Written by Scott EdwardsI cannot figure out how Escape Rooms became a thing, but I am happy that they have taken off over the past couple of years. While I always ‘die’ in these events, mainly because my mind does not work the way the creatures do, I am good at finding things that are out of place to pass on to the group. This really can be one of those great group bonding things that friends, or co-workers should have to do at least once, just to show that they can all be on the same page. Taking one for the team is not overall a bad thing as I have found out over the years, because sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice the one to save the lot. Arriving at what appears to be an abandoned gas station, couple Alex and Nathan are greeted by some fellow contestants of the Slasher Sleepout. With Pitch and Marina being experts at Escape Room challenges, they are ready to put everything they have got towards winning this one as well. Seeing his fellow contestants moving in, Larry is happy to introduce himself as well as the ultimate horror movie fan, and Tim rolls in late and just in time to be greeted by the host of the show. With the rules being laid out that the contestants can bring nothing of their own on this horror experience, Nathan makes sure that his lady does not forget her pills. Getting hoods put over their heads, the group is dropped off in the middle of nowhere and Pitch does what he does best, search for clues. Digging through a trashcan and finding their supplies for the daily hike, the group also stumbles upon the storyline of what horror movie trope they are playing to, an insane inmate who has escaped. With their new gear, Alex stumbles upon the first clue and is able to figure it out before everyone else, causing Pitch to get upset, but the group moves on. Making their way deep into the woods in the dark, the group finds out that they are not alone as a group of masked slashers chases them to their final destination for the night. Gathering around the already lit fire and talking about their favorite horror movies, Alex comes clean and admits that she is not really a fan of the movies, but a fan of Nathan. Trying to get a little something going on in the tent, Alex hears a little rustling in the woods and the group is visited by their first crazy character. Knowing it is just a game, the group is shocked when they see the old man take a slice out of Nathan. After the old man retreats back into the woods, the group goes to sleep only to wake up and see that they have another puzzle to solve, but that is not the only thing, as Tim has gone missing. With a new clue at hand, Alex shows that she is built for this challenge, but seeing a dead body that was not there before, well that is only the beginning of the nightmare that Alex will have to deal with when trying to survive the Slasher Sleepout challenge. This is actually a fun little riff on the slasher movie genre; it even makes me want to play the game if someone is willing to join. With the game taking a change and really focusing on the mental stability of Alex, it is a surprise that she is able to keep it together as long as she does. I really liked how Alex responded to the different challenges, especially when she is faced with a person from her past and is forced to make a choice between her past love and her new one. With a game full of clues, a contestant’s dead body, no trace of blood, a creepy old man, a knife, a hammer, a compass, a group of slashers and a drive to win the game to save a life, this movie might not scare you overall, but it will make you remember that sometimes the truth is actually a good thing. Stay Scared.
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Written by Scott EdwardsWanting to find a loved one that has been taken from you is a noble effort. But you have to decide how far you are willing to go with the search as things in the world have changed while they have been gone and they may not be the same person when they are found. There are so many stories about people being missing and when they return, they are not able to become a family member again since they have been shown a different lifestyle and it is the one that they trust. Wanting to find that loved one is very important for closure, but when you find them, will they be willing to let you back into their lives? Blade is searching the eastern block for one person, his old friend Whistler who was taken from him. Hitting up every safe house he can find, he is able to find the one man that basically raised him from birth. Thinking about his training, Blade thinks about ending his old friend's pain right then and there, but there is so much love between the two men that he puts down his sword and allows Whistler to live until morning and see if the sunlight will do its job. Whistler makes it through, but him being a vampire for a couple years has Blade and his new second hand man Scud worried about what will happen to him. The vampires have found they have a new enemy on the streets and need to find a way to put an end to the strain before it becomes too powerful. Calling for help from the one they hate the most, Blade is summoned to the vampire council and filled in on their situation. Offering him help to hunt down the new menace, Blade is put in command of the Bloodpack that has been training for years to take the Daywalker out. Knowing that this will be a difficult transition for the vampires to be taking orders from their former hunter, Blade establishes his dominance within the group, but they are still skeptical about the arrangement. Being fearful about turning their backs on anyone from the accompanying group, each side has their own priorities and will pursue them first. Jared Nomak, the first of his kind with the Reaper strain has hit the streets and is looking to get retribution for what has been done to him. Wanting to get back at all of those that have made him what he is, he wants blood for his final payment. Finding out what sort of power he does possess, he is able to battle the most equipped foes with little effort. Being immune to garlic and silver has made his new race much harder to deal with and with a protective shell around their hearts, they are next to unstoppable, unless the sun gets a hold of them. Even though Nomak seems to be an unstoppable feeding machine, he has a plan in mind of what he will do to make everything all right again, but when he finds out Blade is after him, he wants to make sure that his fellow vampire hunter knows the truth about what has happened to him and what is on the horizon. Blade II follows the Daywalker as he joins forces with those he has vowed to rid the world of. Being asked to hunt down the new threat that is on the streets, Blade has to put his faith into the fear that is beating in the undead Eli Damaskinos' heart. Wanting to get a better look into what the vampires have been hiding from him in all of his hunting years, Blade agrees but his friends Whistler and Scud are very concerned about what will happen when he gets too close. Showing little respect for what he has been told, Blade takes control of the Bloodpack who have been training to kill him and finds someone new he can bring himself to trust, Nyssa, who is Damaskinos’ daughter. Trying to get on the inside of the vampire nation, Blade finds out that there is much more going on than he could have ever imagined, but his first priority is to rid the world of new Reapers that are running free on the streets and feeding more frequently. Knowing who his target is, Blade has to decide who he can trust when it comes to who is really behind the strain and what the end goal is. I don’t know how to really describe the second installment of the Blade trilogy. It is full of action and splatter like the first one, but it seems to play a little bit more with who Blade is while giving his character a little more depth. Only being able to trust one person for twenty years, Blade has been able to open up to more opportunities while his mentor has been gone, but he still has little faith that anyone is completely good. Nyssa seems to be the only one that is able to gain more from Blade in the short time they are together, however, she does not know what is really happening either and pays for it with her crew's lives. The story is solid about trying to make a flawless vampire and the horrific trials to bring such a creature into the world, although I would think that the father would give a little bit more love to his children than what he actually offered them. With Ron Perlman playing Reinhardt, it is hard to say anything bad about the movie since he commands the screen, even stealing scenes from Blade himself. It looks like Blade is still on the hunt and nobody is safe, not even the vampire that was able to escape his first encounter with the hunter as he gets a taste of the sword at the end of the movie. Stay Scared. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...Be careful what you wish for. That’s a phrase that continues to roll around in my mind today, thanks to Hulu’s Castle Rock, of course. Because I have to be honest in telling you that I more or less rushed to my couch at the first available opportunity to tune in and watch the next episode of this incredible series since I was dying to know what happened to Ruth Deaver while she and the Kid were seemingly alone in the house and well, I paid dearly when it comes to my quest for knowledge because ‘The Queen’, not only delivered on answering that all important question, but it broke my heart and countless others in the process of giving us that big reveal. Yet, as this series it wont to do, it figured out a way to tell this particular tale in the most unique way possible, by posing other important questions to the audience, in that, is Ruth Deaver actually mentally ill, or is she able to travel through space and time? Because this particular story took the time to fill in a lot of blanks when it comes to Ruth by showing us how exactly she travels into the past to re-live both beautiful and harrowing moments, and many of these little voyages through her mind (and possibly time) just so happened to coincide with moments wherein it seemed as though we thought she was lost mentally, and that made for a fascinating narrative to say the least. However, while it was cool to get to know Ruth and everything she stands for, the darkness in this episode all came about from two key plot threads. The first one involving her husband Matthew, because Father Deaver was a far more twisted and angry individual than we have been led to believe since he pushed Henry and his family time and time again to hear the sound of God in the woods, and we also learned that hearing this sound nearly drove him to suicide and well, it’s inherently clear that Matthew was quite the stereotypical priest to his wife and adopted son since he consistently questioned their morals and their motives in abusive fashion while maintaining his image and stead as a man of the Lord. But, the heartbreaking moment I made mention of at the opening of this article, was also the second and darkest moment of this particular tale. Because Ruth was convinced that the Kid was some kind of unholy reincarnation of Matthew (and there’s merit to that which we will get to in a moment), and she was ready and willing to defend herself and after hurting the Kid, Ruth eventually got her husband’s old gun and loaded that sucker up and at the sign of first trouble, let her aggressor have it, only to discover…she’d fired on dear Alan, which means this is likely where his journey comes to an end and that’s a shame because Alan really is a good man who genuinely loved Ruth and only wanted the best for her. So, there’s the answer to the big question, the Kid never hurt Ruth, she instead caused harm to the man she always loved and that hurts, and their farewell moment was a thing of beauty. Yet ironically, more questions were posed in this tale despite it answering a big one. Because I’m left wondering, did Ruth also die since her ‘Totems’ were present in her favorite memory with Alan? And we never found out if it was mental illness surging through her or not and to top it all off, the Kid made things weird for everyone in this episode because he knew a lot about Ruth and Matthew, which means this man is either the reincarnation Ruth thought he was, or…a being that knows every single moment that exists in time and space. Either way, wow what a powerful and moving episode, and kudos to Sissy Spacek for utterly killing it with her performance and once again, we are left starving for more when it comes to this incredible television series. Until next time. Written by Scott EdwardsIt is easy to be afraid of things that go bump in the night, mainly because it is very easy to hide under the covers until the threat goes away when the sun comes up again. Knowing that our imaginations can play tricks with our eyes when the dead of night comes around, most people have a way to feel secure, a nightlight. While I had one of these small lights in my room growing up, I was still too frightened to open up the closet or look under the bed until the sun returned the next day. All of the sounds that would come from a monster’s hiding place would go unchecked during the night, because, well, I did not want to know who or what they really wanted with me during the night. Sitting on his bed and enjoying a comic book, the boy is happy as can be, but there is something strange going on with his light as it turns off on its own. Leaning over the side of the bed and hitting the switch to turn it back on, all seems well, but it happens again. Not knowing what is causing this time after time, the boy decides to put an end to this madness but is shocked to see a white arm reaching out from under the bed. Needing to get a better look at what is under his bed, the boy pulls out a flashlight and shines it into the darkness revealing the monster who is harassing him, but everything may not be as it seems as the boy hears strange sounds coming from the monster that he did not expect. Don’t see many horror movies like this and I really liked it, because the ending is beyond epic. The fear from seeing the monster’s arm and hand turning off the light would be enough to send me flying out the window, but this kid was going to stick to his guns and make sure he could continue to read his comics. With little fear in his heart, the boy saw the face of the monster and listened as the monster opened up about its issues and with the sweetness of the boy, well, there may not be too many more haunted nights in his room. Stay Scared. Written by Scott EdwardsWhat would you think if you actually found out that the things from your nightmares were actually real? Would you accept it and know that you were always right, or would you reject it and try to come up with some sort of reason behind what you have just found out? If you have strong enough beliefs that something is real, even when science has been telling you it is not, proving it wrong may be one of the most beneficial things to do, but would you really want to be able to prove that something so terrifying is actually roaming the streets outside? There are unseen problems on the streets that nobody wants to see or believe exist, with the exception of a small band of hunters. The infamous Daywalker is moving from city to city trying to make these threats extinct, but his prey is better financed than he is, and they are able to keep a step ahead. Although Blade is not deterred by this, he is trying to exact revenge on the species that killed his mother and made him what he is today. With the help of his longtime friend, Whistler, he is able to exploit some of the vices that the vampire population have shown over the years. Deacon Frost is looking for power amongst the vampire ranks. With many of the newly turned infected in his towns looking up to him for what he provides, the pureblood counsel does not like what the young man is doing. Living in the shadows for thousands of years he has worked for the society and they are afraid of change, but Frost is looking for something more, wanting to bring his race back into the lime light. Even though he is voted down by the elders, Frost will not stop until he gets what he wants and has a plan to make sure he will succeed. Gaining access to the archives, Frost finds an old legend that he could exploit and better yet, be a part of when he finds the secret behind the Blood God. Doctor Karen Jenson is trying to live her life free of any distractions and after breaking up with her boyfriend that works in the same hospital, she finds that there is no escaping her past. As a cadaver is laid down on the table in front of her, she gets to witness firsthand what a vampire does. Although she does not believe this, she is saved by a stranger dressed in black and shown the seedy underworld that she had no idea existed. When trying to figure out what is happening around her, she finds out that she could be a key component for Blade and his battle against the blood sucking race that is hunting her down. Blade follows a tormented hunter as he is trying to put an end to the sickness that turned him what he is today, a vampire hybrid. With the help of a longtime friend and a new one that he has saved from the vampire race, he finds out that there is trouble in the vampire ranks that could make them even more dangerous than before. As Deacon Frost is looking for power of his own in the ranks, he will never be accepted by the purebloods that run the nation since he was turned later in life. Wanting to prove them wrong and return his race to the top of the food chain, Frost spends his time in the archives and tries to find out if there is any truth to the prophecy that he has heard of for so many years. La Magra, the Blood God, could put an end to the differences between the purebloods and the newly turned and make all of the humans into the sheep they should justly be. When Blade and his team get word of this, they know they have to put an end to the aspiring leader, but it will be much more difficult as Frost has numbers on his side along with a special secret that he has been keeping from the hunter for many years. With the help of Doctor Jenson, Blade’s arsenal gets a little revamp, but when his hideout has been penetrated and he loses his best friend, Blade allows his emotions to take control and will stop at nothing to bring the all of the suck heads involved to justice. This is the start of one of my favorite vampire series for many reasons, but mainly because it just grew with every film. Paying attention to the vampire rules, they are quick to point out what works and what are just myths, just so you do not get confused with what is going on. With a little bit of splatter, there is much more action than most horror movies provide, but I am still a firm believer that this is a horror movie and franchise since it is based on one of the foundations of the horror genre. I never pass up a chance to watch this movie when it comes on, since it gives much more than you would expect, and I do believe that the storyline has withstood the sands of time, even with technology being brought into the mix. Working towards the next installment of this series is fun as you get to follow Blade to what you assume is Russia in the final credits, but for what, you will just have to wait and see. Stay Scared. Written by Scott 'Sharky' EdwardsIt can be very unsettling to find out how many different answers you get to the same question from people with varying opinions. While each answer may have some sort of a merit to it, it may not be what you are looking for overall. When trying to find the right answer to anything these days, it may not be as black and white as you would like to see it and you may have to turn to the grey area. With everyone being entitled to their own answers and being able to put some facts behind why they think this way, it may be worth taking a listen, because there are very few absolute right answers in this life. With most of the planet still in recovery mode since the last Megalodon attack, Russia has led the way in trying to procure a new type of power that could put them as the dominant country once again. Sending their civilian fishing fleet into other country’s waters in search of Red Mercury, they are all starting to push back, including the United States. Seeing one of these fishing vessels in their waters, the Unicorn fleet, Megalodon hunters, try to apprehend the boat, but before they are able to get it out of the water, they find that a new shark has been released. Losing the hunters to the newly born Megalodon, Admiral Jackson must form up a think tank to see what the next course of action will be to put this beast on the extinction list once again. As a joint force meets up in a secret facility outside of Chernobyl to pick up some Red Mercury for a private buyer, Agent King’s cover is blown as her tracking hardware goes off the grid. Being forced to try and stop the transaction on her own, she and the groups are shocked to see that the removal of the power source has woken up something much more power than they could have imagined. Arriving home to be debriefed, King finds out that the C.I.A. is not going to do anything to stop the legend named Kolossus from wreaking havoc overseas. Not wanting to allow innocent people to die for something that was partially her mistake, King picks up the analyst who knows the most about the machine that can destroy the world over many times and takes the fight back overseas. Meeting with Doctor Alison Gray and Doctor John Bullock, Admiral Jackson has decided to use the techniques that Bullock has brought to the table to seek out and destroy the Mega Shark. Leaving the meeting in a huff, Alison is picked up by a mystery vehicle and delivered to the military’s top contractor and given the option to join his team. With the focus being on studying the Megalodon rather than killing it and the many innocents in its path, Alison joins the team and Joshua Dane cannot be prouder. With an electromagnetic device that should be able to somewhat control the massive shark, the world should be in the clear, but it will be a race against time to use the device before the military has their way with the shark. As the military fleet is dropping chum to bring the Megalodon in, Joshua Dane’s special boat is able to follow them, and the crew tries to use their device. But as the shark is feeling threatened by all of the traffic in the water, it acts to protect itself from any harm. Hitting a torpedo out of the water and ruining King’s plan, which involves trying to get to Russia, all of the groups have a coming together on what should be happening with the shark for now, but Kolossus is a whole other story and mystery that must be unraveled before some of the world’s largest cities fall victim to the nuclear threat that is coming their way. This movie has got it all when you are thinking about a giant shark movie and it stays true to the Mega Shark franchise, especially when it comes to taking planes out of the sky. The power struggles are what really makes this movie good in my opinion, as Admiral Jackson is trying to destroy the threat, Doctor Alison Gray is trying to preserve it for future study and Joshua Dane is looking to take over the world. Any way you look at it, it will not be a good day for anyone involved, especially when you throw a massive walking nuclear bomb into the mix who has little regard for nature’s finest killing machine. With a giant shark, an unstoppable walking bomb, ships filled with food, an uncontrollable situation and a way to bring it all to an end as long as casualties mean nothing, this is just a fun movie to get lost in. I really wonder if there is a good way to control a shark with electromagnetic signals, because if there is, it would be a bit frightening to find out who is at the controls. Stay Scared. Written by Scott 'Sharky' EdwardsIt is difficult to think about what might happen to the planet when global warming takes over and the ice caps finally melt and cover the world that we know. Hoping that we have some sort of scientific way to stop this or at least slow it down might be a pipe dream in this day and age, but one can hope. With no end in sight, this may become reality for our future generations to deal with and I can only hope that they are strong swimmers, since there will be plenty of water around. Trying to find a way to save the world is not a losing battle as long as you make your voice heard, so make sure to yell it from the mountain tops before they are underwater so at least someone can hear you. Seeing a flare being shot up from their neighbor flotilla city, Junk City, Moffat quickly gets on the radio to try and find out what the problem is. Not being able to get through, D’amato authorizes the release of a plane to see if there are any survivors of what appears to be some sort of attack. Hearing the reports, Captain Barrick makes the trek out to Junk City as well and is shocked to find a survivor in all of the wreckage. Rushing the young woman onto his boat, he sees first hand who the destroyers of the floating city were, sharks, led by a big Alpha who has some sort of control over her followers. Arriving at the floating science station Vestron with his new friend Bea in tow, Barrick picks Doctors Nichols and Shaw to transport them to the Salvation Flotilla to work out a trade with D’amato for some more supplies. With the swarm of sharks following behind them, the group is more than anxious to get off of the floating city before anything bad happens but knows that there is a failsafe of shark nets surrounding the city that should keep them safe for the time being. Making their offer to D’amato and telling the governing body about the sharks that took out Junk City, the master of the waters does not seem to care and prepares his fishing party. Calling the sharks to Salvation for slaughter, it is quickly discovered that this shark group is smarter than the regular ones that the humans have fought off and wind up taking the city down thanks to man’s pride. Being able to escape the flotilla, Barrick, Nichols, Shaw, Bea and their new friend Moffat have made their way back to the Captain’s boat and are making their way back to Vestron with the supplies needed to propel a C02 scrubber into the atmosphere that could help cool the planet and restore the oceans to their normal levels. But there is a problem at hand since the swarm of sharks being led by the Alpha are headed in the same direction. With a plan to eliminate the shark swarm in one fell swoop, Doctor Shaw uses all of the technology at her fingertips to ignite an underwater volcano to take them out, yet this may cause more problems than solutions as the blast sends out an EMP that cripples the scientific facility. With no way to launch the rocket without an electric charge, a new option is put on the table as the Alpha Shark has shown massive electrometric bursts that are controlling her fellow sharks. As there are no other options to saving the station, much less the world, sacrifices are forced to be made, but it could be for the greater good when all is said and done. When you think about shark movies, you think about blood in the water, fisher-people that are able to defend themselves against the threat and who find a way to survive when there is a time squeeze and this movie has all of those things. What I liked most about the story that was put forward was the balance of power that was shown from the beginning with a warrior leader trying to get more for her goods than science is willing to pay. While that only lasted for a short time, the movie moved on quickly to the next problem at hand, that of saving the world and destroying all of the sharks. With both of these issues being important, the great ideas being put forth on how to do so were not too farfetched and it just made the movie enjoyable. With sharks, an electromagnetic Alpha Shark, some science, some spears, jumping sharks, an underwater volcano, a tsunami, some gun fire and plenty of sharks getting their feeding on, I think I like this movie a little more than I should overall. But I will admit that when I take those long boat rides out to the prime fishing locations, I will always wonder what is swimming beneath the boat and if there is a shark that can control a hunting party, well, I will kiss my backside goodbye. Stay Scared Written by Scott EdwardsIt seems like running from your past would be easy, but for some reason it always finds a way to catch up with you. It may be easier to live up to your mistakes, mainly because when others find out about them, it winds up being blown out of proportion. Everyone is entitled to make mistakes, it is part of being human and learning how to be the best person you can be. But a true shot at redemption from a mistake may be something that not everyone is willing to take. Arriving with a basket of clothes to her new apartment, Helen is looking to settle in for the night. Pulling out her diary and having a cup of tea, she is happy with her new surroundings and leaving her past in the rear-view mirror. Hearing a knock at her door, Helen goes to see who it might be, and she sees a woman in a white dress that appears to be very familiar. Opening the door and not finding the woman anywhere in the hallway, Helen sees that her past is catching up with her. Writing in her diary about how much she likes her new home, Helen hears something rumbling in the apartment and tries to find out what it is. Seeing that her bathroom sink has been turned on for no reason, she shuts it off, but there is someone else in the apartment that is ready to torment her even further. With a ghostly whisper coming from the kitchen, Helen sees the silhouette of someone from her past that is ready to talk. Demanding that the ghostly apparition leave her apartment, Helen comes face to face with the grief of a mistake that cannot be undone, but possibly forgiven. I really liked how quickly you come to understand that Helen is running from something in her past, and that the story makes sure that the viewers know that she is not innocent. While what happened in the past may still be a mystery, you do get to see the way to make everything right. The ghostly woman only has one demand for her old friend and while Helen may not want to follow through, it is evident that she wants her past to go away. You may never be able to completely erase your past mistakes but living up to them may be better than being tormented by them for years to come. Stay Scared. Written by John Edward BetancourtTHIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...Whether we like to acknowledge it or not, there is someone that came at long at some point in our lives and our touched us in such negative fashion, that we would be just fine with running into them again in order to give them a piece of our minds. Some would have something positive to say to their tormentor, something that would no doubt involve forgiveness and a notice that said person can no longer harm them. But for a fair majority of us, we would simply like to let them know how badly they hurt us, how big of a jackass they are for doing so and how we hope that karma takes the opportunity to teach them a valuable lesson in life. However, while we’ve all pondered upon how that moment would go, that kind of opportunity rarely arrives in life because when we bid farewell to that person, we never see them again and we eventually make peace with the whole mess in our minds as the days roll on. But, playing ‘what if?’ with those kinds of scenarios is sometimes a necessity for our own mental health and sometimes, fiction helps us out with that, as was the case with last night’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead, ‘Close Your Eyes’. Because in this tale, the past was put on full display, and one character was forced to confront it and the person that has caused her grave pain. Because in the midst of the storm, Alicia found a house to take shelter in, one that was easy to clear out and seemingly safe once the dead were out of the way, until she discovered that she was not alone. And after letting the other intruder know that they needed to vacate the premises or face certain death, she came face to face with exactly who was hiding the house with her, and wouldn’t you know it? It was Charlie. Yes, the little girl who put a bullet in her brother, and whom Alicia firmly believed was responsible for her Mother’s death was once again sharing her space and it was more than she could bear, and she made every effort to get as far from Charlie as possible. But the storm made that damn near impossible, meaning that for the foreseeable future, Alicia and Charlie were going to have to be roommates, and despite an act of kindness from Charlie, Alicia saw this as the grand opportunity to say everything she ever needed to say to her tormentor and my goodness, did she unleash her fury in painful fashion. Because Alicia said things we simply should never say to anyone, but the pain of losing everything was still surging inside her, and she let Charlie have it, and even threatened her life. But despite letting that anger take over, she did make it clear that she was conflicted, thanks to everything her mother taught her about being a better person. Yet, while it fascinating to watch Alicia give Charlie a piece of her mind, what made this episode so supremely satisfying and heartbreaking for that matter as well, is that it became quite the powerful character study, one that dug deep on trauma and loss and how tough it is to get over such matters because as the storm raged on, this duo were forced to finally talk to and learn about one another and the horrors they’ve seen over the past few years and well, all of their pain bubbled up to the surface, making for tense and uncertain moments between the two of them as they both came to realize, they haven’t dealt with their pain in the slightest, but they are doing their best to get by. However, while this episode was bleak in so many ways, it did fine a way to give us some kind of positivity by reminding us that doing good things for others can sometimes ease our pain and help us forge a path forward. Because when the storm reached its apex, and things looked grim, Charlie asked Alicia to end her life so that she could no longer suffer in this terrible world, a request that Alicia outright refused, and she even apologized to Charlie for the horrible things she said, all in the name of doing the right thing and once the storm cleared, the duo were able to move forward for the time being, to the best of their abilities. If anything, what made this episode so incredibly impressive, is that it didn’t offer a single answer as to how to solve any of Alicia or Charlie’s problems, it simply forced both of them to move forward and well, that’s painfully realistic. Because when we hurt, there are no easy answers, there’s just another day that we have to get through, and sometimes all we can do to rise above our pain, is to be better and do good things and find fulfillment in that until our hearts and minds are ready to truly deal with our pain and our trauma and well, this sense of realism in a show about walking corpses and the end of the world is jarring in a good way, because I’m honestly not sure it’s ever been done before. It certainly leaves us with plenty to chew upon and this forced reflection for the characters is making for some compelling television, the kind that delivers some magnificent performances and for proof, look no further than Alycia Debnam-Carey, who was a tour de force acting wise in this episode since her portrayal of Alicia’s struggle made it impossible to turn away from this tale. And while it seems that Alicia has found her peace for now, there are others searching for the same thing, as it was established in the mid-season premiere and from the looks of it, we are going to see them face their own darkness in the weeks to come and if those episodes are remotely as good as this one, we are in for the quite the harrowing treat. Until next time. Written by Scott 'Sharky' EdwardsThe need to search for treasure is so great in some folks that they will devote their lives to finding it at all costs. While I am sure that everything that is buried on dry land will eventually be found, it is the treasures that are hidden under the sea or in sea side caves that may never be fully recovered. Having to plan for the tides when checking out the caves and dealing with ever changing currents when diving on a shipwreck, there is also something to be said about the marine biology that may be swimming around. While sharks may not be the only thing swimming around these fallen giants, they are the fiercest and do not like when someone goes messing with their territory. After getting word that his father and his diving crew have met an untimely demise, Professor David Franks and his fiancé Laura drop everything and make their way to Venice to identify the bodies. Not seeing his father on either of the slabs, David does notice something strange about the bodies and with the official report saying propeller attack, he knows better. Claiming that these men fell victim to a shark attack, David is put in front of the Venice Police Captain and told to keep that opinion to himself to avoid steering up panic with the locals. Being able to convince the Captain to check out the area where the men were killed, David will quickly find out that his suspicions have been confirmed. Needing to wait a couple of hours before a boat and diver are ready to investigate the scene of the crime, David, Laura and Lieutenant Totti all stop by David’s father’s home to see that they are not the first ones to be there. With the home looking like a tornado hit it, David knows that his father was very sly in hiding things that he did not want others to find. Being able to locate a box of research, David finds out that his father was on a treasure hunt like no other looking for The Medici’s plunders from their many expeditions. With the belief of it being somewhere in Venice, David’s old man gave his life in looking for something that was just a legend, but it may now prove to be reality. Using his father’s map, David is able to locate the last place that the man dived and takes the plunge with a fellow diver. Hearing his backup being attacked by a Great White Shark, David is able to avoid certain death by the super predator by a hair and enters an underground cavern and sees that the treasure is not a myth. Running low on energy and blood from his first shark attack, David is forced to get back into the water once again to face it head on. Waking up two days later in the hospital, David is lucky to be alive, but when getting discharged he finds out that there is someone who will put the treasure above anything else and at any price, including death. Watching Laura getting kidnapped and himself being set up to be the next victim, David must come up with some sort of plan to escape the evil man’s grasp, along with fighting off the apparent sharks that are roaming the waters of Venice. This is one of those shark movies that just makes you wonder why you don’t watch them all of the time. You have got to love how the story is able to jump from an Indiana Jones style treasure hunt, to a shark horror movie, to an evil villain who is not only going to kill you if you don’t succeed but kill your loved ones as well. There are some fun twists that take place in this movie and I am sure if it did better at the box office, there would be a David Franks (Stephen Baldwin) action figure out there for it. With plenty of shark attacks, a villain who does not remain in the shadows, some ancient battle scenes, gun fire, blood in the water and the greatest shoot out in Venice’s history, it is just a good old fashion action/thriller with the horror of sharks being tossed into the mix. Stay Scared. |
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November 2024
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