Saturday, November 1, 2025

Saturday is Horror Day #228 - Scream

 Scream


Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is struggling, has been ever since her mother was brutally murdered almost a year before. Her boyfriend Billy (Skeet UIlrich) seems unsympathetic to what she is going through, and wants to take their relationship to the next level. When Sidney resists, she wonders if they will even stay together. She has a group of friends she hangs out with, especially her friend Tatum (Rose McGowan) who is dating Stuart (Matthew Lillard), Then there is Randy (Jamie Kennedy), who has a crush on Sidney, works in a video store, and is the resident expert on horror movies.






When her friend Casey (Drew Barrymore) and her boyfriend Steve (Kevin Patrick Walls) are killed, fear 


fills the town, and local news reporter Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) is quick to connect the murder with that of Sidney's mother. Sidney already hates Gale for the book she wrote about her late mother, which is about to come out, and resents her intrusions into her life. When a Scream mask is found at the stie of Casey's murder, it becomes the face of what is going on. But as the body count grows, Sidney isn't sure who she can trust... and she thinks she might be the killer's next target.



Hard to believe this film is almost 30 years old. It's just as good now as it was then, and wears well.  This is a Wes Craven film, who also brought us Nightmare on Elm Street. A lot of familiar faces here, including David Arquette, who later married Courtney Cox (I believe this is how they met). There is a brief glimpse of the convicted killer of Sidney's mother, Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber), who is the subject of Gale's book  - she claims he is innocent. I had totally forgotten most of the film, so I was able to be surprised again, as if I was seeing it for the first time. The story is solid, the acting good, the writing good. Also, look for Henry Winkler in an uncredited role as the school principal. This film delivers on all cylinders, and is definitely worth revisiting. I'll give this film 4.5 Stars.





Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Wednesday Briefs: Don't Look Back #19 (4.4)

 Happy Wednesday to everyone, and welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who like to play with flash fiction. Every week we post a flash between 500 and 1000 words, inspired by at least one of that week's prompts.


Don't Look Back continues this week with Marshall and Lee taking a day for some fishing, and fun in the sun. This story has mature themes, and it's not for everyone. Don't forget to see what the other Briefers are up to. Their links follow my tale. Enjoy!

Don't Look Back #19 (4.4)


Lee’s lips were soft, his breath warm, and his fingers were doing the most amazing things to Marshall’s flesh.  Marshall ate up the attention. Not that he didn’t have Lee’s attention on a regular basis, but today was special, and he felt like a kid on Christmas morning, waiting to see what Santa had brought. Except in this case Santa had brought Lee, and Lee brought joy to Marshall’s world.

When Lee backed off and rose, Marshall moaned at the loss.

“Just for a second,” Lee assured him. “Be right back.”

Marshall’s eyes fastened on Lee’s hot ass as he knelt beside the cooler and rummaged through their bag. He licked his lips appreciatively at the sight. When Lee returned, he held the honey bear in one hand, the lube in the other. Now Marshall was even more confused as to Lee’s intentions.

“You hungry?” he ventured a guess.

Lee gave him a knowing smile. “Always hungry for you, aren’t I?”

Marshall had to grin at that.  Familiar warmth stole through his body at Lee’s words. “Yeah, but that doesn’t explain… Oooh….” 

Lee tossed the lube onto the blanket. He opened the bear and removed the seal that proved it was virgin and untouched by anyone else. Upending it, he began to slowly drizzle honey over Marshall’s nipples, first one and then the other. Marshall watched the process with fascination. What in the world was Lee up to?

When Lee touched the tip of his tongue to one nipple, Marshall began to understand. Even more so, as Lee licked around the pink nub before taking it fully into his mouth and sucking. Marshall moaned in appreciation. Lee repeated the procedure on the second nipple. By the time he was done, they were rosy and stiff peaks, and ached pleasurably.

Lee leaned back and squatted on his haunches. His eyes hungrily grazed over Marshall, who writhed impatiently. Marshall knew better than to whimper. He bit his tongue as he waited for Lee to make his next move. He didn’t have long to wait.

Lee moved farther south, and turned the bear upside down again, holding it over Marshall’s hard, weeping cock. The viscous substance oozed out, hitting the cockhead, sliding slowly down the side.  Lee used his fingers to help coat Marshall’s erection with the sweet stuff, before he bent over it and took it into his mouth in its entirety.

Lee’s mouth was warm and wet around Marshall’s cock, and his tongue was doing things that in certain societies might be considered criminal. Marshall arched his back, digging his fingers into the blanket beneath him. A gentle breeze stirred the air, and purple blossoms descended upon them in a colorful shower.

Lee took Marshall’s hairless balls in one hand, rolling them between his fingers. He’d given them a quick going over in the bathroom last night, just in case. Not that they were all that hairy to begin with. Lee had a lot more hair down there than Marshall did.

“Finger,” Marshall moaned needily. “Please,” he added as an afterthought, although today he knew it wasn’t mandatory. Still, couldn’t hurt.

Lee knew what Marshall wanted—Lee always understood Marshall’s needs. Marshall watched as Lee moved his hand from Marshall’s balls, picked up the lube and one-handedly pushed open the cap. He spilled a small amount of the lube onto Marshall’s stomach; it was cool to the touch, not unpleasantly so. Setting the tube aside, Lee dipped his fingers into the substance, slicking them. “Spread’em, sweet cheeks,” he directed, and Marshall happily obeyed.

Marshall pulled his legs back and held them against his chest, knowing this would give Lee greater access.

“How many?” Lee wanted to know, licking the top of Marshall’s cock.

“Three.”

“Let’s work up to that, why don’t we? Start with two?”

Marshall nodded his assent. Lee slid two fingers slowly inside Marshall’s channel, even as he devoured his cock once more. Oh God, that felt good. He clenched his muscles about Lee’s fingers, hoping to keep them there forever. He knew what was coming, and he braced for it.

Sure enough, Lee reached Marshall’s prostate and pushed against the bundle of nerves. Marshall yelped; Lee did it again.

“More!” he gasped, and felt Lee add the third finger he’d promised.

Marshall felt full, but in a good way. There was only one thing better than having Lee fingerfuck him, and that was being filled by Lee himself.  He closed his eyes and gave in to the sensations that bombarded him, to the glory of the moment.

Cool air hit his cock as Lee pulled off again, and removed his fingers gently from Marshall’s ass. “I think you’re ready. Roll on your side.”

Marshall wasted no time in doing as directed.  Lee lifted one leg and raised it to his shoulder before he pushed inside Marshall with one thrust.

“Go ahead and touch,” Lee gave his permission. Marshall quickly wrapped his hand around his cock and pumped, even as Lee began to thrust in and out in a quick rhythm.

Marshall’s control began to slip. He was about to come, and he knew it. That familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach that began to grow, radiating outward, rapidly. The feeling sparked and caught fire as his cock began to spasm and Lee thrust harder. Marshall kept pumping his cock, ejaculating in quick spurts that coated his hand and chest.

A few hard thrusts later, he felt Lee’s release fill him warmly, heard Lee moan his name aloud as he came, before he collapsed onto the blanket, pulling Marshall close.

Damn, that was good.  If the fishing was even half as good, it would be a perfect day.  Drained, he was tempted to close his eyes for a moment. It was a struggle not to give in. But in the end, he gave up and fell asleep against Lee, inhaling his familiar scent.

to be continued

Now go see what the rest of the Briefers have been up to!

Saturday, October 4, 2025

Saturday is Horror Day #228 - Dead Alive

 Dead Alive


Lionel (Timothy Balme) is a shy young man who lives with his mother (Elizabeth Moody) in Wellington, New Zealand. Then he meets and falls in love with grocery store clerk Paquita (Diana Penalver). But for Lionel, happily ever after is shot in the food when,m during a trip to the zoo, his mother is bitten by a Sumatran rat monkey. Now that she's been bitten, Mum proceeds to infect others with her "condition", and life becomes a virtual zombie apocalypse for the hapless Lionel. As if that isn't bad enough, Lionel's Uncle Les (Ian Watkin_ threatens to reveal a hidden family secret. And Lionel finds himself with a basement that could double as a daycare for delinquent zombies. Is there any way to end the madness, one where he ends up with the girl of his dreams, Paquita?



Dead Alive is a little known horror film from director Peter Jackson, who is better known for his Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. This film deserves to be better known. It's a comedy/horror/zombie flick that you won't soon forget. Lionel and Paquita are a cute couple. It's hard enough for a woman to compete with her boyfriend's mother for his affection, but once she becomes a zombie? The challenge has just grown to disastrous proportions.  And don't ignore the opening, where we meet the killer Sumatran rat monkey - it's hilarious. 




I really enjoyed this film. Peter Jackson clearly can do more than fantasy. He should do more of these  films., although I do love his LOTR films too and am looking forward to the Gollum film. I will give this film 4 Stars.




Thursday, September 11, 2025

Book Review: One Piece, Vol 26: Adventure on Kami's Island by Eiichiro Oda

 

One Piece, Vol 26: Adventure on Kami’s Island       


Author: Eiichiro Oda

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: January 5, 2010

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Action Adventure/200 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Luffy and the others not only manage to evade the Blackbeard pirates, under Marshall Teech, but they find themselves in the Knock Up Stream! Huzzah! They’re sailing on a sea of clouds! Chopper thinks he spied a ship but it disappeared -  however there is a bull running right toward them! Then out of nowhere an old man in a suit of armor appears, calling himself the Sky Knight. He saves them from the bull, for which they are grateful. He refers to them as Blue Sea people, because they come from the Blue Sea, rather than the White Sea. He warns them of guerillas who will target them, but he can protect them – for a price. He offers one whistle for 5 million extols. Of course, they have no idea what he is talking about. When he learns that they actually came via the Knock Up Stream (apparently there are other ways to get to Skypiea), he is impressed and gives them one whistle, warning them to use it wisely.

The ship arrives at Heaven’s Gate and its wizened old inspector, Amazon. She demands an entrance fee of one billion extols per person. Nami asks what if they have no money (which they don’t) and Amazon says they can pass. Seems suspicious but on they go, only to find themselves on the famous Lobster Express of the White Sea, even as Amazon reports to her superior that seven people have illegally entered Godland Skypiea!

Our fearless group arrives on the shore of a beautiful island and immediately begin to explore their surroundings. There they meet an angel named Conis, and Sanji is instantly smitten! (Is anyone surprised?) Then her father arrives. He resembles a slug and he’s riding on a strange small vessel they call a waver. Chopper and Luffy attempt to ride the waver but fail. Then Nami takes over and she’s off! She quickly disappears, even as Luffy and the others are invited to eat with Conis and her father. But when Luffy learns of a place where no one is allowed to go, it’s inevitable that he will want to go there… especially if, as they suspect, Nami is headed there too! What challenges await them there?

So Skypiea, the island in the sky, exists! Is anyone really surprised? Although it’s best not to examine the mechanics of such a place too closely and simply accept it for what it is! I have to confess that with the ever growing cast of characters, sometimes it’s hard to remember who’s who. Even so, things are getting really interesting. Another great volume, looking forward to the next one!

Sunday, August 24, 2025

Saturday is Horror Day #227 - Locked

 Locked


Eddie Barrish (Bill Skarsgärd) means well. He generally has good intentions. But somehow things always seem to get in the way. Such as when it's his turn to pick up his daughter Sarah (Ashley Cartwright) from school but his car is in the shop and he doesn't have the money to pay for it to be fixed and the shop owner refuses to take his word for it that he will pay him or extend him credit.







Eddie is at the end of his rope and desperate. His ex has warned him what will happen if he doesn't fulfill 


his duties as Sarah's father. His promises are empty and she is fed u with them. He does everything he knows how to do to get the almost $500 he needs... and then he spots the luxury SUV sitting alone in a parking lot.  Looking vulnerable. And it's unlocked. What else is a guy to do but take it?




But life is not quite so easy....



Eddie finds himself, to his dismay, locked inside the car. Panicked - and on a time schedule - he tries to get out, but to no avail. Then the screen begins to light up with a call, one that is marked Answer Me. He ignores it the first few times, but finally he's forced to answer it. To his dismay, he discovers himself speaking with the car's owner,  William (Anthony Hopkins), who tells me he is tired of having his car stolen and the police doing nothing about it. So he's taken matters into his own hands. And now, if Eddie wants out, he's going to have to play William's game.


I have to confess that when I saw that this film had both Bill Skarsgärd and Anthony Hopkins, I knew I wanted to see it, no matter what it was about. And I'm glad I did. It's a psychological thriller about two men at the end of their ropes. Eddie is just the unlucky one who falls in the fed-up William's trap. Seriously, who would leave such an expensive vehicle unlocked, alone in a parking lot? But Eddie is desperate, so he isn't using what common sense he might possess. Eddie goes through an ordeal in his attempts to simply exit the car, and William is relentless in his methods - including taxing Eddie, and withholding food and drink, torturing him with music, etc. I was never sure how things would work out, and I found myself very invested in finding out. Both men do an excellent job of portraying their characters. Despite one reviewer who blared something about Pennywise vs Hannibal Lecter, that is far from the case. Eddie is no Pennywise and William no Lecter. I found the movie very enjoyable, I'll give this film 4 Stars.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

Wednesday Briefs: Don't Look Back #18(4.2)

 Welcome one and all to the Wednesday Briefers! Every Wednesday, we offer you our flash fiction - stories between 500 and 1000 words, inspired by a prompt or prompts. A little something to get you through hump day and on to the rest of the week!


Last week, in Don't Look Back, Lee decided they needed a day out, after Marshall's bad night. His plans continue today. Join them, why don't you, and see what's up! Then don't forget to check out the other Briefers and see what's going on with them. Their links follow my tale. Enjoy!

Don't Look Back #18 (4.2)


Marshall loaded the back of the beat-up old black pick-up with their fishing gear. Although the sedan was better for going out of town, the Chevy truck was their ride around town. He loaded the coolers, too: one for the beer and food they’d pick up, and one for any fish they might catch—they always caught fish, that was a given. And oh the things Lee could do with them. Made the mouth water.

Of course, he didn’t forget the blanket. Or the lube. Could never be too careful.

They stopped by the grocery store to pick up lunch. Lee liked to tease Marshall that the girl who worked in the deli had a crush on him. Marshall claimed that was just Lee’s excuse to make Marshall place their order. Although it was true she usually added a little something extra for good measure. Marshall said she did it for the both of them, but Lee only laughed. Besides, not like the whole damn town didn’t know they were together, so how could she not know he was unavailable? They never hid that from anyone, and they were accepted for who they were by everyone.

All right, maybe they didn’t know everything, but they didn’t need to. Folks in Burnham didn’t pry. Even so, they were a close-knit community where it counted.

As they were checking out, Marshall noticed Lee’d picked up something that didn’t quite go with the rest of their selections. He gave Lee a skeptical look.

“What?”

“What’s that for?” He motioned to the bear-shaped bottle, just before the girl put it into a bag.

“It’s honey,” Lee replied helpfully. “You know, the stuff that comes out of bee hives?”

The checker snickered. Marshall scowled, even as Lee assumed his smart-ass face.

As if to atone for her laugh, the checker added, “Honey’s good for both baking and cooking. My daughter loves it on her peanut butter sandwich.” She gave him a wide smile, and Marshall couldn’t help but return that smile.

When he looked back at Lee, Lee’s only comment was, “You’ll find out,” which told Marshall nothing, so he gave up trying.

They picked up some bait from Jose’s stand, exchanged a little chitchat with Jose, and invited him to come down and fish with them sometime. He said he would and wished them luck.

The pond was at the far end of their property—far enough it was easier to take the truck than walk there—and it’s where they did most of their fishing. It was big enough to take a small boat. They had a two-seat aluminum jon boat they kept under a tarp by the pond. Sometimes they liked to spend a lazy afternoon in the boat, poles in the water, relaxing together. Roy liked to join them when he could.

Today, though, they were going to stick to the shore.

There were some good-sized bass in the pond, as well as a family of ducks who liked to squawk at the two men for invading its territory, but they weren’t averse to eating the popcorn or bread that was thrown their way by those same two men, either.

Marshall and Lee carried everything from the truck to their usual spot beneath the jacaranda tree that grew near the pond. Planted by a previous owner, it was a good twenty feet tall, and even now was covered in bluish-purple blossoms. Marshall spread out the blanket while Lee straightened out the tackle. By the time he was done, Marshall was lying on top of the blanket, naked, beside the thermos of coffee they’d brought.

“Hot already?” Lee arched a brow, and Marshall grinned at the double entendre.

“Always for you.”

“Sure it’s not for Kelly in the deli?” Lee teased, stripping off his own clothes and adding them to the pile of Marshall’s at the edge of the blanket.

“I’m sure,” Marshall insisted, crawling across the blanket on his hands and knees to where Lee stood, watching him. “She’s missing something very vital to my happiness, if you know what I mean.”

“No, what do you mean?” Lee made a point of gripping his hardening cock, pumping slightly, his eyes fixed on Marshall.

“You know exactly what I mean. You’re touching it.”

“Is this something you want?”

“That’s something I always want.” Marshall had reached Lee’s feet, and applied tender kisses to the top of first one foot and then the other. He looked up into Lee’s eyes, trying to gauge his desire. He could go for it, and maybe he’d reach the prize he sought, but he had a feeling Lee had something else in mind. He just didn’t know what, but he knew Lee would let him know.

“Maybe if you’re a good boy, I’ll give it to you. Later. For right now, I want you on your back. And no touching.”

Marshall had quickly obeyed the first command, and was well on his way to breaking the second when Lee spoke. Marshall pouted, but he didn’t touch himself, much as he wanted to.

Lee dropped to his knees beside Marshall’s head. “My good boy,” he murmured, just before he claimed his mouth with a kiss so passionate it stole Marshall’s breath.

Marshall closed his eyes and fell into the intensity of Lee’s touch, at the fire in Lee’s eyes, reveling in the intimacy that was theirs. Opening them once more, he stared up into the canopy of purple above them and caught his breath.

“Just relax, and don’t move. I’m doing everything right now,” Lee whispered. He began to kiss Marshall in all of his favorite spots: behind his ear, under his jaw, the corners of his mouth. As he began to trail kisses down Marshall’s neck, Marshall understood exactly what was going on, and why. He relaxed into the blanket, allowing Lee his way. Not that he didn’t all the time, anyway, but today was special.

Lee was making today all about Marshall. God, he loved Lee.

to be continued

Now go see what the other Briefers are up to!

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Book Review: One Piece, Vol 25: The 100 Million Berry Man by Eiichiro Oda

 

One Piece, Vol 25: The 100 Million Berry Man    


Author: Eiichiro Oda

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: January 5, 2010

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Action Adventure/216 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Luffy and crew are seeking the way to the sky island known as Skypiea. They travel to the east coast of Jaya Island to speak with a man with big dreams – Mont Blanc Cricket. On arrival, they are impressed by his huge home, until they discover it is just a façade for a much smaller building. Is this a warning about the kind of man he is? There they find a children’s book called Noland the Liar. Sanji remembers hearing the story as a child in the North Sea. They are confronted by Mont Blanc Cricket himself – the Last Boss of the Monkey Mountain Allied Force! Thinking they’re after his gold, he attacks! Turns out the monkeys they ran into previously are under Cricket’s command. They learn that Cricket is a descendant of Noland the Liar, and he is determined to clear his family name!

Cricket tells Luffy and the others what he knows about the island in the sky, beginning with a strange phenomenon known as the Imperial Cloud, when “day suddenly turns into night.” Then he explains about the Knock Up Stream, which is their only chance of getting up to the sky island, but sounds very risky! Usopp is all for giving up the attempt, but is Luffy swayed by the danger involved? Of course not! According to legend, they need to find the South Bird in order to find the Knock Up Stream, which is located to the South. Unfortunately, their compass won’t work there, which is why they need to rely on the South Bird! Good luck in finding it!

Of course, as with any enterprise Luffy is involved in, there are challenges to be overcome. The Knock Up Stream only appears so often, as Mont Blanc Cricket tells them they need to find the bird before sunrise! Which, of course, entails trying to locate it in the dark! In the meantime, the two monkeys have offered to repair the Merry Go before they will need her to find Skypiea. Luffy and the others break up into teams, to have a better chance of locating the mysterious bird, but time is not on their side!

Meanwhile, back in Mocktown, the pirates are beginning to figure out just how valuable Luffy is! And some familiar figures make an reappearance.

This volume of One Piece is certainly action packed. Luffy is fixated on the idea of going to the island in the sky – and what Luffy wants, he usually gets! I thought it was hilarious that when anyone mentioned Noland the Liar, people would look at Usopp! I have no doubt this island exists and that they will get there! Seeing some old friends was the icing on the cake! Another great volume, looking forward to more!