If there’s one thing that cinema as a whole loves to make use of, it’s formula. Because a century of filmmaking has shown every single director and producer out there, that it doesn’t matter what genre you’re diving into, sticking to a tried and true formula should guarantee your film some level of success with audiences everywhere. It’s simply the safest route to go when it comes to movie making and it’s why we see so many motion pictures that offer familiar elements and storylines time and time again.
 
But, sometimes there are filmmakers that come along that feel the need to buck the trends and the norms of Hollywood and I think we can all agree that the end result of such a move is often mixed. Because we’ve all seen films that are far too experimental in their own right to resonate with an audience, but, once in a while, someone hits pay dirt, and they figure out exactly how to add a fresh new twist on the tried and true formula and recently, I had the opportunity to see such a film, one that found a way to reinvent the serial killer story in The Basement.
 
Now in this particular film we are introduced to a man named Craig Owen, who seemingly has it all. After all, Craig is a successful musician, and said success allows for him to live in comfort inside a massive and beautiful home with his lovely wife Kelly. But on one average night, Craig’s life is suddenly turned upside down when he finds himself unexpectedly kidnapped by the Gemini Killer, a serial killer that’s been terrorizing Los Angeles and unfortunately for Craig, this twisted monster has big plans for Mister Owen. Because instead of providing him with a swift and brutal death, Gemini wants to play a little game, one that puts Craig squarely in the madman’s shoes and playing along with this twisted game may be the only way he lives to see another day. 

​So, earlier I made mention of the fact that I felt as though this motion picture reinvents the serial killer sub-genre of films and I stand by that, simply because the Gemini Killer is unlike any other serial killer we’ve seen in film. Normally, these guys (and the occasional gal) are blood thirsty and calculating and chilling in every sense of the word, and they go up against someone noble and just before finding themselves in jail. But here, Gemini, whose actual name is Bill, is nothing more than a broken soul who uses murder to conduct his own twisted brand of therapy, to the point where he fantasizes about being caught through his victims and well, that’s just brilliant.
 
Because he kills not for a cause, but out of self-loathing and one could write for days on that notion alone, but how Bill goes through this process is what makes the film so delightful because it’s fascinating to watch him transform into the various characters that exist within his fantasy and it is equally as intriguing to watch Craig desperately play along when he realizes it may be his only way out and the only way this works, is with quality performances and you’ll find that in spades here as well. Because Jackson Davis is utterly brilliant as Bill ‘The Gemini Killer’ Anderson since Jackson does such a fine job of transforming into the various people that Bill has created in his mind and he is complimented nicely by Cayleb Long’s performance as Craig Owen since he brings a genuine sense of confusion and terror to the table as well.
 
But, if you’re worried that this movie makes Bill’s pain a priority over gore and scares in a serial killer flick, have no fear, there are plenty of twisted and disturbing and bloody moments to be found in this story and quite frankly, they shock you and surprise you since they pop up at the just right time; shortly after you’ve been sucked into another chapter of Bill’s painful story. Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed this motion picture. It was simply a charming and disturbing delight to watch and it even features a twist ending that I won’t reveal here because you need to see this one as soon as possible, because not only does it have something for every single horror fan out there, it’s simply a solid horror film when all is said and done.  

It can be easy to get caught up in old stories of riches and people still follow them today. With so many old treasures still not being found, along with gold deposits that are yet to be revealed, it is easy to believe that you might be the lucky person that will find it first. Listening to the stories, you can take away something different from it than others have and make your own assumptions as to where the riches lie. But you must remember that you are not the only person looking for the treasure and the places that you visit may have a different story to tell than you have heard before.

Traveling to the former war ridden land of Vietnam, Professor Steve, his student and lover Rachel, Anita and Jez are ready to find an old mine that was lost to time. With stories being told to the locals about a French Mine that was riddled with gold, the group is looking to make it rich, but it will not be easy to come by. Traveling down a river and hitting some rapids, the group is tossed from their boat, but when setting up camp they find that some of the stories may be true. Gold panning in the shallows, Steve finds a small stash of gold and is ready to make it much more in the following days.

Sitting by the fire and telling stories about what happened in the area back during the Vietnam War, Anita and Rachel have ties to it from their relatives. Hearing something in the woods, Jez is quick to pull out his newly purchased gun and points it into the darkness only to find a local that has a warning for them. The Guide is happy to show the group out of the forest as soon as possible but seeing that the group is not willing to turn around he warns them that the river will not allow them to keep the gold and that there is a Greater Evil in the forest that is coming after them. As The Guide moves closer to the group, Jez has a knee jerk reaction and accidentally shoots the old man. 

Coming up with a plan of his own, Steve has the group move the body to an easily accessible spot by the river and they will make their way to the closest town in the morning. As morning comes however, the group discovers that their boats are missing, along with the body of The Guide. Returning to the camp to find it torn to shreds, the group believes that they are being hunted by a drug cartel that could be hiding out in the forest, but it turns out to be something much more sinister than that. Waking up in the middle of the night to someone stalking the camp, Anita comes face to face with a solider from the Vietnam War who is ready to be rescued, but after explaining that he has been left behind, Anita continues to see that there are many more lost souls in the forest. Needing to try and find a way out of the forest is first and foremost for the group who does not believe their colleague, but they quickly find out that the forest will be feeding on their darkest fears.

I must admit that when reading the description of this movie I thought that there would be a full-blown Vietnam Battle being shown and while you get a little bit of gunfire, so much was left to the imagination. I liked how the storyline focused on the men left behind after the war came to an end and how the troops escaped one hell to find themselves in another. The driving force for each character was forced to change as the story played on, with the need for gold turning into the need for survival when they ran out of rations, which was nice and made the characters a little more likeable. With a cover up being exposed, many lost souls from a war, a Guide who no one listens to, a little bit of gun fire and a forest full of fears coming to life, this is a pretty good little ghost story that deals with moving on, along with what might actually happen when people discover there is no escape. Stay Scared.

Making a house a home is something that takes time and is never done in one night. While many people have to relocate to find the perfect job or place that they can afford, we find that some of the places that we live or lived were really never home to us. Finding that perfect place that you will stay for the rest of your lifetime is difficult, but once you do find the perfect situation, you have to take it. Not knowing what the future will hold is something that frightens many people, especially when they get older and nothing seems to be coming together, so it is important to stick with it and keep your head up, because if you don’t want to see what the future has in store, you are missing out on the game.
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With money blowing a hole in their pockets, Evelyn and her new husband Charles are ready to move up in life to a new home. Arriving at a massive house that was owned by a famous actress, they find out that the price is right up their alley and are ready to make an offer, but there is a catch, the actress was killed in the house and her body was never found. As Evelyn is not sure about the backstory of the house, it does not shake Charles one bit and he is ready to put in an offer, because they will not find a better deal in their lifetimes. Accepting this, Evelyn caves in and lets her daughter, Danielle know that this will be the new place that they will be calling home.

After taking a break from moving boxes up to her room, Danielle spots a strange shadow looming in the guest house and wants to know who it could be. Finding the keys to guesthouse, she heads over to find that her step-father will be using this area as his office and does not want the young woman snooping around in it. Knowing that there is something out of the ordinary going on in the house, Danielle makes her way down to the mailbox to see what they got for the day and gets greeted by her neighbor Natalie who is happy to see someone living in the house after the past couple years of the house being vacant.  But there is more to the house than Danielle knows, as Natalie tells her the story of the actress that lived there, thus filling in who the shadow could be that is lurking in the hallways. 

Keeping this in the back of her mind, Danielle settles in for the night and gets a haunting visit from the spirit that is looming in the house. Trying to explain to Charles what is going on with her, her step-father shoots down the story to her imagination playing tricks on her and confirms to her that they will not be moving from the house whether it is haunted or not. But the spirit in the house will not accept that as Danielle becomes a target and is shown everything that happened in the house on one-night years ago when Stephanie Halstead was brutally murdered by her producer. Trying to tell her parents what is happening in the house, nobody will believe her and she is forced to look for outside help in dealing with the occult, but that may not be enough as she finds out that there was something much more sinister that happened in the house and it will not stop unless she can free the spirit of Stephanie to help protect her.

This one features a bit of a different spin on the haunted house story and that and the story’s look at immortality caught me off guard in a good way because I liked this movie, which also goes by the name Cold Blood Canyon. It would be very disconcerting for any child to have strange things happening to them and not have their parents believe them and that added an abundance of tension to the storyline. I liked how Danielle was able to make new friends quickly in her new surroundings, but I did not like the Jeff aspect of the story, because he really did not serve a purpose to the story, other than being the token horny guy. With a ghost in the house, flying nail polish, a creepy shadow, a locked off room, disturbing images from the past and a mystery that needs to be solved to save a broken family, this is a pretty good ghost story with a fun ending. While I doubt I will ever want to live in a haunted house, I sure would like to visit some more of them to see what is going on, mainly because I want to see a ghost. Stay Scared.

​While I do my best to enjoy just about every single genre of cinema out there, simply because I never know what wonders will await me when it comes to a particular film, I honestly struggle to enjoy musicals when all is said and done. Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with them because I’ve seen some fun ones in my day, but it’s incredibly difficult for me to get excited about seeing one and I find it’s hard to keep my mind focused on them when I do settle in to watch one. 
 
I’m not exactly sure why they don’t tickle my creative fancy and that’s okay. Because what matters more is that they make plenty of people happy and if someone recommends one to me, I’ll make sure to make the time and watch it, because hey, you never know whether or not I’ll find a musical that tickles my fancy and in all honesty, keeping that kind of philosophy when it comes to this particular genre has paid off in spades. For while my wall of movies is filled to the brim with zombie flicks and superheroes and aliens from another world, there are in fact a few musicals on the shelves as well, and one of my all-time personal favorites, is the 1986 iteration of Little Shop of Horrors.
 
Now for those of you unfamiliar with this film, it’s a science fiction/horror themed musical about a lonely and forgotten man named Seymour Krelborn, who finds his life turned upside down when a beautiful plant arrives on Earth after a total eclipse of the sun. Because this magnificent piece of greenery, named Audrey II (after the woman he loves), can talk, and it craves blood and it’s done a fine job of enticing Seymour to do its bidding and if Seymour cannot figure out how to free himself from its bloodthirsty machinations, his life and the life of everyone he’s ever cared about is going to be in jeopardy since Audrey II has some terrifying (and delicious) plans for the future of mankind…

So, let’s not waste any time and discuss exactly what it is that makes this film so memorable and so wonderful, and that’s the musical numbers. Because everyone involved with this motion picture clearly figured out what exactly would take a musical to the next level and perfect songs are the key to that and well, the ones in this movie are downright flawless. Because every single song in this film is incredibly catchy, and they get you moving, and these toe-tapping tunes suck you into what is in fact, a wild and crazy film, because let’s be honest, the plot is pretty over the top. 
 
But the true magic of this film, is the sheer fact that an outlandish plot never spirals out of control and that’s thanks in large part to the acting and the special effects. Because the cast (Rick Moranis in particular), do a fine job of playing their roles just straight enough so that the crazier moments in the story have gravity and my goodness, is Audrey II a true marvel when it comes to practical special effects. Because this wicked plant really is a living and breathing character in this story, adding realism to the whole experience, and I tip my cap to the effects team and actor Levi Stubbs (who provides Audrey II’s voice) for making this character work so well on screen.
 
If anything, this film is just downright fun, and the added cameos from Steve Martin, John Candy and Bill Murray only further enhance that since they are just a delight in their respective roles and when all is said and done, this really is a modern classic when it comes to musicals. It’s unique, it’s silly and it really struck a chord with audiences everywhere thanks to its charm and catchy tunes and I know that every single time I bring this movie up in conversation, people either sing a bar from their favorite song from the film, or smile wide as they remember the first time they heard Audrey II say ‘Feed me, Seymour’ and well, if by chance you haven’t seen this one, or are like me and are cautious when it comes to musicals, just see this one, because it’s just a true delight through and through. 

The best stories out there, are the ones that take the time to eventually explain what makes their bad guy, or gal, tick on a fundamental level. Because it’s simply not enough for characters to be evil for the sake of being evil, there has to be a rhyme and a reason for them to delve into the darkness and the audience is always dying to know exactly what those reasons are and at long last, Fear the Walking Dead took the time to explain what has driven the mysterious and filthy woman we met a few episodes ago, to cause all the trouble and heartache and pain that she has brought forth since her introduction.
 
Which made ‘MM 54’ quite the fascinating tale. Because not only did it become a powerful and grand exploration into the power of trauma and what it can do to people when they don’t have a support network surrounding them, this episode also served as a cautionary tale as well, specifically in regard to how said trauma doesn’t always leave us, and that its power can in fact, rear its ugly head at the most inopportune of moments. Forcing us to all constantly the fight the good fight to keep it at bay so that we can continue to be the person we want to be. But before we get too deep into that particular examination, let’s return to the first issue at hand and discuss what kind of trauma turned our mystery woman to the dark side.
 
As it turns out, her harrowing journey is a familiar one. Because like so many before her have done at some point or another, she was forced to escape the hordes of the living dead in quite the hurry, and in doing so, tragedy struck. The man she was with and loved, was critically injured and dying and of course, with panic on everyone’s mind, no one stopped to help dear Martha or her husband and what’s amazing, is that she tried to hold on to hope in this dire moment. Because she was convinced that at some point, someone would come along to get her husband the medical aid he so desperately needed and she merely waited by the side of the road for help that would never come and eventually, she watched her husband die and resurrect and she was forced to put him down and bury him, and that’s when things in her mind changed.
 
Because there was no one there to point out the fact that no amount of help would have mattered for her husband since his injuries were fatal from the get go, and the pain of his loss infected her mind and twisted every single thought to make her believe that she was weak and that it was all her fault that the love of her life died and once those thoughts took root, Martha was never the same and suddenly she was on a mission to make people ‘strong’ and anyone who bothered to help others were doomed to repeat her mistakes for being weak and pathetic and eventually, her quest to make others stronger brought us to the moment when she first spoke to Morgan and the rest as they say, is history.  

​Now, if parts of Martha’s journey sound slightly familiar, there’s a reason for that. Because in many ways, her moments of madness and her outright fury serve as a parallel to the painful journey that Morgan went upon when he lost his son to the dead and became hell bent on a mission to make everyone ‘clear’. But thanks to a little repayment of kindness from Rick Grimes, Morgan eventually found his way back and well, the contrast of these two stories was not lost upon this episode since Martha even pointed out that Morgan ‘had potential’ and could be one of the strongest people she’s ever known and that mattered because Morgan’s ability to maintain his Zen/progress was put to the test in this episode.
 
Because with their ride in flaming tatters, and the dead attracted to the sounds of chaos, Morgan and his merry band of survivors were forced to head to a hospital to deal with their respective injuries and sadly, that journey only allowed for them to enjoy a temporary breather. For Jim was constantly at Morgan’s throat for putting them in danger and the dead, well they were as relentless as always, forcing Morgan to consistently improvise on the fly to keep everyone safe and eventually, the group was forced to make their way to the roof of the hospital in order to find a shred of peace and safety and sadly, that’s where they made the discovery that Jim had been bitten during their travels and that impacted Morgan in unexpected fashion.
 
After all, he’s been supremely confident for some time now, and comfortable in his own skin and heck, he was even a leader in this tale. But the instant he saw Jim’s bite, and saw the anguish and pain on his face when he realized his fate, old Morgan returned and all the pain and suffering he thought he had escaped came bubbling up to the surface and it was clear at the end of this episode that he was rattled and this is where we were reminded of the fact that trauma sometimes stays with us, since it’s clearly still buried deep in Morgan’s soul, and the question now, is whether or not Morgan can utilize all he’s learned on his journey of self-discovery to overcome said trauma and help a group desperately in need of a win.
 
So that’s where this episode leaves us, with Morgan’s mental stability hanging in the balance, a fair chunk of the group in dire straits and hoping for a win and well, this episode was simply brilliant through and through. Because it spoke to how we are our own harshest critics and it served as a reminder as to how lucky we are in life when we have a support network of friends and family and that how sometimes, the road back from our pain is about as difficult a journey as it gets and well, I simply can’t get over the quality of the writing this year since it’s provided us with one incredible character study after another and at this point, it would seem the real villain of season four of Fear the Walking Dead are the character’s insecurities and I suppose we will discover quickly, as to whether or not they can defeat the monster within. Until next time. 

​When it comes to stories that feature good versus evil, the characters that populate both sides of that all-important equation tend to be fairly by the numbers and true to their cause. Our heroes will do whatever it takes to make sure that lives are saved, and that evil is defeated in the most noble of fashion and our bad guys and gals? Well they will stop at nothing to make sure their dastardly goals are achieved, and nothing will stand in their way in making that happen and we enjoy that kind of black and white storytelling simply because it helps us to escape the spoils of the real world.
 
Because in reality, nothing is ever that black and white and good and evil are subjective terms that people sometimes bend to the will of the moment and I think seeing those lines blurred in fiction is precisely why I felt so damn uncomfortable watching this week’s episode of Outcast, since ‘Mercy’ worked hard to make both of these things as ambiguous as possible since it featured all kinds of unexpected surprises. For example, there were some fascinating answers that came about in this tale in regard to many of the mysteries surrounding this season. Like the fact that these ‘demons’ have been present on our planet for millennia and have helped to forge some of our beliefs from a religious standpoint and we also learned how the mysterious Helen figured out how to ‘subdue’ Beacons in order to weaponize them. 
 
But while it was nice to enjoy some answers and move that part of the plot along. I made mention of the fact that I was uncomfortable watching this particular tale and that it felt too realistic for its own good and well, I wasn’t kidding when I said that. Because this entire episode was filled to the brim with things we see in real life and that we despise. Take for example the cold-blooded revenge present in this tale courtesy of the Good Reverend Anderson since he put Sidney through a little knife related payback. And even the people we should be trusting at this point had their own moments of darkness since the Mid Wife, who works with the ‘saved’, tried to terminate Megan’s pregnancy regardless of any knowledge as to whether or not the baby might be okay and even evil is seeing a splintering effect since Doctor Park is taking the future of his people into his own hands as well since he straight up wiped out senior leadership in one fell swoop. 
 
If anything, this sudden push by so many characters to fulfill their own agendas made the episode feel extremely chaotic and said chaos was only compounded by the fact that a blast from Kyle’s past showed up in Rome as well by way of Blake, whom you may recall as the first possessed person that Kyle was unable to heal and it would seem that he’s back in the fold for far more mysterious reasons. Because Blake opened up his journey in this tale by ranting and raving about how the Beacon would bring about the end, but the end of what exactly? Does this mean that Kyle Barnes is likely suited to send all of these monsters back where they belong? Or can a beacon cause more trouble than we are aware of and I have to admit I am fascinated by what exactly is motivating Blake to seek out Kyle, because it’s clearly not grounded in revenge since he took the time to help Megan out in her hour of need.
 
In the end however, I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this episode, seeing everyone pulling to fulfill their own personal agenda was simply an unexpected twist to the story, and quite frankly, it complicates matters further. Because everyone pulling in their own directions could have unintended consequences for plans on both sides and well, I get the funny feeling that we are in store for more chaos in the weeks to come now that Evil is without senior leadership and direction and Good, is lost and clueless as to what it will take will to finally defeat these awful, awful creatures and well, that sense of the unknown has me excited in a weird way, especially when it comes the mystery surrounding the man who has his hands on Kyle’s mom because I can’t wait to see if he is who I think he is, and once again, I’ll be counting down the minutes until the next episode to see exactly where this twisted and chaotic tale is headed next. Until then. 

Frustration is something that none of us can avoid, but the ways we deal with it can help in determining what kind of person we really are. While there are some people that like to take it out on social media, there are others that would rather take to violence and put their hand through a wall. Even though it is important to let these frustrations out, you should never take it out on someone else; much less hurt somebody that you really love. Learning to focus this into something that can be beneficial is something that a few people have been able to master, put it in your workout, or in writing a new story, and while these might be a less satisfying way to release, they serve as a better way to keep you from losing yourself when things get really bad.
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Waking up late in the night to his mother coming home, Steven listens as his parents fight once again. As Bonnie has been out drinking once again, Barry is sick and tired of being married to a drunk and is ready to end the relationship once and for all. After the shouting stops, Steven makes his way downstairs to see what is happening and is shocked to see his father pointing a rifle at his mother’s head. With nothing else that can be done, Bonnie decides to take her son to his grandparent’s house, so he will not have to deal with what might come next.

Deciding to take Steven to her parent-in-laws house instead of her own shows that she really has a concern for her son’s well-being, since her parents are no more well off than she is. Getting to the farm and being welcomed with open arms by Gladys and Hiney, Steven is sent off to play but is given strict instructions to stay out of the corn fields behind the farm. Telling her story to Gladys about the fight and what is happening with their son Barry, Bonnie is able to convince her mother-in-law to take her son for a few weeks while they try to work things out. While Steven is a very independent boy, he will be able to find all kinds of things to do around the farm, but once he starts getting curious, there is nothing stopping him from entering the corn fields and that leads to the troublesome discoveries that Steven finds out about his own family, along with others that live in the area.

While playing with his dinosaurs in the back, Steven spots a strange crow that seems to want the boy to follow it. Following it into the corn field and reaching an opening, Steven finds a spot where people have been squatting, but that is not the worst of it, since he stumbles across a body of a girl. Making a run back to the farm and being taken in by Hiney, Steven stays quiet about his find until he is taken shopping with his pappy. With the old man not believing what the boy is saying, he does know that the area is starting to get infested by hippies making their way across the country and spots them at the dairy farm after seeing one of the local worker’s excitement upon discovering his grandson is in town. But that is only the beginning of the strangeness that takes place on and around the farm as Steven is starts to hear people moving about at night and threats against the family start to get real.

This is one of those movies that really can become a thinker once you reach the conclusion and I must admit that I want a sequel. With all of the characters that you get introduced to throughout, you get enough of their backgrounds to try and put things together, but there is so much more that you want to know. I really liked the obsession that Steven started to have with the Charles Manson story and while you see everything that is going on around him, everything starts to look like Manson is on the way for the boy. The meeting of the extended family was awesome as well, as Barry seemed to be part of the madness that went on in the house but seemed to come out normal one way or another. With some toy dinosaur and Godzilla fights, an undertone to the Manson murders, a corn field, a dead body, someone stalking the farm in the shadows, a creepy clown bank, an abandoned amusement park, a creepy farm hand and the total fear of falling asleep, this is just a solid little mystery/thriller movie overall. While I missed the hippie craze in the seventies, I am sure that they were as frightening as they were made out to be in this movie, because hippies are scary! Stay Scared.

As a young horror fan growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, there was no prouder moment in my mind for the genre, then when it went mainstream, thanks in large part to Stephen King. Because the 90’s were his decade on television as quality adaptation after quality adaptation of his work hit the airwaves, making for some iconic stories that we still look upon fondly today. But, ironically, much like King’s adaptations in film, there are some dark moments to come about from his television domination and some of his small screen adaptations, were lackluster when it comes to their quality.
 
Which is a shame, because It, The Stand and The Shining were downright excellent in their own right. But I would wager that every producer out there simply wanted in on the Stephen King magic that was surging through the marketplace and having another adaptation in prime time with King’s name plastered all over the title and marketing campaign clearly became the priority over the quality of the script and well, and it led to some seriously laughable and weird adaptations of his work and one that still stands out in my mind as one of the worst was the 1993 iteration of The Tommyknockers.
 
Now this particular T.V. miniseries really did do its best to stay true to the plot of the book. It’s set in Haven, Maine, Bobbi Anderson still finds something suspicious buried beneath the ground and the mayhem that ensues from that discovery is almost identical to what we find in print. So, this should have been a slam dunk with critics and audiences alike, but it was in many ways a failure through and through and that’s simply due to the fact that all the layers and gravity that King put forth on the page aren’t present here and that makes this motion picture feel downright hollow when you watch it. 

In fact, let me elaborate on that further, because in the book, King not only does a phenomenal job of blending science fiction and horror together in the story, but the tale in and of itself is downright intense and terrifying. There’s suspense everywhere to be found in the novel, case in point, I remember how my heart was racing when we finally got to discover what exactly was in the shed, and the thematic concept of losing control of one’s mind and one’s body is also present in print but…none of what I just made mention of is present in the film. Stuff…just happens, without any tension or hint of trouble and that’s a shame because this could have been a frightening masterpiece, but the poor direction and script fail the story completely and the problems with the film don’t end there.
 
Because the other big issue with this story, is the sheer fact that everything revolving around the aliens that live in the ship that Bobbi finds buried in the ground is handled in the cheesiest of fashion and much of that is the result of poor special effects and special effects makeup. Everything in that realm looks like the least possible amount of money was thrown at it for this film and that makes pertinent moments silly at best and eye rolling at worst and to make matters worse, they actually bother to show the aliens in question, something the novel avoided in order to build tension and well, the power that these beings had in the shadows of the novel is completely removed by the rubber suited monstrosities we see on screen.
 
However, not everything was a total loss in this film. The acting is surprisingly solid, and Marg Helgenberger and Jimmy Smits do a fine job as Bobbi and Jim Gardner respectively, but their acting chops are not enough to carry a story devoid of depth and in the end, this is just another entry on a long list of failed King adaptations and really this is a tough one to recommend, unless you’re a die-hard of the book and Stephen’s work, and in that case, yes, see this one out of respect. But otherwise, steer clear of this mess for your own sanity’s sake and pick up the novel instead, you’ll be glad you did. 

Over the years, I’ve read many a memorable Stephen King story and memorized quite a few quotes from his body of work and one such quote that is sticking out in my mind today is, ‘ka is a wheel’. Now, for those unfamiliar with that particular excerpt, it hails from The Dark Tower series and in essence, it means that fate is a wheel, and those words are ringing around in my head today because that phrase perfectly applies to the season one finale of Castle Rock. Because ‘Romans’ found a way to bring this entire and harrowing saga involving multiple dimensions and mayhem around full circle, all while unleashing pure hell on the people of this tiny and twisted berg.
 
If anything, perhaps the best way to describe this finale is to call it a waking nightmare since it was filled to the brim with visceral and jarring imagery and all of the bad of course related to The Kid and his continued existence in this world and while this particular tale doesn’t answer exactly what makes Castle Rock such an evil place to live, it did imply strongly that sometimes the bad that happens here is related to interdimensional travelers such as The Kid, as if the universe is punishing the town for allowing for the natural order of space and time to be disrupted and Kid Deaver’s continued presence in this town brought more murder and mayhem as the story rolled on. 
 
But I did make mention of the fact that this story ended where it began, and it accomplished that feat, by bringing every single plot thread introduced this season, into the fold for this finale. Because this story featured the return of Shawshank’s most incompetent warden to date, and her brutal exit and it saw Ruth’s harrowing journey come to an end and a farewell to Molly for that matter as well and all of these plot threads had to be resolved in this tale for one key reason; it was high time that the two Henry’s faced off at last and handled the whole problem that’s come about from inter-dimensional travel, something that our Henry simply did not believe was possible, despite the evidence showing him otherwise.  

However, getting these two in the same room (or cell in this case) did lead to quite the harrowing ‘final showdown’ wherein we saw just how talented Kid Deaver has become when it comes to using his powers of influence and eventually, their journey to the woods led to the most important moment of the night. Because it was in this place, where heartbreak and terror and pain reigned supreme that Henry Prime was faced with a quandary; either kill The Kid, or send him home and in the end, he chose neither. He locked The Kid back up and took over Warden Lacy’s job as ‘caretaker of the monster’ and that’s where our tale ends, right where it began. With one man intent on keeping Castle Rock safe, and the other, biding his time to get out. 
 
If anything, this ending speaks to the fact that the Henry we came to know in this tale, didn’t really grow. Because had he come to accept the harsh realities of his past, and the danger that comes with leaving a traveler in this dimension, he would have returned The Kid to his own dimension and lived a life of peace without him. But, this town does indeed do strange things to people and this was quite the fitting end to say the least, and this decision brings forth some fascinating questions, in that, did Henry keep The Kid alive to truly keep this town and its people safe, or is this act punishment and atonement for both of them since both Henry’s have done questionable things in other worlds? We may of course never receive the answers to those particular questions, since that ending leaves us in a grey area, but that’s okay. Because that’s often times how Stephen King’s work pans out, in a neutral place where it is up to us, the dear reader (or in this case, viewer) to decide what is what. But perhaps the most chilling part of this finale, is that The Kid might be right about how sometimes the line between what’s a prison and what’s not is blurred. Because when one considers the fact that Henry Prime is back home, and living a life in a place that brought him so much pain, one has to wonder…is he truly free?
 
Either way, this really was a subtle and beautiful end to the freshman season of this incredible series, and well, I also liked that it brought back the Easter Egg fiesta in full force since I caught references to The Dark Half and The Shining here, with the latter title popping up the most and I’m quite curious as to whether or not we are returning to this town in season two to learn more about what makes it such an evil place, or if are we going to hit the road with Jackie Torrance to visit a place in Colorado where spirits roam free? We’ll find out in a year, and regardless of which direction the show runners choose to go in, I’ll be tuning in. Because this season really is the start of something special and twisted and I cannot wait to see what dark places we will be venturing to in the years to come. Until next time.  

There are many people across the world that have problems sleeping and being one of them, I always wonder what it would be like to get a full night’s sleep without something waking me up. While it is usually a door slamming or a monster truck skidding up the road, there are times when it seems to be something else that goes bump in the night. Not knowing what it is exactly, I chalk it up to an overactive imagination, since I really do have one of those, but what if it really was something more malevolent? I have heard of sleep paralysis where you are awake but cannot move, yet what if there is really something or someone that is keeping you like that instead of it just being in our heads?
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Returning to her hometown to continue her education on sleep paralysis, Molly Duggan is able to find a place to stay with some great new friends. After a long night of drinking, Molly is up before anyone in the house and makes it to class to talk to her new instructor Dr. Edmonds who has a spot on her sleep monitoring team. Being able to convince the professor that she is ready and willing to take the open spot and turn it into post graduate work, Molly is on the team, but little does she know what that will entail.

Arriving at the sleep center, Molly meets with Rudy who lays down the hard rules of what she will be required to do. Watching as a man is starting to seize up and go into cardiac arrest while in REM sleep, Molly tries to wake him from the nightmare, but when the man awakes, he has a message that someone is coming for the college student and passes away. Not being able to find out what the man was talking about, Molly is approached by a former student of the college who knows exactly what is happening around her and Silas will not let his words go unheard. But thinking that the former student is just crazy, Molly goes on with her life, but after sleeping with her roommate Gavin, she wakes up to something that she has never seen before.

With her dreams starting to get worse and worse, Molly sees that her erratic behavior from not getting proper sleep is starting to affect her friends as well and needs to find a way to put an end to it. Trying to talk to Dr. Edmonds about what is happening to her, she is dismissed from the conversation and forced to look elsewhere. Turning back to Silas who seems to know what is going on, Molly finds out that she has fallen victim to an Old Hag who wants nothing more than to take her life. Thinking that this is just an old legend, Molly is forced to come to grips with the fact that her entire family has fallen victim to this creature that lives in the deepest part of their dreams and there may not be a safe way to escape it, for her or any of her friends.

As far as putting the fear back into sleeping, this movie does a pretty good job, even though it was made for television, so you don’t get all of the bloody reminders of how bad nightmares can be. I really liked how Molly wasn’t affected by the Old Hag until she took her relationship with Gavin to the next level, reminding the audience that premarital sex is bad. Seeing what happened to her mother years ago was what gave Molly her drive in knowing what she wanted to do with her life and watching as she transformed into the victim was a nice way to handle the storyline, since you are forced to believe that with Silas’ help, she will somehow be able to battle the ancient evil. With people dying in their sleep, an unseen force making its presence known, a stranger with all the answers, some research and a battle to the death against loved ones, this movie might keep you awake at night a little bit longer than usual, since you never really know what your dreams have in store for you. Stay Scared.