Fear the Walking Dead is a show that is always at its finest when it decides to go to the darkest corners of our imagination and our humanity. Those places where our own kind uncover a twisted way to make it through a world that has collapsed, and discover that incredible cruelty will serve them well in a world without rules. It's something unfortunately we have only seen in scattered form from the series and it's something that needed to make a comeback, considering last week's strange decisions with character development.

So in order to repair the damage done from that odd move with Madison, darkness reigned supreme on last night's episode, 'Date of Death', which turned out to be a tale where a father and son came to realize that they were on two different paths in the new world and one where a difficult and painful decision was made from that realization, one that will no doubt haunt Travis for quite some time, but before we get too deep into that choice and what it will mean going forward, let's take a moment and discuss how the series dealt with the silliness of transforming Madison from capable leader to a blubbering and bumbling mother, and her poor choice to flip on the hotel's lights in the middle of the night. 

It turns out that she created a beacon of hope for so many as the gates were quickly swarmed by people desperate to find food and shelter and her consequence for this choice, was the sheer regret of having to look these poor people in the eye and see their suffering first hand and engage in the decision to either let them in or force them to move on. That decision it seems, was a difficult one to make, that is until Travis showed up and was promptly let into the complex. So more or less, having Madison snap in that strange fashion, served as nothing more than a plot device and while that's still disappointing...it's forgivable because what came next was a tour de force in storytelling. 

Because while Madison was happy to see her husband, he was distant, distracted and broken, and when pressed about the whereabouts of his son, he only seemed to become more agitated before finally revealing to his wife that he 'had no choice' when it came to Chris and with a little trip back in time, we were able to discover just what happened at the farm shortly after the younger Manawa put a bullet into the poor farmer trying to figure out why a bunch of people were invading his farm house. It turns out that in those precious moments after the gun fight Travis was able to think quickly and save James' life when it came to the gunshot wound he suffered to his leg, stitching it shut and stabilizing the young man.

It seemed for a moment that saving James allowed everyone to forget about what transpired to earn James that wound in the first place, until Travis confronted Chris about his actions, demanding to know where his son's head was at and well, Chris flat out didn't seem to care much about what he had done. He truly saw it as a matter of kill or be killed and in this new world, those were the rules and nothing was going to change his mind about it. Not to mention, it was clear there was a certain sense of joy he got from the act, a thrill that seemed to surge through his veins and the confidence that came with that, led to a chilling moment where he pointed out that his father had done enough by saving James to stay in the group's good graces...for the moment. 

Of course, it didn't take long for that gratitude to fade, because after a week of tearing through the convenient food supplies on the farm, the boys grew restless and decided it was time to head back to the good ol' U.S. of A. and take James with them, but the young man simply wasn't physically ready, leading to the group to discuss the last option left on the table...putting James down. It was a move that Travis was in no way good with and after a stunning moment where he proved to the group just how far he's willing to go to save a life, he stayed with James, only to learn that his attempt to let the young man heal safely was a waste of time when his own son deceived him, allowing for the other boys to come in...and kill their own friend. In the wake of that awful moment, as the boys prepared to leave, Travis pleaded with his son one last time to stay with him...and was immediately brushed off as Chris informed his father, that he was simply too weak and unwilling to do what it takes to survive in a world like this to be near his own flesh and blood.  

It was a powerful and stunning act to see him leave his father like that and say what he needed to say, yet...we all know that Chris is absolutely wrong. He's consumed with blood lust and happy to let his anger at past events control his future, reinforcing that Travis was right all along and his actions were a beautiful counterbalance to the ugly acts that poured out of his son. After all, he paid respect to the dead, finding the farmer's ID and properly putting a name on his makeshift headstone, he risked his own life in order to keep James safe and even until that final moment with Chris, he tried desperately to inspire the young man, to show him there was a better way, and while he was unable to sway Chris...he succeeded in inspiring Madison to make every moment count, since she was able to finally tell her daughter the truth about what really happened to her father.

However, one has to wonder now if Travis can recover from this moment since it is tearing his soul to pieces bit by bit and all he can think about now his how he firmly believes that he failed as a father, and failed to honor his wife's dying wish to protect their son, and judging from the final moments of the episode...his sorrow may only grow. Because before the screen faded to black, we were treated to the image of more refugees coming to the gates, including the boys that Chris was happy to travel with...without Chris to be seen anywhere, and the mystery of what happened to the young man will hopefully be resolved in next week's two hour season finale. But in the here and the now, this was one hell of an episode, one that took us to some incredibly dark places and one that served as a reminder that Travis has it right...every life is precious and valuing that, is the only way forward when the world has fallen to pieces. Until next time.

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Exorcist and it is all about the story and the limits it pushed and overcame on the big screen. So why not take a look at a classic and see what we could do to make it that much better with a new cast and this should be pretty easy for me since I love horror movies and have plenty of ideas for some changes to one of the greatest horror movies of all time.

Father Merrin – Talk about some huge shoes to fill with Max von Sydow bringing his best to the role, but it is pretty easy for me, Stephen Lang. I never knew Stephen as anything other than a bit role here and there, but when he is on the screen, wow, you cannot look away. Besides the fact the he has played a priest before, he has the presence on the screen to keep you engaged. With a wide range, he also can bring some fun to the role as his jokes from The Monkey’s Paw continue to stick in my head whenever I see him on the screen. A very good tenured actor that could make you fear being damned, since he is never looking to pull any punches.

Sharon – The live in babysitter for Reagan played by the beautiful Kitty Winn would be hard to replace. Even though she does not get a ton of screen time in the first movie, she becomes more important as the series moves on, so you need an actress that can handle that. The movie lover in me would love to say Anna Kendrick, but she is not in the horror realm as of yet, so I will go with Sharni Vinson.  If you have not seen her performances on the screen yet, you need to see You’re Next and understand where I am coming from. Not needing help from anyone else, she shows that a woman can be the one you need to fear in that film and with a good acting range, she would be able to show enough terror when the house comes crumbling down.

Bruke Dennings – Say what you will, but Jack MacGowran made this bit role into one of my favorite characters in the movie, a drunken mess of a director. While every bone in my body says to go young with this role, I want a tenured actor and have come up with Jeff Fahey. I just know in my heart that he would kill in this role and some slight flirtation with Chris might do him some good. I like the range that Jeff has shown over the years, but my favorite character still has to be J.T. from Planet Terror, since he was a mess that was able to pull himself together in the end. Just showing how much he cares for his number one star and her daughter would be more than enough to warrant another drink to come his way.

Father Karras – Being a fighter, a psychologist and a priest, Jason Miller really made this role his own and there are very few people that could follow him up. This one is actually causing me an issue and I never thought that it would, but it comes down to a horror movie veteran or someone that has dabbled in the genre, I have to go with the veteran for this one, A. J. Bowen. It seems like all of his characters change slightly in every movie that he does, but looking at him from The Sacrament, it is hard to make any other choice. Being able to listen and put together pieces to solve the problems at hand seem to be a trait that Father Karras encompasses and A.J. is one of those actors that has been able to do this for years.

Regan – This was the first person I thought about when making up this new casting blog and to replace the fantastic Linda Blair, I think that Abigail Breslin is the only one.  Even though she might be a little old to do it now, the younger version of her from Zombieland captured my heart and watching her turn into a zombie in Maggie, there is just no better choice. There is something about what she brings to the screen that draws people in and in every one of her roles, she steals the spotlight from everyone else. I really liked watching her kick ass in Final Girl and Haunter and even as a young veteran of the horror industry, she brings a huge upside to any show or movie that she joins on with.

Well, there you have it, how I would recast The Exorcist if I had the chance. I stayed with the horror community of actors for this one since I know it is a bit better than just pulling names out of a hat. This one was a bit more difficult than I expected it to be since there are so many great actors and actresses out there and so many more that are in the independent circuit that only hardcore horror fans would know. I might try this again, but use more of the unknowns that I have fallen in love with over the years of watching the indies, you never know. But that will have to wait, since my head has been fried and I need a scary movie to clear it.  Until next time, Stay Scared.

Our lives are surrounded with decisions that have to be made on an hourly basis. They can range from what to eat for breakfast, if that breakfast should be hot dogs, or which bar you should go to after work. Every decision that you make leads to something in the future that you might not be planning for and while it does not seem like something that would matter, it eventually does. You have to be mindful about this, since there are many years to come that you or someone else might look back upon and your poor decisions and they will leave you high and dry.
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Pulling Lucy out of the car at gunpoint, Frank knows what will need to be done, but Lucy has no idea what will become of her. When Tony is ready to pull a body out of the trunk, Lucy is forced to help him in the removal and since it is a big guy, it will take some extra muscle. Laying the body on the ground, Tony goes to work with his axe and hacks the body to pieces. While watching, Lucy looks back on what she did to get here and it all stems from her love for Johnny who is the only man that can make her feel like a woman.

Flashing back, Lucy is working at Ruth’s Bar and watching as Johnny and Ruth are making out in a booth. With eyes on her, Ruth knows that the young woman could be a distraction for the lovers, but she allows Johnny to have a little bit of leeway. Taking the waitress back to the office, Johnny wants to show Lucy how much he cares for her and when the aging Ruth trusts him enough, he will get the combination to the safe that will give the couple a new life. But Ruth comes back to the office before the two can leave and this time with an old family friend. Willard has been fencing diamonds through Ruth’s dead husband's name for years, but this most recent delivery is crap according to the old mob wife. Knowing that she has been taken advantage of, Ruth takes care of business the best way she knows how and kills the old family friend, but it is not just her boys that witness this act as the next to nude Lucy is discovered.

Taking the body of Willard out to be hacked up, Lucy is forced to watch, but now Frank is ready to see Lucy be sliced into little pieces. Having Lucy give him her skirt and blouse, Frank has to wait for Tony to get done with the other body before Lucy meets her maker. Wanting Johnny to take care of the situation, Ruth sends her boy toy out to shoot the young waitress like he has done with so many other women. With a gleam of hope, Lucy believes that Johnny loves her more than the old woman and might have a chance at being let go. With only seconds to think about what will happen, Johnny could turn from the hand that feeds him and make a life with Lucy, or he could stay with the sure bet in Ruth and end his cheating ways.

This is quite the season finale, as you get to have two ways of thinking when it comes to Johnny and Lucy. Appearing to be a con man Johnny is taking care of business with the older Ruth to get the combination of her safe and take her for all that she is worth. Lucy believes that the con is working and she gets to have a piece of Johnny whenever they can find time, but there might be more to what Ruth brings to the table than just money. Starring Kate Vernon as Lucy, John Stamos as Johnny, Robert Picardo as Frank, Frank Stallone as Tony, Johnny Williams as Willard and Eileen Brennan as Ruth.  A total gangster love triangle that can only leave one woman standing and it might be the safe bet to remember who has always been in charge. Until next time Kiddies, Stay Scared.

Creating great advances can and often come with great risks. Not knowing how they will be perceived by the public, much less if they can make it out of the testing phase, a great deal of money can be thrown towards them and never be returned. It does not matter what the situation is as there is so much that can go wrong at every stage of the process, even it if it is something that can change the world for the better, there will be speed bumps that can keep it from being created on a large scale. Make sure to keep your inventions and break throughs small to start with, that is until you are able to get a backer that is willing to lay it all on the line for you, or else you can lose everything, even your research when something goes wrong.

Needing to find the next big thing, Roger Lassen and his team venture down to the rain forest to see what they can find in the way of preservatives. Joining a local tribe, the group has found something that may be able to change the world forever, but it will come with a price.  Seeing how the enzymes of this new compound work on the human body, since everyone that is buried in the rain forest do not deteriorate, Roger and his team have practical applications that they will have to test to make sure it will work for what they want it to do, but that will have to be done in America. Needing to leave, Roger knows that he will have to give the tribe a proper tribute for their time and effort with the new compound, meaning that he will have to leave one of his crew behind to be sacrificed by these native people and he chooses Alex for that honor.

Six years in the making and Roger has his new cash cow ready to reveal to the world, but there is a little hiccup in the process when one of his workers has been found dead, injected with the preservative.  Not having any idea who could have been behind this and seeing as to how the note that is left on the body does not make sense to Roger, the Detective assigned to the case needs to know if he has any enemies. Not knowing of any, at least any that are alive, Roger returns home to see someone has broken in and vandalized the place. With the same phrase being written on the wall, 'I have not forgotten or forgiven', Roger knows that it has to be the same person who committed the murder, but does not know who that person could be. Finding a special gift for him as well, a two faced voodoo doll that bares a brief resemblance to him, all he can come up with is that it has to be someone from his visit to the rain forest that wants to cause him harm.

Getting word from his right-hand man Colin that the FDA has put the brakes on the approval of the compound is not helping Roger’s cause and he needs to find a way to get it pushed through as soon as possible. Being urged to see an old friend who was on the expedition to the rain forest, Roger finds another dead body that has been filled with the compound, along with having the same note left on his body. As his headaches continue to grow out of control, Roger is forced to call a doctor for help, but before he can return home from the office, he gets a visit from a special friend that he believed was long gone. Alex has been waiting six years to see his old boss and this time he has a message for him. He reveals that Roger has been cursed and that he is the true killer that everyone has been searching for, and a quick demonstration with Roger's handwriting proves this to be true. Knowing that this specter of past employee could be right, Roger passes what he knows on to Dr. Beneloy who may have a way to free the high powered evil man from the spell and shadow of death that have been released on the world, but does Roger really want it to go away?

Kind of a dark look at how far somebody would go to make a profit, but I would not be surprised if this really happens on a daily basis. Wanting to be the first group to roll out the preservative of the future, Roger Lassen will stop at nothing to make it his find and no one else’s, but when he finds out that he may be the mad murderer, he tries to change his views. I would like to say that when the evil is released from Roger that he is a better man, but nothing seems to change in his eyes and he wants to preserve what is best about him, it’s actually really sad. Starring Clancy Brown as Roger Lassen, Martin Kove as the Detective, Charles Martin Smith as Colin, Jon Tenney as Alex and Cheech Marin as Dr. Beneloy.  I really like how this cast was able to showcase their talents to the max and Cheech in war paint is just a sight to see. Until next time Kiddies, Stay Scared.

During last night's episode of Fear the Walking Dead, there was a dialogue exchange from the 1985 zombie horror film Day of the Dead that kept running through my mind. In that moment, a character named Sarah expresses her disdain over the fact that everyone isn't working together and 'pulling in different directions' and another character named John points out that she is simply facing one of the world's biggest and oldest problems since 'people got different ideas concerning what they want out of life.'

That exchange kept flashing through my mind simply because of the fact that 'Pillar of Salt' was the living embodiment of what John said in that film. Sure at first at seemed as though things were peachy and wonderful, since everyone at the hotel was working together, but it didn't take long for personal agenda and desires to allow for all of that to come crashing down when the mother of the bride decided to stab Strand for putting down her resurrected daughter and that one single act, would set in motion a series of mental disasters from our characters that made for one frustrating episode, since a good chunk of the positive character development we experienced last week was wiped away in a matter of moments.

But despite those head shaking moments, there was one bright spot character wise, Ofelia. She of course has been gone from our minds for weeks now, potentially dead or worse, resurrected and last night we finally caught up with her to learn that her character was on a mission to find closure. Having never known the fate of her fiancé in the midst of the zombiepocalypse, and now free of any responsibility or ties to her parents, we learned she is now on the road back to the United States in order to find out if indeed her love has survived the worst of the mess in New Mexico. If he has, no doubt happiness will ensue, but if not...well, this could end in similar melancholy fashion like 'Pablo and Jessica' did, where she is fully prepared to give her love peace if his corpse is still walking around.

There was also a solid sense of hope pouring from this episode as well when it came to the Colonia and Nick, since it is clear now that Nick truly cares for the people within its walls and is now willing to go the extra mile to ensure their safety. But that hope was quickly dashed thanks to Alejandro, and personal agenda since while the people believe in the man, it is evident now that he truly has no plan for them outside of waiting it out and that comfort in a time of need is no longer a concern for him. He believes everyone must suffer and suffer hard in the name of the Lord and his decision to not get the drugs to the gang is a risky one to say the least, and all of this comes from the fact that one of his scouts decided to leave for greener and better pastures.

Oddly enough, that plot line allowed for Nick's world and Madison's new world to finally come together, since Elena knows where they can find supplies to save Strand's life from his newfound wound and that involves making a trip to the gang's hideout to trade something of value. That part was easy to come by with the hotel having power back on line, but this exchange for medical supplies brings us at last to the grand frustration that I made mention of a little bit ago. 

Because while at the Mercado, Madison overhears the gang leader's interrogation of Alejandro's scout and politely asks Elena to translate for her. It doesn't take long for word of a Caucasian kid with ratty hair to come into the discussion and Madison firmly believes they are discussing Nick, leading her to confront the scout, begging to know if indeed it is her son they are speaking of. This desperate gesture on her part quickly makes the situation confrontational, and damn near costs the group the trade. But thankfully they get the supplies they need for Strand and return to the hotel, where Madison once again makes another boneheaded move, flipping on the lights for the hotel in the middle of the night where anyone and everyone, including Travis in the distance...can see it.

So with that in mind, let's talk about that paradigm shift in Madison's character because it didn't make any sense. Last week, she was someone determined to put a life together for her daughter and newfound family. She stopped at nothing to inspire everyone to do more, be more and in the process became a powerful and trustworthy leader. Heck we even saw her taking advice from Strand before making an important decision. So how on earth does she go from being all those wonderful things, to a prototypical horror character that makes stupid decisions that endanger everyone? Yes, I get that she loves her son and always will. Yes I get that she wants him safe and needs to trust him more. But to flip on the lights like that, so that everyone can see the hotel and to become a blubbering mess in that fashion? It's disappointing to say the least, and well...it wipes out the progress she made last week.

It also seemed wholly unnecessary. Sure I get that the episode was about the dangers of personal agendas getting in the way of survival, but Madison didn't need to be the one to create danger from it. The group will no doubt lose all faith in her when people come in spades to the hotel looking for shelter and that's a shame. She was about to become the focal point character wise this show needed and I can only hope that this was designed and she is going to redeem herself. Either way, in looking at the bigger picture, chaos is clearly coming for everyone, since now the gang knows where the Colonia is, and someone other than Travis saw the lights for the hotel. We come to expect that of course, I just wish we came to chaos under circumstances that didn't include having our characters take a step back in their development, but it should be interesting to see what kind of consequences come from Madison's moment of weakness. Until next time.

Every day you hear of a new scam that has been unhatched by someone that wants to take your money. These con-people are looking to make the fast buck off of people that want the same thing, they just don’t know that they are the target.  It is almost next to impossible these days not to be hit up by one of these people with phone numbers and email addresses flying around out there. Ninety-nine percent of the time the things that you receive are from somebody just trying to take advantage of you, so you need to stay on your toes to make sure you are not one of the unlucky victims that you hear about on the news.

While digging in the graveyard, Jerry and Gina are starting to talk about their long term goals. As Jerry is always looking for the quick hit, Gina wants to make her money last from the perfect cons that she has been able to run. The two are ready to go at it again when Larry starts yelling from his grave, since he could suffocate if not removed very soon. Not wanting to listen to the two lovebirds keep chirping about how great they both are in bed, he starts to lay into Gina, but Jerry will not have anyone talk about his new lady like that and puts him back into the grave. With twenty grand from their latest score, it is time to move up to the next level and before long, Gina will be able to double her money that she has had saved up for so long.

Heading to a small hick bar, Gina puts her game face on and starts ranting about how awful her job really is. Working in the oil industry, she consistently gets crapped on by her bosses and is only paid to keep her mouth shut. Getting the attention of the boys at the table, Jerry comes in and announces that they have struck oil. Needing to report in to his bosses about what has been found, Gina offers her worker five grand to keep the word mum until she can figure out how to screw the company. The boys want in on the deal as well, so Petermeyer, Carty, William and Spider all offer to throw in five grand themselves, bringing Jerry’s payoff to twenty-five thousand dollars. With that being too much money to pass up, Jerry agrees to hold off on his findings for one week, but all the news is not good since the oil that has been found in the area is under the local graveyard.

Needing to find a way to secure the rights to the oil, Petermeyer and his gang come up with a plan on how to acquire all of the land surrounding the grave yard. Needing seventy-two thousand dollars apiece to buy the land, Gina’s eyes get wide and she is willing to invest since she has that much in her savings. With the deal made, Jerry cannot believe that his partner would put her own money on the line but he realizes that she has become overly greedy. Leaving her alone, Jerry is picked up by Petermeyer and his boys who catch him taking all of their money out of the bank. Going according to plan, Gina carries through with her end and when Jerry is buried in the graveyard with all of the cash, she is ready to make the biggest payday of her carrier, but there is one little problem, Jerry stops by to say hi before she can dig him up. Quickly finding out what is happening to her as Jerry has his own crew, she is going to be left with nothing, except maybe some crude oil.

Just your classic tale of deceit as the con artists try to play each other for their riches. Gina is so proud of herself and how well she has been able to do over the years, she makes it known that she has a little fortune and that widens the eyes of her partners Larry and Jerry.  Knowing that she is greedy, Jerry and his pals come up with their own plan to swindle her out of her money and Gina never sees it coming. Kind of a sad way for a good con-person to go out, but at least she went out with a bang. Starring Lou Diamond Phillips as Jerry, Pricilla Presley as Gina, Nobel Willingham as Petermeyer, Alan Ruck as Carty, Steve Kahan as William, Rory Calhoun as Spider and a special appearance by John Kassir (the voice of the Crypt Keeper) as Larry. Another great heavy hitting cast that Tales from the Crypt has been able to assemble and make the story that much better.  Until next time Kiddies, Stay Scared!

It is hard to believe that there was a time when the smart kids were looked down upon. Being able to take good notes, pass all of the tests and study when needed, everyone thought they were losers. Thank goodness times have changed, especially when we see these geeks running businesses and creating all kinds of things that are making our world an easier place to live. You live and you learn that getting through school is all about grades, but when you are able to apply it to real life, you may find that there is a little something more to it.

Professor Finley is a master in the subject of Egyptology and wants everyone in his class to feel as passionate about it as he does. When giving his lecture on Ramseth, the mummy that would never die, he decides to pick on his least favorite student Reggie. As Reggie is more focused on playing football than listening to his lectures, Finley knows that it will be easy to embarrass him in class so hopefully he will try harder. With midterms coming up, a failing grade would ruin Reggie’s chances of playing football, so he has to find a way to prove to the professor that he is not just a silly jock.

Working in the lunch hall, Stella is approached by Reggie who needs a huge favor. Wanting to study with Finley’s best student, Reggie is able to set up a study date at the library, but he has something else on his mind. When coming clean about not wanting to study, but instead find a way to cheat to get a passing grade, Reggie uses his powers of persuasion over the bookworm and gets her to agree to his plan. Wanting Stella to distract the professor at his home, Reggie will be able to sneak in and get a copy of the midterm so he can pass the test. Although Stella is against the plan, she decides to go along with it, especially if she and Reggie can become an item.

Going along with the plan, Stella steps into Finley’s home and sees that he has many great artifacts hidden away from the world in his basement, even a tomb. Inviting her in to inspect it, Stella takes notice that the torches are lit and something sinister is about to happen. As her professor tries to force her into staying, she calls for help, but when Reggie comes to the rescue, she finds that the two men are working together. Being trapped in the tomb with the mummy, Stella thinks back to what she learned in class and will use every ounce of her knowledge to stay safe from the lovelorn mummy. While upstairs, Reggie has changed his deal with Finley and now not only wants to pass the professor’s class, but wants some money in return as well for bringing Stella as a sacrifice. But Finley knows more about the world than Reggie will give him credit for and has already started the art of embalming Reggie's body. With one student dead and the other being taken care of by Ramseth, Finley believes his night is over, when in reality his night is just getting started...

What can I say, I am a sucker for anything that has to do with ancient Egypt and this episode brought it back to life for me once again. With the lore being explained about Ramseth, you find out that he had only one love and when he was not able to marry her before he died, he comes back every year for an offering of a new maiden. The lore is great, along with all of the facts about the ancients that was put on screen once again, I love it. Starring Jeffrey Jones as Professor Finley, Anthony Michael Hall as Reggie, Nina Siemaszko as Stella and Ivan E. Roth as the mummy Ramseth. I would hope that people would want to know more about the ancients, especially the ones of Egypt after watching this, because you never know when a mummy will come knocking on your door. Until next time kiddies, Stay Scared.

The road to becoming the best is filled with hard work and failure, but once you are able to persevere, the rewards are magical. There are no shortcuts on this journey and why should there be?  You are the one striving for perfection, so you need to understand that there is no easy way to accomplish it before you reach it. Getting help from others on your quest is acceptable, but there is something to be said about learning from your own mistakes. It may seem like you will never reach your goal, but when all is said and done, you know you reached it on your own and have the scars to prove it.

It seems like no matter what Mile Federman does, he cannot get his act to work. While on stage performing one of his mentor’s grand illusions, it continues to fall short and now he is seeing it in the crowd turnout as well. After the show ends, Miles retreats to his room and takes out his frustration on his assistant Greta for leaving in the middle of the show. Even though it was his fault why she had to step off stage, he is not going to allow anyone to make him look like a failure. While seeing her boss sulk, Greta notices the amulet hanging around his neck is the one that belonged to her former employer, Zorbin the Magnificent. 

Asking about where he got the piece, Miles loses his mind and admits to killing his mentor to get his tricks. While Greta is dumbfounded about what is happening, she leaves the hall only to be approached by Franz Kraygen. Making his way back to see Miles, Franz has an offer for the struggling magician to come and see his show. Not staying in one place for too long, Franz is a master of his craft and hopes to gain the approval of Miles before he moves on. Not really wanting to acknowledge the competition, Miles quietly goes to the show to see a packed house, along with his old assistant on stage with the old timer. Not knowing what to expect from the show, the Box of Death is brought out on stage and Franz offers to prove to the crowd that death is only an illusion. 

As the trick is set up, the box is surrounded by swords that will enter from the sides and a bowl of sulfuric acid that will drop onto the head of anyone that is inside of the box. As the safety rope is cut and the swords fly in and the acid drops, Franz appears to be dying in the box, but after the lights dim, the old illusionist shows up fine in the middle of the stage. Meeting with Miles, Franz is happy to tell the young magician his secrets, but when he sees that Miles wants more than that from him, he keeps one final secret to himself. After killing Franz, Miles is now the owner of the Box of Death and with a packed house, he is ready to woo the audience once more. Getting a visit from Thomas Miller before the show and accepting an offer to have his show taped so the entire world can see it, Miles is on edge to make sure everything is perfect, but unlike every other magician, he fails to make sure all of his equipment is functioning properly. 

There is only one way Miles knows how to get to the top, and that is by taking out his competition. With it not catching up to him thus far, Miles is not above killing for a trick that he could not perform on his own. He should have been more hesitant to do the Box of Death since he still had not perfected Zorbin the Magnificent’s fire trick yet, but he soon finds out that there is more to magic than just having the tricks, you need to have the show as well. Starring Billy Zane as Miles Federman, Maryam d’Abo as Greta, Martin Sheen as Franz Kraygen, and Thomas Miller as Zorbin the Magnificent. This is a beautiful look into how far someone will go to be the best, but not do it on their own. Until next time kiddies, Stay Scared.

Trying to prove yourself to someone may seem overrated at times, but it is a way of life. No matter the situation, your actions always speak louder than words and having to show that you are better than the opposition is one thing that will never go away. When trying to prove yourself however, you need to be smart in your actions, as you may be put into a situation where you may not want to be and forced to do something out to the ordinary that could lead to repercussions. Just remember that since actions speak volumes about who you can be, words will always be what defines you in the end.

Pledge leader Les Wilton is having the time of his life by tormenting pledges in his frat house for over six years. With his new batch, Henderson, Waters and Arling, he has a long road ahead to make them into fraternity men that the house deserves. While tormenting the young pledges, the doorbell rings with a new face that nobody has seen around campus, Mona; who is looking for a fraternity house to pair with hers.  Being on probation, the house leader Tex is a little bit weary of the offer and Les is willing to take it to the next level. While being invited to Mona’s house for a party, the boy frat is holding their final initiation night and although the girls cannot be involved, they can join the party.

Heading to the Cougher house, the pledges are blindfolded and forced to walk the final stint while reciting the history of the house. As it has gotten its name from an old man that never stopped coughing, the scary part of the history is that his family was cut to pieces by an axe. As the boys arrive at their ‘haunted’ location, they are given their directions on what to do when entering the house. Needing to make their way to the second floor and then the attic seems like an easy task, but Les and his buddy Sparks have the house wired up with gags all over the place. While Henderson is the first to enter the house, the scares are not too great for him, but he does not indicate that he has made it to the attic. 

While watching and listening outside, Les is happy with the overall effects, but the chainsaw sound effect is not doing it for him and he demands that Sparks leave it off of the playlist. Waters enters the house next and seeing some of tricks that are being presented finds an arm lying in the hallway and throws it down at Les. As Arling is watching the house, he knows that there is someone else in there and he matches the description of the old cougher, but has to prove to himself and everyone else that he is not afraid, especially Mona who is encouraging him from the sidelines. Being attacked by who he thinks is the Cougher, the rest of the frat runs in to see what is happening to him. Coming clean about the house’s actual history, Les is forced to find the other pledges, but with all of the gags being turned off, he quickly finds that there is someone else in the house that is looking to get even with him.

I am a firm believer that haunted houses should never get retrofitted with anything to enhance the experience. I am sure that Les would not hesitate to agree with me on that after he finds what is waiting for him in the attic. It is great watching as the new pledges try to band together to take Les down and Les after he is forced to go into the unknown…alone. Being good at his job, he has created many enemies and is afraid that some of them might be looking to take him out.  Starring Kevin Dillon as Les, Michael DeLuise as Sparks, Brian Krause as Tex, Courtney Gains as a Frat Boy, Keith Coogan as Waters, Jason London as Henderson, Wil Wheaton as Arling and Meredith Salenger as Mona. A great little haunted house story that goes to prove that you never know who might be out to get you. Until next time, Stay Scared.