential of the ghost story and works hard to create a story that genuinely terrifies the viewer and recently, this reviewer had the opportunity to enjoy a ghost story that dares to explore the unrestrained power of the spirit world in The Funeral Home.

Now in this particular tale, we are introduced to a broken family that consists of three members: Bernardo, Estela and Irina. And they operate and live inside a funeral home that once belonged to Bernardo’s father and what makes them so broken and lost in life, goes beyond the fact that this funeral home is run down and falling to pieces. No, instead, what truly has them struggling is the sheer fact that they live together out of convenience, and care not for one another in the slightest and also because… their funeral home is outright haunted. A fact that they are aware of and live with, since they firmly believe that spirits are a natural thing to encounter in a place where death rules the day. But constant appearances from the spirits leaves this family rattled on a consistent basis, and to complicate matters further, the ghosts seem to be getting violent. Which motivates the family to explore what’s going on with the spirits in this place and what they will uncover in their investigation will change their lives forever, in the worst way imaginable.

So, the first real element of note when it comes to this motion picture, is the sheer fact that it does a wonderful job of shaking up one of the biggest tropes of the ghost genre. In that, rather than have this story be a long, drawn out journey of discovery, where the family works hard to figure out the origin of the spirits that reside within this house and why they’ve come to visit the family… they already know they are there and have zero problem with the knowledge that there is life after death. In fact, at times they more or less view these visitors from beyond as nothing more than unsettling roommates that poke about where they shouldn’t. And their nonchalant approach to the spirit world, combined with their confusion as to why they’re suddenly becoming violent, absolutely sucks the viewer into the story by way of its originality and the mystery it presents and well, that’s when this particular tale takes quite the powerful turn.
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Because once we come to learn exactly what’s happening here, which we won’t spoil in this review, things become quite violent and potentially deadly and that’s when this motion picture shines. Because just like that, the scares begin to kick into overdrive and nothing about this story feels safe and that too is about as brilliant and as original as it gets. For it makes this story a true rollercoaster, one where danger is everywhere and the chances of everyone making it out alive are greatly reduced and well, you simply don’t see that in ghost stories anymore. Because they really are eager to offer up happy endings and outright peace with the spirit world. But here, what lurks beyond is simply out for blood and will stop at nothing to satiate its blood lust and leads to a supremely intense finale, one where you are definitely on the edge of your seat as you wait to see if anyone is going to survive the onslaught of evil that has been brought down upon this house. 

But what’s equally as impressive, is that the story doesn’t just save the best moments for its finale. No instead, this particular story is a tense affair from the beginning. For it wastes zero time in making it known that spirits roam this place and are eager to interact with the family and that twist and every other element we’ve discussed, make this movie a true delight through and through. For it really is a refreshing entry in a tired genre. Since it keeps you guessing from beginning to end and outright shocks you with its savage presentation of what the spirit world is capable of and well, if you’re looking for something new and exciting from a genre that tends to love formula over anything else, then give this movie a look. Because this really is a special horror film, one that will stay with you long after the credits have faded to black, courtesy of a bleak and original story.