Hunted by the Veldro vampire drones , Jacke and Mivhael make a horrifying discovery. The Time Warriors venom out now on Amazzon.
“I love the way the Irish swear,” he grinned which quickly faded. “Although you scare the crap out of me when you do to be honest. It’s like you’re possessed. We’ll keep to the alleyways as much a possible. Let’s go.”
They broke from the bushes heading in behind the nearest building, an amusement arcade, spotting a group of the infected milling down the street towards them. Their hearts raced as the fear that the hand units wouldn’t protect them from the creatures remained ever present in their minds. Because of the topography of the town, there seemed to be literally a rat run using the buildings. Illuminated by the electrical lights, they could avoid tripping over stuff. They kept checking that the hand unit was masking them from the infected’s senses but best not to tempt fate.
Jacke found it easier to navigate than Michael who made a mental note to do more exercise, a futile promise to himself he knew. They climbed on top of a large blue metal trash dumper and used the concrete wall to drop down to a small courtyard. A peeling green painted gate led out to the main road close to the hotel he and Rachel had booked into the night before. That seemed an age ago to him.
Jacke grabbed Michael, hissing at him to freeze. The road before them was filled with the infected, all as still as statues. Against the black background of the night sky, wisped with bright white flakes of cloud and the deep growl of the ocean hidden by the rise in the street, the infected, of which there were at least fifty, made for a frightening sight. Men, women and children of all shapes and sizes were just standing doing nothing.
“They must be the excess while the rest are patrolling,” Michael whispered.
“Hunting you mean for us,” Jacke retorted. Michael glanced up at the revolving pulse of the lighthouse and thought of Rachel. He looked to Jacke, squeezing her hand. She caught the expression in his face and nodded.
Hearts racing they moved along out into the open and froze for a second, gauging any reaction from the infected. Their black veined faces were lifeless as if they were in suspended animation. Jacke noticed one was looking right at them with those chilling black eyes but it was only the way they were standing and little more than coincidence. They skirted the edge of the group as quickly as possible careful not to make much noise.
Mindful of every footstep they moved onward, past the hotel, weaving their way through the infected as quickly as possible. Neither spoke for fear it alerted the infected to attack. Michael tried to keep his eyes on the monastery while Jacke kept looking for Tyran and Stephen. But even if they came across them there was nothing they could do yet. Varran had given them explicit instructions and the clock was ticking but then again, she mused, when was it not?
Suddenly from round a junction, came a squad of the infected, every sense pulling at the night to find their prey. Jacke and Michael froze at the sight. “Sweet Jesus!” breathed Jacke grabbing Michael’s arm. They were infants, toddlers, the eldest being no more than two. Stifling a horrified gasp, they could only watch as the kids scuttled round the corner. Their little faces seemed worse than the adults as the black eyes and veiny flesh seemed more pronounced because of their small frames. They made screeching noises as if they were mewling for their feed. Even the act of crawling had been perverted as the babies shot along on all fours like spiders on speed. Michael jumped back as one darted up the wall and up over the roof above a nearby building. The toddlers’ legs were jerking and arms flailing like they had barely learned to walk. Those little eyes that should be looking round the world drinking everything in were fiercely searching for the fugitive Xerebans. Tiny fangs protruded from each of their gums even if they had no other teeth. The distorted sound of the giggling children tore at them. Jacke almost threw up on the spot. They were stuck between both groups, indecision making them falter.
By and copyright Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues
“I got outside and realised I only had my hospital gown on which promptly fell off because it wasn’t tied at the back. I was naked…almost. When they do an operation like this, you’re fitted with a catheter. So there I am, naked as the day I was born with a big frigging catheter hanging between my legs. I am scundered, I thought to myself. I tried to remove it but my zombie fingers wouldn’t work.”For far too long zombies have been seen as the monsters they are not so it’s time for a few changes! Welcome to Zombie Blues where you will discover what really goes on behind those dead eyes and shuffling walk. You will meet ten different zombies each with a story to tell. From Vegetarian Zombie to Kidney Trans[plant Zombie to The Zombie who would be King, you will reevaluate everything you thought you knew about the undead. You will finally get to hear their side of the story. What lies behind their tears and how did the apocalypse really begin? Enter if you dare because everything you knew about zombies is about to change.
It was a day like any other.
We had three newborns that morning alone, two boys and a girl. There was Henry first, born at a quarter past seven after a twenty three hour labour. Then we had Jasmine delivered at ten to nine after thirty minutes. Last but not least we had Charlie, a bruiser of a baby at ten pounds arriving at seven minutes past ten. His poor mother forgot her pain immediately I placed him in her arms. Strangely all mothers do that. That’s why we’re superior to men: we have a higher pain threshold. The air was abuzz with new life and new hope as the warmth and joy of a newborn on a family spread as quickly as the zombie virus. It filled everyone with a happy buzz.
Little did we know that chaos was brewing nearby as the emergency department was overrun with victims of some mysterious pathogen. Governmental cuts had stretched us to breaking point over the years but this was nuts. And while the world was falling apart, we were safe in our cocoon of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’.
We would take the babies to clean them up before returning them to their mothers. It was a necessary time to give those ladies much needed rest after the birth.
Standing watching over the babies in their cradles was truly like seeing a miracle come to life. I dismissed my sudden light head as mere fatigue from such a busy morning. Blood sugars were probably low, I thought to myself. I was on my way to get a sugar filled coffee and a jam doughnut (I know sugar’s bad for you but given what was coming, it doesn’t really count anymore) and when I heard a commotion.
It was one of the porters. It was Pete, a thin man with tattoos right up to his neck. He was screaming and yelling clutching his shoulder which I could see was blood stained. My immediate reaction was to shut him up in case he disturbed the children. There was nothing worse than a room full of babies crying in fear because some fool had blundered into the wrong part of the hospital.
I rushed up to him as he stumbled and fell against the wall. Pete was writhing in agony, his skin paltry and soaked in sweat. His mouth kept opening and closing as if he were trying to speak. I swore he was calling to his loved ones. It didn’t register with me until he bit my hand that his ‘speaking’ was in fact biting. I screamed and recoiled, falling backwards. I instinctively lashed out and kicked him in the face. His head jolted back and smacked into the wall with a force that knocked him unconscious.
Everything was a blur then as visitors and colleagues ran up to assist me. There were a lot of confused panicked voices. I could hear someone talking calmly to me through the storm. Jenny I think it was, a fellow midwife. But there were other voices, other cries. My vision was getting blurry but I could see other people lurching up the corridor. There were frightened screams and I was pulled down the corridor by someone. I could hear the babies crying. I tried to stand up but couldn’t. My whole body seemed to be on fire and my mind was becoming muddy with strange urges like chicken. Little did I know at the time but the reason no one made a go for me was because I was transitioning. It was at that moment that I knew what was happening to me as Mother Nature filled my head with her plans.
By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues
I used to write and share interviews with another site. Recently I discovered three of my interviews had someone else’s name, Chevy Chase as Fletcher with photo of said character in a sad attempt to humiliate me and take my credit away for the interview. Thing was they forgot to remove my name from the bottom; what a horrible nasty thing to do. Credit belongs to the person who did the work, (screenshots available). Oops! So here is the interview I did in all its glory back where it belongs; on the Time Warriors site.
Melinda M Snodgrass is a professional writer best known for her work in science fiction in print and television. She wrote the classic Next Generation episode The Measure of a Man that has just received an extended cut for the second season Blu Ray release. The Nerd caught up with Melinda recently to discuss her career.
Hi Melinda, thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us. It truly is an honour.
TW: Can you tell us how you got started as a writer?
MS: I was an unhappy lawyer, and my best friend at the time was a science fiction writer, Victor Milan. I had read S.F. since childhood, and he said to me, “I bet you could write it you tried. So I did. I wrote romance novels under a pseudonym to pay my mortgage (I had quit the law firm), and to learn how to plot and finish a book. At the same time I was working on a big space law book called CIRCUIT about a Federal Court judge riding circuit in outer space. But I was a new comer, and I couldn’t break in. Then David Hartwell met me and suggested I write a Star Trek novel since I was such a fan. That would get my foot in the door. So I wrote The Tears Of The Singers, and it launched my career. David also gave me another piece of advice which I have followed. He told me to never write a second Trek book or I would end up being known as a Trek writer and never get out of that. Shortly after Tears came out I sold the Circuit Trilogy.
TW: Were you a science fiction fan growing up, if so what influenced your writing?
MS: [I’m a] Huge SF fan. I read through every science fiction book in the library. I just started at A and went down the shelves. Maybe this was due to my dad reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea aloud to me when I was tiny. Then I discovered Asimov and Heinlein and Norton and Poul Anderson, and, and, and,
TW: You wrote for LALaw before Star Trek; did you find it a culture shock at all switching genres?
MS: Actually I didn’t write for LA Law. Star Trek was my first gig. I managed to sell a story to LA Law, but that was it. Here’s the story of how I got into Hollywood. So, I had become (and still am) very close friends with George R.R. Martin (left). We were gaming buddies, and we created the Wild Card series so (as George put it) “we could make some money off this Superworld game obsession.”
Then George went off to Hollywood to work on The New Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast. I’m back in N.M. writing my books, and George calls me one day and says: “I think you’d be good at this script writing thing. You’ve got a strong sense of structure (plot), crisp dialog, and powerful characters. If you write a spec script I’ll show it to my agent.”
So I did.
I didn’t want to write a B&B script — that would have put George on the spot, L.A. Law looked too tightly plotted, and I had grown up watching original Trek so it was a no brainer. I wrote The Measure of A Man as my spec script.
TW: Can you tell us exactly what a story editor does?
MS: Story editor is just a fancy title for writer. You help develop and beat out the outlines for scripts. You write scripts. You often hear pitches from freelance writers (though that is less common now.) You rewrite scripts that come in from freelance writers to bring them more in line with the tenor of the show. You have to understand if you have the word “writer” in your title in Hollywood you are the lowest of the low. For example Staff Writer is the entry position. What you want is that producer title which has no mention of writing anywhere. I made it up to Co-executive producer on a pilot I wrote that got filmed, but didn’t get picked up to series.
TW: One of the best episodes was of course, the Data story, the Measure of a Man where our favourite android had to fight for his right to be recognized as an individual. How did that story come about?
MS: As I said above that was my spec script, and I wrote it because of my legal training. When I was watching Next Gen I found Data to be the most interesting character — which is sort of sad when you think about it. Anyway, it occurred to me that the infamous Dred Scott decision was a perfect analogy to Data’s situation. In that case the Supreme Court held that a black man was in fact property and not a person. It worked beautifully for Data. George had warned me that you never, ever, ever, never sell your spec script. The best I could hope for was to get invited in to pitch so I should prepare 3 to 5 more story ideas. I said to George — “But this is such a good idea maybe I ought to hold it back for a pitch and write a different story.” That’s when George gave me one of the single best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten as a writer. He told me “never hoard your silver bullet.” Meaning lead with the strongest thing you’ve got. So I did, and they bought the script and hired me on the show.
The other piece of invaluable advice I got was from my boss, Maurice Hurley on Trek. He said to me “Just say the words.” Sometimes writers try to get too cute or too subtle. What you need to do is just say the words.
Photos copyright Paramount Pictures
TW: My favourite moment is when Data sees the hologram of Tasha Yar and is forced to reveal they were intimate.
MS: It’s that expression on Bent Spiner’s face as we see him express sorrow at her passing without a word. That was simply beautiful.
Thank you. The fact that Data was “fully functional in every way” was actually kind of a pain. I cause a lot of problems on my script the Ensigns of Command. People can read my original version of it on my website. I think it’s better then what aired.
TW: You recently did a commentary for the Blu ray release. Was the episode still as good as you thought or was there anything you would have changed? (Personally it’s the perfect script and still stands today as first class drama, never mind science fiction)
MS: Thank you again. That’s very kind. I was actually surprised at how well it held up, and I thought the scenes that had been cut due to time issues added a lot. They were character moments, and sadly those are always the first things to get cut when a script runs long. I’m a much more accomplished screenwriter now, and I wince a bit over the rookies mistakes. There’s one place where I came into a scene way too early, and repeated stuff the audience already knew. Today I would have started that scene in the middle of the conversation between Picard and Data.
TW: Is it true we were going to see Maddox again?
MS: I had hoped to bring him back. I thought the actor did a good job with playing the obsessed scientist. Just didn’t work out.
TW: I have to ask, did you get to go on the bridge set?
MS: Maurie took me over one day to watch a bit of filming. I actually don’t remember the set. I just remember the stunned awe and amazement at hearing actors deliver my lines. I think it was one of the courtroom scenes. Trek was odd in that the writers weren’t welcome or even permitted on the set. I later learned that was a strange rule. Every other show I worked we went to the set when we wanted, watched dailies, set in on casting and editing, etc.
TW: Which of your scripts are you most proud of?
MS: Meaure.
TW: Your third season script the High Ground was controversial over here because it mentioned a United Ireland , a line that was cut over here in transmission. It was seen as an allegory on the Troubles in Northern Ireland. As an Irish person that line never bothered me, the story was such high quality and balanced both sides of the argument. Did that reaction surprise you?
In this country anti-abortion people got angry when Riker talks about his right to choose. Guess it depends on the each culture which reaction you get. I just wanted to do a story about how immigrants and fresh blood are good things. They make societies stronger.
TW: Is there a Trek story you would loved to have seen made but never happened?
MS: I wanted to do a triptych about Data. First Measure – is he a person. Then Ensigns — he learns that command is an ephemeral thing, I wanted to end it where Data had to premeditate and kill in defense of another. Never got to do that one.
TW: You also wrote for SeaQuest DSV; Knight of Shadows. Its first season was notorious for trying to avoid sci fi fantasy stories, how did you get a supernatural tale in there? Personally I thought it was one of the better episodes because of that.
MS: I’m not sure how that got through. I was just a freelancer on the show. I was thinking of all those wonderful stories about ghost ships, and I thought it would be fun.
TW: I imagine it’s a dream writing for Roy Schneider, he has such a distinctive voice and personality.
MS: A character with a powerful and distinct voice is much more fun for a writer.
TW: Your own project Star Command was originally a pitch for a Star Trek spin off series wasn’t it?
MS: Actually no. At the time a couple of studios really wanted space shows with young characters. Mine was just one of the ones that got picked.
TW: Is there a certain pressure when you write for a show like the Outer Limits to be as good as the old version?
MS: Definitely. You’re up against people’s memories of those shows. Sometimes those memories aren’t all that clear. I was so excited when I heard I could watch The Man From U.N.C.L.E. again. I watched two episodes and called a friend, and said “When did they refilm this show and make it crappy?” Outer Limits was good, but it was never in the same class as original Twilight Zone.
TW: Odyssey Five was one of our favourite shows and went before its time; I honestly can’t think of a bad episode and was hooked five minutes into the pilot. It’s a shame it was cancelled with its superb cliffhanger. Did you feel the same way as a writer on the show? It was such a strong first season I couldn’t believe they cancelled it.
MS: I also couldn’t believe it. It was such a great show and it had good numbers. I’ll never understand what happened. I loved writing my one script. I was especially heart broken because I’m pretty sure they would have hired me on full time if the show had returned.
TW: I know you’re a huge original Star Trek fan (like us). Are you looking forward to the new Star Trek movie?
MS: I’m a bit ambivalent. The first film had all the fun and energy of the original show and I loved that, but the script was a god awful mess. I kept wanting to say to the Romulans “Why don’t y’all just go home and warn folks that the planet is going to get destroyed instead of chasing around after Spock and blowing up Vulcan? And what they did with the transporter was terrible. Why have ships? Overuse of the transporter like the horrible holo deck can lead to bad story telling with unintended consequences.
TW: what are you currently working on?
MS: I’m writing the Wild Card movie for Universal Pictures. I’m into the final third of the next book is the EDGE series. I have another urban fantasy to write in my personae as Phillipa Bornikova, I need to prepare a proposal and chapters for a new space opera series, and I’ve got a TV show we’re going to pitch after the holidays.
And I have a new horse arriving to join my Lusitano stallion Vento. Sometimes I just want to take a nap.
TW: Please tell our readers where they can find you and your books.
MS: Right now you can only get my Edge books as an ebook though that is going to change. They are going to reissue the first two to lay the ground work for book three. The titles are The Edge Of Reason, The Edge Of Ruin. The new one is The Edge Of Darkness. There will also be Audible versions of all three books coming soon.
This Case Is Gonna Kill Me written under my pen name is available both electronically and as a trade paperback. The second book Box Office Prison will be out sometime next year.
I would suggest Amazon. There are also links to independent book sellers who keep them in stock. You can find those on my website. www.melindasnodgrass.com
TW: Melinda, thank you so much for taking the time to do this; if there’s anything you don’t want to answer, that’s fine but again it really is an honour to talk to you. Be well and good luck.
By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues
Photo copyright 20th century Fox
With every loss we get the usual tributes and outpouring of sympathy but over the years I’ve realised that when it is someone from a scifi, horror or fantasy background it seems to have a deeper resonance to that loss. It speaks of fandom in general as the same can be applied to any sport or musiian also. You forget that time passes and suddenly old age has woven itself into the lives of actors whom we tend to think are timeless. Maybe that’s because we watch the movies or television shows over and over forgetting those were twenty or thirty years ago. Or maybe it is that old saying time flies when you’re having fun until your body creaks alerting you that time has moved further than you think.
This week the death of Gary Graham was announced. He died at the age of 73 and immediately I thought, “Bloody hell, he was 73? He looked so young!” And for fans everywhere their minds went to one of two places; Star Trek Enterprise and Alien Nation. Although there might be a few of us that remember Gary going up against the Incredible Hulk (heck it out on YouTube.).
Following the success of the movie Alien Nation, Kenneth Johnson developed a series based on it. It dealt with the arrival and integration into our populace of a ship full of aliens called the Tenctonese, slaves bred to adapt to any environment who must make Earth their new home. They are not welcomed wholeheartedly and face racism from all quarters. It would take the premise of the movie and expand upon it. As with V, the show would take social commentary and explore it through the eyes of the characters. It took a hard hitting look at immigration and racism opening up intriguing questions. In the first episode we see both Asian and a black police officer openly racist towards Newcomer George played by Eric Pierpoint. It asks the question if an alien race that looked different and biologically were different from us, would that be enough to cease racism towards each other? Would a new race living among us unite us in global racism to the point we see each other as humans just as it always should have? The Tenctonese culture was explored and as always they had a lot in common with us but a lot different, one of which is the men getting pregnant and giving birth.
Gary was Sykes, George’s at first unwilling partner but gradually over time became brothers. In the pilot episode Sykes was as racist as anyone else to the point George grabbed him by the scruff of the neck in anger. It isn’t until Sykes sees George’s family facing a mob of racists that he changes his mind. Where he once saw an alien, A Slag or a Spongehead, he now sees a little girl, his partner’s daughter who is terrified. Over the course of the first and only season Sykes and George break down the barriers between races in one of television’s best partnerships.
There was nothing like Alien Nation and never has been since but its themes are relevant even to this day more than ever. But it was cancelled but fan power brought it back for five television movies which further highlighted the layers of racism as we learned the Newcomers could be as racist as any human. Ironically it was Sykes that made George change his mind in that instance. People have clamoured for the show’s return for years so it was wonderful when both Pierpoint and Graham appeared in Star Trek on multiple occasions.
Gary appeared in one episode of Voyager before taking on the semi regular role of Vulcan Ambassador Soval, Captain Archer’s(Scott Bakula) biggest pain in the ass. Soval wanted humanity kept back from space travel and often clashed with Archer until he was revealed as being a good guy after all working for the Vulcan return to the ways of surak. He was a Syrrannite and maybe it was because a human, Admiral Forrest died saving his life in an alleged Syrrannite bombing. Graham played the multilayered character seamlessly even starring in the Mirror Universe two parter as a slave of the Terran empire. He even sported the classic Spock beard in a nod to spock from the classic episode Mirror, Mirror.
Gary was also a musician and singer adding his talents to a group called the Sons of Kirk, The Gary Graham Garage Band and The Gary Graham Band. He was a fan favourite at conventions and on the Shuttlepod One Podcast sang the theme tune as well as guesting.
Gary had a long career spanning web shows, music, movies, gaming and television. He has met the greats like Starsky and Hutch, the Hulk, Remington Steel, Knots Landing, Moonlighting and met the Shatner in T.J. Hooker. He was an everyman actor that people just fell in love with and with his death, it is a sad day for fans everywhere.
By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues
Photos copyright Columbia Pictures
I was recently made aware of just how many movies and television shows the younger generation have never heard of, never mind seen. So to that end, we look back at some characters you really need to see before you kick the bucket.
Regular visitors to the site will know I love, love, love Roddy McDowall. From the minute I watched How Green Was My Valley, I was a fan. Of course his portrayals in Planet of the Apes and Fantastic Journey were great so when I heard he was in this new vampire movie Fright Night, I was in. He is magnetic in all he does thanks to his distinctive voice and body language and as typecast horror actor and television host, Peter Vincent, this is no exception.
At one time Peter Vincent was the Peter Cushing of his era but now is reduced to hosting a low budget show that shows a different horror movie every week like Creature Features. It’s called Fright Night but it is dwindling in the ratings. He has become trapped by his own success as his Victorian garb seems like that is how he dressed normally. He is living in the past, his acting career now finished as no one sees him as anything other than a vampire killer. It is obvious this pains him as it does presenting his show. But it allows him to keep a foot in the horror genre but when the network cancels Fright Night he has nothing left. It was all he had. while he is stuck in the past, the audience have moved on.
He is forever acting, maintaining the persona of Peter Vincent the fearless vampire killer and star of such movies like Orgy of the Vampires. So when Charley Brewster arrives begging him to help kill his vampire neighbour Jerry Dandridge, Peter is thrown that someone actually thinks he is what he is pretending to be. It’s easy to be a brave horror icon when the fangs are made of rubber. This gives us a nice look beneath his façade; a man once idolised by millions is now broke and largely ignored. Even his apartment is filled with items from his career. He carries a leather bag that would not have been out of place in Victorian times. He almost looks like he is about to step back in time to fog shrouded alleys to stake the undead. He is a sad man desperately trying to hang on to former glories. The world has moved on and do not believe in vampires but as we will see Peter Vincent is exactly what the world needs right now.
When Amy and Evil come to him to help Charley, he boasts that he has been offered a leading role in a new movie but when Amy offers him 500 dollars he takes the job. Dressed as his character they go to Jerry’s house where he drinks holy water in front of them and passes their tests. However when Peter sees he casts no reflection in the mirror things change for him. Terrified he walls himself up in his apartment surrounded by everything that would keep a vampire away. But he isn’t safe at all because the reason Jerry was not affected by holy relics is because Peter Vincent has lost faith in everything. When Charley calls him to rescue them from the nightclub, he refuses out of fear. He sees no future as he has no purpose in anything so when Evil comes to his apartment to kill him, Peter manages to summon up the courage to be the vampire killer he has always claimed to be. When faced with the real thing and suddenly realising that there is no place to hide from the monsters, he finds a new courage that comes from all his movie roles. The fight of his life is not the pursuit of ratings but fighting for the life he has given up on. There are real people relying on him to help save the day.
Here Peter comes into his own and wearing his costume almost like a superhero outfit, he and Charley wade into Jerry’s lair determined to save Amy. His holy relics work now on Dandridge because Peter has regained his faith in the light. Now his bravery does waver at times but Peter and Charley work together to destroy Jerry and his cohort Billy Cole. Amy is restored to normal.
This battle gives Peter a new sense of purpose and he gets Fright Night back on the air only this time he ventures into other genre movies like sci-fi. He is no longer just a ham from the past and still has relevance to the world which for the energised Peter is a lot brighter now.
McDowall seems to make his performance look easy but his story arc is such a subtle and relatable one. Look at the scene where Amy offers to pay him. One second he is boasting of new horizons and in the next he appears like a starving puppy thankful for a meal. His emphasis on “How Much?” speaks volumes of what he is going through inside. It speaks of depression and fear for the future which is so relevant to today’s society. McDowall is such a great artist you have to watch the movie again just to catch everything, especially his puppy dog eyes.
If you watch the Fright Night convention reunions, all of them speak very highly of Roddy and how he conducted himself on set. He was personable, down to earth and a great raconteur with stories about Hollywood that will never be shared. It is clear how much he was loved because he was a true gentleman that respected people.
Peter Vincent is nothing short of a great example of an acting masterclass delivering a perfect layered performance.
By and copyright of Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues
“I got outside and realised I only had my hospital gown on which promptly fell off because it wasn’t tied at the back. I was naked…almost. When they do an operation like this, you’re fitted with a catheter. So there I am, naked as the day I was born with a big frigging catheter hanging between my legs. I am scundered, I thought to myself. I tried to remove it but my zombie fingers wouldn’t work.”For far too long zombies have been seen as the monsters they are not so it’s time for a few changes! Welcome to Zombie Blues where you will discover what really goes on behind those dead eyes and shuffling walk. You will meet ten different zombies each with a story to tell. From Vegetarian Zombie to Kidney Trans[plant Zombie to The Zombie who would be King, you will reevaluate everything you thought you knew about the undead. You will finally get to hear their side of the story. What lies behind their tears and how did the apocalypse really begin? Enter if you dare because everything you knew about zombies is about to change.
VICTIM ZOMBIE
I suppose when I really admit it and look deep down, I was always one of life’s victims. Not that I ever set out to be but the universe, it seemed, always had other ideas. It was almost like some cosmic jester took great pleasure in making me the butt of his jokes or look dumb.
For example, when I would meet a girl I fancied, what would come out of my mouth was not what my brain was thinking. I remember one time in particular; I was on a bus going to a concert, Coldplay I think, and ended up sitting beside a very nice girl. It was going fine until I decided to tell her I would probably be sick having eaten a chocolate bar because I get travel sick. I don’t think it was the kind of conversation she was expecting.
The minute I said it, my brain was screaming at me because the being sick sentence was not what my head wanted to say. Needless to say, I never saw her after the bus ride again.
But it’s always been like that for me. I either find out about a job I really want the day after the application date closes or I’m the guy just behind the person that buys the winning scratchcard. I seem to zig when I should have zagged. I discover a celebrity I want to meet is in town only after they have left. I was stuck in a crap job with an asshole boss, an object of mirth for the more confident members of my species. You know the one; the loud mouth jocks that find prey like me easy pickings. I can feel the nervous tremble in my voice when I try to find it funny so as to not give them any further ammunition. I am the skinny nerd that the girls see as a friend. The guy that doesn’t drink at parties so he ends up as chauffeur. And no matter how I try I can’t quite find that streak of luck everyone else seems to have.
My mum, bless her, saw the disappointment in my face, probably etched permanently over time like a stone eroded by a continuous drip. She always gave me that loving smile which helped nothing and said God had a plan. Personally, I think God pissed off long ago.
I’ve cursed him a lot over the years but doubt he’s listening. But then again, that’s a part of me I hate. I can scream and shout like the best of them but it’s all internal. When I fall victim to something I smile awkwardly and allow the world to think I’m okay that they got the girl or got the winning ticket. But in reality, inside there’s another me that’s punching them in the face or sweeping the girl up in my arms and with one deep kiss, she falls for my charms. Well, in my head anyway but I plod on slightly ashamed of myself and feeling it’s just another one of those days. One day it’d probably get better.
So really when I look back, it’s no surprise that I’d end up as a zombie. Just my luck.
Now here I am surrounded by….well, let me tell you how I joined the undead.
Horror has always freaked me so I avoided it like the plague but who doesn’t know what a zombie is? Well, anyway I’d been on my way home from the newsagents where I’d done the lottery. Funny how you buy a ticket and there’s always a feeling you’re wasting your time but at the same time sure you would win but never do.
On my home I pass a trio of tower blocks in between which is a play park of sorts for kids. It leads onto a wooded area and a large pond where suburban kids could see wildlife up close. I spent a lot of time there as a kid and loved feeding the ducks and different wild birds. It also served as a shortcut home. It was a mild day with the sunlight mellowed by the canopy of trees. The air was tepid and the quiet broken with the calls of ducks and birds.
But as I rounded the edge of the path that would take me across to my house I saw a little girl lying on the ground. I stopped in surprise looking around for her parents or any other adults. You know what it’s like these days. You just can’t take the chance but I could hear a choking sound. She was convulsing. My God, was she an epileptic or had she some sort of illness? Every instinct in my being told me to walk on just in case but I couldn’t. What if I was wrong? What if she died because I did nothing? A hundred scenarios ran through my head like a flood and I could make sense of none of them. There was only one course of action. I ran over and dropped to one knee, reaching out to turn her over. I could see her jeans were ripped across the knee and seeping with blood where she had fallen.
By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues
I was recently made aware of just how many movies and television shows the younger generation have never heard of, never mind seen. So to that end, we look back at some characters you really need to see before you kick the bucket.
Like Reverend Lowe in Silver Bullet, Uncle Ted from Bad Moon is not a villain in the true sense of the word. He is the unfortunate victim of a werewolf attack, one he was not intended to survive. At the movie’s opening, he and his girlfriend, Marjorie, are attacked by a werewolf in Nepal. She is killed and Ted is bitten but manages to blow the monster’s head off with a gun before passing out.
We skip forward several months and meet Ted’s single mother lawyer sister, Janet (Muriel Hemmingway) and her son Brett along with their loyal German Shepherd, Thor. Ted calls Janet and reveals he has been home for several months, lives in a trailer and Marjorie has left him. He declines her invitation initially to come stay with them because he is fearful if he turns he will kill or curse them too. However bodies are turning up where he has pitched camp and declared animal attacks. To take himself out of the police view, he finally accepts Janet’s invitation and drives his trailer to her home. If the police search his trailer, Ted will become a suspect due what he has in his closet. Janet finds heavy duty handcuffs and Brett discovers his journal detailing some disturbing things.
It is clear Ted is a tortured man and has spent his time desperately searching for a cure to his condition. The lore that the wolf can only be killed by a silver bullet is mentioned when he and Brett are watching a horror movie. Ted comments you could always just blow its head off. He should know as that is how he killed the one that turned him. Everything that has been told to the world about the werewolf lore is only what Hollywood has made up. By Ted’s reasoning if the lore is false then maybe there is a cure. In the movies if you kill the wolf that sired you then the curse would be broken but that has obviously not worked.
Ted is now seeking close proximity to his family as the police found the mutilated bodies near to his camper. Maybe after all the fruitless searching, the answer lies in the familial bonds. Maybe the love of your family can stop the werewolf from rising. But just in case, he refuses to stay in their house but instead lives in the RV he owns. This allows him to go running in the woods where he handcuffs himself to a tree at night until the morning sun rises. But like Reverend Lowe, it seems the closer the full moon gets the more the wolf takes over.
Ted however never foresaw a problem with the family pet, Thor. The big German Shepherd at first is friendly around Ted but as the wolf grows in Ted, Thor senses it and challenges Ted at every step for invading his territory. He urinates on his RV and refuses to let him go for a run in the woods. It becomes a battle of the Alphas as Ted returns the favour and urinates on Thor’s kennel. The wolf intends to claim this territory as its own. It doesn’t care about the family or how close they are to Thor. The dog’s response is to seemingly become more aggressive but Janet just sees Thor as being a good guard dog and doesn’t realise the danger on her doorstep. He is protecting Brett and her so Ted has to find a way to get Thor out of the way.
At the movie’s opening, a book salesman tries to con Janet by claiming Thor bit him when he goads the dog. Of course he doesn’t count on Janet being a lawyer and his scam is exposed there and then. But driven by revenge he returns to the house only to meet Ted in full wolf form and is promptly torn apart. However Thor is blamed for the attack and taken away to a pound leaving Janet and Brett completely open to Ted’s wolfishness.
However, Janet grows suspicious of her brother’s behaviour and when she discovers the full horrifying contents of the journal she puts herself in mortal danger. Too late, Ted goes after Janet who follows him into the woods to discover why he is behaving so strangely. The wolf is in control now and no familial ties can protect his sister and nephew. Janet sees first hand what her brother has become and realises Thor was right all along. When Brett frees Thor from the compound, he rushes home to save Janet who is trapped upstairs by the wolf. It is a battle to the death as Thor and Wolf Ted tear into each other. Janet manages to empty a gun into Wolf Ted and he is badly injured.
Thor takes advantage of this and they both crash through the upper floor window. Despite his injuries, the werewolf escapes into the woods. Also injured, Thor follows him but Ted is now human and badly injured. He has been shot multiple times and fallen from a height which again shows werewolf lore of healing is a myth, Thor does the only thing he can and tears Ted’s throat out to end his terror and suffering.
Bad Moon is a great little movie that makes the werewolf a grey area. Ted has been searching for a cure, consulting top doctors around the country but knows there is none. Not even a life of solitude makes this curse any easier. No matter where he goes there will be bodies. Life as a werewolf will not allow anyone to live alone in the mountains as the drive of the wolf will win through every time. It is a death sentence that will only come from the end of a gun or the jaws of a loyal pet. It speaks to the tragedy of the curse of the werewolf that not even the pure unconditional love of a family can prevent.
By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues
Photos copyright Paramount Pictures
As a sci-fi fan, the smallest things often become a big issue or niggle away at you until you say something or make comment on it. While this will not be a long article, it is something that has always sat in the back of my mind since I initially caught it on during the first time I watched the Star Trek Voyager episode Scorpion part one.
In Scorpion part one, Voyager has finally reached Borg space and inadvertently find themselves caught in a war between their cybernetic enemies and Species 8472. Species 8472, dwellers in another dimension made of fluidic material, has been destroying Borg cubes making them more powerful than the cyborgs. There is one safe passage through Borg space that Voyager needs but it is swarming with Species 8472 ships. This forces Janeway into making an unholy alliance with the Borg much to her first officer’s, Chakotay, chagrin. This causes tension between captain and first officer but events will bring a new crew member aboard when Voyager helps save the Borg.
When Janeway desperately tries to find a way through Borg space, she looks back to logs from captains that have fought the Borg previously. To be fair, all they have to go on is the episode Q Who when Q flings the Enterprise to the Delta Quadrant where they meet the Borg for the first time ever. The following meeting was the Best of Both Worlds when Picard was transformed into Locutus of Borg. Hundreds died in the battle of 359 as showcased in Deep Space 9’s debut The Emissary. Sisko lost his wife in the massacre beforetaking command of DS9.
Chakotay finds Janeway mulling over the logs searching for something that will let her figure out how the Borg think and find a way to get the ship through their space unharmed. He sits and they discuss the logs. Janeway then reads Jean Luc Picard’s log about the Borg from his experiences then moves to a section of one Captain Amasov’s log from the Endeavour. We can only assume he was a survivor of Wolf 359. Chakotay smiles to himself causing Janeway to stop and ask him why he is laughing. He reveals she was doing a good impersonation of Amasov using his inflections. He adds that she was doing a pretty good Jean Luc Picard too.
Now when I heard that, I near choked on my cornflakes. What was Chakotay hearing? Janeway no more sounded like Jean Luc Picard than I look like a six foot giraffe. I’m pretty sure that Amasov would also say she sounded nothing like him inflections or not. Has Chakotay been smoking something or is this a case of an almighty ass kissing? The next time Neelix organises a talent night, please God do not let Janeway do any impersonations and tell her she’s spot on.
At least Picard did a fairly decent impersonation of a speech giver in Timescape but let’s not go into Deanna Troi’s Irish accent. It’s right up there with David Boreanaz in Angel. Funny how the smallest things become a mountain.
By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues
Photo copyright Warner Bros
So after nine weeks of very up and down episodes, does the finale deliver any hope at all for those who have stuck with it?
I came away from this finale feeling like it was a wrap up of this season’s threads and a stepping stone to a new series. If nothing else, the stunning final shot may well guarantee a second season for the excitement alone.
I cannot fault the performances here as the Lee and Keiko storyline wraps up as they find each other once again. Once again Kurt Russell shows what a brilliant actor he is when he makes first contact with Keiko who has not aged a day while he is an old man. I don’t think he has really had the chance to show off his skills until now. Their interaction is captivating and you can feel the pain of lost love.
Keiko has used Doctor Suzuki’s homing device to send a gamma signal that she is still alive and ready to be rescued. She is devastated at how much time has passed and that her son grew up without her and that William is dead. Again we get a nice cameo to the John Goodman scene from episode one. His message was for his son, Hiroshi (although I still think Lee was the real father).
I said last time there was too much going on to resolve in the last episode and I was right but they manage it while openng the door to a new playscape. Using the calling device and Lee’s old probe ship that plunged him 20 years into the future, they draw Godzilla to them and the bat monster from the battleship episode. I was expecting a lot more monster wise as Godzilla in the previous episode seemed to be heading to what we thought were other Titans fizzled out. Human wise they have wrapped things up as Kentaro manages to reconcile his with Dad in a way while Tim quits Monarch aware that Keiko is alive and well.
There is no spectacular monster slamdown to speak of to really be honest but needless to say I knew the escape pod would end with Lee dying to get his beloved home. But is he really dead? Wouldn’t he have been caught up in the wake that propells the probe home? Surely it works both ways as they all fell down and lived so why not up? I’m not counting Russell out of the show just yet if it gets a second season.
The Randas are reunited (and even Kentaro’s mom manges to get the chance to tell her husband to politely fuck off) but the pod has landed them back but two years into the future. Kentaro, Tim and Hiroshi now work alongside Brenda, May’s super rich nemesis Brenda head of AET and doing what Monarch didn’t. As a storm rages overhead Kentaro says a lot has changed in the last two years. They flee underground as the base locks down.
From the trees and out of the storm comes King Kong. He roars and the screen goes black.
Now that alone was enough to make me sit up and wonder is this part of the New Empire movie? But if we go to a second show, there can be no more of this family drama dragged out to unbelievable lengths and a lot more monster madness. There has been a lot of missed chances in the first season and tear your hair out with frustration moments.
Yet despite myself I want to see what happens now with Kong on the scene. To the writers and producers, learn from your mistakes and deliver what fans want, nay, deserve from a show with this title.
The Time Warriors and Beyond 
