​Everyone has a secret that they want to keep from the world, but what happens when it comes out? Will you be destroyed if someone finds out about your secret love of tacos or fear of grass? It is good to keep some things inside, especially if you believe that others will lose respect for you and prey upon your fears. You never know how people will respond when you allow yourself to be put out there and while some of them could care less about it, time has shown that others will take advantage as quickly as possible. 

Getting a new job as a caretaker, Mike is looking for an easy job that will give him time to study for his medical exam. Being sent to assist Robin, Mike has no idea what to expect from this next assignment but is looking forward to learning as much as he can from her. With the eccentric Mr. Pinborough being his next client, Mike is told that he will have little to no interaction with the old man since Robin seems to have everything under control. 

Arriving at the house, Mike sees the last nurse running out of the door and tries to get her attention. While she is noticeably upset, she warns young Mike to steer clear of the house since there is something evil inside. Going inside and finding Robin, Mike hears Mr. Pinborough yelling profanities and believes that the old man has lost his mind. With men not being allowed inside of the house, Robin makes sure to tell Mike all of the rules that go along with his new duties and knows that the rookie should make a good fit. As night settles in and the abusive Mr. Pinborough starts to get more and more violent, Mike is searching for answers about what sent the man into his crazy state.

When finding old newspaper clippings, Mike sees one that catches his eye about a crashed UFO in the area. But not knowing what this means overall, Mike goes on with his duties, but has a strange suspicion that he is being watched. With shadow people moving around the house, Mike is not able to locate them or find out who they really are and when asking Robin about them, she dismisses them and thinks he is having a hard time adjusting to the old home. After Robin is attacked by the old man, Mike is able to get another story about Mr. Pinborough, about how his family died and that the shadow people might actually be part of a government agency. Still not believing what he is being told since nothing seems to be adding up, Mike finds that Robin has gone missing and is forced to enter Mr. Pinborough’s room and find out what is really happening in the house.

This movie (also known as All the Devil's Aliens​) really mastered the art of the buildup and it gives you a good payoff at the end. While not being able to see the monster that is upstairs for most of the movie, you are able to see how out of his mind he really is before he makes his screen appearance. With clues laced all over the movie, most people would be able to pinpoint who and what is going on around the house with the shadow people that seem to be keeping an eye on things, but when you see them face to face, they are a little bit different than even I expected. This movie features two minds that are set on accomplishing something that will make their lives better, but only one will be able to prevail and it is pretty epic when the one winner comes forward. Stay Scared.

What is genuinely amazing about modern society, is how we’ve been able to create a ‘one size fits all’ approach to assembling a person’s future. Think about it for a moment. Because the instant a young adult enters the high school system, the clock begins to tick on finding them the right path in this world, and the various extracurricular activities they take part in and the push to get them into a good college, is all part of that plan. Because we want these young folks to quickly find a career path and a direction in life so that when they arrive in college, they have an idea of where they want to go, so they can chase a degree in that field with an impunity and a desire that leaves us hopeful for their future and the future of the planet. 
 
Because we know that once this fresh eyed adult settles into their new career and finds a groove, that they will fall in love and have a couple of kids and raise them right, so that their kids will follow the plan and start the cycle over once again, allowing for this well-oiled machine of a system to continue along. But while it is quite lovely to know that our world works in a pretty smooth fashion and that we’ve figured out an incredible approach to keeping modern society chugging along day in and day out, what we don’t like to discuss all that much, is that the system does have its flaws. Because it tends to skew toward folks from certain backgrounds and sadly… the ‘one size fits all’ isn't applicable one hundred percent of the time, because the plan just doesn’t work for some people.
 
For some folks are destined to do other things in life, such as create art or run for office or anything else that we consider to be out of the norm, instead of chasing a standard career and well, these are the folks that definitely struggle within the framework of the system. Simply because they know the instant, they enter its finely tuned structure, that it isn’t for them and their hearts and minds drift toward something more and often times, they eventually find their real passion and direction and follow that instead, leaving the system behind. But for some, circumstances or moments that clue them into their true calling or direction, somehow miss them and they end up pumping through the system and find themselves trapped in a world that they don’t understand and these are the folks that quite frankly can be trouble for the world.
 
Because they are trapped by an environment that confuses them and isolates them for not quite fitting in and well, when someone spends years surrounded by that, they either continue to take the abuse until they finally wake up, and realize there is a whole different world out there that they can be a part of… or their anguish turns into something unexpected and potentially dangerous, and it just so happens that the latter option there is precisely what George A. Romero dives into in his next motion picture; Bruiser. Because Henry Creedlow is precisely that out of place man we’ve just discussed. For he’s obviously a dreamer and a brilliant one at that, one who took every wrong turn possible because of a lack of confidence and self-esteem and the end result puts him in a terrible place where you feel for him early on in the story, since he’s tried to so hard to fit into the system and be a productive member of a world that really has no place for him. 

Which truly makes this movie appear to be a grand tragedy of sorts, one about a lost soul that finds the strength to finally take charge of his life in the most violent ways imaginable since Henry kills a lot of people in this motion picture, but therein lies the trick. Because Henry is no hero, nor is he some kind of anti-hero. Instead, he’s the guy we hear about on the six o’clock news, the one who finally couldn’t take the bullshit of the world anymore and decided to bring a gun into the office and do horrible things to his coworkers with it. The only difference here is that his strange ability to lose his face when the time comes to take revenge, keeps him anonymous and allows for him to kill with impunity, meaning that in reality, George has taken us in a vastly different direction storytelling wise. Instead providing us with a movie that examines the power of marginalization and toxic masculinity and why these types of men turn to violence in order to find peace. 
 
Something that George explores in painstaking fashion. Because in order to properly understand what motivates violence, we in turn have to suffer alongside Henry. Which means we are privy to every single moment of marginalization, from having something as simple as daily conversation robbed from his lips, to also bearing witness as to how his boss and wife and best friend disregard him as nothing but a meal ticket. Because watching Henry struggle with that kind of pain, the kind of stuff that so many of us would immediately stand up to if it happened to us, really does help us see that the man is in essence, helpless and lost, and that he really hasn't a clue how life is supposed to go. And the moment that Henry changes and becomes 'Faceless' and does his bloody thing, is when we finally understand the root cause of this kind of violence in America. 

Which is a horrifying realization to come to. Because as it turns out, we simply cannot place the blame squarely on modern society and the system we’ve created. Instead, Henry's actions make it clear that the majority of the blame, falls on the shoulders of the men who end up making headlines for their actions. Because they, just like Henry, choose to go this route, and commit to it, and if Henry or these other men took the time to instead reflect upon what’s really making them unhappy in life, then perhaps they could finally alter their course and find a path that genuinely gives them peace. But instead a strange sense of pride, combined with bravado that’s fueled by machismo, motivates them to commit to violence in order to feel as though they matter.
 
Something that relates to modern society after all, and how we view reflection and emotional needs as signs of weakness and really, all of these elements makes this one supremely bleak motion picture. Because this one really doesn’t feature a happy ending, just a broken man who is forever locked within a world of anger and revenge and that honestly makes this one of Romero’s boldest and darkest films for certain, and one of his most brilliant. For it takes guts to assemble a story that takes us inside the head of the villain, but that’s George’s career in a nutshell, since he was always about taking risks and telling bold and dynamic stories that buck the norm. But what’s truly poignant about this particular tale, is that it signaled the end of an era for George. For this would be the last time that he would make a movie featuring everyday people trapped in fantastical situations. Instead, he would spend the rest of his career returning to the world of the dead that he created, and the end result of this decision would be nothing short of spectacular.     

There are times when you need to make a change in your life and sometimes it takes you back to your hometown. There are so many people that are afraid of doing this, since their past can come back to bite them in the face, but as the years have gone by, there may be no one left that you even know. You never know where you will find yourself if you are looking for home, and sometimes you never truly left it in the first place.

Arriving at their new home, Tim and Emily are excited and ready to start off their lives together. Despite the fact that Tim has a job as a teacher in the next town over, this seems to be the perfect move for both of them. Emily is excited to be in her childhood town once again and is able to reconnect with her high school bestie Claire after being gone for so long. Wanting to get her house in order, Emily is starting to think that there is something strange happening in the shadows and when she and Claire are able to see someone standing in the back yard, they are more excited than afraid. 

After unpacking her old music box, Emily starts to catch strange glimpses of something in the mirror, and this only seems to happen whenever Tim leaves the house. Not knowing what all of this means, or how to explain it or if the ghost in the house actually likes the device, Emily makes the decision to leave everything alone in the house for the afternoon and discovers that there is a message waiting for her when she returns. 'Find Me' is written on the mirror inside of the box and although she does not understand what it means, she shows it to Tim, but he is stumped as well. Wanting to know who or what is in the house with them, Emily lets Claire know about the strange occurrences going on in the house and as any best friend would do, she offers her help.

Attempting a séance and failing, Emily has an incredibly strange nightmare that she can actually remember. Seeing her shower covered in blood and being attacked by a ghost that looks like her, she is starting to put the pieces together, but is not ready to tell everyone else what might be happening. But when Claire and Emily find a crawl space in one of the rooms and are able to pull out a group of pictures of little girls from around the area, Emily sees that a girl with her likeness is in the group. Checking on everyone that they could remember and seeing that they are fine, Emily knows that it is time to come clean with her husband about what might actually be happening. Having a twin sister that went missing as a child and living in an old creeper's house, the haunting is being caused by her dead sister, but what she cannot understand is the age of the ghost, since her sister was only six years old when she went missing. Being tormented by the ghost, Emily needs to find out what actually happened to her sister, but her new house holds deadly secrets that it may not want to give up just yet.

A tale of trust betrayed on more than one level I think, that is at least what I picked up from this flick. Watching how Emily tries to understand what is happening to her is different since she is not willing to come clean about her past and what happened during her childhood. I don’t think she was willing to admit it to herself, even after saying that the ghost kind of looked like her. The overall highlights in the film, besides the creepy ghost was the call out of horror movie mistakes by the characters and how they are not willing to give in to the ghost's will. Overall, it is not too bad of a movie and when you find out what happened to Emily’s sister, you can see why she wanted to torment her to the point of no return. Stay Scared.

If there is one particular notion that has fascinated mankind for the entirety of its existence, it would have to be; the nature of evil. Because we are beings that are capable of great beauty, since we are able to offer kindness to one another, and show limitless love to those who capture our hearts. And we are also able to accomplish wonders when we unify, as evidenced by the fact that we’ve been to the stars and have been able to work together to create technological and medical wonders, all in the name of seeing our species thrive and survive. Which is why it seemingly doesn’t make any sense, that we are also capable of great evil. The kind that engenders great cruelty and hate toward our fellow man, to the point where we’ve done terrible things in its name. But while it is important to recognize those horrible moments, so they never come again, they have no place in this particular discussion.
 
Instead, what we need to focus upon, are the motivating factors of evil, simply because we have struggled to uncover that particular answer. But that hasn’t stopped some from speculating on the possible origin of our evil acts. For there are some, who firmly believe that decades of trauma and abuse and everything negative in between will motivate a person to turn to evil and there is merit to that line of thinking. After all, we've come to learn that countless serial killers are products of their environment, and oddly enough ‘the cycle of abuse’ seems to be a pretty reasonable way to peg the nature of evil and how it continues to persist. But even then, that doesn’t necessarily answer all of our questions. Because the cycle has to start somewhere, so what was it that truly motivated humanity to begin to enact cruel acts upon one another?
 
Sadly, the answer may be related to something that none of us really want to think about. In that, evil is something that could simply be in our nature. That the primitive jelly that we inherited from our ancestors, wherein they had to rely upon darker elements within their psyche to survive, has been with us every step of the way and we’ve learned to indulge it and unleash it when we deem it necessary. Which means that some learn to harness this and hang on it and use it more often, leading to the acts we see and really, what all of this boils down to, is whether or not the darkness that resides within our souls is something that can be genuinely controlled. A notion that has been explored heavily in fiction throughout the years by many of the greats, including George A. Romero. Since his next project, The Dark Half, dove deep into this particular concept in a fascinating manner.
 
Which is actually a terrifying prospect when one takes a moment to think about it, since Romero understands the human condition pretty well and putting its darkest aspects on display in a motion picture should result in one of the most frightening movies ever made. But leave it to George to actually show some measure of restraint with this particular adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name. By choosing instead to offer up some unique perspectives on our darker side and what it means to us. But before we dive into those particular parts of the story, let’s take a moment and celebrate the fact that while George went a little more low-key with the story, he certainly didn’t hold back in regard to the physical personification of evil in this movie. Because George Stark is the perfect realization of our evil core since he has no fucks to give about anything in life and relishes in harming others at every turn and there’s something quite striking about having him appear on screen in a classic Hollywood fashion. 

​For he is always clothed in the darkest of clothes, and his facial structure has that wonderful Mr. Hyde feel and the rest of what makes this villain work, comes courtesy of actor Timothy Hutton. Who simply did a phenomenal job of playing both Thad Beaumont and George Stark and he does such an incredible job acting wise, that you almost cannot tell that Hutton is doing double duty in this particular tale. Because he simply loses himself in both roles, and the differences between Beaumont and Stark are striking, and honestly, it’s quite the powerful experience to see him switch back and forth between the two characters. But while it is cool to see Hutton chew it up as two alter egos and see the core of evil on physical display in this story, what Romero has to say about the darkness we carry within us, is what makes this particular tale so worth our while. 
 
Because often times, stories in this vein not only acknowledge the fact that this evil is something that we carry with us every step of the way, they also point out that we need it to function. Which has merit, since sometimes we need our anger and our survival instincts to get by in life. But here, George wastes no time in pointing out that maybe, we need to think about leaving this part of our humanity behind, that perhaps evil has outlived its 'usefulness' and has no place in modern society. Which is a bold thing to say in film, because most stories that explore the duality of man, want to assuage us that we can keep this kind of monster in check by being the better person. But instead, Romero says to hell with that notion and makes it clear that perhaps the time has come for mankind to stop worrying about the root cause of something this ancient, and whether or not we can control it, and instead figure out how to purge this mess at any cost.
 
Because to do so, would mean happier days. Days without lies, and days without mood swings that leave us in a dark and angry place, the kind where we are eager to lash out at the first person to push our buttons and who knows… perhaps it would lead to days where mankind no longer indulges in war and cold-blooded murder, allowing for us embrace a sense of peace. Which oddly makes this a slightly uplifting story. Because until George Stark pops up, Thad actually does find peace by choosing to leave George behind. For he is able to connect with his wife and with his young children, and he even seems to be lighter on his feet without the evil, and that is definitely a plot twist that stays with you long after this story has come to an end. Because it really does leave you wondering if the cure to the modern world’s ailments, lies in burying the part of us that is ‘not very nice’.
 
Yet while those concepts alone make this movie quite compelling and powerful, make no mistake about it, this is a horror/thriller through and through. Because George Stark is relentless in his quest for blood, and he does some genuinely horrible things throughout the course of this picture. Plus, the more philosophical notions in this movie are also given their own horror elements so George’s arrival in the story has depth and meaning and purpose and really in the end, this is simply a brilliant motion picture. One that could be classified as a thinkin’ man’s horror film since you so rarely see this many psychological and philosophical concepts present within scary stories. But George Romero was never one to shy away from a storytelling challenge and that’s evident here and what’s truly impressive about this story, is that King’s novel and the adaptation of this script, seemingly got George’s creative juices flowing. For his next project examined another angle of the fury that we carry, in a far more realistic and terrifying manner.   

Like most people, I am fascinated with the thought that there could be aliens flying above the planet that might be looking for their next person to abduct. I am still waiting for someone to find a way to prove that aliens do not exist so I can give up thinking about this, but I don’t think it will ever happen. Even though I have never seen a flying saucer or been abducted, there are way too many reported encounters to say that such accounts don't matter.  It might be a normal occurrence for some people to see these ships in flying above their homes and whatnot, but as I said, I have never seen such things and would like to at some point before we are invaded for our mineral deposits or whatever these creatures want.

Trying to get her vlog done before her shift starts, park ranger Alice has heard a report of a meteor hitting in her park and wants to check it out. Making sure that everyone knows of the location, she makes her way up into the forest and sees some smoke which worries her since it is in the middle of the dry season and a fire would shut everything down. Having to leave her vehicle to check it out, Alice stumbles across what appears to be a spaceship that has crashed in an opening and she tries to give it a little camera time. But before she is able to get too close, she feels a prick on her shoulder that causes her to freak out and flee the scene before finding out if there are any survivors. Not being able to get anyone on the radio since it seems to be scrambled, Alice must stick to her training and get help before something worse happens to her.

Trevor is primed and ready to go on his yearly hunting trip with Duncan and there is nothing that will stop the tandem from bringing back an elk this year. Armed with all of his cameras to document the experience, Trevor is ready to get the first kill and show up his old friend. But the woods seem to be a little different today and after finding a buck that has been eaten by an animal they have never seen before; the two men decide to call it day. Starting back down the hill, Duncan knows that there is something wrong as there are no sounds in the forest and goes out on his own to find out what is scaring everything away. Hearing gun shots, Trevor is able to find his old friend, and is stunned to see that Duncan's sternum is sliced open. Needing to get help, Trevor tries the radio, but the signal is blocked and when he returns to give Duncan an update, the old man jumps back on his feet and runs into the forest. Needing to make sure Duncan is alright, Trevor tries to track him, but quickly discovers that there is something out of this world trekking around in the woods as well.

With plans for a great camping trip, Collin, his girlfriend Kim, Alice and Ryan are looking to have an out of this world time. With all of the essentials, including weed, they have found the perfect camping spot and are making the best of their time together. When Alice gets ahold of the camera and tries to make up a scary story, she finds that there is something strange moving in the woods. As Collin has seen this as well, he tries to get everyone packed up and out of there before something bad happens. Getting into the car and seeing something take a piece out of Ryan, Collin and the girls make their way down the mountain but crash when trying to avoid hitting a stranger on the road. Seeing that the person they hit is infected with something, the three know that they have to find a place to calm down, but everywhere they look has some unworldly item around it and Collin is able to get a firsthand encounter of what is really happening.

Three different stories, all told on camera with a bloody end. I liked how the stories were all told in the same timeframe, so you can see how the situation deteriorates and how quickly the unworldly menace is able to move about the forest. One of the things that concerned me though, is that nobody says alien in the movie, and I don’t understand why. Alice should have been out of her mind when she found the crashed ship, but kept her cool, and I guess that is just fine since something bit her, but I would have been freaking out and frightened if that happened to me. Besides that, little piece, I really enjoyed the movie, it had plenty of suspense while everyone is looking for some sort of answer as to what is happening in the hills and they sure don't like what they find. And I must admit that the infected people are pretty freaky looking, and I would love to know more about them since they seem to be a big part of how the alien virus works on our planet. You can even point to a government cover-up in this film, which is always great when it comes to aliens, nice or violent in this genre, where nobody can know that there is life out there looking to make contact with humans, no matter the cost. Stay Scared.

​One thing that we often see in filmmaking and have outright discussed in this retrospective of George A. Romero’s incredible body of work, is how titans of the industry will often pay homage to the stories that outright influenced them to become filmmakers as well. In part to honor those who awakened something powerful within them, but also to allow them to live vicariously through their hero, if only for a moment. If anything, this is always lovely and wonderful to see since it allows for the audience to get to know their favorite filmmaker a little better, all while enjoying a unique take on a story that everyone loves. But while it is quite delightful to see this happen on screen, one thing that is supremely fascinating about these tributes, is that they only go so far. 
 
Because for the most part, modern icons of the industry, rarely take the time to just outright adapt a story from the person that influenced them, or a story from an icon in their respective genre and understandably so. After all, they received their praise and accolades and respect from doing something unlike any other storyteller out there. So, why take the time to adapt another legend and attempt to interpret their work and their style, when the icon in question is already doing incredible things on their own? But once in a great while, some of the titans try their hand at adapting stories from the finest storytellers out there and back in 1990, George was joined by his Italian counterpart Dario Argento in offering up a modern take on a pair of stories from Edgar Allan Poe in Two Evil Eyes.
 
Which is quite the wonderful team up for certain and as expected, having these two minds come together in a motion picture is nothing short of spectacular. For they each bring their own unique flair and proclivities to the Poe stories they adapt, making each one of them quite special and worthwhile in their own right. Take Argento’s adaptation of ‘The Black Cat’ for instance. Since Dario does a phenomenal job of turning a story that was grounded in notions of guilt into a modern-day parable revolving around the power of ego and how some people don’t believe the law applies to them and that they can do whatever they want in life. Which in turn leads to some supremely disturbing scenes for certain since Rod Usher is a savage man that will stop at nothing to hide his crimes.
 
But while Argento’s segment does a fine job of unsettling the audience with some horrific visuals and some outstanding gory sequences that once again come courtesy of special effects maestro, Tom Savini (who also did the effects for George’s segment), what Romero does with his particular adaptation is downright incredible for certain. Because Romero not only added a modern update to ‘The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar’, he found a way to make this story a modern day parable on greed and how we tend to play with things we simply don’t understand because our curiosity and our foolishness to tend to get the in the way of logic and that makes ‘The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar’ quite the fascinating tale for certain, one that features some phenomenally splatter-y moments and a slow build to the terror in question.

Something that is achieved by way of George's ability to lull of the audience into a false sense of security. Because at first glance a story that was once about the nature of death and the afterlife and our fear of it, appears to have been revamped into a grand caper story. But once we come to learn that hypnosis is being used to extort a fortune out of a dying old rich man, so that his trophy wife and her side piece can enjoy the good life when he’s gone, well that’s when things start to get interesting. In large part because Adrienne Barbeau (Jennifer Valdemar) and Ramy Zada (Dr. Robert Hoffmann) offer up some electric performances, and are able to teach us what makes these characters tick and why they're so bitter in a ridiculously short period of time. 

But it’s the horror elements that drop out of the blue that make everything worth the audience’s while. Because Romero goes old school in this particular tale, using hypnosis to bring forth contact with the other side and seeing Robert’s curious mind play with this notion when he shouldn’t, creates all kinds of terror. For now, Jennifer is constantly watching over her shoulder and quite frankly, so is the viewer. Because the subtle warnings from a dead Ernest about other beings that are on their way to our world, truly creates a sense of dread, the kind that only grows as the moments roll along and that all leads to a powerhouse finale, one that catches you completely off guard with the dark and gory places that it goes to, making for one satisfying tale for certain.  
 
Mainly because, it takes you on an emotional ride, really because of that tension and also because, the jerks in this tale do indeed get just what they deserve, in classic anthology fashion, and of course what Romero has to say about the human condition is quite lovely as well. Because this story does a fine job of teaching the audience how greed and lust and an overall disdain for the mistakes we make, can lead us to do terrible things, and oddly enough, everything that George does with this story, makes it feel as though you’re watching a period piece, which is quite incredible. Because minus a few technological marvels in this film, mainly in Robert’s apartment, and by way of the cars we see, this feels as though it was released during the golden age of cinema. Something that is further enhanced by Tom Atkins’ amazing performance as a grizzled detective. 
 
In the end however, this motion picture really is just a magnificent treat. Because you get two horror greats offering up some incredible interpretations of another horror great, and what we get is pretty darn stellar in the end, and you can never go wrong with Romero working within the framework of anthology horror, and while this might not be George’s most complex story, you simply don’t care when watching. Because as is always the case, Mister Romero managed to assemble a compelling film filled with chilling moments and quality characters and oddly enough, it is safe to say that this particular venture motivated George to really dive deep into what drives mankind to go to dark places. For his next two movies explore this notion in great detail, and come complete with the patented twists and turns that can only be found in George's work.

​There are so many people out there that want to tell their story but are afraid of what will happen when they do. When you open yourself up and tell the world who and what you are, there are always fears that people will lose respect for you, but if you come clean, you might feel better about yourself. Of course your pride may take a bruising in the process so it may not be the best thing to give away all of your secrets to the world at once, maybe reveal one at a time until people start to understand what you are trying to tell them.
​
Finishing her story, the story that can never be told, Eleanor stands on her balcony and throws the pages out once again. Knowing that the world is not ready to know who or what she and her mother actually are, she is not allowed to tell anyone. Seeing an old man sitting on the steps of her building, Eleanor speaks to the gentleman and finds out that all stories should be told, no matter how tragic. Telling the old man about her mother Clara, Eleanor sucks the old man dry of every drop of his blood while Clara finds that someone from her past has caught up to her once again.

With a dead body in the apartment, Eleanor and Clara are forced to move once again, but this time they have moved back to a town that they have already lived in once before. While Clara returns to her lifeless profession of hooking, Eleanor is trying to find something better to do with her time. Finding a piano, Eleanor hits the keys and brings music to everyone in the bar. Taking notice of the young girl, Frank is dumbfounded of how talented she really is. Wanting to know more about the girl, he offers to meet her after he gets off of work and while Eleanor would rather be alone, she is starting to see that there could be some good in having a friend. 

Following her own path, Clara has found a man that is down on his luck that also offers a warm place for the two ladies to lay their heads. With an old hotel that is no longer in service, Clara decides to open up one of her old businesses, a brothel. With decent income coming in for the two, Eleanor still continues to tell her story to whomever will listen and while in a relaxing group session, she starts to open up about who she is. But after being given an assignment to tell who she really is, Eleanor writes her history for young Frank and it blows him away when he reads it. Turning Eleanor’s paper into the instructor, the young two-hundred-year-old teenager suddenly becomes a target for more than just the police.

This is quite a different type of vampire film than I am usually accustomed to. With the mother and daughter team of Eleanor and Clara only feeding when they need to, there is still plenty of blood in this movie to catch your eye. I enjoyed the story the story that Eleanor is trying to tell, since she knows all of it since birth and cannot forget one bit of it. The protection that Clara tries to give her daughter is very noticeable in the movie, even when the two fight about what is right and wrong. Seeing how the two were transformed into what they are today, I really liked watching the waterfalls turn red with blood when the transformation took place, it will stick with me for a lot longer than I expected. Stay Scared.

When one takes a moment to think about it, we enjoy some serious freedom in the modern world. Take for example the fact that we can indulge in just about anything we want to, whenever we want to. For if we feel the need to just jump in our car and drive about, we can most certainly do that at any time of day or night. And doing something like that allows for us to enjoy the sights and sounds of our beautiful world, giving us internal peace and joy when we need it the most. Plus, it’s quite nice that we can see our friends whenever we want and enjoy incredible meals with them and share in laughs, all because of our modern world is designed to be a place free of barriers, where comfort and joy are available to anyone who wants to partake in it.
 
But what’s truly fascinating about the world that we live in, is that we take all of these freedoms… for granted. Because we simply do them on a whim, and rarely think about the wonder of what we are doing. Which is no easy task, since there is so much on our minds at any given time, but it’s not a bad thing to take a moment and appreciate one’s day and the gifts that we’ve been given. Because as the universe is wont to do, it can rob us of those freedoms at any given time that it wants. For if something were to happen to our sight, there would be no more sunrises and sunsets for us to experience. Or if something were to happen to our ability to walk, there would be no more hopping in the car for a quick drive and we would have to plan differently in regard to meeting up with our friends. 
 
Yet while that seems like fear-mongering thoughts, the kind that are designed to make people prepare for the worst on a daily basis, that’s simply not the case. Because appreciating the wonders we enjoy on a regular basis, simply makes one grateful for everything that life has to offer in general, and it is never a bad thing to fill one’s heart with that. And if by chance something were to happen that put you in a unique position where you were no longer able to enjoy the things you used to, you can fall back upon that gratitude and still enjoy some semblance of peace. Because that kind of transition is not easy in the slightest and it can be detrimental to one’s mental health and it just so happens that all of these elements and thoughts are something that George A. Romero took the time to explore in his next horror venture; Monkey Shines.
 
Which is another supremely unique motion picture for certain, simply because it is in essence a rare drama/horror film. One that really does dive deep into what life would be like if fate took away the things we take for granted, since Allan Mann goes from being a successful marathon runner and overall athlete to a quadriplegic and that leads to some powerful storytelling for certain. Because Allan is someone who really didn’t take the time to appreciate the gifts the world gave him and this transition sinks him into an incredible depression, one where he outright attempts to take his own life, and this is a brave way to handle this kind of subject matter. For most films that feature an accident and change in this manner, try and fluff it up and make it an inspirational tale, when in fact some people would indeed mirror Allan’s mental journey and the boldness of this tale doesn’t end there. 

​Because this motion picture also takes the time to explore how differently abled individuals are often viewed in a negative light by others. For it doesn’t take long for some of Allan’s friends and beloved girlfriend for that matter, to begin to look at him in a pitiful manner and see him now as a burden instead of a human being and that too leads to some powerful moments since so many of them leave Allan behind. Which serves to remind us that these are the kinds of prejudices that differently abled individuals deal with on a regular basis, and really, Romero deserves serious credit for taking the time to explore this and put it on display on film. Simply because this is an unfortunate reality that is rarely confronted in our modern world and it is nice to see George didn’t shy away from an opportunity to inject this kind of commentary into the story. 
 
But there was mention of horror elements being present in this movie, and that is handled by way of Allan’s animal companion Ella, and how she comes to be in his possession. For this helper monkey is the product of medical experimentation, the kind where she was injected with a human brain cell formula to boost her intelligence and that of course, goes horribly wrong. Because certain human traits come with the injections, allowing for her to be quite loyal to Allan and that of course leads to utter disaster. But what makes his part of the story supremely fascinating, is that Ella is in essence, the embodiment of classic horror films. For she is that mad scientist experiment gone wrong and serves to remind us that playing god comes with a price and well, this wild twist actually works.
 
Thanks in large part to some bonus commentary in this particular tale. For this is also a story that explores the power and the danger that comes with anger and rage, and how easily those emotions can infect others and spread like wildfire. For Allan is filled with raw fury in his soul over his condition and when that spills over, Ella is there to receive it and execute his wishes surrounding it, which leads to the aforementioned disaster when lives are lost and well, what this part of the story has to say about how people give into their base instincts without giving it a second thought is pretty straight forward for a Romero film. But it fits none the less, for this is a problem that has plagued mankind for generations and continues to persist in this day and age, making this observation as relevant as any that George has to offer. 
 
If anything, all of these concepts make this a supremely complex motion picture, one that examines a great deal of the human condition and the darkness that resides within us and it is safe to say that this really did run the risk of being an outright messy disaster on screen, thanks to how many elements are present within this tale. But Romero’s extensive experience allows for this motion picture to blend all of these concepts together in a seamless fashion, to the point where you really don’t notice all the various plot threads and commentary until a second or third viewing. Lending credence to George’s abilities as a writer and as a master of horror, since he simply knows what works on screen and truly, this movie really is an underrated gem. One that explores some incredibly dark material in a magnificent and thoughtful manner.

​Being able to open up and be yourself in front of anyone is something that requires work. When you put yourself out there and people do not like what you have to offer, it can cause a downward spiral that many people cannot come out of. As most people try to protect themselves from these consequences, they keep their real selves hidden inside of them until they get to know people and slowly let themselves make an appearance. But there are others that go balls to the wall when they meet new people and let it all hang out. While there is nothing wrong with either approach, you have to be sure that you want your new friends to know the real you, because if they don’t like the real you, you may never see them again.

Freelance videographer Aaron is in need of some additional cash and seeing an ad for a thousand dollars for a day’s work does not seem that bad. Arriving at Josef’s house, Aaron finds that his client Josef is not home and is wondering what the plan is. Josef is a sneaky devil however and scares Aaron while his is sitting in his car. Talking for a couple seconds outside, Josef invites Aaron into his home and explains that he wants to make a diary for his unborn son. With an inoperable tumor in his brain, Josef will not be around when his son is born and wants to make sure that his Buddy knows what kind of man that he is.

Only thinking about the money, Aaron agrees to the project and the two start in the bathroom while Josef pretends to give his unborn son a bath. Making it apparent that he is not ready to die, Josef plays a little joke on Aaron, giving him yet another scare. Deciding to take the filming on a hike, Josef leads his new friend deeper and deeper into the woods to find an old spring that could bring life back to his dying body. With the conversations getting stranger along the way, Aaron just wants to get back to his car and leave, but Josef wants his new friend to stay just a little bit longer. 

Finishing his drink with Josef, Aaron is ready to go, but cannot find his car keys. Being convinced to stay the night with the strange man, Aaron drugs Josef to see what he is hiding, but when Josef’s cell phone rings and the strange man’s sister is telling him to leave, Aaron knows that much of what he has been filming is a lie. But Aaron has no clue exactly what kind of trouble Josef can truly bring about until he arrives home and starts to get packages at his house from his strange client.

I didn’t know what to expect when turning on this movie, but since one of my friends liked it, I decided to give it a view. Josef seems to have many more problems than the average person and Aaron tries to take pity on him, and every time things start to look up for the dying man, something else happens to make Aaron’s mood go back downhill. With all of the stories that Josef tells about himself and being able to make Aaron open up, it shows how much charisma Josef really has and how desperately he wants his new friend to know so much more about his life. It is a very disturbing film overall, but the hardest part about watching it is when you reach the ending and quickly learn that sometimes the darkest parts of humanity are impossible to keep hidden away. Stay Scared.

Whether we like to admit it or not, at some point or another in our lives, disaster is going to strike. The kind that will undoubtedly be supremely personal in nature and when it arrives, it will test us like never before. Because this is the kind of moment that obliterates us emotionally, and in turn we are left feeling lost as we try to figure out how on earth we are going to move forward in life. But while those dark emotions seem as though they will never leave our soul, and we spend days in bed looking for inspiration to leave its comfort, eventually our support network helps us to realize that everything is going to be okay and that this too, shall pass. Which motivates and inspires us to get moving again and face our pain and reclaim the strength we once had, and we tend to come out of those tough times without a newfound focus and direction in life.  
 
But while we absolutely should celebrate our emergence from incredibly dark times, we often gloss over the fact that someone took the time to support us and stand by us in our time of need, and that really is something we need to highlight more often. Because our ability to come together when the going gets tough is one of mankind’s redeeming values, and it goes beyond merely taking care of good friends during a personal crisis, because we see it happen when natural disasters strike too, something that is supremely inspiring. Because this act serves to reinforce the fact that we really aren’t alone in this world, and that good deeds and kindness are worth their weight in gold and most important of all, when we unify for bigger problems, it gives us genuine hope for the future. For perhaps there will come a day when we put our differences aside and offer that level of support and kindness on a daily basis, something that would make the world the peaceful utopia we’ve all dreamt of. 
 
Yet while that is a wonderful thought, the fact of the matter is, most of those feel good moments pass, simply because disasters don’t last. For eventually, we make peace with our trauma, the storms pass, the shaking of the Earth stops, and the world starts to rebuild. And in a couple of years the damage that was done disappears, leaving no trace of that dark day, which allows for us to forget and go about our lives. Which means that in reality, we’ve never been genuinely tested in regard to disaster and that’s a tad frightening for certain. Because we simply don’t know how mankind would respond if a powerful and sustained crisis came our way, and it just so happens that George A. Romero decided that his next living dead related project would be the perfect time to examine that particular notion and that allows for Day of the Dead to wallow in some supremely bleak and powerful concepts.
 
Because in essence, Romero holds nothing back in examining how humanity would potentially handle the greatest disaster of all; the end of the world. For when we catch up with the survivors in this story, the end has come. And there are no more television shows or movies or radio transmissions from Washington for that matter. Which means there is also no cavalry or resupply drops coming their way. For the living dead have conquered the planet, and once proud cities that were once bustling with life are now filled with walking death and that leaves the soldiers and scientists in this bunker in quite the precarious place. For now, it is up to them to decide what comes next for their own futures and the future of mankind as a whole and well… needless to say our group of characters handle that challenge poorly, and understandably so. 

After all, what truly motivates us to pick up and get moving in life when the going gets tough, is the prospect of tomorrow and the hope that it brings. Because with the sunrise comes new opportunities for us to reinvent ourselves and our paths. But when the sun rises and shines its rays down upon hordes of hungry walking corpses, all that hope disappears and that leads to some fascinating responses from the characters in this film. Because deep down, everyone in this bunker is well aware of the fact that their days are going to be filled with danger and risk and potentially their end at the rotten hands of the living dead. So they dedicate themselves to duties and jobs that no longer matter in the hopes of feeling normal and while that does work for most everyone in the facility, it’s obvious that this particular charade will only take them so far since several members of the team are starting to genuinely crack under the pressure.
 
To the point where sedation comes into play for poor Miguel, and really, having everyone barrel toward the harsh reality that nothing will ever be the same, poses some important questions for these poor souls and mankind as a whole. Specifically, would we use this moment to rise up and show this cruel universe what humanity is made of? Or just let it all fall to pieces and it’s every man for himself? And what is fascinating is that Romero answers all of those questions in a unique manner. In that, we would do all of those things. For some of the characters like John and Bill McDermott and Sarah, work to forge a different path when all is said and done, whilst Rhodes and his happy troupe of soldiers decide it is every man for himself and therein lies the tragedy of this film. In that, all they had to do was look at their situation objectively and try and work together toward a common and beneficial goal, and they could have accomplished wonders. In fact, they could have purged the dead from the caves, created safety for others and started over fresh so that humanity could thrive again. 
 
But instead, as mankind is wont to do, selfishness and divisive paths ruin any hopes of unity, which allows for this grand conflict to serve as the connective tissue to the other films in this saga. Since a lack of unity is what allowed for the dead to win in the first place and this also speaks volumes to how sometimes, humanity simply doesn’t learn its lesson and continues to punish itself in uniquely silly ways and that also makes this an angry film for certain since the conflict between both troupes is constantly on display and honestly, all of these storytelling decisions are downright brilliant. For they are in fact, a perfect reflection of modern America and how digging in and taking sides has allowed for trouble to wash over our nation and rather than work together and solve the problem at hand, we let it persist in order to ‘make a point’ and it is quite fascinating that a movie released this long ago has such gravity and relevance after all this time. 
 
But while this is indeed a fascinating examination of how humanity might function after a major disaster, this is also a supremely terrifying horror film. Because having this film be set underground definitely makes the viewer feel as though the walls are closing in and that uncomfortable feeling is further enhanced by seeing the world in ruin and of course Tom Savini’s outright stunning effects work. Because the dead have a terrifying new look in this tale and the splatter is just a little too on-point and really in the end, this is just another brilliant zombie film from the Godfather of the Dead. Because this one really does make it clear that a sustained disaster would be rough for a species that doesn't believe in forward thinking, and it really does a fine job of terrifying the audience and you really can’t ask for much more than that. And while it may not surpass Dawn of the Dead in the eyes of some, it doesn’t have to. Because this movie proved that zombie stories don’t have to one-up the last entry, they just need to be good and offer something special and that’s a blueprint that Romero would use for this saga, going forward.