While I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Cinemax’s Outcast from the very first episode thanks to its powerfully unique storyline and supremely eerie vibe, I am fully aware of the fact that for the most part, there’s been little to no character growth when it comes to the colorful people that populate this chilling story, and no, that’s not a bad thing. Because in reality, the creepy first season of this story, did not and could not allow for Kyle and his family and friends to grow for the most part simply due to the fact that they were stuck in a reactionary place. They were surrounded by an evil they didn’t understand, and Kyle barely knew what his gifts could do and all they could do was chug along and do their best given the circumstances.
 
But clearly, that’s something the series has wanted to remedy for some time now, as was evidenced in the season two premiere when Kyle suddenly came to realize that he either had to fight this nightmare or see the world consumed by this darkness and if anything, his decision to return to Rome with his baby Amber to fight this mess served as the tip of the iceberg for a grand push forward in both character development and plot for this series because last night’s episode, ‘The Day After That’, truly moved everything forward in impressive fashion. Now the characters are starting to become more than mere pawns in this dire situation and oddly enough, all of this was accomplished by giving several members of the supporting cast a moment of pause, wherein they could reflect on everything that’s happened as of late.
 
Take Reverend Anderson for instance, who was eventually absolved of his crimes when it was discovered the body in the trailer was  killed in ritualistic fashion (more on that in a bit) decades ago, but before he left his cell, he helplessly had to witness a young addict turn into one of the darkness fueled monsters and that feeling of helplessness seems to have reinvigorated him to fight the good fight so he never feels that again and while he came to his epiphany quickly, it took little longer for Megan Barnes to open her eyes. Because she was outright haunted by what happened when she was under the influence of evil and for a time there it seemed as though she wouldn’t be able to live with the actions of her alternate self. But she too found a reason to go on.
 
Yet, this particular tale was packed with more than mere tender moments, it also showcased just how far Kyle has come as a hero in a short period of time because he was quite the badass in this tale, as he worked to locate Sydney and uncover the truth as to why The Merge is happening and it was quite cool to see him put the pieces together to a tiny sliver of this mystery and start to uncover exactly who is working with Sydney and it was the softer moments with Amber that hammered home the fact that going forward, it’s all about making the world a better place in this series, and it’s just magnificent to see Kyle and Megan use their families as a starting point to build their bravery and it’s equally as wonderful to see the Reverend use redemption as his starting point and truly, this was hands down the most uplifting episode of this series to date, and it was nice to have a little light shine in through the darkness.
 
However, this episode would have felt out of place without a little hint of mystery and doom hanging over the horizon and all of that came by way of Sydney’s re-appearance in this tale. Because the pain and anguish on his face over the black liquid being spilled from the mummified corpse that was buried beneath the trailer leaves one to wonder exactly what purpose those remains were going to serve and what this particular individual meant to Sydney exactly and more importantly, we also have to ponder upon what he has planned for young Aaron, who we learned is alive, and in Sydney’s possession and in a lot of pain from the injuries he sustained in the fire. But, when all is said and done, this really was quite the powerful and poignant episode. I love that it took the time to explore the aftermath of everything that’s happened thus far since horror characters tend to just move on quickly from tough moments and all of this speaks to the fact that season two is going to be a cerebral and wild ride and I cannot wait to see what twists and turns await us come next Friday. Until then. 

There are some things in life that are hard to stop and getting older is the main thing. Everyone wants to find that fountain of youth and stay young for as long as they can, so they can accomplish so much more in life. But age catches up with the best of us and even though we are not ready for it to have its effect on us just yet, there is no stopping it. Even with all of the new treatments out there and everything that is in the testing phase, there is not a pill that can yet keep us or our bodies from becoming old and obsolete. 

Ray wakes up on his boat and finds it has been taken out to sea without his permission. With his first mate Pablo trying to make some extra money while his buddy is drunk and unconscious, he has chartered a funeral. Interrupting the funeral in his drunken state, Ray sees that there is something in the water and it is heading towards the boat. Before he is able to get the engine started to avoid the underwater contact, he sees a half shark, half octopus trying to pull himself and his passengers off of the boat. Losing the dead body, along with one of the passengers, Ray is thrown into lockup for a manslaughter charge and even his ex-girlfriend on the force does not believe his story.

Aging baseball star Felix Rosa is back home for a short time while trying to get his swing back. Being the greatest player to make it to the majors from the Dominican Republic, he used to be the toast of the town, but now he has lost a step and his swagger and will do anything to get it back. Meeting with Dr. Reinhardt, she has a plan to combine his DNA with that of a whale, so he will require less oxygen, and a wolf, for faster reflexes. Although she thinks this is silly, Rosa decides to go through with the procedure, but the outcome leaves him less of a man and more of a beast. Becoming a Whalewolf, Rosa has to listen to Dr. Reinhardt and stay with him until he is powerful enough to make it on his own in the outside world.

Ray gets bailed out of jail by someone that he does not want to owe any money to, ever, but his friend Pablo knows the terms and it seems easier. Needing to return the heart of Sharktopus to their benefactor instead of money, the two take to the waters and try to kill the beast, but they do not know what they are in for. As Sharktopus is running rampant up and down the coastline, another report of a creature is coming from inland and the Whalewolf makes its presence known. Even though the two are not mortal enemies, they battle for what is important for their survival, food. With plenty of humans around to feast on, the two beasts go head to head and tear apart the city while doing so. Ray and his crew need to find a way to keep the collateral damage from getting too bad and kill off the threat before it is able to get any worse.

Finally, a Sharktopus movie that does not make the Sharktopus look like a wimp. Even though the CGI is very noticeable and not one thing about this movie is believable, it should not take away from my favorite SyFy character. From the first Sharktopus I had found one of the greatest beasts that I would always love, but after the last movie I was almost done with it, but after this one, I feel like there might be a shot at redemption. With a drunken captain, his girlfriend, a mad scientist, and even a reality show being filmed in the background, this movie gives you every reason to believe that second chances should be given, even if they end in disaster. Stay Scared.

I have to admit, that while I thoroughly enjoyed the first episode of Hulu’s new, Stephen King inspired series Castle Rock, I had quite a few long-term questions rattling around inside my mind as I settled in to watch the next two episodes available, ‘Habeas Corpus’ and ‘Local Color’, starting with…what was the rest of this series going to look like? Was it going to become a lengthy love letter to Stephen King’s work, with Easter Eggs abound? Was it going to be a fast-paced tale that worked hard to give us an intense ride, or was it going to be a beautiful character study, paying further homage to the master writer that inspired it?
 
Thankfully, all of those questions are answered in those two titular episodes and it turns out, that Castle Rock is going to be a hybrid of a great many things storytelling wise. It will of course pay tribute to King on a regular basis since the opening sequence of the second episode, and several moments later on in that particular tale worked hard to drop all kinds of little Easter Eggs our way. I mean, come on, we get mention of The Body and Cujo within the first few minutes of this tale and it doesn’t end there since I caught a few references to The Dead Zone and Needful Things when Henry works to learn more about why Warden Lacy hid a man in an abandoned part of Shawshank Prison. 
 
As for how the story is going to play out in general, well these two episodes revealed the fact that we are going to be treated to quite the powerful character study instead of a rip-roaring rollercoaster of a ride, and I’m truly okay with that. Because characters are King in King’s work and fleshing these people out is completely worth our while since we did learn plenty about Henry and how he’s struggling with being back in a place that rattles him to his core since he truly is viewed as a monster by so many in this town and I also loved that the King-verse is being expanded by showing us characters that may or may not be related to other important people from this world since I’m fairly certain all of us raised an eyebrow when we met Jackie Torrance, a woman with a name that may or may not relate to the man who lost his life at the Overlook Hotel ages ago and the surprises and character development didn’t end there. 

​Because the third episode really dug heavily into the past, Molly Strand’s to be specific and all of the skeletons that haunt her closet since she was the one responsible for the death of Henry’s father since she seemingly killed him out of revenge for not treating the object of her obsession and affection with more respect and it was equally as fascinating to learn that she has some supernatural abilities of her own since she can hear thoughts and feel experiences and really, when it comes to Molly’s saga, one has to wonder if her mental state is slowly breaking down and what’s going to happen to her when the truth about what she’s done to Henry’s family comes out, because you know it will and I’m not sure Henry is going to forgive her for helping to ruin his life and of course for that whole, murdering his dad thing… 
 
But, perhaps the most pleasant surprise of my back-to-back viewing experience, was the reveal that there is indeed something bigger that the story is going to work toward in slow burn fashion, and all of that revolves around the mystery man in Shawshank. Because it would seem that according to the late Warden Lacy, this man is the Devil himself, and Alan believes this as well, and there’s some merit to their thinking since this dude’s roommate at Shawshank suddenly caught stage 4 cancer and because…he seems to know things. After all, he was able to ask the same questions that Henry’s father did all those years ago when things got rough, and there’s a real dark cloud hanging over the other question he asked in his face to face meeting with Henry because ‘has it begun?’ has call kinds of negative implications.
 
Either way, these two episodes were an utter delight to watch and I’m quite impressed with how compelling this series is turning out to be, and the creepy and mysterious vibe is what helps to keep your attention since you’re dying to know what strange moment is about to play out on the screen next and well, it’s settled, I’m hooked. This is simply one of the most fascinating Stephen King adaptations that I’ve ever seen, and I truly have to know how this one ends and now that I’m out of fresh episodes to watch, I’ll be counting down the minutes until next Wednesday, when I can return to Castle Rock once again. Until next time.  

When you hear the name, Stephen King, a bevy of things pop into your mind. You likely ponder upon the pile of books you own bearing his name, and your favorite story amongst that pile and you likely engage in a conversation about Mister King with whomever mentioned his name because hands down, he is one of the most prolific authors of the past forty years and his name brings instant recognition and instant joy when it is muttered because of the incredible stories that he’s brought to life over the course of his illustrious and storied career. 
 
Yet, what’s equally as fascinating is that a discussion on King’s written works often leads to a follow up discussion on the various movies and shows that have adapted his work since the consensus out there is that filmmakers and showrunners either get his stuff right or horribly wrong, and these discussions and debates about his stories and their respective adaptations will continue on as long as someone creative wants to take their shot at bringing them to life on the silver or small screen. But what’s intriguing about these adaptations, is that no one has ever wanted to expand upon the rich universe that King has brought to life. They merely want to focus on the bigger stories that everyone knows and loves. That is, until now. Because after all these years, Hulu finally rolled the dice on a brand-new series that takes us to parts of King’s universe that quite frankly, we’ve never seen before in Castle Rock.
 
Now in this story, we are introduced to Henry Deaver, a man who grew up in the town that shares the namesake of the series and poor Henry, has a past with his hometown, one that was scandalous and strange enough that it drove him far away to start anew. But, a series of strange circumstances have brought him home to face not only his past, but what appears to be a grave danger that no one understands just yet and well…it doesn’t get more Stephen King than that and I have to outright admit that I’m quickly falling in love with this series for so many reasons, starting with the fact that the series premiere, ‘Severance’, does an incredible job of building a world that is mostly free from King’s mainstream stories. 

​Because we’ve never heard of Henry Deaver, nor his situation, but we are instantly drawn in by the mystery of what happened to him as a child, and how it clearly haunts him and really, it’s the characters that sell this premiere because they are rich and fascinating and populate a world where some supremely strange things have happened and continue to happen, as evidenced by the stunning suicide in the opening sequence and to top it all off, this premiere truly does do an amazing job of setting up the grand mystery for season one since you’re dying to know about the mysterious man that was living in the bowels of Shawshank and why the former warden kept him there for so long. 
 
But, while it is cool to see a different side of King’s universe, the series also understands to never forget where it came from and the fact that Shawshank is present in this story, along with the appearance of Alan Pangborn (a character that I’ve always wanted to see more of in the King-verse), and a few other Easter Eggs peppered through this opening tale, allow for it to fit nicely into this rich world that we’ve all explored at one time or another and it lends credence to the theories that Castle Rock and Derry are places of great power in these stories since the strangest of events happen in these two places and whatever is brewing before our eyes now, will be no different.
 
Truly though, what I loved most about this premiere, is how it shows us what life is like in the King-verse away from the Overlook Hotel, with the everyday Janes and Joes that live in a world where the impossible is possible and it is kind of cool to see how people react to the strange things that occur in this place and of course I also love that so far, this series is pretty darn solid. The acting is top notch, thanks to a stellar cast that includes Sissy Spacek, Melanie Lynskey, Ann Cusack, Terry O’Quinn, Frances Conroy and Scott Glenn and well, this series simply sets the mood right, it’s creepy and mysterious and it’s all that King fans can ask for, and more and since Hulu was nice enough to have the first three episodes of season one ready to view for the launch of this series, it’s time for me to return to Castle Rock and see what lurks in its shadows. Until next time. 

​There are many people that believe that we are not alone in the universe and they might be right. With so many unexplained things that have happened on the planet and still continue to, it might be easier to agree that that there are aliens among us. You can shake your heads all you want, but how do you explain huge advancements in technology over the years, I mean when I was just a kid, there was no such thing as the internet, much less CD discs that could house more than 2MB of data. We may have stumbled upon something, some sort of technology that was either lost here, or delivered to us by some other civilization, but the true question is why did they want us to have it?

An alien spaceship arrives in Earth orbit and ejects some probes into the atmosphere to see what the planet is all about. One probe lands in the Pacific Ocean and while it is trying to take readings, it is snatched up by a Great White Shark. While sharks tend to eat anything, this shark is starting to have regrets about its last meal, because it has quite the effect on the large creature, turning it into an alien-controlled robot. Searching the ocean for its next meal, the Roboshark head towards the only thing that is making a sound and tears apart a U.S. submarine that was tracking the space anomaly. With one ship down, the U.S. Navy jumps into action and tracks the unknown being and finds that it is making its way to the Seattle coast line.

Rick is busy making breakfast for his wife Trish and daughter Melody when he sees something come across the internet. A large shark has taken out a seaplane while landing and although he believes that the footage is faked, Trish quickly starts to believe that there might be something behind it. Being sent up to Bellevue, Seattle to report on the recent snowfall for her station, Trish sees a Navy base being set up in the open space and decides to change her assignment. Calling her boss to let him know of what she will be reporting on, Trish is cut off, but when getting a cup of coffee, she sees what the Navy is looking for as the Roboshark has made its way inland. Trying to report on the current situation, Trish finds out that a rival reporter has been blessed with the story and will be taking over all of the live feeds, but Trish has something that her competition does not, her daughter and the foresight of where the shark is headed.

The U.S. Navy has set up base at the local sewer monitoring station to keep an eye on the shark’s movements inside the pipes under the city. As Rick is the ranking person working, he is privy to all the information about what is happening and what the Navy is going to do to stop the robot menace. Keeping in contact with his wife and daughter, Rick is on the inside now and has to worry about more than his family during this time of crisis. But as Trish has located the next place where the shark will attack, her daughter has decided to come along for the ride as well. Being able to pinpoint the places where the Roboshark will surface next, Trish is able to get the exclusive footage, but when her boss will no longer take her calls, she has to depend on her daughter to get the story out to the world. Utilizing her social media account, Melody has become a blessing in disguise as she is able to get shares and retweets out to the area to notify them of the impending threat at their doorstep. But that might not be enough to save everyone as the Navy is looking to take out the Roboshark before it is able to communicate with the mothership that is circling the planet, at all means necessary. 

There is nothing better than a good SyFy shark movie and this one fits the bill just perfectly. With little reference to the alien threat that is outside of the planet, they still make sure that you know the aliens are out there. The Navy is looking to take revenge on the shark for killing one of their own and at any cost, but when Melody finds out what the plan is, she is able to jump into action and make sure the world knows of Seattle’s impending doom. Even Roboshark has an opinion on the situation as it is able to communicate through Twitter and possibly make a friend that will understand what it is trying to do, but one person is not able to stop the blood thirsty Navy as they are only focused on its destruction. The power of social media is highlighted in this movie and for good reason when there is no news making it through the normal channels and you never know, during our next crisis, it may be the only way for us to truly know what is going on. Happy Viewing and Stay Scared.

If there’s one thing that intrigues me about family in general, it’s the sheer fact that we truly never know everything there is to know about our extended family. Our aunts, our uncles and even our grandparents are people we tend to see far less than our nuclear family and because of that, our impressions and knowledge of them is strictly driven by our parents and the stories they tell us about that particular family member growing up, and what’s even more amazing is that sometimes, we never see them at all, making what our folks tell us about them, all the more critical.
 
Which means that when they pass into the great beyond, we often learn many a great thing we never knew about them, and sometimes that’s good and sometimes that’s bad and when we learn the negative, we often press our parents as to why they didn’t tell us about such matters sooner and the answer to that question, is always the same…they merely wanted to protect us, and thus, the matter is closed and we move on in life. But, what if our parents kept the truth from us in order to protect more than our mental image of people we grew up with? What if there was a real danger in knowing that a true dark side existed in our relatives? Would we seek out more knowledge when it comes to these ugly facts, or would we thank our parents for keeping us in the dark, and it just so happens that these questions are explored in the horror film, Ouija Séance: The Final Game.
 
Now, the plot for this particular film is pretty darn straightforward. Because in this movie we meet a young woman named Sarah who leads a pretty average and happy life. She’s studying abroad, she’s surrounded by good friends and she’s about to inherit a ton of money since her grandmother, a person she never knew growing up, recently passed away and left her estate to Sarah, and she is more than happy to sell the place off and all she has to do to secure the funds, is drop off a little paperwork at the estate and the money is hers. But, this seemingly simple task leads to quite the complicated adventure. Because the party she and her friends were planning to attend after dropping the papers off was just cancelled, meaning that her buddies want to stay at her Grandmother’s place for the weekend and truly, they could not make a poorer choice. Because the group is about to learn that grandma was hiding some evil secrets, and they’re about to unleash something sinister that will stop at nothing to get its hands on their souls…

​So, let’s just get this out of the way now. There are some glaring flaws when it comes to this motion picture, and I wanted to make mention of that up front because if you settle in to watch this one, I don’t want anyone to feel as though they’ve been duped into believing that this is the Citizen Kane of horror films. But while that sounds like I’m about to go off on this movie and tear it to shreds, that would be incorrect because while this film isn’t flawless, it has its merits, and much of that is made possible by way of the key concepts presented in this story; facing one’s fears, facing one’s past and of course what we discussed at the beginning of the article, discovering and dealing with some shocking surprises about one’s family and those concepts are handled in fascinating fashion by way of the main character Sarah.
 
Because in essence, we find Sarah at a crossroads at her life in this story, since it seems as though she’s desperately looking for meaning when we first meet her on the anniversary of her mother’s death and it was downright incredible to watch her come to life once she started learning more about her family, regardless of how bad the facts turned out to be and it was equally as fascinating to see how desperate she was to make peace with her past and her family’s twisted history because you simply don’t see that kind of character arc in horror too often these days and if by chance you do, it’s usually forgotten once the wild stuff starts to go down. But while this was the selling point of the movie for me, its greatest strength is also what turned out to be its greatest weakness.
 
Unfortunately, at times the story focuses too heavily on Sarah and not enough on the mystery that’s surrounding her family and her ultra-evil grandma and well, this is the kind of story that needed to give us that backstory at some point to make Sarah’s journey as fulfilling as possible. But, by no means do the film’s flaws make it downright unwatchable. There are some genuinely creepy moments in here, in fact I loved the chilly sequence that followed the séance, and there’s some good splatter to be found later in the feature as well and really, this movie is a solid way to kill an hour and a half. So, if you’re looking for something to entertain, watch this one with zero expectations and you’ll do just fine because it really is a solid little character study with some evil thrown in for good measure. 

The end of the year is an important time for just about everyone in the world. Because it’s the season of giving and the presents we wrap and place under the tree celebrate the people we’re blessed to know and it’s also a wonderful time to take inventory when it comes to our life and its current direction. For those who have achieved their goals, they get to bask in the wonder and satisfaction of achievement and look toward the new year with a sense of renewal to enjoy this feeling once again and for those who aren’t quite there yet, they view the new year as an opportunity to seize the day and finally get exactly what they want in life.
 
But for every person who counts down to the new year with hope in their heart, there are others who see the coming days ahead as a fine reminder of everything they’ve lost in life and the pain that surges through their veins, and no that’s not a negative thing in the slightest. It simply means that those particular folks, have a long road of healing ahead before they can find themselves in an appreciative state and their story speaks to how life has its ups and its downs and what matters more, is that they are working toward healing, rather than using their pain as motivation to strike out and harm others. But, sadly, some people will do just that, and take revenge upon others in order to repair their aching soul and it just so happens that a new horror release, explores that particular dark side to the renewal that the new year represents in Minutes to Midnight.
 
Now in this particular film, we are introduced to a young woman named Sophia, and no one is looking forward more to the new year than she is, because the days behind her, have been tough to say the least. She’s been down for some time now thanks to a failed relationship that meant the world to her, but on this New Year’s Eve, Sophia is determined to find the joy in life again. She’s planning to head up the lodge that her company owns with her closest friends to let loose and have a great time, but there are going to be a few complications to the evening’s plans that will likely change her life forever. Because not only is her ex-boyfriend suddenly back in her life and coming to the party, but a group of killers are on the loose on this night, and they’re looking to ring in the New Year with bloodshed and Sophia and her friends just so happen to be on their list of deadly resolutions. 

​So, this particular film is one that’s been on my radar for a short while now for a bevy of reasons. First and foremost, one of my closest friends and fellow writers on this site, Scott Edwards, managed to catch this film and instantly texted me after watching it and when he does that, it means he downright loved it and also because, the cast roster outright intrigued me. Because this movie features a host of notable names, with 90’s heartthrob Richard Greico playing the Sheriff in this story, and he is joined by William Baldwin and Stargate’s Christopher Judge. But while it’s cool to see these gentlemen do their thing in magnificent fashion in this film, there’s one name in this movie that caught my eye over everyone else’s, horror legend Bill Moseley.
 
Which means that if this many popular names from yesteryear are assembled in one place, the movie in question is up to something special and in this case, it means that anyone who watches this particular film, is going to be treated to an old school slasher flick that features the gloss and glamour of the modern era. And really the first thing I appreciated about this movie is how it hits the ground running with the blood and guts within the first five minutes and it doesn’t let up from there and well, this one is just a blast. The kills are creative and gory, there’s some great laugh out loud moments to be found, especially the whole drunken shaving sequence and that’s all that I’ll say on that because you really need to see this film when all is said and done because it really it is a lot of fun through and through, and it’s filled with all kinds of surprises.
 
Because in all honesty, I didn’t see the big twist at the end of this movie coming in the slightest, and in hindsight, sure there were clues, but I was so mesmerized by Bill Moseley and the rest of the cast, and the buckets upon buckets of blood and guts present in this film, because holy cow, it does not disappoint when it comes to the splatter, that I simply lost myself in this movie and that’s a wonderful thing. So, in the end, this is one that I highly recommend to horror fans out there because it’s really just a fun and messy ride, one that makes you wistful for the good old days of the slasher genre where the bad guys were shockingly evil, and the blood flowed from their victims like the mighty Colorado River…  

​It’s quite an interesting time for the television industry, in that, T.V. seasons no longer obey their usual norms, wherein a series will run through its episode order, hit hiatus and be back on the air a year or so later to do it all over again. Because these days, those breaks between seasons can suddenly extend out far longer than expected as the folks behind the scenes work to bring us the best possible series that they can, and one such series that just so happens to fall into that category, is the magnificent horror saga, Outcast, which last aired a brand-new episode of this harrowing story about a world being slowly overtaken by mysterious demons and the one man who might be able to stop them in August of 2016. 
 
Which I won’t lie, made for an uncomfortable wait because the cliffhanger that the season one finale left us with, wherein Kyle Barnes and his daughter came to discover just how far this evil invasion has truly spread, was an epic one to say the least, the kind that leaves you craving more and thankfully, our long and painful wait when it comes to this disturbing series has finally come to an end since last night, the season two premiere aired on Cinemax and boy, did ‘Bad Penny’ completely and utterly deliver. In fact, it would seem we are going to be in for quite the treat in year two because this particular chapter wasted no time in getting down to business, by answering an important question that was still lingering on all of our minds, would Kyle ever embrace his powers and his role as a hero?
 
As it turns out, the answer to that question is a resounding yes, because this episode saw he and Amber return to Rome in quite the hurry. Because Kyle quickly realized that there was no escaping this evil if it was this widespread, and the only way to ensure his family’s safety was to fight this nightmare at the source and just like that, Kyle was a hero at last, turning over every single stone in order to find the mysterious Sydney and learn more about what exactly is happening to the world and well, sadly, much of Kyle’s work in this episode proved fruitless since Sydney is still in hiding and because this evil is taking root in faster and more terrifying fashion, but, while his storyline in this one was more or less one grounded in failure, the overall structure of the episode proved to be satisfying thanks to an important change storytelling wise.
 
Because season one of this series, saw quite the slow burn approach to the story when all is said and done. The kind where the bigger answers as to what is exactly is going on and what will happen to some of the characters thanks to their poor choices have remained elusive. But it would seem that season two of this show, is prepared to move things into overdrive. Take for example the now former Reverend Anderson, who last season gave into his anger and his fury and the belief that only a man of God could put an end to this madness, and because of his pride and his foolishness, he accidentally burned Patricia’s son to death in a fire that was meant for Sydney and well, it would seem Anderson is going to face some consequences for his folly in the coming weeks now that he’s manned up for a change and flat out admitted to this horrific crime.
 
And the story wasn’t done there, it brought several lingering plot lines to their logical conclusion in this tale, even going so far as to wraparound and address what happened to young Joshua (who we met in the series premiere) following his exorcism. Yet, seeing progress on that front was merely the beginning, because everything about this show suddenly feels faster paced, and genuinely terrifying for that matter as well since the eerie and uncomfortable atmosphere present in season one still hangs over this story, and it seems to be intensifying and, in the end, I’m utterly stoked to have this series back on the air. It’s just so different and refreshing and I’m ecstatic that Kyle is ready to fight for his family and potentially the rest of mankind, but his mission is going to be incredibly difficult and perhaps Chief Giles put it best when he posed the question as to just how far this whole mess goes and I would imagine that we are unfortunately going to find out in the weeks to come as this season ramps up the intensity and the terror. Until next time. 

​The afterlife is something that has fascinating mankind for ages and rightfully so. After all, we simply don’t know what awaits us when we pass into the great beyond and our fascination with such matters has allowed for some fascinating stories to come to fruition over the years and recently, I had the opportunity to enjoy a unique interpretation of what the afterlife might look like by way of the web series, Under the Flowers.
 
Now in its second season, the aptly titled Circle of Hell takes us deep into the afterlife wherein we catch up with a character from the first season of this series; Poe, a woman who is trying to reinvent herself as Rose now and is working to leave her past behind as she navigates the mysteries of the afterlife with her mysterious guide, Nerissa and well, I suppose the best thing to do is to get right down to it and declare the fact that I outright loved this particular chapter in this fascinating series.
 
Because this season of the show offers up so many fascinating ideas when it comes to the afterlife, and I loved the fact that in this particular tale, Poe/Rose is trying desperately to reinvent herself and deal with her past and her fears in order to move on to whatever the next plane of existence is out there, because her journey more or less parallels our world and our everyday lives. After all, who among us hasn’t tried to reinvent ourselves for a fresh start or made the decision to face our fears and our past to find peace in our souls and perhaps the best part of the story is that it forces the audience to ponder upon the notion that we may create our own personal hell by repeating the cycle of reinvention and confrontation without resolution.
 
But all philosophical notions aside, it’s important to note that this is an entertaining ride as well, one that does a fine job of resurrecting the age-old battle between good and evil and I rather enjoyed the classic feel to this season of the series, since it had a Dante’s Inferno vibe to it and in all honesty, credit is due to Writer/Director Richard T. Wilson for once again giving us a supernatural series filled to the brim with thoughtful concepts and for assembling a story that quite frankly, plays out on screen like a waking nightmare, which I’m certain is no easy task.
 
Now, if I’ve done enough to pique your curiosity in regard to watching this slick web series, the good news is you can find it streaming on OPPRime.tv and honestly, I hope you do check it out. Because this series really does have something for every horror fan out there. If you’re looking for something with substance, it’s there, or if you just want a good old-fashioned tale about the supernatural, well it’s strong in that arena as well and I know that at this point, I’m quite invested in this fascinating and award winning series and I cannot wait to see where it goes in season three. Until next time.