Of Beaches and Monsters

‘Ber months may start tomorrow, but Summer isn’t over just yet. There’s still 23 days left to celebrate Summerween. I couldn’t decide which is scarier, horror films featuring spooky cabins or mysterious beaches. So, here’s a double list with the best of both worlds. From creature features to crazed killers, you can find all of these films streaming somewhere. Let me know which list you think has the scariest movies.

Haiku of the Week

Part V and the conclusion of the Summerween series.

painted sand dollars,
fire pits and candy corn
beachy halloween

Haiku of the Week

Part IV of the Summerween series.

pumpkin spiced latte
ber months around the corner
Halloween echoes

Haiku of the Week

Part III of Summerween series.

hot summer sand
a quick swim in the ocean
ready for Fall

Haiku of the Week

Part II of Summerween series.

sand between my toes
waiting for the tide to come
gothic beach party

American Ghoul – Ten Best American Zombie Films

As July ends, so does our tribute to the red, white, and ghoul. Many of us wonder what we’d do in an apocalypse. How long would we survive? Would we lose our humanity or becomes the heroes we crave to be? Truth is, we’re already creating a nightmare dystopian society, casting aside freedoms and replacing them with fearmongering, discrimination, intolerance, and violence.

Back in 1968, George A. Romero foresaw this great nation descending into chaos as gun culture and extremist ideals gained more popularity because of easy access to guns and lack of education. He saw a nation at war with itself long before the monsters showed up. His movies often contained scathing critiques of class warfare, over-militarization, moral corruption, and empty consumerism, all of which Americans still suffer greatly today.

Dawn of the Dead, 1978

Romero may have been psychic, as he didn’t think adding zombies would really change the American landscape all that much and I tend to agree. If we continue down this treacherous path, we won’t have much further to fall. The day Americans unite may very well be the day they drop the bomb.

George A. Romero

There’s one thing for certain though, you can count on the fight in America. Even the quietest, most gunshy American has a sense of revolution instilled in their soul. Communists, terrorists, extremists, zombies, we’ll fight them all! We’ll never lose that pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. It’s truly the American way.

With that in mind, here are my picks of the best ten American zombie films, showing the world our American fighting spirit!

  1. Night of the Living Dead, 1968
  2. Dawn of the Dead, 1978
  3. Day of the Dead, 1985
  4. Land of the Dead, 2005
  5. Dawn of the Dead, 2004
  6. Return of the Living Dead, 1985
  7. Zombieland, 2009
  8. Planet Terror, 2007
  9. Warm Bodies, 2013
  10. Maggie, 2015

Monthly Haiku Corner – August

Just returned from Midsummer Scream, a Halloween and horror convention that takes place in Long Beach, CA every year, and I’m all ready to keep the celebrations going! I’m not the only one. Technically we still have another month before the official Halloween season starts, but preparations start now. So, what happens when a group of pumpkins on their way to the Halloween bash get lost at beach? Let the shenanigans begin! This month’s theme is Summerween!

overly anxious
let’s get this party started
summerween

Haiku of the Week

Part IV and the conclusion of the Red, White, and Ghoul series.

praise to Uncle Sam
dropping bombs on their own
Americana

Haiku of the Week

Part III of the Red, White, and Ghoul series.

give me liberty
or give me death
patriotic way

Image made with Starryai.

Haiku of the Week

Part II of the Red, White, and Ghoul series.

guns, mayhem, and strife
zombies on every corner
American ghoul

Image made with Starry ai.