Published: 24 October 2019

Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson, center) outlines his plan to defeat an oncoming horde of zombies in this scene from the recently released “Zombieland: Double Tap.” Courtesy photoELLY GRIMM • Leader & Times

A few months ago I was at home indulging in a lazy Sunday afternoon and was looking for something to watch on Netflix and during that quest, I came across the 2009 movie “Zombieland,” which followed a group of strangers (portrayed by Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) taking an extended road trip looking for sanctuary from a recent zombie apocalypse. I ended up thoroughly surprised and entertained by the movie so when I heard earlier this year that there would be a sequel, I was wary but also somewhat excited (I have a bit of a bias against sequels, I freely admit it). So this weekend I made the trek to the movie theater in town to see how “Zombieland: Double Tap” would end up. 

“Zombieland: Double Tap” takes place 10 years later with zombies still being an issue for our main quad as they’ve evolved. And much like with its predecessor, I ended up being entertained and surprised by what I saw.

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Published: 17 October 2019

Carrie White becomes of the victim of a cruel prank at her prom in this scene from the 1976 horror hit “Carrie.” Courtesy photoELLY GRIMM • Leader & Times

Since it’s October and officially the season for all things spooky, I’ve been spending a good chunk of this month acquainting myself with some old favorites as well as some new stuff that will become staples for my Halloween seasons in the future. 

In order to be successful during that quest to find spooky fare to watch, I turned to Netflix and found the 1976 horror classic “Carrie,” directed by Brian De Palma and based on the Stephen King novel of the same name about a frequently bullied outcast high school girl named Carrie White, who discovers she has telekinetic abilities. 

I will freely admit, I was hesitant to click on the movie because (A) In my experience, adaptations of Stephen King novels haven’t turned out the greatest and (B) The past two horror “classics” (i.e. the ones almost every horror movie list says should be watched by literally EVERYONE) I’ve watched – “The Shining” and “The Exorcist” – left me severely disappointed. But, given how it’s the Halloween season and I was looking for some spooky fare to watch, I clicked on the movie and settled in to watch how everything unfolded. 

And ultimately, I actually ended up being surprised with the result.

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Published: 10 October 2019

Courtesy photoELLY GRIMM • Leader & Times

When I was young, one of the things I looked forward to most about the Halloween season was seeing the “Treehouse of Horror” episodes of “The Simpsons” on TV. Not only were there some legitimate scares for my young self, but there were also a lot of laughs. So for this week I decided to indulge in a little nostalgia and talk about some of my favorite “Treehouse of Horror” episodes.  Enjoy!

The Thing and I (Treehouse Of Horror 7)

This segment, all the way from Treehouse of Horror 7, focuses on the revelation that Bart has an evil twin, Hugo, who lives in the Simpsons’ attic and has done so since birth. I love this one because when I was young, not only did the idea of having an evil twin absolutely terrify me, but the voicework throughout the episode is great and there are also several laughs. My favorite part is at the end when it’s revealed Bart is the evil twin and the deadpan way in which he says “Oh, don’t be so shocked” had me rolling in hysterics and continues to do so. 

Wiz Kids (Treehouse Of Horror 12)

This segment is a favorite of mine and I’ve loved it since the premiere. I love it because of how it parodies the “Harry Potter” series, which I’ve loved since elementary school. The Simpsons and the various side characters are perfectly cast in their respective roles in the Potterverse and I love the show’s take on the famous series. There are plenty of laughs throughout this segment for everyone and I would say my favorite part of the episode is near the end when Bart’s spell actually turns on him. 

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