​I would venture to say, that horror themed television shows have high expectations from their fan base. Because if a show is unable to provide its audience with quality and dynamic characters that consistently grow and struggle, and an overall story that doesn’t move along briskly and enthrall us and of course, scare the hell out of us, it’s deemed a failure and quickly forgotten. But what we sometimes forget when it comes to this genre, is that it is okay for horror to be something a little more topical than what is currently demanded of it, and it can outright just be a wild and savage ride that makes you cringe and for proof… well look no further than the latest episode of Castle Rock.
 
Because ‘Dirty’ was an episode that was devoid of any deeper meaning or further explorations of what turns Annie Wilkes into the monster we meet in Misery. Instead, this was nothing more than an intense horror story, one that let the darkest parts of this town shine and in doing so, it set the stage for an intense conclusion to season two, and really the first thing I liked when it comes to this episode, is how it built tension and danger. Something that was accomplished by the fact that the song of Castle Rock was continuing to resonate with the residents of this twisted little burg, and as more people succumbed to its call and followed their new idol, the more it became apparent that the original followers of The Kid were preparing for something far more nefarious.
 
In fact, anyone who didn’t answer the call of the Kid, were targeted for destruction and that brought about some rough moments for Nadia. For Chris tried once again to recruit her into the cult, with unfortunate results since she fought back at every single turn and her attempts to help him is what brought about the ugliness in question. Because the Kid’s disciples came calling for her at the hospital where she admitted Chris for treatment, and they were quick to defend one of their own and attempt and put her down for even touching someone they deemed so holy. But a dose of Haldol offered her a chance at hope since it brought out the man she knows and loves. But despite their best efforts to escape the clutches of the Kid’s minions together and free Chris of the evil within, Nadia’s love lost his life in the fight, leaving her alone and confused and in danger.
 
But truly the centerpiece of this particular tale is everything that happened at the Marsten House involving Annie and Joy. Because the group was finally able to bring both of them under the house’s creepy roof, all in the hopes of detoxing Annie so she could become the vessel for Amity. But a quick look at Joy’s art made Ace come to realize that perhaps she was the actual vessel instead and plans were made to bring her to the crypt post haste. But with her dose being altered, Annie desire to keep her ‘baby’ safe, intensified to dangerous levels and that led to a wholesale bloodbath within the house wherein Annie dropped people left and right so that she and Joy could escape their clutches. But while they were nearly successful at getting out this disturbing burg, unfortunately for Annie, her little sister heard the call of Castle Rock as well and responded to it by joining the flock, leaving her fate and the fate of this storied town in the hands of the unknown.
 
If anything, I have to admit that I was quite impressed with this episode, simply because I didn’t expect to see something this intense. Because this season really has been a cerebral and mysterious affair, so it was quite refreshing to just see it let loose and bathe in danger and doom and it was definitely successful in its endeavor to tell us a bleak tale. For everything is really starting to fall apart in Castle Rock and with so many succumbing to the strange symphony playing in the air, who knows how on earth this mess will get resolved. But when one considers the sheer quality of this season’s storytelling, I think it is safe to say that it will all wrap up in stunning and potentially heartbreaking fashion and I truly cannot wait to see how this town survives its biggest scrape with darkness to date. Until next time. 

When a loved one passes away there is sadness for your family, friends and anyone else that knew the person. But is that really the way to remember your loved one, with sadness? I have been a firm believer that you should celebrate the life that your friend or family member lived and give the tears a break, unless they are tears of joy.  

Ten years after his father has passed away, Jake has been given permission from his mother to go and spread his father’s ashes over the Devil’s Backbone. Although it has been years since Jake had even tried to talk to his father, he is planning to do his old man right and give him the sendoff he deserved. But nothing can be that easy and Bert Wall was a horror author, along with a believer of what his surrounding land was holding, not just plants and animals, but ghosts.

In fact, he believed that ghosts were on his property and was not afraid to tell anybody about them. Doing years of research on his land, Bert was able to find out there was once a Nazi prison camp there, many Native American fights and plenty of death surrounding the Devil’s Backbone, but also treasure if he could find it before anyone else. Becoming a recluse in his late years of life, Bert never told this to his kids, and whenever something was called out about his out of the ordinary ways, he would shy away from the situation and tell them about the ghosts in the house, especially the White Woman who stays in the back room.

​Jake, his family and friends all believe Bert to have been off of his rocker, but when seeing pictures of the house right after his father died, he does not know what to believe. Wanting to get out to the land, Jake brings three of his friends and a camera man to document the events for the family but has no idea what the Backbone has in store for him. Hearing strange sounds in the night, a truck that is there and then gone again and finding an old trunk with some of his father’s effects in it, Jake starts to believe that some of the stories he heard as a child may just be true. But when investigating his father’s effects, Jake finds out things about his father that he never wanted to know, but not everything becomes clear to Jake until he visits the remains of his father’s old house.

Devil’s Backbone, Texas follows Jake and three of his good friends as they are heading down to his father’s old home in Texas to finally put him to rest. Bert Wall was a horror novelist that moved out to the Devi’s Backbone to change his outlook on life and with all of the money in the world, he was able to find out many things about the area. With the long history about the Backbone, Bert tried to prove things right and make the non-believers feel silly. Before being able to do so, Bert passed away and now his son Jake wants to follow in his footsteps. But not knowing what to believe from his father’s stories, Jake has to depend on his friends to keep him as close to earth as possible, but soon his friends will not be able to help him as there is spiritual power on the Backbone and no matter what they do, they cannot fight off something they cannot see.

This movie had me hooked from the start, with all of the history about the Devil’s Backbone being shown, I was hoping to see a ghost of some sort coming out and reclaiming its land. With the first-person perspective shots this movie took, there are plenty of little jump cuts that will give you a scare, but then some shots that are just silly as well. I enjoyed ninety percent of how the story line played out, I just think that the ending needed something a little bit more for my liking. It’s a good ride, you just have to check your reservations at the door before watching it. Stay Scared.

It is impossible to know what the future holds when getting a job, especially one that matches your skill set. People seem to think that by getting a job in the field that you earned your degree in, life is all peachy, and there will be nothing to surprise you. I hate to tell you this, but that is absolutely wrong. I could name off a number of examples why that is the wrong assumption, but I am sure that everyone has one of their own that they would look back at and remember. If you are looking for the perfect job, you need to find something that is your passion, something that you enjoy and something that will keep the bills paid while doing it. It is different for everyone and finding the perfect one may prove to be difficult, so I have learned to make do and let the people around me be the reason I like my job as much as I do. 

Professor Joseph Coupland is in need of a new camera man to document the tests he is running on a new patient. With the last one running off, Joseph finds young Brian McNeil to fill the void. Trying to figure out what Brian believes in, Joseph gives him a couple of questions, but the only thing that Brian can speak to is needing a job. Joining the Experiment team with Krissi and Harry, Brian does not know what to expect from whatever tests the professor is running, but after viewing a short film and hearing the stories about the subject, Brian is surprised to see that it is a beautiful young woman.

Jane Harper has signed up to be cured by Professor Joseph with his unusual methods. Joseph is willing to take the tests to the next level, but the university does not agree with his methods and his team is forced to leave the campus. With little money in hand, Joseph is able to rent out a small house away from civilization and continue his experiment. With the team intact, everyone starts to see how Brian is looking at Jane as she is just a woman that needs help. But Brian does not understand what is living inside of her and what it will do to escape the restrictions of her body.

​A young girl named Evy is living inside of the soul of Jane and is trying to find the light again and with Professor Joseph’s help, she will be released. Brian is not fully understanding what is happening with the tests and what the end product will be, all he knows is that he is falling for Jane in every way and will not allow any harm to come to her. While cleaning his camera equipment, Brian stumbles upon something else that makes him feel uncomfortable when seeing Joseph and Krissi kissing under a tree. Looking up at Jane’s window, Brian sees that she is well aware of the affair, since she and the professor have something going on as well. Knowing that he is keeping the young girl hidden away from the world, Brian tries to devise a plan to get Jane out of the house, but he has to convince her that this is the right thing to do.

The Quiet Ones follows a group of researchers as they are trying to unlock the complexities of the human mind when it comes to a possession case. With Professor Joseph Coupland in command, his assistants believe they are working with the right man. But when Brian joins the group, he starts to see what is really happening behind the scenes. Not thinking that the possession is real in Jane, he starts to fight back against his employer, but has no idea what he is really up against. Falling for the young girl is not helping his cause when it is seen by everyone in the group. Brian knows that Jane is a good soul but has to tell his mind to ignore all of the supernatural events that seem to follow the young woman. Wanting to get her free of the professor, Brian comes up with a plan of escape, but when the time comes, will he be able to carry through with it?

I must admit, for a PG-13 movie, this one pulls out all of the stops for some genuine scares. I am surprised on how the story kept moving along with all of the subplots that started to surface as the movie played on. Not knowing a ton about possessions and if they are something that can actually be cured by science, I want to know more after watching this. The love story between Brian and Jane is really where I got lost in this movie, since Brian is not willing to bend his views on what is happening in front of his very eyes while a young woman is suffering. His self-sacrifice seems to be the foundation of the story, but there is much more to Jane than he is willing to see when he has his blinders on. Not the scariest movie out there, but one you might want to consider watching with the lights on when the sun goes down. Stay Scared.

​We like to think that we are outright invincible. That no matter what challenges come our way, either emotional or physical, we can take them and handle them head on, because the human mind and body are so incredibly resilient and there is a lot of truth to that particular line of thinking. For when the going gets tough emotionally, somehow we are able to suck it up and put on a smile in order to power through the day and complete our usual tasks, and sometimes when our bodies ache and begin to fail us before we’ve reached a particular finish line, we are able to forge ahead through the pain to do what must be done before we finally take a moment to rest and heal.
 
But despite the fact that we can handle plenty that the world throws at us, we do have our limitations. Because whatever is bringing us down emotionally will eventually catch up with us and force us to face it and our feelings, and despite how badly we wish to push on when we physically ache, at some point or another our body won’t let us continue so that it can begin the healing process. If anything, all of these thoughts are on my mind today simply because the proverbial breaking point is something that’s been looming large over The Walking Dead. For the good people of Alexandria and Hilltop have endured tough physical and emotional challenges this season, the kind they haven’t faced since ‘All Out War’ and it just so happens that everyone finally had their fill of the pressure during last night’s mid-season finale and the end result of crossing that threshold, made for one stunning tale.
 
Because we saw some of our favorite characters give into their fear and their anger like never before and all of that came about in ‘The World Before’, courtesy of the discovery that Dante was one of Alpha’s spies. Something that Rosita stumbled upon when she went to check on dear Siddiq, and in the aftermath of this surprise, Alexandria’s senior leadership was shaken to the core and with good reason. After all, that kind of surprise left everyone one wondering as to whether or not there were other spies within their midst and it left some feeling so vulnerable and terrified that the only rational thought was lash out and seek out revenge, to hurt those who hurt them so badly. But thankfully, cooler heads worked to keep Dante’s true identity and intentions a secret from the community and there was a grand attempt to keep the peace and not let Siddiq’s death be mired in darkness.
 
But as time rolled on, Father Gabriel struggled mightily with this betrayal, and it made him question if the town’s mission to do good was worthwhile, or if perhaps Alexandria needed to go on the defensive instead, and that prompted Rosita to try and talk a little sense into him and walk him back from the abyss that he was staring into. Yet, despite all the efforts put forth in this story to keep Gabriel from giving into his fury, knowing that kindness and genuine care did nothing for Dante was more than he could he bear and he finally reached his breaking point and made Dante pay for the damage he had done to this tiny community, in blood. And it was honestly stunning to see Gabriel snap in this fashion and take this to the darkest place imaginable and who knows what kind of repercussions will come about from this since I think it is safe to say that Gabe may struggle with his actions. 

​Yet while that alone would have been stunning enough to carry a midseason finale, there were more unsettling moments waiting for us in this tale. For example, things got tense at Oceanside shortly after Michonne came to learn about Dante’s deception, and that prompted her to warn everyone there and prompt leadership to potentially re-check the backstories of anyone that was new within the city limits, all in the panic that perhaps another Whisperer had infiltrated their ranks. But truly things fell apart in this normally serene community once a stranger arrived with walkers in tow, and that prompted a grand push to capture him once the dead made life difficult and it was outright unsettling to see Judith buying into the fear without quite understanding it, by wounding this stranger so that her mother could properly interrogate him.
 
Which is where the episode started to let up on some of the fear and tension that it had injected into everything. Because that face to face meeting helped to reveal that this man was not a Whisperer, but a potential solution to everyone’s problems. For the man (whose name is Virgil), revealed that he lives off the coast in the remnant of a military base, and he came here for supplies and all he wanted was a boat to get home and some mercy and that word, is one that struck a chord with Michonne. For it was Rick that often preached a kinder and gentler way, especially after the war, and that finally softened her stance and brought her to the solution in question. Because Virgil’s home was likely stocked to the brim with weapons, the kind that could decimate a massive horde and that motivated Michonne to offer up quite the deal to Virgil. In that, she would take him home with some supplies, in exchange for whatever she needed to win this war.
 
However, what was truly impressive about this shift in gears, is that acts of kindness and honesty didn’t end with Michonne. For Daryl and quite a few of his friends went into the woods to follow up on intel that Gamma (whose real name is Mary) provided them with when she learned that her nephew was still alive. And while they were out there, searching for the horde, Daryl finally had an opportunity to confront Carol about her quest to bring down Alpha and how it was destroying Carol and hurting the people she held near. Which made it seem as though this story was going to finally bring this exploration into the breaking point to a close and allow for some of the characters to heal and find their center. But a chance to take down Alpha ruined all of that, since Carol went right after her nemesis and at last her desire for revenge put her friends in serious peril, since they eventually found themselves trapped in a cave/mine, surrounded by Alpha’s massive horde.
 
If anything, this really was quite the brilliant midseason finale when all is said and done. Simply because, it raised the stakes like never before since we saw so many characters give into their darkness and embrace it tightly and it was quite shocking to see a group of people that have survived some incredible odds and struggles, begin to wear down and shatter before our eyes. But while this grand exploration of what happens when we finally crack under pressure was fascinating and powerful in its own right, the consequences of everyone’s actions, specifically Carol, is what has me nervous for the second half of season ten. For now, some of the best warriors that these two communities have to offer, are far away from home and that leaves Hilltop and Alexandria vulnerable to attack, something that I am certain Alpha is excited about. Which means the war will likely heat up when the series returns in February and who knows what kind of devastation and loss might come about from Alpha’s response to this latest incursion into her territory. Until next time. 

Sometimes local legends seem to be a bit farfetched, but there is always something behind them. It might be hard to imagine that a one-armed steel worker is roaming the plant at night, looking for his other arm, or that the ghosts of children killed in a train crash will push your car over the tracks, but that might be the fun in it all. There is always something that happened in your town that nobody wants to let out, but if you are able to get one of the elders talking for a bit, you may find out the secret that your town will be known for. There is no shame in this, as there are always adventure seekers out there that are looking for a good time and if they make it to your town, you will be the one that can spread the tale.

Five friends are looking for something to do on Halloween night and Brad seems to have come up with the perfect outing. Visiting his girlfriend Sharon at her job, he promises a night that they will not soon forget. Although Sharon is best friends with Brad’s ex-girlfriend Laurie, everyone seems to be okay with the relationships moving on, but Brad may not feel the same way overall. Gathering up his friends in the truck, Brad starts down the road to a place everyone has heard horror tales about, the Jarvis Mine.

When he lets the destination slip, Brad is surprised to hear all of the hesitancy coming from his friends and has to beg them to press on. With Laurie’s new boyfriend, Ethan in the back, Brad is looking for anyway to make the foreign exchange student lose his lunch in front of his past love. Arriving at the mine, the group sets up camp at the mouth of the cavern and are all having a great time, until the rain starts, and they have to enter the mine to stay dry. While getting all of their equipment set up again, the group starts wandering around the old mine and find a shaft that runs to one of the lower levels. 

Being prepared for the adventure of a lifetime with his friends, Brad has cameras hooked up to their helmets and they all start down into the lower levels of the mine. Hearing their radio blasting with no one above them, the group starts to panic, but things get worse when their rope is burned through and they have no way of getting back up to the top level. With only one opening in the crevice, the group has to move on and try to find another way to exit the mine, but there is something lurking in the dark that they did not expect. Preparing to play one of the greatest jokes of his life on his friends, Brad has everything set to go, but he cannot predict what will happen to him and his friends when the moon is up and the spirits have come to play.

Abandoned Mine follows five friends as they are looking to have the time of their life on Halloween night. Brad takes to the driver’s seat and takes his friends to the Jarvis Mine which has an incredible legacy of horror stories surrounding it. Knowing he can get a good scare out of his friends, Brad sets the events of the evening in motion, but does not know when to stop when everyone is scared out of their minds. Although everything seems to be going according to plan, Brad finds out that he and his friends are not the only ones in the mine and when Sharon gets hurt, he needs to get them topside as soon as possible before anything else goes wrong. But with his mind games and scare fest completed, will anyone in the group care about him or his survival when all is said and done?

Just a great teen horror movie that makes you wonder why you never did anything like this in high school. I know why I never did, I was, well, kind of ashamed to say this, but I was too scared to try anything to scare my friends, much less myself. But this movie plays fast and quick when it comes to the scares and storyline. I left out that Brad was just trying to get back together with his ex during the entire movie, but Laurie was having none of it from him, especially when she is frightened out of her mind. Laurie seems to be the anchor in the movie and is part of every scene, regardless if it is scary or a love story and the actress pulls off the role perfectly. I have been sitting on this movie for a while and am very happy it has made it to my small screen, for it is tons of fun and a call back to my young and foolish days. Stay Scared.

There are people out there that are thrill seekers. The ins and outs of a normal day are not enough for these people and they need to spice things up a little bit by finding something to get their adrenaline pumping. I don’t see any problems with this, as long as they are not causing other people problems by how they get their fix. Outside of that, game on. Live your life the way that you see fit and make sure you enjoy it to the fullest since we only get one shot at it.

Liz has just returned home from college with nothing but a broken heart. Breaking up with her boyfriend two months ago, she is still not over being apart yet, but she is home and her good friend Ashley will not let her sulk anymore. Giving Liz news that she ran into an old flame that is still in town, she wants to get her friend out of the house and to have a good time while being home. Not knowing what the day will provide, Liz has her heart set on getting up to Preston Castle today, to get away from prying eyes and maybe let loose, just a little bit.

When Danny joins the girls at the lake, he and Liz do not have a ton to say to each other, but their playful spirit is still there as they can accomplish saying plenty by saying nothing at all. Agreeing to take the girls up to old building, he starts telling them about some of the things that have happened there. Believing that there is something happening inside of the boy’s correctional institute, he steps carefully around, while watching the girls skip though without any knowledge of what really happened here. Walking through the halls in the daylight is fun enough for the group as Liz is videotaping everything with her camera and Danny is telling some of the scary stories about the building’s shaded past. Wanting to stay in the old building after dark seems like the plan for the group, but as the sun sets, something sets its sights on the three youths that have intruded into its realm. 

A Haunting at Preston Castle follows a group of friends that are looking to reconnect and have a good time. Heading up to the old boy’s correctional institute, the girls are looking for a good scare since Danny has been around and knows much more about the old building than anyone they know. As Danny tells the history about the building, something inside of the walls seems to come alive and starts quietly stalking the group. When the sun goes down however, the inhabitant comes into full hunting mode and tries to be included in the big kid’s fun night, but Liz does not believe in ghosts, even with the strange things that are happening around her. Danny knows the stories about the old building and knows that there is danger inside of the walls, but when he is not able to convince the ladies to leave shortly after the sun goes down, he may have just sealed the group’s fate.

Not a bad haunted house tale at all. With a believable backstory that is the primary focus for the haunting, they did a fine job making sure you knew the stories as well as Danny did. I like these creepy old buildings that have hallways that go one for miles and enough rooms so you could sleep an army, so you never know the way to freedom and when you find it, you may just be too tired to make it. There are a couple ghostly scares in this movie, but not much that will make you jump out of your seat, but that is just fine as the finale will keep you on the edge of your seat when everyone is trying to find the only safe haven in the old building that nobody, not even a ghost, can find. Stay Scared.

In my previous review of 15.04: ‘Atomic Monsters’, I discussed a running theme in the Supernaturalverse – egos and lies. The lies, I argued, a part of the entire series, center round Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jenson Ackles). Heck, Even Castiel (Misha Collins) has told his share of lies under the guise of doing what he thought was right. Often stretched across several episodes, pointing out this M.O. would normally be a safe bet. However, the writers may be counting on fans like me to think this exact thing. To expect the standard formula. Or even point it out, with heavy emphasis, in their recap (LOL). Now, it seems, they’ve agreed that with this final season, a complete 180 is order to keep us guessing. Whatever their take, thus far, it’s amazing and I’m so here for it!! Is there a standard formula anymore? Because each episode has presented the new and old in shocking and entertaining ways. Formula or not, the fun keeps coming and I say BRING IT!! And with a test of the heart by the Lord, both literally and figuratively, the aptly named ‘Proverbs 17:3’, is no different. So before you can say ghost pepper jerky (*wink*), let’s dive in…  

Opening in the woods in Black Forest, Colorado, three young girls are camping and celebrating. We’ve seen these scenarios before. Over and over actually. A noise outside. One investigates. Screams!! Do you still jump at these parts? I do… even if it is just a little. By the time the opening credits appear, we’re not sure who’s survived, but we all have ideas on the monster. Woods + campers = hmmm, Wendigo? Werewolf? A new one perhaps?

Following the hilarious ghost pepper scene, the boys head to Colorado were we get our first cameo. Sheriff Dignan, played by Rachael Hayward, who also played Tara, the pawn shop owner in 9.11: ‘First Born’ – NICE! Presently, since the killings were brutal and the hearts ripped out, the Sheriff doesn’t believe the deaths were caused by an animal attack - Duh!! Upon visiting the only remaining victim Ashley Monroe (Anna Grace Barlow), she details a man with claws and fangs named Andy May (Markian Tarasiuk). Missing hearts and Ashley’s description - ding, ding, ding, I was right – werewolf!! What a nice metaphoric tie in to the episode title and the proverb itself – Hearts!!
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The boys seek out Andy at a cabin in the woods where he lives with his brother, our second cameo, Josh May (Luke Camilleri). He was also Jeb Dexter in 4.12: ‘Chris Angel is a Douche Bag’ – LOVING THIS!! It’s obvious to Sam and Dean that these boys are as guilty as the day is long, but after receiving a call from a scared Ashley, the boys take her to their motel. She asks that someone stay with her until she falls asleep. For a second I questioned her motives, but the acting and tears put forth by Barlow detoured me rather quickly. Sam returns with food to find Dean fast asleep. Ashley’s been taken and on Dean’s watch!! Whaaat??? The Winchesters race to the brothers’ cabin and, as stunned as I am, Dean remarks that there’s no way they could’ve taken Ashely without him waking up. I know, right?? Screams from the cabin, proving Dean and I wrong, send Sam and Dean rushing in. By the time the weirdly won murder/suicide battle is over, turns out my instincts about Ashley were right. Fracking Lilith – are you serious?!? Holy cow!! And brought back by Chuck (Rob Benedict), to do HIS BIDDING, no less!! Whoa!! Now this I definitely didn’t see coming. Dammit, I knew Ashely’s statement, “Wouldn’t it be great if everything was just planned out for you?” back in the motel was odd!! A dig at the Winchesters’ from God’s mind to Ashley’s lips!! Damn! Exactly when Lilith slipped into Ashley isn’t completely clear, but considering she later makes a comment about choosing Ashley because she had the best hair (such a Lilith thing to say BTW), it’s likely she was there from the get-go – in the tent. Oh, and not only is she back, but she’s more powerful and wants The Equalizer!! Ah ha!! God IS scared of that thing! Plus, it was Lilith who put Dean to sleep earlier. I knew something was up, on both accounts! After a very short battle, upgrades be damned (*sigh*), Lilith has knocked out Sam and demands The Equalizer! Dean tricks her away from Sam and back to the motel while a knocked out Sam has another vision. This time, it’s Dean doing the killing! He has The Mark of Cain back (WOW!) and slides The First Blade into Sam without hesitation. Whoa!! Is it just me or have they really upped their game on the fight scenes?? 

On the drive, Lilith spills some juicy information about Chuck and his STORY! Turns out, it always ends in the same way – one brother kills the other. And the werewolf murder/suicide was “foreshadowing.” Seriously, this is too awesome!! Once they reach the hotel, Dean plays coy regarding The Equalizer and Lilith proceeds to torture him using Ling Chi describing its meaning as “death by a thousand cuts.” Yep, that sounds like Lilith!!  Sam bursts in firing a single devil’s trap bullet into Lilith’s forehead. “We upgraded,” Sam says. YES!! He also says he killed her once and can do it again but wait… Lilith wanted to die to free Lucifer the first time around, so she let Sam kill her. Now she’s pissed! YIKES!! Sam and Dean bolt out, but Lilith traps them outside in the motel parking lot. She gets The Equalizer and in a huge surprise, melts it!! Yep, this weapon definitely scared Chuck. With her task complete, Lilith leaves. Whew!! I’m so glad she wasn’t there to kill to the Winchesters.
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In the final scene, the boys return to the bunker. Not able to reach Cas, Dean says at least they gave him the heads up on the current Big Bad situation. Defeated and dazed from all that’s happened, Dean can’t shake the fact that God is still out there. Different from ‘The Rupture’ where he can’t wait to kick Chuck’s “low rent Dean Koontz” ass, Dean’s at a loss. Same dude… SAME! I mean, Chuck is still here and he’s truly considering all kinds of mayhem for the Winchesters’ demise and the Earth, too!! Dean tells Sam about the only ending Chuck truly wants - brother on brother death. This leads to the aforementioned 180 as Sam comes clean about his visions. When Dean says, “You’re just telling me this now,” I think yep… egos and lies. Sam would still be holding this in had it not been an actual clue about God! He explains to Dean that he thought it was just “some form of messed up PTSD,” but maybe somehow the bullet from the now melted Equalizer is connecting him to God. Well, it’s a start and heck, at least all my predictions haven’t been wrong. LOL.

Directed by Richard Speight Jr. (AKA: our friendly Casa Erotica loving Gabriel) and written by Steve Yockey, this episode has several funny spots and seems to be picking on Dean throughout. The ghost pepper jerky scene is fantastic, but the fun doesn’t stop there. We see several references to Dean getting older when he uses a younger picture for his Fish and Wildlife ID (LOL – loved all of it!!). And besides picking on Dean and the awesome cameos, Yockey takes a dig at the gun’s name by having Lilith say she won’t call it The Equalizer. Dean’s face is hilarious in this scene AND when Lilith admits she planned to seduce Dean earlier in the motel. NICE!!

In five episodes, we’ve seen a mixture of throwbacks, new rules, excellent comedy and plenty of surprises. In this episode and previous, there are cameos galore, the kind that move us since Kevin Tran (Osric Chau) and Becky Rosen (Emily Perkins) had us laughing and crying while one shots, like Jovanna Burke who played Bloody Mary in seasons 1 and 15 made us cringe. All of which show just how much care this wonderful team of writers have given to the end of an era. Not to mention, despite knowing that Rowena’s (Ruth Connell) death was coming, it was still filled with several unexpected moments. Epic from the get!! Except for Ketch (David Haydn-Jones). His death, at the time and the way it happened, was completely unnecessary and I do hope he returns somehow giving us another unexpected surprise down the road. Maybe there is a theme. Maybe the writers want us to revel in the past by way of cameos and comedy while they work on coming full circle with the epic Sam (Lucifer) and Dean (Michael) battle. Considering the startling 180 and the fact we have 15 episodes to go, I’d say we’re still a ways away from a full 360. Wouldn’t you agree?? Let me know in the comments below or catch up with me @obi_juanita on Twitter. Until next time… Go Team Free Will!!

​I would venture to say, that what truly makes Stephen King’s work (and subsequent adaptations of his work) genuinely magical in every way imaginable, is the sheer fact that everything ties together. For it is a well-known fact that The Dark Tower stands over everything in the King-Verse and seeing everything mesh and meld together in seamless fashion in these stories, just offers a sense of realism and connectivity that we don’t get from most authors. Which is why I’m such a fan of Castle Rock on Hulu, simply because this series is working to perfectly assemble the connective tissue that makes up the maestro’s work and for proof, well look no further than this week’s episode.
 
For ‘The Word’ found a way to merge season one and the current season of this magnificent series in stunning fashion, all by way of a story that took us across centuries to properly help the audience understand exactly what the heck is going on with Ace and his people, and this backstory was quite delightful when all is said and done, since it offered up plenty of answers. Because we came to learn that in 1619, New Jerusalem was a dying place, one where only the rich ate well and the people fought for scraps, and when that caste system was challenged by young Amity, the prophet that her group speaks of, she and her love were cast out into the wild. And this is where the weaving begins since she heard the call of the Thinny and met with someone mysterious and this person became her personal God and helped her to create a bountiful community.
 
Which in turn made her the trusted new leader of New Jerusalem, and she provided for her people and brought them great joy and prosperity. But there was just one problem. Her new master demanded things of her. Simple stuff at first, such as dealing with those that wronged her in violent fashion and converting others to believe in Him. But it didn’t take long for His expectations to grow and he eventually demanded that she sacrifice thirty-eight of her townsfolks, including herself and her love, so that they could return to life in 2019 and do more of His bidding and despite having concerns Amity complied and sent everyone to the grave that we discovered alongside Annie back in the season premiere. But why that needed to happen wasn’t quite clear back in 1619, which is why the story featured some important events in 2019, to fill in all the gaps.
 
As it turns out, it was all related to the fact that our mystery deity in this episode, was eager to take His message to new heights and having a large crowd at the 400-year anniversary seemed like the perfect way to spread His infinite ‘wisdom’. But there was only one slight problem in regard to this plan, in that, Pop was starting to sniff out something suspicious. Especially after he swung by Shawshank to absolve his brother-in-law of his sins and came to learn that Ace was sniffing around the Kid’s now empty cage, and that prompted him to get to the bottom of what Ace was up to and it is a shame he fell short in his endeavors. For it would seem this cult was successful in getting everyone’s attention and devotion since so many heard and answered the call of the twisted symphony that only plays in Castle Rock and perhaps the biggest surprise when it comes to this entire episode, is the sheer fact that we came to learn the true identity of this powerful God and it’s someone we all spent a lot of time with in season one; Henry ‘The Kid’ Deaver.
 
Yes, that’s right, somehow the same Henry that inspired evil in this town has returned to the forefront of the story and that raises a lot of questions. First and foremost, is this the same Henry Deaver from season one and if so… how the heck did he escape from a locked crate? And does he want revenge on this town? Also, if it isn’t that particular Henry, where does this one hail from and why is he so concerned with gathering followers? Time will tell of course since this series always answers our ponderances but man, how awesome a twist is this? It perfectly ties together the two seasons of this series and it weaves it tighter to the King mythos and I loved this one when all is said and done. Especially since it also brought Tim Robbins back to Shawshank after all these years and well, the epic revelation here just made the wait for next week’s episode all the more difficult and once more, I’ll be counting down the minutes until next Wednesday. Until then. 

It is next to impossible to keep a secret in a small town. Everyone knows everyone else’s business and it seems to drive some people crazy since there is no escaping it, unless you move away. But it is also a safe place and knowing what is happening at all times seems to be comforting to some people as they do not like surprises. You know where everyone will be at almost every minute of the day and if something happens, you know exactly whom to blame for it.  

Tom Haulk has lived in the small town of Morningside since the third grade. Being an upstanding citizen in the community since he was a child, he has taken the post of Sheriff and is good at his job. Trying to protect the community from whatever evils comes its way, he has formed a bond with everyone in his town and with his new out of state deputy Klara coming in, he feels very comfortable with his situation. But not everything is as peaceful as it seems as one of his childhood friends is dying of cancer.

Abby seems to be next to death whenever Tom sees her and being best friends with her husband Mark since the third grade, he will do anything in his power to help out with the situation. But Mark is starting to crack up and with the threat of losing his wife, he has to take his ideas further to try to save her from her certain death. However the town has a little secret of its own that has been flying under the radar for some time, a pot growing group is tarnishing the community and when the former leader of it is found dead by the lake, Tom and his police department have to work on finding out who the killer is. Investigating the house, Tom stumbles on a symbol that has been showing up around town on some of the questionable patron’s property. Not knowing what it means, he has to turn to the bigger departments to find out what the meaning of it is and hopefully get a lead to find out who is behind it.

Not expecting to find too much about the symbol, Tom keeps up with his normal police work but when bringing in a local drug addict for questioning, he finds his good friend Mark in the car with her buying drugs. Feeling bad for his friend and his situation, Tom is convinced to give his buddy a free pass for this one time so he can still take care of his ailing wife, but Tom does not feel comfortable overall with doing it. Getting a report of another local lowlife’s body turning up in the alley, Tom finds a clue that might be able to lead him to who the killer is. It becomes a race against time, but Tom is in a dilemma since everyone that is winding up dead is the scum of the community and even though he can appreciate what is happening, it is against the law and it is his duty to put an end to the killings.

Attack of the Morningside Monster follows Sheriff Tom Haulk as his small town that has never had too many problems is facing a rash of murders. With his small department, Tom is not equipped to handle everything that is happening, and he has to depend very heavily on his deputies to be there when he needs them. Uncovering a pot ring in town, Tom also stumbles across a symbol that is starting to mark the property of some of the town’s unsavory folks. With this happening and two of his best friends going through a very hard time, Tom has to multitask his time between the two, but he might be closer to the situation than he should be. Finding out about the meaning of the symbol, Tom knows that there is some sort of ritual happening, but does he want to know the truth about why this is happening, since the only people that are being harmed are the scum of the town?

A clever story that keeps you guessing who the murderer really is while seeing him working his magic, in what seems to be a workshop. Never being able to see the killer's face intrigues me and I must admit I was very upset with myself when the killer was revealed in the end, as I was very wrong as to who it was. But with a little bit of misdirection and a ton of blood, this movie does not disappoint since you can be the detective and find out who is really taking the lives of the scum of the town. I enjoyed Tom’s transition in the movie as he is trying to be a friend and the town’s sheriff at the same time and trying to separate the two. I have always tried to practice this art and have my personal life be separate from my work life, but as what happens to many people, they both tend to blend together and become intertwined no matter what we do. Stay Scared.

The prevailing belief in this world, is that our passions and our faith not only help to define us, but they are healthy in their own right and allow for us to grow and there’s a lot of truth to that. Because our hobbies, the ones that truly make us happy, often times give our minds peace and sometimes they lead us to great moments and career opportunities, the kind that allow for a prestigious label to be placed upon us. As for faith, well it too has its merits since we’ve heard countless stories about how the Lord has brought people out of the darkness, or how the Bible’s teachings have directed people to do good things in this world for those that are less fortunate.
 
But since we hold passions and faith in such high regard in our society, we often forget that much like anything else in this world; there is a dark side to both elements. For sometimes our passion can in fact become toxic when a person makes it a priority over anything else and shun their friends and family. When it is those very people that support it and them, and well… we’ve all seen the uglier side to faith and how it blinds the devoted and drives them to make dubious decisions all in the name of their Lord and Savior. However, while these problems tend to remain in the shadows, there are stories out there from time to time that examine them head on and recently I had the chance to watch a horror film that does just that in incredibly unique fashion, in The Spirit Gallery.
 
Now in this particular film we are introduced to a young woman named Gwendolyn Creed and she is a devout woman of faith who inherently believes that good is in everyone and that evil doesn’t exist and really her only other obsession in life outside of the Bible, is the work of a reclusive and mysterious artist named B.A. Catch. For she believes that Catch was able to capture the good of humanity in his work, and she is obsessed with seeing his unfinished pieces that reflect this notion and that leads her to work for his first agent, Mr. Haul, all in hopes of finally coming face to face with this incredible art. But unfortunately for Gwendolyn, she is quickly going to learn that her hero is not quite what he seems, and neither is his agent and her desire to see these hidden pieces will cost her more than she can ever imagine. 

​So, let me just get it out in the open right now, I loved this movie for so many reasons. For starters, this is a horror film that was quite frankly ahead of its time. For it dives into so many complex themes and concepts and that’s something that really wasn’t a thing when it was originally made back in 1995. For that was an era where slashers were seeing a resurgence and teen themed scary stories ruled the day. But this one defies those conventions and truly dives deep into the darker side of faith and art and what it uncovers there is fascinating and powerful since we see both Gwendolyn and Catch hide behind what should define them as good people when in reality there is a sour nature lurking beneath their skin, something that comes to the surface by way of a brilliant twist.
 
But all commentary and subtext aside, what also impresses me about this motion picture, is how the story is told. For dreams and nightmares play a big part of the story and Writer/Director John Strysik does a phenomenal job of keeping the audience on their toes from a visual standpoint. For much of the camera work here is jarring and uncomfortable, which makes the story akin to a waking nightmare in its own right and that’s a wonderful way to tell a unique story since it draws you into this experience like never before and this unsettling journey doesn’t end with the visuals. For the cast sell the story as well with a variety of manic and gentle performances that perfectly encapsulate the moment as it plays out before you.
 
Yet if it seems as though I’m leaving out great detail in this review, you’d be right. For this is a supremely complex film that dives into all kinds of notions that a single review cannot cover. But I’m also covering the ‘basics’ simply because this is a film that needs to be seen and celebrated since I get the funny feeling that different viewers will find different elements to latch onto and thankfully, this lost gem has found its way to back into the light by way of a re-release from S.O.V. Horror. And I honestly hope you get the opportunity to see this one when you have the time, simply because it’s a unique and twisted gem, one that will unsettle you long after it’s come to an end.