University of Iowa Physician Reminds Us That There Is Still Good In The World

 The world a lot of times can be a depressing, cruel and unforgiving place. There's a lot of dishonesty, among selfish and heinous behavior. The darkness is never difficult find. My girlfriend Ashley and I are all too well aware of that. Over the years of my life I have become more and more of a recluse and a misanthrope. I have my small circle of family and friends that I cherish, and I don't associate with many outside of it, beyond an acquaintance level. I've just been burned one too many times. I've been conned a few times in my life. In fact two & a half years ago Ashley and I were scammed by a guy that cost us everything. Our house, all of our money, the life of our beloved cat & so much more. We're still feeling the effects of what he did to us & in a way probably always will. I've had other people do some awful things to me as well.  It's gotten me to a point to where I know deep down inside that there are good people and that there is light in this world, but it can often be difficult to believe that. 

Matter of fact, about a week ago we were reminded how dark this world can be. Ashley had misplaced her phone at work. We believe that it may have fallen out of her pocket when she was getting into the car.  At the time she lost it, it was at 77%.  We called it once looking for it, trying to see if we could hear it to find it. When we went to call it again it went straight to voicemail. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that someone had found it & that someone had turned it off.  They saw it was a pretty nice phone and figured they could use it for themselves or probably sell it at a nice price. They may have even tried to see if they could get important information off of it, like credit card numbers. It just makes you sick to your stomach that not only are there people like this in the world, but even worse, they're not as small of a percentage of the population as you'd like them to be. Sociopaths that have no consideration for how their actions might hurt others. No concern for the right and wrong of a situation. Ashley needed that phone. It's how she communicates with the rest of the world. It's how work gets a hold of her and how she gets a hold of work. It's how she communicates with me. It's how she communicates with her family. For someone to be so insensitive to that, makes the world seem so unkind.  We were due for a random act of kindness. For a moment to be reminded with the apathy that often surrounds us that empathy still exists. That good is here and within all that is wrong with the world, there are still somethings that are right. 

We were out paying bills and Christmas shopping the other day.  Lots of bills to pay and gifts to buy.  It became apparent to me that I didn't have my debit card.  I went into a panic. Now wasn't the time to have lost or misplaced my debit card. Especially around Christmas. I worried that I had left it somewhere and someone had found it.  That they had taken it, went online and went on a shopping spree. I didn't know what to do, other than to sit and make myself sick about it. It was late Sunday & I wouldn't be able to inform the bank until 9:00 a.m. on Monday morning. 

That's when I got a message from a stranger on facebook.  At first I thought it might be one of those scammers who is always trying to con you out of your money.  Yet when I looked into it, I noticed that it was a Ontology and Hematology physician from the University of Iowa.  I thought to myself, "Why would a doctor from the University of Iowa be messaging me?"  I responded to the message. Turns out that my debit card was found by someone and he he was the someone. 

Upon finding my card, he took it and put it in a safe place. He then went to work trying to find me.  This man found my card, kept it safe for me and returned it to me. I was very grateful to him, not only for what he did, but for also reminding me, showing me that there is still good in this world. That there are other people in this life worth getting to know. That not all strangers are bad people.  

Losing my debit card on Sunday night could have turned out disastrous. There are so many horrible things that could have resulted. Had my card gotten into the wrong hands, it could have meant an inability to pay bills and get gifts for the people in my life I really care about. It could have very well ruined our Christmas.  But it didn't end up in the wrong hands. It ended up in the right hands. It ended up in the hands of a man who ended up keeping it safe and returning it to me.  

I needed reminded of the good in the world. Of the light.  A University of Iowa Hematologist reminded me of that.  

CALIFORNIA DREAMING

 While my life hasn't been all that successful it has been interesting. I've known some fascinating people during my 37 years of life. When I first graduated college I was eager to go out into this world and try and make it on my own. My friend Dennis was renting a house a mile or so west of Tiffin and having a spare room that wasn't being used, we agreed that it'd be good on both of us to split the rent. What Dennis forgot to tell me when I packed up my bags & left my mom's house in Sigourney was that he had already been given an eviction notice. 

It was the start of the second week of September when I moved into that house & we had to be out by October 1st. While this deeply concerned me, it didn't seem to phase Dennis much. He knew that my Step-Grandfather owned a few different properties in North English, South English & Webster and I think he had it in the back of his mind that if we got desperate enough, we'd be given one of those properties to rent. I am thankful that it never came to that because had those family members ever met Dennis, they might have held it against me till the day they died. 

I can remember getting in huge fights with Dennis about our situation. How he'd tell me that it wasn't that big of a deal if I had to leave the Iowa City area and move back in with my mom and step-dad. He didn't know or realize the humiliation and embarrassment that it would have caused me.  Both my father and my sister Sara were always looking for reasons to call me not good enough and a failure. The last thing I wanted was to come back to Sigourney, giving them another reason to feel they were right.  This is when Ratko came into our lives. 

Ratko is a Croatian who has never spelled his last name the same way twice. I have a million Ratko stories, but I'm sticking with the one I'm telling now.  Ratko was dating a woman, who's husband was currently in prison. He owned a trailer out in Lake Ridge trailer park that was currently sitting empty. Ratko made us the offer to go in with him and rent out the trailer.  I was all for it. Dennis was against it. 

As the days went by, Dennis began to realize that I wasn't about to see if one of my Step-Grandfather's properties was available. With his horrific credit and the fact that I was fresh out of college with nothing, we didn't make much of a team. It wasn't long before the last days of September were over and the first days of October had started. Now out of the house in Tiffin, Dennis and I were technically homeless.  We spent two days staying over night in a Chiropractor clinic owned by one of Dennis's friends. That in itself is a story. On day three, I had gotten a hold of Ratko and told him that I was in. Dennis realizing his options were limited, agreed that he was too. 

Now the six to seven months I lived with Dennis and Ratko could literally be made into a sitcom. I've had a lot of roommates in my life, but those two together were something else. The stories I could tell you are endless. It all came to an end one day when the owner of the trailer got out of prison. That's a day I'll never forget. 

Laurie, his wife got a hold of Dennis, Ratko and I letting us know Tim "Guido" Margaraci was out of prison and that he was going to have a meeting with all three of us.  We sat on the couch my mom had brought up for me as Guido laid out our futures. 

"Dennis, pack up your shit, you're out of here," Guido said. "You too Ratko, you're history." 

Turns out that Dennis wasn't paying his or I's fair share of the rent. I was giving Dennis my third of the rent trusting that he was giving it to Guido. Turns out that Dennis was taking part of it to pay our lot rent to the trailer park. The part of it he was supposed to be paying towards Guido, he was pocketing.  Ratko who was with Laurie wasn't paying anything at all towards rent. I sat there learning all of this thinking that I was next. He was gonna point a finger at me and tell me to get the Hell out too. Instead he smiled at me. 

"You wanna stay living here kid?" He asked me. "I could use a roommate." 

So for the next three to four months I was roommates with Tim "Guido" Margaraci.  I lived vicariously through him. He had worked out in Hollywood as a lighting director since the mid 80's. He had lit some of my favorite films. He had mingled with celebrities. Had them over to his place to dinner, he'd gone to their place for dinner. He'd even gone to basketball games with some & beaten them in bets. The guy had some serious money too. It was nothing for  him to knock on my door and say, "Yo Steve, think you could give me a ride to the airport?"  When I'm bored I try and find something interesting to watch on T.V. When Guido was bored, he'd fly to Minneapolis or Chicago for the weekend. 

I probably would have done myself a favor by hanging with Guido more than I did. Who knows where life would have led me had I gone out drinking with him or partying with him more. At the time though, I was working around 80-90 hours in Cab business & what spare time I had I was either at the gym or I was doing professional wrestling. I didn't see a whole lot of Guido, but what little I did see of him, left plenty of stories to tell. 

I once came home from a pro wrestling show in Illinois to find a woman sitting buck naked on the couch. Guido had an easel as he was painting a picture of her.  With all of her goods hanging out she just looked at me as if we were two strangers boarding a bus. She said hello, I said hello back.  Guido asked me how my night was, I told him and I went to bed. 

He also worked at Paul's for a while and he'd have me give him rides to and from work. It always struck me as weird that he was working at Paul's. For one, he didn't need the money.  This was a guy that would fly to Minneapolis for the weekend cause he was bored.  The $9 an hour Paul's was paying him wasn't going to do him any good.  Secondly, he would only work for a couple of hours at a time. It made no sense to me. I'd drop him off at 9 a.m. and by 11:00 a.m. he was ready to go home.  I noticed whenever I dropped him off he would never go into the building. He would always stand outside of the door and watch me until I was out of sight.  I decided one day I was going to investigate.  After I dropped him off, instead of heading back towards the trailer park, I pulled into Kentucky Fried Chicken's parking lot where he couldn't see me.  I then watched him walk down the road to an old establishment known as Touch of Mink. It was a gentleman's "Massage Parlor."  I then drove home and waited for his call.  

"Hey Steve, come pick me up at Paul's at 11:15"

I drove and parked right in front of Mink.  I'll never forget the look on his face when he came walking out of the building. His eyes were the size of balloons. 

"Ha ha, ya caught me," He said as he smiled turned serious. "Not a word to anyone." 

A while later he came to me and said that Iowa was too mundane and boring of a place for him.  He missed the excitement and adventure of California. He needed to head back to the city and get himself back in the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. I didn't want him to think I was trying to ride his coattails or that I was trying to use him to see if maybe there might be something out there for me, so I was cautious in the way I spoke to him. He was aware I had dreams as a writer and as an actor, and he played to them. 

He had a van that he wanted to pack up that he wanted with him in Los Angeles. Yet he hated to drive and he wanted to fly back.  He approached me to see if I would drive the van to L.A. for him. I was ecstatic. I was thrilled to do so.  I took a week off from the cab & I felt like a little kid who was being told he's going to Disneyland. 

We had it all planned out.  Guido said he'd give me his credit card and that he'd trust me to use it for gas, meals and lodging. I told him that I didn't mind sleeping in the van, as long as I could stop at a YMCA or a gym to get a daily shower. He told me that once I got out there he'd show me around & even introduce me to Eric Roth, the screenplay writer of Forrest Gump & The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  I can't tell you how excited I was. 

I was gonna leave super early on a Tuesday.  Drive out & arrive late on a Thursday.  Guido was gonna show me around on Friday & Saturday, and I was gonna fly back on a Sunday.  Man was I excited.  I absolutely love road trips, I was gonna get to see Hollywood & I was gonna get to meet some famous people. 

Guido called me up about 10 p.m. on Monday.  I had already gone to bed anticipating the start of the next days journey. 

"Hey kid," He said to me. "I'm really sorry but I'm gonna have to have someone else drive the van out to L.A. for me."  

I was beyond livid. I think I had a right to be. Some would argue that I buried myself, burned a bridge, or whatever they want to call it, but who in their right mind wouldn't have been angry? You can say that I said stuff that I shouldn't have said to him, but let's take a few things into account here. There was more to this than meets the eye.  For one I had taken off an entire week of work, and now it was for nothing. Thankfully Yellow Cab had people call in left and right so I was able to more or less get my hours back, filling in for call ins and no shows, but I was still pissed.  

I'd come to find out quite a while later that I was replaced last minute because Guido had a "pick up" in Reno that he wanted done and he didn't think that I'd do it. He was probably right about that.  The other thing that I wouldn't have done is stay in super fancy hotels & used his credit card to buy expensive booze, take out money to gamble & go to events and shows. Turns out the guy who was willing to do the "pick up" for Guido was also willing to spend Guido's money as if it were his own. The guy who might not have done the pick up, would have ate Perkins along the way and skipped out on the gambling. 

Years later Dennis called me up on the phone saying that Guido was trying to get a hold me me but didn't have the right number. Dennis asked if it was ok for him to give Guido my number. I said sure. 

Guido was coming back to Iowa to Laurie's daughter's high school graduation. He wanted to know if I was available because he wanted to hang out. I found it sort of odd that he'd want to hang out with me.  Dennis told me it was because Guido didn't have a lot of friends, and he didn't know a lot of "real" people. I was living in Des Moines at the time. I didn't have the ability to drive to Iowa City or the time. So I skipped out on hanging out with Guido. 

He called me again another time out of the blue in the middle of the night. I think it might have been out of guilt. He apologized about what happened & told me that I was a good guy. Genuine and sincere. If I ever did make it out to Los Angeles, look him up. He had an extra room I was always welcomed in and an old bronco that I could drive around in. It was the last I ever heard of him. 

Many years later I finally did make it out to California. I tried to call Guido but the number I had for him didn't work. Dennis didn't have a working number for him either & it'd been years since I heard from Laurie or Ratko. Most likely had I have gotten a hold of him the room and the bronco probably weren't anymore available to me now than what they ever would have been.  

People come in and out of your life all the time. Guido was one of them for me. 

Replacing Pleasence (What if HALLOWEEN would have found a new actor to play Dr. Loomis?)

 One of the most beloved protagonists within all of horror of all time is the character of Dr. Sam Loomis from the Halloween films. While the impeccable writing of John Carpenter created the structure and the background, it was the flawless performance of Donald Pleasence who truly brought Loomis to life. The passion and spirit he put into his action & his dialog were what made Loomis such a hero to so many of us. 

Our hearts were ripped out of our bodies and honestly the soul of Halloween died the day Pleasence passed away nearly 28 years ago. To quote both Daniel Farrands and Malek Akkad, the franchise has never been the same without him. He is sorely missed. His absence has been deeply felt as the series has moved on. It's hard to swallow that he wasn't given a more proper exit. He deserved and furthermore he had earned a better end. I do think though that of all the poor decisions that have been made regarding Halloween throughout the years, it was a wise decision to let the character die with the actor. 

I wonder though, what if they hadn't? What if they had decided to replace Pleasence with another actor? Who might they have chosen to fill the role? Obviously nobody was going to fill the shoes of the veteran actor, but there are those who would've given it a valiant effort.  With no help whatsoever from a horrendously awful written screenplay, Malcolm McDowell gave it a gallant effort. He put forth a tremendous performance, despite a script that went out of its way to make him look a fool.  Yet, when I say a new Dr. Sam Loomis, I'm not talking remakes or reimagining. I'm speaking specifically to continuation. As if the Loomis character had not died & ended up in Halloween H20. 

Well, I don't know who they would have chosen but had I been in charge here are the four actors I would have gone after.  From #4 to #1, I give you the top actors in my opinion who could have taken over the Dr. Loomis character. 

#4
Christopher Lee 

If you're a diehard Halloween fanatic you already know that Christopher Lee was the original choice to play Dr. Loomis before the role went to Pleasence. It's so hard for me to imagine anyone other than Pleasence in the role, but I do think Lee would have done an outstanding job. He would have kept Pleasence's poetic nature, while at the same time giving the character a bit more anger. Pleasence's Loomis was so calculated, fixated and precise. I think Lee would have made him a bit more unstable & that would have been fun to have seen. As to him taking over, I think he would have done his best to honor the spirit of Pleasence while at the same time making the character his own. We would have had him through 2015, when Lee sadly passed away. 

#3
Richard Attenborough 

With the massive success of Jurassic Park I could have seen the studio plausibly going after Richard Attenborough to replace Pleasence. He had a similar build, albeit a tad heavier than Pleasence & he had a natural altruistic nature to him that would have fit the character perfectly. Dr. Loomis was a protector, a guardian if you will. His life's purpose was to protect as many as he could from Michael Myers and this is a point that I feel Attenborough would have accentuated. We would have had Attenborough up until 2014. 

#2
Bernard Hill 

I think Bernard Hill would have been a great choice to have been the next Dr. Loomis. A gifted actor who plays his roles with precision and expertise. I can see him studying the role so well that he would completely encompass the character. I think he could have matched Pleasence's obsession and determination. As to the brightest side of Hill playing the character, he not only could have been in H20, he could have also been in the recent trilogy. He was ironically enough only in his early 50's when Titanic came out. 

#1 
David Ogden Stiers 

If you can't give me Donald Pleasence, David Ogden Stiers is the next best thing. I think Stiers would have been as close to Pleasence as any of us could have hoped for in a new Loomis. The heart, the devotion, the intensity, I believe Stiers would have brought it all to the table. I think fans would have felt he played homage to Pleasence and been very happy with his performance. He's who I would have picked. He would have been my #1 choice. 


Again, to reiterate, I think the decision to have the character die off the day Pleasence passed away was the right decision to make. This is only speculation as to what if they had decided to have replaced him instead? 

How about you? Who would have been your picks? 

HALLOWEEN: A reflection.

 

I was 12 years old the first time I saw Halloween. In fact, I saw Halloween & Halloween II back to back. I was over at my friend Chris Thompson's house for the weekend and he and his family had rented both films. Not only did I fall in love with both films, I made a realization about myself. Between the near flawless storytelling & the mesmerizing performance of Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis, I knew that in somehow, someway I had to dedicate my life to this art. I wasn't sure exactly what my medium would be, be it acting or writing, but it was something I had to do. If a talent wasn't discovered that day, a love & a passion certainly was. This isn't "just a movie" to me. It was a life changing experience. 

Both films were. For their own sake alone, there's nothing about either film I would change. Michael Myers was the perfect villain. Mysterious & puzzling, yet not obnoxiously ambiguous. He was the embodiment of evil. He went beyond a psychopath or a psychotic. He had no other motive. It was pure and it was simple. Laurie Strode was the perfect heroine. Strong and courageous. She showed her heroinism not by standing toe to toe with Michael in an effort to prove her toughness, but instead to demonstrate her selflessness in protecting Tommy and Lindsay. The character was likable, identifiable and admirable. The hero, the savior Dr. Sam Loomis. The good doctor fixated with stopping Michael and protecting others from him. While Michael would stop at nothing to kill, Loomis would stop at nothing to save. The two were diametrically opposed. Night and day. Dark and light. 

The opening scene with the escape from Smith's grove. The slow buildup with Michael stalking Laurie. Watching her from the clothesline, from behind the bush and the most effective of them all, from the car across the road while she's in English class. Talk about the power of suspense being executed beautifully. Loomis' "purely and simply evil" speech & so many of his other classic lines. I can't go on enough about how much I love this film and the way the story is told. 

I think it continued just as well in Halloween II.  If there is a flaw here, I would say it may be in making Michael and Laurie brother and sister. Had Halloween II been the end of the Michael Myers saga, then I think it works just fine. Yet had we known we were going to be getting films forty years later, I can see where such an idea limits creativity.  Suddenly it makes each story have to relate to Michael's bloodline, his family. Unless of course you decide to throw everything out the window and completely start over again....(We'll eventually get to that). 

Was I a fool to ever think that maybe, just maybe one day I'd get another sequel that would live up to Halloween & Halloween II? Obviously I was. I spent over twenty years & a lot of $$ getting disappointed over and over again. Never once was I satisfied. Some made me happier than others, but I always left feeling that they could have done better. I always left feeling that there was something in the film that went out of its way to let me down. 

I've had so many thoughts about this film over the years. If you remove Halloween from the title & from your mind, it's actually a very enjoyable film. Tom Atkins is absolutely awesome in this disturbing thriller. The story is creepy, thrilling and exciting. Usually film's don't have the slightest clue how to leave an audience properly wondering, "What happened?" but Halloween III: Season of the Witch couldn't have done it any better. As a stand alone film, I really like this movie. Some feel that I and others should leave it at that, I don't.  It's not just Season of the Witch, it's a Halloween film. Furthermore it has III in the title. III represents something. It represents that a I & a II came before it, therefore making it a sequel. Sequels have expectations (or at least they did at one time) & as a fan of I & II, it's ok to have those expectations. Furthermore it's ok to be upset if those expectations are not adhered to. Often times they aren't anyway, but here there wasn't even an attempt. There was absolutely no effort. 

I already know the rebuttal.  "Carpenter was going for an anthology."  I've heard the argument. I've seen the documentaries. I've heard the commentaries. I know.  In my opinion if this is where he wanted to take Halloween & this is what he wanted Halloween to be, then as much as it pains me to say this, there should have never been a Halloween II. I think that's where Carpenter went wrong.  I think Michael's death should have been Loomis shooting him off the roof. When Loomis looks down, he sees Michael's lifeless body laying on the lawn. Laurie comes up behind Loomis, we get a close up of her face starring at Michael's lifeless body, we cut back to a close up of Michael's face & we fade to black.  By having Loomis look down & now we see only an imprint of Michael's body, we set ourselves up for a sequel. We beg ourselves for a sequel. Hell we DEMAND a sequel.  Some might argue that the end of Michael being blown up in the hospital in Halloween II put a permanent end to the Michael Myers saga. I argue that it didn't because getting six bullets pumped into your chest & falling flat on your back doesn't end you, neither will an explosion.  I'll stand next to my argument that if the anthology thing was ever to work, then each story needed a definitive end. 

I think Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers  was a gallant effort. The film had plenty of flaws & plenty to nitpick at, but at least it tried. Jamie Lee Curtis' refusal to return, because she had "outgrown" the horror franchise, along with Halloween II forcing some sort of family tie-in left options limited. Jamie as the damsel in distress, the daughter of a now deceased Laurie Strode was believable enough. Danielle Harris did an outstanding job. Who I really liked here was Ellie Cornell as Rachel. A fun, courageous, heroine who totally kicked ass. Dr. Loomis was back to play his role. Really this film did a lot of things right & presented some good ideas. Unfortunately they didn't execute all of them very well & even more unfortunate, some of them they didn't do anything with at all. The Reverend Jackson P Sayor was fantastic. Why he & his speech are only a snippet instead of a focus is beyond me. Where I think this film really went wrong was passing the torch to Jamie at the end.  It didn't work for me for many reasons. 

For one it was clear that they didn't think it through.  What in the world would a sequel look like? Was Michael now dead & people were going to have to fight off a killer 10 year old girl? What would that look like on film? I'm not sure audiences would want to see Dr. Loomis pumping 6 bullets into the chest of little Jamie Lloyd. Would Michael return & he and Jamie go on a Uncle & Niece killing spree? I have no idea what the hell they were thinking here. They really backed themselves into a corner with no where to go, which in partial is how we got the mess with did with Halloween V: The Revenge of Michael Myers. 

I'll argue that this film does have some redeeming qualities but they are few and far between. It's hard for me to admit what a pile of rubbish this film is because it was Dr. Loomis' last hurrah before Donald Pleasence's health began to fail. It was rewarding seeing him kick Michael's ass one last time, but there's nothing much beyond that the film has going for itself. They completely abandoned the idea of Jamie being the killer. Which was good, but where they went next was just plain insane. Killing off Rachel and replacing her with Tina was a decision that should have got someone 3-5 years.  Of all decisions made for the Halloween franchise, that has to be in the top 5 dumbest. I love Don Shanks as a stuntman & feel he is one of the most personable outside of the movies, but curse me if he isn't in one of the worst films.  

I grant the film a little bit of grace because of the circumstances. This film was rushed and they were given practically no time to get it done. On top of it Dominique Othenin-Girard was so obsessed with making sure that the actors liked him and were enjoying themselves that he forget that he was making a movie. The whole shoot was one big party & little actual work got done.  The mysterious man in black added something kinda cool & fun, but should have been thought out more. They hadn't the slightest clue who he was or what they were going to do with them. Another example of backing themselves in a corner with no where to go. 

I have a really hard time talking about this film, because I have a hard time separating what it could have been, what it SHOULD have been, from what it was. This could have easily been the sequel I was looking for. The live up to I & II continuation that I had been begging for. Screenplay writer Daniel Farrands' ideas weren't exactly where I would have gone, but at least they were something worth looking at. They were "new & fresh" as everyone seems to want, but they also didn't shit all over the original. They tied in & linked to what had happened before. Had what was on the page ended up what was on the screen, I still would have had some problems with the film, but it would be a solid B or even a B+, rather than the D that it turned out to be.  I'm not sure if I'll ever forgive director Joe Chappelle for butchering this film as horribly as he did. It was Michael Myers we were supposed to see slicing up his victims, not Chappelle slicing up a decent screenplay. 

Chappelle can take his, "I found Loomis to be boring" attitude and shove it straight up his ass. He was making a Halloween film. Is he that dense to not realize that we as fans wanted Loomis in the film and we wanted to see as much of him as possible? The main story focus is of good Vs Evil.  Instead we get Chappelle's signature flash cut scenes multiple times throughout the film. Difficult to watch, hard to follow and nausea inducing.  

Anything about this film to like? Well, yeah. Paul Rudd gave a very good performance as Tommy Doyle. It was clear that this was a passing of the torch. Loomis could no longer be the savior. I loved the idea of Doyle being the new Loomis. I was all for it. It's a shame that Chappelle ruined the experience for Rudd. Made it so horrible for him that he deemed he would never be in another Halloween film ever again. 

It was clear that Donald Pleasence's time was up. Everyone knew that this would be his last film. He was dying & everyone knew it. To not have given him his due, his final moment was a tragedy. His dedication to the Halloween films wasn't an ego boost. It wasn't a shrine to himself. It was a dedication to the fans. A dedication to his craft. He deserved to go out on top. He earned that moment.  Nearly 30 years later, I'm still pissed off that he didn't get it. I suppose I always will be. 

When he tells Tommy, Kara & Danny that he can't go with them because he had some unfinished business, there should have been a final confrontation with him and Michael. Him killing Michael one last time or even the two of them killing each other.  Something better than what we got with both the theatrical cut and the producer's cut. I do know that. 

Halloween H20 I have a lot of mixed feelings about. There's a lot about this film I did like, but a lot about it I didn't. I didn't appreciate that H4-H5-H6 were ignored completely. I can understand omitting certain things about them, but to completely ignore them, I feel was a slap in the face. Jamie Lee Curtis has said before that she was glad she wasn't in any of those "not so great films" & had she done Halloween H20 and that been it, I'd let her get away with saying that.  But when you turn around and decide to be in Halloween Resurrection you better keep your God damn mouth shut about "films that suck."  I liked Michael in this one. I liked the story in this one. Weaving Laurie Strode back into the story was done in a very convincing and entertaining way.  She was still in many ways the same Laurie Strode that she had been in 1978.  There were glimpses of what I call the "ode to Strode" self-proclaiming shrine that JLC would later give herself, but it wasn't as strong here as it could have been. Laurie Strode got her final confrontation with Michael. She got her last hurrah. She got to end it by kicking his ass and having her way with him. She got her moment in the spotlight, her moment in the sun. Her moment of, "Me and only me could have done this."  I was fine with it. Matter of fact I cheered it. Why she needed it three more times afterwards, that I'm not such a big fan of. 

All right! Good going! We have Halloween H20 we introduced some new, likable characters we can get behind. We abandoned Jamie Lloyd and Tommy Doyle for John Tate. Ok, I can live with that. Let's see him in this new Halloween Resurrection film. That sounds great.  No? What do you mean no? 

Oh, let's instead put Laurie into an insane asylum for murdering a paramedic that she thought was Michael & have her killed off in one of the stupidest ways possible. I mean whatever ideas they gave her back in 1988 for a possible return to the series just had to be God-awful because there was no way that "I'm beyond that now" JLC could ever return to something as low as horror. Oh no, but give her a way to completely just shit on the awesome work she did in Halloween H20, just sign the check & she'll help you wipe. 

God this film was bad. Really, really, really bad. How in the Hell this rubbish got green lit I'll never figure out. The Myles character makes the film somewhat watchable & it can sorta be fun watching Busta Rhymes act like a fool, but this just isn't good.  Surely it couldn't get worse than this right? I mean as I sat in the movie theater trying to figure out why in the Hell they went this direction, I at least knew if they did another Halloween film it would be better than this.  

"Hold my Beer!!!!!"  Rob Zombie shouted from the top of his lungs. If I thought Halloween Resurrection was a disappointment, then was I in for a treat. He was going to lure me in with the return of Danielle Harris & a cast featuring legends Malcolm McDowell & Brad Dourif. Then as I sat in my seat comfortable, awaiting what I thought would at least be a decent film, he'd unleash one of the worst pieces of shit I've ever witnessed in my life.  This wasn't Michael Myers. This was Ted Bundy, Jeffery Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Ed Kuemper, Gary Ridgeway & Dennis Rader all piled into one.  "Purely & Simply evil" my ass. His psychopathy was easily diagnosed and understood. We knew exactly what he was and we knew exactly why he was that way. Making him huge and barbaric took away from his mystique. What bothered me most about this film was how much of a blabbering buffoon the Dr. Sam Loomis character was made out to be. Not at all the fault of McDowell who did his best, but the fault of such a shit screenplay.  Loomis goes from observing Michael & seeing exactly why he is the way he is to a few minutes later giving the "I met his 15 years ago.." speech.  Laurie just screaming her head off like an idiot. Michael that we've known for 30 years who wanted to kill his sister, now suddenly wants to bond with her over a photo? My God, this film made me damn near like Resurrection. I sat through this in the theater & I will never in my life ever want my $$ back more than I did that night. 

  
I didn't see this in theaters.  That's the only reason why the above statement remains true. I had to hand it to Rob Zombie. I didn't think he could do any worse than what he did with his original Halloween remake but his Halloween II has to be one of the worst films I've ever seen in my life. At least with Halloween V  & Halloween Resurrection I can find redeeming qualities. I mean hold a gun to my head I can find things I like about Zombie's Halloween.  I have to admit it was shot beautifully. The cinematography and lighting was well done. I did like the scene where he carried a body into the darkness.  But Zombie's Halloween II? Jesus, there just isn't anything. I didn't know it could get this bad. If I tried to make the shittiest Halloween film that I could & someone said to me, "I'll give you $10 million if you can make a film worse than Zombie's II" I don't think I could do it. I'm not even sure if it's possible.  But bless those who decided to try anyway. 

I knew this film would be a shrine to JLC & be all about her and how great she was, but I went into the film with an open mind anyway.  Not only do we continue to omit H4, H5 & H6, but now we're going to take it a step further and omit H2 & H20 as well. Michael and Laurie are no longer brother & sister. We no longer have a connection between the two. We want to make it clear that Michael has no real motive for going after Laurie, he just does. No reason to go after her anymore than anyone else, but hey, we gotta kiss JLC's ass for at least two more movies, so just go with us on this one.  Ok, fine.  I'll go along for the ride.  We'll take a detour down let's insult the memory of Donald Pleasence by introducing Dr. Sartain who starts off kinda good & then becomes an absolute idiot.  Can't bring back Jamie. Can't bring back John, but what we will do is introduce Karen and Allyson.  Ok...ok...ok...

Once you get past that and realize that all changes have been done in order to get it across that this film has one hero and one hero only, you can sorta start to enjoy it.  Michael is still for the most part Michael & the teamwork between the three women to outsmart him and outdo him is quite good. You'll never convince me that Kara was better than Jamie or that we needed a Kara over a Jamie, but whatever. The teamwork was still good. That I did appreciate it.  This film disappointed me, but not near to the level I thought it would.  Gave it a solid C. 

Hope and hype, I was excited for this film. Tommy Doyle, Lindsay Wallace, Nurse Chambers? Seriously? All of these characters were returning? Granted, Doyle had a new actor, but the original Wallace and Chambers? OMG, Sheriff Bracket!?!?!? Even little Lonnie!?! I couldn't believe my eyes.  Maybe Jamie Lee Curtis was going to share the spotlight after all.  Maybe she'd allow Laurie Strode to get a little help from some of the other characters. This was awesome.  

OR NOT

Bring back all of these characters only to have Michael just wipe the floor with them. Make sure that we as an audience know that Laurie ONLY Laurie can defeat Michael. She is the ONLY one. NO ONE else. 

If there are theaters in Hell, I swear one screen plays' Zombie's II & the other one plays this.

You know what really pisses me off about Halloween Kills? It had the potential to be really good. It could have been a good film. It could have finally been the film that gave me the great sequel/remake/reimagining/whatever you want to call it that I've been looking for. 

I refused to see it.  H20, Halloween 2018, Halloween Kills I think three "Ode to Strode" JLC Shrines are enough. I really don't need a fourth. I've read the treatment, and seriously I don't think I could sit through this. I really don't.  What in umpf is up with this Corey character? Didn't we already decide with the end of Halloween IV  that going down this route was not a good choice? Didn't we already establish that? I suppose they had to think of something considering that they killed everyone else off & left Laurie Strode played by "am not returning after this" the only one left to do anything. We sure did need Laurie kicking Michael's ass one last time incase the first 10,000 times we saw it wasn't enough. 

I loved the Laurie Strode character in H1 & H2. I really did. I mean I loved her.  I liked her a lot in H20.  I even tolerated her, despite her egocentric demeanor in Halloween (2018). But this JLC is HALLOWEEN, F everyone else, attitude of Halloween Kills was too much for me.  I couldn't take it. 

Pleasence died & people want to shove that in my face all the time. He couldn't have came back & (even though they already have multiple times) would I really want someone else playing the role of Loomis?  Ok, fine. 

But...
Tommy Doyle
Lindsay Wallace
Jamie Lloyd
John Tate

I mean come on, this doesn't have to be a one woman show.  She can always remain #1, but does she have to be the ONLY one?  "But Kara and Allyson!!"  For show, nothing else. 

I have let these films let me down and disappointment for such a long time. What is so difficult about making a good horror sequel.  Halloween isn't the only film that struggles with this.  All horror series do! I thought maybe SCREAM would be the one that didn't & while some might point a boney finger at SCREAM 3, at least it wasn't the abomination that SCREAM V turned out to be. 

I know knowing me and the promise of "what if?" "Just in case" will get me to sit down and give a TV series a chance that they're bound to try one of these days. 

Why oh why do I torture myself this way? 

Why oh why can't they make sequels that are good!?!??!? What is so freakin' hard about this!??!! 

God, I wish I was in Hollywood. Give me a chance. I'd write something good. I don't know if I'd be able to salvage anything out of the films, but I wish I was in charge of the TV series that is rumored. God, I wish I was. 

Complete The Story 23 of 198

 "Deal?" he said, extending his hand toward me. I hesitated, then reached out and shook his hand. He thought he was getting the better end of it, but there was something that he didn't know. Johnny thought that all I had to do was tell the other guys he was coming and it'd be that easy. As if I could go up to Gabe, Mitch and Clark and tell them that little Johnny Blu the dweeb was gonna ride with us to the lake next Saturday. Mitch might not give a shit. As long as he has plenty of booze, weed and women, he usually doesn't. Gabe and Clark on the other hand are different stories. Gabe is all about image. Everything he does and all the words he says are to impress other people. He won't buy a pair of jeans unless he knows they are in. Hell, he won't even let a song play on his radio until he is 100% certain that the other popular kids at school like it. His entire life is constantly checking in. Clark is the trend setter. I haven't the slightest clue what it is that makes everyone gawk at his every move, but they do.  Every girl at school wants to be with him & every guy at school wants to be like him. He moved here two years ago with a scruffy face and long hair. We all started to grow our hair out, head and face. The son of a gun then walks into school one day with all of his hair cut off & a clean shaven face.  Lloyd our town Barber had more business that week 

I Could have been a Farmer

 Adulthood. When exactly does that begin? It's all a matter of perspective. I would say it's also a matter of position. For those interested in politics or eager to light up a cigarette without having to worry who's watching, that day comes upon the 18th birthday. For others it all centers around legally consuming alcohol or gambling. That day comes upon the 21st birthday.  For me, I didn't think of myself as an adult until I graduated college & was out on my own. That was exactly 13 years ago today. I went from living with my mother & Barry to moving up to Iowa City & living with my first two roommates Dennis & Ratko. 

A lot has happened in the past 13 years. I got stories that could literally be a series of books. I can't say much in the terms of success, but it sure has been interesting. I've experienced some shit the past decade plus that even I have a hard time believing it even though I lived it. This isn't at all where I thought I'd be at this time in my life & having the vivid imagination that I do, I often like to sit and wonder what life would be like had I gone in a different direction. 

It started off as a conversation between me & my girlfriend Ashley and later in the evening it became a conversation between me & my friend Ali. Both Ashley and Ali laughed at the idea when I told them I could have gone into farming. I don't blame them. I laughed too.  The idea of me, Stephen Stonebraker being a farmer is quite humorous. Matter of fact it's asinine, but it is indeed a direction that I was at one time offered. 

My mom married a farmer when I was 10 years old. She had began dating him when I was 9. He was always willing to take me out to the farm & teach me anything I wanted to know, but I was often reluctant to go.  Most of this had to do with my Dad. My Mom and Dad had a bitter divorce & hated one another with a passion. I was very close with my Dad back then & I felt that spending time with Barry & learning anything from Barry would be in defiance of my Dad.  The last thing I wanted to do back in those days was disappoint my Dad. 

I did help Barry a few times though. I think Barry saw me as a very scared and timid child & truth is, I was. Barry & my Dad had the polar opposite approach on learning things. When I was little my Dad was always yelling & screaming at me that I was going to hurt myself if I tried anything. I'd cut my finger off or I'd crush every bone in my hand.  Then when I got a little older, he was convinced if I hit the books, studied hard & got a college education that I'd make enough money to where I could hire someone to do the work for me.  Today in his eyes, I'm just a flippin' F'in idiot that doesn't know how to do anything. Barry on the other hand was the type that would hand me a wrench or a screwdriver & sit there waiting for me to see if I couldn't figure out what to do with it. When I handed the tool back to him, I think Barry thought I was being lazy. I wasn't being lazy, it was fear. I had in instilled in my head that I was too careless. That I was too stupid.  I'd do something that would either ruin the machine or I'd blow us all into smithereens. 

It didn't help matters any that one of the times I did decided to help out on the farm, I watched my Uncle Terry whack off part of his thumb. We were building a new silo. He was messing around with a chain trying to get it hooked up to a backhoe properly when the chain straightened and off went part of his thumb. I sort of surprised myself by reacting as quickly as I could. He was screaming, holding his thumb in his shirt, blood everywhere.  We didn't have a first aid kit, so I grabbed some black tape & went to work.  I put his thumb back together as well as I could with what I had. 

Nevertheless that incident with Uncle Terry really scared the crap out of me. I remember going to get togethers afterwards with Terry showing everyone his thumb & how other farmers were laughing at him saying, "oh that's nothing!" as they showed him their missing fingers, thumbs, ears and eyes.  If I wasn't already against the idea of doing farming for a living, I was now. 

Over the years I helped out on the farm a few other times, but nothing too major. I've helped Barry feed the pigs or the cattle. I've done other little menial jobs like haul a trailer full of fertilizer behind a pickup. Nothing too major or important. 

Truth is the thought of me being a farmer is like picturing Little Jimmy Dickens doing gangsta rap. It just doesn't make any sense. The idea of me dusty and dirty every day, dealing in bushels, talking about crops & how badly we need rain, it's absolutely asinine. 

Of course there would be benefits. I'd know my place in the world. I'd have a farm vehicle. A guaranteed pay check. The farm would have helped me to get my own home.  Yet I'd also have to live in either Sigourney, Webster, Keswick, North English, South English or Kinross. Nothing against any of the towns, but they aren't places I want to live for the time being.  Maybe Sigourney when I'm old and retired, but not now. 

Truth is even if I would have decided to go that route & try and follow Barry in his footsteps, I just don't think it would have worked out. I don't have the personality of a farmer.  I don't think any amount of trying would have ever led to me fitting in. There are parts of it I think I would have been good at. I think I could have learned to have ran a tractor, a combine & I think above anything else, I would have enjoyed hauling grain in the semi to Cedar Rapids & Muscatine.  Yet let's say I had a time machine & I went back to explore this option.  It wouldn't have been me. I would have spent most nights in a tractor or a combine or whatever else it is farmers do wishing I had gone a different direction with my life.  I'd have sat around at farmer get togethers with the other farmers the sore thumb that obviously didn't belong.  

I write this now mainly because of how made up it seems. To think of me going the farming route & being a farmer. I can't say it without laughing. God, is that absurd. Yet it oddly enough really was an option for me at one time.  I admire and respect the Hell out of farmers. They feed America! Hell, they feed the world!  It's often a thankless job that doesn't get near the credit it deserves.  Nor does it ever get the recognition that it deserves for how tiresome and neverending it is. I envy Barry that he has no one to answer to but himself. I envy that he does things his way. Yet on the same hand, there's so much he has to worry about too.  Responsibilities.  He doesn't have to rely on other people all that much, but he does rely on the weather, on markets. He sometimes deals with numbers that would give me a heart attack.  Certain times of the year, he starts working before the sun comes up & he's still working long after it has gone down.  

Me a farmer...God that's a funny thought. 

Possible Returning Characters to CHUCKY

 Let's face it CHUCKY Season One was a hit. There's going to be a season two & like COBRAI KAI there will be plenty more seasons after that.  Also like COBRA KAI the thought of returning characters from previous installments is almost a given. As to who exactly will and who exactly won't be returning, that's a bit more of a mystery.  Here are my thoughts. 

KAREN BARCLAY 

The character deserves closure and transparency. She stood up for her son and did everything she could be protect him. She's the epitome of what a loving mother is. She deserves her vindication, she has earned it. To think that she spent time in a mental institution & that she was kept from her son for all those years because of Chucky. She deserves to have her moment of vengeance. 

MIKE NORRIS 

I can tell you exactly how I would like to see the character of Mike Norris come full circle.  In partial he's to blame for Karen's incarceration as well. His denying everything that happened and lying about it caused the Barclay family a lot of grief. In a dying effort I would like Detective Norris to make up for it. Give the character a chance to redeem himself and earn his forgiveness while at the same time allowing Chucky to make good on his word that he would get Norris back for killing him while he was still Charles Lee Ray. 

JACK SANTOS 

The chances of seeing Detective Jack Santos back are slim to none. In fact, I'd say they are none. Nevertheless I'd love to see him make an appearance to get whacked by Chucky. Such a snood creep. "Yeah, but who's gonna believe me?"  You just know that he was the one that talked Mike Norris into denying everything and making the mom out to be a completely looney.  Worried so much about saving his own ass without any consideration to what would become of Andy. Yeah, I wanna see this character make a come back and get what he has coming to him. 

EDAN GROSS 

It would be just for shits and giggles but I think it'd be so much fun to get Edan Gross to do a cameo.  For those of you don't know he was the voice of the actual GOOD GUY doll. The "Heidi Ho, Ha Ha Ha."  The chances of Gross doing it are...he's not going to, but man what fun it would be. 

JUSTIN WHALIN 

Along the same lines I think it'd be fun to see Justin Whalin make an appearance in CHUCKY. Again wishful thinking and the star that would grant this wish burned out a long time ago. He quit acting nearly 15 years ago & I can't see him making a return. Then again I never thought they'd get Thomas Ian Griffin back for COBRA KAI either, so maybe...never say never.  I think what would be fun is for Jake, Lexy or Devon to mistake whatever character Whalin is playing for Barclay (Alex Vincent) and for Barclay to respond, "You honestly thought that was me? That guy looks nothing like me!" 

TYLER 

I would say for the simple fact that Don Mancini was never crazy about the Tyler character to begin with that most likely we won't be seeing Tyler again. However he did say that he liked Jeremy Sylvers so I wouldn't rule it out completely.  

DE SILVA 

With Kyle and Nica already on board, as well as Lexy & the possible return of Karen, I'm not sure if CHUCKY really needs another heroine or not. Regardless I would LOVE to see the return of De Silva. 

JESSE AND JADE 

You know what? Why not? What the Hell? I think in essence if you look at Chucky and Tiffany as in early 80's through all of the terror that they have caused, Jesse & Jade are nothing more than one of the many couples the two terrorized over the past 40 something years. All that makes them special is that we got to see their story unfold in a feature length film. I do find the characters interesting enough to see them make a come back. If nothing more, two more on the long list of Chucky victims. 

JOHN 

Raise your eyebrows? I mean, why not? If Chucky can come back 10,000 times from what John taught him with the power of Damballa, who's to say that John couldn't have done the same thing for himself? It's not that farfetched of an idea.  Furthermore what I think would be extremely clever is for one of the characters to discover the power themselves. In fact it's how I would end the series. I would do a complete reversal. Make it seem like Chucky & Tiffany will win. Make their victory seem inevitable.  Kill off Jake, Devon, Lexy, Kyle, all of the characters, even Andy. Make it seem in this case that evil wins. Then at the last second reveal that they all survived due to the power of Damballa.  What better way to see Chucky defeated once and for all in what would be the series finale. His own voodoo coming full circle to bite him in the ass once and for all. 


===

Glen/Glenda are already known to be making a return for sure.  

With that said, I am looking very forward to season two!! 

CHUCKY TV SERIES: SEASON ONE REVIEW

 

CHUCKY SEASON ONE 

Sat down and binge watched the first eight episodes of CHUCKY with my girlfriend over the weekend and I have to say that there is a lot about this show that I love. There's just enough about it that I'm not crazy about to where I have to give it a B+ rather than an A, but still the good outweighs the bad. Being one that likes to get the negative out of the way first so that I can concentrate on the positive, here's what I'm not crazy about. 

Gore takes precedence over suspense and build up. It seems when you discuss CHUCKY with anyone there are to sets of fans. Those like me who really enjoyed CHILD'S PLAY, CHILD'S PLAY 2, CHILD'S PLAY 3 & CURSE OF CHUCKY and then those that really enjoyed BRIDE OF CHUCKY & SEED OF CHUCKY.  I think CULT OF CHUCKY was going for a mix between the two schools of thought but aligned itself more with the latter than it did the prior.  What I love about Child's Play & Curse is the buildup and suspense of Chucky's actions. The kills are still brutal but the thought that goes into them is the focus. In Bride and Seed it's all about shock value & trying to gross you out. I don't need extremely violent, bloody kills. I don't need a lot of blood and guts. I could stand to see less of that and more clever, funny kills.  In other words I'd rather see, "How's it hanging Phil?" than I would a room splattered in blood and guts. 

To be quite honest I'm not digging the Main character Jake Wheeler. I'm not sure if it's because of the way he's written or if it's due to how Zackary Arthur is playing him. I want so bad to fall in love with the character. I was really hoping that he'd attach to my interest the way Nica did when she was introduced in CURSE OF CHUCKY. It's not happening for me.  It's not that I don't like him. I do.  It's just that I find the supporting cast to be more interesting. I find it easier investing in them than I do in him.  To be quite honest I even find Jade & Jesse from BRIDE OF CHUCKY to be more intersting. He's the main focus and he is who I feel the least invested in. Hopefully in season two there are improvements and I can warm up to him more. 

I also find the character of Glen to be rather annoying. Is the character supposed to be autistic? I'm not understanding how someone as old as she is acts like a two year old. It just isn't making sense and I find it irritating.  "I want Chucky!!"  Character could use some more depth.  Seems way too one deminsional and lazy to me. 

Ok, enough with the bad! Let's talk about the positives! 

It goes without saying that I love the return of Andy & Kyle played by Alex Vincent & Christine Elise. To see the characters picking up where they left off all the way back in 1990 is very rewarding.  I can only hope they become more of an intricate part of the series as it progresses. Andy may be treated as a secondary character for the time being but he is Chucky's #1 enemy and nothing will ever change that. 

I find the story arch between Tiffany and Nica to be rather interesting. I'm anxious to see where they go with it and how it develops in season two. At first I was thinking that Nica would be one of the heroes seeking vengeance but it's obvious that she will be used as a plot device to give the edge to Chucky and Tiffany. 

I have to comment on the character of Lexy and say how well her transition was done. A credit to both good writing and good acting on the part of Alyvia Alyn Lind.  She went from an unlikable sociopath into a likable empath and it was done in a natural and believable way.  It would have been very easy for the character to have came across as self serving. Only cooperating in order to save her own skin & for the sake of her own interest. Instead it comes across that she's actually made a change of heart and that she is truly a changed person. Whereas I feel the character development of Glen leaves much to be desired, I appreciate the depths that the writing staff has gone to in order to showcase Lexy's transformation. 

I really enjoyed Devon Sawa and the characters he played. It's amazing to see how much he's grown as an actor and how talented he has become. That's not always the case with child actors. Makes me realize how old I've gotten.  Sawa isn't that much older than me. Anxious to see this third character that he will be playing in season two. 

I like where they went with the Junior character but I feel it was kyboshed prematurely. The idea of Chucky manipulating and influencing someone is quite intriguing. I understand that Junior had a purpose, that he served it and now the story has moved on. I have no problem with that.  I also have no problem with his redemption. I'm all for the reveal that he wasn't really evil, he was just a victim of Chucky's trickery. It's simply that I feel that storyline was done too quickly and it would have benefited from a bit more length. That's all. 

I really, really like the character of Miss Fairchild. I like the way she is written & I enjoy the way Annie Briggs plays her. I was hoping to see more of her in Season One & I'm anxious to see how much or how little she's involved in Season two. 

As to the other characters...

 I think I like Chucky more than I do Mayor Michelle Cross. When it comes to evil people, I have to say I have more respect for an upfront monster than I do an undercover one. Sociopathic types like her just drive me up a wall. Fake, fraudulent, phony people who only care about themselves.    

Devon seems pretty cool, but underdeveloped. As his mother Detective Evans was starting to grow on me that's right when she was killed.  

Michael Therriault as Nathan Cross was quite the juxtaposition from his Dr. Foley character in CULT OF CHUCKY wasn't it? This surprised me, in a good way. It's fun to see the range and versatility that actors have. 


Thoughts for season two??? 

Well with the overabundance of deaths in season one, we know we're going to have an assortment of new characters in season two. Is this going to be like COBRA KAI and we can also hope for some returning characters too?   That would make my day. (I'll be making another post about this later) 

Don Mancini would probably kill me for saying this but I think what the series could really use to go from a B+ to that A I know it can get is Tom Holland. Mancini is such a genius and has such great ideas but he has no one to reign him in. Creative people are their own worst editors. They have an ability to create but no ability to revise. That's where Tom Holland would come in. I think Tom Holland's help is why CHILD'S PLAY was the success that it was. I think he could help out CHUCKY too. I really do. 

Those are my thoughts on the series. 

Complete the Story 22 of 198

 The Lake was still and shiny as glass, as if he could step on it and walk all the way across. It was one of those nights when it actually seemed possible. He stood there, breathing deep as he imagined himself swimming all the way across. It was all that he could do. It was his only option. The boat would not start and there was no other way off of this small island other than to swim. In normal circumstances they might brave the night & wait till morning. By then be it fishermen, boaters or the occasional sight seeing scenic plane tour guide, sooner or later someone was bound to see them and bring them back to the mainland. These were anything other than normal circumstances. Jeremiah had been bitten by a venomous snake and Cody knew that time was something that he was not given. He had to get to help and he had to get it as soon as possible. 

He was full of emotions, anger and fear. Jeremiah had seen the snake and went over to pick it up. Why couldn't he have just left it alone? The warning they had been taught when they were little had cemented itself in Cody's brain the moment he had first heard it, but Jeremiah always got it turned around. It was red on black, friend of jack. Red on yellow, I'll kill you fellow. Jeremiah had switched it around. He thought it was red on yellow, I'm a friendly fellow. Red on black, I'll kill you jack.  

"It's a scarlet king snake." Jeremiah argued. 

"No, it's a coral snake!" Cody screamed. "And the damn thing just bit you!" 

As the two walked back to the boat Cody couldn't help but feel resentment against Jeremiah. They weren't even supposed to be here to begin with. He had gone over to stay the night at Jeremiah's house, lying to his own parents that Jeremiah's single mother would be home all night. Truth was she worked as a bar tender at a club that was open till 4:00 a.m. and she usually didn't get home until 5:00.  

"We can go out to the island," Jeremiah had suggested to him. "Take the boat and go fishing." 

Cody tried to talk Jeremiah out of it as he suggested watching movies or playing video games but Jeremiah had his mind made up. Ever since his Grandpa had taken them out to the island, it seemed it was always where Jeremiah wanted to be. Cody figured it was because living in the populated area of Florida that they did, it was one of the only places where Jeremiah ever felt at peace. He wasn't a real people person and he enjoyed being alone. It didn't get anymore "alone" than the island. 

"It won't start." Cody kept turning the key but the boat would not start. They tried to start it manually but it wouldn't start that way either. 

"Something's wrong with the engine," Jeremiah said as he starred at the bite marks on his hand. 

Cody knew it was useless as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and tried to dial 911. There was never any reception at the island.  He watched as Jeremiah tried to dial out on his phone as well.  

"Shit!" Jeremiah repeated it over and over again. "Shit! Shit!" 

"Don't panic." Cody said to him. 

"What do you mean don't panic?" Jeremiah was almost in tears. "I just got bit by a f'n coral snake. I'm gonna die out here!" 

"No you're not." Cody said to him. "Please calm down. If you panic your heart will beat faster and your blood will pump faster. That'll pump the venom through you faster and it'll kill you faster. Please calm down. Breath as slowly as possible." 

Cody grabbed a big blanket from the boat as he laid it on the ground.  They had already built a fire as Cody stoked it as much as he could hoping that it would burn through the rest of the night. 

"Lay as still as possible," He told Jeremiah. "Don't move." 

"What are you going to do?" Jeremiah asked. 

"Go get help." 

It was a little less than half a mile to the shore. About 7 football fields. Cody had never swam that far in his life. Conditioning was the least of his worries though.  These waters were known to frequent Gators and although it was rare for them to attack during the fall weather, Cody knew that you could never rule it out completely. The temperature was in the high 60's, just below the 70 degree marker that experts claim is the bare minimum that one should enter the water. While the jaws of an alligator might not clamp down on him, he might very well feel the bite of hypothermia.  Still he knew that while death might come for him in that water, it would come for Jeremiah if he didn't jump in. He took a big breath and before he knew it he was submerged in the lake  heading towards the shore. 

As he swung his arms and kicked his legs in what is known as the American Crawl, he wondered how much time had already passed.  From the snake bite to trying to start the boat to calming Jeremiah down and stoking the fire, all of it had to have taken at least five minutes.  At this point, he was probably up to at least 10. As he starred ahead all he could see throughout the black darkness was a dim light that shined on the porch of the Hansen house. They were a rich family, both doctors with lake side property who often vacationed in the winter. They usually didn't take off until around the end of November, but every once in a while they'd leave earlier.  While everyone else from everywhere else seemed to come to Florida during these times, the Hansen's often left to avoid the tourist. Cody could only hope this wasn't one of those times. If they were home, he could arrive on the shore and be at their house within minutes.  If they were not home, the next house was at least another mile if not more up the road. 

He wondered how Jeremiah was faring. He knew the venom of some snakes worked slow while the venom of other snakes worked fast. He couldn't remember if Coral snake venom was a venom that would kill you in 20 minutes or if it was one that took more time. Of course he hoped for the latter but couldn't help but fight thoughts of the prior. He imagined showing up with help and Jeremiah lying dead on the ground. The thoughts gave him a second wind as he somehow found the strength to throw his arms and kick his legs harder.  

In what seemed like forever, the top of his right foot came down and hit something that felt scaly. His mind went into a panic as his first thought was that it had to be an alligator. He put his foot down again as he realized it was only the rocks buried within the mud.  He was close to the shore.  In a dead sprint he made it to the land as he ran up the hill to the Hansen's house. His only guide, the porch light that they always left on. Reaching the the porch, he beat as hard as he could on the door as he began to here the sound of a dog barking. 

Exhausted he collapsed on the porch in relief and hope. The Hansen's always took their dog with them whenever they left for vacation. They had not taken off yet. Nevertheless it still seemed to take forever before other lights turned on and the door finally opened. 

"Wendy?" Cody was surprised to see it was only the Hansen's 12 year old daughter, who was two grades behind him. 

"Cody?" She said. "What are you doing here? It's 1:00 a.m." 

"Are you parents home?" Cody asked. "This is an emergency. I need to see your mom and Dad." 

"Mom's visiting Aunt Cheryl in Vermont. Dad had to go to the E.R." 

"Can I have your cell phone?" 

"I don't have it."

"You don't have it!?!?!" 

"I had it taken away from me, " Wendy said. "I got in trouble yesterday. What's wrong?" 

"We were out on the island," Cody explained. "Jeremiah got bit by a coral snake." 

Suddenly Wendy matched Cody in his concern.  Cody sucked the wind remembering how he had told Jeremiah about a half hour earlier not to panic.  Did he have enough energy to run to the next house on down the road. Even when he was completely fresh the mile run during P.E. had taken him about seven and a half minutes. How long would it take now that his legs and arms felt like jello from the swim? 

"I'm gonna have to try and make it to the next house," He said. "Do you think they're home?"

"Wait," Wendy said. "We can take our other car." 

Wendy took off and was back within what seemed like only a few seconds. She threw the keys at him. 

He was freshly 14. He had never driven a car before. He knew Wendy had never driven one either.  This wasn't the best of ideas, but it was their best option. 

They ran out to the car as they got inside. Cody had seen his parents as well as many others do this plenty of times before. It couldn't be that hard. Yet when he put the car in reverse and put his foot down on the pedal, the wheels screech as they came within millimeters of hitting the white picket fence that surrounded the yard. 

"Don't hit the gas pedal so hard."  

Cody had figured that out for himself. 

As bumpy as the ride was, they were heading toward the hospital.  Of all the things that had gone wrong, Cody was thankful that the hospital was on the outskirts of town. One of the first buildings you arrived at as you entered the community. 

They pulled up to the Emergency Room entrance as Cody put the car into park and the two of them ran in. He ran up to the woman at the front desk. 

"My friend has been bitten by a coral snake!" He yelled at her. 

Soon Cody and Wendy were in a room as Cody explained the situation to the to a team of medical experts. 

The one grabbed his walkie talkie as he held it up to his mouth. 

"Prep the copter," He said as he looked at Cody.  "You're coming with us." 

Cody had seen the hospital helicopters many times throughout his life. He always wondered what it'd be like to fly in one although he thought he'd never get to.  Now he was following a group of medical staff as they led him outside and into the the front seat of one of them. All in all there besides him there was the pilot and two medics. 

"You are sure it was a coral snake?" The one said to him as the other prepared needles that Cody could only assume were full of antivenin.  

"Yeah," Cody answered. "Red, yellow, black." 

"This is the Island in the middle of May's lake?" 

"Yeah," Cody answered. 

"What side are you guys on? What should we look for?" 

"A white motorboat and a fire. It should still be burning." 

By the time Cody had jumped into the water until he had arrived at the hospital had to have taken at least an hour. Maybe more. The helicopter ride took took all of five minutes.  As they spotted the fire, the pilot landed the helicopter on the shore right next to the water.

"Wait here," The one said to Cody.

It was the longest wait of Cody's life. He feared what they might find when they came up to that fire. Would they find Jeremiah's lifeless body? Would he have succumbed to the venom yet? Would Jeremiah be on his last leg? Vomiting and convulsing?  What would his condition be? Had Cody made it in enough time?  As he sat there waiting he began to shake at the thought of the medics bringing the corpse of his friend back to the helicopter. Would they really do that? If Jeremiah was dead would they really bring his body to the helicopter and bring it back to the hospital? Or would they leave it out there and come back for it later?  He closed his eyes as he began to remember the first time Jeremiah's grandfather had taken them to the Island. 

"Someday I'm sure you'll be big enough to come out here by yourselves," He had said to them. 

"Yeah," Jeremiah had said. "Once I'm big enough, I'll be out here all the time." 

"Promise me one thing," His Grandpa said as he grabbed him by the shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Never come out here alone. Always come together." 

Jeremiah and Cody both promised but there words weren't good enough for Jeremiah's Grandpa. 

"Your hands on it" He insisted.  

He held out his hand and Jeremiah put his on top of it and Cody put his hand on top of his. It was the solid oath of Jeremiah's family. If you gave your hand on something, it was gold. 

"Cody?" 

It was the greatest noise that Cody had ever heard. It was Jeremiah's voice. He opened his eyes. He couldn't believe what he saw.  The medics were lifting Jeremiah into the Helicopter on a padded gurney. Jeremiah didn't look any different than what he had when Cody had left him. His face wasn't pale. His eyes weren't dim. Hell, he didn't even look sick. Spent from the exhaustion of worry but nowhere near the ready to be put six feet under that Cody had expected to see him in. 

"Lay back," The Paramedic said to him. "Be still but keep your eyes open. Look at me. Watch me."

Cody was confused. Happy, but confused. It made no sense to him that Jeremiah was in such good shape. He was glad he was in such good shape, but it made no sense. 

A few moments later they were back at the hospital. Jeremiah was wheeled away as Cody was taken to another area where Wendy was. 

"Is he ok?" Wendy asked. 

"I think so," Cody answered. 

"Was he really sick?" Wendy asked. "Was he able to talk?" 

"Yeah," Cody said. "He was talking. He seemed to be just fine." 

Wendy had the same look of relieved yet confused that Cody did. 

The two sat in the room both with a million thoughts racing through their heads but neither said anything.  

"So how did our car ride?" 

Cody looked up. It was Wendy's father, Dr. Hansen. 

"Yeah," Cody said as he stood up. "I'm sorry about that." 

"No," Dr. Hansen said to him as he reached out and patted him. "There's nothing to be sorry about. It was an emergency. You had to help your friend." 

Cody smiled. "Yeah, how is he?" 

"Just fine," Dr. Hansen smiled. "It was a dry bite." 

"What do you mean a dry bite?" Cody asked. 

"Sometimes Coral snakes as well as other snakes will bite defensively without injecting venom. Their venom is very precious to them. If they don't have to use it they won't." 

"You mean to tell me that Jeremiah wasn't even envenomated?" 

"No." 

Cody hung his head. He felt really stupid. He had bared a lake known to have alligators in what could have very well been hypothermic temperatures over 700 yards to be told that Jeremiah's life hadn't even been in danger. 

"What's wrong?" Dr. Hansen asked. 

"I feel like an idiot," Cody answered. "I feel like a fool." 

"Son," Dr. Hansen grabbed him in a hug. " You are anything but an idiot. You are anything but a fool. You thought your friend was in danger and you risked your own life to save him."