Sounds like my kind of episode; especially if I can snuggle up to Jared and Misha. But, sadly, there was no actual slumber party. Even if there was I didn't get the invite. (Maybe it got lost in the mail?) Either way! Felicia Day's back! That's right, Charlie returns! And then cue the drama…

This week was not as bad as some have been. Thankfully the drama level was doable and didn't make me want to crawl under the blankets and hide. Cas is gone, (because Ezekiel is a face-weasel) which Sam questions. Dean, being Dean, covers his tracks with a bit more lying. Because nothing brings families closer than lying to each other! Sam shrugs it off and has found a potential way to track angels; all in an attempt to help their fallen friend stay safe. However, he's not so good with the massive computer downstairs, enter Charlie. The genius manages to come in and download all of the Men of Letters files onto her computer. Sam and Dean find that she's been dabbling in hunting. Neither approve, of course.

Kevin's off in a hotel, doing…whatever it is Kevin needs to do. Crowley won't cooperate, because, well, he's the King of Hell, and Charlie almost gives some Game of Throne's spoilers! Not really, but I love other life references this show gives! As Charlie, Sam, and Dean head down to check on that file download, the discover a bottle had been knocked over and now there's a gross, mold looking, cocoon on the wall. Which, needs to be cut open. A woman falls out of it and that's kinda creepy and weird.

Turns out, she's Dorothy. As in, the Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz books. Dorothy's a hunter. Her dad was a Man of Letters who wrote the books based on their travels to Oz. He just happened to leave out all that blood, gore, and might have toned down the war a bit. Dorothy, bonded her soul to that of the Wicked Witch; that turned them into some weird goo and put them in that jar…that they were in for 75 years…until it got knocked over and the contents spilled out. If Dorothy's awake, so is the Witch. Who happens to be looking for a key; a key that turns any door into a portal to Oz.

Trippy right? Charlie thinks so. Dean has the key in his room somewhere, so he and Charlie head off to find it while Sam and Dorothy go to hunt down the Witch, who was last seen with Crowley; who sent her too the kitchen and then to Gabriel only know's where. Here's the thing about Wicked Witches, they never do as they're supposed to. She puts the drop on Dean and Charlie, just as Dean finds the key. Charlie jumps in front of Dean just as the Witch goes to kill him with her magic, telekinetic, death throw…and she dies.

Yep. Charlie dies.

Sam stumbles on the scene and in his utter panic Dean calls out to Ezekiel. The angel takes over Sam and Dean pleads for him to save Charlie. Only, Zeke, being the good guy he is, gives Dean a choice. He can either take care of the Witch or save Charlie. Both costs him a lot of energy, which in turn mean's he has to stay in Sam longer. Dean doesn't care, he picks Charlie (because she's family too) and watches as the angel brings her back to life. Once she's okay and Sam's back to being Sam; they split up again. This time, Charlie and Dorothy run off to find the magical red shoes that have Oz magic, while Sam and Dean hunt down the Witch.

Who finds and possesses them. They're sent to kill Dorothy while she has the key and prepares a spell. The Witch doesn't intend to return to Oz. Nope, she's planning to bring her army of evil witches and flying monkeys here. Sam and Dean nearly over power and kill Dorothy when Charlie swoops in. She kills the Witch with the heels of the shoes and closes the doors just before the evil flying monkeys make it!

And this time, all does end well. Sam and Dean are no worse for wear. Dorothy sets out to return to Oz…only this time, she's bringing Charlie along. It all ends with Sam chaining Crowley back to the chair, throwing a piece of paper and a crayon onto the table in front of him, and silently demanding the names of demons he still has topside. 

So, what about Castiel!? Where is he? Hopefully we find out more in next weeks episode. Will we ever see Charlie again? Probably! She can't be gone forever! And what about Kevin? The Batcave seems a bit too empty and I'm not sure I trust Zeke.

Lost loves, doubts in the system.  Sounds kind of like our present times, and that is without a Zombie Apocalypse at our heels.   Trying to survive in this age has proven to be difficult with all of our restrictions, no drinking, no yelling, no one can have an opinion of their own without being chastised.  Being someone of independent thought has always been a problem for the machine, but does not keep us down as the government keeps trying to stay afloat.  Who said that social commentary is not present in our movies, shows and books?

Lilly Caul is tired of the system as well.  Not being a huge fan of the Governor these days after her love was shot dead on the main street of Woodbury, while she was watching.  Trying to keep her spirits alive, Lilly is willing to go on the supply runs with the Governor and his henchmen, hoping to find a time and place to lay Woodbury’s overseer to rest.  With no success over the past couple of months, Lilly is waiting for the next opportunity to escape the community that is enthralled with Gladiator battles in the town.

Being called into action by the Governor’s right hand man, Martinez, for the new supply run schedule, Lilly is put into an awkward situation as she needs to fight to keep an unstable community together.  The supply run is successful as the group is able to ransack a docile warehouse, but when leaving the heist, the group encounters a crashing helicopter on their return.  Looking for survivors they are able to locate one, Christina, who is more concerned with her friend the pilot getting a Christian burial than anything else.  Knowing that this will not happen, Martinez and Lilly return to Woodbury with their salvage and introduce her to the Governor.  Still Trying to instill the sense of security for the small community, Philip Blake tells the new arrival about the benefits of being a part of the town will bring to her, but Christina has heard that he is not the man he portrays, fights back and ends up being killed…and food for Penny.

The Fall of the Governor, the third book in the Walking Dead series has taken us back to our roots.  Showing that the Governor is ready to serve and protect his town at any and all costs will have you turning pages like no other.  Following Lilly’s story as she tries to forget the loss of her love, versus finding a possible future with new arrival Austin, she is depending on Woodbury to keep them safe for the years to come. The Governor, Phillip (Brian) Blake is more bent on power than ever before.  Trying to make the correct decisions for his town, along with protecting it from any threats, has taken its toll on him over the months.  When presented with a group of three heavily armed individuals, a black woman with dreadlocks, an Asian boy and a blue eyed man that calls himself Rick, the Governor is preparing himself for the worst.

With the third installment of this series, I am very impressed as the story continues.  Being part one, of…how many? How will the town of Woodbury survive?  Will the three strange arrivals be able to go on living?  Seeing how the Governor is able to control his people is just fantastic.  Having Martinez buddy up with someone he does not trust just speaks volumes of what this man will do to keep himself along with his community safe for years to come.  Being the shortest book of the series has not left me disappointed at all, I am just waiting to see how it all pans out in the end.

One of my favorite memories from my youth, was building my home video collection.  Courtesy of Anchor Bay/Elite Entertainment back in the late 1990s and heading into the early aughts I was able to collect my most treasured horror film favorites on DVD thanks to the many editions that arrived during that timeframe.  

As the years progressed high definition came into play and I was able to pick up gorgeous new transfers of my favorite horror films yet something was missing.  There was a certain love and care that went into the special features and while I was happy to watch them, they were often times some of the same stuff I already owned on another special edition.

But the days of rehashing special features are finally over courtesy of Scream Factory.  They are going back through horror classics and giving them not only new high definition transfers but are even adding incredible new special features, bringing back the magic of the film and making them look better than ever. 

So naturally, since I am a huge George Romero nut, I placed an order for their Collector's Edition of Day of the Dead and holy crap, the picture quality is incredible.  I mean I honestly thought it could not get much better than the last blu ray edition of this film, but Scream Factory came through.  All the colors look incredibly natural and I can see new detail in the mine that these poor souls are living within.  
The special features are equally as impressive, providing an awesome documentary on the making of the film, one so in depth and awesome that you will never look at the Major Cooper corpse in the film the same way again courtesy of Tom Savini's nickname for the special effect. I won't repeat it here because quite frankly, you need to hear Tom say it.  You'll also find television spots, trailers, a return to the Wampum mine after all these years, some outstanding stills of the film and an awesome 31 minute behind the scenes look at the incredible and groundbreaking special effects courtesy of Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero's behind the scenes home movies.  

My only complaint was that I was hoping for a newly remastered 5.1 or 7.1. surround sound track rather than the 2.0 surround track included with the film.  But that is quite frankly a small price to pay considering how good this film looks and how awesome the special features are and even then the 2.0 surround track is crystal clear throughout the entire film.   Either way, this is an incredible collectible for fans of George Romero's work and for horror fans in general.  Add it to your collection, it's worth every penny.  

While it's sadly true; Misha Collins is in fact, not an angel. And Misha isn't even his real name! Yep, I'll I've you a moment to deal with those lies…processed? Good! This weeks Supernatural explored the more, human side of things. Castiel had his grace stollen, and is now completely human--but he's been human before? Yes, briefly in season 5. This time around, Cas get's to feel the full extent of what it's like to be human. There's no slowly losing his grace, this time; nope, it's sink or swim time.

Meanwhile! Dean nearly gets whiplash from Sam's being Sam one minute, and Zeke the next! Maybe a little warning bro? Brighter note; Sam does seem to be doing better, or so says the angel that's inside of him…that he doesn't know about…so many secrets!

There's also a new Angel Boss in town. He goes by Bartholomew (Bart for short) and boy is he angry. He's sending every angel with a vessel out there to find Castiel. This, of course, always ends badly for his angels. Cas still has an angel blade and still know's how to fight. Being human doesn't slow that down. Just makes him susceptible to cold, hungry, and the constant need to urinate (so time consuming). Bart, gets tired of his angels not producing results, mostly because Cas gets a nifty angel ward tattooed on his pretty stomach, so he enlists the help of some freelance Reapers. 

One of which is sent to tail Sam and Dean. Bad idea; the boys always know when they're being followed. The Reaper proves useless, so he dies. Dean decides he's tired of trying to find Cas on his own and asks Zeke to help. Only, the angel seems to be unable to locate the wayward human.

Who, by all means, is totally not off with some nice hot girl named April, who offered to take Castiel in. Things got steamy…and then they got emotionally terrifying.  Because April, isn't as sweet as she seems. She ties our ex-angel up, and tortures him for information. The problem is, Cas has none. Sam and Dean arrive in just enough time to be thrown violently into things, then watch as April stabs and kills Castiel.

That's right. For 30 heart wrenching seconds we're left to believe that our beloved and favorite angel of all time is officially dead. (Tears were not involved…) Just before there's massive panic, Ezekiel saves the day! Okay, well, he saves Cas; at the cost of hurting himself further. Cas and Sam are both bewildered, but Dean smooths it over with more lies. Everyone ends up back in the Bunker and happy ending!

Okay, that last part's a lie. Zeke appears again and tells Dean that Castiel has to go. If he stays, the angels and reapers will find him. Sam still isn't strong enough to survive without Zeke so Dean's left with no choice. He tells Castiel that he can't stay and everything fades to black for the end credits.

Just like that, you're left with a sad empty feeling because, oh my Lucifer! Cas! And the feels! It's okay though! Next week's episode has Felicia Day! That's right, Charlie's back! We also get to see more of Crowley! See? Told you it got better!

What will happen to Castiel? Is Ezekiel really there helping Sam out? Will Crowley get free? And what about Abaddon! She's still out there! So many questions. All of course, eventually, will be answered. One episode at a time.

October is one of my favorite months, not just because of the leaves changing colors but one of my favorite holidays is upon us, Halloween.  Growing up, I remember the long nights of going out with my friends and a couple of their fathers, ringing door bells and yelling trick or treat.  It was all about the candy, I will not lie about that.  Our group would always hold competitions on who would get home with the most, but living in Colorado, we were not always guaranteed the greatest of weather, so some Halloweens would be spent in a friend’s house. It was about the costumes, the candy and the hanging out with friends.

Getting older, Halloween has not lost its hold on me.  Not being about the candy and dressing up anymore, most people seem to think that I do not have a grasp on the holiday, but I still do.  One of the things that I enjoy more than anything is sitting back and watching scary movies…with some candy of course.  There is no better way to celebrate the upcoming All Hallows’ Eve than with some horror movies.

There are more than a few movies I try to catch at this time of year.  Most of them are modern classics that just get better with age and still leave me with a little chill running up my spine.  Getting into the mood for our upcoming event, here are a few movies that I would recommend that you catch before Halloween. 

Let's start off with the light hearted movies first for the squeamish.

Ghostbusters – ‘I ain’t afraid of no ghost.’  Just a fine movie all around that will leave you laughing and wondering if you could really date a girl that has turned into a dog.  

Shaun of the Dead – The first Pegg/Frost movie to hit American soil, paying homage to the Romero greats.  A legit zombie flick that keeps you on the edge of your seat with blood splatter, but enough levity in the situations to keep you laughing and coming back for more.

Army of Darkness – ‘Give me some sugar, baby.’  One of the most marketable movies of the Evil Dead Trilogy with great effects, decent acting and some of the most unforgettable one liners you will be left repeating for years to come.

Demon Knight – A great movie presented by the folks that brought you Tales from the Crypt.  All-star cast with a strong storyline showcasing the everlasting battle between good and evil.  Fantastic acting along with fine effects allow you to enjoy all of the gore without freaking out too much.

Now, on to some films that will get your blood curdling.

House on Haunted Hill (1959) – Although this is an old movie, it still is able to give you the thrills of a horror movie today.  More of a thriller as a husband and wife fight with each other over who is supreme in their relationship, but when the house comes into play your hair will stand on its end.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) – A deranged family of cannibals are ready for dinner as five college students enter their home looking for help.  Leatherface is more than willing to help them the only way he knows how, by using his chainsaw.

Evil Dead/Evil Dead 2 (1981/1987) – Both being the same movie with a group visiting a cabin the woods and stumbling on an ancient text, the storyline is great.  Reading the Naturon Demoto out loud brings the house and woods to life preventing anyone from leaving alive.

Drag Me to Hell – Sam Raimi’s throwback to the 80’s genre horror flick.  Demeaning or upsetting gypsies is never a good idea as they have the ability to curse you.  Having a demon pursue you until the day you die until you are able to relinquish the item that they are chasing makes for a very good story and life lesson.

The Devil’s Rejects – The second installment of Rob Zombie's frightening story of House of 1000 Corpses focuses more on the crazy family, rather than a deranged doctor you only see for a matter of seconds.  With the family on the run from the heinous crimes they commented in the past, they remain together until the bitter end.

Poltergeist – A family moves into their dream home, when things start to change for the worse.  A strange force takes over the house, stacking chairs, throwing things around along with stealing the youngest child. Clowns still freak me out after this film.

George A. Romero’s Dead Series – Dawn, Day, Land, Diary or Survival of the Dead.  Each movie will frighten you in its own way.  It is not necessary to watch all of these in order, but with zombies being killed in each and every way and the battles survivors have to deal with on an everyday basis keeps you shaking your head with delight and fright.

The Shining – Although many of the younger people I talk to these days say they laugh at this film, I think they are all crazy.  This is my favorite horror movie to date, a hotel that comes alive to attack a caretaker along with his family in the dead of winter, along with tormenting them to the point of mental breakdown is a true horror story within itself. 

Night of the Living Dead (1968) – The movie that started it all.  ‘They’re coming to get you Barbra.’  The start of the zombie movement as you follow strangers being held up in a house, trying to get along without killing each other along with trying not to get eaten alive by the undead threat just outside the locked doors.

The Exorcist – A teenage girl is possessed by an unknown entity as two priests try to relieve her of this burden.  The demon is much more powerful than anyone could have expected as faiths are challenged and the townhouse is torn apart by an unexpected power.

So many good movies to watch in so little time.  Watching these movies help to get me in the mood to deal with the evil spirits, ghouls and zombies that could come knocking at my door on Halloween.   There are many movies left off of this list, and at least two that could be very questionable, but this is what I like to watch.  With new movies coming out every year, along with remakes of the classics, this list is subject to change.  Stay scared out there, as there is no better way to feel alive than to have the tar scared out of you.  Happy Halloween!

It was the season where a show about the living dead finally found its stride.  Season Three of The Walking Dead was nothing short of fantastic.  The drama, the terror and the icons from the comic book led to a year filled with tears, cheers and jeers as we all sat on the edge of our seat.  

This was the year we lost many of the faces we had come to know over the first two seasons, but most importantly, this was the season that brought us the series greatest villain to date...the Governor.  

With a new season now on the horizon, it's time to recap the year that we said goodbye to series favorites and realized that there are bigger threats out there than walkers...

Episode One:  "Seed"
After escaping the farm the gang has spent the winter on the road, dodging one herd after another.  They are tired, hungry and without hope.  The baby is coming soon but they keep on pushing.  But the discovery of the West Georgia Correctional Facility provides a needed break when they are able to secure the courtyard.   Meanwhile, Andrea and her new friend Michonne do their best to survive.  Andrea is extremely ill but continues to forge along as the walkers continue to fill up the countryside.

Back at the prison, Rick sees an amazing opportunity; a fortified position and once clear of walkers, a place to settle down. Their initial push into the prison is successful and the walkers are contained.  But as they move deeper into the prison, Hershel is bitten forcing Rick to amputate the limb in the hopes of saving his life from the infection, as five prisoners watch on.  

Episode Two:  "Sick"
Hershel is weak and badly wounded, but alive for the moment, safe and sound in the cell block that Rick and his group have claimed as their own.  But before them now are five prisoners who have no clue of the apocalypse waiting for them outside.  

In an effort to find a peaceful way to coexist Rick offers to help the prisoners clear out their own cell block in exchange for a half of the remaining food  and peace between the two camps.  The prisoners, led by Tomas, agree and the two teams begin to clear out more of the prison, a move that costs one of the prisoner's his life.  Regardless of this loss, Tomas has Rick's death in mind and his double cross fails miserably when Rick kills him and leaves another prisoner, Andrew, alone with no chance of escape in a courtyard full of walkers.  Only two of Tomas' group did not participate in the double cross; Axel and Oscar and they left with their own cell block as Rick and his group prepare for the first peace they have seen in some time.  

Episode Three:  "Walk With Me"  
We rejoin Andrea and Michonne on the road as they spot a helicopter in the sky, moments before it crashes.  Curious the two of them investigate and find that other people are intrigued as well.  

A well armed group appears and inspects the crash site, and their actions prompt Michonne to smell trouble and she begins to plan a quiet exit.  But her pet walkers end up making too much noise and moments after she is forced to put them down, Merle Dixon gets the drop on them.  They are taken to a small town just out of the way named Woodbury, where its enigmatic leader, the Govenor offers them shelter and a chance to begin again.   Michonne believes the offer to be too good to be true, and she is right.  

For the Governor will stop at nothing to protect his little empire, wiping out a platoon of national guardsmen before bringing all the gear back to Woodbury where he lies to the entire town as to how he acquired the equipment.  But his ruthless nature comes from a stronger source, the man is stark raving mad, as evidenced by the wall of aquariums with the heads of walkers on display in his apartment.

Episode Four:  "Killer Within"
Andrea has begun to settle in and enjoy life in Woodbury while Michonne remains suspicious of the Governor and the town he has built.  But as she observes the town closely, we rejoin the group at the prison where they find elation in the fact that Hershel has recovered.  

But the celebration is short lived, walkers are inside the compound once again and the group must scramble to contain them.  In the process they all find themselves separated and T-Dog is bitten.  With chaos all around them and a riot siren that will draw more walkers to the prison blaring, Rick takes Daryl, Glenn and the two remaining prisoners to shut off the noise and find that Andrew has survived.  To prove their loyalty, Oscar guns down Andrew, but the damage is done.  T-Dog must sacrifice his life to save Carol and Lori has gone into labor.  But the baby will not come easy and she, Maggie and Carl are no where near Hershel.  Lori makes the decision for Maggie to perform a C-section, regardless of the fact she will likely die during the procedure.  She says her goodbyes to Carl and makes peace with her son at last before Maggie cuts her open and delivers the baby.   But before Maggie and Carl can return with the infant, Carl must take care of one last matter and puts a bullet though Lori's head before she has the chance to turn.  

In the aftermath of the disaster the remaning survivors reunite in the courtyard where Rick sees his newborn daughter for the first time, before realizing that his wife is gone.  The joy of birth is bittersweet as the group watches Rick break down, completely devastated.  

Episode Five:  "Say the Word"
The madness that shrouds the Governor is further revealed as we learn that his daughter, Penny is a walker and he does his best to care for her as if she was still alive.  While he tries to keep Penny a secret, Michonne discovers another, that their are walkers in Woodbury, which she is happy to dispatch them.  Her actions lead to her and Andrea parting ways as she heads off into the world once again, no longer wanting to be apart of whatever stinks in Woodbury.  Andrea later discovers that the walkers serve an odd purpose, their teeth are removed and they are used as decoys of terror in the Governor's new gladiator arena. 

Back at the prison, Rick has snapped and delves deep into the halls, killing every walker he can find.  Lost in anger and pain the group reacts to keep the infant alive, with Maggie and Daryl heading into town to find formula to feed her.  Rick however has found the place where his wife has died and discovers a walker that seems to be filled to the brim with Lori's remains.  He suffers Rick's wrath, and while Rick waits in the silence of his wife's tomb the phone in the room begins to ring.  Stunned, Rick answers, and hears a voice on the other end.  

Episode Six:  "Hounded" 
Rick's condition seems to have improved as he returns to the group looking as though the rage has left him.  But Hershel isn't sure, since Rick continues to disappear for hours on end.  He finds Rick next to the phone where Rick confesses he has been speaking to a group that is safe and is waiting for their call.  Hershel offers to stay with him but Rick wants his solitude, something Hershel provides him with.  He does so for good reason, the voices that Rick hears on the phone are those they have left behind.  Jim, Amy and Lori.  Through the fracture in his mind Rick finally says goodbye to his wife and finally seems to move on.  

Michonne however, is on the run, hunted by Merle and a group of the Governor's men.  They wound her, but she still gets the better of them and manages to escape, but Merle is still on her tail.  As they move on they both run into Glenn and Maggie on a formula run.  Stunned to find them, Merle steps forward trying to find out if his brother is still alive.  But his attempt at peace is merely deception and he quickly manages to capture Maggie and Glenn and haul them off to Woodbury.  Left on her own and now armed with an idea of where the prison is, the reformed Rick is stunned to see her standing outside of the gates of the prison.  She has discovered that smelling like a walker will keep you safe among them, and in her hands is the much needed formula.  

Episode Seven:  "When the Dead Come Knocking"
The wounded Michonne is taken inside the prison to receive care for her wounds.  As she recovers she informs Rick and his group what has happened to Glenn and Maggie and the dangers they face in the town of Woodbury, prompting Rick to put together a rescue party.   

As they prepare to to head toward Woodbury, we quickly learn that Michonne's warning rings true, as Glenn finds himself horribly tortured by Merle in an effort to discover not only the fate of his brother but the location of their safe haven.   Unwilling to break,  the Governor tries his hand at interrogating Maggie and utterly humiliates her in the process, but she too will not reveal any information.  As they do their best to get the two to break, Rick and his team, including Michonne arrive at the outskirts of Woodbury, weapons at the ready and they are prepared to do whatever it takes to bring their people home.  

Episode Eight:  "Made to Suffer"
With Rick out on the rescue mission, Carl is left in charge and helps out another band of survivors who have managed to enter the prison from a collapsed portion of the facility that no one has yet seen.  The leader of this group, Tyreese does his best to make peace with Carl, knowing a good opportunity is before them.

Meanwhile, Rick and his team enter Woodbury and begin the search for Glenn and Maggie.  As they do the Governor finally gets Maggie to break and reveal that they come from the prison by threatening to kill Glenn in front of her.  The prisoners are to be moved, and as they leave their makeshift cell, Rick and his team strike, rescuing their people and sending the town of Woodbury into terror as they make their way out of town.  Moments before they finally escape, Rick's sanity once more comes into question as he sees a vision of Shane before they head back into the walker infested world beyond the border of Woodbury.   But outside of the gates, Rick discovers that not only have they lost Oscar, but Daryl and Michonne are missing as well.  

Michonne has taken the opportunity to settle the score and waits patiently in the Governor's apartment.  But while she waits she hears a suspicious noise and discovers his twisted den and the monster that is Penny.  But before she can put down the Penny-walker, the Governor returns, pleading for his daughter's "life."  Michonne however does not accept his plea and ends Penny's suffering, an act that puts the Governor over the edge and the two battle to the death.  The hand to hand combat costs the Governor his right eye before Andrea arrives to see Michonne off and soak in the horror of the wall of heads.   

Badly wounded, the Governor has clearly changed and knows what must happen next, ordering a town meeting.  It is here that he accuses Merle of being a spy, and that ol' Merle must pay for his betrayal, by battling to the death with a prisoner captured in the raid...his brother Daryl.  

Episode Nine:  "The Suicide King"
It's brother versus brother to appease the crowd and the Governor, until Rick and company arrive to rescue Daryl and Merle.  But Merle's reunion with the group is anything but joyful.  For Glenn wants revenge for what happened in Woodbury and there is much disdain over the idea of taking Merle back to the prison.  

In fact the tension over this is so great that Merle and Daryl head off on their own, leaving Rick stunned as he returns to the prison.  As the group takes a moment to catch their breath, it is chaos in Woodbury.  The people feel that their safety and security is now gone and Andrea is forced to take a leadership role in order to reassure the people that Woodbury is where they need to stay.  

Back at the prison however, another decision faces Rick, whether or not to let Tyreese and his group stay.  But before Rick can make a level headed decision, the pain that still haunts Rick over Lori's death continues to manifest itself, with a vision of his wife and an outburst that sends Tyreese and his friends packing. 

Episode Ten:  "Home"
As Rick continues to deal with the disturbing hallucinations of Lori wherever he goes, there is a greater threat the group discusses without him...possible retaliation by the Governor.  

Yet while the group debates, Merle and Daryl discover that times have changed.  While rescuing a family under attack by walkers, Merle is stunned when his brother takes the high ground as Merle tries to rob them of their supplies.  The incident leads to a confrontation between the two brothers that ends with Daryl beginning the journey back to the prison.  

Back at the prison Hershel reaches out to Rick in the hope that he can snap the former peace office out of his funk, to no avail moments before their fears come true, as the Governor opens fire on the prison and the survivors within.  He is ruthless in his attack, and Axel's life is lost in the assault and the prison courtyard is flooded with walkers courtesy of the Governor's new "Walker Bomb".  

In fact the attack is so devastating that Rick appears to be overwhelmed by walkers...until the Dixon brothers appear to rescue Rick.  But there is no joy in Daryl's return, for the threat of the Governor is now greater than that of the living dead. 

Episode Eleven:  "I Ain't a Judas"
The debate begins among the prison group as to whether or not it is time to leave the West George Correctional Facility behind and move on with their lives.  But as they debate, the Governor prepares for war, quietly building an army out of any able bodied citizen of Woodbury.

This act offends Andrea to no end and she uses the doubt now brewing within Milton over the Governor's bloodlust to get out of Woodbury and head for the prison, but not before Tyreese and his group make their way into the fortified city and reveal to the Governor that they have indeed been inside the prison.

Andrea however, reaches her destination but is not exactly greeted with welcome arms at the prison.  She is stunned at the losses they have suffered and tries to broker peace between the two factions but makes little progress.  Instead she is given an idea by Carol before she leaves, that Andrea could end this whole matter by simply putting an end to the Governor's life while he sleeps soundly.  

Upon her return to Woodbury, it is clear that Carol's words have had some bearing on Andrea, for in the middle of the night she stands over the sleeping Governor with a blade in her hand, but she is unable to find the courage to finish him off.

Episode Twelve:  "Clear"
With war on the horizon, Rick knows that the group is in need of weapons and ammo and he takes Michonne and Carl back to the one place where he knows of a cache of weapons, his old office...the King County Sheriff's Department. But upon his arrival home he finds out that the weapons are all gone and that main street has been transformed into a gaunlet for the living dead.  
The man behind these "death traps" asks them to leave but his words fall on deaf ears, leading to weapons fire.  They manage to knock the man out, only to discover that it is the man who saved Rick's life...Morgan.

They move Morgan to safety only to discover he is sitting on enough weapons to arm a militia and Rick decides it is best to wait until Morgan reawakens, giving Carl and Michonne a chance to bond as Carl reveals the real reason he came along...to find the last picture of his family so that his little sister Judith can know what her mother looked like.  

While they retrieve the picture, Morgan awakens and and in a maddened frenzy attacks Rick before finally recognizing who he is going after.  Rick learns that Morgan has fallen on worse times than Rick could ever imagine.  He lost his son after all and has nearly lost his mind as the devastation of the end of the world has taken its toll.  Rick does his best to try to get Morgan back into the world, even offering him a chance to join the group at the prison, which Morgan declines.  

Instead they gather the weapons they need and leave Morgan to what he now believes is his new purpose in life, clearing out the dead.  

Episode Thirteen:  "Arrow on the Doorpost"
In an effort to avoid war, Rick and the Governor finally meet face to face to figure out how these two factions can peacefully co exist.  Their meeting is filled with tension for both men, and for those that support them outside as both sides interact.  

Yet despite the tension, the Governor manages to make an offer to Rick that may provide peace, give up Michonne and they are allowed to live.  Rick is given two days to make his decision on this offer and the two factions part ways.

But we quickly learn that the Governor plans to end this conflict through bloodshed regardless, planning an ambush when Rick returns with Michonne.  However Rick has a feeling the deal is bogus and tells the survivors in the prison...to prepare for war.  But he confides in Hershel, that part of him is wondering if there is a chance the deal is legit and that maybe he should hand over Michonne.  

Episode Fourteen:  "Prey"
With the war effort ramping up in Woodbury, Andrea finally reaches her breaking point when she discovers that the Governor has put together a torture chamber for Michonne.  Seeing no other alternative, Andrea hits the road toward the prison in the hopes of warning them that conflict is coming.  

But she is hunted during her journey by the Governor himself.  During his absence, preparations for the final assault on the prison continue, including gathering more walkers to be used as weapons.  But a mysterious man burns these walking weapons to a crisp. 

In the meantime the Governor finally corners Andrea in an abandoned warehouse.  They play a horrific game of cat and mouse until it seems that Andrea has managed to escape from his clutches. As she approaches the prison she is ambushed by the Governor and taken back to Woodbury, where the chair in the torture chamber meant for Michonne, is now occupied by Andrea. 

Episode Fifteen:  "This Sorrowful Life"
The deadline draws near to strike a deal with Woodbury and Rick has begun to lean toward handing over Michonne and enlists Merle's help in carrying out the order.  But when Rick has a change of heart, Merle goes through the plan regardless.  Along the way however Michonne finally manages to break through Merle's tough exterior and forces his own change of heart, and Merle lets her go.  

But his change of heart comes with a great cost as Merle rounds up as many walkers as he can for a surprise attack on the Governor and his ambush squad. Early on Merle's attack is successful, but eventually he is cornered and brutally beaten by the Governor.  But rather than outright kill Merle, the Governor has bigger plans for his former henchman.  But before those plans are revealed, Rick speaks to the group so that they can all make the decision as to whether or not they should fight for the prison or leave it behind.

The only people not present for this discussion are Michonne and Daryl, the latter having spent his day tracking his brother to bring him back to the prison.  But when he arrives at where his brother attacked the Governor's assault team he discovers the Governor's grand plan for Merle...he has let Daryl Dixon's older brother turn into a walker.   

Episode Sixteen:  "Welcome to the Tombs"
Milton is revealed to be the man responsible for burning the walkers the Governor planned to use in the assault on the prison.  The Governor figures out how to handle both Milton and Andrea by stabbing Milton in the torture chamber to die slowly, so that he can return and tear Andrea apart.  As Milton slowly dies, the Governor begins his rally cry for the assault to begin now, and is stunned when Tyreese and Sasha wish to stay behind.

Meanwhile in the prison, the decision appears to be that the group is going to leave their newfound sanctuary behind and the timing could not be better as the Governor and his army arrive, laying waste to the guard towers and walkers before heading inside.  But once inside, it turns out that the group deceived the Woodbury army and decided to stay and fight and being a surprise counter offensive, firing off flashbangs, their weapons and sounding the alarm, terrifying Woodbury's army and sending them into retreat.

It's a decision that does not sit well with the Governor and when he tries to rally the army to fight once more they refuse.  It is then that the Governor crosses the point of no return, quickly killing most of his army.  Once this horrible act is finished, the Governor simply climbs into a truck with his two top lieutenants and heads off into the distance.  

Meanwhile the group has decided to finish this once and for all and head for Woodbury, discovering the slaughter along the way and that the Governor has not returned to Woodbury.  In fact the only army left in the town...is Tyreese and Sasha. While back in Woodbury they search for Andrea and find her and a horrible discovery.  It turns out that she managed to put down the reanimated Milton, but not before he managed to take a bite out of her.  The group says its goodbyes before Andrea takes her own life.  

All of these events lead Rick to make an important decision, to take the survivors in Woodbury and bring them back to the prison to stay with his own group.  It is a decision that finally seems to put Rick at peace, for the hallucinations are finally gone.  

I think for all of us, there is a film that simply changed our lives in one way or another. It's difficult to speculate exactly how it changed us because film is quite a private experience. We share that experience in the presence of an audience but with all of us transfixed on the screen we often miss the sheer terror of someone's heart beating during the freakiest parts of a scary movie, or the tears being shed as a film touches someone's soul.  

For me, the film that changed my perspective on so much was the original Dawn of the Dead.  In fact, Dawn and I go way back.  My first real viewing of this motion picture came when I was eleven years old.   The cover caught my eye in the video store and I asked my folks if it was okay, they said sure.  

Now I'm sure eyebrows are going up over the fact that my folks let me watch such a gory and violent film at eleven years of age, and you know what?  I'm not going to defend my parents because they are good people and I had a wonderful childhood and because it was my call.  Let's just be honest, we all saw movies that we should not have seen as children, with or without our parents consent.  We all know this to be the case, and well, I ended up paying the price as it is because my first viewing of this motion picture completely and utterly terrified me.  

In fact it so scared me that I actually stayed away from the horror section of video stores for years to come until I left high school when whilst on the internet, I stumbled across a review for Dawn, specifically the late Roger Ebert's and it convinced me to take another look at the film and well...it changed everything for me.  Seeing beyond the guts and gore and looking at the movie as a whole and seeing the social commentary for the first time ever, it motivated me to become a writer.  In fact my first published short story comes out in an anthology next month, and it just happens to be about zombies, all because of Dawn of the Dead.

Yet despite my love for the film, I have never seen it on the big screen.  Not until Friday night at the Mile High Horror Film Festival at the Alamo Drafthouse and let me tell you...this was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.  To sit in that theater with Ken Foree and Tom Savini and hear them talk about this movie before finally being able to watch it on the silver screen was surreal to say the least.  But nothing was as out of this world when the lights finally went down and the horrible cries of the dead echoed throughout the theater as the movie began.  

The smile didn't leave my face until the first gory scene when a zombie tears into flesh, but it quickly returned because at last I saw my favorite movie of all time the way it was intended to be seen, in a packed theater.  In fact I'm still beaming from the experience because it was flat out magical and my thanks go out once again to the Alamo Drafthouse and the Mile High Horror Film Festival for making a dream of mine come true.