Serial Killer

Anticipation

Blade separates skin from bone

Never satisfied

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Submitted by Delighlahstar.

The Dr. Will Have Opinions Soon

He will be seeing the motion picture Paranormal Activity 3 this afternoon. Also, he is forming opinions about the newest episodes of Supernatural and Dexter. He apologizes for the lack of activity, paranormal or otherwise, on his blog lately, but real-life concerns have been intruding.

But fear not, this page is still very much alive. Spread the word, and submit some material. Later, spooky kids.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY Episode 3—“Murder House”

Beginning to end, one of the most intriguing episodes of television we have watched in awhile. Creepy, funny and weird. Jessica Lange keeps hitting the ball harder every episode, and she is a joy to watch, always over the top but never unbelievable. Although the show is still a mystery show, it doesn’t feel as impenetrable as something like Lost or Fringe. The audience is finding things out at a nice, steady pace.

As we suspected last week, out protagonists cannot afford to move out, which is good for us. We get to watch them being tormented a bit more. The patriarch of this family, especially, is getting the brunt of the ghostly torture, it seems. He may go mad by the end of the season: that would be fun to watch.

Nothing else to say, really. The Dr. loved this episode. He gives it

out of five skulls.

You Should Probably Go See ZOMBIE

It is a rather seminal entry in the Italian gut-munching genre. Blue Underground is sponsoring showings of it across the USA. Check the official page to see if your city is part of the tour.

Halloween Haiku Submission

Crimson beads on skin

No one will hear the screaming

Your life is mine now

—from Delighlahstar.

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Keep those submissions coming, kids! The more the scarier!

“The Scariest Mask”, a Halloween Memory

One of my favorite Halloween moments came during the end of my trick or treating period. I was getting older and almost out of elementary school. And as I got older, so did my taste in costume.

Up to that point I had always chosen something rather dull or tame for my costumes. From Superman to Jason Vorhees. I think one year I went as a park ranger and another I was a ninja. A white, chubby ninja.

This year was going to be different. This year was going to be one where I did something memorable.

SUPERNATURAL Season 7, Episode 4—“Defending Your Life”

Another by-now-standard “Dean and his inner demons” episode, only with Osiris holding court in a perhaps too on-the-nose exploration of what keeps Dean up at night, ravaged with guilt. The episode is notable for the return of Jo in spectral form. Her relationship with Dean was always a highlight of her time on the show, and this put a tender and heartbreaking cap on that relationship. Say what you like about Dean as a brother to Sam, but what his interplay with Jo always proved is that he would have made a hell of a big brother to a little sister. 

This was a throwback episode in a way, except a run-of-the-mill monster of the week won’t do it for these boys any more: the villain in this piece is the Egyptian god Osiris, played with playful and patient humor by Star Trek’s Taran Fahir (this guy is a great actor, and we should all hope he doesn’t get stuck in the Middle Eastern villain ghetto). It is fun watching Dean sweat a little on the witness stand (his move behind Sam’s back almost gets revealed this week, and we know it will sooner or later: nothing ever stays a secret on this show), but ultimately the problem is dealt with far too tidily. In the end, this episode advances nothing. We already knew Dean felt guilty about killing Amy Pond (it was all over Ackles’ face when he did the deed), and everybody winds up exactly where they were before by the time the credits roll.

It was nice to see Jo. The wrap-up of her relationship with Dean was graceful. It seems the writers knew what a mistake it was to kill her off before fully exploring the dynamic between her and Dean, but it felt a little too late and ill-timed to be of any consequence. By this time, they have totally squandered the momentum they established at the beginning of what to our eyes was shaping up to be pretty breathless season.

Next week’s preview doesn’t promise much more (beyond welcome appearances by Charisma Carpenter and James Masters aka Cordy and Spike of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel) than further amiable wheelspinning.

The Dr. enjoyed this episode but feels it could have been so much more, and it reminded him how much he misses the character of Jo Harvelle. He gives it

out of 5 stars.