The best part about being a horror fan in this day and age, is that horror news just comes in waves anymore and that’s about joyous as it gets. Because it speaks to the power of the genre and how popular it has become and well, today has been a huge news day from the land of Shudder. For earlier today, the network announced that ‘Creepshow’ and ‘Slasher’ are getting renewed for new seasons and the announcements don’t end there.
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Because the network also snagged the broadcast rights to the TIFF Official Selection, Good Madam, and well… since this is one of two major Shudder announcements, we are sending your way today… here are all the details on the forthcoming renewals and this new movie, courtesy of Shudder.  

Shudder’s record-breaking series Creepshow, executive produced by showrunner Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead), is based on George Romero’s 1982 horror comedy classic and brings to life a series of vignettes, exploring terrors ranging from murder, creatures, monsters and delusions to the supernatural and unexplainable.  Heralded as “an irresistibly macabre package,” (Slant Magazine) and “an undeniable love letter to all generations of horror fans,” (CBR), the series has, over three seasons, been one of the most watched programs on Shudder and begins production on its new installment this spring. Creepshow is produced by the Cartel with Monster Agency Productions, Taurus Entertainment, and Striker Entertainment: Stan Spry, Jeff Holland, and Eric Woods are executive producers and Geoff Silverman and Anthony Fankhauser are co-executive producers for the Cartel; Nicotero and Brian Witten are executive producers and Julia Hobgood is a co-executive producer for Monster Agency Productions; Robert Dudelson, James Dudelson and Jordan Kizwani are executive producers for Taurus Entertainment; Russell Binder is executive producer and Marc Mostman is co-executive producer for Striker Entertainment.

Shudder’s Slasher: Ripper, set to begin production this spring, takes the Slasher franchise back in time to the late 19th century -- there’s a killer stalking the mean streets, but instead of targeting the poor and downtrodden like Jack the Ripper, The Widow is meting out justice against the rich and powerful. The only person standing in the way of this killer is the newly promoted detective, Kenneth Rijkers, whose ironclad belief in justice may wind up being yet another victim of The Widow. Developed and produced by Shaftesbury, Slasher: Ripper is executive produced by Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Thomas P. Vitale, Aaron Martin, Ian Carpenter and Adam Macdonald with producers Erin Berry and Paige Haight.

Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streamer for horror, thrillers and the supernatural, has acquired South African horror Good Madam (Mlungu Wam) for release in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand ahead of its screening at the Glasgow Film Festival. Also an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, AFI Fest and Gothenburg Film Festival, the haunting film from writer/director Jenna Cato Bass (Flatland, High Fantasy) and co-writer Babalwa Baartman will stream exclusively on Shudder in late 2022.
 
In Good Madam (Mlungu Wam), Tsidi, a single mother, is forced to move in with her estranged mother Mavis, a live-in domestic worker caring obsessively for her catatonic white ‘Madam’ in an affluent Cape Town suburb. As Tsidi tries to heal her family however, a sinister specter begins to stir.
 
“Jenna Cato Bass delivers a sensationally fresh take on the haunted house story while layering in cutting social satire about the lingering horrors of apartheid,” said Shudder General Manager, Craig Engler.
 
“Horror audiences are probably the most enthusiastic and open-minded I’ve encountered, so I couldn’t be happier that Good Madam has found a home at Shudder, where even more fans of this evolving genre can discover it,” said Jenna Cato Bass.
 
Good Madam (Mlungu Wam) stars Chumisa Cosa, Nosipho Mtebe, Kamvalethu Jonas Raziya, Sanda Shandu, Khanyiso Kenqa, Sizwe Ginger Lubengu, Siya Sikawuti, Peggy Tunyiswa and Chris Gxalaba. The film is produced by Fox Fire Films, Sanusi Chronicles and Causeway Films in association with Salmira Productions and Strange Charm. Baartman, Cato Bass, Kristina Ceyton (The Babadook, The Nightingale), and Samantha Jennings (Cargo) produce while Salman Al-Rashid, Sam Frohman, Richard Mansell, David Bass and Jason Newmark serve as executive producers.
 
The acquisition deal was negotiated by Emily Gotto, VP, Global Acquisitions & Co-Productions on behalf of Shudder and Lydia Rodman, VP of Sales at Visit Films, on behalf of the filmmakers. Visit is handling international rights and will be presenting the film to buyers at the upcoming EFM.

It is definitely safe to say, that each and every one of us, seek absolution at some point in our lives. Because we are human, and we make mistakes, often, in fact, and our desire to achieve perfection and soothe our conscience is what motivates us to set things right when we goof. But what’s fascinating about our quest for absolution and redemption, is that it sometimes goes unfulfilled. For those we wronged have no desire to forgive us for our actions and sometimes… we don’t even bother to seek it out in the first place, despite feeling a need for it. Because what we did was so terrible and so devastating, that the thought of trying to absolve ourselves for our sins… seems outlandish and downright foolish. Which in turn, begs an important question.
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In that, is it possible to come back from a huge and destructive mistake? Well, that is oddly enough, a question that the next three episodes of The Walking Dead are going to explore, and this exploration got underway in ‘Live Bait’ by slipping back in time a few months to reunite us with a character that truly took part in a bevy of disgusting acts: Philip ‘The Governor’ Blake. For this tale picks up mere moments after The Guv, brutally murdered his army from Woodbury and shortly after he and his boys escape, the Governor finds himself without a community to rule over. For he is abandoned and alone, and without anyone supporting him… he returns to Woodbury and burns it to the ground before setting out on his own, and it takes a chance encounter with a random family to really dig deep into the question at hand.

Because Philip, who calls himself Brian in an effort to hide his past, finds himself working to help this family survive. Since they have a dying patriarch and know little about the world of the dead since they’ve been in hiding since the whole nightmare began and well… that leads to some shockingly tender moments with a guy that is in fact, an outright monster. But those moments work here because it is obvious that his time in the wild, helped him to see the error of his ways and how his anger and narcissism, and brutal nature cost him everything. Which in turn allows for him to lower his guard and really work to become a member of this impromptu family… to the point where he even risks life and limb to get dear old dad a few extra tanks of oxygen when his supply begins to run out. 

Which in many ways, makes it seem as though... if a person that’s done awful things is removed from that situation and given an opportunity to really reflect upon their actions… they could potentially find redemption and absolution, to the point where they can start over anew and rebuild and move forward in a manner that is whole. But that… felt as though it was too easy an answer for an episode involving a guy that literally committed homicide with glee and nearly sexually assaulted Maggie Greene. Which is why the show was quick to point out, that finding the way back from our own self-inflicted darkness has to go beyond acts of general kindness and self-awareness. As to what that is exactly, we don’t quite find out here. Since this is a tale that ends with trouble and an unexpected reunion. 

But while we don’t get resolution in this exact moment, make no mistake about it, this is an amazing episode through and through. Because you never see villains go on journeys such as these and face what they’ve done in the slightest. Nor do you see the human side that they’ve lost in a manner such as this. But this is a show that always looks deeper, and it wouldn’t be the last time we’d get a different perspective on a villain since ‘Here’s Negan’ would show us a unique side to a man that also committed awful acts. But what truly makes this story so different, is that it makes the viewer feel conflicted. Since we don’t know if we should be rooting for redemption or pain for ol’ Phil, because of his past, and that just makes this a special story in the end. One that really does set up a powerful journey that takes quite the turn in the next chapter. Until then.  

It really is quite the wonderful time to be a horror fan. Because the genre is everywhere at last and fans are eager to experience fresh stories that either chill us to the bone or elicit a sense of fun and it just so happens, that STARZ is once again jumping into the foray of bringing us a horror show that checks both of those boxes. For Shining Vale arrives on the network on March 6, 2022, and in anticipation of the arrival of this new horror comedy, one that stars Courteney Cox, Greg Kinnear and Mira Sorvino, STARZ released all kinds of goodies regarding this series, earlier today.
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Because not only is there is a fresh synopsis available to inform viewers of what to expect from this dynamic new show… but the network also released a trailer and some key art for the show. So, without further ado, here is that trailer and that art and the details on this series for you to enjoy, courtesy of STARZ.

If the embedded trailer below doesn’t work, please click here.

‘STARZ released the trailer and key art for their upcoming horror comedy that’s part family dramedy, part homage to classic horror in “Shining Vale” created by Jeff Astrof (“Trial & Error,” “Ground Floor,”) and Sharon Horgan (“Divorce,” “Catastrophe”), starring Emmy Award® nominee Courteney Cox (“Friends,” “Cougar Town”), Academy Award® nominee and Emmy Award® winner Greg Kinnear (“As Good As It Gets,” “The Kennedys”), and Oscar® winner Mira Sorvino (“Hollywood,” “The Expecting”).
 
“Shining Vale” premieres with two episodes Sunday, March 6, 2022 at midnight on the STARZ app, all STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms, and internationally on the STARZPLAY premium streaming platform across Europe, Latina America and Japan. On linear, it will debut on STARZ at 10:20PM ET/PT in the U.S. and Canada.
 
The upcoming horror comedy also stars Gus Birney (“Dickinson”), Merrin Dungey (“Big Little Lies,” “The Resident”) and Dylan Gage (“PEN15”), and features Judith Light (“Impeachment: American Crime Story”) and Sherilyn Fenn (“Twin Peaks”).
 
About “Shining Vale”
Pat and Terry Phelps (Cox and Kinnear) cash in their life savings and move from a cramped apartment in Brooklyn, to an old Victorian mansion in Shining Vale, Connecticut as a last-ditch effort to save their marriage after Pat’s torrid affair with Frank, their young hot handyman who came over to fix the sink while Terry was at work. To make matters worse for Terry, Frank never fixed the sink, yet still charged him for it!
 
A former “wild child” who rose to fame by writing a raunchy, drug-and-alcohol-soaked women’s empowerment novel (a.k.a. lady porn), Pat is now clean and sober 17 years later but totally unfulfilled. She still hasn’t written her second novel, she can’t remember the last time she had sex with her husband, while her teenage daughter, Gaynor (Gus Birney) wants Pat dead and Jake (Dylan Gage), their adolescent son, is so addicted to screens he’s completely checked out.
 
Buying a 200-year-old house that was on the market for almost three years and sold for more than $250K below asking seemed like a good idea on paper, but Pat senses that the Phelps are not alone; especially when an old-fashioned-looking woman appears hovering outside their family room window.
 
The Phelps quickly learn why the agents were so motivated to sell the house for a fraction of the asking price. Seems a few details were glossed over, including a triple murder-suicide and a host of other atrocities they neglected to mention. But neither Terry nor the kids seem to notice that something is horribly wrong with their new home; only Pat can see things move and hear the bumps in the night. She’s also the only one who sees the spirit of the person who used to live there, Rosemary (Sorvino), a Fifties housewife who may or may not be trying to take over Pat’s body.  Is Pat depressed, or possessed?  Turns out the symptoms are exactly the same.
 
Everyone has their demons, but for Pat Phelps, they may be real. 
 
“Shining Vale” is executive produced by Jeff Astrof from Other Shoe Productions, Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford (“Motherland,” “This Way Up,”) from Merman, Aaron Kaplan (“The Chi,” “The Neighborhood”) and Dana Honor (“A Million Little Things,” “The Unicorn”) from Kapital Entertainment. Courteney Cox is producer. Astrof wrote the pilot teleplay, from a story by Horgan & Astrof. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Lionsgate Television in association with Other Shoe Productions, Merman and Kapital Entertainment.
 
“Shining Vale” will air on STARZ in the U.S. and Canada and on its international streaming platform STARZPLAY across Europe, Latin America and Japan.’

Over the course of the past few weeks, these Retro Recap of Seasons 3 and 4 of the AMC series, The Walking Dead, have been supremely in depth in nature and it makes sense as to why. For this leg of the journey is when the show really dug into the human condition like never before and explored aspects of who we are and what we can become in a positive and negative light, in supremely great detail. Allowing for all of us to chew upon powerful concepts. But alas, in regard to today’s Retro Recap of the show, there is none of that to be found. For the next episode in this storied franchise, took the time to remind us that TWD is a horror story set in an awful environment, and it accomplished that feat, by unleashing utter hell upon the prison. 

But at first glance, it didn’t seem as though that was going to be the case in ‘Internment’. For when we catch up with everyone at the West Georgia Correctional Facility, here, they’re just surviving. For Hershel, and Sasha, and Glenn are working together to try and keep everyone alive inside the isolation block of the prison and they’re dealing with mixed results there. Because the flu was making people deathly ill and some were slipping away regardless of their efforts, and when they did, Hershel was kind enough to keep everyone from having to see the horror of resurrection and the indignity of true death in this world. But... they were getting by. Plus, Rick returned in this tale, without Carol. Which made a few waves when the truth about her actions were revealed. Making it appear as though this episode was going to focus heavily on survival and consequences and potentially some battles between Rick and Daryl over the former’s tough choice.

However, all of that… was designed to make us completely and utterly comfortable. To the point where we don’t have a care or worry in the world and that’s when the terror begins. Because just like that, the deaths start coming in waves in the isolation block, and because there are so many, so quickly and since Sasha and Glenn are weaker than ever… the dead return to life and attack the living. Forcing Hershel to work fast to kill the dead and save the living and that leads to one intense and horrifying sequence for certain. One where we don’t know who will live and who will die, and this sequence still puts you on the edge of your seat because of its sheer intensity and what’s amazing… is that the terror in this tale, doesn’t end with Hershel’s mad dash to save lives and slow the infection of living death surrounding him.

For outside that cell block, Carl and Rick were dealing with a big problem of their own. In that, waves of the dead were stressing the fences like never before, to the point where more wood struts had to be put down. And because Rick lost a little bit of time in finishing this project, since Maggie went to help save Hershel from chaos… the dead did just enough damage to break through the fences. Forcing Carl and Rick to engage in wholesale slaughter with the weapons cache. But thankfully, our fears of a worst-case scenario for the group were not realized in this tale. Because eventually, Daryl and company returned with the drugs, ending the madness inside the isolation block and saving lives. And Rick and Carl defeated the dead, making it seem as though the terror was going to come to an end for a while, and wonderful times were ahead for everyone.

But… the last image of this episode, wherein a certain Philip ‘The Governor’ Blake was revealed to be alive and watching over the prison, makes it clear that more trouble is on the horizon. But before that comes to fruition, we can bask in the wonder of an intense and engaging and downright scary tale. One that once again found new ways to make the living dead a legitimate threat, and it also managed to put so many of our heroes in danger, and there is likely good reason as to why this moment was chosen to allow for an episode of this caliber to take place. Because it inadvertently prepared us for the genuinely dark moments that lie ahead. For the return of the Governor would signal a great deal of suffering for these heroes, the kind that would come not only from Philip’s cold hands, but also from a world that was continuing to fall to pieces. Until next time.   

Over the course of the past few days, we’ve talked at length about how season four of The Walking Dead, has managed to tell some vastly different types of zombie stories. Since the first few episodes of year four, have offered up examinations of what life might be like after the world has come to an end, all while finding a way to add new threats for the group to deal with in an environment where they are in fact… quite safe, and it would seem that season four is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to its unique storytelling. For the next episode in this storied saga, takes the time to explore an aspect of the zombiepocalypse that few stories in this vein ever go near. For so many of them treat genuinely dealing with one’s trauma or mistakes in the middle of a pandemic of living death, like a waste of time. For in the minds of their characters, survival is the only priority, and they can figure out how to properly lick their wounds down the line.

But ‘Indifference’ made it a priority and it accomplished that feat by way of two key plot-lines. First and foremost, by having Tyreese come along on a supply run to bring much needed medications back to the prison. A voyage that didn’t go smoothly and the possibility that Sasha might succumb to the virus as well, alongside the loss he was suffering, put Tyreese in a supremely angry place. One where he constantly put himself in harm’s way and nearly the group on several occasions and well… rather than just let him stew through and through, his friends took the time to lift him up and explore what was eating at him and how he might find a way to release his pain outside of stupid acts. Which was refreshing to see, since that’s the opposite of what happened to Rick and perhaps his missteps and inability to deal with his trauma is what motivated the group to really push ahead this time and try and help Tyreese.

While they handled that, Rick and Carol went on a voyage for emergency supplies… allowing for the second theme to come into play. Because Rick was quick to interrogate Carol about her actions and try and get her to understand that while her mindset was in the right place… her actions were awful and sorely mistaken. But despite his best efforts to do so, Carol simply wouldn’t get the hint or show atonement for her choices and that motivated Rick to make a tough and powerful decision. In that, he opted to ask Carol to leave, and he even revealed that he helped pick up a lot of these supplies with her, as a contingency plan to help her get started on a forthcoming solo journey away from the group, if she decided to ignore the impact of her poor decision. If anything, this is a plot thread that really did give us perhaps the first real storyline grounded in accountability in this sub-genre of horror, since Carol really was forced to face the music in a realistic and fascinating manner.

But while those two plot lines could have carried this episode from beginning to end, there was another intelligent and thoughtful journey that was snuck into this tale as well, by way of Bob. Since his desire to have a drink because of his alcoholism brought about some seriously ugly moments between he and Daryl. Giving rise to a brief but powerful examination on the dangers of addiction in the apocalypse. Plus, this is also an episode that found a way to please casual fans and gore hounds by way of the medicine run. For the living dead were everywhere to be found on the road and the fight for survival brought about tons of gory head shots and the most unique zombie related roadblock ever. Since Daryl high centered the car on a pile of corpses and well, in the end, all of these elements worked together seamlessly to provide us with an extremely unique and dynamic tale.

Because this one really had something for everyone. Since there was drama, intense gore and plenty of brilliant commentary present here. But more importantly, this is another episode that shakes the zombie story up. Since this kind of emotional depth in stories about the death of death just wasn’t present all that often at the time, and it was refreshing to find the human element here and see some real-world impact of people’s actions for a change. But all that aside, this is just another great episode in a supremely bold season of storytelling and well, it is probably a good thing that this story slowed things down a bit to focus on character development and let us catch our breath. Because what comes next, is a powerhouse four-episode ride that will shock us and break our hearts. Until next time.

It is always shocking, when a zombie story ends up being prophetic in nature, and painfully reflective of current events. Because for the most part, this is a genre that loves to operate within observational commentary. The kind that uses the living dead to explore our societal ailments and the human condition and for proof… look at the genre’s illustrious past. Night of the Living Dead for instance, used zombies to properly examine the Civil Rights Movement and the underlying racism that sadly… remains today, and that wasn’t the only time that George Romero hit the nose on a hot button topic. Since Diary of the Dead correctly examined our obsession with online voyeurism and how it creates a safety net from the horrors of the world.

But every once in a great while, a zombie story lays down the right foundation in its story, to inadvertently look ahead. To the point where the audience finds themselves in an incredibly uncomfortable place when they sit through moments and concepts that genuinely feel as though the writers of said stories, just plucked an idea out of the headlines and put together a book or movie about it. For instance, Dawn of the Dead hits a little differently now with its examination of how the world would respond to a global pandemic, and oddly enough, The Walking Dead pulled of a similar feat. For ‘Isolation’ is a story that saw Rick Grimes and his prison group, work hard and fast to contain the virus that was brewing under the nose, with mixed results that are freakishly in tune and reflective of the past couple of years.
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Since a great deal of people come down with the flu in record time in the prison and despite trying to scramble and isolate every last one of them, the damage is done, and people just keep getting sicker and sicker and dying. And of course, there is fear everywhere to be found in the prison, which ratchets up tensions… but more on that in a moment. Because we need to talk about how eerily reflective and prophetic this episode is when it comes to the pandemic that has dominated our lives over the past two years. Since every cough and every flop sweat in this story, reminds us of our own fears while we were trying to get groceries for our families at the height of the pandemic. And seeing the group struggle to get social distancing in place and wear masks… really is a perfect parallel to the past two years and that allows for this episode to outright terrify for supremely personal reasons.

But there was mention of high-level tension in this tale as well, and that came courtesy of Rick and Tyreese. Since the latter of those two couldn’t control his anger over losing Karen and that motivated him to take it out on Rick, who paid back in kind and just seeing people fight over things they cannot control… also presents hints of the past couple of years since certain people couldn’t show common decency toward their fellow man regarding Covid, nor could they keep their tempers under control when they incorrectly believed their ‘freedoms’ were under fire for wearing a simple piece of cloth over their face. But while this episode does indeed do an incredible job of being inadvertently prophetic of the world to come some seven years before things got weird, it does have more to offer than prophecy and chills.

For this is a story that also sees a hero rise. Since Hershel comes to realize that he can save lives by risking his own when Dr. S gets sick with the flu, and of course, this episode also answers the question as to who killed Karen and David. Which as it turns out, was Carol all along and she appears to be struggling with that reality in this tale greatly, something that would also be a harbinger of things to come. But before we dive into that, we can celebrate a shockingly scary tale. One that takes the viewer on an unpleasant trip down memory lane as echoes of Covid dance through one’s head over the course of the hour and well, you can’t help but applaud that. Because it just means that TWD is up there with the greats, since Romero also correctly predicted the rise of greed and consumerism in the 80s and 90s in Dawn, and it does leave one to wonder, what other parallels we are going to encounter as our journey through season four continues along. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 305 of ‘A Discovery of Witches’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Normally when a child is born, a grand celebration takes place and understandably so. For that child could grow up and use the life lessons and sound moral core that will be instilled in them over their first eighteen years… to make the world a better place. So, there’s no better reason to toast to a baby and place our hopes in their future. But while the vast majority of us see the arrival of a baby as a wonderful gift to the world… not everyone shares that view. For nouveau parents that aren’t ready are terrified when the day comes, and some do indeed lament the child that’s entered their lives. But what on earth could motivate a person to be genuinely sour on a baby being born? Well, that’s a question that was easily answered in the next episode of A Discovery of Witches. Shortly after exploring the wonder of children of course.
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For when we catch up with Diana and Matthew in this week’s episode, they’re back at Sept-Tours and preparing for a grand christening of Philip and Rebecca. For this is indeed a joyous occasion, for the family has grown and the potential of what these children could accomplish is endless and for a time… it seemed as though sour notes weren’t going to be explored in this tale. Since everyone rallied around the babies and celebrated their wonder and mom, and dad even came to learn a few things about their little ones. Such as the fact that Philip exhibited traits of a witch and was quite the cute charmer and Rebecca… well she was a hungry little vampire that needed a taste in infancy to stay healthy. But alas, that joy simply wasn’t designed to last… and outside of the castle walls, we came to learn why people would fear and lament the birth of a child.

Because the Congregation made it clear, that a union between vampire and witch… one that brought forth offspring, represented a powerful threat to the natural and archaic order of the monsters of the world. And the potential upheaval in monster-society, combined with a lack of understanding of what children from two worlds could do… left everyone in the room terrified of their existence and eager to either rid them from the world or treat them as science experiments. Which in turn led Baldwin to return to Sept-Tours on the day of the christening… to basically ruin it. Because not only did he demand having the children turned over to him while spouting a bunch of nonsense about the old ways, but he also picked a fight with his brother. One that required Diana’s intervention and guarantees… so that the Scion could finally be formed and so the family could be left alone. Demands that Baldwin did indeed agree to.

Which meant that this episode should have ended on a fairly upbeat note since peace was to be found. But alas, there was more trouble to be found in this tale. For Benjamin set his plans in motion. The kind that involved sending a broken messenger to Sept-Tours to remind Matthew that Benjamin was still out there and still waiting for the opportunity to settle scores and sadly… Matthew realized he needed to answer that invitation and face his greatest mistake and his greatest enemy. But before preparations were made to execute that grand showdown, the family’s defenses needed to be strengthened. For more assaults and pushes from the forces of evil and ignorance are undoubtedly waiting in the wings and that prompted everyone to join the Knights of Lazarus to prepare for war. 

If anything, this was another powerful episode when all is said and done. Since a fear of innocent and cute babies can reflect mankind’s collective fear of change and the future, and how so many believe that the only way forward is the old ways because it makes people comfortable. Plus, this episode made it inherently clear how great Matthew and Diana are as parents. Since they quickly risked their lives to ensure the safety of their babies and there’s just something uplifting about that. But what matters most, is that the tension is rising, and the stakes continue to get higher and that’s important, because it means that this series is building toward one hell of a finale. One that is hinting at an ending that will wrap up every plot thread through big moments and epic showdowns, and that potential and the fight that is clearly awaiting Matthew next week (thank you, teaser!) is going to make the wait for the penultimate episode… downright excruciating. Until next time.

It is definitely safe to say, that zombie themed sagas, the kind that run for years on end, face some serious challenges down the line. Because zombie stories, tend to hold to a very strict structure, the kind where the scares and commentary are generated by the living dead themselves. But having them front and center every single week, eventually removes the fear factor from their rotten visages, meaning that the characters and new challenges are the key to keeping the story fresh and exciting and sadly, not every zombie saga is up to that challenge. But thankfully, one sprawling zombie saga, figured out how to keep a zombie story interesting for years on end. To the point where The Walking Dead is preparing to wrap up its eleventh and final season and will be survived by a bevy of spin-offs.
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But while we now see that interpersonal conflict and unique villains that are shaped by the landscape of a world where the dead walk the earth, are some of the keys to keeping a zombie franchise walking as long as the corpses they feature… it is the humble beginnings of this discovery that is relevant to our discussion today. Because you don’t achieve that kind of formula and understanding without trying something bold out first and it just so happens that the next episode of this storied saga is where the writers’ room discovered new ways to keep the series interesting and keep the scares coming and it accomplished such a feat in ‘Infected’, by giving Rick Grimes and his merry band of survivors some threats from within to deal with. The kind that felt organic and real when all is said and done, since one of the issues they encountered in this tale, was unchecked illness.

For the death and resurrection of Patrick led to the death and resurrection of many, since he returned to his cell block for feeding and well… once the cell block was cleared of the dead, it became clear that a fast-acting flu was responsible for this nightmare. Giving the survivors a new and silent threat to deal with, one that really did add a sense of terror to this tale. Since we hadn’t a clue who might be infected and seeing anyone that was, left the viewer worried and terrified that they might succumb to the illness and turn, and since the flu here was so virulent and contagious, there was a real threat that anyone might fall to its power… including a series regular. Plus, this particular plot thread is of note because it creatively allowed for the living dead to find their way within the walls of the prison, allowing for gory terror to take place, the kind that featured a shout out to George Romero’s Day of the Dead, and it doesn’t hurt that this flu might have had ties to the spread of the virus in the early days of the disaster. More on that in a moment though.

Because we also need to talk about the secondary internal threat present within the cells of the West Georgia Correctional Facility, specifically… that of ignorance and borderline madness. Since this is an episode that revealed that some of the kids that live here, don’t understand the threat that surrounds them. Likely due to the fact that they’ve been kept safe long enough to not really understand the threat or because they’re so broken by the reality of their situation… they choose to escape rather than deal. But either way, being in that kind of mental state, created quite the danger here since it motivated Lizzie to feed the living dead. An act that attracted more of the creatures and created a genuine threat at the fences. One so big that Rick had to abandon his dreams of peace to keep the dead at bay, and it was genuinely fascinating to inject this kind of unique threat into the storyline since few horror stories ever address the possible mental health issues that could arise from the end of the world.

If anything, this was just a bleak and devastating story when all is said and done. One that was intense and gory and utterly terrifying for certain, and it definitely deserves a round of applause for finding a way to keep terror active when safety was the norm for this group and for digging into some fascinating topics for certain. Not to mention, the whole flu thing is something that would appear again in the first season of Fear the Walking Dead. Meaning that Scott Gimple and his writing team, basically figured out how the world ended so quickly in this universe. Since a fast-acting flu, one that carried the zombie virus as well and could kill its hosts quickly… would be the perfect way to create millions of reanimated corpses. But all of that aside, this really was a great episode. For it truly ups the stakes like never before and informs us… that things are going to get far worse before they get better. But most important of all, it laid out a blueprint for the future, one that would help the show remain engaging for seven more seasons. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘Horror Noire’.

One of the best parts of living in the digital age of entertainment, is that we are able to revisit our favorite stories time and time again and break them down in a manner that was seemingly impossible years ago. For streaming and discs and DVRs let us move freely through said stories and truly soak in every important moment and what is truly amazing, is that even television networks are starting to understand the value of offering up re-watches and break down moments and for proof… look no further than what AMC is doing. For last night saw a portion of the Shudder horror feature, Horror Noire, make its debut on AMC. A decision that quite frankly is brilliant… since it allows for audiences everywhere to see the majesty of this quality horror story and break it down like never before.
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Which is a wonderful thing for certain, since this film is filled to the brim with poignant and powerful vignettes, the kind that address a bevy of topics that need a light shone upon them and for its series premiere, Horror Noire provided us with a set of stories that looked inward and at modern society as well. But before we dig too deeply into the latter examination… let’s take a look at the first story in this anthology and explore its supremely intimate meaning. For ‘The Lake’ is a story that introduces us to a woman named Abbie, who is desperate for a fresh start. To the point where she’s moved from miles away to a lakeside house with a sorted past and taken a new job as a teacher to reinvent herself. But it doesn’t take long for problems to arise for her.

Because it turns out, that Abbie has a past, one where she clearly did something quite wrong and ruined a great deal of her life in the process and to complicate matters further… the lake harbors a special evil. One that transforms those who enter its waters into the darkest version of themselves and well… by the end of this tale it is inherently obvious that this is a cautionary tale of sorts. One that warns us to face our mistakes, regardless of their severity. Because to ignore them and to run from them… will only make matters worse. For not only will they eventually come back to haunt us, but the guilt and the gravity of what we’ve done… can consume us and turn us into something quite dark in nature and that made for one powerful tale for certain. One that stood in stark contrast to its successor.

For ‘Brand of Evil’ is a story that offered up a powerful discussion upon modern day oppression in America, and it accomplished that by introducing us to a struggling artist named Nekani, and when we catch up with him, here, it would appear his big break in the art world has finally arrived. For Nekani’s phone rings off the hook with a request from a man that is eager to commission his skills for some custom pieces. The kind that will fetch a handsome price. But there is just one problem with this arrangement, in that… the moment that Nekani has completed a piece, someone in the community dies horribly and that is attributed to the fact that the man behind the money… has a horrible agenda at play, one that will cost Nekani everything. Which at first glance is a plot that seems mired more in commentary on the power of greed.
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But once we learn that Nekani’s client is a white man that is eager to use Satanic and Neo-Nazi related symbols to summon a Demon, one that requires the souls of Black people to return… well that’s when the true commentary in this story is revealed. Because having a white man dangle bags of money to a Black artist and use him as a pawn in essence, speaks volumes to how capitalism and wealth inequality is used often in modern America to repress and control Black people. As evidenced by how a brand-new bike and freedom from credit card debt makes Nekani oblivious to the deaths happening around him, and of course the promise of more money and more freedom… only pulls him further into the quagmire. Making the reveal of what’s truly happening, as devastating as it gets since we see Nekani realize that he’s been played by this monster and his promises, and that’s brilliant and powerful commentary to inject into this tale. The kind that is handled in a perfect manner, and the show deserves serious credit for going this route.

Because that’s the kind of commentary that too many stories shy away from out of the fear that it might be too much or go too far. But it needs to be said and it needs to be put on display and at last, it’s present here in a bold and dynamic manner and well… it just goes to show how much work went into every single story in Horror Noire and the unique presentation of these two vignettes, reinforces the benefit of breaking this film up into three separate episodes for audiences to enjoy. So that all the pertinent commentary and observations on the human condition and our modern world can be properly absorbed and discussed by the audience and truly, it is wonderful to know that audiences everywhere will be able to revisit one of the finest horror films made in the last year… in a brand-new light. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 303 of ‘Servant’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Most television shows out there, tend to stick to one thematic concept per episode. In large part, so they can offer it proper attention and thought and that is a storytelling decision that definitely pays off in spades. Because time and time again, we’ve been privy to stories that leave us with plenty to ponder upon, regarding whatever topic the writers room wanted to address, and we never feel overwhelmed with what we’ve just explored… because of the focus present. But every once in a while, you run into a show that becomes curious to the possibility, if the story could handle multiple themes in a singular episode and one such show that is eager to experiment with this… is Servant on Apple TV+.
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Because its next episode, ‘Hair’, wasted little time in resurrecting a theme that was seemingly buried in the past. Specifically, the power of trauma and how it impacts our lives. A move that basically put the exploration of fear that’s been hanging over season three on the back-burner for a moment… so we could come to understand, how dark a day Jericho’s death was for Julian. Because he was playing that moment over and over in his head in this tale, simply because… he was severely traumatized by the events of the past year. And facing death himself and seeing Jericho in the beyond and being the one who found him, had him convinced that somehow, Leanne had brought in her own baby. Which in turn motivated Julian to do some dastardly things in the home.

In that, he plucked a hair from Jericho’s head and attempted to get one from Leanne in order to get a DNA test conducted behind Sean and Dorothy’s back and when he couldn’t get a hair from Leanne… he used what he thought was Dorothy’s. A move that backfired horribly since it was DNA from another redheaded mother on the block, embarrassing Julian when he presented the ‘evidence’ to his sister. But what matters more here is that his journey spoke volumes to how trauma can haunt us and drive us to new unhealthy heights… when we simply do not deal with it. Because Julian has yet to process any of his pain and it continues to hang heavy over his head and if he doesn’t handle it soon, who knows what other wild decisions he will make this season. 

But while that made for some powerful storytelling for certain, there was mention of multiple themes in this episode and that was handled by Leanne and Sean in this tale. Because their respective journey related back to the overreaching season three theme of fear, with a twist of course. For Sean was being quite kind in this tale and feeding some of the homeless youth in the park nearby. A decision that Leanne vehemently disagreed with, since she was concerned, they were members of her former brood and would eventually bring forth trouble. Making it seem as though this plot thread was going to once again point out how Leanne is indeed consumed by fear and unable to function in the slightest because of it. But that is where the twist came into play. 

Because in the end, it turns out that Leanne was right and these ‘poor, unfortunate youths’ are indeed members of Leanne’s old club. Which means in this instance her concerns about this trio (and Dorothy’s as well) relate to how fear can be useful in situations such as these. But all lessons aside, this could mean major trouble for the Turners, since one of these troubled teens saw inside the home. But while we wait to see what comes of this surprise, we can bask in the wonder of one brilliant tale. Because this episode really did offer some powerful moments and observations on the human condition, and it was able to offer up two complete and fascinating thematic explorations in a half hour. Proving once again that Servant is one of the most intelligent horror stories out there. Until next time.