Scarecrow's Blog From the Darkside

I have mulled just diving right into both Walking Dead series but every time I do, I end up spending just brief visits before moving on to something else. I watched the Pilot of Fear the Walking Dead, and I think the seed of the idea seems quite promising. It was really the germination process in need of creative sustenance. I think perhaps the series should have been operated by a completely different creative group than The Walking Dead. I was really hoping we got that visual on the cover of first season's set with teenagers playing basketball when a zombie emerges to disrupt their game. When Madison and Nick depart the show in the fourth season, seeing how it all started here, kind of smartens us up that no one is safe, rather if you are Dillane wanting out or Dickens who is dispatched by the producers/writers for shock value. It all starts interestingly even if there's a general lack of excitement or energy. Nick awakens after a bender with the powder, inside an abandoned c...

Despite a critically disappointing decision to set a great deal of the battle in murky dark (special thanks to Melisandre for the use of her Lord of the Light's fire), there were heroic acts by Theon, Lady Mormont, Baric Dondarrion, and Jorah that do herald this episode above what could have been a rather unflattering rating considering so much build up to the Great War at Winterfell in the North. If Dany and Jon do take King's Landing, I hope all of these heroes do get their place on the parchment in the Book of Legends. Theon's incredible defense of Bran before finally falling to the Night King, Jorah's defense to the end for his khaleesi, Lady Mormont's defeat of an undead giant, Baric's defense of Arya as a barrage of wights eventually overtake him, Jon and Dany's dragons putting up a fight against the Night King and his possessed undead dragon, Jaime and Sam slashing and hacking away until nearly being overwhelmed, Tyrion and Sansa speaking about their ...

Dr. Nielsen and his staff celebrate before the biohazard fucks up their day * * * / * * * * * I gave this film from 1985 a second shot and I'm glad I did. I "decommissioned" my user comments but will include them here. Three people disagreed with them anyway. Can't say I blame them. I was a bit harsh on the movie. I'll color my rough critique. Sufficed to say I had a lot of fun with this tonight and considered the performances perfectly alright. ___________ At a supposed agricultural facility devoted to growth hormones and the use of genetic engineering for the future of agriculture, named Biotek Agronomics, a test tube containing a chemical designed for germ warfare accidentally breaks on the floor inside a lab, spreading an infection that causes the body to lose function, soon turning the victims into psychotic lunatics with skin sores. Biotek is shut down by security guard Kathleen Quinlan as Biohazard protocols dictate when an alarm ...

* * / * * * * * I've seen this twice prior to 2010: around 2002 when it was released (at some point on late night digital cable) and 2008 (considering my old April user comments below). Tonight was my third (and definitely final) viewing of it. It is making the rounds on HBO premium channels, like Zone. Reality horror was certainly the shiny new genre toy and with technology even more advanced now My Little Eye is more of a dated but reasonably shocking low budget "human snuff recordings" found footage variation. ------ Five young adults from various backgrounds accept an invitation to star in a reality show for a hefty sum if they, as a collective, can remain together for a specific length of time. What they do not know is that they are actually part of a secret internet based "snuff-game" recorded for wealthy clients betting on who will survive to the end. Also, one amongst the group isn't the innocent he/she appears to be.. Gimmicky concept was kind of...

 * * * / * * * * I have added my old user comments from January 1st, 2011. I've since removed these with plans to update them on my IMDb some New Year's marathon in the future. I remember not particularly disliking this episode, just not feeling especially impressed one way or the other. Peter Mark Richman--92 and still with us--grits his teeth as he's about to face down what he believes to be a giant with one eye, seemingly in a space suit, but this creature turns out to be an inflatable, meant by tiny alien explorers to scare earthlings. Earlier Richman describing what he feared was a giant tall as mountains standing perhaps 500 feet could have been laughable but, to his credit, he provides conviction in the words, a real pro. The episode is perhaps at its best when less was known about what they were up against. Creaking on the roof of Hazel's house, Richman investigating in the dark as his police car moves into a crash seemingly by an invisible f...

  * * / * * * * I’ll give “Hellbound” some credit: the skinned alive victims gore is damned effective! Monica Reyes, to Gish’s credit, remains a character the ninth season desperately tries to get over with fans by focusing stories on her. I have been rather critical of this season, mainly not to the fault of the principles, although the first seasons of the series just yearn for my interest yet again. I continue to watch the ninth season and episode after episode, the loss of Fox Mulder can be felt distinctively. And poor Anderson once again gets to pass through the episode from time to time without much real importance. She is called in by Reyes to investigate a skinned corpse (of an ex-felon and long-time criminal sweating it out with a cynical friend from a pig-skinning plant at a church support group for crooks trying to go straight and work out their issues) while hoping Doggett will help her on the case. Something about the case is drawing her to it…and this ...

That's what I asked before Brienne rightfully took him out with a final sword swing from her Valyrian steel. The torching of Shireen, his daughter, at Melisandre's urging. Burning others to the pyre. Responsible for willingly participating in a blood magic spell through Melisandre's help to kill his brother, Renly. Even putting his most loyal friend, Davos Seaworth, in a dungeon for arguing against Melisandre. He would have killed him perhaps but Melisandre assured Stannis that Lord of the Light had use of Davos. Failing to listen to Davos regarding the winter and against leaving Castle Black, sending Mance to the pyre because he wouldn't kneel. And after killing his daughter, a smart, sweet, devoted little girl who taught Davos to read and wanted to help her dad, Stannis' wife hanged herself in a nearby forest by camp. Winter heavy, dwindling forces, and The Boltons arriving to usurp them when Stannis leads a tired, starving, sleep-deprived and very cold meager arm...

* * * / * * * * Jack Klugman is excellent, no surprise, in his first TZ episode, the lesser known first season effort, A Passage for Trumpet, about a down-on-his-luck alcoholic trumpet Jazz musician with no money, job, or girlfriend, not even able to convince an old friend who owns a club he used to haunt to give him a gig. Frank Wolff, as club owner, Baron, must be his sympathetic ear as he waxes nostalgic about how he could really play, combating the hooch and rattling on depressingly about his ratty apartment with cracked pipes. Deciding his trumpet won't get him anywhere any longer, he sells it to a pawn shop for far less than it's worth, choosing after another trip to the bar to walk into a moving truck. Afterward he dusts himself off once he rises to his feet, but anyone he talks to fails to answer or recognize his presence. Soon a policeman, theater ticket girl, and bartender (none he has ever met in town) act as if he's not there, Joey Crown (Klugman) eventually he...

The Mountain and the Viper The Watchers of the Wall The Children I will be returning with seasons 5-7 in January As Giantsbane, Ygritte, the Thenns and wilding accompaniment slice and dice their way through Mole’s Town on their way to Castle Black, it is very dire conversation as Jon, Samwell, and his few allies of the Night’s Watch discuss the impending doom as Mance Rayder has 100,000 while they only have 102 after losing three more who disobeyed their Wall “code” in order to spend some time with tavern wenches. Samwell is morose, sure his Gilly and her babe are dead. We see that Ygritte spares them, so despite how the wildings tore through anyone near the Wall before the mission to exterminate the remaining crows is fulfilled at least two didn’t get the blade to the throat (or torso). Still, awaiting an army as they slay their way through one village after another is quite foreboding! And the frenzied camera just depicting how fast and savage the wildings are emphasize...