It is definitely safe to say, that one can easily identify the standing of a particular talk show or one that features interviews, by the caliber of guests they bring onto said show. Because shows that get some decent stars from time to time, are clearly working on building their platform and finding their groove. Whilst ones that feature a bevy of stars often, speak to the fact that the show in question has found its footing and is welcoming to the celebrities that swing by on a consistent basis and a great deal of shows fall into this category, and we tune into them often, to see what our favorite stars have to say.

But truly, shows in this vein that are of a legendary status, are the ones that manage to bring in legendary guests on a regular basis. For these are the ones that are in essence, reeling in folks that you don’t see pop up on the circuit all that often because of their illustrious standing and well… you know a show that does this on a regular basis is truly something special and one such series that deserves that prestigious label, is The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs. Because Joe Bob brings in the finest guests from the horror industry, names that you simply don’t see elsewhere and well… season three of this incredible show is going to go down as one of its biggest ever, thanks to all the top-tier names that are joining Joe Bob at the trailer park this season.

For Jeffrey Combs popped by earlier this year and once again, another big name is swinging by this Friday. For earlier today, Shudder announced that Joe Bob is preparing a folding chair and a cold one for none other than Bruce Campbell himself. Yes, you read that right, Bruce. Freakin’. Campbell. An actor that has pretty much done it all since he’s been in mainstream network movies, and guest starred in a couple of pre-MCU Marvel movies, and been cast as a series regular on countless cult classics and of course… is best known for his role as Ashley J. Williams from the Evil Dead franchise and let’s be honest, this is a huge appearance.

Simply because Bruce rarely takes the time to do guest spots in this manner. Instead he prefers to spend time with his fans in a more intimate setting, such as Last Fan Standing. Which means that we are going to be treated to one incredible and intimate conversation. One that Joe Bob will make worth our while as he gets Bruce to talk about all kinds of secrets from the industry, alongside some personal anecdotes no doubt. But while this writer could go on all day about how awesome this is, it would be rude to not point out that Bruce isn’t the only other big name popping up on this Friday’s episode. Because acclaimed horror director and producer Bill Lustig of Maniac and Vigilante fame will be dropping by as well.

If anything, all of this news leaves us giddy with excitement. Not only because of the fact that Sir Bruce and Mister Lustig are dropping by and discussing all kinds of delightful horror goodies with Joe Bob and the fans. But also, because, that likely means we’re going to get some new top-tier movies for Joe Bob to show, the kind that Bruce and Bill have been involved in and well, that definitely motivates one to count down the minutes to Friday’s edition of this phenomenal series. So, we can see what gory cinematic treats and delightful stories await us and to be reminded of the fact that Joe Bob Briggs talks to legends on a regular basis and leaves the fans in awe while doing so.

‘The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs’ and Bruce Campbell and Bill Lustig premieres Friday, May 21, 2021, on Shudder at 9p EST/8p CST.

​Secrets are a hard thing to keep these days. With almost everything you do being put on-line, there is no privacy for anyone, anymore. While some people seem to be all right with this as they are willing to change with the times, most people would like to have a personal life and keep away from what this can do to them over time. Living a squeaky-clean lifestyle is the only way to keep people from wanting to dig into your past, but let’s be honest, everyone has a skeleton in their closet that they want to keep away from prying eyes.
​
While taking his girlfriend on a road trip to meet his grandparents, Joe has another surprise in store for her. Wanting to make this one of the most unforgettable weekends Lisa has ever been on, he has everything planned out, even his stories about growing up with them. But not giving his grandparents a warning that he is on his way may be the biggest mistake he has ever made. Arriving at their old home that seems to be falling apart, Joe finds a note that says that his grandparents will be out for the weekend. With no other place to stay while they are down there, Joe is able to locate the hide-a-key so he can make this a weekend for the ages.

While giving Lisa the lay of the land, Joe shows her his grandfather’s prized possession, his car that he loves more than anything in this world. But that is not the only thing that Joe wants to see while he is there, as the old barn has been off limits to him ever since he was a kid. With no supervision, Joe sets out to find out what is hidden behind the locked door and when he is able to get close to the barn, he hears some sort of humming coming from the inside. Knowing that it is something electrical, Joe gets a crowbar and is able to pop the lock and gain access to his childhood foe.

Finding what appears to be an old radio, there are other strange things that look to be leftovers from his grandfather’s military days, and Lisa stumbles upon old Top-Secret files that appear to be for something much bigger. Taking note of what is in the files and the newspaper clippings on the wall, the two do their research and find out that it has to do with a UFO that crashed around Roswell. With his grandfather being high ranked in the military around that time, Joe wants to know more about what is in the barn, but he has something that he wants to do first. Proposing to his love, Joe makes sure that Lisa knows that she is the most important thing in his life. But wanting to know what other secrets are hidden in the barn is taking over his mind and when finding what appears to be an alien body in an old crate, he knows that he has bitten off much more than he can chew.

This is a cool little alien flick that does not disappoint. While I am not sure why Joe has such hatred towards his grandfather, he at least finds out why the barn was off limits to him as a kid. Trying to protect what his grandfather has built his life around; Joe does not want the authorities to find anything that could endanger his or his grandfather’s life. The obsession that Joe shows towards the barn becomes unhealthy, as you see him start to break down when he wants to know more, even Lisa is not willing to see him lose his mind over it. The character dynamic in this movie was great, I do love a good break down when life seems to be too good to be true. With a family secret, an abandoned house, a lovely proposal, a movie night, a dead alien, an unhelpful FBI agent and an alien fight, this movie shows some of the best emotions on and behind the camera as life as we know it is about to change. Stay Scared.

There is something to be said about knowing the lay of the land where you are at. If you know where you are and where you are going, you will not get lost on the journey you are about to take. But there are so many things that can happen during your trip, you might find that the roads less traveled are that way for a reason as they can throw a wrench into your plans. Keep looking towards the ending, as it is always there and waiting for you to reach it, because if you don’t, somebody will be more than happy to take your place.
​
Charlize is trying to make a better life for herself and working at the hunting lodge has been great for her, but she just needs more. With a roommate that does not share the same values as she does, she just needs someone to take her away from the lameness. Little does she know that there is about to be a massive change in the lodge, as a half cow, half man is about to put the guests on the lodge walls, well, at least their blood.

Vince Chopper and his crew are deep undercover at the lodge, looking for anything suspicious and when they find one of the cooks torn to shreds, they have just found it. Being able to break character and knowing that there is a killer on the loose, Chopper turns on his detective switch and starts asking the right questions. Finding out he is up against a hybrid animal, he must find a way to keep all of the lodge guests safe and sound from the chainsaw carrying man cow that is hunting them down.

Seeing that Chopper is more than what his cover could have ever proven, Charlize takes a liking to him and wants to do everything she can to help. But when she starts to notice that the man cow is just upset about how it’s kind is treated, in the way of becoming hamburgers, she starts to see that there is still a human side there. Wanting to try and help the man cow and her new love in Chopper, she is forced to make grave decisions that will alter her life, along with everyone else in South Africa when a plan goes drastically wrong. It is a race against time to save the guests of the lodge against the man cow, and a battle for survival after the man cow infects the rest of the nation. 

When I see any movie description mention a half man, half anything going on a killing rampage, you bet your beets I am going to give it a view. I must admit that even though the story found a way to lose me, I loved the characters way too much to look away. Chopper was just ridiculous and with his lack of knowledge of certain things, he had it where it counts. It was really just a fun ride to get to an ending that you may never have expected, and even though there will be plenty of head shaking throughout the movie, it is not a disappointment. With a dancer ready to move on, a detective who is scatterbrained, an undercover officer that will not leave his cover, a killer man cow, a chainsaw, plenty of blood and a musical number, I fail to see how you could possibly go wrong with this little gem. Stay Scared.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 613 of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’.
​
It is quite the wonderful time to be a horror fan right now, for several reasons. Because the genre is at an all-time high popularity wise, and that has brought forth a glut of horror films and shows to please the masses, with a fair chunk of them being of the upmost quality, as everyone works to keep the horror craze going strong. Plus, this demand for more scary stories has motivated the creative minds that drive the genre… to try new things out storytelling wise. Which has in turn, given life to some supremely unique tales of terror, the kind that genuinely stand for out for their creativity and that’s also led to a staple of this genre to up its game as well.
​
Because these days, it isn’t enough for a horror story to provide its audience with social commentary, it also needs to deal with some of our more intimate fears and problems as a society and one particular franchise that continues to lead the way in regard to that, is The Walking Dead Universe. For the last few years has seen all three shows in this storied saga, work to examine with all kinds of fascinating topics in regard to the human condition and some of the interpersonal problems that have plagued us for ages on end and really this is top of mind today, simply because Fear the Walking Dead opted to dive deep into an issue that accompanies a rolling theme on this series that is rarely talked about in any genre. Specifically, how trauma and loss can motivate us to withdraw from the world and punish ourselves emotionally.

A feat that ‘J.D.’ accomplished in a fascinating manner, by having three characters deal with this particular problem. For instance, Sherry revealed to her beloved in this tale, that the devastating losses and overall events of the ‘All Out War’ arc continued to haunt her and made her firmly believe that the only way to find any peace… was to return to Alexandria and outright murder Negan. Which spoke volumes to the fact that rather than deal with the pain of those events, Sherry instead allowed for the anguish and the fury over being a pawn in Negan’s plans to consume her. To the point where she believed her only option was to enact revenge in order to set her emotional world right since she couldn’t deal with the fact that she ‘allowed’ for Negan to thrive when she could have done something. Which made for some powerful moments for certain, the kind that informed us that Sherry has a touch of survivor’s remorse, and it will take a lot of self-care to free her from it.

As for the other characters that dealt with self-punishment, well that was June and her new traveling companion. For her hunt for Teddy’s apocalyptic followers, brought her into contact with a stranger that was both familiar and bold. Since he was full of the same no-nonsense attitude that John Dorie exhibited during his time on the series and there was good reason for that. For he was John Dorie Sr., and he apparently survived the end of the world just fine and was currently hunting Teddy as well. But more on that in a moment. Because the more time that he and June spent together, the more we came to realize that June’s loss of John Jr. was motivating her to isolate herself and avoid reading his letter in an effort to punish herself for not doing more to stop Ginny, since she was convinced that would have somehow prevented his death and dear old dad… well he punished himself for far different reasons.

For he genuinely believed that he failed his boy and his wife by not putting Teddy away for life and that he was a titanic failure for running from his family, and that helped him to form a world view where the only way to atone for his mistakes and his cowardice… was to stay in isolation and keep others at bay in the hopes of never letting anyone down ever again. In fact, he was quite eager for some time, to leave June behind in his renewed search for Teddy and his apocalyptic followers in order to keep that mantra going. But these two ended up forging a fascinating partnership, in the hopes of finding out more about what Teddy’s group had planned for the future and well, that was a wonderful thing for certain, since it allowed for the story to examine exactly how we get away from punishing ourselves for the pain we experience. 
​
Because eventually, all roads in this tale led back to the cabin that John Jr. once called home, and once one of Ginny’s lieutenants spilled what he knew about Teddy and was dealt with accordingly, everyone had a moment to breathe and process all the fresh pain that this search brought to the surface and that brought forth the solution in question. In that, we have to take the time to acknowledge that we cannot punish ourselves for things we cannot control, and we simply have to make peace with the chaos that the universe sends our way and move forward in a positive light and honor those we lost. And in the event, one runs and hides in a manner similar to John’s father… well then one has to confront the fact that what is done is done and the only way forward is to atone for that mistake and find a way to make things right, something John Sr. did do at the end of this tale.

For he made his way to Morgan’s community with June and offered Morgan the same facts about Teddy that he offered the audience earlier in this tale and boy… did he provide us with some scary facts about Teddy. For it turns out that he has always viewed the end of the world as his salvation, since it would allow for him to stand tall and suck others into his utter madness and well, now that he has achieved full strength, hopefully John Sr’s views on how Teddy thinks and how meticulous he is in his planning will help Morgan and his friends fight him properly. The only question that remains now, is how much time they have to stop a catastrophe, since Riley has that submarine key, and it is only a matter of time before the group uses it to deploy a nuclear warhead or warheads… the kind that could lay waste to a great deal of the gulf and our heroes.

If anything, this was just another fascinating and brilliant tale. One that really did do a fine job of once again exploring an aspect of the human condition that we don’t talk about all that often for obvious reasons. Since the self-punishment we inflict upon ourselves is quite sour and negative in nature, making it difficult to stomach in most mediums. But that is what makes horror so special and so worthwhile, and it will be quite interesting to see if the final three episode of season six are going to dive deep into more philosophical concepts in regard to the human psyche, or if action and adventure and the horrors of mankind will be put on full display. As Teddy and his twisted group of zealots begin their quest to bring forth a new beginning for a broken and rotten and fragile world. Until next time.  

As the years have progressed, I have found myself watching many different reality television shows and while they are far from my favorite thing to watch, they are just too gripping to pass up. The survival shows however, really won me over when they hit the airwaves. Learning how to survive when your plane goes down in the mountains, yeah, it could happen. Learning how to make do in the wilderness with next to nothing, well, I must admit that it could help if you are ever in that situation. While I do now understand that even these shows are not real, I think that the message that they get across is the most important thing… make a fire.
​
Being the star of his show Man Vs., Doug Woods is ready for his next adventure into the wilderness.  Choosing Canada this time, he has to get his crew and guide’s act together to make it up the river and get set up for the night. Arriving at his first location, Doug is able to go about his business in front of the camera with little to worry about, he even gets a fire lit before the sun sets for the night. Checking in with his crew that are a couple clicks away and wishing them a good night, Doug is in for something that he did not expect.

Waking up to a loud thundering noise that rattles the ground, Doug starts his next day heading out to see what it could have been. Seeing massive damage to the trees in the woods, he comes to the decision that it was probably a meteor, since his satellite phone is no longer working. Inspecting the lake and seeing dead fish rising to the top, he knows that there might be something strange in the water and decides to set up traps for the smaller prey in his surrounding area. As the day passes by, Doug checks on his traps to see that he was successful. Making for good TV, Doug shows what else you need to do while trying to survive in the wild, specifically keeping his food far away from his camp.

Hearing something lurking about during the night, Doug is not able to get any sleep and finds that his food has been taken from him. Wanting to know how a wolf would be able to get the rabbit that he hung from the tree, he is starting to notice that other things around his campsite are not where they should be. First noticing that his satellite phone has been taken, then seeing pieces on his chess board have been moved, Doug is certain that someone is playing a joke on him. Thinking that it might be his team, Doug sets out to show them what is what, but when seeing that whomever is messing with his show is out to hurt him, Doug is forced to turn his survival skills on full and try to escape the wilderness with his life.

One of the things that I really liked about how this movie played out was the storyline of Doug being a pain in the butt for his team to deal with. As everyone’s future hangs in the balance of his performance, Doug seems to get it now more than ever. I wish there was something more to whatever damaged the trees since that left plenty of wreckage in its path, but you do find out quickly what is in the woods, looking to make a show of its own. The thought of being hunted by someone or something never sits well with anybody, and I enjoyed seeing how Doug changed his demeanor when finding out he was next on the menu. With creepy woods, a secluded campsite, movement in the shadows, a hunter that takes notes from the best and an unbelievable ending, it really is a fun ride and might make you think twice about being too far away from humanity, especially when the spit starts to hit the fan. Stay Scared. 

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘The Reckoning’.
​
There are a fair number of people in the United States, that believe that mankind is in a wonderfully harmonious place in 2021… and it is understandable as to why they think that. After all, the compendium of human knowledge is in our pockets and accessible day or night, allowing for information to flow on a moment’s notice to the point where there should be no concerns about misinformation, since the facts should be at the top of any search results. Plus, BIPOC and women are seen as equals and are in positions of power around the country, making it seem as though we’ve made incredible strides in race relations. But let’s be honest, if the past couple of years have taught us anything, it would have to be that such a particularly rosy world view is woefully incorrect.
​
For race relations are still a mess in our world and despite being able to google the proper information in this day and age, self-proclaimed ‘experts’ just make things up on the fly and spread their lies into the void. The kind that people easily believe and really, that lack of progress begs an important question. In that, what exactly is it going to take to for us to move beyond such foolish and outdated roadblocks on the path to genuine progress, and one wonderful way to explore that question, is through fiction… specifically historical fiction. Since it can show us the root cause of some of these issues, in a dynamic and frank manner, the kind that might finally allow for us to start to work on moving past them and believe it or not, this is something that the horror genre is starting to dabble in, as evidenced by the brand-new feature on Shudder, The Reckoning.

Now in this particular film we are transported back to 1655, wherein we are introduced to a woman named Grace Haverstock and she is facing some incredible life challenges when we catch up with her here. For her darling husband has opted to end his life, rather than suffer through the horrible symptoms of the great plague, leaving Grace and her newborn daughter to fend for themselves. An act that Grace believes she will manage just fine, until a fateful encounter with the town Squire changes the course of her life. For her push to keep his disgusting sexual advances at bay, motivates the Squire to brand her a witch and bring in the big guns from the Vatican to confirm her ‘true identity’ as an agent of Satan. Which means that Grace must now figure out how to survive the horrible trials that await her, in order to be seen as a normal person… so she can resume raising her daughter in peace. 

Which is a plot that at first glance, really doesn’t seem to be all that related to modern times. Since one would assume that there is little, we can relate to in regard to the plight of people from the 1600s. But the fact that a plague is ravaging this land, combined with the fact that religion and lies rule the day… it quickly becomes obvious that this movie has a great many parallels to modern America. Since the church and its ability to control others is a wonderful allegory for the current political/conservative movement happening within the Republican party and the fact that the people in this town are eager to fall in line with lies and misinformation makes this movie feel a little too real at times, since there are plenty of talking heads spouting nonsensical lies on television and social media, and while that is some quality commentary in regard to some of our modern problems… the movie still had more parallels to offer up.
​
For how women were treated in 1665, doesn’t feel all that much different than how they are treated now. Because no one bothers to question why Grace kicks the ever-living crap out of the Squire for his disgusting attempts to force himself upon her. It’s just easier for them to see her as a witch and a problem than as a victim of sexual assault. And her desire to speak to the madness of the trials, only emboldens the town and the church to view her as nothing more than sassy/nasty monster that is influenced by evil to challenge the status quo and perhaps the worst part of Grace’s journey in this tale, is that her body is seen as nothing more as vessel for pleasure for evil. Which gives the church license to treat her body as they see fit, whether she likes it or not and well, all of these parallels to modern day really do stun the viewer since it does hammer home the fact that we really haven’t progressed all that far.

But while those plot threads offer a great deal of poignant commentary on our modern world, it is the ending of this film that brings forth a potential solution for these societal ailments. In that, in order to put an end to wanton misogyny and racism… we have to respect humanity at all levels, and not put up with toxic excuses or behavior and shut that down so it is viewed as negative and not normal, and in order to combat fear… we simply must do a better job of making facts the norm and educating people at a fundamental level to ensure that conspiracy theories and other nonsense are viewed as just that and well… all of these elements make this a surprisingly relevant and powerful film. One that truly puts the worst parts of humanity on display in an effort to ask more of us, and you can never go wrong with a horror film that challenges its audience to be more, by speaking utter truth. 

‘The Reckoning’ is available to stream right now, exclusively on Shudder.

With my favorite holiday being Halloween, I am always looking forward to the haunted houses and crazy mazes that open up in the month of October. With so many of them around, it can be difficult to find one that I will really like, so I tend to reach out to my friends to and get their opinions. Word of mouth can be some of the best advertising for any business, especially if there are a lot of people saying the exact same thing. As always, I look forward to this upcoming October for so many reasons, but maybe this year, I can get more of my friends to give into their dark sides and take an adventure to a haunted house with me.
​
Alex Taylor and his crew are looking for their next venture in the haunted house game and have found an abandoned hotel in Abaddon, New York that might be right up their alley. Getting to the old building and seeing how run down it really is, they know that they have their work cut out for them. As Paul keeps his camera firmly on his shoulder and watching as Mac, Tony and Sara all join in to get the house up and running, he will make sure to document everything that is going on in the old building to the fullest. But there is something about the building that is not being said to the crew that may change their outlook on trying to scare people and force them to just drop everything and leave before they even get started.

Venturing through the old building, the group is able to come up with ideas of what to do in every room, but the basement fascinates them most of all. With pentagrams all over the walls and a pile of Bibles hidden from the world, Sara is starting to think that the basement should not be used at all, since it is very creepy. Knowing what he wants however, Alex gets his crew to move forward and he slowly sees his vision becoming a reality. However, as the old hotel, now named Hell House, is taking shape, Paul is starting to see some strange things going on, such as Sara coming into his room and just staring at him in the middle of the night. Not understanding what is going on yet, the Abaddon Hotel is just getting warmed up to let its secrets loose. 

As the haunted house is getting closer to being finished, Alex hires some actors to play some roles alongside his team and one actor knows a little something about the old hotel. Telling the stories about it being haunted, Paul is shocked that his boss would keep this information from him and his friends. But that is just the tip of the iceberg as Paul is trekking around the main floor and spots a clown staring down into the basement. Seeing that it is not one of his friends in the outfit, or the actor that has just been brought on, he checks out the basement and seeing more ghouls coming at him than were set up, there is definitely something going on in the building that is not of the living’s doing. 

This is a documentary type of movie, as Sara is answering questions for a reporter looking to get to the bottom of what happened years ago at the Abaddon Hotel and why so many people lost their lives. With plenty of unanswered questions from the authorities, getting tapes from the house building team is eye opening for the reporter and her team. Cycling through the tapes and asking the hard-hitting questions to Sara, there really is only one way to get to the bottom of what happened in the old hotel, to go in and see for themselves. I am still a little upset that nobody wanted to go into the basement after the event took place, it seems to hold the secrets to the Abaddon Hotel and all its glory. With blood, hooded ghosts, nasty faced demons, a haunted house attraction, a real haunted house and a boss that does not know when to quit, not a bad movie that will give you all the information you want and still leave a little to the imagination, just so it will be harder to go to sleep at night. Stay Scared.

​Finding the profession that you were destined to be a part of is not an easy feat. As people go through life, working at their dead-end job to make ends meet, they know that there is something else that they would rather be doing. As some people have been able to make a living out of doing their favorite things, there are still many that will never get that opportunity. There is nothing wrong with making your money, even if the job is not something that you enjoy, but make sure to take care of yourself, because if you are not having any fun during the day, it can be bad for your health.
​
The Ghostfinders are moving on to their sixth season and need a great opening episode so they can continue to get paid. Jared is not willing to shy away from any request and getting a call from the Lawson family about their house being haunted, he knows that this could be a goldmine. With strange sounds throughout the house, apparitions being seen by the naked eye, along with a disembodied voice echoing during the night this is the house that needs to be cleaned so the owners can live the rest of their days free from hauntings.

Meeting with the Lawson’s the group hears about the strange events that frightened them away their first night in the house. With a little bit of history on the house, mainly the story of an artist that went crazy and killed his family one day, it is just a creepy location. The ghostly encounters were not only directed at the Lawson’s either, as they tried renting out the house to make some money. None of the renters were able to make it one night in the house and most of them report seeing and hearing the same things. As all of the stories tend to match up, the Ghostfinders team is ready to do their investigation and head out to the middle of nowhere where the house is located.

Meeting up with the Lawson’s, the first strange thing happens as they try to enter the front door. As something seems to be holding the door closed, Kat asks if the group can enter and whomever or whatever is holding it lets go and allows the team to enter. Getting a quick tour of the house and seeing where the events have taken place, the Ghostfinders set up shop and wait for nightfall to arrive to see if they can catch any sort of activity. But it is quickly noticed that the group is not prepared for what this house has to offer when Kat goes missing and actual paranormal activity is preventing Jared from being able to locate her. Armed with a flashlight and a camera, the night only gets stranger as the other team members go missing and Jared is left by himself with no way of getting help.

I must admit that ghost hunting shows are something that fall into my guilty pleasures and this movie is a takeoff of those. Being put together as a standard hour-long show, you get to see all of the behind-the-scenes stuff as the night progressively gets worse for the team. As they try to fool the audience into believing that they are seeing things, the camera actually captures real events that wind up shocking the team. With some fun jump scares, a ghostly woman in white, creepy stories about the house and a haunted location that actually is haunted, it’s a fun ride into what some of the paranormal shows might be doing behind the scenes, but with a deadly result. Stay Scared.

Some people are forced to go through life with no way to escape their past. While it can seem easy to leave your family behind and move on with your life, they will always be there whether you like it or not. Trying to redefine who you are is more than an overnight process and while you can put on a show for people that don’t know you, you have to train yourself to be your new self. Carrying your friendships along for the ride can be more difficult than expected, but if you are trying to escape your family’s name, you will need someone to have your back.
​
Needing to get out from under his mother’s thumb, Marcus has a plan to change his life completely. Trying to get the money that his mother got from selling everything he owned, he is shocked when she awakens from her drunken slumber and challenges him. Knowing that he is in the right, Marcus is able to push right back, but he is not prepared for his mother’s reaction. Getting beat down with a baseball bat, Marcus is not willing to deal with his mother any longer, and with things coming over the horizon, he may not need to. 

Getting a visit from one of his father’s old friends, Marcus has the inside track to make some serious money on a stash of homegrown weed. Only needing to travel to where it is growing and pick it up, the deal is something that he cannot pass up, even his girlfriend Stella agrees. With a hand drawn map on a page from the Bible, Marcus is ready to change his life once and for all and with Stella’s help, he may never be alone again, at least that is what he believes. Getting into the truck and making their way up north, Marcus and Stella are surprised to see that they are not alone on the trip to the biggest score of their lives as Lydia has come along for the ride.

Not willing to turn back, Marcus has only one thing on his mind, money. Needing to reach the secret stash before anyone else, he does not know what the road has in store for him. With a tree in the way of his pursuit, Marcus heads out to take care of business as the girls take a look around the area. Things seem to be going all right when a scream from Stella rattles through the wooded area. Not knowing who or what frightened his girlfriend, Marcus tries to bring the girls back to the truck, but with an arm that has been mauled by a wolf, Stella wants to go to a hospital. Catching a ride back to town, Stella is on her own since Marcus is not willing to deviate from his plan. But when he sees the car that Stella got a ride in knocked off the road and the driver filleted, he starts to worry about something more than just the score.

It took some doing, but I did make it through the movie. I really liked how the story went, although I am still confused about what the film was really about. I will not lie, the dialogue in this movie is terrible and could deter many people from giving it a chance. I also never really thought that the story would ever get around to allowing for Marcus to have any type of redemption, as he was focused on money most of the time and could care less about what happened to the girls, even when they are being chased by a beast that will stop at nothing to kill them. With an abandoned yet busy road, an undead killer, a smart elder, the need to know what happened and plenty of sharpened edges to be used as knives, it is a different story that I believe is trying to remind us to treat your fellow man and nature with respect, because if you don’t, they will kill ‘ya. Stay Scared.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 612 of ‘Fear the Walking Dead’.
​
It is definitely safe to say that humanity shares a collective fear of the unknown and it is understandable as to why. For we are highly intelligent creatures that are supremely curious and logical and when we encounter something that we do not understand… we do our best to uncover its truths and make sense of it. Which of course, has led to incredible discoveries during our short time on this world, the kind that have helped us to understand the nature of the universe and a fair majority of its secrets. But while we have conquered viruses and discovered the nature of the atom and looked into the heart of the universe, there are some aspects of the unknown we still don’t understand and fear. Such as what happens after we die.
​
For we simply haven’t a clue if our last breaths lead to an eternity of dreamless darkness or if we do indeed slip into a plane of existence, we never knew existed. And conflicting reports from people who have had near death experiences, only adds to the confusion since there is science and knowledge that potentially debunks their experiences. Which means, we won’t know a thing until our time arrives and even then, we don’t be able to share what we find in death with anyone else, since no one returns from it. But until that time arrives, all we can do is speculate and ponder and use fiction to focus on what could be and really, our curiosity about what happens after we die, is relevant to our discussion today… simply because it served as the focus of last night’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead.

Because ‘In Dreams’ took the time to explore this concept in the most unique manner possible, by plunging Grace into the future. Some sixteen years in fact, wherein she came to meet her daughter Athena and well… what she found in this strange world was quite hopeful and beautiful. For the community that Morgan laid down roots for had grown into quite the inspiring place. Where everyone worked together and got along, because the birth of Athena gave them hope and allowed for them put to aside their differences and well, while that was wonderful to see, since it is the happy ending that every fan has hoped for since they started this wild journey through a world of living death... something was off about this dreamlike place. 

For it was simply, too perfect and too wonderful, and it didn’t take long for us to realize that this place only existed within the framework of Grace’s mind and that in reality, she was in a great deal of trouble. And as it turns out, that was a correct assumption. For she was unconscious and holed up with Morgan in a vet clinic, due to the fact that Riley and his boys attacked her and Morgan on their way to the hospital that June was building. For they wanted the key around Morgan’s neck and were ready to raise hell to make that happen and the resulting attack to retrieve the key put Grace in her temporary coma, one that she was beginning to understand held more weight and gravity than she gave it credit. Since it truly seemed as though this strange dreamlike state… was an opportunity to make peace with her life since she was facing her final moments.

Which made sense, since it fit in line with what we know about near death experiences. Since it featured the peace and serenity that so many claim washes over them when they have that brush with death, and the flashes of people that matter to the potentially deceased were there as well, albeit taken to the extreme by giving Grace the chance to spend time with her unborn daughter. But while all of that would have led to a satisfying exit for the character, one where a mother's sacrifice could have indeed engendered hope, a fascinating and devastating twist came into play. In that, Grace didn’t die after all. Instead, she returned from this strange place at just the right time. In part to give birth to her baby, but also to inform Riley that his way of life and his plans were no longer a possibility, since hope was arriving in the form of Athena, and she would change the landscape of the future. 
​
But alas, that hope simply wasn’t meant to be. For while Athena was indeed born, there was no life in her body and Grace came to realize that the lurid near dear experience she took part in… was instead her daughter’s final moments, leaving this story in quite the dark place, one that will undoubtedly divide the fans through and through. Simply because, showing us a supremely happy and go lucky world that never existed will be seen as nothing more than a waste of time from some of the fans and it is understandable as to why they will feel that way. Because this was an opportunity to offer up an intense fight between good and evil, one that instead took a backseat to a philosophical notion that we have no answers for at this particular time. 

But at the same time, this is a storytelling decision that has its upside. Because lurid or weird or not… this is a story that truly dug into some deeply powerful concepts about death and our fear of it and how devastating it can be. For the loss of Athena, speaks to the fact that death can find us at any time, and it can break us, since Grace won’t be the same after this, and that the randomness and chaos of it, definitely gives us reason to fear it… but at the same time, we should also fight that fear with every fiber of our being. Simply because life is to be celebrated, for it truly is a gift and while we will lose those we love along the away, or at the potential beginning of their journey, we honor them by making an impact and doing wonderful things, a message that makes the ending of tale a tad more palatable… despite its devastating nature.

In the end however, whether you loved or hated this particular tale… one thing we can all agree upon is that this one of the most unique zombie stories to hit the airwaves in years. Simply because it really did dive into concepts that are rarely explored in the genre and it did so in an extremely unconventional manner and it also deserves credit, for injecting some genuinely creepy elements into that dreamlike state as well. Because the talking Riley-Walker was the stuff of nightmares and it added depth to the commentary as well and if anything, this episode makes it clear that the back end of season six of Fear the Walking Dead is going to do its best to bring this particular journey to a unique climax. One that will push the envelope like never before and leave us talking for days on end. Until next time.