Playing on people’s fears can be a vicious thing to do, but if they are paying to be scared, you need to give them what they want. Being a frequent visitor to haunted hotels, I only hope that they do not set up fake scares, as I would like to believe there is something more for us after death, and I know I’m not alone in that since plenty of people believe in the afterlife. But beliefs aside, most people like to be scared by something that they cannot explain, and even though there are explanations for these ninety seven percent of the time, the other three percent that cannot be explained are what intrigue us most of all.

John Baxter enjoys his time working for Reveal magazine. Getting to expose people for trying to pull fast ones on their customers, he has found his niche and is very good at his job. With the opportunity to investigate the Amityville house, he has formulated a plan to take one of his staff with him to pretend they have lost their child. Upon arriving at the house, they take note of everything around them and with a psychic running the show, they are prepared to be amazed. Once strange things start to happen as they try to contact the dead, Melanie, his assistant, pulls out her camera and exposes the group running the house for what they are, frauds.

Getting a chance to investigate the house in the daytime, John and his team find all of the goodies that the previous inhabitants of the house have been using to make a living. Being confronted by the owner of the house, John is given the opportunity of a lifetime in purchasing the old home. Jumping at the chance, John makes the deal and moves his life to the haunted house without thinking twice about it. Going through a divorce, he has to find a way to connect with his teenage daughter, Susan, and this seems to be the perfect opportunity. But there is something strange about the house and when Melanie develops her photos, she sees that there is much more happening here than they originally believed.

​Susan is happy to live in the house, if only on the weekends and tells her good friend about her father’s new purchase. But her friend is more excited about it than anybody as she knows all of the history of the murders that took place in the haunted estate. Trying to contact the dead in the attic, the girls find out that there is something in the house that is also happy Susan is living there. Using a homemade Ouija set up, the spirits speak through a glass and state that Susan will be in trouble during her stay. Thinking that it is just a joke, Susan doesn’t show an ounce of worry and decides to go boating with her friends, but Susan has been targeted by the house and will not survive her stay as she drowns in the local lake, and now everybody starts to understand what kind of power the house actually has.

But her mother does not believe any of this this, as she has seen her daughter walking back into the house, soaking wet. Which leaves John with no other choice but to convince his estranged wife that their child is dead after all, and he turns to his investigation team from the magazine for help. Not wanting to believe that the house is evil, he has kept his ears closed to all of the experiences that he is being told about, but with high tech equipment at his disposal now, he is ready to expose what is really happening in the house.

This is just a fun story about the Amityville house and what has happened in it. Although this movie does not pack the same frightening punch the first one does, it still follows the same formula and gives a little before the large reveal. Changing the basement around a little bit, you get to have fun with the dry well that mysteriously fills up with water and reveals part of the house’s secrets, but not all of them. I still am dying to know who or what is haunting the house since nobody seems to be able to put their finger on it. It could be the old burial ground that the house has been built on, or it could be the devil since there is a gateway to hell in the basement and he just likes to use it to pop up for a quick visit. I think this is what makes this movie series so entertaining to watch, as you have to come up with your own conclusions. Stay Scared.

You have heard the old cliché that if something is to good be true, it probably is. Jumping on these deals is something that plenty of people are good at, but they do not know what they are getting into when doing it. If you are offered a job that will pay well above what the responsibilities are, you could be in for a world of hurt when finding out what you really have to do. If a house is being sold for next to nothing, there may be more expenses that will have to be put into it to make it livable. There are just so many examples of things that people have jumped into without looking over the years, and although some are able to come out of it okay, there are plenty of others that will never recover.

The Montelli family has found the house of their dreams, or at least one that can hold their growing family. With four kids, the father of the family, Anthony, is looking for as much room as he can possibly find, and this house has nothing but space. With the asking price being extremely low, there is no way that the family can look away since it is everything that they have imagined. Dolores, the mother, is happy with the purchase of the home, but over the next couple of nights in the house, she knows that there is something else inside of it with her family, but she has to get the buy in from her husband for something to be done about it.

Sonny and Patricia are the oldest of the children in the family and have a great relationship. Always joking about how each is uglier than the other, they know that there is nothing that will keep them away from each other. But as they get settled in their new home, a presence is trying to target one of the kids and Sonny seems to be the perfect one. Feeling sick and not leaving the house with his family, Sonny is possessed by an evil spirt that wants to cause harm to his family. Hearing the same voice around him all the time, he tries to fight the urge to hurt anyone, but the voice is getting louder and with something inside of him, he cannot keep it from taking over. When his younger siblings are being whipped by his father for something they did not do, Sonny grabs his father’s shotgun and places the business end at his head. Knowing that the strange sounds around the house are much more sinister than things moving on their own, Dolores calls upon her priest to come and bless the house.

Upon entering the house, the priest is ready to go on with his normal duties, but when the kitchen erupts into chaos, he is forced to leave by Anthony who will not put up with any troubles from his wife’s children. Leaving the house, Father Adamsky knows that there is something much worse happening in the home but cannot take it upon himself to cleanse it without their authority. Sonny slowly gets into a deeper sickness, but whatever is inside of him is feeling alive and wanting to take advantage of his friendships, especially the one with his sister. Forcing himself upon her, Sonny is not in control of his own emotions and knows that there is something bigger on his plate. During his birthday party, Sonny has to excuse himself from the festivities and heads to his room once again to complete his transformation, so that the spirit within can finally bring Sonny to murder his own family.

A change from the original Amityville story to say the least and it should be a story on its own. Trying to make a prequel after the original story has been released is one of the hardest things that can be done. But enough with that, what is good about this movie? With the classic knocking, windows and doors opening, beds spinning and a kid getting possessed, you are left wanting to see the evil spirit itself. Having a blood lust for everyone that enters the house, there is next to nothing that will stop it. With some good foreshadowing and the answers to all of your questions about what really happened before the house was purchased by the Lutz family, it puts on a good show to get you into the mood to watch the original once again. Stay Scared.

There are once in a lifetime opportunities that you should never let pass you by. If it is in the housing market, you may be left to question why a house is so cheap when all of the surrounding homes are going for close to double than the one you are looking at. But even if you hear a story of something that went on in the house, would it be enough to scare you away from buying it, as you are trying to make your own memories and this house could be the one that you can get them started in.

George and Kathy Lutz are recently married and are looking for a home to start their new lives in together. With Kathy’s three kids from her previous marriage joining them along on their life journey, the couple need to find a house that is big enough to accommodate everyone in their price range. As luck would have it, a large house has come on the market, but it does have a tainted past, as a family was killed there in the middle of the night while they slept years before. But this is the only house that has everything that the couple requires and is the only one in the price range.

George signs the papers and makes this, their first new home as a family. Even though the children are not his, he will do anything to make them feel comfortable around him while trying to fill the big role. But he is having a problem while in the home, he can never seem to get warm enough. Spending most of his days chopping wood to keep the fire stoked, George seems to lose track of time and his other responsibilities. When Kathy tries to call him out on this, he only gets angrier and even though he loves her very much, he gets a threatening look in his eyes.

The children all seem to get along fine in the house, and the youngest Amy has made a new friend. Knowing that all kids go through the phase of imaginary friends, Kathy does not pay much attention to it, but when the couple comes back home to find the babysitter locked in the closet and Amy doing nothing to release her, Kathy knows that there is something wrong. As the days pass by, Kathy is feeling less and less secure in the house, but when she tries to tell George about this, he will not listen to one word she says. But when his business partner comes over to the house with his wife to take care of the kids for a much needed night out, George finds that there is a hidden room in the basement that houses much more than rancid smells, but pure evil.

A disturbing movie to say the least, as it is supposedly based on true events. With all of the horror movies I have seen over the years, I know that it is hard to scare people with drawers opening on their own and flies in a bedroom, so it has to be ramped up just a bit. But this movie does not take it over the top as some others have done in the past and present. But the main story is not about the scary things that happen around the house, it is about the family that is trapped inside the walls. Watching as George changes from a loving step father to a man that gets more distant from his responsibilities by the hour is a great character piece. 
 
While the priest is trying to help this family, he is stopped by the church, along with the house for letting the family know what lies ahead for them. Then the kids are just a treat, as none of them know what to do when they are not able to tell their protector what is happening to them, since he is more concerned about his own problems, rather than theirs. One of the things I really enjoy about older horror movies is that they can bring a complete story to life, and even though this one has a couple of jump cuts to add the scares, it does not depend on them to carry the story. Stay Scared.

One thing I’ve always loved when it comes to cinema, is its ability to outright bind an audience together. Which is a feat that it manages to accomplish in so many different ways. For some, it’s about settling into the theater with friends that share a love of a particular franchise because being together to experience the next entry in said series is simply magical in its own right. For others, it’s simply about being able to share in the emotions that a movie engenders in all of us with a group of strangers, because that really is an experience in its own right and for some, it’s all about enjoying that sense of nostalgia when Hollywood takes the time to adapt our favorite stories from back in the day for the silver screen.
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Because there really is something special about seeing out favorite childhood stories appear on the big screen, since it allows for us to remember exactly what we were feeling as kids when we first picked up the comic or book that inspired this Hollywood adaptation. And while sometimes those adaptations don’t quite go like we’d hoped, since someone, at some point, thought it would be best to alter this story and find a way to make it appeal to the masses, there are others that are true to the source material and wow us as they bring to life exactly what that story intended in the first place. And recently, I had the opportunity to watch a big screen adaptation of a set of a stories that I absolutely loved growing up, in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

Now, while it seems as though this is a fine time to settle in and discuss why these stories mean so much to me and such, we’re going to skip that today. Because the internet is already awash with stories that reflect upon the books that influenced this movie. So, there’s really no need to jump in and do what everyone else is doing, especially when there is likely a bigger question hanging over your head when it comes to this movie; specifically, is it any good? Well the answer to that question goes beyond a resounding yes, because this adaptation is in fact, a magnificent horror film. Which quite frankly, is something I didn’t expect from a PG-13 movie based upon children’s books (and I use that term, loosely) from the 1980s and 1990s.

But this motion picture features some incredibly chilling moments to say the least, and that’s thanks in large part to two key elements. The first one being, the special effects here are solid. For the monsters that were present in the books come to life here in spectacular fashion, by way of a healthy mix of CGI and practical effects and seeing these monsters in three dimensions, after they gave so many of us nightmares growing up, puts you on edge as a viewer. Also, oddly enough, the PG-13 rating for this film actually serves as a benefit to the story. Because there’s no gore present in this film, and by removing the splatter, psychology has to come in to play here and that’s supremely effective to say the least, since it prompts a slow burn approach to some of the scares, the kind that make your skin crawl as you anticipate the worst.
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However, those two elements aside, there’s something else that makes this film a solid horror flick in that, the plot is engaging and brilliant. Because often times with big screen adaptations such as this, big moments from the source material feel shoehorned into the movie, as though they were put there for fan service only and that often creates a jarring experience when all is said and done. But here, the plot revolving around the mysterious Sarah Bellows and her magical stories feels organic and it draws you in and that is quite the accomplishment for certain since it provides the audience with something more to chew upon than what monster came from which story in the book, and it also gives us some fleshed out characters that you come to root for as they unravel the spooky and fascinating nightmare they’ve been plunged into.

If anything, I walked into this one expecting it to be an adequate adaptation at best, the kind that would leave the audience hungry for something with a little more depth to it. But instead, I walked out of this one with a smile on my face because it delivered in every single way imaginable. Not only did the images that haunted me as a child come to life in flawless fashion, they were present in a quality story that managed to pay homage to the genre as a whole in so many ways, and I especially loved the George A. Romero tribute, and quite frankly the sense of fun this movie brings to the table. Because it also features some perfectly timed comedic moments and sequences where you’re almost compelled to tell the characters to run as fast as they can, and all of those elements make this motion picture one that I highly recommend, due to the fact that it’s just a good old fashioned scary movie, one that satisfies a hungry fan base and one that opens up a whole new world those unfamiliar with the iconic books these scary stories came from. 

​There are some people that are meant to stay on land, while others are made for the sea. I have never been a sea faring person myself; I have been on boats numerous times in my life, but I prefer to be on the shore with solid ground under my feet. Not to say that I did not enjoy my experiences on the water, but I feel more secure knowing what is under me, there are no sharks under the mountains, at least that I know about. I will admit that being on the water is magical and it may be for many people, but I am not one of them, at least not yet.

The U.S.S. Tiger Shark is on patrol when they get word that a small group of survivors are spotted in the middle of the ocean. Although it is a day’s ride, Mr. Brice has to turn his submarine around and pick them up. Being in the middle of the war, the boat has to be careful about who sees them since the enemy is lurking in the same waters. Arriving on the scene, an enemy destroyer is spotted on the horizon and the men of the Tiger Shark must recover the survivors much faster than they would have liked. Bringing aboard three new seamen, the crew is surprised to see that one of them is a woman.

Claire was aboard a British medical ship that was sunk by the Germans with a single torpedo. Being brought aboard with one of her fellow workers and her only surviving patient, she wants to try everything to ensure their survival. But being on the submarine might not be the safest place as it is being hunted down from above by a super destroyer. At their depth, the crew of the Tiger Sharkputs everything on full stop and waits to hear what is happening above them. With everyone in the submarine being extremely quiet, the common area record player fires up, giving away their location. Hearing depth charges being dropped from above, the boat is under duress and the crew needs to find a way to get out of the area before the enemy returns.

As her patient is blamed for the record player stunt, Mr. Brice takes matters into his own hands and puts an end to the sabotage, but Claire is far from convinced that he had anything to do with it. Being confined to her quarters, Claire takes a stroll into the captain’s quarters and finds out that Mr. Brice is not the original commander of the boat. Starting to hear stories about what happened to the original captain, Claire is not sure that she should be on the boat, but the crew of the Tiger Shark is far from being in the clear. As the enemy continues to locate the submarine, it is not able to surface to recharge and vent out the carbon dioxide. As oxygen starts to run low, the crew start to believe that they might have already been killed and are trapped in purgatory, but the haunting sounds surrounding them might actually be caused by their deceased captain.

I have been putting this movie off for quite a while now since I did not know if it was a ghost story or just another WWII movie. It happens to be both, but not only is it trying to tell a ghost story, it goes a bit deeper when the truth comes out about what happened to the captain and who is actually responsible for the deaths of over seven hundred people on the medical ship. There are some good jump scares, but most of the story is a build up to a grand finale. There are several good characters in this movie and I only mentioned two in the write up, but you also have Odell, Loomis, Coors, Stumbo, Chief and Weird Wally. Everyone one of them played their part and this movie would not have played out so well if they were not all crucial characters. Stay Scared.

There was a time when social commentary in horror was a rare occurrence. For back in the day, slashers stuck to their gore, monster movies and ghost stories were all about giving people the creeps and really, any thoughtful discussion about our world was only to be found in the most elite of works from the smartest of directors, and thankfully the times have changed. Because somewhere along the line, someone figured out that horror can truly express a powerful message within the framework of any horror story, and social commentary has slowly found its way into just about every scary story out there. But while it is nice to know that a tale of terror has something more to say, something that goes beyond blood and guts, it still has to do so in quality fashion, or the audience won’t pay it any mind.
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But while some films and shows fall short when it comes to this particular endeavor, there are others that handle it in masterful fashion, and these are the ones we need to celebrate and speak of as often as possible, so everyone can enjoy what it has to offer. And it just so happens that AMC has seemingly stuck gold when it comes to socially relevant horror once again by way of its brand-new series, The Terror: Infamy. For this particular tale, set in the midst of the second world war, will take us inside a Japanese internment camp where innocent people, who are forced to live there against their will, find themselves terrorized by an ancient and vengeful spirit. And while that seems pretty by-the-numbers horror wise, the social commentary present in the overall design of this series is what caught my eye since it has some genuine parallels to our current world.

After all, there are internment camps in America right now, something I don’t think any of us expected to see nearly eighty years after World War II began in America, and while that alone is what hooked me on watching this series to begin with, the power of the commentary present in the season premiere of the series was something that quite frankly, I was unprepared for. But before we dive into that, let’s talk about how ‘A Sparrow in a Swallow’s Nest’ does a phenomenal job of drawing the audience into the plight of immigrants in America in 1941. Since it is quickly apparent that so many of the Japanese citizens on Terminal Island are viewed as second class citizens, whose only purpose is to work hard and make other people money, and they best do so without an ounce of complaint or they will indeed face the consequences for causing trouble and well, one particular moment in regard to all of that is still on my mind a day after watching the opening chapter of this fascinating tale. 

Because a scene between Henry Nakayama and his boss Stan, provided the commentary I was ill prepared for, since it had far too many real-world echoes. For Stan blamed Henry for losing his job and demanded some kind of restitution for something that wasn’t Henry’s fault in the slightest. But a failure to comply, would have led to a phone call to the United States Government to brand Henry as a Japanese spy and well, in many ways this scene and everything we just discussed, resembles the rhetoric that Hispanic and Latino people deal with on a regular basis in this day and age. Since they’re often blamed for ruining the job market, and are often treated with disrespect and inhumanity and they’re expected to comply with someone’s wishes, or they can expect a visit from ICE and well, all of this really does hit way close to home, and kudos to the series for being bold enough to tackle this topic head on in fearless and earnest fashion.
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However, while there is a lot to chew upon social commentary wise, one cannot forget that this is also a horror story and the good news is, there’s plenty of scares to be found here as well. Because there is definitely a spirit pursuing the good people of Terminal Island, and it is a terrifying and vengeful being and I love how the story used a mix of ‘in your face’ scares and subtle moments to get that point across. For those two elements keep the audience guessing in regard to what the ghost is going to do next and that straight up unsettles you, and it is clear now that I need to go back and watch this episode at least once more to catch all the little tricks present in this story designed to creep you out, since there is a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ moment with the ghost popping up in plain sight.

If anything, I have to admit that I am supremely impressed with this particular premiere. For it features the perfect mix of commentary and horror, and at times the lines are blurred so well between the two that you don’t quite know what to fear; mankind or the monster, and that’s no easy task to accomplish in a scary story, but this series pulls it off seamlessly. But what truly has me excited for this series going forward, is the distinctly possibility that it is only going to get better as the weeks roll on. Because if it is this polished and this smart one episode into the new season, what kinds of manmade and otherworldly horrors await us down the line? Well the only way to find that out, is to tune in, and I’ll definitely be setting a reminder to be early for this one, because The Terror: Infamy is horrifying and brilliant and I don’t want to miss a single moment of it. Until next time.   

Getting a fresh start in a long-term relationship is sometimes key to staying together with your loved one. Some couples are able to make their relationships stronger by just leaving their home and going on vacation for a week or two, while others have to find a way to remove themselves from the hustle and bustle of their lives and move. While a new home could add another chapter to your life, if the same people are present, it may not change one thing about what is causing the problems in the relationship. But if you are really in love, you have to fight to keep the relationship strong and you never know what will help it, if you never try.

Chris and Maggie Conley are going through tough times living in the city. After an argument turned a little bit violent and Chris pushed his wife down, the couple who were expecting their first born will have to wait longer as it caused a miscarriage. Needing to find a way to stay together, Chris has found a house that would be perfect for the couple to try and reconnect in outside of the city. When the couple comes upon their new home, they are blown away by how far it is from civilization, and how isolated it really is.

With no phone and no electricity, Maggie is concerned about what will happen if they get into trouble again, but Chris is a changed man and will let nothing come between their love. When talking to the realtor about the house, they find out that they will have tenants living next store for the next thirty days, and although they will not be alone, their new neighbors will not bother them for anything. Thinking this is the prefect move for them both, Chris is excited to see what the house will bring for them both, but he also has a new firefighting job in the adjacent town that will keep him away for days at a time. Although Maggie is upset that he is leaving her to unpack by herself, she is ready to make their new house into something special for them both. 

​While unpacking however, Maggie hears a phone ringing in the extra bedroom that is locked and knowing that there is no phone service in the area, she tries to investigate. Getting into the locked room, she finds that the phone is on the other side of the wall, the tenant’s side, and she stands and listens to the conversation on the other end. But when she turns her back on the door, it shuts mysteriously and locks her into the dark room. When Chris returns home to find her passed out in the room, he tries to nurse her back to health, but he will have to leave again for his job very soon. Taking a walk around their grounds, the couple finds a spot where there is a strong cell phone signal and agree to have a daily call and Maggie will have to be there a certain time every day. Knowing that they need to do this, Maggie rides her bike down the trail to the point, but her phone gets lost when the call is supposed to come through. 
 
Getting back to the house, she continues to hear the phone ring in the tenant’s space, but thinking she is crazy, she tries to ignore it since she has seen the downed lines with her own eyes. As the days pass and Chris is off training for his new job, strange things start happening around the house and Maggie is worried that there is no escaping what is coming next, until she meets one of her tenants, Mrs. Anderson. Finally talking with her neighbor, Mrs. Anderson, Maggie is frightened to find that the old woman’s story is the same as her own. Needing to talk to her husband about what is happening in the house, along with their tenants, Maggie starts to let her anger flow to the top and gets upset with her absent husband for the smallest of things. Needing to find out what is really going on, Maggie confronts her neighbors about what has been happening in the house for so many years, but her husband is not on board with the plan and becomes an innocent bystander.

This movie had me guessing at every point and when the ending came around, I did not know what to think about it. I did enjoy how the story of a young couple with violence problems played out and how the move would have affected them both. Without seeing the neighbors for so long, it was fun to imagine what was happening in the other side of the house, since it was obvious that they had a secret and a phone that tormented poor Maggie to no end. Watching Maggie turn into someone different was probably the best part of the movie, and it was all a result of how something new came to harass her, every day she was alone in the house. It would be hard to imagine what would happen to a city person moving to a place so isolated, but this movie did a fine job exploring it. Stay Scared.

At this point, I think we can all agree upon the fact that the horror genre as a whole, is a wonderful place for storytellers to explore our world and our society. For tales of terror offer up a magnificent opportunity to explore the human condition as a whole, and time and time again, we’ve seen our favorite scary stories tackle incredible topics when it comes to humanity and The Walking Dead universe is no exception to this rule. For the flagship series and Fear the Walking Dead handle this matter on a regular basis and really, what the genre, and Fear specifically, are capable of is on my mind today simply because the latter series has quite frankly, been seemingly devoid of the commentary that makes up its gory tapestry as of late.
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Think about it for a moment. Because the first three seasons of this series dove deep into how people handle trauma and fear as it unfolds before their eyes, while season four spent a lot of its time examining how we heal from trauma and loss. But season five thus far, has seemingly been devoid of those kinds of topics. Instead it has focused heavily upon what it means to be good to one another and why it is important to do so, and while that’s important to discuss in storytelling, this is a horror story. One set at the end of the world and it needs conflict to properly drive its tale and this lack of villains and commentary left me wondering where this series is headed for the remainder of this season. 

Well, as it turns out, the confusion and the seeming lack of depth to this season was apparently all part of some larger plan. For last night’s midseason premiere, ‘Channel 4’, took the time to provide us with what exactly this year’s adventures are getting at commentary wise, and it would seem that what this story is working toward is an examination on whether or not genuine good can exist within our world, since the evil of man tends to jeopardize everything wonderful that we work toward. And it arrived at this particular surprise in the most unique way possible, by having our characters put everything on the line in a documentary filmed by Althea and others to show what’s left of the world that there is a better way after all.

Which quite frankly, made for one unique and meta episode in its own right. Because it was a tad jarring at first to see characters that we watch on television, put together a documentary to be seen on television. But at the same time, this was a stroke of genius in its own right since it allowed for the talented actors of this series to add a level of candor and depth for their characters that we’ve never quite seen on this show and it didn’t take that long for this reviewer to be sucked into this narrative since it was compelling as can be and it offered up a few answers on what happened after the recent midseason finale. Take for example the fact that the group figured out how to make gas on their own, making Logan and his plans to steal the gas insolvent and good on them for abandoning him before he could cause more trouble. 

But what made this part of the story truly impressive, is the sheer fact that our band of heroes took their mission to help others to a whole new level in this tale. For they eventually ran into a woman named Tess who had locked herself within her home since the end of the world kicked off and she was of course, in need of help. Because, her asthmatic son was struggling with breathing and her husband had yet to return from a supply run with an inhaler, trapping her and her son within the house since their front yard was full of landmines and well, the crew risked everything to save her. But what matters more, is that the danger they placed themselves within, engendered trust from Tess, who finally left the house and helped Morgan when he was in need after learning her husband had passed on. And the point of this little vignette was clear; it was designed to remind us of what the series has been hammering home thus far about how we have to be better toward one another, and that kindness might solve more problems than we know.
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Which brings us to how the show tipped its hand about what it is looking to examine, since it presented us with a pair of real-world scenarios, in subtle fashion, to remind us that such a concept is easier said than done. Because we eventually ran into a man who saw this custom made tape at one of the supply outposts Morgan and company keep going to help those in need, and while he watched the tape and heard their message loud and clear, he opted to keep whatever supplies he needed to further his own journey. Something that served as a fine reminder that despite the fact we sometimes know what we need to do to make the world a different place, there are people who offer indifference on the matter and chug along to their own tune.

Yet while all of this was fascinating in its own right, the question as to whether or not good can win over all things in this world was posed by way of the surprise reveal that Logan survived his abandonment by the group, and well, it’s clear that he’s livid over the betrayal and the loss of something that would make him wealthy in the new world since fuel is quite the big deal now. Which means that his greed and unique brand of ‘evil’ are clearly going to be focal points in the future since he’s hellbent on getting revenge upon Morgan’s group, and he’s desperate to get his hands on that oil and that is what will challenge our group and this concept. For if Logan is beyond salvation, then the answer to that all-important question is no. But if by chance he can be saved and figure out that things are different in the world now, then the story may continue down quite the unique path as season five rolls on.

Either way, as far as midseason premieres go, this was hands down one of the most unique ones I’ve ever seen, and it was also one of the most unique zombie tales I’ve ever seen as well. Granted, first person filming is nothing new to the genre, but to throw a documentary feel into it and pose the questions this episode poses made it special to say the least and I really like how this one turned out. Because it really did allow for a unique and thought-provoking story to play out and I love the setup and reveal that this story brought our way and I find myself invested heavily now in what comes next. Because I’m curious to see if a horror story can resolve one of the greatest problems to ever plague our species and even if Morgan and his band of heroes fail, it’s going to be one hell of a fascinating ride in the weeks to come. Until next time. 

If there’s one thing people love when it comes to a story, it’s a happy ending. For joyful finales help provide us with hope, comfort and a sense of safety, and we enjoy those things because we know that in real life, happy endings aren’t always the norm. It’s one of the many reasons we enjoy the escape and safety of fiction, since we can find uplifting wonders within the framework of a story. But sometimes, the happy ending just isn’t possible when it comes to storytelling, and the characters we love must suffer as people often do in real life, and it just so happens that a sour ending is what awaited Captain Crozier and the men he commands in the season one finale of The Terror.
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For ‘We Are Gone’ was quite frankly an angry and twisted tale, one filled with surprises and sorrow and oddly enough, sacrifice and that’s perhaps the best place to start with this recap, since that storytelling element is what started this spiral into darkness. Because shortly after Crozier was brought into Hickey’s mutineer camp, Dr. Goodsir seemed to realize that the captain was likely going to be the men’s next meal, and rather than let that happen, he saw an opportunity to put an end to this madness by making it appear he had sacrificed himself for the good of his shipmates. But no one had a clue that Goodsir poisoned himself before passing into the great beyond, meaning that the next meal these men would enjoy would be a rotten one at best.

However, while it seemed that Goodsir did this for vastly different reasons, his decision ended up saving Crozier in unexpected fashion and it made the good doctor an inadvertent hero as well. For shortly after their poisoned meal, Hickey led the men on a quest to confront and defeat Tuunbaq, and it was during this journey that Hickey revealed he isn’t who he claims to be. In fact, he killed the real Hickey in order to escape Great Britain and all the trouble he’s caused has been to escape the country he despises and well, this wacky scheme was the last one he’d ever concoct. For Tuunbaq arrived after all and killed every last man but Crozier with ease, since so many were sick from their poisoned meal. But what kept the captain alive, was that this was Tuunbaq’s final battle as well, since it succumbed to the poison and its many other injuries before it could consume him. 

But the captain did not get out of this final battle unscathed, for Tuunbaq did injure him badly and thankfully, the return of Lady Silence (whose name we later learned is Silna) brought about his salvation, which in turn led him to the sorrow in question. For after Francis recovered from his injuries, including a lost hand, he and Silna came to discover the fate of the crews of Erebus and Terror and well, their trek toward civilization ended in horror. Because the captain and Silna found their last camp and found severed and cooked limbs and mutilated bodies, meaning the men gave into hunger and madness and lead poisoning, and it made Crozier the only surviving member of this expedition. And well, everything he’d seen on this voyage, especially when it comes to the evil of man, prompted him to stay out here with the Intuit people, all in the hopes of seemingly paying a penance for not bringing out the better of the men he was tasked with leading. 

If anything, this was a powerful way to end this harrowing tale, and the final shot of Captain Crozier hunting for seal was desolate and stunning to say the least, for he truly believed in that moment, this was the only fate appropriate for a man that watched a crew unravel. Which is fascinating since, none of this was his fault. For nothing he did truly prompted ‘Hickey’ to sow dissension, nor did his actions make the men worse and that is perhaps the greatest twist when it comes to The Terror in that, it was always about the evil within our hearts and how the right circumstances can bring it out. Which makes this story a chilling one to say the least, one that is still haunting me a day after finishing it and truly, I cannot wait to see how this show grows when season two premieres tomorrow, since it would seem Infamy is only going to up this show’s game by diving into social commentary as well. But in the here and the now, it’s best we applaud this particular tale, for being bold in its bleak nature and for providing us with a magnificent, old school horror story that truly captured the terrifying power of the most brutal monster of all. Until next time. 

I think it is safe to say that human beings are definitely one of the most resilient creatures on the planet. After all, we are able to fight off infections and beat other illness that threaten our livelihood since we truly have no greater predator on the planet outside of our own bodies. But, our ability to forge ahead extends beyond our ability to beat back a nasty cold. For our mental and psychological reserves are equally as strong and they allow for us to see another day when it seems as though there is no hope or exit from a sticky situation. If anything, this wonderful combination has allowed for our species to endure and bounce back time and time again, but there is a dark side to our abilities as well.
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For sometimes, when we are plunged into truly disastrous situations, the less evolved mental stuff bubbles to the surface. Specifically, that survival instinct that got our ancestors through far more difficult times than we will ever know, and when one puts those two elements together, what we become are terrifying beings, ones that are willing to use their cunning to do unspeakable things in order to see another sunrise and it just so happens, that our evolved sensibilities and darker survival instincts were put on full display in the next episode of The Terror, and combining these two elements into a single storyline, allowed for this series to provide us with its darkest episode to date.

Because ‘The C, the C, the Open C’ saw the now segregated crews of Erebus and Terror suffer like never before, and how they handled their respective situations is how the story explored the two elements in question, with Captain Crozier’s band of survivors handling the lighter side of things when it comes to how we work to survive. Which was fascinating to say the least since they faced some incredible odds. After all, most of the crew in Crozier’s camp was beginning to succumb to malnourishment and the lead poisoning flowing through their veins, and one by one the men began to pass away, starting with Mister Fitzjames and despite his pleas to have his body used to feed the men, Crozier refused to make that a reality and he refused to leave any of the sick behind. Because it was all about holding onto what they knew was right, so that they could hold their heads high once they returned to civilization.

Which stood in stark contrast to Hickey’s mutineer camp. For these men were lost and starving and desperate, and when presented with an opportunity to eat an ailing member of the crew, Hickey was quick to jump upon it and pushed Dr. Goodsir to his own mental limits by asking him to serve as the butcher to a taboo and disturbing meal. If anything, this made for some supremely unsettling television since nothing was held back during this sequence of events and to compound matters further, Hickey still had vengeance on his mind as well. Because he also sent his boys out to bring back Captain Crozier to hammer home his superiority and he was successful in that endeavor. But despite that setback for the captain’s camp, they are still soldering on, thanks to the fact that Francis demanded that they carry out what is potentially his final order… to live.

If anything, this was a supremely hard episode to watch, for it was completely devoid of hope and joy since we were privy to both camps in their darkest hours. And truly, Hickey’s bold decision in this tale haunts you for certain because that is crossing the ultimate line when it comes to our humanity and our morals. But he did it none the less and that act, combined with his continued attempt to bend the captain to his will, removed any wonder to be found over the fact that the Northwestern Passage was discovered after all. Yet while this was a tough episode to sit through, there is still one more chapter in this tale to enjoy, and when one considers how this episode comes to a close and the fact that Lady Silence’s people are working to control and contain Tuunbaq to bring balance back to their land, this particular tale truly set the stage for a powerhouse finale. One that will likely wrap this story up in harrowing and stunning fashion and well, it’s best I get back to the ice as soon as possible, to see how this story comes to its end. Until next time.