The Slammin’ king Salmon

A disturbing, all new episode of Ancient Aliens aired on Friday, April 24, 2015. This episode focused on the vanishings of individuals, as well as entire groups of people, over the course of human history. They ventured to Nunavut, where a tribe of eskimos mysteriously vanished off the face of the Earth. They also went to Easter Island, once said to be inhabited by 8 to 10 foot high giants, who disappeared off the remote island, a few decades after they were first documented. They also featured the Mayan ruins, constructed by a vast population, these pyramids were abandoned, and the Mayans are nowhere to be found. Closer to home, they mentioned Brown Mountain in North Carolina, where individuals have ventured and disappeared. Their rescue parties have disappeared as well. This has been happening for centuries. As an outdoorsmen, nature love, camper, cyclist and avid hiker, I am personally alarmed by these findings, and I plan to do more research before my next getaway.

An all new River Monsters aired on Sunday, April 26, 2015. Jeremy Wade ventured to Alaska to investigate recent vanishings of fisherman. Oh Great! The initial suspect was the king salmon. Although, it is big and ugly, it was ruled out as being responsible for the disappearances. The salmon shark was the next most likely culprit. Jeremy jumped into the water, only to prove these sharks are not manhunters. After interviewing more locals, Jeremy is now eyeing a new contender. The halibut, long and strong, will struggle after being pulled aboard a ship. That strength can and has done damage to various fishermans’ limbs, even causing one to bleed to death. Jeremy was on the hunt, eventually reeling in his man, or fish. It was a strange specimen, with two eyes on one side of its body!

Image: animalplanet.com

No sleep till Christmas

An all new Agents of Shield aired on Tuesday, April 14, 2015. So many secrets were revealed. I’ve been wondering about some of these secrets since the earliest episodes in Season One. SPOILER ALERT: We learn who Skye’s mother is. I also learned May’s first name. As well as the reason they call her ‘The Calvary’. This insight into her past was borderline disturbing. Luckily, it’s just science fiction. We learn why Agent May is the way she is. Believe it or not, she wasn’t always so cold and strictly business. She used to have emotion, she used to laugh and smile! I still find that hard to believe, but now we know why, and I can understand her current demeanor. The season is wrapping up soon, so enjoy the juiciness!

An all new teaser trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015) was revealed on Thursday, April 16, 2015. It definitely teased me and millions of more fans, as we await the Christmas 2015 release. The opening scene is a desert wasteland of abandoned spacecraft wreckage. Then, we see Darth Vader’s mask, also wrecked. Next, we see our old buddy, R2D2. Then we see some quick action sequences: storm troopers engaging in battle, fighter jets en route to a scrimmage, lasers blasting all over the place. Finally, Han Solo and Chewbacca are back and smiling! As I watched, all the excitement and anticipation that I had, with the original Star Wars trilogy, returned and I felt like a kid again! This Christmas will be one to remember, as a new chapter is unveiled, decades in the making.

Image: screenrant.com

Attack of the Killer Blowfish

Chiller TV’s Throwback Thursday feature on April 9, 2015 was Return of the Living Dead III (1993). In this film, a young couple sneaks into an Army base, where they witness a man return from the dead. The couple flees on a motorcycle, but they have an accident, resulting in the death of the young lady. Desperate to revive his girlfriend, the boyfriend sneaks back into the Army base, to retrieve some of that top secret resurrection stuff. It works, the girlfriend comes back to life, but she’s not exactly the same as how she left. She doesn’t seem to feel pain, she craves brains, and pretty soon all hell breaks loose! This movie was enjoyable and the effects were decent, given its budget.

An all new episode of River Monsters aired on April 12, 2015. Jeremy Wade travels to the Mekong River in Cambodia. He is in search of a fish that has maimed, blinded, and even killed one of the villagers. While attempting to net the suspect, Jeremy gets into the water, and soon realizes he might be the next victim. SPOILER ALERT: Jeremy gets his man: a puffer. This spiny, unassuming little blowfish had a bad attitude and packs an even worse bite. The lake is full of them, because the fishermen catch them and throw them back. They are inedible because they are full of toxins. I have no plans to travel to Cambodia, but if I ever do, I’ll be sure to stay away from the lakes!

Image: nationalgeographic.com

Night at the Crematorium

An all new Monsters and Mysteries in America aired on April 1, 2015. This entire hour was dedicated to the events which occurred in the late 1960’s in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. A reporter named John Keel was at the forefront of all the insanity going on. There was the Mothman. This being resembled a big moth, and it terrified many. Everyone knew someone who seen him. Then there were the UFO’s in the skies above. Finally there were the MIB’s wandering around town and observing everyone. There was a movie based on these events titled The Mothman Prophecies (2002). But the movie doesn’t tell the whole story. All the mayhem came to climax when the Silver Bridge collapsed on December 15, 1967. But the Mothman didn’t disappear after the tragedy. Sightings still occurred and it may still be out there.

Night of the Demons (1988) has been on my must watch list since they released a remake in 2009. If they remake a movie, then the original is automatically a classic, right? On Friday, April 3, 2015, I decided to search for it on Youtube, when lo and behold, someone uploaded it! I always love discovering forgotten gems from the 80’s, and Night of the Demons was no exception. In this film, Angela is throwing a Halloween party, for her friends at Hull House, an abandoned crematorium. Need I really say more? I also love the metal music in the dance scene. This film was very well done. I regret not watching it earlier in life. I’m surprised this flick isn’t better known. This film ranks up there, with the Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13^th franchises, in my opinion.

Image: cultfilmfreaks.com

You shook me all night long

An all new Monsters and Mysteries in America aired on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. The first story was about the Demon Panthers of Southern Illinois. There is at least one big black cat that lurks the woods, and stalks the townspeople, in the Land of Lincoln. One eyewitness was lucky to survive his encounter, even though he needed two weeks in the hospital, to recover. The next story was about a teenage girl stalked by her doppelganger. This evil twin was so convincing, even the girl’s mother and sister were fooled. The last story was about two police officers on routine helicopter patrol over Louisville, Kentucky, until they were chased by a UFO. The unknown craft even shot a fireball at them, before disappearing into outer space.

I have wanted to see Maximum Overdrive since its release in 1986. I got the opportunity on Saturday, March 29, 2015, when Chiller TV aired it. I must admit that I was not entirely impressed by this flick, which was written and directed by horror novel master Stephen King. I was almost disappointed. A comet passing by Earth has caused machines, such as automobiles and soda vending machines, to terminate all of humanity. Emilio Esteves plays a cook, at a North Carolina truck stop, where a few survivors attempt to fight the machines. This film appeared dated, which is a good thing; it has authenticity, character, and it gives an accurate portrayal of Americana during the 1980’s. At other times in the movie, there are certain scenes that seem downright cheesy. Maximum Overdrive is entertaining if you are feeling nostalgic, otherwise I suggest you drive over to the next movie, at maximum speed! U-turns are allowed.

Image: tasteofcinema.com