​When we are young, our parents take the time to teach us to treat others with kindness and understanding, simply because such acts make the world a better place. For kindness can provide a person in a tough place with a little taste of hope when they might need it the most and understanding helps folks believe that they belong. But while these concepts are widely accepted and practiced, for the most part, what truly makes these teachings so fascinating is that some people practice kindness and understanding for vastly different reasons. For these are the folks who firmly believe that what we put into the world energy wise, is what we get out. Which is, in essence, the definition of karma. A concept that people have debated for ages in regard to whether or not it actually exists.
 
But regardless of your stance, it is safe to say that all of us have seen or experienced moments where it certainly seems as though this concept exists. Because sometimes we find ourselves basking in joyous moments after doing something kind for someone else, or we seemingly find ourselves punished when we went above and beyond to enact a little petty revenge. But while the debate on this matter will indeed rage on, there is one place where karma will always exist and function in flawless fashion and that’s fiction. Because anything goes in storytelling and it just so happens that last night’s episode of Creepshow explored the notion of karma in fascinating fashion. For both of its tales saw people suffer a taste of it for their sour actions, as is often the case in horror. But what allowed for these tales to stand out is how the individuals in these tales came across their proverbial just desserts.
 
Take ‘All Hallows Eve’ for instance, a story that saw the ghosts of five kids enact their own brand of spiritual karma upon the kids that accidentally burned them ages ago, and the word accident is the key to this analysis. Because the whole idea was to scare the dearly departed, not harm them and really their return from the grave on Halloween, year after year to claim the souls of those that hurt them, speaks volumes to the notion that karma expects better of us. For if we take a moment to think before we act, it won’t have to step in and punish us and as an added bonus, the slow burn approach these kids take to enacting it, also serves to remind us that if we do make poor choices, one way or another, karma will eventually find us.
 
If anything, that was a delightfully subtle way to explore the power of karma, one that was nicely counterbalanced by the next vignette of the night, ‘The Man in the Suitcase’. Because this one actually took the time to examine both sides of this fascinating notion, since it actually saw one character be rewarded with positive karma for doing the right thing. Granted, he came out a little worse for the wear by standing up to his cruel friends. But doing a solid for a powerful genie can go a long way and waking up in the hospital is far better a fate than where his friends are headed. And it was quite nice to see this story try and balance out the darkness and the cruelty present in this tale with a happy-ish ending, since usually people that perform awful deeds in horror, in any capacity, never find redemption.
 
Plus, this is another episode that takes the time to offer up some classic and unique horror elements. Since the townspeople in ‘All Hallows Eve’ actually bother to accept the fact that spirits walk about in their town, something you don’t see present in the genre all that often. Plus, ‘The Man in the Suitcase’ goes all out in its finale, giving us that vintage monster feel, and its fantastical style of storytelling harkens back to the comics that inspired the Creepshow franchise. In the end, this is just another magnificent entry in this incredible series. One that does a fine job of adding some fresh twists to a concept that some might see as cliché and it should be interesting to see what topic awaits us next week when the Creep opens up another terrifying issue of this living comic. Until next time, kiddies.

When dealing with possession movies, you always see the battle to get the demon exorcised from the poor person, but you never get to see what happens after that, when they try to rejoin society. With all of the awful things that the possessed would have done during their time under the demon’s power, there should be plenty that they would need to atone for, especially if someone died by their evil hands. Well, we finally have a new take on an old possession story in Ava’s Possessions that answers how difficult it is to regain your life after being under the power of something dark and not of this world.

Ava has successfully been exorcised of her demon and her family has come to celebrate with her. But her mother seems to be upset with her since Ava has allowed herself to be taken by a dark force. Even her father does not seem very supportive when asking his daughter about her extra activities. Being possessed for twenty-eight days, Ava remembers nothing about what she has done and wants to rejoin the land of the living, but when she talks with her friends, it is obvious that things can never be the same again. 

When meeting with her lawyer, Ava finds out that she will be held accountable for her actions while being possessed. With the offer of jail time, a mental ward or a support group, Ava takes the latter. Joining the Spirit Possession Anonymous support group, led by Tony, Ava sees that she is far from the only person that has had problems. With different assignments being held in front of her, Ava is forced to find out what she did while she was possessed and make amends with her victims. After meeting a couple of the people that she tormented while being controlled by the evil spirit, she finds out that forgiveness will not be on the table from many of them, but she is dying to figure out what she did while under the evil spell.

Searching her apartment, Ava finds a watch in her couch cushions, along with a blood stain that she does not remember being hidden by a rug on her floor. Taking what little information she has back to her group, she is able to get some help from her new friend Hazel, but not the kind that can help her in the long run as Hazel has alternate motives. Since she never feared her own possession, Hazel wants her spirit back and is able to convince Ava that it will not harm anyone. After performing a ritual, Ava is marked on the neck by the spirits and will now have to fend off her intruding spirits on her own, without the help of the group. Needing to find out the truth of what happened during her vacant twenty-eight days, Ava finds a prostitute that is willing to help her find out what she is looking for, but the price has to be right. Seeing that her family will not help her with what she needs, Ava is forced to hunt for knowledge on her own and with the owner of the watch’s son keeping an eye out for her, she may not like what she finds when the truth comes to light.

I like the direction this movie took on trying to bring someone back to society after being possessed. Being able to walk the streets while being possessed, Ava caused more damage to herself and others than you see in most stories of this sort. I cannot get over how the leader of the Spirit Possession Anonymous support group works and the unorthodox things that he has the group do to help exorcise their current demons, along with their past ones, he really does steal the show. Watching as Ava starts to figure out what she was up to for her missing twenty-eight days is a little heartbreaking, but she knows that it was not all her fault. I must admit that I was a little thrown off by how her mother and father wanted to deal with the situation at hand with their daughter and how cold that they remained, since family is always supposed to be there for you in the end. It just made Ava stronger and less dependent on others while she finds out the truth about what she did and will have to do to make up for her sins. Stay Scared.

When we think of our favorite stories, we instantly focus upon what we enjoy the most about them. Such as why they caught our eye in the first place, or how they managed to captivate our imagination or terrify us or leave us in awe. But what we rarely ponder upon, is what went into the creation of those powerful pieces of art. Which is understandable, because we dive into stories to escape from everyday life, and experience something wondrous, and we also avoid a deeper analysis because sometimes… there really isn’t a deeper meaning to a particular tale. For it makes it clear that it is there to entertain us, and nothing more.

But there are stories out there, that deserve our awe and our understanding. Because these are the kind of stories that changed the face of cinema or literature or television, and they managed to inspire generations of creatives to get into the business and create more thoughtful and meaningful stories that ignite and inspire our imagination. And it just so happens that the University of Pittsburgh Library Collection, is taking the time to assemble a unique way for everyone to examine the works of a true horror great; the late George A. Romero.

For his films and their powerful commentary on modern America and its flaws have been fawned over for decades now. Simply because they were fearless in their opinions on civil rights and consumerism and politics and of course, they helped to bring horror into the mainstream and that is why the University has created the George A. Romero Archival Collection. A grand database filled to the brim with everything imaginable in regard to George’s incredible career in the industry, something that will allow for scholars and students to properly understand the genesis of his fascinating tales.

But while this archive will feature all kinds of incredible pieces from George’s storied career, it is also important to look at how his work has influenced others. Which is why it is magnificent to know that the works of his collaborators will be featured in the archives as well. For author Daniel Kraus, who helped complete George’s final zombie work, The Living Dead (to be released in August) is having his pages inducted into this prestigious collection and here is what is what the University and Daniel had to say about this acquisition:

The University of Pittsburgh Library System is pleased to announce the acquisition of the papers of New York Times bestselling author Daniel Kraus as part of the George A. Romero Archival Collection, expanding the scope of the archive beyond the unique and comprehensive portrait of the filmmaking pioneer. The new collaboration will serve as a treasure trove for demonstrating Kraus’ creative process behind his novels and will also support research for both horror studies and children’s literature, another collecting strength of the Archives & Special Collections Department at the university. 

“I’m the writer I am today because of George A. Romero,” says Kraus. “So it makes perfect sense to me that I follow his giant footsteps in placing my past work with the University of Pittsburgh. To be a part of the Horror Studies Archives is more than I could have dreamed as an elementary-school scribbler writing Nightmare on Elm Street fan-fiction in the 1980s.”

The Daniel Kraus Archive documents the beginnings of his career and includes juvenalia produced from 4th to 12th grade, as well as manuscripts and drafts of his published works: The Monster Variations, Rotters, Scowler, and The Life and Death of Zebulon Finch. Kraus, a rising star in the horror genre, is a prolific writer and has garnered critical acclaim for his works. Both Rotters and Scowler were recipients for the American Library Association Odyssey Award honoring excellence in children’s and young adult audiobook production.  Additionally, Kraus has worked in collaboration with some of the biggest names in horror films.  He co-authored Trollhunters and The Shape of Water with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro.  He also finished George A. Romero’s epic zombie novel, The Living Dead, which releases on August 4, 2020 (Tor/Forge).  
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The University of Pittsburgh Library System, an active member of the horror literary community, and Kraus aim to work together to grow the collection, with plans to create programming and networking opportunities for writers and filmmakers in pursuit of the university’s mission to support academic research and activity around horror studies. Processing of the archive will commence this summer, but delays may be expected due to COVID-19 Pandemic conditions. 

If anything, this is quite the honor for certain, and we here at Nerds That Geek want to congratulate Mister Kraus for being able to have his creative process featured in such a magnificent and important collection and we look forward to watching this collection grow in the days and months to come. So that so many can discover how George Romero assembled his incredible ideas and how his work truly inspired others to follow in his footsteps.     

​Relevant Links
Website: https://danielkraus.com
Bio: http://www.danielkraus.com/about/
The University of Pittsburgh’s George A. Romero Archival Collection: https://romero.library.pitt.edu

I have always said, it is better to know where you come from when you are growing up, rather than finding out from someone else when you are grown up. You should never have any surprises about your past late in life, especially when it is your life. So many people try to hide their past for various reasons, such as being judged harshly by others, but if people cannot accept you for who you are, they should not be part of your life going forward. As kids seem to learn less and less about history these days, I would hope that their parents are at least teaching them about their family trees and what it means to them to carry the family name.
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While preparing for a Vegas weekend getaway with his girlfriend Sharon, Nick gets a call from his mother, shaming him to go out to the desert to take care of his Uncle Jack. Although he does not want to break his plans, it is for family and Nick has to find a good way to tell Sharon that the trip is off. Driving out to his Uncle’s house alone, Nick has to take a break to get his bearings and find out where he really is. After being approached by a couple of men on the side of the street that want to know what is up with his car, Nick is concerned that he has possibly made the wrong decision in making the trip. Getting on the old desert dirt roads, Nick is finally on the right path to his Uncle’s house on Fairlane Road, but that is just the beginning of his adventure.   

Passing a strange girl on the side of the road, Nick is pointed in the right direction toward his destination but feels like he should have done more to help her since she was in the middle of nowhere. Asking his Uncle’s nurse about the girl, she said not to worry, she knows exactly where she is going. Entering the house against Uncle Jack’s request, Nick tries his best to bond with the old dying man, but the two are not able to form any sort of rapport with each other until they start to throw down some cold ones. Nick starts to question why his uncle is out in the middle of nowhere and why he believes that there are ghosts around his property and when he gets the answer, he is blown away. With a mass grave being discovered in his backyard, full of innocent Native American bodies, at least one of them is dedicated to making his life a living hell. But when checking around the barren area, Nick finds out that there is something that his uncle is keeping from him and when being attacked by the elements, Nick finds out the gruesome reason why he has been called to the house.

Being trapped in a barren landscape like a desert is one of the things that I have always feared and this movie just put it front and center. I have heard the stories about the Native American Skinwalkers and seen them in a couple of movies, but this one has shown the birth of a vengeful one. Although Nick does not know what he is getting into when going to take care of his uncle for the weekend, he is thrown into a battle that he is not a part of. I really enjoyed Nick and Uncle Jack’s interaction in this movie, but the Skinwalker stole the show when her wrath was shown. I would hope never to meet a person who is out for my blood, especially if I was not involved in whatever forced them on the hunt. If I was to be hunted by someone, I would hope that my family would be gracious enough to make sure I knew about it before it was too late. Stay Scared.

One of the things that you find out as you grow up is that the easiest answer is usually the right one, but not all of the time. As you see that all signs point to one solution, there might be something that you are missing. No matter how clouded your judgment might be, it is not a bad idea to keep your mind open to alternative answers, especially when you were not the person to see exactly what set up the problem. Shark Lake does a great job at showing this, even when everyone is sure that they have the answer they are looking for.

After being called down to the lake to write up her report on a supposed bear attack, Officer Meredith Hendricks has a strange feeling about what is going on. But she is not sure that this attack could be further from the truth until she meets Doctor Peter Mayes when out to dinner with her daughter. As Peter points out, bear attacks are few and far between in North America and he believes that there is something else in the lake that has decided to show itself. While nobody knows what to expect, Peter goes diving in the depths of Lake Tahoe and finds the disturbing answer to his own question as to what is really behind the attack as he finds the missing limb from the latest victim hidden in the submerged rocks.

The lake has a shark problem and with his research pointing to a bull shark that can adapt to fresh water, Peter makes his report to the police, but the Chief is not willing to listen to the facts. As the news reports that the bear from the attack has been captured, a parasailer loses her leg to the underwater attacker. Seeing that his assumptions were wrong, the Chief calls in the services of famed fisherman Garreth Ross to capture the shark to make the lake safe again, but when his crew sees that their threat is three times worse than they expected, he is forced to change his hunting method. Meredith and Peter need to find a way to stop the shark problem before all of the liquored-up fishermen in the area take to the water and become the shark family’s next meal, but their plan is derailed when Meredith finds out that her daughter is missing. 

This movie takes a couple twists and turns but it seems few characters in this film can wrap their heads around the fact that there is a shark in Lake Tahoe. As Meredith is worried about what could happen to any and all of the visitors as they start to pile in by the boatloads, she is the only person of authority that believes there is an issue. Being dismissed several times, her hunch of an alternate killer in the lake is correct and when she finds out that her ex-husband is involved in the problem, she takes to what she knows to find out why it happened. While the other storyline in the movie focuses on the love between separated parents and their daughter, which was very good, I really just liked the blood in the water and could not wait for another person to be claimed by the clan of sharks that did not discriminate between victims while waiting for their next meal. Stay Scared.

​Stories that revolve around military life, tend to eventually focus on a particularly important theme/journey for its main character, or characters. Specifically, what exactly does it mean to be a hero? Because coming to understand heroism as a whole, allows for the protagonist to grow into someone noble, the kind of person that people can trust and rely upon to do the right thing at all times, and they will of course accomplish wonders with this knowledge in their hearts. And it just so happens that the importance of this journey finally found its way into the fabric of Motherland: Fort Salem, since everyone in the Bellweather unit was quite curious as to what the definition of a hero really is.
 
Because ‘Coup’ saw this group licking their wounds and pondering upon their purpose in an Army that seems to stand for elements that they simply don’t understand and rightfully so. Because everything they were taught about Alder and the Army spoke of noble acts and fighting for a just cause. But the death of innocents instead reflected the opposite of that and well, that led them to their first lesson in heroism. In that, sometimes a hero needs to speak out about injustices in the world, in order to set things right and that’s why the entire unit went before Abigail’s mother. So that someone in the Army could be aware of the fact that Alder put them on an ugly and dishonorable path in their fight against the Spree and well, that had quite the unexpected impact on Petra.
 
In fact, it outright motivated her to inform the President of the United States of Alder’s actions, something that POTUS used to her advantage when she met with Alder regarding the delicate state of the Tarim. Because she knew that this was unacceptable behavior for the Army and made the tough call to ask Alder to stand down and enjoy retirement as penance, which would put Petra in line to lead the Army, and it was quite incredible to see this kind of change come forth from a simple act of honesty. And while Petra waited for the president to make her decision official, Abigail and Raelle learned a little more about heroism. Because Abigail came to understand that part of being a hero, involves inspiring others and offering them a sense of peace as evidenced by her beautiful eulogy to Libba and her promises to Adil. 
 
As for Raelle, well she learned that sometimes, heroism involves facing the darkest parts of your life and working to resolve them, as evidenced by her emotional and ugly reunion with Scylla and truly, it was wonderful see this trio exhibit newfound strength and wisdom and heroism as the story rolled along, including Tally, who finally realized that playing games emotionally with relationships was a poor idea. If anything, all of these moments of growth and an understanding of heroism were necessary for one particular reason, simply because these soldiers are about to face their biggest test to date. For the General could not handle the fact that she was being pushed out after spending lifetimes fighting battles, and rather than bid farewell to her position, she crossed every line imaginable in order to keep an iron grip upon it.
 
For she manipulated the president and spoke through her, making it known to the world that she would now be hunting down the Spree with a blank check and impunity. Which means there is a fair chance that our heroes will be fighting for a bigger cause in next week’s season finale, since they may need to stand tall in order to save the Witch Army from itself and its now maniacal leader and well, this really was quite the episode when all is said and done. Because it really did serve as a rite of passage for our trio, and it also informed us of a horror of war not talked about enough in fiction, specifically how it can infect minds in an unhealthy manner and truly, it is going to be interesting to see how our trio is going to handle the mess they’re now inadvertently involved in. Because it will take all of their bravery and their newfound understanding of heroism to stop or alter a course of action that may lead the world to ruin and the suspense surrounding this setup, will make the wait for the season one finale, a difficult one indeed. Until next time.

Every city has its own secrets that visitors are never aware of. These are the things that are kept quiet for only the locals to know and maybe the select few people that frequent the area. It is easy to say how much you love your city, but for some, the reasons may be darker than most people would like to recognize. Love your city, your state, your home and if there is a reason to tell the stories behind why you love them so much, you need to share them, but if you are trying to keep people from coming in, you might want to unleash the dark history that nobody ever wants to admit.

Vice President Bentley is making his rounds around the country when he finds himself being caught in a situation that nobody expected. After his press conference in New Orleans, the city is shut down, not because of his message, but because an outbreak has overtaken the city. Being able to find shelter with his staff and a reporter, Bentley makes the call of his life and the CIA, along with the Navy SEALs are ready to step up the plate to get him back to the safety of Washington. 

Flying into the infected zone, Lieutenant Cunningham and his men do not know what to expect, but being a priority one mission, they are ready for anything, or so they think. Being able to locate the Vice President, the team is ready to move, but when a sick man in the bunker starts to show a hunger for flesh, they begin to understand what they are up against. As Amanda, a reporter, is able to tell her story, the team has no time for the undead, much less zombies and make their way to their evacuation point, but when a small group of the undead keeps them from leaving, the team will have to move to a secondary extraction point. But the mission is not over as they receive another priority target from the CIA and this one might be able to save the rest of the southern states from becoming filled with flesh eating zombies like the citizens of New Orleans. With time against them, the team moves through the city having to kill anyone that appears to be infected along the way, but in a city of four hundred thousand, it will be hard to find one alleyway that does not have at least one zombie wandering down it that does not hunger for some fresh meat. 

You have got to love a zombie movie that puts the undead up against a trained tactical unit. I have always wondered what would happen in a movie like this, especially when the Navy SEALs are called in to clean up a mess and well, I was far from disappointed. You have got to love a team that works together and knows what everyone is thinking without saying a word. I really liked how the CIA became involved in the rescue of the Vice President, not for his safety, but to try and get a scientist out of the area that might be able to stop the outbreak in its tracks. If a zombie outbreak is not frightening enough, having it caused by a biological weapon could be flat out terrifying. Whatever country that has this virus at their fingertips could take over the world in a matter of days. It is the best reason to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right? Stay Scared.

Who loves swimming in the ocean? Everyone right? Even those that are land locked and do not have an easy way to make it out to the great Atlantic or Pacific oceans love making the trek to the beach to get in the water. As a child, I remember taking trips to the coasts and loved getting into the water since everyone else was doing it, but now in my older years, and after watching Shark Week, I know that it may not always be the best of ideas.

Luke is welcoming his best friend Matt, his wife Suzie and ex-girlfriend Kate from London to his home in Sydney, Australia. Knowing that they are not used to the water, he plans to take his land locked guests on an excursion that will change their lives forever. Getting a boat and a good captain, Luke knows that they will all love the adventure he has planned out for them and they will be thanking him for years to come.

Arriving at Turtle Island, Luke rekindles his relationship with Kate as they have been apart for so long. Matt is happy to see that things are working out between his best friend and his sister and does not want the day to end as he is having the time of his life with Suzie. As the tide quickly moves out, the group gets back to the boat to head home, but the boat hits an underwater rock in the shallow water causing it to capsize. With the group stranded on the bilge (bottom of the boat), they have to find a way to get to safety before the boat sinks.

Luke comes up with a plan to swim for land as the current is taking the boat further out to sea and his best friend trusts his judgment. As Matt, Suzie and Luke are ready to make the swim to land, Kate reluctantly decides to join in as well and the group is reunited. The swim is long and exhausting, but the group seems to be in high spirits until they notice a fin of a shark that starts following them. Thinking very little about the trouble ahead, Luke tries to keep his friends calm as most of the shark attacks come from people struggling on the surface, rather than swimming fluidly. But as the shark comes closer and closer to the group, it starts to pick one person off at a time and keeps coming back for more. Knowing that they are in a bad place, Luke continues to push the group forward until it is just himself and Kate left. When they notice an above water reef, they start to gain hope, but the shark may have different ideas.

I am not a huge fan of the movies that are ‘based on a true story’, but this one has to be one of the best I have seen to date. Although it moves kind of slow, once the stark starts to attack, you are not able to take your eyes off of the screen. I really do appreciate how the story line played out and watching how the characters grow along with how they started to take note of their surroundings. Being trapped at sea could be one of the scariest things ever, as there is nothing you can do about the surrounding wildlife around you. I would wish this on no one, even on a cruise ship, as there is only one way to escape your situation and that is to get into the water and swim for it. Stay Scared!

There are a great many reasons to love the horror genre. Because not only does it offer us thrills and chills, it provides us with thoughtful commentary, disgustingly delightful gore and sometimes just brainless entertainment because it really is the most diverse genre out there. In fact, there are so many different variations of these stories, that a great many creatives, are happy to offer up a fascinating list of films and books and shows from the world of horror that influenced them to bring their own tales of terror to life. But what’s truly fascinating about this genre, is the sheer fact that so many creators take the time to tip their cap to the stories that came before their own and that often leads to scary stories that feel familiar and comfortable and fun and it just so happens that the AMC/Shudder series Creepshow subscribes to this proud tradition as well.
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For the next two stories in this magnificent series are all about the homage. But what truly makes both of these tales worth our while, is the sheer fact that they chose to honor two types of stories that quite frankly aren’t all that mainstream. In fact, thesetales of terror take the time to pay their respects to horror comedies and the grindhouse classics of yesteryear and perhaps the most direct proof of this comes from ‘Bad Wolf Down’. Because this one feels as though it is straight out of the 1970s grindhouse with its spectacular special effects and familiar tropes and settings, the kind that allow you to fondly remember the historical gimmicks that movies of that era featured often, and it also provides he audience with a delightfully gory reward when the monsters finally appear to rip the Nazis to shreds and this wild story is balanced out nicely by its more cerebral counterpart.

Something that is quite fascinating since ‘The Finger’ is designed to be the story that pays homage to the horror comedies that ruled the 80s and 90s, and it accomplishes that feat by blending together the finest elements from those stories. Since the audience is treated to the splattery wonder of films like Basket Case and Brain Damage by way of Bob and Clark’s twisted symbiotic relationship, an element further enhanced by dropping the quirkiness of Dead Alive and even Little Shop of Horrors into the mix since Clark is vulnerable and open with the audience about his experiences a la Seymour Krelborn, but he’s also quite accepting of his situation as Lionel was in Peter Jackson’s gory classic. But while it is nice to feel all of those elements come to life here and blend together in beautiful fashion, it’s Clark’s narration and the underlying question that this story poses in its finale that makes this vignette worth our while.

In fact, that closing question helps to remind us that Creepshow is a series that won’t be letting up on the social commentary. For both of these tales dive into age-old concepts that are worth pondering upon. For example, ‘Bad Wolf Down’ does a phenomenal job of exploring how werewolves serve as an allegory for the monster within all men, since Captain Talby’s unit is quick to embrace their newfound powers and use them at every turn, something that is akin to a man that has unleashed every ounce of the fury he’s been carrying within his soul for ages. Whereas ‘The Finger’ straight up explores mental illness, since we are indeed left wondering as to whether or not Bob was ever real, or if he was created by Clark to cope with the fact that he murdered all those people and truly that commentary is striking since mental illness and murder are in the headlines often.

In the end however, this really is quite the delightful episode. Because it is filled to the brim with memorable and magical moments, the kind that really do remind the viewer of those days of yesteryear where they were huddled around the VCR to watch a scary story on a Friday night. And the wonder of those memories are further enhanced by the fact that there are some supremely wonderful actors present in this tale as well. For DJ Qualls sells every single moment of ‘The Finger’ thanks to his background in comedy and of course, the legendary Jeffrey Combs steals the show in ‘Bad Wolf Down’ with his perfect portrayal of Reinhard Schmelzgerät and truly, it was quite magical to take this trip down memory lane and enjoy a little meaning along the way. If anything, it just goes to show how diverse this series can be storytelling wise, and it should be a treat to see what themes await us in next week’s tale. Until next time, kiddies.  

​I am always on the lookout for a diamond in the rough when it comes to a fun zombie film. Now I cannot take credit for finding Zoombies, it was on my recommended viewing list and I am extremely happy that it popped up there. You always get to see people turning into zombies, but for some reason in movies today, you never get to see what would happen if animals are the infected. I know that one of my favorite video games did this in Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare, but the animals were still the same and the ones that did want to eat you, were ones that you did not expect. Well, all bets are off when our animal friends are changed into flesh cravers, so let us jump right into Zoombies. 
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While Doctor Ellen Rogers is starting her tour of Eden for her new interns, she has no idea what is happening in her park when it comes to animals on the endangered species list. Doctor Gordon is trying to save one of his monkeys from certain death by using a treatment that has never been approved for zoo animals. Upon injecting the monkey with a new serum, Dr. Gordon sees the side effects that are not listed on the bottle come to life and while the monkey is reanimated, it is not the docile animal that he has come to know. But matters only get worse since shortly after his only patient comes to back life in angry fashion, all of the other monkeys in the lab become very aggressive and take to a fight response that not even a human can comprehend.

Ellen is trying to get her interns excited for the day ahead and even though some of them think that this may be a waste of time, they are all still allowing her to give her spiel. As each intern is dropped off at their assigned area, Gage is remaining with her for the rest of the day. Seeing Ellen’s workspace and meeting her daughter Thea, Gage finds out how a zoo really works. But not everything is as it seems when Ellen hears the alarm that is coming from the Dr. Gordon’s lab. Sending her security team to check it out, along with new recruit Lizzy, Eden is about to go under a facelift that will change everyone’s outlook on a zoo experience forever. Seeing that the monkeys are the carrier of a new virus that makes them blood thirsty, the security team tries to stop them, but when they fail, an alert is sent out to the police and CDC, but with how quick the virus is moving, the greater concern is to keep anyone and anything from escaping the zoo limits, especially if it is infected.

Not knowing what I was stepping into when this movie popped up on my recommended list, I am beyond happy that I watched it. It is like a zombie outbreak in Jurassic Park and there is no escape for the weak, much less any hope. I really liked Ellen and her daughter’s interaction throughout the movie as they both know each other’s strengths, but Thea seems to know her mother much better than she knows herself. Gage and Lizzy do steal the show as they are both able to play well off of each other, as well as learn what they are good at. If you ever wonder why you have not gone to the zoo since you were a kid, this movie might just give you the reason why, or the reason why you don’t want to take your kids. As every animal is able to get infected, you don't know what herbivore is going to be walking by that suddenly wants to take a bite out of you. I must admit that seeing monkeys throwing something other than poo was one of the brightest parts of this movie for me, as since I have had some bad experiences, but when you see a giraffe taking a bite out of an intern, you may want to think twice about what animals you want your kids to meet. Stay Scared.