What would you do if you had lost everything you have ever loved? After Hunter loses his wife and child to the zombie outbreak, he begins to look for the one thing that can release his pain, death. All of his problems stemmed from a new drug hitting the scene, for Natas had gained a world wild following since it took you places you that no other drug could, but it featured one nasty side effect; turning its users into flesh eating freaks. 

Moving from one place to another, Hunter fears that he could be the only one left. Not giving a damn for his own wellbeing, Hunter enters no win situations against the flesh eaters and always comes out victorious. After his latest mid-day massacre, Hunter goes back on the road to continue his journey. After getting shot in the arm and crashing his Camaro, Hunter knows that he is not the only one left. Being taken in by a roaming band of survivors led by Father Jesus, Hunter reluctantly becomes a member of the group. Having to deal with the living is almost unbearable for him as he has been alone for over six months. Being pursued by the two female members, Fast Lane Debbie and Alison, Hunter turns back to the only thing that makes him feel like himself again, his drink. 

When their little place of solace is attacked by the flesh eaters and they lose one of their main warriors, the group decides to move on and try to find a better home. The only way to get there is by getting to the local airfield so they can commandeer an airplane to take them to a place with white sandy beaches. Only two things stand in the way of attaining their goal, the flesh eaters and the small town of Dahmer. Dahmer was overrun months ago by zombies and although the group is bracing for the worst when they get there, what they find in this town is something more horrific than they could have possibly imagined.

Zombie Hunter follows the path of Hunter who is not looking for anything, except a way to release his pain. Father Jesus allows the man to join his group of survivors, seeing that Hunter may be a valuable asset, Jesus makes sure that Hunter understands that they are currently living in hell. Fast Lane Debbie and young Alison are just looking for something to believe in again and having a new man in their presence arouses something neither has felt for the past year. With a couple more survivors to add into the mix, including a pilot, the group is prepared to make their trek to freedom.

Although Zombie Hunter is not the best zombie movie ever, it has all of the essentials of a proper splatter fest. With zombies being taking out by gunfire, knives and a sacred axe, the screen is filled with plenty of blood. Non-conventional zombies seem to get me every time as shots to anywhere take them down, but the campy special effects make sure to keep you cringing as the zombies continuously hit the ground. With limbs and blood flying all over the place, it makes for a fun film. If you like the blood and guts aspect of horror movies, this is definitely one to check out, since you will not be disappointed in the gore. Stay Scared.  

If there’s one ‘superpower’ or enhanced ability that I think we would all like to have in this world, it would have to be the power to see into the future. Because tomorrow is a murky place for so many of us since we simply don’t know what it holds and being able to peek into what will happen at tomorrow’s staff meeting or just in general, could potentially benefit us greatly. For now, we are fully prepared for anything that the world throws at us and heck, if we learn to master this ability properly, it could also make us rich and powerful beyond our wildest dreams.
 
But let’s be honest, while that ability sounds like a dream come true, everything in this universe comes with a price. Because being able to predict the future would make so many reliant upon us and any notions of peace and quiet would disappear once the secret was out in regard to our newfound ability and of course, while you can see where your day is headed and react accordingly, how does one handle the ugly stuff that is out of our control? For there are still people out there who wish to do others harm and there are natural disasters waiting for us down the line, begging the question; does one also want to be burdened with sight that will reveal great suffering and pain? And to complicate that further, since you’re the one that sees it, is it now your responsibility to warn others in order to potentially save lives?
 
It’s a lot to ponder upon, and that’s why we have fiction to explore that great notion of ‘what if?’ and of the many stories that have dealt with the consequences that come with being able to see the future, one of my all-time favorites is the 1983 big screen adaption of the Stephen King novel, The Dead Zone. Because this particular iteration of the story is one that is supremely accessible to the audience. For Johnny Smith is truly an everyman like the rest of us and rather than morph this character into something fantastical, once he gains his power to see into tomorrow, he’s forced to deal with his new abilities on the fly and I love where this story goes once Johnny’s newfound power is revealed to him.

​Because the journey that Johnny goes on in this tale is outright fascinating, simply because it’s emotional and torturous, since not only does his gift cost him everything, he can never quite find the balance or joy he expects to have with something that should benefit so many. For while he’s able to do wonders early on with his gift and call future events quite nicely, once he’s confronted with the evil that men do, he regresses into isolation. If anything, that really adds depth to the character, and I think it’s an honest and earnest response that many of us would likely have when faced with this kind of unique gift and this grandiose setup is what makes the finale so powerful in its own right.
 
For when Johnny is presented with the fact that his abilities can change the future if he handles the situation just right, he is forced to make quite the difficult decision when it comes to the greasy Greg Stillson. And seeing him struggle with the possibility of taking a life and the repercussions that will likely come with it, despite his flawless track record, is thoughtful stuff to see in a thriller such as this. Because taking a life for the average person really isn’t a simple decision, regardless of the disgusting nature of the person in question since no one is really trained to do it. And while Johnny is able to play hero in the end and stave off the apocalypse, it comes at quite the cost, one that in essence makes Johnny Smith’s journey a magnificent one, since he goes from everyman to savior of mankind.
 
In the end, this is perhaps one of the more thoughtful adaptations of King’s work, since it really does toy with notions of our place in the world when historic and important events present themselves to us. Along with our role when we have the opportunity to do the right thing. But what truly makes this story work so well, since the idea is quite fantastical in its own right, is the humanity present here. Because at its core The Dead Zone is a sweeping story about life and loss and the cruelty of man and somehow combining all of those elements and throwing in a dash of clairvoyance makes for a terrifying tale since it holds nothing back in what it presents to us and this film is so well crafted and filled with such wonderful performances that it is timeless in its own right. And I do hope this one doesn’t receive an additional remake/reimagining down the line because it is a flawless story, one that you need to see immediately if you haven’t yet. 

With all of the possible hiding places for monsters to stake claim to in our rooms, as children, we never really knew where they would be coming from. Trying to cover all of our bases before falling to sleep, checking under the bed, in the closet, in the dark chair in the corner and other places, our parents were never able to find any monsters, but we knew that they were there. No matter who checked the darkest places in our rooms, they could never check the darkest parts of our imaginations and while that may have been where the monsters really lurked, there was no convincing us that they were not real, much less that they wanted to take us away for some strange reason.

While a young girl lies in her bed, she waits and watches her dad check out the normal places where the monsters would be hiding. With his final check coming from next to her night light, her dad pulls up Mr. Fuzzy who should keep her safe through the night. Urging his daughter to pull up her covers and go to sleep for the night, the father wishes her sweet dreams and heads off to the living room for the evening, but there is something sinister creeping around in the closet that he did not check.

While sleeping, the young girl rolls over and knocks Mr. Fuzzy off of the bed and looking up into the darkness when she awakens, she spots a pair of eyes lurking in her closet. Yelling for her dad to come and protect her, the two fathers take a moment to decide who will be checking on their child. With the first dad being chosen with this task, he enters the room to find his daughter in a cold sweat. Asking what she had seen that has her all worked up, the dad hears her utter, ‘Mr. Pointy’, a name that he remembers being terrorized by as a child. Trying to calm his daughter down by telling her his old tale, the dad quickly finds out that the monster is not waiting for her, but for him instead.

It is always fun to get lost in a short story that has to do with a monster in the closet, mainly because it is very relatable for most of us. As we get older, we start to believe that the monsters that we saw during the night were just in our minds, but as this story shows, that might not be true at all. With a terrorized little girl wanting her dad to believe her, she is forced to deliver a message that only he will understand and this is most shocking and satisfying part of this horror short overall. With a little girl, some stuffed animals, a nightlight, a self-opening closet, some red eyes, plenty of screaming and a monster looking to finish off the job, this is a great little horror short to remind you that sometimes there really are monsters waiting for you in the dark and even though it may take them some time to find you again, they are always looking for the right opportunity. Stay Scared.

See ‘Mr. Pointy’ on Amazon Prime Video.

I have to admit, that I am thoroughly impressed with how AMC’s The Terror: Infamy continues to tell its chilling tale. Because most horror stories that feature a dynamic and unique setting, stay within the confines of that place until the story comes to its logical conclusion. But this particular tale, is willing to change things up and move our characters around location wise, and take risks with what’s happening within the story and last night’s episode of the show reinforced that second ‘rule’ I just made mention of, since our characters dealt with some incredible and life changing moments, the kind that took them, and in turn the audience, on quite the wild and terrifying ride when all is said and done. Which is something that took me by surprise, since ‘My Sweet Boy’ started out in such an upbeat manner.
 
For Chester had settled nicely into his new life in New Mexico and some creative maneuvering from Luz’s grandmother allowed for the two lovers to reconcile and finally admit to one another that they belonged together, prompting them to tie the knot at last. And back in the camp, everyone was preparing to say their goodbyes to this unfortunate place since the Supreme Court deemed these places as illegal, which meant that everyone was going to leave and start over, and the positivity present in this tale, didn’t end there. For Amy seemingly faced no repercussions for sending the tape to Washington since Major Bowen was perky and joyful around her and everyone else and well, these happy moments definitely lulled the audience into a false sense of security, since it really seemed as though we were going to be venturing into some happy territory for a change.
 
But this is a horror story through and through, and once our nerves were settled and our minds were comfortable, the darkness rolled in and both Chester and Amy’s respective storylines took a turn for the worse. In Amy’s case, her concerns about Major Bowen’s overly cheerful attitude were justified, since it was all a front on his part to get her comfortable and in a vulnerable position. Because he did indeed find out about her sending the tape to Washington, only because a good and loyal friend intercepted it first and that prompted the Major to drug her and capture her and exhibit the evil that resides within men’s souls. For it seemed as though Amy was going to suffer greatly for her ‘betrayal’ and likely lose her life for her actions and this was just an unsettling sequence to watch. And while it ended with Amy using her smarts to escape what seemed like an impossible situation, the death of Major Bowen at her hands will have lasting repercussions, regardless of the fact that she made the right call. 

​While Amy dealt with the evils of prejudice however, Chester’s seemingly joyful new life hit a bit of a road bump thanks to the spirit world. Because Luz came to learn that her father was missing in this tale, and that prompted her grandmother to try and conduct an ancient ceremony that would reveal his fate. It was a notion that Luz quickly brushed off, but Chester instead embraced it. Because this would allow for him to find out whether or not his brother was alive and well, and his decision to take part in the ceremony took him into the spirit world; where he learned some heartbreaking news. For it turns out that Jirou died long ago and to make matters worse, by traveling into this other realm, Chester awakened the spirit of his mother and immediately drew her to Jirou’s location in the afterlife and she quickly dragged her other son’s spirit to her perfect little world. 
 
Yet, while that was chilling and harrowing in its own right, crossing paths with his mother uncovered a terrifying secret about what Yuko has planned for Chester. For shortly after coming out of his voyage to the afterlife, a grand discussion with Luz’s grandmother allowed for everyone to come to a greater understanding of Yuko and what she is capable of and to complicate matters further, Chester came to discover that his mother was at his wedding, disguised as a friend of the family. Which prompted Chester to check on her and discover that Yuko killed her as well. And the only clue at this point as to why she bothered to possess this sweet woman was clutched within the grip of her cold dead hands, and the baby jumper she knitted before she died, along with a glimpse of the afterlife, revealed Yuko’s grand plan. For it turns out that she plans to take Chester to this place, and his unborn child, since Luz is pregnant once again, so she can have generations of her broken family with her for all eternity.
 
Which was a chilling reveal for certain, and it just goes to show how far Yuko has been driven to madness thanks to her guilt and her power and well, this sets up quite the conundrum for Chester. Because at this point, I don’t know how Chester is going to stop her in the slightest. But in the here and the now, it’s best we take a moment and offer up a little digital applause for one hell of a quality episode. Because this was a unique and inventive tale that offered up some incredible challenges for the characters to face in multiple locations, and I really am impressed with how the camp is beginning to take a backseat in this story, and there’s good reason for that. Because it is clear now, that a grand showdown is coming between mother and son, one that is either going to end in triumphant relief, or outright sorrow. Until next time.