​It seems like a story as old as time itself, but it still continues to show up in the headlines. Manufacturing companies discarding their waste improperly has been something that has been going on for ages and even now, they try to get away with it. The cost of getting rid of this waste seems to be too much of an expense for these companies and while they should be looking out for the welfare of the masses, it all comes down to money and the bottom line. This may never stop being a problem, so all you can do is try to help police it and keep hitting them with more fines and hopefully they will get the message, or at least lose all of their money.
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Heading out on a two-day excursion with some classmates, Jill is looking to show the world that she is ready to work at a higher level. Wanting to get proof that the oil company on the island was not doing things right, she can only hope that her classmates Mike, Tia and Kristen are on the same page. But there is a massive snag as the group starts across the lake to the island and a shark appears out of nowhere. Losing Mike to the giant killer, the girls take refuge on the abandoned island only to find out that they are not alone at all.

After pulling off the heist of the century, Barb and her crew are making a getaway that nobody expected. Paddling across the lake to the isolated island, all they have to do is sit and wait for the buyer to show up to get paid. Yet there is a giant shark in the water that overturns their boat and has its sights set on eating everyone in its path. Trying to get their loot back from the depths of the lake, the group finds out that the shark is a greater threat than could have ever been imagined. Losing two members of her group, Barb sees that they are not alone as a couple of college girls show up. Playing nice for now, Barb knows that they will come in handy for the great retrieval. 

Making their way across the island to the old office that should be abandoned, the two groups stumble upon Dr. Grant who is covered in blood. Admitting that it was his fault for releasing the giant shark into the water, he becomes the next victim of the Megalodon. As Jill and her friends try to escape while Barb and her group watch the doctor get eaten, another falls victim to the ancient killer. Knowing of a way to keep the shark at bay so the thieves can retrieve their goods, Jill comes up with the idea of using dynamite to scare it off. But Barb is way ahead of the college girl as she is able to get the plan in motion before sunrise. With their lives at stake, Jill comes up with yet another plan of escaping Barb and her crew but will she and her friend survive the shark as well?

I am a little disappointed at the rating that this movie has, but coming out before the craze that has become Sharknado, not many shark movies got their due. I liked the two groups trying to fight it out on the island, trying to survive their impending doom that the shark will bring them. I wish there was a little bit more about how the shark was destroying all means of escape on the island, to show that it was smarter than the average shark, but that did not impact how the story played out. The characters were fun and having two strong women running the show was excellent. With a giant shark, an admission of guilt, video cameras, guns, blood, dynamite and no way of escape, this is just a fun shark movie to watch when you want to be entertained. Stay Scared.

There was a time, the 1980s to be specific, when the pop culture landscape was transformed by two horrifying apocalyptic scenarios. One involved a glimpse into a world where the dead returned to the life and walked the earth as the dominant new species and the other… pondered upon what our world would look like if someone decided to push the big red button and let nuclear warheads rain down upon humanity, and it makes sense as to why these concepts changed horror and pop culture forever. Because they really did offer up brave and bold visions of the end, the kind that informed storytellers everywhere to take chances and hold nothing back, because doing that would allow for powerful stories to come to life and that is precisely why George Romero’s Day of the Dead is regarded as a masterpiece and why The Day After and Threads are fawned over to this day since they influenced a new generation of powerhouse stories.

But what is truly fascinating about these two polarizing genres of storytelling… is that no one really ever bothered to combine the two in a quality manner. As though creative minds understood that doing so might be too much for audiences to bear since the fear factor would be so high. But as horror continues to evolve and grow bolder in the 21st Century, the time has clearly come to put those two worlds together and see what a combined zombie and nuclear apocalypse can bring to the table storytelling wise, and it just so happens that the first real quality merging of these two genres is about to come to fruition on our television screens. For this is the new world of Fear the Walking Dead, since season seven shows us the aftermath of Teddy’s desire to rain down nukes upon the gulf coast and well, we here at Nerds That Geek got an advance look at season seven and we thought it would be worthwhile to share what you can expect from this merger in a spoiler-free fashion.

Simply because, spoiling any aspect of this would be rude and insulting. for this is a season of storytelling that you need to experience firsthand, because it is genuinely terrifying through and through. After all, there really is something awful about seeing the living dead roaming about a nuclear wasteland. One that is silent and dead and desolate and devoid of hope and really the first element about this new season that catches you off guard and leaves you uncomfortable… is that the story does showcase the genuine difficulties that would come with living in this kind of environment. Because now the struggle is twofold since one has to fight the danger of radiation poisoning, alongside fighting the dead and that leads to some harrowing moments for certain. The kind that genuinely make you squirm in your seat as you worry and wonder if one wrong choice will mean the end for characters that have fought so hard to make it this far. 

Speaking of those characters, they also face some incredible challenges in this new world outside of the physical dangers. Because something that isn’t showcased enough in either zombie or nuclear fiction, is the long-lasting psychological impact that such an environment would have upon the survivors of either. Because in no way would facing walking corpses be easy psychologically, nor would looking out a window to see the haze and result of nuclear fallout and that is addressed in this new season and that adds a terrifying new fold to an already scary set of scenarios. For we really see firsthand the mental impact of seeing this part of the world be laid to waste and how that and the double threat of the dead, can transform a person’s mind in a negative manner,. Giving life to some powerful moments for certain, the kind that utterly suck you in, since you’re hoping that good people can overcome the fear and hopelessness that has infested their mind. 

If anything, this really is the most ambitious season of this series to date and that is saying something. Since this is a saga that has made some bold moves for years on end now. But here it would seem that Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg won’t be happy until they create a zombie story that is as bleak as Romero’s work and boy, are they getting close. Because this one is dark and hopeless and full of incredible surprises that will definitely leave us talking for days on end and thankfully, you don’t have to wait long to experience this bold new corner of The Walking Dead Universe. For Fear the Walking Dead returns to the airwaves on October 17, 2021, at 9 p.m. EST/8 p.m. CST or you can see new episodes a week early on AMC+ and well… we here at NTG cannot wait for this premiere and this season. Because year seven… is going to be something quite special.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two premiere of ‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond’.

​Something that truly captivates all of us in the everyday world, is how exactly people lose themselves to movements and groups that are obviously unsavory in nature. Because we firmly believe that logic should prevail in all things and that should in turn, allow for everyday folks to understand that people that are clearly unsavory and in it for themselves should be ignored and avoided and eventually forgotten. But time and time again, we simply see people flock to them and often times, the end results of this migration to the ignorant and the foolish… ends in outright disaster. Since we’ve seen cult leaders take their followers down with them and of course, we’ve even seen a polarizing maniac and wannabe leader, inspire insurrection from his red hatted minions.
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Which brings us back to the central question of this problem. In that, what exactly drives a person to follow people of that low caliber? And oddly enough, there is no easy answer to that question. For some, really do recognize a kindred evil in said idiot and are eager to follow someone that shares their beliefs. While others, follow their lead because they ignite and inspire something within them, especially when the follower is marginalized and some, are simply followers that blindly go with whatever is popular in the moment since that seems like the right thing to do. But in some rare cases, people sign up for the madness, simply because they quite literally have no other choice. For to fight the growing masses would result in more strife than they’ve already experienced and really, that particular aspect of why people join bad causes, is central to our discussion today, because it served as the focus of last night’s season two premiere of The Walking Dead: World Beyond.

For ‘Konsekans’ took the time to explore some of the inner workings of the Civil Republic Military and in doing so, helped us to understand how they are able to rally so many to their cause and it turns out… that they truly work to sell to others, that they have no option in this awful world, then to join the CRM. Because to do otherwise likely means certain death. But while some would immediately scoff at that, there are ways to convince people of a ‘reality’ that someone else wants them to believe, as evidenced by Hope’s journey in this tale. For when we catch up with her, here, she and Huck and Lieutenant Colonel Kublek have taken a bit of a detour on their journey to see Hope’s missing father. To the city of Albany, NY, to be specific.

Simply because Kublek isn’t convinced that Hope is one hundred percent ready to join the fight against the dead, or the work the CRM is putting together to save all of humanity from extinction and resurrection. So, she instead gives Hope quite the choice. In that, she can either commit to the CRM and all of its principles right now, without giving it a second thought… or she can go down into the city proper itself and really come to understand her situation and her future by seeing the world as it really is. Something that she hasn’t quite experienced in this life since the CRM quickly helped her and her family out in Omaha. And of course, being pressed in that manner, motivates Hope to go with the latter option since she felt betrayed by Kublek and especially Huck and well, that’s when this central exploration gets underway.

For Hope quickly came to discover that Albany was a horror show, for this city of the dead was filled to the brim with empties that clearly hadn’t seen the meal they desire for ages on end, and that made them aggressive and fierce. Which in turn meant that Hope struggled with survival mightily. For she had never faced this many members of the living dead before and after taking a serious beating, the kind that resulted in a concussion and some bruising… she came to realize that there was no hope for safety or survival, without the CRM’s help. An epiphany that motivated her to do the seemingly impossible and radio Kublek and her forces her help. For the Lieutenant Colonel gave her that very radio, if she decided that CRM was indeed the better way and well, that’s where we leave Hope in this tale. Both physically and emotionally broken and embracing a future and an organization she’s uncertain of, simply because she has no other choice. 
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But of course, she’s right to be concerned about the CRM. For this is an episode that also took the time to reveal just how evil this organization can be. Because not only did they destroy the Campus Colony with impunity, but they also destroyed an entire city. For Omaha and all the protections that its borders offered were destroyed by the CRM shortly before the Campus Colony, by a way of a unique plan. One where the CRM demolished the walls surrounding this city. Which attracted a super herd, one hundreds of thousands strong and well, this was quite the sobering sight. Since it once again raises more questions about this organization. Because while we’ve seen them do acts akin to wiping out the Campus Colony before to keep their secrets buried, we’ve never bore witness to wholesale slaughter and genocide from them, on this level, leaving one to wonder what the point of that was and what this organization stands for outside of control.

However, not all hope is lost when it comes to their ability to work in secret and without consequence. For there are some out there who are aware of the CRM’s actions, such as Iris and Felix. For they received solid intel from Will that Kublek wiped everyone out back home and stole everything that wasn’t nailed down and learning that… fundamentally changed Iris. Because she simply could not comprehend this kind of atrocity and how an organization that preaches safety, could go this far and well… that reality has motivated her to think differently about the Civil Republic Military and how it should be treated. In that, perhaps it has served its purpose and that its secrets should no longer be in the dark and in the end, Iris simply seems ready to fight this organization with every fiber of her being, as evidenced by the end of this particular tale. Since she took the fight to a nearby base… on her own.
 
In the end however, this really was quite the solid premiere. Simply because it did a wonderful job of plunging us back into this bleak corner of The Walking Dead Universe. All by properly showing us how precarious things are in this world right now. For it was chilling to learn that the living dead are now massing in super herds, and it was equally as eerie to see a major American city lie in ruin after all these years and of course, it was terrifying to learn how the CRM truly operates. For now, we know that this organization seemingly does at it pleases when it pleases, and it uses fear to rule and fear to inspire and that is an outright recipe for disaster, and it will be quite chilling to learn more about them in the weeks to come. For Hope is finally within its borders and that will undoubtedly give us a grand look into the inner workings of an organization that seemingly just ‘goes with the flow’ at a time when real focus is needed. Until next time.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 1107 of ‘The Walking Dead’.
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It wasn’t that long ago, that we talked at length about how the AMC series The Walking Dead, put on a masterclass regarding stacked storytelling. Which is where a particular episode is filled to the brim with multiple and engaging storylines and that topic arose, simply because ‘Out of the Ashes’ featured no less than four storylines and actually managed to progress each of them in a compelling manner and add depth to them with minimal effort. And at the time, fans everywhere, including this writer… pondered upon the possibility that this was nothing more than an opportunity to test the writers’ room and really see if they could pull off this particular feat, when in fact… it turned out to be an outright test run for the future.
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For as this final season continues along and our heroes continue to find themselves scattered to the world and struggling to survive, more episodes in this vein are going to appear. Because it is the only way to properly touch on all the storylines happening around the region and for proof… well then look no further than last night’s tale. For ‘Promises Broken’ is a story that featured no less than three concurrent storylines, the kind that once again featured depth and meaning and progression and well… it is best we start today’s recap off with a look back at the one that offered up the most positivity. Specifically, the one involving Leah and Daryl, since that one provided us with a strong sense of hope for a change.

At least, by the end of this particular arc. For early on it was nothing more than a dark and dreary plot. One that involved Pope continuing to fly off the handle back at Meridian. All because the pressure of not finding his nemesis in Maggie was beginning to get to him. In fact, it was downright boiling over, especially when his soldiers found nothing at the locations, they were scouting in the hopes of finding Maggie and her merry band of warriors. But thankfully, Leah was able to calm him down before his fury once again resulted in violent death and for her efforts… she was rewarded with a scouting mission of her own, one that included Daryl, and once they got out into the world and had a little time to talk and reflect, that hope came into play. 

Because Daryl was able to quietly break down some of Leah’s emotional walls and get her to open up about her frustrations with Pope and well, that made it clear that she might not be totally sold on the madman and thankfully, a chance encounter with strangers, revealed the fact that there is some good still within her soul. For when the chance arose to murder a suffering family with impunity because Pope felt the need to satiate his frustrations by punishing them, she instead opted to let the uninjured members of that family go and she even made it clear that she’d tell Pope that Daryl handled Pope’s initial request, to curry favor with the mad man. Helping us to understand at last that she might be an individual worth saving and she might be a key ally in the fight to come against the Reapers. 

But while that story was filled to the brim with hints of a better tomorrow, the others in this tale were not quite as joyful. Negan and Maggie’s story for instance, saw these frenemies dig deep and make a tough decision about how to defeat their enemy. In that, it was time to resurrect the ways of the Whisperers and build an army of the dead to bring the Reapers to their knees. An act that few were good with, but they understood the need. For they were in fact, outnumbered and outgunned and there was no better weapon left in the world than the living dead. But what made this storyline so poignant and engaging, wasn’t the fact that a twisted idea came into play, it was that Negan used this moment and some raw and painful honesty to make it clear to Maggie and the rest… that going forward, the rules had to change. There could be no more discussions about peace with bad people, only swift and brutal action, lest they find themselves on the losing side as Negan once did and that was quite the powerful admission. One that once again harkens back to season eleven’s overall theme about whether or not man is worthy of salvation.
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As for the third and final storyline in this particular tale, well that one took us back into the heart of the Commonwealth to get an idea of how Eugene’s group was doing and uh… they weren’t exactly enjoying their punishment for calling Alexandria. For they were relegated to walker clearing duty, as the Commonwealth continued its expansion plans for the future and while they handled that, Yumiko was working hard to figure out how to get them free and how to get Alexandria the help it so desperately needed. A move that revealed that the Commonwealth is in fact, the old world come to life through and through, since Yumiko encountered a lot of the political gamesmanship we see in our world today, and much of it was handled by the mysterious Lance Hornsby and this is a segment that also revealed how little some people have changed in this new world. 

Because while Eugene and Stephanie were clearing out a new segment of this settlement, they had the opportunity to save the lives of an uppity and well-to-do couple from the living dead and that uh… went poorly. Not because the couple died, far from that. No, instead, what is of concern here… is the response those saved, provided Eugene and Stephanie with. For they received disdain and fury from the young man in question to the point where Eugene had to sock him in the nose to get him to quit with the verbal abuse and sadly, it turns out that Eugene cold-cocked Sebastian Morton, the son of the Commonwealth’s Governor, Pamela and that put him in some hot water. The kind that Hornsby used as leverage to finally get our favorite technician to apparently admit the outright location of Alexandria in order to save his friends.

Which was stunning to say the least, since it speaks to how broken Eugene is right now, but what matters more here. Is that there are clearly still people who do not fear the dead in the slightest and are as spoiled and stagnant as the world was when the dead returned to life, also harkening back to the theme in question. But while we wait to see what will come out of this fistfight and how Maggie’s new army will handle the Reapers and if Leah can help win the day… we can offer up a round of applause for another solid tale. One that once again offered depth and meaning and progression of multiple plotlines in a seamless manner and well, this one also deserves some credit for setting the stage for one epic battle. For clearly, war is on the horizon and how the conflict at Meridian plays out will undoubtedly take our breath our way and leave us starving for more of this series, since the next episode will also serve as a ‘chapter break’ of sorts. One that will transition us to the second act of the end of The Walking Dead. Until next time.  

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season three premiere of ‘Eli Roth’s History of Horror’.
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One thing that cinephiles can agree upon, is that a fair chunk of sequels out there… suck. And there is good reason as to why that consensus exists. For there are plenty of Part Two’s and beyond out there, that tend to rehash what came before to rake in some cash and keep a popular franchise going and perhaps the best place to prove this point, is to look squarely at the horror genre. Because for ages now, this genre has played host to cash-grab sequels that offer little in production values or quality storytelling. They simply serve up a sloppy sequel in the hopes that people will somehow associate their muck with utter greatness. But while it is indeed frustrating to see sequels that are desperate attempts to cash in on popularity, the good news is that not all horror sequels (or sequels in general), stink.
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In fact, there are some out there that are far superior to the original and have managed to find a special place in the hearts and minds of cinephiles and horror fans everywhere and for that matter, some have even left a blueprint, as to how to make a quality sequel, for others to follow. If anything, this is top of mind today, simply because the season three premiere of Eli Roth’s History of Horror, took the time to spotlight ‘Sequels That Don’t Suck’. Such as say… Psycho II. A horror story that should have failed miserably for even attempting to continue Hitchcock’s masterpiece. But its stellar storyline and wonderful character arc for Norman Bates, has put it in the upper echelon of horror sequels and it has taught all of us that quality and thoughtful writing, alongside challenging the cast… can forge a great sequel. 

As can challenging the audience in new ways, as evidenced by both A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and Scream 2. Since both of those sequels really took the audience to task. A feat that Dream Warriors accomplished by unleashing Freddy’s powers, since the kills here were so outlandish and so epic that the audience didn’t know what to expect, and it doesn’t hurt that bringing back a fan favorite character and having them die, wowed the audience like never before. As for Scream 2, well… it simply left the audience in awe. Because they were kept guessing from beginning to end as to who could be the new Ghostface, now that the original killers were dead, and that led to a powerful and thoughtful reveal for certain. One that made it clear that engaging and wowing the audience, and asking them to experience something bold and unique, really can create an iconic sequel. 

But perhaps the best example of all, as to how to make a sequel iconic, came about by way of the show’s examination of Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Since this wonderful segment made it clear that sometimes, going for broke and just trying new things can result in something miraculous. After all, this is a sequel that had the potential to be an outright clone of the original and in many ways, it starts off in that nature. But director Joe Dante’s decision to lampoon his own work and basically lampoon whatever came to mind in this sequel, alongside making the Gremlins bigger and badder and outright hilarious with their antics, paved the way for a grand follow-up. One that many love more than the original and that really does go to show that originality and risk pay off in the sequel market since The New Batch really did stand out from its predecessor, and captivated audiences. 

Yet you’ve probably noticed that there has been little discussion here regarding movies such as Aliens and Dawn of the Dead and there is good reason for that. For this documentary only mentioned them in passing and rightfully so, since plenty has been written about how they surpass their respective originals. So rather than re-tread such discussions, why not spotlight follow-ups that don’t get talked about enough and have established how to make sequels better and going that route, made for one amazing premiere. One that really did remind us, how much we missed this show and its wondrous insight, since it really did offer up some amazing points here and some fascinating examinations on sequels that really do wow the viewer and well, now that this chapter has ended… all we can do is eagerly await next Friday’s entry and all the wonderful lessons it is going to send our way. Until then.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 302 of ‘Creepshow’.
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A couple of themes that the Shudder series Creepshow tends to explore often, is the darkness that we indulge in, and why we do so, and it makes sense as to why these concepts are such a focus for the show. Because the evil that humanity takes part in, is fascinating to say the least. Because there are just so many reasons that people make the strange choice to let the darkness in and execute its desires with impunity and taking the time to explore those endless reasons… really does offer up endless storytelling possibilities for this show and once again, the show opted to turn to this particular examination... in a unique manner. For this week’s tales of terror took the time to explore such matters in both a lighthearted and semi-historical fashion and well, let’s talk about the fun one, first.

For ‘Skeletons in the Closet’ introduced us to a quirky couple named Lampini and Danielle and they were the proprietors of a horror movie museum. One that was about to unveil its greatest exhibit to all. For this display featured unique skeletons from horror film history, the kind that were built around the bones of actual individuals that had passed. But alas, in order to make the Dawn of the Dead portion of this exhibit as accurate and authentic as possible, Lampini went to extreme lengths to obtain the exact human skeleton used on screen, the one that was buried years ago… and unfortunately for him, a rival collector figured this out. For Lambert wanted the collection for himself and used the truth to blackmail Lampini and that led to the darkness in question. 

Since Lampini was willing to kill to keep his collection and let's be honest... digging up skeletons is a pretty dark act as well and this just goes to show that some people have no problem with letting the darkness take over if they firmly believe one ugly act or two will justify the means for their future. However, all lessons aside, we would be foolish to not talk about the fact that this particular segment was a horror fan’s dream come true thanks to the homages present here. Since the museum was indeed filled with beautiful props from horror’s illustrious history, including the Original Creep from Creepshow (1982) and other wonders that might have come from Greg Nicotero’s personal collection since he worked on a lot of the movies mentioned here and that twist, along with an amazing homage to Jason and the Argonauts is what kept this story in some supremely lighthearted territory. The kind that definitely motivated this writer to hoot and holler at what played out on the screen. 

As for the history lesson, well that was handled by the second vignette in this journey, ‘Familiar’. Which is a story that introduced us to a happy couple named Jackson and Fawn who stumbled upon a psychic named Boone one night, and their attempts to get a reading ended in disaster for Jackson. For he was told by Boone that something evil followed him into the psychic parlor and that in turn opened Jackson’s eyes to the fact that a Familiar was indeed following him around and was eager to use Jackson to feast on souls and create chaos and that forced Jackson to take some extreme measures to be free of it. The kind that saw him work to trap the creature in question and kill it so he could be free of the nightmare it was prepared to unleash. A plan that of course, ended badly when Jackson misunderstood the instructions and fell for the Familiar’s tricks. 
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But what matters more here, is that this story really dives deep into some classic concepts regarding the nature of evil and its influence upon mankind. Since a creature of this nature, more or less harkens back to ancient beliefs that evil was something that lurked around every corner and was the cause of our problems all along and would harm others and pin it on innocents in order to get its kicks and that’s a brilliant twist to say the least. Since it really does remind us that there was a time in humanity’s history where we didn’t even want to consider the possibility that humanity was capable of cruelty and evil and seeing this old-school notion come to life in a 21st Century setting really does freshen up the legend and play into our fears of the unknown. For it ignites the imagination to ponder upon whether or not all evil is choice, or if sometimes the claims of innocence we hear from guilty parties is related to a being like this one.

However, more than likely, we know the truth in such matters. But it is fun to play ‘what if?’ and fun really is the best word to describe this particular episode. Since it really did a wonderful job of making us laugh and cheer courtesy of its wonderful homages and twisted examination of how some people dig into darkness to get ahead in life and it was indeed a great deal of fun to just ponder upon the unknown and harken back to a time when our own imaginations more or less dictated our decisions and our punishments for our fellow man and really, in the end, this really is quite the enjoyable episode. Because at its core, it celebrates the best parts of the horror genre, and you can never go wrong that. Until next time, kiddies.